Princess Knight [Dropped]

[36] (2/2)

She turned her eyes momentarily to her neck.

A flower of five jade white pristine petals was embedded at her neck...

'When...'

She had no time to speak of before feeling its stem drawing from her blood. Slowly, its petals turning into a crimson hue, Maria found her world shaking.

Sigh

That listless voice reached her ears.

She narrowed her eyes.

"How long has it been since I have been forced to unlock my second state? Certainly not until the birth of Chaos."

Maria watched as the figure stepped out from within the dust cloud.

The first noticeable difference would be the blackened bat-like wings that hung from her back, gently curved and both sides stretching the width of her body. The next noticeable difference would her eyes, having turned as pale white as her skin...however...even her skin had changed, Maria found herself able to outline what seemed like glistering fine thin red lines running atop her skin. Even more so, there hovered an even less visible stream that led from where the heart of Iu was and towards...

...the now fully crimson flower at Maria's neck.

Her arms regenerating with every step she took, as if tiny organisms growing in speed first in a glint of the reddishness of muscles and eventually combining into one entity with its skin set.

"Hmm," Iu lightly tested her new arm.

"Truly, it has been awhile."

She smiled lightly and reigned her hand around the hilt of the weapon stuck within her chest. There was a low grunt as she tugged at the blade, slowly pulling it out.

"So this is the sword of the crimson blade?" She scrutinized it before her.

And naturally perceived, the blood that stained it gradually disappear as the blade returned to its spotless clean slate.

"Strange...it seems to absorb blood."

Maria briefly saw the hole struck at Iu's chest closing in and regenerating much the same as the arms; first came the reddish tint of muscles, then came the skin. Even more so, the clothing she wore also 'healed'.

Right then and there, Maria realized this was not simply healing. This was a literal secularly contained time manipulation or at least simply time reversal.

"Return, <Dante>." Maria stretched her hand forwards.

The sword within Iu's hand quivered, her arm vibrating in intensity to hold it. But to no avail, it forcefully tore itself from her grasp.

Spinning and flying over the distance, it came to a hovering stop before Maria within an instant. As if silently waiting for the next orders of its master.

And, naturally, she grasped its silver hilt with her silver gauntlet.

Iu smiled, her right hand balling into a fist.

She punched forwards.

The speed of that punch surpassed her usual might, it seemed she had forcefully broken to the U rank much the same as Maria.

The air blasted and ripped forwards in a vast narrow.

Mara's eyes tightened.

"Ender's Gate, Splitting Thunder, Act 10!" She chopped her blade downwards with both hands grasping its hilt.