2294 2294. Failure

The oppressing, powerful, and reassuring presence of the space dragon slowly waned until nothing remained in its previous spot. Its shards continued to crumble even after the shattering, but a force prevented them from dispersing into the void.

Marcella closed her eyes as more roots came out of her body. Those branches had ethereal leaves shining on their surface, and they stretched toward the shards when they entered their range.

The ethereal leaves absorbed the shards and fused with them until every trace of their orange color left their surface. Some energy abandoned those maimed body parts and flowed into the void, but the roots absorbed everything else.

Marcella appeared uncomfortable during the process. Her expression showed frowns and sweat as she absorbed the space dragon's energy. Even the purification applied by her plants couldn't completely remove the dangerous nature inside the shards.

Still, Marcella had decided to seize that power to prove her superiority and inflict a mental defeat on her opponents. Her eyes soon opened, and her expression relaxed before turning into a smug smile. Her aura even surged stronger than ever to announce her appreciation for that meal.

The space dragon was dead, and the event inevitably triggered reactions that spread through the entire higher plane. The remaining dragons and their last leader instinctively voiced battle cries to express their grief, but anger soon replaced that feeling.

The pack started fighting with even more frenzy, and the time dragon expanded its influence as it flew toward Queen, Emperor, and Vesuvia. It seemed that its instincts had evolved after the death of its companion. The creature wanted to leave a deeper mark on the battlefield, and he needed to help the three cultivators to achieve that.

Maribel, Sepunia, and the odd dragon didn't know how to react to the event. The space dragon was the sole reason behind their survival in that incredible battle. Moreover, the creature was a core asset of their army, but Marcella had killed it easily without suffering any lasting injury.

The three experts felt lost. They couldn't fight without the space dragon, and they didn't know whether Divine Demon could actually win. They had only respect for their superior, but the previous exchanges had failed to put him above Marcella.

As for Divine Demon, he appeared stuck in his place. There seemed to be disbelief in his expression as he stared at Marcella and the spot where the space dragon had died.

Divine Demon's stance didn't inspire confidence, and that apparent insecurity ended up affecting Maribel and the odd dragon. They didn't know how they could face Marcella when even Divine Demon appeared lost.

Only Sepunia seemed to retain some confidence, even if the feelings running through her mind were far different. Her gaze darted among various areas of the battlefield before ending on the castle in the distance.

<br/>King Elbas was fighting, and the same went for the other major leaders from the landmass' army. Everyone was doing their best since Heaven and Earth's arrival was imminent, and Sepunia wanted to do her part too.

Silent resolve spread through Sepunia's mind as plans and ideas surged. Her world was the creation of two mighty experts, so she knew that it had the potential to affect the peak of the cultivation journey. She only needed time to understand how to achieve that power.

"Are you mourning?" Marcella asked once the cries of the dragons quieted down.

The question obviously was for Divine Demon. Marcella saw the others in that team as nothing more than ants. Only Divine Demon was worthy of her words.

"That annoying dragon is finally dead," Marcella announced as she retracted part of her roots to leave room for different plants. "You are all alone now, and the previous exchange has already revealed your flaws. You won't win unless you have another trump card."

"Flaws?" Divine Demon finally spoke.

"Yes, the flaws in your breakthrough," Marcella explained. "Your previous attack revealed the limits of your mind. I wouldn't have won the exchange if you still had the help of the higher plane."

"Are you trying to put the dragon's death on me?" Divine Demon asked.

"It is your fault," Marcella declared as she summoned a flower with blood-red petals. "I could isolate your toxin because your mind carries no knowledge of the magical plants' field. It would have been different if you still had the higher plane on your side."

The revelation felt earth-shattering to Divine Demon's companions. Maribel, Sepunia, and the odd dragon didn't even notice that flaw, but they couldn't deny Marcella's world. Divine Demon had really failed to affect the magical plants with his power, and his lack of knowledge seemed to be the reason behind that failure.

Solid doubts inevitably appeared in the experts' minds even if they tried their best to wear stern faces. Marcella had found a flaw that had heavy repercussions in the entirety of Divine Demon's power. He couldn't kill her if his foundation simply failed to be effective.

"Defeat is hard to accept," Divine Demon eventually announced. "I remember that now."

"Ooh?" Marcella gasped. "Did I trigger a bad memory? I'm honored."

"There is no such thing as an expert who never experienced defeat," Divine Demon declared. "We all lose during our journeys. Sometimes we even lose part of ourselves."

"You know," Marcella uttered, "Heaven and Earth would happily accept your world. You can switch sides if you don't feel like fighting anymore."

"That's the difference between a mere expert and a demon," Divine Demon pointed out. "I might have lost something to achieve my breakthrough, but that process was inevitable. I would have never achieved my true potential otherwise."

"Your true potential has failed you," Marcella declared.

"No," Divine Demon corrected. "I'm still learning how to express it."

"I wonder how many of your companions will die during that time," Marcella replied as her gaze fell on the three experts who had kept themselves out of the exchanges.

"You are right," Divine Demon sighed. "I don't have time to learn how to control my power."

"Are you admitting defeat?" Marcella wondered. "I never thought I'd see-."

Marcella couldn't finish her sentence since an immense wave of energy suddenly left Divine Demon. His aura seemed to expand endlessly, and Marcella's expression froze when she saw that the blood-red light filled every corner of the higher plane.

Divine Demon's aura didn't carry any specific purpose. He had simply released the entirety of his energy without creating any technique, but that sheer discharge of power left many experts speechless anyway.

"The requirements for the final battle have just harshened," Divine Demon spoke, and his voice resounded from every inch of his aura. "If you die, remain proud. You have been part of the greatest event in the history of this higher plane."

"What are you doing?" Marcella asked in a calm tone, but traces of surprise inevitably seeped into her voice. "How many of your companions are you willing to kill to win this battle?"

"All of them, obviously," Divine Demon responded.

"You truly are a monster," Marcella sighed.

"I am a demon," Divine Demon declared, "And you are about to learn what it means together with the entire higher plane."