Chapter 4

“You won't finish her off?” Sarah asked.

The white-haired woman turned her head slightly, her grey eyes switching to Lena, who was still trembling on the ground, strongly clinging to her staff. A look of mild disdain crossed her face, as if she had nearly forgotten about the last remaining member of the group.

“Oh, her?” The woman’s voice was light, almost casual, as she regarded Lena with indifference. “I suppose I could, but it’s hardly worth the effort. She’s already broken.” She shrugged, as if it was of no consequence. “It’s more fun to watch them squirm and cling to life, don’t you think?”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she kept her expression calm. “I see. So, you prefer to toy with them. Like a cat playing with a mouse.”

The woman smiled, a slow, lazy smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Exactly,” she said. “Where’s the fun in just killing them outright? Fear… despair… those emotions are so much more interesting to watch.”

Sarah held her gaze, her mind still quietly calculating. This woman was dangerous, not just because of her strength, but because of her twisted sense of amusement. She enjoyed causing pain, dragging out her victims’ suffering as long as possible. That could be used against her.

“Is that so?” Sarah said softly. “Well, I can somewhat relate to that. But I wonder if you’ll find it just as entertaining when someone stronger decides to toy with you.”

A small sign of anger appeared in the woman’s eyes, and she tilted her head, almost as if she was hearing an intriguing proposition. “Oh, I’d like to see that, but you’re not the one to do it, are you?”

Sarah took a step forward, her eyes locked on the woman’s. “You shouldn’t be so sure,” she said, her voice low, almost a whisper.

For a moment, the white-haired woman simply stared at her, as if trying to decide whether to be amused or insulted. Then she laughed, a soft, almost mocking sound that echoed through the clearing. “How interesting… I like you,” she said. “I think I’ll keep you around a little longer.”

Sarah’s lips twitched into a faint smile, but her eyes remained cold. “If you want to keep me around, you’ll have to win, and you can start by finishing what you started. Or are you afraid she might still be able to fight back?”

The woman’s smile faltered, just for a moment. It was subtle, but Sarah caught it—the brief sign of annoyance, the slight narrowing of her eyes. “Afraid?” she echoed, her voice low and menacing. “No, little mouse. I’m never afraid.”

With a swift, almost lazy motion, she raised her hand, dark energy swirling around her fingertips. Lena, still on the ground, let out a choked sob, trying to crawl away, but it was no use. The woman didn’t even look at her as she flicked her wrist, sending a bolt of dark energy through the air. It struck Lena in the chest, and she collapsed, her eyes wide and empty.

The woman lowered her hand, her smile returning. “There,” she said, as if completing a trivial task. “Satisfied?”

Sarah watched Lena’s body fall to the ground, her expression unreadable. “Very,” she said, her voice cool. “Now that you’ve had your fun, how about we get to the real reason you’re here?”

The woman’s eyes widened slightly, and for the first time, there was a hint of surprise in her gaze. “Oh? And what makes you think there’s a ‘real reason’?”

“Because you’re too powerful to be out here for no reason.” Sarah replied calmly.

The woman regarded her for a long moment, and then she smiled—a slow, dangerous smile that almost sent a chill down Sarah’s spine. “Clever girl,” she murmured. “Perhaps you’re not as dumb as the rest of them.” She took a step closer, her eyes glinting. “But I wonder… just how much do you really want to know?”

Sarah didn’t break eye contact. “More than you might think,” she said. “And if you’re willing to tell me, I might just let you live long enough to enjoy it.”

The woman laughed. “You’re bold, I’ll give you that. Very well… I suppose I can tell you. But I wonder… can you handle the truth?”

Sarah’s smile was cold, almost predatory. “Try me.”

Nami’s smile widened, revealing sharp, white teeth. “I am Nami,” she said, her voice smooth and inviting, yet bearing a dangerous tone. “The Black Primordial Demon. And you are…?”

“Sarah,” she replied, maintaining her composure. “Sarah Viserya. Although I don’t know what a ‘Primordial Demon’ is supposed to be… but it surely is a fancy title.”

The air between them was heavy with tension. Then, without a word, Nami blasted herself forward, her fists swinging with incredible speed and force.

Sarah barely had time to react, tilting her head to the side as Nami’s fist grazed her cheek. She felt the rush of air and heard the sharp crack of Nami's fists slicing through it. Pivoting on her heel, Sarah countered with a swift jab to Nami’s midsection, her fist driving forward with immense precision. Nami’s body went backward, but she quickly caught herself, her feet sliding across the ground as she dug in to stop the momentum.

"Not bad," Nami hissed, her voice low and menacing. "But it’ll take more than that."

Before Sarah could respond, Nami was on her again, a blur of movement. Her fists came at Sarah as a blur, each punch faster and heavier than the last. Sarah’s arms moved fluidly, blocking and deflecting the strikes, but she could feel the power behind them, each one like a sledgehammer. She gritted her teeth, her muscles straining as she stopped a brutal hook aimed at her jaw, twisting her body to let the attack slide past her.

Nami saw the opening and immediately went for a sweeping kick, her leg cutting through the air like a blade. But Sarah anticipated the move, jumping back just in time to avoid it. She seized the opportunity to counterattack, stepping in close and driving her elbow into Nami’s ribs. The impact reverberated through her arm, but Nami barely flinched. Instead, she grabbed Sarah’s arm, pulling her forward and slamming a knee into her stomach.

The force of the blow sent Sarah staggering back, her breath knocked out of her. She steadied herself, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, and then smiled. “I’ve faced worse than you,” she said, her voice steady despite the small pain. “Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Sarah rushed forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Her fists became a blur, striking out with lightning speed. She threw a right hook, then followed it up with a left uppercut, forcing Nami onto the defensive. For a moment, it was as if Sarah was everywhere, her movements fluid and unpredictable. Nami blocked some of the blows but took a few hits, each punch leaving a dark bruise on her skin.

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But Nami was not easily overwhelmed. She caught one of Sarah’s punches, twisting her arm to lock it in place, and brought her own fist crashing down. Sarah felt the shock of the blow ripple through her arm, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she twisted her body, slipping out of Nami’s grasp, and retaliated with a swift kick to Nami’s side, sending her stumbling.

Nami recovered quickly, her eyes burning with fury. She let out a roar, her fists igniting with dark energy. She charged at Sarah, her strikes now enhanced with magic, each punch leaving trails of dark mist in the air. Sarah dodged and weaved, her movements a dance of controlled precision. She could feel the energy in Nami’s attacks, and she knew that a direct hit would deal her damage, especially since defense wasn’t her strong point.

The two fighters continued to clash, their blows sending shockwaves through the clearing. Sarah’s strikes were swift and precise, each one calculated to exploit the smallest of openings. Nami’s were raw and powerful, each punch meant to break and crush whatever stood in her way.

The fight was a deadly rhythm, back and forth, a brutal dance of skill and power. They moved with an almost unnatural grace, each motion flowing seamlessly into the next. Sarah ducked under a wild swing, retaliating with a spinning backfist that caught Nami across the jaw. Nami’s head snapped to the side, but she barely seemed to register the hit. She growled and swung again, this time catching Sarah with a brutal cross that sent her reeling.

Sarah stumbled, but she didn’t fall. She took a breath, her vision blurring for a moment before snapping back into focus. She could see Nami preparing for another charge, and she braced herself, her muscles coiling. As Nami lunged, Sarah moved to meet her, their fists colliding with a deafening crack, the sheer force of their strikes sending a shockwave that shook the ground beneath their feet.

They stood there for a moment, locked in place, their fists pressed against each other, each pushing with all their might. Sweat dripped down their faces, and their breathing was heavy, but neither was willing to back down. Then, with a burst of strength, Sarah twisted her arm, breaking the deadlock and driving her fist into Nami’s stomach.

Nami gasped, doubling over, and Sarah didn’t waste the opportunity. She grabbed Nami by the collar, pulling her down as she brought her knee up, smashing it into Nami’s face. There was a sickening crunch, and Nami fell back, blood trickling down her lip.

But even then, she wasn’t defeated. She wiped the blood away with the back of her hand, grinning through the pain. “You’re stronger than I thought, I commend you,” she said, her voice hoarse but still filled with that same, unyielding confidence. “But this isn’t over.”

Sarah smirked, raising her fists once more. “Good,” she said, her eyes filled with determination. “I’m just getting started.”

The tension in the clearing was palpable as Sarah and Nami locked eyes, their auras flaring with raw power. The mist around them swirled wildly as if recoiling from the sheer energy they were displaying. The once-quiet forest was now a war zone, and the ground trembled under their feet, unable to withstand the clash of their forces.

Nami’s eyes glowed a deep crimson, she exploded forward, her speed blurring her form into a dark streak. She swung her fist, aiming for Sarah’s head, but Sarah was already moving. Her reflexes kicked in, and she dodged the punch with ease, her movements so fast it looked as though she hadn’t moved at all.

Nami’s strike didn’t just miss; it continued forward, smashing into a distant mountain far behind Sarah. The mountain shattered, crumbling to pieces as an explosion of dust and rock erupted from the impact.

Sarah didn’t hesitate. She dashed forward, her own form changing to something like a mirage as she closed the distance in an instant, faster than light. Her fist shot out, aiming for Nami’s torso, and when it connected, the force of the blow sent a shockwave rippling through the air. The ground beneath Nami’s feet cracked, and the shockwave traveled outward, toppling trees and splitting the ground, creating something like a canyon. Nami was hurled back, crashing through the air like a meteor, before she caught herself mid-flight, sliding to a halt as she left a trail of fire and smoke behind her.

"Is that all you've got?" Nami taunted, her voice carrying a small hint of worry and… perhaps admiration? She wiped a trickle of blood from her mouth, her grin widening. Dark energy began to swirl around her fists, merging into dark-red flames. She raised her hands, and the sky darkened, thick clouds appearing as if called forth by her power. Then, she thrust her fists forward, unleashing a barrage of dark energy blasts that sliced through the air, each one moving faster than the eye could follow.

Sarah's eyes sharpened, and she raised her hands, blocking and deflecting the blasts with blinding speed. Her movements were so precise, so fluid, that each blast she touched ricocheted away, shooting off into the horizon and detonating miles away, tearing huge craters into the distant mountain ranges. One misstep and she could be overwhelmed, but she didn't miss a single attack. Her eyes followed Nami’s every movement, tracking her despite the chaos around them.

Suddenly, Nami appeared right in front of Sarah, faster than a blink, her fist cocked back. She swung, and the force of the punch split the air, creating a vacuum that distorted the space around it. Sarah barely managed to catch the fist, her hand gripping Nami's knuckles as the shockwave rippled through her arm, splitting the ground beneath them and sending chunks of earth flying into the air.

The ground gave way under their combined strength, and they plunged downward, smashing through layers of bedrock as if it were paper. The ground cratered deeply around them, creating a chasm that extended for miles, like a scar carved into the planet. For a moment, they were locked in a deadlock, each trying to overpower the other, the air humming with the sheer intensity of their struggle.

Sarah’s eyes glowed, and with a surge of power, she twisted, yanking Nami off balance. She pulled Nami close and then spun, launching a roundhouse kick that caught Nami squarely in the side. The impact was like a bomb going off, and Nami was blasted away, her body skipping across the ground at blinding speed, tearing a trench through the forest before she finally came to a halt.

Sarah didn’t let up. She bolted after Nami, her speed turning her into a streak of dark light. She appeared above Nami, fists raised, and brought them down with a double hammer blow. Nami barely managed to cross her arms to block, but the force drove her deep into the earth, creating a massive crater, the ground quaking as if from an earthquake. The impact was so intense that it sent shockwaves radiating out, flattening entire sections of the forest, uprooting trees, and sending boulders tumbling.

Nami's eyes blazed with fury, and she let out a roar, her body glowing with a dark, pulsating energy. She burst out of the crater, her speed matching Sarah’s as she charged. They clashed mid-air, fists and kicks colliding in a blur of movement, each strike creating sonic booms that shattered the sound barrier over and over. They moved so fast that to an observer, they would have appeared as flashes of light darting across the sky, the only evidence of their battle being the explosions and craters left in their wake.

Nami caught Sarah with a swift uppercut, sending her rocketing into the sky. Sarah flipped, steadying herself in mid-air, and raised her hand, summoning a sphere of golden energy. She hurled it down at Nami, the energy ball expanding as it fell, becoming a miniature sun. Nami leaped up to meet it, her own fists glowing with dark energy. She punched straight into the heart of the sphere, and the resulting explosion lit up the sky, a blinding flash that could turn night into day.

When the light faded, the forest was still smoldering, the air thick with ash and smoke. Sarah descended, landing lightly on the fractured ground, her eyes scanning around. From the darkness, Nami emerged, bruised and full of blood, but still standing.

“Not bad,” she said, panting, but with a wicked grin still playing on her lips. “You’re really incredible.”

Sarah clenched her fists, her aura flaring once more, darker than before. “Well, I’m grateful,” she said, her voice calm and resolute. “And I told you—I've faced worse. You can’t win this fight.”

Sarah wasn’t even using most of her magic, so, in a sense, one could say she was holding back. Even then, Nami was still extraordinary, her strikes were as strong or stronger than Sarah’s and were clearly able to harm her.

The two stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, their eyes locked, and then, in an instant, they moved again, many times faster than light, their fists colliding once more.

The impacts of their clashes were so powerful that each time they hit, the ground beneath them exploded, creating a canyon where they stood, a demonstration of their extraordinary raw power, which, to a normal human, would probably even look like something divine.