2232 2232. Delay

"Touching," Euclio commented after Daniel and Faith ended up close enough to kiss.

"You aren't like the others," Daniel announced while diverting his attention from Faith to focus on Euclio. "Why didn't you kill us already?"

"I wanted to see what your display of emotions caused inside my new being," Euclio explained as he pointed a hand toward the couple. "As expected, I felt nothing."

Daniel disregarded the treat to look at Faith again, and she smiled to reply to his gesture. Neither of them showed fear. They were at peace since they could die in each other's arms. Actually, both felt slightly relieved that their intense struggle was ending on such a happy note.

Euclio's sinister aura shot forward and enveloped the couple. Faith could use her world to slow down the attack, but she suppressed her power. Daniel didn't have the strength to fight back, and she didn't want to die after him.

Daniel and Faith turned ethereal quickly since they didn't try to resist their opponent's attack. Their worlds instinctively summoned defenses, but they couldn't last long under the assault of a privileged cultivator in the solid stage.

The couple didn't divert their eyes during the process. Daniel and Faith were fine as long as they could die looking at their lover's face. Still, the assault suddenly faltered and forced the two to focus on Euclio again.

"I didn't want to ruin your moment," Euclio laughed as he inspected his hand. "I don't have such poor taste. I only need a moment to get used to this power."

"Okay, I should be there," Euclio eventually cleared his throat and pointed his arm at the couple again. Daniel and Faith reestablished their eye contact as the sinister aura enveloped them, but that power abruptly disappeared for no apparent reason.

"Is he playing with us?" Faith wondered in an annoyed tone.

"I'm not really sure," Daniel replied. "My world is even regaining power. I might not be in the mood for all this romance if he keeps delaying our deaths."

"Don't even try to ruin our deaths," Faith glared at Daniel. "I deserve to get your full attention in my final moments after remaining with you for all these millennia."

"I'm doing my best here," Daniel promised, "But I can't go against my world."

"Hey, you!" Faith angrily called while turning toward Euclio. "Hurry up. My partner will turn back into an idiot at this rate."

"I swear," Euclio responded as he inspected his hands and entire figure. "I don't understand what is happening."

"We can't even get a proper final opponent," Faith sighed.

"Don't tell me that we are going to survive," Daniel exclaimed.

"Why do you sound disappointed?" Faith asked.

"Well," Daniel diverter his gaze, "I'd have to find a form of purity that accepts you as a flow if I survive."

"I really want to smack you again," Faith cursed.

"I think you have enough time for that," Daniel stated while glancing at the struggling Euclio.

<br/>"I'll do it if we survive," Faith declared. "Actually, I'll claim you all for myself for five hundred years."

"What about the landmass?" Daniel wondered.

"I'll tell the Demons to take care of it if you behave," Faith uttered. "If you don't, I'll claim you anyway and leave the landmass to the rats."

"Not the rats," Daniel gasped.

"Or the pigs," Faith threatened.

"Anyone but the pigs," Daniel begged.

"Is he really not killing us yet?" Faith questioned.

"I don't know what to say," Daniel replied. "You even ran out of awful replacements to my rule."

"I can ask the pigs and the rats to rule together," Faith giggled.

"You are a monster," Daniel exclaimed.

"That's right," Faith snorted, "And it's your job to keep me happy."

"Alright, alright," Daniel gave in as he pulled Faith even closer. "Five hundred years just you and me it is."

The two resumed their silent and loving stare, but Euclio kept failing to activate his technique correctly. The sinister energy enveloped them and disappeared multiple times without ever killing them, and the couple eventually understood that the event had far deeper problems.

"Should we just run?" Faith wondered.

"What if he regains control of his world and lashes out at the others?" Daniel responded.

"We can come back and let him kill us," Faith suggested.

"Is everything okay up there?" Daniel shouted as he and Faith started to hover away from the area.

"What is even happening?!" Euclio cursed as his figure darkened and brightened without listening to his commands.

Daniel and Faith accepted that the situation was working in their favor and made a run for it. They found no reason to remain near their opponent, but their escape was cut short when a massive torrent of silver energy enveloped the whole area.

The silver energy had every intention of eradicating Faith and Daniel from the higher plane, but it stopped targeting them right after their skins opened in multiple spots. The two didn't even realize when the attack had reached them, but they didn't care about that since they recognized the owner of the aura.

"That's not possible!" Euclio shouted since he also recognized the owner of the area.

Euclio's situation was no different from Faith and Daniel's. He found himself immersed in the massive torrent of silver energy. He stood at its very center, and a mixture of fear and awe filled his mind when he realized how much that familiar power had changed.

Of course, Euclio was far more resilient than Faith and Daniel, so his body didn't suffer any damage even if the silver energy continued to treat him as an enemy. Still, his shock only intensified as the aura grew clearer and hinted at the return of a troublesome character.

A fissure suddenly opened on Euclio's torso. The wound ran from his neck to his waist and released a blinding silver light that added more power to the heavy energy that had filled the area.

The wound expanded until an even brighter figure flew through it. The glowing being darted left and right as if it felt confused about its new location, but it stopped once its senses stabilized.

"I'm back!" Sword Saint proudly announced as the sky appeared in his view.

Sword Saint didn't take long to notice that Daniel and Faith were stuck under his heavy silver energy. The expert frowned when he saw that the two were exchanging a loving hug, and the situation made even less sense in his mind at the sight of Euclio's new form.

"Imitating Defying Demon is a good idea," Sword Saint exclaimed, "But you shouldn't aim to replicate that part of his behavior."

Faith and Daniel exchanged a glance before turning toward Sword Saint again. Daniel only inspected the silver energy one last time before asking pressing questions. "You can handle this on your own, right? Can you open a path for us?"

"That's impossible," Sword Saint laughed as he spread his arms. "A blade should run freely, especially after getting further on the path. Though, I can cut you away from this battle."

"Wait!" Daniel complained when he understood what Sword Saint meant, but the latter acted too quickly. The expert waved his hand, and a blinding sword shot toward the couple.

The blade enveloped Daniel and Faith before pushing them all the way back to the landmass. Most of the defenses had to act to protect the immense creature, but the couple didn't find the strength to complain after realizing that their landing had gone well.

"What have you done inside my void?" Euclio asked now that he had remained alone with Sword Saint.

"You put me into the void," Sword Saint explained, "So I learnt to cut the void. Still, the breakthrough came as a surprise."

Euclio could only reveal a grim face, and the same went for all the experts on his side who noticed that scene. Instead, Sword Saint's companions experienced very opposite reactions. It was impossible to remain calm when an expert in Noah's core team had reached the solid stage.