?Chapter 410:


    Elliana and Jason barely exchanged a word beforeunching straight into their confrontation, neither interested in wasting time on pleasantries.


    The instructors and trainees from both sides hastily fell back, arranging themselves into a wide circle that gave the twobatants an enormous arena.


    Be it Lexi of the Star Society or Sombra of Moonveil, their names alone inspired genuine dread. Tales of their prowess bordered on the unbelievable. Some imed they could end a life with nothing more than a stray blossom or the flick of a leaf. Victory or defeat hardly mattered—today’s showdown would echo through the ages, certain to be the stuff of legend. Everyone lucky enough to be present knew they were witnessing history in the making, a collision between icons that would be retold for generations.


    Long before the first blow was struck, tension electrified the air. Instructors and trainees from both factions vibrated with anticipation, their nerves taut but their eyes shining with awe.


    In truth, Elliana herself could feel her hands trembling, a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest. Her nerves had nothing to do with a fear of failure or a tendency to panic. She and Adah had charged into Delta together, founded Thorn Rose from scratch, and shed with the infamous ze Wraith in a ruthless contest of intellect and nerve—she’d seen it all before.


    Facing Jason today unsettled her for one reason alone: the possibility of defeat meant tarnishing the name of Donovan, her mentor. It wasn’t Donovan’s pride she feared losing most. The real terror was the thought of Jason crushing the Star Society’s reputation and undoing everything Donovan had built over a lifetime. Letting Donovan down was unthinkable. That was why she hadn’t rushed into this fight—today’s showdown was the result of painstaking deliberation, and she’de ready for anything.


    Jason’s mentor, Seth, carried a legacy of her own—a legend known as the Mistress of Death, undefeated and formidable. Even Donovan had never bested her.


    Jason had trained under Seth’s strict tutge since he was a child, but no one knew whether he had truly absorbed her ruthless techniques—or if he’d already surpassed his mentor.


    Jason’s true strength remained a mystery, but one thing was clear: he was a dangerous adversary, and Elliana knew she couldn’t afford even the slightest mistake.


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    Despite the tension churning in her chest, Elliana betrayed nothing on her face. Once she readied herself, she fixed Jason with a steely re, her scar-disguised features twisting into something downright intimidating.


    Jason, for his part, battled his own nerves. Before leaving Ublento, Seth hadid down hermand—he was to fulfill her dream and swallow the Star Society whole. He had agreed without hesitation, vowing to see her will done.


    But five years hade and gone, and he had yet to make a single move, gued by uncertainty over whether he could actually defeat Lexi, the Star Society’s living legend. If not for today’s formal challenge, he might have lingered in the shadows even longer. The Star Society had forced his hand and dragged him into the arena.


    Although forced to appear, Jason hadn’te unprepared. Years of anticipation for this showdown meant he could snap into battle mode at a moment’s notice. So, even with tension coiling inside him, nothing betrayed his nerves. A cial mask settled over his features, his eyes slicing through the air, his presence radiating a chill that met Elliana’s intensity head-on.


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