Chapter 171:Fight amongst themselves.
The lifeless body of the mutated tiger lay sprawled across the fractured concrete, its flames having finally died away.
For several long moments, nobody spoke. The only sounds inside the abandoned station were everyone’s heavy breathing and the occasional crackle of burning debris.
Silver stood beside Ravenna, one hand pressed lightly against his forehead. The repeated use of his spatial abilities had left a dull ache behind his eyes, but it was already beginning to subside.
More importantly, the brilliant Tier Four fire core had already disappeared safely into his storage before anyone had truly paid attention.
It was better that way. If someone wanted to argue over ownership later, there would be nothing left to snatch from his hands.
Ravenna, however, wasn’t looking at the tiger anymore or him. Her eyes slowly drifted across the room and settled on one person.
Cruella.
Silver noticed the change almost immediately. Her expression had become frighteningly calm. He knew that look. She wasn’t angry anymore and had already decided what she was going to do.
At almost the exact same moment, Cruella glanced toward Ravenna. Their eyes met. No words were exchanged. Both women remembered exactly what had happened moments earlier.
This wasn’t even the first time they had come to blows. Ever since Silver had distanced himself from Cruella and grown closer to Ravenna, the two women had clashed, and it had not been pretty. Their dislike had long since grown into genuine hostility.
Silver didn’t step between them when things escalated before, and this time... He didn’t move either.
Ravenna suddenly stepped forward, then another. Before anyone realized what she intended, she exploded into motion. Her foot slammed into the floor, and the distance vanished instantly.
Cruella’s eyes widened.
"What..."
Too late. Ravenna’s kick crashed into her stomach with a heavy thud. The impact lifted Cruella completely off her feet before sending her flying several meters backward. She crashed through a broken office chair before rolling across the concrete.
"Cruella!"
Dillian shouted in shock. The other three girls stared in complete disbelief. Nobody had expected Ravenna to attack without warning. Cruella coughed violently as she forced herself back onto one knee.
"You...!"
Ravenna didn’t answer. She simply walked toward her, each footfall echoing through the ruined hallway. Her sword slowly slid from its sheath. The sound of steel scraping against leather seemed unnaturally loud.
Cruella hurriedly drew her own weapon, wind immediately gathering around its blade.
"You’ve lost your mind!"
Ravenna finally spoke; her voice was dangerously quiet.
"No. I’ve simply run out of patience with you. The last warning didn’t work on you, did it?"
The wind around Cruella’s sword intensified.
"I didn’t do anything! You slipped!"
Ravenna coldly laughed.
"So... You’ve already decided to lie. To top it off, I didn’t even say anything. You’re basically self-reporting. "
Silver remained exactly where he was; he folded his arms and silently watched.
Dillian immediately moved.
"Stop! We’re still inside the station!"
Before he could reach the two women, Silver stepped sideways, blocking his path.
Dillian frowned.
"Move."
Silver calmly shook his head.
"No. They need to settle this."
"This isn’t the time!"
Silver looked directly into Dillian’s eyes.
"It became the time the moment she pushed Ravenna."
Dillian’s expression stiffened.
"...You saw that?"
"Of course I did, or I wouldn’t be standing in front of you. You should be thankful I didn’t attack her in the middle of our fight."
For a brief moment, uncertainty appeared on Dillian’s face. He trusted Cruella but... He also came to know Silver. He didn’t seem like the kind of person to invent accusations.
Before Dillian could decide what to do, the fight had already begun.
Cruella attacked first, wind bursting beneath her feet as she lunged forward. Her sword sliced toward Ravenna’s shoulder, and Ravenna calmly stepped aside. The blade passed harmlessly by.
Almost lazily, she drove her elbow into Cruella’s ribs. A painful gasp escaped Cruella’s lips. She stumbled sideways. Ravenna immediately followed. Her sword slashed down on her relentlessly. Cruella barely blocked the attacks, each impact forcing her farther backward.
Silver quietly observed.
Ravenna wasn’t fighting emotionally but efficiently. Months of training together had polished her swordsmanship considerably. She wasted almost no movement.
Cruella, on the other hand, had become increasingly desperate. Wind gathered again. Several compressed blades of air shot toward Ravenna.
Ravenna didn’t retreat. She slashed through the first, dodged the second, and the third grazed her sleeve. She continued advancing without hesitation.
Cruella’s breathing became uneven.
"No..."
She swung wildly. Ravenna ducked beneath the strike before driving a kick directly into Cruella’s knee. The joint buckled, and Cruella lost her balance.
Ravenna twisted her body. The pommel of her sword struck Cruella squarely across the jaw. The impact spun her around, but before she could recover, Ravenna swept her legs out from beneath her. Cruella hit the ground hard, her sword sliding several meters away.
Ravenna’s blade stopped barely an inch from Cruella’s throat. Silence filled the station. Nobody moved. Cruella looked up, fear filling her eyes. She knew if Ravenna pushed forward just a little... she would die.
Silver watched quietly. He had no intention of interfering, not unless Ravenna truly intended to kill her, since they would have to escape before the whole group jumped them.
Several long seconds passed, then... Ravenna slowly lowered her sword. She stepped back. Cruella remained frozen on the ground. Ravenna looked down at her with complete disgust.
"You should thank Dillian."
Cruella blinked.
"What...?"
"If this had happened anywhere else, I would’ve finished it." Her voice remained calm, almost emotionless. "The next time you decide to push me toward a beast, make sure I die because if I survive again, I won’t stop."
The words sent a chill through everyone present. Even Maya, Selene, and Iris instinctively looked toward Cruella. All three had seen Ravenna’s expression. This wasn’t empty intimidation; she meant every word.
Cruella slowly looked toward Dillian, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
"I... I didn’t..."
Her explanation died in her throat, because deep inside, she knew exactly what she had done.
Silver finally walked forward, his gaze meeting Cruella’s.
"I saw it. You pushed her, and I don’t care whether anyone else believes it. I know what I saw."
Cruella immediately looked away, unable to meet his eyes. That hurt far more than Ravenna’s beating because Silver had believed her once. Now, there wasn’t even disappointment left in his voice. The distance between them had become impossible to cross.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere between the two groups had become colder than the ice still lingering on Dillian’s sword. Even Maya, Selene, and Iris subtly shifted away from Cruella without realizing it. That alone spoke volumes.