“That lass… She’s grown more ruthless.” Lady Seph narrowed her eyes, somewhat doubting her own vision. The seasoned Divine Healer was the one most knowledgeable about the orphans among all the members of Guardian Sword. Even Kanari, Isadore and Elrin, the three most bosom friends of the orphans, couldn’t compare to Lady Seph. After all, the blonde woman watched them all grow from young children to mature adults.

“Difficult times make strong people,” Kanari sighed. “We can’t all be pampered children that hide behind our seniors anymore, Lady Seph.”

“I know that… It’s just… odd.”

Being a Divine Healer, Lady Seph wasn’t a stranger to death, especially in a warring period such as this. However, seeing Fionn, who in her eyes was still just a child, murder in cold blood… It was quite a surreal moment.

‘First Shin, now the other orphans… I’ve heard stories, but watching them kill someone in person… It’s really unsettling.’ The Divine Healer dropped her head and stared at her feet. ‘Hah… I sure am useless… I mentored countless prodigies. Enfen, the Imperial Family, dozens of healers… Yet, it’s just something about their generation...’

Lady Seph’s connection with Shin and the orphans was special. Perhaps too special, in fact. Rather than a mentor-mentee relationship, Lady Seph felt like the orphans were her own kin. Since leaving the Frie Clan, Lady Seph had reared the orphans as her own. Taking them everywhere she went, be it Imperius Academy or the back mountains of the Himmel Empire. Wherever Lady Seph was, the other orphans weren’t too far behind.

‘What am I saying… I’m just a spinster without a child.’

Shaking her head, Lady Seph emptied the useless thoughts in her head before turning towards the commander of the battlefield: “Those four girls are going to be fine. The rest of the battlefield has also been cleaned up. Only two more battles are raging on, don’t you think we should intervene?”

Kanari followed Lady Seph’s words and surveyed the sandy Payirci one final time. The Divine Healer was right. Other than the two Bings and Isadore’s duels, the rest of the Payirci had been completely wiped clean. All the Umbras and Black Masks had been defeated, from the small fried to the big whales. All that remained, were the two pesky Spirit Venerates.

“Yes… It’s time.” The fox maiden finally acquiesced. “Lady Seph, would you assist Sister Bingying and Bingbing? I will assist Isadore.”

“Good idea!” Lady Seph didn’t even think twice about Kanari’s orders. For her, Bingbing was far more important than Isadore, the brat of the Himmel Empire. Turning into a ray of light, the Divine Healer merged with the Iofiel Angel and charged right towards the Meijing fight.

“Oya? What’s this?” Meijing Xuenkai, the Spirit Venerate who almost had Bingbing on the ropes, skipped cautiously backwards, avoiding the single ray of light. However, that was a fatal mistake. That moment’s hesitation allowed the flash of light to burst into two, landing right on the fatigued Meijing Bingying and the Tier 9 Kamaitachi that had numerous cuts on her tough hide.

And then, just like magic… The injuries that the two Bings had faced miraculously dissipated away as if they weren’t even inflicted with any hits, to begin with. Not only that, but Bingying’s tired face also turned plump and red, signifying a full recovery from any ailments she may have received. Mana was returning to their spent souls as well, and they felt as if their entire bodies were overflowing with energy.

“Yipyip! Master!” Bingbing yelped in joy as she welcomed Lady Seph’s prompt arrival. “Yip yip yip you’re finally here!”

“Silly lass, you should cherish your body a little more! I know that you’re desperate to win, but think about how Shin and I would feel if you come back riddled with scars from every battle?”

“Yip! Sorry...”

The Kamaitachi dropped her ears, not willing to stare the infuriated blonde in the eyes. That abated Lady Seph’s fury just a little, forcing her to lovingly pat the Tier 9 Spirit Beast on the head. “Just be a little more aware next time, alright?”

“Yip! Yes, ma’am!”

Annoyed by the lack of attention Divine Healer was giving him, Meijing Xuenkai cried out: “Hahaha, what a touching reunion! I think that I’m about to cry! Honestly, you shou-...”

[SILENCE!!!]

Before Meijing Xuenkai could breathe another word, Lady Seph’s voice burst out with fury. The Brahmin’s mouth slammed shut, just like the Divine Healer’s orders and for a good five seconds, he was unable to separate his teeth. Shivering, it took Meijing Xuenkai everything that he had to finally unbind the shackles that Lady Seph had implanted upon him, and even then… he had to fall to his knees in shock.

“Hah… hah… hah… What was that?!”

Gone was his nonchalance and disgustingly natural smile. When Meijing Xuenkai fought against Meijing Bingying and Bingbing, everything came too easily for him. In a certain sense, the man felt like he was punching below his weight class. However, that one word from Lady Seph changed the entire ball game.

“Hoh… You broke free? Then what about this?” Lady Seph swiped her hand to the left, sending fifteen crystals into the air. Once they were directly overhead, the crystals broke into birds of light and swarmed right at the poor Brahmin. However, that wasn’t all. In her angel form, Lady Seph summoned out thousands of strings made out of crystallised light and sent them all flying.

Biting down on his lip, Meijing Xuenkai summoned out his Spirit Avatar, trying his best to deflect the power moves made by the Divine Healer. Alas…

[KNEEL!!!]

Lady Seph cast her Divine Words, once more ensnaring Meijing Xuenkai and crippling his abilities. Without his Spirit Avatar, the man was vulnerable to all the attacks that Lady Seph had thrown out… and boy did they work.

BOOOOM!!! BOOOOM!!! BOOOOM!!! BOOOOM!!!

First, the fifteen birds crashed onto Meijing Xuenkai’s hard body and exploded without mercy. Bruises and cuts zigzagged throughout the Brahmin’s solid physique as blood poured down from his open wounds. That wasn’t the end… Thousands of strings pierced through the open wounds, a feat that was impossible without the birds’ weakening that Spirit Venerate body first. Crippling effects such as paralysis and exhaustion crept into Meijing Xuenkai’s body, weakening him in ways that weren’t possible for a healer.

Angered, Meijing Xuenkai hollered out: “Aren’t you a healer?!”

“What? And a healer can’t fight on the battlefield?” Lady Seph sneered. “I’ll let you know, Shin is my disciple, and who’s a better fighter than him?”

“You-!”

That was just sophistry! Meijing Xuenkai wanted to yell that out. Lady Seph was Shin’s master, yes. But the whole world knew that she didn’t teach him a single ounce of fighting techniques! Lady Seph was legendary for her healing abilities, no one had ever heard of her being that proficient at combat!

However, the Brahmin was half-right. Lady Seph wasn’t a combat medic by any stretch of the imagination. The attacks that landed on Meijing Xuenkai was all the attacks that she had in her arsenal. Lady Seph’s true abilities laid in enhancing her allies and healing them back to full health. The only reason why all of those attacks landed was because the man had underestimated Lady Seph from the very first second she landed.

“Lass, I’ll buff you and Bingbing for now. You finish the job.” Lady Seph turned to Bingying and smiled. After sending a few holy strings of light to Bingying, Lady Seph said: “He’s a betrayer of your clan right? Do your duties as the heir.”

“... Thank you, Venerate Seraphim.” Meijing Bingying picked up her sword and gave Bingbing the firm nod. Both of them, powered by the Divine Healer’s grace, walked towards the encumbered man with the determination to end it all.

“Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!!!” Meijing Xuenkai hollered out, knowing that certain death was approaching. However, no matter how much he screamed and shouted, his body just wouldn’t listen to him. Lady Seph’s power was just too intrusive and mysterious. The Spirit Venerate, who had little to no experience with healing, was unable to remove that shackles that the Divine Healer had placed upon him.

Which meant…

“Meijing Xuenkai… As a former Meijing Clan member, I shall give you a chance to repent your sins.” Meijing Bingying placed her cold blade just a centimetre away from the Brahmin’s throat, ready to pierce it at any given moment.

“Repent? Don’t make me laugh!” Meijing Xuenkai spat. “Why should I care about the clan that abandoned me? The clan that used me for my power and threw me away just because I was different? Why should I care about the clan that wouldn’t give two fucks about my legacy and future?!”

“Till the very end… You don’t see your folly.”

“Folly?! FOLLY?! That’s rich! Coming from a pampered lady that was breast-fed everything to her from birth! Just because I had a mutated Spirit I was passed up for the Meijing Clan heir! But you! You don’t even have half the talent that I do, and you are served the Clan Master position on a silver platter! I’m not the foolish one! The clan is!”

“.. For your selfish ambition, you destroyed the Meijing Clan from the inside. Your actions that day killed thousands and wrecked millions of lives on the Meijing Arctics. If not for you… We would still be a thriving clan!”

“Clan! Clan! CLAN!!! Who the fuck cares about the clan?!” Meijing Xuenkai broke. “I curse you all! I curse you and all of the Meijing Clan! Once the Allfather ascends, he’ll revive me and rain down judgement on that bastard clan! I will make certain of that! I will-!”

SCHLING!!!

Unable to bear his putrid words no longer, Meijing Bingying pushed her sword in. To make certain of his demise, Bingbing sent thousands of icicles flying into the man’s body, turning the former Spirit Venerate into a cheese grater as his soul left his body.

“It is done,” Meijing Bingying knelt down in prayer. She thought of the many lives that were lost the day Meijing Xuenkai betrayed the clan. She thought of the day the Meijing Clan fell from the upper echelons of the Lantis Republic, only to slowly claw their way back up to the surface. And it was all because of this one man’s actions. But now… that man was no more.

“I’ve ended it.”