The collar clamped harshly against the base of his neck, the veins under his skin bulging with effort.

Fortunately being of the Lord realm he didn’t need to worry about breathing like the mortals did.

Not only did the collar pull Michael backwards, disrupting his center of gravity, but he also felt his strength being suppressed.

[Your basic attributes have forcibly been lowered by 10%!]

The system’s notification confirmed his suspicions. Persephone’s technique allowed her to suppress her foes.

And judging by the wide smile on her face, it was clear she was far from done.

Two more rings of pure darkness materialized by Michael’s sides. Chains like the one around his neck flared outward, trapping his wrists in place.

[Your basic attributes have forcibly been lowered by 20%!]

[Your basic attributes have forcibly been lowered by 30%!]

"So it stacks..." He murmured in a mild state of amusement, showing no sign of worry.

"Good!" Persephone rejoiced, pleased by his stoic expression.

Straining under the pressure, the chains tightened, threatening to spread his limbs apart and tear off his head.

Although slightly troublesome, the added pressure didn’t deter Michael by much. His arm and chest muscles enlarged, resisting the chains’ force.

However, no matter how much effort he applied, he wasn’t capable of breaking them apart. His technique, Psychokinesis, was also unable to control them despite the chains being categorized as objects.

"Nice trick." He chuckled, flashing her a warm smile.

"My turn."

Before she could grasp his words, Persephone’s body moved on instinct.

She narrowly avoided Devil’s claw before it pierced her torso.

"Oh? Two on one?" Persephone’s excitement only grew.

Given the image Michael had cultivated after the broadcast of the faction wars, she had assumed that using underhanded tactics was beneath him.

The fact she had failed to grasp the full extent of his mindset fascinated her.

"Even though he has a humanoid form, Devil is still a soul weapon." Michael shook his head, recalling Devil by making him assume his sword form.

"Losing against me would simply mean you are weaker, nothing more." He stated calmly, charging in.

A shiver passed down Persephone’s spine, welcoming the challenge.

"Marvelous!" She bellowed with a frenzied grin. "Then show me what you are capable of!"

In response to her smile, Michael raised his shotgun and blasted her square in the face.

Boom!

Thanks to her enhanced senses, Persephone managed to shift her head just in time.

Heaven’s Judgment’s projectile missed her by a hair’s width.

Reaching toward the darkness at her feet, Persephone conjured a scythe of pure darkness.

The starless blade of her weapon hungrily fed on the Sun’s light. A chilling mist trailed behind as it lunged toward Michael’s head with uncanny precision.

With the passive ability of Parallel Sight, which allowed him to see the potential moves of his opponents, Michael matched her blow.

His bones groaned under the force of her attack. Although his weapon was vastly superior, being of the Supreme Rank, she held the physical advantage, both because she was of a higher stage and because his strength had been suppressed.

Losing his footing, he staggered backward.

Persephone swung once more.

Changing the shape of his shotgun, Michael made Heaven’s Judgment take shield form.

Heaven’s Judgment proved unwavering under the pressure, blocking the slash effortlessly.

The force behind Persephone’s attack propelled Michael toward the ground.

Certain of her victory, Persephone increased the pressure of the chains, binding Michael’s arms long enough for her to strike.

She struck.

There was no hesitation in her movements.

Persephone was incapable of holding back. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

[Riftstep activated]

Michael disappeared from her line of sight, teleporting right behind her.

She didn’t show mercy, so he wouldn’t either.

Persephone grimaced for the first time.

Devil was of the Supreme Rank. No matter what stage she was, trying to stop the blade with bare hands would result in her losing her limbs.

The darkness beneath her feet surged, and two more chains emerged, clasping around Devil.

The unexpected addition of weight changed the trajectory of the arc just enough for Persephone to remain unscathed.

Hurriedly she retreated a few steps back, awaiting Michael’s next move.

Then it hit her.

She was a Supreme Lord, yet she had retreated.

Michael had not.

"I really screwed up." Persephone put a hand over her belly, beginning to laugh. "Who would have thought that holding back would be so difficult?"

Initially, she had challenged Michael for a spar to pass the time, not putting much thought behind it.

However, he proved to be more capable than she had expected, even if she had been holding back severely.

Now that her blood ran hot, Persephone threw caution to the side.

She wanted to face Michael for real.

The darkness in her eyes intensified.

"Authority Manifestation—"

Persephone’s words halted abruptly, her body freezing on the spot.

Nicole’s eyes shone menacing crimson, preventing a disaster from occurring.

’Blood Manipulation.’ Persephone thought bitterly, her body betraying her.

"Enough."

Nicole’s voice echoed, signaling the end of the spar.

After a second, which seemed to stretch for infinity, Persephone regained control over her body.

"Doesn’t this count as harassment?" She remarked.

"Next time don’t go using Authority Manifestation in the domain of a Titan." Nicole answered coldly. "Even your madness needs to have a limit."

Persephone snorted and turned to Michael.

"You pass."

Without another word, she left to rest.

Nicole watched her retreat, her gaze shifting towards Michael a moment later.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her concern palpable. "You shouldn’t have gone with her whim. The more you give, the more she would want to take."

"It went better than expected." Michael chuckled. "With you here there was no need to worry about Persephone going out of control. I just wanted to see what she was capable of."

"Well... As long as you understand, that is all that matters." Nicole turned the other way, hiding her slight blush caused by his compliment.

Now that Persephone had settled down, the Lords finally had the chance to rest without further interruption.

Or so it was supposed to be the case, until ripples began to form on the sea.

The plasma parted.

Rising from its slumber, the head of a colossal serpent emerged, the same one the Lords had observed from afar before.

Pin-drop silence spread throughout the light forest.

Lowering its head, the serpent gazed downward.

Right at Michael and the others.