Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 198: Star Players, Part Twenty-Seven

Enverna’s gaze locked with Dante’s.

The cacophony of the crowd faded into the background, leaving only the rhythmic thud of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears.

She could see it clear as day. Neither of them had any intention of letting the other live through this fight.

Moments earlier, while Enverna had been fighting Cerena, she noticed that the woman repeatedly tried to kill her. Whatever doubt there was that these people weren’t working with the enemy had gone out the window as far as Enverna was concerned.

Now, facing Dante, she felt a surge of determination coursing through her veins.

She couldn’t let him escape this stadium. She couldn’t let their shamelessness go unpunished.

[Enough of this.]

With a fierce resolve, Enverna lunged forward. Her spear met Dante’s sword, the clash of their weapons so loud it cut through the audience’s roars.

The force of their collision reverberated through her arms, but she maintained her focus, her eyes fixed on her adversary.

Their mutual bloodlust fueled their movements as they danced across the arena, their battle drawing the attention of every eye in the stadium and gripping them firmly.

Enverna’s spear whirled with deadly precision, deflecting a flurry of blows from Dante’s blade.

[Quite fast,] she noted.

As Dante attempted to press his advantage, Enverna retaliated with a swift kick, creating a brief moment of separation between them.

She seized the opportunity to catch her breath, her mind racing with strategies to outmaneuver her opponent.

But Dante was relentless. Although Enverna’s speed was certainly nothing to scoff at, this man had both speed and experience to back him up.

"You’re making more missteps with every second," Dante said after they backed off each other for a second. "You’re going to-"

Enverna attacked him mid-sentence.

In truth, she didn’t even hear what he said. She was too focused.

She pressed the attack, thrusting and swiping in hopes of catching him off-balance. At that moment, Enverna’s gaze shifted.

Suddenly, a surge of awareness washed over Enverna as Lianna exchanged her senses with her.

Through Lianna’s eyes, Enverna glimpsed the magical rune that Dante had set behind her, a trap waiting to ensnare her.

Reacting swiftly, Enverna sidestepped the rune, her movements fluid and calculated.

"What?" Dante barked out, shocked by this fact.

It made sense why he was so confused, of course. Enverna had no right to know about that rune. She hadn’t seen it herself.

But, this confusion opened him up for a strike.

[Now’s my chance!]

Enverna charged forward.

She activated her Instinct. A trail of water followed her spear. Dante’s eyes widened as she grew closer.

Then, she made a feint.

She baited Dante into overreaching by faking like she was going to attack from above and dipping at the last moment.

In a single decisive motion, Enverna drove her spear forward, the blade piercing Dante’s heart.

That crowd, which had been so frenzied just a moment ago, went silent. They collectively gasped.

Enverna left her spear in Dante’s body for just a moment, absorbing the victory, before finally kicking him back. So much blood spurted out from his heart that Enverna’s face was half-covered in it before he fell.

And, suddenly, the crowd cheered.

They erupted into a frenzy of applause as Dante staggered backward, his expression one of shock and disbelief.

Enverna panted, breathing heavily. She hadn’t noticed how strained her muscles were until just now, after winning.

Healers ran up to check on Dante but the job was done. Enverna walked over to Lianna and helped her up.

"You did it," Lianna muttered with a smile.

"Of course," Enverna smiled right back. "I wasn’t about to let you down."

---

{Cynthia}

Cynthia’s breaths came in ragged gasps.

The bodies of the girl’s fallen comrades littered the ground around them. How many had Cynthia cut down? 10? 100? Probably more. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

A small army had died for this girl who stood before her.

The way it was looking, it appeared there was a chance it wouldn’t be in vain for them.

[Fighting so many people tired me out more than I thought it would. Perhaps I should have just run away when I saw them. Oh well,] Cynthia sighed. [You made your choices. Commit to them.]

As the girl unleashed her newfound speed once again, Cynthia’s reflexes kicked into overdrive.

She danced nimbly around the corpses on the street, her senses heightened as she dodged the girl’s lightning-infused strikes.

Cynthia had to calculate every step she took. She knew how strong Xi’s Instinct was. Her attribute advantage was negligible in the face of it.

And yet, despite her exhaustion, because of this advantage, Cynthia maintained the upper hand, driving the girl back with relentless ferocity.

Her swords flashed in the sunlight. Over and over again, she slashed out at her, hoping to catch her neck, her chest, her gut, her legs. Anything she could. But, the girl had the survival instinct of a damn rat.

[... Is it just me or is she getting faster?] Cynthia thought. [I’m using 100% of my speed and strength and I can feel how it’s getting harder and harder to maintain the advantage. What’s happening?]

In the midst of their deadly dance, the girl’s voice cut through the chaos.

"I grew up watching you on TV," she confessed, her voice tinged with bitterness.

[Hm?]

"I always wanted to be like you..." She continued. "Until I realized that you weren’t someone to admire. You were an enemy."

Then, in a daring maneuver, the girl closed the distance between them with blinding speed.

Cynthia outright gasped.

She didn’t see this burst of speed coming. However, she was able to lean away slightly at the last moment.

This turned an attack that would have been fatal into one that was merely severely wounding.

The girl’s hand plunged into Cynthia’s abdomen, sliding in better than any blade could.

Her hand went straight through Cynthia’s body.

"..." For a second, Cynthia just stood there, shocked.

But, then, off pure instinct, she went for an attack.

Cynthia reached for the girl’s throat with her left sword.

Because of this, the girl was forced to back off.

Some space was made between them.

Cynthia coughed up blood.

[Ah... Dammit.]

Blood welled from the wound, staining the fabric of her clothing as she stumbled backward, disbelief etched upon her features.

"You’re nothing but an oppressor," the girl said, up ahead. "The new world doesn’t need you in it."

Cynthia breathed in and out, staring back at her.

With grim resolve, Cynthia weighed her options, knowing that her strength was waning and time was running short.

Muttering a silent apology to Lianna for the chaos that had unfolded, she steeled herself for one final, desperate gambit.

[This next move will be the end... I will do my best.]

Gathering the last vestiges of her energy, Cynthia charged forward, her swords aimed with lethal precision at the girl’s neck.

The girl’s eyes widened.

If Cynthia had gone for this same attack a few minutes ago, maybe it would have hit. But, now, the girl actually reacted in time.

With a deft twist of her body, she narrowly evaded Cynthia’s strike, the blades slicing through the air with deadly intent.

Cynthia’s attack succeeded only in severing one of the girl’s arms.

"AAAH!" The girl cried out.

Cynthia, however, remained completely silent.

Before she could fully comprehend the outcome, Cynthia felt a searing pain rip through her chest.

The girl’s hand went straight through her heart.

Cynthia staggered backward. Her strength faltered.

As the world spun around her, Cynthia’s body crumpled to the ground, blood staining the concrete beneath her.

With her final breaths slipping away, she fell forward.

At that moment, Cynthia’s thoughts turned to Lianna.

[I apologize. I underestimated her.]

She wished she could have spent more time with her.

But, alas, Cynthia had been robbed of that opportunity.