The Smiling Death

She clenched her teeth.

’Damn it...Why...?Why am I always too weak?’

She gripped her greatsword tighter. Ever since entering the academy. She had chased strength relentlessly.

She trained longer than anyone. Pushed herself harder than anyone.

Yet every time a truly powerful enemy appeared.

She found herself unable to protect herself and friends. Her friends were bleeding.

Even during demon kingdom trip, when they were fighting two demons. If not for Amon and Seraphina present there. She would have died.

And that tells she still wasn’t strong enough.

"No."

She slowly stood.

"I won’t lose. I refuse to stay weak forever."

At that moment, Eliana gracefully landed beside her from the tree branches.

Her bow was already drawn.

"I’ll support you from close range."

Marcus struggled back to his feet.

Blood stained the corner of his mouth, but the fire burning in his eyes hadn’t faded.

He twirled his spear once before pointing it toward Soren.

"We’re not done yet."

The three of them instinctively moved into formation.

Aisha at the front.

Marcus slightly behind her.

Eliana covering both from the rear.

Soren quietly observed them.

His cold emerald eyes showed neither anger nor excitement.

Only indifference.

"Good. You still have the will to fight."

Without another word he vanished.

Only a trail of drifting frost remained where he had been standing.

The three students immediately reacted. They had already accepted one simple truth.

Soren was powerful.

Far stronger than any opponent they had faced before.

But he wasn’t invincible. He was at peak of master ascendant.

If they continued fighting together. If they trusted one another. Then they would bring him down.

No matter the cost.

---

Amon coughed violently.

"Cough...!"

A mouthful of blood splattered onto the ground beneath him.

Every muscle in his body screamed in agony.

His broken ribs burned with every breath.

Deep cuts covered his arms and legs, while scorch marks left by Alaric’s lightning spread across his skin.

With trembling arms, he somehow forced himself back to his feet.

"Damn..."

It had been months since he had faced an opponent like this.

An enemy so overwhelmingly powerful. That, for the first time in a long while. He truly felt he might die.

His breathing became ragged.

Sweat mixed with blood as he raised his eyes toward Alaric.

The man stood several metres away, completely enveloped in crackling purple lightning.

Bolts of electricity danced wildly around his body, tearing through the air with deafening snaps.

The pressure alone was enough to make Amon’s instincts scream.

’I need... something...’

Without hesitation, Amon activated his Blood Manipulation.

A tiny droplet of crimson blood slowly emerged from the wound on his fingertip.

It hovered before him, ready to be shaped into a weapon.

But before he could use it.

BOOOOOOM!!

A colossal pillar of golden light erupted into the heavens.

The forest was instantly illuminated.

Darkness disappeared as though the sun itself had descended upon the battlefield.

Both Amon and Alaric instinctively turned toward the source.

"Seraphina?"

Amon whispered.

She stood at the centre of the golden pillar. Divine light surrounded her body.

As the pillar gradually faded. Her injuries were gone.

Every wound had vanished without leaving even the slightest scar.

Her beautiful golden eyes shone like twin suns, radiating an overwhelming aura of purity and authority.

Her long hair floated gently behind her, glowing with brilliant golden light as though gravity itself no longer applied to her.

Golden particles drifted through the air around her like falling starlight.

In her right hand she held a sword unlike any Amon had ever seen.

Its blade appeared to be forged from condensed golden light rather than metal.

Every inch of it radiated mana like some holy energy so dense that the surrounding air trembled.

Even the elegant hilt, crafted from crimson and gold, looked worthy of a goddess. Without saying a single word.

Seraphina raised her eyes. Her emotionless gaze settled upon Alaric.

Alaric frowned.

A faint sense of danger crept into his heart.

"What are—"

Before he could finish speaking whatever he wanted.

Seraphina disappeared from her position like a flash.

Alaric’s pupils shrank. She appeared directly before him.

Only a flash of golden light. Her divine sword swept through the air.

A gigantic crescent of radiant energy erupted from its blade in horizontal slash.

The attack was so vast that it seemed to split the night itself.

Alaric reacted instantly.

Purple lightning exploded from his body as he raised his sword to block.

BOOOOOOM!!

The two attacks collided with earth-shaking force.

A violent shockwave burst across the battlefield, flattening everything in its path.

Alaric’s feet dug deep trenches into the ground as the overwhelming force pushed him backwards.

He slid dozens of metres before finally regaining his footing.

Behind him trees touched by the golden crescent was cleanly severed.

Towering trunks slowly tilted before crashing to the forest floor one after another.

Crash!

The entire forest echoed with the sound of falling trees.

Alaric stared at Seraphina in disbelief.

His arms tingled from the impact. The hand gripping his sword had gone numb.

He realised something. The woman standing before him had become a genuine threat.

Even Amon was looking at her with shoved expression.

’What the hell?’

Just now Seraphina’s attacked made Alaric slide back.

Alaric who appeared to be at transcendent rank.

Amon held his sword and hatchet tightly.

The fight was not over yet. And they might have chance to survive this.

At that time Seraphina raised her sword again.

Then kicked of the ground as huge crack appeared where she was standing.

Alaric didn’t back off. He kicked of the ground and dash at her.

BOOM!

Golden flash and purple lightning clashed against each other in huge explosion.

---

[VERY IMP QUESTION IN A/N READ IT !!]

[A/N: Sorry, guys, for not updating regularly over the past few days. I was feeling a bit burned out, I guess, after writing two novels every day for months. Anyway, I took a short break to rest and think more about The Smiling Death’s story. I came up with some new plans for both this novel and my second one.

What plans? Hehe... you’ll find out in the future. I just hope you’ll enjoy them.

Anyway, I’ll be back to regular updates starting from 1 August, so don’t worry. Thanks for your patience and continued support!

Oh, and one more important question. What do you guys think about smut? Should I write those Chapters for the characters’ first time, or should I just skip them? Let me know in the comments! If most of you don’t like smut, I’ll skip those scenes. Or I could simply add [R18] to the Chapter title, so those who aren’t interested can skip them and continue reading once the scene is over.]