LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 312: Turning the Tables
Kiana lay motionless on the ground, feigning unconsciousness. But Raven remained wary. A Herrscher's physiology was different from a human's. Even with their core suppressed, they weren't easily killed.
Time, however, was running short. Comms were down, Chen Tianwu's fate unknown, and besides the Herrscher of the Void, a newly awakened Herrscher's whereabouts remained a mystery. Both were extremely dangerous and needed to be captured quickly.
Crawling on the rooftop, she reached the edge, gaining a clearer vantage point. Through her scope, she observed Kiana in the snow.
Only then did she notice the bloodstains on Kiana's clothes, particularly on her white hair, stark against the pristine snow.
"*She's injured?*" The thought struck her. The situation wasn't as she'd anticipated.
The Staff of the Underworld's bullet only suppressed; even fired from the Seven Thunders of Retribution, it shouldn't cause such extensive wounds. The only explanation was that Kiana was already injured before Raven fired, and far more seriously than she'd thought.
Kiana's collapse wasn't from the sniper shot itself, but from the Staff's suppression of her healing abilities.
"*Could the new Herrscher have injured the Herrscher of the Void?*"
While Kiana's presence on Coral Island remained a mystery, this was good news for Raven. It meant she might not only capture the new Herrscher but also eliminate Kiana, finally settling a decade-old vendetta.
Narrowing her eyes, she aimed at Kiana's head, but an ice wall obstructed her shot. A live Herrscher was a more valuable target anyway. She shifted her aim, targeting Kiana's leg.
Tzzz.
The faint whine of electromagnetic acceleration preceded the specialized bullet piercing Kiana's leg, a spray of crimson blooming in the snow.
Even believing Kiana was unconscious, Raven needed to be certain. This shot was a test.
The girl remained still, blood flowing from the wound, a stark contrast against the white.
Satisfied Kiana was truly down, Raven holstered her rifle and left her perch. She approached cautiously, circling the ruined streets, closing in from a different angle.
As she drew nearer, she saw the extent of Kiana's injuries. Her body was covered in cuts and congealed blood.
"*So badly injured, yet wandering around in a blizzard. Are you foolish, or incredibly brave?*" Conflicting emotions swirled within Raven. However, Kiana's severe injuries eased her mind. Leaving cover, she slowly approached.
Standing over Kiana, Raven aimed her Seven Thunders of Retribution at the girl's forehead. One pull of the trigger would end a decade-long feud.
But she knew killing Kiana wouldn't bring back what she'd lost. The children wouldn't return. She'd already relinquished her hatred when Kiana saved her life.
Uncertainty clouded her eyes. Since losing the children, she'd lost her purpose, clinging to old hatreds as her only motivation.
As she hesitated, Kiana's eyes snapped open.
Searing flames engulfed the Seven Thunders of Retribution. Flamescion, already charged, erupted into a blazing longsword, slashing towards Raven.
Caught completely off guard, Raven barely managed to raise her Honkai claws to block.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed a radius of dozens of meters, instantly vaporizing the surrounding snow.
Searing pain shot through her claws. Raven felt like she'd been hit by a flaming meteor. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards, crashing through a ruined building hundreds of meters away.
The ice-covered concrete wall crumbled. Raven slammed into the debris, blood trickling from her lips.
She looked up, pain lancing through her, to see Kiana rising unsteadily to her feet.
The realization hit her hard. Kiana had anticipated her, feigning injury to lure her in. An experienced operative like Raven shouldn't have fallen for such a simple trick, but Kiana's act had been too convincing.
A shot from the Third Divine Key could bisect an ordinary person, and even a Herrscher wouldn't escape unscathed. Yet, Kiana had endured it silently, lulling Raven into a false sense of security.
"I never thought the 'reckless' Herrscher of the Void would resort to trickery. You're more formidable than I thought."
"No, your intel is simply outdated." Kiana gasped, wincing at the pain from her wounds.
The Staff of the Underworld's suppression hadn't faded; Kiana still couldn't access the Imaginary Space. But realizing her Void powers were disabled, she'd immediately thought of the Flamescion ember Ren had entrusted to her.
Ren's support during the fight with the Herrscher of Ice had deepened Kiana's connection to Flamescion's core, making its absorption easier. But Flamescion was still Ren's modified core of the Herrscher of Flamesion; full absorption would take time. Strictly speaking, it wasn't Kiana's power yet.
And it was this external power source that bypassed the Staff's interference, allowing Kiana to turn the tables on Raven.
Kiana was right. World Serpent's intel was outdated, stuck in the past, when she'd been chasing after Ren. With Ren driven by emotions, Kiana, by association, seemed equally reckless.
But the simulated world in ARC City hadn't only eased Ren's burdens; it had also mended Kiana's fractured psyche. Though separated, they had a promise of reunion.
Unburdened by worry, Kiana's strategic mind had sharpened, no longer easily manipulated by Raven.
"Outdated intel or not, in your current state, do you really think you can win?" Rising from the debris, Raven wiped the dust from her face, raising her Seven Thunders of Retribution once more.
As World Serpent's primary combatant, Raven was no pushover. With her Seven Thunders of Retribution and Honkai claws, she could take down even Judgment-class Honkai beasts.
Kiana, on the other hand, had her Void powers disabled, her Gem of Serenity suppressed, and her body riddled with wounds. Only Flamescion remained.
In her current condition, even after a successful ambush, victory against Raven seemed improbable.
But the girl showed no sign of retreat, her blue eyes blazing with determination.
"No matter how dark the sky, as long as the flame still burns, hope endures. I won't fall here. Someone is waiting for me."
In the heart of the blizzard, their battle was about to begin.
Raven, with her ranged weapon, had a clear advantage. The Seven Thunders of Retribution crackled with energy, spitting out specialized bullets with surprising speed for a sniper rifle.
The fight quickly became one-sided.
Yet, neither Kiana nor Ren, watching from a high vantage point in the ruined city, showed any concern.
Because Kiana believed in herself, just as Ren believed in her.