Chapter 798 – Envy VS Envy [Part 3]

"And she was always stronger," Corvus added quietly. "Even as a child."

Lux leaned back slightly, thinking.

"So the artifact responded to original resonance."

"Yes."

Lux nodded slowly.

The pieces aligned neatly in his head.

First wife. Stronger lineage. Political displacement. Forced suppression. Servant branding. Artifact rejection of the insecure.

It wasn’t romantic.

It was structural.

Classic Envy politics.

Below them, Vira screamed again as her latest attack was absorbed and redirected by Cyrinne with brutal efficiency.

The arena, what remained of it, was nearly unrecognizable now.

Broken pillars. Cracked earth. Ruined seating.

Lux glanced down at the destruction.

Corvus shifted slightly.

"You seem... calm."

Lux smiled faintly.

"I am."

"Why?"

Lux’s eyes remained on Cyrinne.

"Because she’s not fighting emotionally anymore."

Corvus tilted his head.

Lux continued softly.

"She’s fighting to stabilize."

A pause.

"That’s leadership."

Another impact shook the air.

Vira staggered back again.

This time slower.

Lux exhaled quietly.

"She was born for it."

Corvus glanced at him sideways.

"You sound certain."

Lux’s lips curved.

"I recognize authority when I see it."

The raven made a low hum of understanding.

Below them, Cyrinne stepped forward again, steady, composed, reclaiming space with each breath.

Vira’s power flared once more, but it flickered at the edges now.

Unstable.

Reactive.

Lux set the empty glass aside.

"Envy House is about to restructure itself," he murmured quietly.

Corvus nodded.

"Looks like it."

Lux’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"And when it does..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He didn’t need to.

The political ripples would reach Greed.

They always did.

Because everything... eventually... needed money.

And money?

Was his.

Lux leaned back slightly, gaze steady as the two Envy heirs continued tearing apart what remained of the garden. Broken stone shifted under their feet. Air distorted around every impact. Decorative archways had collapsed into piles of useless debris.

Expensive debris.

Lux sighed softly.

’This will need reconstruction funding.’

Which meant..

Envy House would need capital.

Which meant...

They would knock on Greed’s door.

He tapped one finger lightly against the arm of his hovering seat.

’And that’s where negotiations get interesting.’

Below, the fight was slowing.

Not dramatically.

Not cleanly.

But visibly.

Vira’s breathing was heavier now. Her movements sharper but sloppier. Every surge of power came with strain. Her aura flickered unevenly, unstable at the edges.

Cyrinne, on the other hand...

Tired, yes.

Her shoulders rose and fell slightly faster now.

But grounded.

Balanced.

Her stance never collapsed.

Her breathing was measured.

Lux narrowed his eyes faintly.

’Endurance.’

That wasn’t inheritance.

That was training.

Hard training.

Exile training.

Humiliation training.

He could see it in the way she conserved movement, the way she redirected instead of overpowering. She wasn’t trying to destroy Vira.

She was dismantling her.

Efficient.

Practical.

Lux felt a flicker of respect settle into his chest.

’Good investment,’ he thought.

Below, Vira launched one more desperate surge, an overcharged blast meant to overwhelm through sheer volume.

Cyrinne raised both hands.

The artifact pulsed again.

The blast split and detonated outward, shredding the last intact structure of the outer garden.

Dust rolled like fog.

When it cleared...

Vira dropped to one knee.

Breathing ragged.

Cyrinne remained standing.

Wobbling slightly.

But upright.

The nobles on the sidelines were silent now. No cheering. No commentary. Just realization.

Authority had shifted.

Lux exhaled slowly.

’Almost done.’

And then...

[Alert.]

His system flared quietly.

Lux’s expression didn’t change.

[Additional Envy Authority Signature Detected.]

[Distance: Approaching.]

[Power Level: High.]

[Recommendation: Prepare.]

The system’s tone was flat.

Deadpan.

As always.

Lux’s internal voice matched it.

’Of course.’

He didn’t move.

Didn’t tense.

Just turned his head slightly.

"Corvus."

The raven stiffened slightly on his shoulder.

"Don’t say it," Corvus muttered.

[Envy Signature: Rapid Acceleration.]

"Is it her mom?" Lux asked calmly.

Corvus gave a low, strained sound.

"Nope. Nope. Absolutely not."

Lux tilted his head slightly.

"It is."

"There’s no way she’d show up personally," Corvus said quickly. "She never—"

[Authority Pulse Detected: Senior Rank.]

Corvus froze.

"...Oh."

Lux inhaled slowly.

’Well. That complicates things.’

Below, Cyrinne straightened slightly, sensing the shift in the air.

Vira’s head snapped upward too.

They both felt it.

The garden, what remained of it, trembled under a new pressure. Heavier. Older. Calculated.

Lux stood up slowly from his hovering seat.

"Just buy time," he said quietly to Corvus. "Okay?"

Corvus turned his head sharply.

"You’re serious?"

"Yes."

Corvus looked down at the two exhausted Envy heirs.

Then back toward the direction of the incoming aura.

"Fine," he muttered. "Let’s see what I can do."

Lux felt the raven’s weight shift.

Corvus hopped off his shoulder mid-air and dissolved.

His feathers collapsed inward, transforming into a swirling mass of dark aura that shot outward like smoke with intent.

Lux watched it streak toward the outer perimeter of the ruined garden.

Below, Vira tried to stand.

Her body trembled from exhaustion.

Cyrinne took one step forward, not aggressive. Just claiming space.

Then...

The sky darkened slightly.

No thunder.

No flashy entrance.

Just a pressure shift.

Lux’s system pulsed again.

[Incoming Authority: Confirmed.]

[Probability of Direct Intervention: 84%.]

[Recommendation: Maintain Distance.]

’No kidding.’

Lux slid his hands into his jacket pockets.

He didn’t interfere.

Couldn’t.

This wasn’t Greed’s house.

But...

He could observe.

He could calculate.

And if necessary...

He could leverage.

Below, Cyrinne turned fully toward the direction of the incoming presence. Her shoulders squared. She didn’t kneel. She didn’t lower her head.

Vira, however...

Vira’s posture changed instantly.

Fear.

Not anger.

Not rage.

Fear.

Lux’s internal thoughts sharpened.

’Interesting.’

Because fear meant hierarchy.

Fear meant consequence.

And fear meant she knew something the others didn’t.

The nobles began backing away instinctively. Not because Cyrinne was still standing, but because the air itself had thickened into something suffocating. This wasn’t a peer-level conflict anymore.

This was audit season.

Vira’s breathing turned ragged. Her earlier fury had drained into something uglier, panic dressed as pride.

"You can’t—" she started, voice cracking. "You don’t have the right—"

Cyrinne didn’t answer immediately.

She just looked at her.

Really looked at her.

And in that gaze, there was no jealousy.

No insecurity.

No comparison.

Only clarity.

"You tried," Cyrinne said quietly, "to claim what was never yours."