CHAPTER 533: IT’S ALMOST OVER...

"That’s right..."

Looks like this Dark Sovereign is on the same level as Elira—

Another SSS-class powerhouse.

No wonder she’s called the Dark Sovereign. She’s seriously that strong?

"This one’s kinda interesting..." Elira suddenly spoke up, her tone casual.

"You thinking of stepping in?" Ethan glanced at her, curious.

"Let’s wait and see," Elira replied, completely unfazed. "Don’t worry, your people aren’t weak. Especially with three-on-one odds, they’ve got a real shot."

"If it really comes down to it, I’ll jump in."

"Good." Ethan let out a breath of relief. As long as Elira was willing to get involved, things were manageable. After all, SSS versus SSS meant, at the very least, they wouldn’t lose outright. And if Andona and Ataneya joined in too—

Their chances of winning would skyrocket.

With that thought, he relaxed a little.

But then—

"Something’s off about her power..." Elira said suddenly, her voice low.

"Off? What do you mean?" Ethan blinked, confused.

"See that soul-forged armor she’s wearing?" Elira pointed at the shimmering, spectral armor wrapped around the Dark Sovereign. "Looks like she forcefully absorbed someone else’s power. That’s why her energy’s so unstable—full of holes."

"That’s not her real strength."

"Absorbed?" Ethan frowned, then turned to look more closely. And sure enough, now that he focused, he could see it—two distinct energy signatures, clashing and tangled together like oil and water. The fusion was messy, violent, and clearly unnatural.

It made her seem powerful on the surface, but in reality? It was all smoke and mirrors. Her power was bloated, unstable—full of cracks.

"Well, now this is getting interesting..." Ethan grinned.

If he could see it, then surely Andona, Ataneya, and Namyanna could too.

Which meant—

Their odds just got even better.

And sure enough—

It didn’t take long before Ataneya and the others picked up on it.

"Her power’s weird. It doesn’t feel like it’s hers," Ataneya muttered, brows furrowed. "You see that soul armor she’s wearing?"

"That’s someone else’s energy," Andona said coolly, pointing at the armor. "She rushed it. If she’d taken the time to fully integrate it before coming after us, maybe she could’ve beaten us. But now? Her weaknesses are glaring."

As she spoke, Andona’s form blurred—

And she launched forward.

"Sanctified Purge!"

BOOM!

In an instant, divine Light Magic erupted. A radiant gate to the heavens tore open in the sky, flooding the battlefield with blinding holy light. The soul armor on the Dark Sovereign shrieked under the assault.

"AAAH!"

"NO—!"

As the Angel Queen, Andona wielded both the power of the Angel of Death and the Divine Angel. And that made her the perfect counter to the corrupted darkness the Dark Sovereign had recklessly devoured.

If the power was unstable—

Then she’d just make it even more unstable.

"Divine Verdict!"

Andona targeted the weak points in the soul armor, aiming to tear it apart piece by piece.

The Dark Sovereign’s eyes widened in panic. She was furious—and scared.

"Dark Discharge!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A barrage of dark energy spheres exploded outward like a storm of black comets, all aimed straight at Andona.

But Namyanna was ready.

"Oceanic Surge!"

A massive wave of water magic surged up, crashing into the dark blasts and neutralizing them with a hiss of steam and light.

"Storm Purification!" Ataneya followed up, her attack precise and deliberate—just like Andona’s, she went straight for the soul armor’s weak spots.

And just like that—

Their attacks started to land.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

Before their eyes, the soul armor that had been forcibly fused to the Dark Sovereign began to fracture. Pieces splintered off, falling away like shattered glass.

And with it—

Her power started to drop.

From the towering heights of SSS-class...

Down to the very edge of SS-class.

Watching it unfold, Elira just shrugged. "Told you. They’re pretty capable. Looks like I won’t even need to lift a finger."

SS-class—even at its peak—was still just SS.

And now?

One versus three?

No question about it—the Dark Sovereign was going down.

There wasn’t even a sliver of suspense left.

"It’s almost over..." Ethan murmured, watching as Ataneya, Andona, and Namyanna’s coordinated assault grew smoother and more relentless. Deep down, he felt a flicker of something stir—battle lust.

After all, no matter how you looked at it...

They were up against someone who had once stood at the pinnacle—an SSS-class powerhouse.

Opportunities like this didn’t come around often. They were rare. Precious.

So if he could jump in and get a piece of the action?

Hell yeah, he was in.

"Elira, keep an eye on things here. I’m going in for a little fun," he said without hesitation. And with a flash of movement, Ethan launched himself straight toward the Dark Sovereign.

"My Lord, be careful!"

Cicero and Seraphina both panicked the moment they saw him move.

That was the Dark Sovereign, after all.

Charging in like that? It felt reckless.

But Elira just rolled her eyes and waved them off, completely unfazed. "Relax. Your Lord’s no pushover. Honestly, he’s probably stronger than Ataneya and the others."

"Besides, it’s four-on-one now. What could possibly go wrong?"

She knew exactly what she was talking about.

Ethan wasn’t just any fighter—he was a full-fledged SS-class Crimson Ultimate Hero.

And thanks to his status as a Lord, his raw power actually surpassed Ataneya and the others. His only shortcoming was a slight lack in combat finesse, but even that gap wasn’t huge. In a fight like this, there was nothing to worry about.

Four SS-class heroes?

Even she would think twice before messing with that.

So what chance did the Dark Sovereign have?

"My Lord, you—" Ataneya and Andona tensed up as Ethan joined the fray, instinctively moving to shield him.

"Relax," Ethan said, waving them off. "I’m not that fragile. And if you’re gonna hover like that, I might as well not be here. Just keep doing what you were doing—don’t let her escape."

Then, without missing a beat, he raised his hand and unleashed a devastating blow.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield as a colossal wave of magical energy—massive enough to rival a mountain—erupted from his strike and slammed into the Dark Sovereign.

"AAAHHH!"

Her scream tore through the air as she was blasted downward, crashing into the earth with a deafening impact. The ground split open beneath her, trembling from the sheer force.

Ataneya, Namyanna, and the others stared in awe, as if seeing Ethan in a new light.

Then, with renewed confidence, they turned back to the battered Dark Sovereign and resumed their assault.

Cicero and Seraphina were stunned.

"Our Lord... he’s already this powerful?" Their voices were filled with disbelief, eyes wide with shock.

It was hard to wrap their heads around.

"He’s already obtained nine of the ten Primordial Force Gems from the Dark World," Elira said with a soft chuckle, half to herself, half to them. "If he had the last one, he’d probably be on my level by now. I mean, come on—it’s the power of the entire Dark World. Of course he’s strong."

Meanwhile—

The Dark Sovereign was being utterly overwhelmed.

Her body battered, her soul armor shattered, her power crumbling—

She was done.

"NO! Why...? Why are you all so strong?!" she screamed, her voice raw with pain and disbelief. "How are you Crimson Ultimate Heroes at SS-class?! That’s impossible! Where did you get this kind of power?!"

Her cries were filled with despair. And fear.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"Let’s finish this," he said coldly. "Andona. Ataneya. Namyanna. Hit her with everything you’ve got. It’s time to end this."

"Yes, my Lord!"

"Understood!"

"Let’s do it—full power!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the three of them moved in perfect sync.

"Wrath of the Sea Goddess!"

"Oceanic Surge!"

BOOM!

A massive tsunami erupted, a tidal wave of raw Water Magic crashing forward with unstoppable force. The Dark Sovereign’s face twisted in horror—there was no escape.

"Holy Death Sentence!"

BOOM!

The heavens split open. The Gates of Heaven appeared once more, and from within, countless angelic swords fused together into a single, colossal blade—the Blade of Divine Extinction.

It came down like divine judgment itself.

"Umbral Detonation!"

"Storm of Oblivion!"

Dark Magic surged, forming a monstrous storm of annihilation. Bolts of lightning crackled through the chaos, each one carrying the power to tear through dimensions.

In an instant—

All three forces collided.

And the Dark Sovereign, screaming in terror and agony, was swallowed whole by the storm.