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nLara’s lips twitched slightly until her grin spread out to each side of her face in an eerie and inhumane manner. Her commanding posture lowered and her shoulders slumped, making her demeanor seem more wretched and ugly than she actually was.

nShe burst into bone-chilling laughter that was filled with madness and mockery. While Dante stood before her with a solemn expression, Etz Chaim became white as a sheet from shock, not believing what she was seeing.

n“T-That’s impossible! Luka changed some of the damage Deus did to you and let you be sealed by me because my Eternal Talent is best suited to curing your mental issues! How dare you still act like this…?” Etz exclaimed with incomprehension, inadvertently revealing more information about Lara’s sealing.

nLara ignored her and continued laughing wantonly, as if relishing being free for the first time. Dante floated over and patted Etz Chaim on the shoulder to reassure her even as he spoke in a deep voice.

n“Madness and corruption on Lara’s level can be weathered over time, but only if she herself wishes to go back. That is the mistake you and Luka made, thinking that Lara had possibly changed in some form.”

nDante sighed. “The simple truth is, Deus didn’t need to do much. Myra might have created Lara and established her ‘base settings’, but people grow and change based on stimulus.”

n“Does Lara have some element of manipulation from Deus in her causing her to act this way? Probably. Does Lara truly have a complex towards Myra because she was the first being created and is psychotic about it? Yes.”

nEtz’s face changed. “So everything she did…”

n“…was of her own accord. It was convenient for her to blame Deus for it because it gave her the chance she has today,” Dante explained faintly, looking at the still laughing Lara with amusement.

nLara’s laughter suddenly cut off as she glared at Dante with a cold expression. “Quite the smart one, aren’t you, lesser lifeform? Are you saying all this to intimidate me? Who knows if you’re just guessing?”

nDante smiled plainly. “I am intimidating you, and as for my knowledge, it’s due to observation and deduction. The first moment I clued into your plan was when Etz told me about the history of Luka, Myra, and yourself.”

n“At the time, she said that there was no way you would reclaim your clones or rely on energy from lower dimensions due to your nature, which struck me wrongly.”

nDante rubbed his chin with a smile. “At the time, I didn’t know the depth of your madness and cunning, but I did think to myself that if my enemy had a fixed perception of me, I would do the exact opposite of what they thought in order to catch them off guard… which is precisely what you did.”

n“I was on guard against this for a long while, but it was mere suspicion to me. What made me certain was your various clones. You see, they might have been utterly clueless to your overarching plan and even thought the same as Etz here, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are YOUR clones.”

nDante folded his arms behind his back. “Just like my own omni-clones, they are built of the blueprint that is you, so they act and interact with all things just as you would. Not counting the clone from my origin universe that I captured over 5 years ago, I had about two of them in my quantum space for over 2 years before I started capturing the rest slowly.”

n“This gave me time to observe them in detail, and their interactions for so long gave me unparalleled insight into your psyche and abilities. Not to mention I had help from my partner and friend, Levi, who dug out your secrets slowly.”

nLara was silent in the face of this, then sneered. “And? So you predicted my appearance, but you didn’t do anything to stop it? Truly a foolish lower-dimensional lifeform.”

nDante watched Lara with a slightly speechless look, as if she was a colossal idiot. “Either you’re bluffing to buy time for something or you’re plain stupid, and given your actions so far, it must be the former.”

nEtz suddenly exclaimed. “Her authorities! She is buying time to generate enough Eternal Energy to power her authorities since she was drained completely while sealed!”

nLara’s eyes flashed with coldness and growing hatred. “…I don’t like you. You remind me of him too much.”

nDante had question marks above his head, but Etz snickered meanly. “She’s talking about Luka. He used to read her like a book just as you did right now, and that was how he eventually disgraced and humiliated her.”

n“Everything, from your incessant laughing, your speech to convert me and all that was just to waste as much time as you could. Pretty smart overall, but it doesn’t change anything,” Dante acknowledged what Etz Chaim said, but spoke faintly.

n“Ha! A mere cretin like you doesn’t understand the depth of my power. You cannot fathom the true potency of my authorities, even with the mere energy I have now,” Lara spoke majestically as the void surged and quaked under her power.

nA ball of flame, water, wind, earth, and more elements began to form around her, spinning behind her back in a clockwise manner as they chased each other equidistantly. She hadn’t even unleashed them and already, the pressure they exuded was enough to deter even the strongest Eternal.

n“Come on! Take out your pitiful authority and squirm beneath my boot as you struggle to fend for your life and the life of all things you love!” Lara taunted with a growing smirk, showing that she was enjoying this.

nMeanwhile, Dante looked at her strangely. “Madam, if I knew that you were going to unseal yourself, why would I allow Etz Chaim to go on with the process? Have you ever thought of that?”

nThe moment Dante spoke, the quaking was immediately silenced as the void held still. A portal that showed the other side of a lush meadowland with endless flower fields appeared beside Lara.

nThe moment the portal opened, the expression of Lara and Etz Chaim changed greatly, the former showing shock and hatred while the latter showed surprise and ecstasy. For within the portal, with his back turned to them, was a person they knew very well.

n“LUKA SANGUIS!” Lara roared with bloodshot eyes.

n“Luka!” Etz Chaim cried out with reliance and affection.

nLuka turned around and revealed his cold demeanor. He had glowing white hair that was cut short, with two green-

ncolored eyes that had flecks of blue within. His features were superior, reaching perfection though his smile was thin. .𝒎

nHe wore a modern elite sniper’s garb with a large blue and red scarf that covered his neck. There was a set of two holsters on either side of his hips containing his special pistols he used for combat when he was still a mortal.

nLuka took a step and came out of the portal, closing it behind him casually. The moment he did, Etz Chaim rushed into his embrace, and his cold features broke into a warm smile as he rubbed her head gently.

n“Sorry for putting all of this burden on your shoulders. Myra is under a lot of pressure right now, and there is some trouble in the upper universe that I haven’t finished solving.”

nLuka raised his head to glance at Lara, and his coldness returned. “But I still have some time to deal with this problem I left unsolved as well.”

nLara was practically smoldering, her veins visible as they shook and twitched under her skin, her eyes completely red as if painted with blood. Her beautiful features were twisted so much by hatred that it was actually frightening to look at.

n“How. Are. You. Here?” She asked through gritted teeth.

nLuka smiled faintly and floated over to Dante, who was calmly watching. “It was thanks to my competent friend here. It is great to finally meet you, brother.”

nLuka shook Dante’s hand, both men smiling with sincere respect. Dante replied. “The pleasure is all mine.”

nLuka nodded to Dante and turned back to Lara. “Dante contacted me the first moment he got the authority using quantum entanglement and shared everything that went on, including his suspicions. Since then, we have been in constant contact as we refined how to give you a big surprise if you hadn’t learned your lesson.”

nEtz Chaim’s face changed. “Wait, since then?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

nLuka poked Etz’s forehead indulgently. “Because, silly, she was sealed within you and leeching off you. If we let you know, she might have found out.”

nEtz blocked Luka’s poke, seemingly having been struck there millions of times until she developed a defensive reflex. “Oh… that makes sense.”

nDante folded his arms with a smile. “So, Lara, what will you do now? The one you hate most is right in front of you, in the flesh too! Aren’t you going to strike him with your awesome authorities?” .

nLara glared at the two of them, her eyes shifting between them slowly. Then, in the next moment, she did something that shocked Etz Chaim and startled Luka, but left Dante unfazed.

nLara turned to run!

nThis content is taken from 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝑚

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