CHAPTER 161: MALVERNA SHOWS HER POWER (1)

Just as Elina’s blade was about to strike the man, something unexpected happened.

Her body froze mid-air, suspended by an invisible force, as if time itself had turned against her.

"What?" Her eyes widened in horror. "Why can’t I move my arms?"

She struggled with all her strength, but it was useless. Her limbs felt paralyzed—nerves and muscles locked—leaving only her consciousness free.

"Hahaha! Your Highness, you’re truly naive," came a mocking laugh from the man’s direction. He stepped forward and stopped right in front of her.

Taking the sword from her hand, he lifted his head to meet her gaze with a playful smirk.

"Did you really think I’d leave myself defenseless?" he said, gently brushing her chin with his fingers. "When I summoned my five clones, I made sure to stay perfectly still—just to make you think I couldn’t move."

"Once you took the bait and attacked, I made my move and overwhelmed you. So, what do you think? Pretty flawless plan, wasn’t it?"

A smug smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head in mock disappointment.

As an assassin, his experience was far beyond anything a sheltered princess like Elina could comprehend.

He had fought in hundreds—perhaps thousands—of battles, and he had emerged victorious every single time.

From the beginning, Elina never stood a chance against him.

He was merely toying with her... before delivering the final blow.

"You..." Elina gritted her teeth, her heart burning with rage and hatred.

But there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t even twitch a finger, let alone strike back.

I... I’m so weak, she muttered softly, her voice trembling with regret.

Having lived her entire life within palace walls, rarely exposed to the outside world, Elina lacked true combat experience.

As a result, she was naïve, untrained, and far too easy for her enemies to manipulate.

If only she had taken her training more seriously—if she had focused on strengthening both her body and mind—this might never have happened.

Brother... I’m sorry, she whispered, her voice heavy with sorrow. I dragged you into this disaster... and I don’t even know if you’re still alive.

From what the man said, her brother was likely already dead—killed by his companion. And it all happened because she let her pride and reckless ambition take control.

If only she hadn’t been so fixated on becoming empress, none of this would have happened.

She and her brother could have lived in peace, safe from harm. But now, regret meant nothing.

Her brother was gone, and she might be next.

"Well, it’s time to accept your death, Elina Lorian."

The man’s voice pulled Elina from her thoughts. She looked down and saw him raising her own sword, aiming it directly at her neck.

Elina closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.

Brother, forgive me, she whispered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

As the sword swung toward the right side of her neck—just two centimeters away—it suddenly froze.

The man gasped. His hand was gripped tightly by a pale, slender hand.

He quickly turned to his right—and froze. Standing beside him was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

She was tall, with flawless features. Her deep blue eyes shimmered like the ocean, but the sharpness in them pierced straight through him like a blade.

Her long, black, slightly wavy hair flowed freely down to her waist.

A chill ran down the man’s spine, and his eyes widened in fear. But before he could react, the woman clenched her left fist—and drove it straight into his face.

Bang!

The punch sent him flying fifty meters before he slammed into a massive tree, tearing it from the ground.

Startled by the sound, Elina’s eyes shot open. She saw the man lying on the ground, writhing in pain.

The fallen tree behind him was proof of the devastating force behind that single blow.

How... how is that possible? She murmured, eyes wide with disbelief.

But before she could process what she’d just seen, her body gave way—and she began to fall.

Just as she braced for the impact, she suddenly felt a hand catch her.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked in a flat, emotionless tone.

Elina blinked in confusion, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

The woman—none other than Malverna—gently lowered her to the ground and gave a slight shake of her head.

"You don’t need to know who I am," she said casually, turning her back to Elina and walking forward. "What matters is that I came to save you. So step back, will you? I might lose control of my power... and hurt you by accident."

Elina opened her mouth to respond but then stopped herself.

She was wise enough to know what to do in a moment like this.

Without saying a word, she gave a small nod and quickly moved away to a safe distance.

"Cough!" The man coughed harshly, clutching his chest in pain.

In truth, it was his back that hurt the most—but the pain had spread, weighing down on his chest like a crushing force.

"Pfft!" Blood spilled from his mouth, and his eyes widened at the color.

"Damn..." he cursed under his breath, his gaze darkening as it fixed on Malverna, who now stood about fifty meters away.

Who is that woman? How can she be that strong? he muttered, struggling to stand and steady himself.

As he rubbed his swollen face, rage flared within him again—but this time, he didn’t dare make a reckless move.

He reached into his pocket, took out a black pill, and swallowed it silently.

In an instant, his wounds closed, and his strength returned in full.

"Who are you? Why are you interfering?" he asked in a chilling tone. "Leave now, while you still can. Otherwise, you won’t just face me—you’ll face the wrath of the Blood Moon Organization."

From a distance, Elina froze, shocked by the name he mentioned.

"Blood Moon Organization?" She whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. "Isn’t that the most feared group of assassins on the Eastern Continent?"

She didn’t know much about them, but her mother had once told her about an extremely dangerous assassin group operating in the Eastern Empire’s Izanagi region—an organization known only as the Blood Moon.

They were so terrifying that her mother had sternly warned her: never cross paths with them.

And now, this man had openly claimed to be one of their members, leaving Elina utterly stunned.

The one pulling the strings is both cunning and cruel, Elina muttered, her eyes narrowing.

If the assassin had come from the Central Continent, tracking him down might still have been possible.

But since he hailed from the Eastern Continent, finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Worse yet, the Blood Moon Organization operated deep within the Eastern Empire of Izanagi—far beyond the reach of the Great Velmora Empire.

Meanwhile, Malverna remained utterly unfazed by his threats. She gave a soft, mocking laugh and said, "Threaten me? That’s laughable. Do you really believe you—and the force behind you—can intimidate me?"