I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space Chapter 382: Selena And Celestia

Maria's thoughts churned at a frantic pace, as if they were clashing against each other in a whirlwind.

Should this situation intensify even slightly more, it would transcend a mere exchange of tempers. It would erupt into a political disaster. The imperial capital already teetered under the weight of rifts and monsters. The very last thing it required was a public showdown involving the empire's saintess, its princess, and a mysterious yet evidently formidable outsider.

Sofia, on the other hand, stood firm in her declaration.

Her chin lifted just a touch, her blue hair swaying in the tense atmosphere, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the girl hovering overhead.

"You heard me," she restated in a flat tone.

No hint of amusement or jest lingered. Only pure, direct resolve shone through.

The air grew heavier once more, with pressure bearing down from all sides simultaneously.

Up above, the platinum aura enveloping the hovering girl intensified, its borders honing sharp like a sword edge glinting in sunlight.

"And who precisely," she inquired deliberately, her eyes narrowing, "are you?"

Her words conveyed arrogance without needing to raise her voice. Command without effort.

She held her position without lowering or lashing out, still occupied with scrutinizing her. Despite the stranger beneath her being boldly insolent, aggressively antagonistic, and uttering crude dismissals unfit for the company of imperial lineage. Yet Celestia refrained from immediate action against her.

For even without detecting any magic or aura from this woman, Celestia recognized she was far from ordinary.

Firstly, her striking beauty. Secondly, her attire, crafted from materials of extraordinary value. Then the delicate jewelry adorning her, understated but undeniably refined. Her stare carried a unique intensity. And her stance exuded total, nearly improbable assurance, signaling she was no one to underestimate.

And there were additional clues.

She confronted Selena directly.

Celestia had observed Selena exuding a potent, domineering holy aura and vast reserves of mana upon her arrival. Yet this woman positioned herself before her as though meeting an equal, or perhaps even lesser. The certainty in her eyes remained unshaken.

Not to mention..

Celestia's gaze darted momentarily to the surrounding wreckage. Debris strewn about. Walls shattered. Selena's garments lightly marred by dust.

And this blue-haired woman?

Flawless.

Not a single fiber out of place.

Celestia understood Selena's power intimately. She knew the saintess wasn't easily intimidated or pushed aside. If a confrontation had already occurred—and it evidently had—this outsider had weathered it unscathed.

That implied..

She possessed great strength.

She wasn't commonplace.. And she undoubtedly hailed from a significant background, evident from these minor details alone.

Celestia rummaged through her recollections for any match. Noble families. Overseas envoys. Lineages famed for exceptional physical might or similar.

But.. Zilch.

No matter how hard Celestia strained to identify her, recognition eluded her.

Exactly for that reason, in spite of the insulting barbs aimed at her, she stayed composed, merely watching.

It wasn't due to inability to strike. Nor fear on her part.

Celestia viewed herself as superior and was profoundly conscious of her own capabilities, so she harbored no uncertainty that, in an all-out battle, victory would be hers.

As for her origins?

It held no concern for her.

For no matter what it entailed, Celestia was convinced it wouldn't faze her.

Then why did she continue evaluating rather than attacking?

Because clearly, leaders avoid rash actions.

And she, destined to rule as Empress of the mightiest empire, had to conduct herself accordingly.

Leaders refrained from acting sans evaluation. They avoided motion without grasping the repercussions of every step in advance.

And one more factor existed.

Her mother.

Celestia craved her validation. Her recognition. Her endorsement. And she realized such wouldn't come from mere thrashing or domineering others. It would arise from deliberation. From assessment. From selecting her actions with precision.

Thus, she stayed motionless, serenely dissecting the scene, gleaning every scrap of detail possible—just as a prospective ruler ought.

Down below, Sofia met her stare without averting her own.

"You don’t need to know my identity," Sofia declared, her voice keen and unrestrained. "Or my nature."

"Because right now, the sole thing you need to grasp is that I’ll put both of you in your places."

The statement sliced the air like an unsheathed sword.

"For what you did to Razeal."

Her animosity showed no subtlety. It concealed nothing behind polite evasion or veiled barbs. It struck outright. Intimate.

Sofia locked eyes with Celestia as the latter appraised her back, aiming to manage the encounter optimally. Sofia, conversely, embraced full candor, displaying unbridled aggression that revealed her indifference to all else.

She underscored her arrival solely for vengeance, nothing more.

Yet oddly, she hadn't lunged at the woman yet.

Not immediately, at least.

And... Facing such a belligerent retort

Celestia didn't... flinch or utter a word, but a spark in her expression extinguished.

The subtle warmth of regal politeness, the soft hint of controlled negotiation—they all faded. What endured was now icier and more strategic.

For she now knew this woman sought only conflict.

Thus, she offered no further queries or replies. No merit lay in trading words with one who had avowed intent to behead nobility and present their trophies.

Instead, with an expression blank and inscrutable, she drifted straight toward Selena.

The woman plainly refused to yield details. So Celestia approached the sole individual who might grasp the unfolding events. Selena had endured the assault. She ought to hold clues to this woman's identity, her motives for targeting her, her grievance, her ferocity... and her drive to claim their lives.

Celestia felt assured she'd never crossed paths with enmity from this woman. Indeed, this marked her initial encounter.

The sole element echoing in her thoughts was the invocation of Razeal's name. It sparked a vague notion—could this be retribution for Razeal? Yet even that seemed implausible. Why would an obscure figure pursue such extremes for him? Celestia had never spotted her near Razeal. And who would credit Razeal sufficiently to avenge him?

Thus, the enigmas only heightened her intrigue. Still, no use lingering on one so evidently unforthcoming. But she required clarity promptly.

As she glided toward Selena, her platinum aura gradually withdrew into her form. It shed its domineering and commanding presence. She drew it fully inward, permitting only a subtle glow around her silhouette. Nonetheless, she retained her regal allure—her flowing platinum locks trailing softly, elegance emanating naturally from her being.

In transit, she lifted one hand, gesturing to the assembled guards and spectators who had established a wary encirclement following the disturbance, bidding them hold position. They complied instantly. Even mightier presences amassed afar, yet none ventured nearer.

Celestia alighted gracefully onto the ground next to Selena.

Her boots met the fractured stone silently.

Selena appeared detached, still absorbing the woman's uttered words.

A wedding gift to Razeal?

Celestia extended a hand and jostled her arm, snapping her from reverie.

Selena blinked.

"What’s happening here?" she pressed in a hushed tone. "Who is that woman?"

Her voice dropped even more, nearly a murmur by the close.

"And where the hell were you for the last two months? I tried to find you. I tried to sense your location, but I couldn’t. Where the fuck did you go? Don’t tell me you actually did what you said you were going to do..."

Concern wove into her closing remarks, despite attempts to mask it. The previous sighting of Selena had shown her intent on confessing the truth to the Virelans. Afterward, she had disappeared entirely. Celestia had failed to detect her presence. That shortfall had fueled a persistent, low-boil irritation within her.

Now, upon their reunion, circumstances stood thus.

Yet, beholding Selena upright and unbound granted her silent ease. At least she avoided confinement in some Virelan cell. Celestia would never display such solace overtly—her dignity and aristocratic poise forbade it.

"I don’t know," Selena snapped back tersely, frustration thick in her voice. "She assaulted me without warning as I headed to meet Razeal."

While speaking, she retracted her surging holy aura into herself as well.. though a slim veil persisted around her, primed for instant retaliation. Her deep scowl lingered. She stayed alert, set to lash out anew should the need arise.

"What?" The exclamation escaped Celestia unwittingly.

"Razeal is here? Where?"

Her poise fractured subtly.. not apparent to onlookers, but discernible to Selena so near. Celestia scowled deeper. On impulse, she broadened her mana perception, seeking him amid the capital.

Simultaneously, she addressed her, striving for even tones though a slight tremble revealed otherwise.

She recalled vividly the humiliation he inflicted before her mother. Exploiting her remorse and sentiments, he had outwitted her, manipulated her, rendering her a spectacle in the Empress's eyes. Beyond that, she endured her own mother's implication that he might suit the throne better than she, merely for succumbing to a basic, foolish ploy.

Those utterances had wounded deeper than any weapon.

Consequently, sleep evaded her for two full days. Restlessness consumed her, yearning to restore the esteem she believed forfeited. She immersed in rigorous practice and profound reflection, resolved to recapture her standing.

Respect.

Position.

Authority.

And now

He had returned?

Thus, her reaction was inevitable...

The notion evidently stirred a burning, acrid churn in her gut.

But Selena ignored Celestia's internal storm. She pressed ahead with her concerns bluntly..

She fixed Celestia with a piercing stare, pitching her voice low, her eyes glancing sidelong at Sofia.

"Did you catch what she said?" Selena urged softly, her inflection strained. "She mentioned ’wedding gift’ for Razeal."

Her gaze shifted laterally to Sofia once more, keen and probing.

"What did she mean by that?"

Celestia snapped from her musings abruptly.

"What?" Celestia halted her train of thought. Unbeknownst, her fists had tightened. "Did she? I didn’t notice. I focused on her crude and insulting manner toward me," she responded thoughtfully.

But upon locking eyes with Selena, she hesitated.

Then she regarded Selena fully.

Truly examined her.

The fervor in her stare.

The quiver in her respiration.

The subtle unsteadiness starting to waver her holy aura.

Realization struck.

"No... you aren’t considering that. It’s impossible," Celestia stated abruptly, as though deciphering Selena’s mind outright. Still, inexplicably, a sour tang rose in her throat at the very idea.

"Yes, I AM considering that.. Because she explicitly stated it. Didn’t you hear? And it explains her assault on me. I’m telling you, she seeks vengeance. See, she just indicated us both. "

The surrounding air throbbed irregularly, holy mana mirroring her emotional flux. Small stones quivered. Scattered remnants rose briefly off the earth before falling back.

"Razeal must have informed her," Selena pressed on, her reasoning crystallizing on the spot as anxiety propelled it. "He shared what occurred. She arrived for payback."

"Hey, hey... no. Calm down. This isn’t the case. There’s no chance he’s wed, and even if so, who would trust him enough to strike at us over it? You’re overanalyzing. You’re fabricating scenarios and misinterpreting it all. Alsoooo keep your dammmm voice down; people are nearby. Calm down. This isn’t what you imagine. I don’t buy it."

Celestia sought to soothe her, even as her pulse quickened at the prospect. She couldn’t fathom why the concept disturbed her profoundly. The idea of Razeal's marriage struck her as ridiculous.

And should truth emerge? Were it believed? Suitable for union? Would he wed her? No, utterly implausible. He hadn’t reached appropriate maturity. And she was sure he hadn’t advanced beyond her in an

She was convinced the events had wounded him.

Well... she had suffered as well. She had cherished him, genuinely. But duty compelled a painful choice for their mutual benefit, given his shortfall in power.

But Selena’s implication? No. That defied possibility.

Nonetheless, Celestia persisted in reassuring her, for Selena teetered on outright hysteria—her breaths ragged, her mind whirling unchecked, all stemming from her self-woven deductions.

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