Ex rank talent Awakening: 100% Dodge rate
Chapter 259 - CHAPTER 259: CLASH OF POWERS

The Celestial of War continued his relentless assault, not giving the orc chief a single moment to recover. His strikes were ruthless, efficient, and fluid—each one flowing into the next like a deadly dance.

Forced onto the defensive, the orc chief's face grew grim.

After his death, he had awakened anew under the blessing of his goddess—reborn with enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and resilience. No longer just the leader of a minor clan, he had returned as a being of formidable might. He had believed himself strong enough to challenge even the leaders of major clans, and the death of the dwarf king by his hands had only reinforced that belief.

But now, that confidence shattered.

He couldn't even hold his ground against a Celestial—not the Celestial King, but just a Celestial.

To be fair, he had only managed to defeat the dwarf king so easily because Rebecca had taken possession of the king's ego weapon. Her law had drastically enhanced the puppet's capabilities, but even then, there were limits to how much one's strength could be improved artificially.

The Celestial of War's onslaught remained one-sided. The orc chief, despite his newfound power, was struggling—clearly outclassed.

Suddenly, the Celestial sensed danger.

A flicker of energy—then movement. He shifted sideways just in time to dodge a miniature mana bomb that exploded where he had stood moments ago.

"You know," the Celestial said, rubbing his temple with slight irritation, "sneaking up on someone isn't very polite."

"Morality is a luxury for the foolish in war," a calm voice responded as the attacker stepped forward toward the orc chief.

"Number Twenty," the orc chief growled coldly, visibly annoyed. "I didn't ask for your interference."

"And I didn't need your permission," Number Twenty replied with a casual chuckle, utterly unbothered. "It was getting pitiful watching that one-sided beatdown."

Save face? Not in his dictionary.

"Two on one, huh?" the Celestial of War muttered, smirking. "Well, this might just make things more entertaining."

✦✦✦

"Are you two planning to just watch until the battle below ends, or are you cowards going to fight me?" Rebecca said, her voice sharp and challenging. Her piercing gaze locked onto the Celestial King and the Demon King above.

"That's our cue, I guess," the Demon King said with a tired sigh. "Honestly, I was hoping she'd stay quiet just a bit longer."

The playful glint in the two kings' eyes vanished instantly, replaced by unwavering focus. Tension filled the air. Their auras flared—dense, overwhelming, ready for battle.

Rebecca didn't flinch. She stood tall and still, her cold expression unchanged, determination unwavering.

The Celestial King struck first. A radiant thunderbolt formed in his palm, crackling with divine energy. With a mere thought, he launched it at Rebecca.

She sidestepped gracefully, avoiding the bolt with ease. But she was given no room to breathe—appearing before her in a flash, the Demon King's eyes glowed with a maddening red hue as he swung a punch cloaked in malevolent aura.

A door of darkness appeared instantly between them.

The Demon King recoiled, retreating just before the portal could swallow him.

"Such a bothersome ability," he muttered, glaring at Rebecca like she was a persistent itch.

"Focus," the Celestial King snapped, summoning several spears of light, each crafted with precision. He hurled them toward her.

Rebecca didn't move. The darkness orbs floating around her calmly absorbed the incoming projectiles—an effortless defense.

The Demon King stepped closer to his comrade. "If we can't destroy those damn orbs, we won't be able to touch her."

The Celestial King gave a short nod of agreement. "Then stop worrying about defense and just overwhelm her. A weakness will reveal itself."

Golden armor materialized over his body, a shimmering sword appearing in his hand, radiant and regal.

"Guess I'll have to go all out too," the Demon King said, summoning his own armor. Though similar in structure to the Celestial's, his was twisted—dark, brooding, and cruel. A sword cloaked in a sinister aura formed in his hand, born from the power of Envy.

Together, they advanced—kings of light and darkness, moving in perfect tandem.

The Celestial King struck upward with his sword, while the Demon King moved into the likely blind spot, exploiting the expected dodge.

But Rebecca was no fool. Her blue eyes gleamed, and red inscriptions spun within her irises—eyes that could read intent itself. She dodged the Celestial King's strike and, with her father's sword in hand, intercepted the Demon King's blow cleanly.

The Celestial King seized the opportunity, lunging at her again. They flowed like twin currents—striking, backing off, switching roles in perfect synchrony.

Rebecca, however, was far from overwhelmed. With elegance and control, she mirrored their synergy on her own. Her movements were fluid, her responses sharp—her strength and speed slightly superior, allowing her to keep up without faltering.

Then came a shift.

The Celestial King created dozens of binding chains, glowing with divine energy, and sent them rushing toward her. At the same time, he conjured countless golden swords—clones of his own—each with an individual command, each aimed at Rebecca with pinpoint precision.

The orbs of darkness around her absorbed the chains, just as he had expected. But when they attempted to absorb the swords, they failed—each blade dancing around the orbs with uncanny agility, guided by the king's precise control.

Rebecca's gaze sharpened.

Unable to rely on the orbs, she swung her blade instead. Coated in the Law of Darkness, her sword carved through the golden weapons with mechanical precision. Every strike, every parry, every dodge was seamless—an intricate dance of skill and strategy. Not a single blade touched her.

But the Demon King refused to let her have a fair fight.

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, a vertical slit had formed on his forehead.

A powerful wave of energy surged outward.

The Eye of Pride had opened.

The pressure around him exploded, his power multiplying—no, magnifying—to more than ten times its previous strength.