The crimson blade shimmered with deep, ancient engravings etched along its length.

Its hilt was shaped like a dragon's head, with a phoenix-tail pommel, exuding an aura of noble majesty and dominance.

But more than its regal appearance, what truly surprised the Witch Queen was this—

This sword wasn't affected by her Triple Layered Dominion at all?

Half-narrowing her eyes, the Witch Queen scrutinized the suddenly-appearing greatsword.

There was no doubt—it belonged to Ethan.

Yet, under the suppression of the World Dominion, nothing—not people nor objects—should be able to resist its crushing force.

"Haaah…"

Ethan let out a long breath.

The tension in his chest finally loosened a bit.

Sure, he still had two uses left of the Dragonblood Rebirth,

but that didn't mean he wanted to die.

Thankfully, Imperial Sword came through, saving him in the nick of time.

"Still… what the hell was that just now?"

Ethan was completely baffled.

Technically, both he and the Witch Queen were Zero Domain users—equals in magical tier.

Even if she was a bit stronger, there was no reason he should've been rendered completely immobilized.

That moment felt like… like he was facing the sky itself, or the earth, not a person.

"A force of nature…"

Before he could puzzle it out further, the Witch Queen advanced.

In the blink of an eye, she was already upon him.

Triple Dominion descended again like a mountain range collapsing from the heavens.

The ground trembled and cracked as overwhelming force poured down like a tidal wave.

Every molecule of air was locked in place.

And yet…

The Imperial Sword didn't move a muscle.

It stood tall, planted before Ethan like a pillar holding up the sky—unyielding and unmoved.

"Tch… Something's not right," the Witch Queen muttered, her brow furrowed.

A mere magical artifact—no matter how exceptional—should not be able to defy World Dominion.

Even if it could, it shouldn't be able to change the course of battle.

"Die!"

She summoned her magic again. Blood surged and howled as her Zero Domain powers erupted outward.

Wherever her blood magic flowed, life decayed. Everything withered in its wake.

But the Imperial Sword ignited with red light once more.

No one controlled it.

It moved on its own—slicing downward like a blade splitting oceans apart.

BOOM!

A sea of blood surged across the battlefield, threatening to drown everything—

but the Imperial Sword stood like a divine dam, parting the tide.

Not a single drop touched Ethan.

"Nice." Ethan smirked inwardly.

He didn't know exactly what was restraining him…

But whatever it was, Imperial Sword wasn't affected in the slightest.

Even if he himself couldn't move, the sword held power equal to his own.

"Impossible! Just… what is this thing?!"

The Witch Queen's expression turned from rage to disbelief.

She had gone all-out with that last attack.

Even a seasoned Archmage like Colin or the Wizard King Julius would've struggled to deflect it head-on.

SWISH!

The Imperial Sword soared into the air like a comet.

The Witch Queen's eyes widened.

She immediately threw up a blood-red shield of magic around her.

CRASH!

"Nani—?!"

Her mouth dropped.

One clean strike, and her blood barrier shattered like glass.

Drip. Drip.

Blood trickled down her arm as she clutched her shoulder, wounded.

But more than the pain, her attention was locked on that sword.

"What… is this sword?"

Ethan, breathing hard, watched the Imperial Sword chase her through the air.

"Looks like I've got a moment to catch my breath…"

Still pinned down by that crushing force, he could barely lift his head.

Even now, he couldn't move.

But he had to figure out why he was like this.

"Relax. Even if the sword can't kill her, it should buy me time.

Right now, I need to understand what the hell is happening to me…"

He tried to focus.

His mana was circulating fine.

There wasn't any foreign magic invading him.

Which meant—the problem wasn't internal.

It had to be external.

"Dammit… I still can't move…"

He summoned all his strength, trying to break through the invisible pressure.

But the harder he struggled, the heavier it got.

It was like quicksand—the more he resisted, the deeper he sank.

Then, he remembered something.

"Didn't that hag say something about… 'World Dominion'?"

Brute force clearly wasn't the answer.

He had to out-think this.

"But how does she use it? What is it, really…?"

Suddenly—

"Master… Master, can you hear me?"

A voice echoed in Ethan's mind.

Imperial Sword.

Their bond ran deeper than blood.

They were linked by fate. Telepathy was just the start.

"Master," the sword spoke again, "she's strong.

Even though I can bypass her magic defenses with my anti-magic properties,

her blood magic regenerates too quickly.

Without you personally wielding me, I can't deal lethal damage."

"Then… can you at least push her back?" Ethan asked urgently.

If he couldn't win, retreating was the next best option.

He was still completely paralyzed—there was no guarantee he'd last long.

Looking up, he saw the Witch Queen's fury rising.

"This thing… What the hell is it?!

Why doesn't my magic work on it?!"

She'd lived for over a thousand years.

She had seen all forms of magic, relics, curses, artifacts—

But never something like this.

A weapon immune to Triple World Dominion, that autonomously fought on behalf of its wielder,

and even had the power to nullify magic?

"It's unthinkable… I'm being hunted down by a damn sword?!"

Then a cruel glint flashed in her eyes.

"Wait… If it's a magical artifact, that means—"

Her gaze shifted to Ethan, still motionless on the ground.

"If I kill him… the sword stops. And then it'll be mine."

[Blood Magic – Blood God Spear!]

"No—!"

Ethan's heart jolted.

He could take a hit or dodge under normal conditions,

but right now… he was completely helpless.

"Master!"

The Imperial Sword instantly pivoted, transforming into a crimson streak of light.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Blades slashed in every direction, creating an impenetrable storm of afterimages.

Dozens of Blood God Spears were cleaved mid-air before they could strike.

But that was just a distraction.

The Witch Queen had already landed on the ground nearby.

[Crimson Dominion – Bloodveil Eclipse!]

The entire area turned red.

A giant blood moon hung high overhead, casting an eerie crimson glow across the forest.

The air filled with the stench of blood.

Cracks tore through the ground as blood geysers surged upward.

The world around them shifted—becoming twisted and surreal.

"Welcome… to my world.

Here, I make the rules."

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