"We need to end this quickly. If the Devil Kings find out, this game will be over."
Compared to the carefree Kuroka, Bimei's expression was somewhat grave, not only because of Arthas's strength, but also because of their current location.
Who knew when the Devil Kings would sense the battle and come looking for them?
It wasn't that he lacked confidence in the barrier Kuroka had erected, but rather that Bimei couldn't gauge just how large the gap was between their barrier and the Devil Kings' own.
Seeing his two companions approaching, Arthur had no way to voice his distress. Even if he wanted to warn them, he was powerless to do so.
His power was completely suppressed by Arthas, and the chilling aura emanating from the sword had entered his body in an instant, like a tenacious parasite.
As he had suspected from the reports, the power of ice that this guy wielded was incredibly terrifying.
Seemingly sensing Arthur's predicament, Arthas's lips curled into a faint smile. He raised his greatsword and swung it down, giving his opponent no chance to react, sending Arthur flying backwards with the force of the blow.
At the same time, Bimei, who had rushed forward to catch his comrade, was startled by what he felt upon making contact.
A thin layer of frost instantly covered his hands, then spread up his arms, the icy chill seeping into his very bones. Arthur's body was as cold as ice.
"Damn it… what a wicked power!"
Bimei shouted in alarm, while Kuroka had already charged forward, her movements swift and deadly.
Wicked or not, what technique in this world was more deserving of that label than senjutsu?
Kuroka's assault lacked any semblance of strategy, as if she were throwing her life away, making it difficult to understand what she was thinking.
Arthas mercilessly swung his sword down, cleaving Kuroka's body in two with ease.
A triumphant smile appeared on Kuroka's face, and then her bisected body dissipated like smoke, vanishing into thin air.
"That was a nice strike, I'll give you that. But it's useless. If you understand illusions, creating clones like that is a simple matter."
Kuroka's voice echoed from all directions within the forest. Then, figures appeared one after another amidst the mist, each one a perfect replica, wearing the same kimono and cat ears. Illusion clones – a basic senjutsu technique.
"...If you can't read the flow of ki, you won't be able to deal with illusions used by advanced practitioners."
Koneko, who was lying on the ground, raised her head with some difficulty, saying this with a pained expression.
Because Arthas had frozen all of the poison gas that had spread around them, Koneko had regained consciousness. It seemed that the poison gas released by Kuroka was only potent enough to incapacitate her, not kill her.
"Don't talk anymore, Koneko. Don't worry, illusions of this level can't stop me."
"Hmph, you're such a boastful guy, it's really annoying, meow. Hurry up and fall already!"
Voices came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint Kuroka's exact location under normal circumstances.
This was because she was using an illusion technique powered by senjutsu, an Eastern power system that was completely different from the way devils sensed their opponents using magical power.
However, Kuroka had completely overlooked one crucial fact: Arthas had never relied on magical power fluctuations to determine his opponents' positions.
No matter how skilled her illusion techniques were, no matter how well Kuroka concealed her presence, there were certain things that simply couldn't be hidden.
The subtle changes in the moisture in the air caused by her body heat, the minute fluctuations in the air caused by her breathing, and the constant flow of blood within her veins.
No matter how sophisticated the illusion, it was still just an illusion, a trick of the light. Illusions didn't exist in the real world, and therefore had no way to alter the surrounding environment.
In a way, Arthas was indeed detecting the flow of ki to find Kuroka's true form, although the "ki" he was sensing was slightly different from what Kuroka and Koneko thought it was.
Hidden in the shadows, Kuroka watched Arthas, who was surrounded by her illusions, with a cold smile. In her eyes, Arthas was already helpless, cornered and at her mercy.
All that remained was to deliver the decisive blow, to strike him down with her senjutsu!
A strange power gathered in Kuroka's palm, a way of manipulating energy that was completely different from magic power. But there was no denying that this technique was exceptionally powerful.
However, just as the power in Kuroka's palm was compressed to its limit, about to explode outwards, a ghostly shadow appeared before her, materializing out of thin air.
How is this possible?!
Kuroka was instantly horrified, her eyes widening in disbelief. Arthas, who had been trapped within her illusions just moments ago, had somehow broken free and found her true form.
"This can't be happening!"
Unable to accept this reality, Kuroka shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice filled with disbelief and panic. This outburst also caused the chaotic power in her palm to surge out of control.
This is bad…
By the time Kuroka realized what was happening and tried to suppress the technique in her palm, it was already too late.
And then, Arthas, who stood before her, did something that defied all comprehension.
His hand reached out and covered her palm, and then the rampaging technique was frozen solid, completely and utterly contained.
Frozen in the literal sense of the word, the rampaging technique that Kuroka had unleashed was transformed into a sphere of ice within her palm, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
As if she had seen a ghost, Kuroka hurled the ice sphere towards Arthas, then swiftly leaped backwards, trying to create as much distance between herself and him as possible.
But when she felt she had retreated far enough and turned back around, she once again saw Arthas's playful smile, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"Arthur, Bimei, what are you two doing? Come and help me!"
Quickly turning around, Kuroka continued to flee in a panic, while simultaneously calling out to her two companions, who were nowhere to be seen in the forest.
"Don't bother, they can't help you."
The man's calm voice echoed from behind her once again, causing Kuroka's entire body to stiffen.
Only now did the girl realize the true extent of the gap between herself and her opponent. This battle had been nothing more than a game to him, a cruel and one-sided game.
"How is this possible! Vali's data showed that you only possessed Devil King-class combat strength, at best! How could you possibly be this strong?!"
"Well, there was a little… incident, you see."
Arthas shrugged innocently, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. He narrowed his gaze, sizing up Kuroka before him with a predatory glint.
In reality, if it hadn't been for the sudden emergence of Nehelenia's power, Arthas would have been at a significant disadvantage against Kuroka and her two companions, given their combined strength and skill.
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