Chapter 70: Superiority

Cassian’s fist came within inches of Morghanna’s cheek.

​The shadow circle detached from his forearm, spinning and accelerating like a violet blur, aimed directly at her face.

​Morghanna reacted instantly.

Her heel pivoted against the dirt, the sudden shift so violent that the surrounding air screamed from the displacement.

Benefiting from her compact frame, her body spun fluidly as the shadow circle flashed past her cheek.

​Simultaneously, her colossal axe followed the momentum of her spin, its heavy blade carving through the air toward Cassian’s exposed neck.

​Yet Cassian was already moving.

​[Burst] remained active, propelling his upper body backward so the axe whistled past inches above his chest.

Catching himself against the ground with one hand, he willed the shadow circle back toward him.

​Cassian’s sky-blue eyes narrowed. His leg shot upward.

​BANG!

​His boot struck the returning construct mid-flight, instantly altering its vector and launching it upward, straight toward Morghanna’s chin.

​The Chief bent backward at an impossible angle, the construct missing her jaw by a hair.

​Meanwhile, Cassian flowed seamlessly into a backflip, his body rotating through the air before landing lightly on his feet.

The shadow circle completed its orbital path, returning to merge with his arm.

​The moment his boots touched the earth, he attacked again.

​All three shadow circles detached from his forearm, spinning behind him like orbiting satellites.

​Then Cassian surged forward.

​[Burst]

​Morghanna slammed her axe downward into the earth, erupting a wave of raw gravity outward.

Invisible force crashed toward Cassian from multiple angles, shattering stone and crumbling nearby wooden structures.

​Yet none of the crushing pressure connected.

​[Soul Gaze] revealed every collision point, every fluctuation of mana, and every subtle shift in Morghanna’s intent.

​A shadow circle slid beneath Cassian’s boot, launching him skyward as he stepped onto it.

Another circle materialized to his right, he kicked off it instantly, then another, and another.

​The constructs shifted around Morghanna in seemingly erratic trajectories while Cassian ricocheted between them, a blur of black armor and violet shadows, bouncing around her like a lethal projectile.

​Morghanna found herself trapped in the center, completely surrounded and unable to predict her opponent’s vectors.

​A shadow rushed her flank. Catching it in her peripheral vision, she swung her axe without hesitation, erupting mana from her core like a volcanic blast.

The resulting force was enough to flatten an entire street, gravity surged, the earth split apart, and a plume of dust exploded outward.

​Several unfortunate skeletons and Orcs alike were caught in the collateral force, crushed instantly.

​The battlefield trembled.

​Morghanna immediately followed with a sweeping second blow, dispersing the dust cloud, only to realize the moving target she had struck was merely a rogue shadow circle.

​’Then where is—’

​"GHHK!"

​The breath exploded from her throat.

​Cassian appeared directly in front of her.

​[Absence]—the assassin commander’s skill had completely concealed his presence until the final millisecond. Morghanna hadn’t sensed him at all.

​His armored fist slammed deep into her solar plexus, folding her body inward.

​A fraction of a second later, a shadow circle launched from his wrist. ℯℯ𝑙.

​BOOM!

​The second impact struck the exact same spot, a perfect, devastating double hit.

​The compressed energy detonated inside her abdomen, launching Morghanna backward.

Her boots dug deep trenches through the stone as she skidded dozens of meters before finally grinding to a halt.

​A heavy silence fell over the immediate area.

​"Ugh—!"

​Morghanna bent forward, retching violently as her stomach churned from the raw kinetic shock.

​Cassian stood upright, watching calmly as the shadow circles returned to his forearm. He flexed his fingers, testing the residual impact force.

​Meanwhile, Morghanna continued to cough and retch on the blood-soaked dirt.

Several nearby Orcs stared in absolute horror, never in their lives had they witnessed their Chief being handled like this.

​Slowly... very slowly, Morghanna straightened her posture.

Yet the expected expression never reached her face. Instead, a smile broke across her lips.

​That same smile. Wide. Excited. Almost crazed.

​The sight made Cassian pause, his expression becoming oddly complicated.

​"..."

​Her crimson eyes practically glowed as her grin widened.

​Cassian blinked, glanced at the surrounding battlefield, and then looked back at her.

​A genuine thought crossed his mind:

​’Is she actually okay in the head?’

BOOM!

​The massive weapon fell from her grasp.

​The moment it struck the ground, the earth collapsed beneath it. A deep crater formed instantly, radiating jagged cracks in every direction.

​Yet Morghanna paid the destruction no mind. Her crimson eyes remained fixed entirely on Cassian.

​Then, to everyone’s surprise, she spoke. "I owe you an apology."

​Cassian raised an eyebrow.

​Morghanna managed to stand up straight. "I underestimated you."

"You are strong, Cassian Voss. Stronger than anyone I have ever faced."

​Cassian blinked. "That’s a rather quick conclusion. We’ve barely been fighting for long." He gestured vaguely between them, his expression remaining relaxed. "Not that I’m disagreeing with you... but how can you tell?"

​Morghanna snorted. "You are quite arrogant, Cassian."

​She shook her head, a faint smirk touching her lips. "But it is understandable. Arrogance is the curse of the strong."

​Before Cassian could respond, she pushed on. "The reason I know is because of those constructs." Her gaze shifted toward the shadow circles resting on his forearm. "My awakened ability allows me to manipulate the mass of objects. It is why I can control gravity, after all gravity is simply a greater mass attracting a lesser one."

​Cassian listened quietly, offering no interruption, as Morghanna’s expression flickered with irritation.

"Yet those circles..." A vein bulged slightly on her forehead. "When I attempted to reduce their mass, it felt as though I was trying to influence a celestial mountain. The sheer amount of mana they consumed while resisting my ability was absurd."

"I have manipulated mountains. I have manipulated fortresses. I have manipulated entire battlefields. But those constructs?" She clicked her tongue. "They are ridiculous. That is why I know you are strong."

​Cassian stared at her for a moment, processing her confession. Then he casually asked, "If that’s the case... why are you explaining your ability to me?"

​"..."

​Morghanna froze.

​Only then did the reality of the situation dawn on her. She had willingly laid out the exact details of her awakened ability, to an enemy, in the middle of a battle to the death.

​She blinked once. Twice.

​Then she looked away.

​Her gaze drifted aimlessly toward the chaotic battlefield, then up toward the emerald sky, avoiding his eyes entirely.

​"Perhaps..." Her voice grew significantly quieter. "I see something familiar in you."

​Cassian remained silent, letting her speak.

​"A quality," Morghanna continued, looking back at him. "A trait. The quality of superiority."