He had reached his limits? Did he realize it was too late because he was too concerned about Adori?

"Your ability to evade attacks has conditions and limitations. When your body turns ethereal, you can't attack and avoid attack at the same time."

Adori smiled. "As long as I keep my sword within your vital parts when you try to attack, you won't have a choice but to cancel your attacks unless you want to take the risk to receive it to trade a hit against a princess of Zahard."

"However, even with such a weakness, your ability still should be impossible for an E-ranked regular to use casually. To be able to use such ability, you must have to pay a costly price."

"You throwing up a mouthful of blood twice when you haven't received any blow is a clear indication, fighting any longer will definitely kill you."

"Why don't you tell me who sent you to me and I will let you go?" Adori spoke with a calm tone as if they weren't in a life and death battle.

Her figure was small compared to his transformed form but the aura she emitted was vast and overwhelming. Yacinth felt like he wasn't facing a human but a terrifying beast that ruled as the apex predator of the food chains in the tower.

Turning his head to look at the side, Yacinth saw that his Shinheuh had fallen on the ground soaked in its own puddle of blood.

His last companion had been turned into a corpse riddled with holes while he was at his limits and surrounded by the three of them.

It seemed that Yacinth had no chance from the beginning, or did he? His tiger-like mouth grinned widely, displaying rows of menacing teeth.

How could he, a mighty descendant of the great Lo Po Bia family give up so easily?

He suddenly leaped forward, approaching closer to Adori as she quickly brandished her sword again to wear him down, while Xin and Liu Guanyi used their Shinsu attack to assist her.

However, Yacinth did something unexpected.

He didn't use his ability and welcomed all the attacks to land successfully on his body, as he managed to grasp Adori's sword tightly with his claws, something that should have gotten him killed outright.

The tiger pattern on his chest moved as if it suddenly woke up to live and rotated toward his hand which held Adori's sword, then traveled along the length of the sword.

When it reached her hands, the tiger suddenly became life-like and bit her arm, holding her in place.

Anima Special Skill: Tiger Spirit Life Binding Chain!

Ignoring the gaping holes in his body from the shinsu attacks and the pain, Yacinth thrust his only arm forward, driving the Red Shark to the still Adori as he coursed his every last of his energy to the needle, making it glowed in bright, rays of red light.

Red Shark: Ignition!

Booooooommm!!

Bright red rays engulfed both of them as powerful energy exploded from their spot, creating a great shockwave that rocked the whole arena as the barriers appeared to protect the viewers from the destructive explosion.

Liu Guanyi and Xin were affected as well as they were thrown to the walls. However, if they had even suffered only because of the shockwave, what about Adori?

The smokes from the explosion started to dissipate as they could see what happened. The arena ground became scorched red dozens of meters from the center, as for the center itself?

The reddish ground had sunk in a circular shape as vapors and smokes wafted, revealing two figures inside it.

Yacinth had many severe injuries as even one of his arms had vanished with only a blackened stump remaining while his other hand had been cut, but judging from his slow breaths, he at least still lived.

On the other hand, Adori stood there calmly without any serious injuries.

The only signs that she had withstood such a big explosion were some of the burned and tattered parts of her dress, and her bleeding and singed arm which held her, now broken sword.

However, there was something different from before.

Adori held a radiant white sword in her other hand which began to turn transparent and began to dissipate soon after, and a gray inconspicuous triangular object which floated around her.

"It didn't expect that you have Gray Stingray and prepared it to help you, but I am even more surprised that you could resist Red Shark ignition power even with its help."

"No wonder some of the higher-ups are so determined to get rid of you before you grow. You are truly monstrous, princess." Yacinth spoke laboriously with a hint of respect in his voice.

"With your talent, it's a certainty that the King himself will notice you after you've finished your journey. But looking at your power, I am sure that no matter what they will do, their efforts will be futile."

"I guess some people are just made different to the rest." Yacinth spoke with ridicule, unknown whether it was directed at her or himself.

"Then will you speak about your masters now?" Said Adori calmly.

Yacinth shook his head. "Sorry, princess. But even I don't really know which higher-ups gave the order. After all, I'm merely a sacrificial pawn to test you."

He gnashed his teeth. "I have no choice to do it as they have my weakness and blackmailed me."

Adori waited until Yacinth calmed down, and after a while, he let out a sigh and started to speak again. "It's useless, princess, you have to find them out yourself. But I can guess that they are related to the princess of Zahard from my family."

"I see." Adori spoke curtly as she nodded her head.

He smiled weakly. "Even if I manage to survive from this battle, they will still kill me afterward. I know that it's too much of me to ask you a favor, but can you make sure that my sister, the little girl with gray hair that you saw in our first encounter, is in safe hands? In return, I will give you my Red Shark." He pleaded sincerely.

Adori didn't respond and only turned back, and walked away. However, after taking only a few steps, she suddenly stopped. Thinking that she was going to accept his request, Yacinth felt a surge of happiness in his chest.

However, her next words had ruthlessly squashed his hopes. "I don't care about your family matters or your little sister. But as a decent foe, I'll give you the respect that you deserve."

As her words echoed in his ears, he saw her figure shined in a radiant light as his vision was suddenly filled with a white flash.

'Beautiful…' That was the last thought that crossed his mind.