Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Ultimate Showdown

Wendy soared like a seagull carried by the ocean breeze, finally landing upon an exposed reef. Her violet lightsaber pulsed in the darkness, casting glimmers as fiery threads danced behind her, illuminating nearly the whole night sky. Yet she never turned; from start to finish, her gaze was fixed solely on the man standing upon the shore.

“Who are you?” Wendy’s voice was soft but carried clearly to the man, whose lips curled into a mocking smile. “Shouldn’t you give your own name before asking mine?”

Wendy nodded slightly at his words, pointing her Star of Violet Radiance at the man on the beach. “I am Wendy, the Rose Sword Maiden of the City of Illusions, the strongest below Level Ten!”

“The strongest below Level Ten?” The man’s face showed surprise. “I thought you were already a Level Ten. That makes me even more curious—just how strong are these so-called Level Ten powers?” As if in response to Wendy’s title, he raised his hand and drew a gleaming long blade from the void. “S-Class Special Forces of the Alliance—you may call me Ace.”

“Ace? I’ll remember.” Wendy bent forward, poised like a leopard ready to spring. Ace’s expression grew serious; he could sense that today’s opponent was on a level far above any he had faced before.

“The blade’s name is Barrier Breaker.” Ace raised his sword. “Do you know a psychic called Deadeye? If you do, tell him I’d like to personally take his head.”

Wendy’s eyes widened in surprise. Ace moved first; his lithe figure vanished from the coast in an instant, appearing before Wendy. The sea parted in front of him, as if making way.

“So fast!” Wendy was shocked and instinctively swung her Star of Violet Radiance forward. The blades clashed; for the first time, unprepared, Wendy was knocked aside by Ace’s strike. Her slender form skipped across the surface of the sea like a stone, bouncing several times before plunging into the water.

“Ace!” Wendy was clearly not one to take things lying down. With an angry roar, she erupted from the waves, breaking through the surface with a massive surge. She soared skyward and then descended with a fierce slash aimed at Ace’s face.

Their blades met; Ace’s raised sword blocked Wendy’s powerful strike. The reef beneath exploded, sending shards flying as both plunged beneath the waves. The impact rippled across the seabed, and towering jets of water erupted from the surface, unleashing enormous waves that thundered into the distance.

Such commotion startled even those engaged in battle nearby. Both sides ceased fire, staring in awe at the raging fight below. The combatants’ forms were submerged, but the relentless spray and surging waves made clear the ferocity of their underwater duel.

Minutes later, Wendy burst from the water, racing toward the shore, closely followed by Ace. Both leaped through the air, and Wendy landed first, striking the sand and leaving a massive crater. Glancing back, she heard Ace laughing as he soared overhead. “Good! Very good!”

A white blade flashed at her; Wendy raised her sword to block, but the force sent her flying. She kept her defensive posture, but the sand could not withstand such power—she plowed backwards like a bulldozer, finally stopping only after crashing into the forest behind.

“I’ve always wondered how powerful psychics could become—how they seized overwhelming advantage in the Evolutionary War of old. But now, I’m disappointed.” Ace approached, sword in hand. Wendy emerged from the woods, a bit disheveled but unscathed.

“Long ago, the strongest Special Forces soldier spoke of a time when the City of Illusions’ greatest was a sword maiden with violet hair and eyes. But clearly, that wasn’t you.”

Wendy brushed sand from her skin and answered Ace’s question. “The one you speak of was my grandmother. The title Rose Sword Maiden was hers, earned in those days.”

“Our strongest Special Forces was defeated by the sword maiden, leaving a shadow in his heart,” Ace said, stroking his blade. “He forged this sword with all his strength and named it Barrier Breaker, wishing to overcome that shadow. Alas, the sword maiden of old no longer fights.”

“My grandmother ceased fighting over thirty years ago. Age is the sorrow of psychics—no matter how resplendent, everyone grows old someday.” Ace shook his head. “So do we.”

“But I’m disappointed. As the descendant of the former strongest, you haven’t reclaimed that position.” Ace leveled his blade at Wendy, his smile cold and mocking.

Wendy shook her head. “No, you’re mistaken. I haven’t regressed. In truth, I’ve reached the same level as my grandmother once did. It’s just that, compared to the rapid progress of psychics, we physical mutants advance so little.”

“Perhaps you’re stronger than your predecessor, but compared to today’s psychics, your progress is negligible.” Wendy raised her sword and approached Ace. “But that doesn’t matter. In this city, when it comes to raw physical strength, no one surpasses me.”

“Psychic abilities aren’t just about combat—their greatest feature is boundless possibility, unlimited hope and potential. You’ve never experienced that.” Wendy spoke passionately, but Ace sneered and stepped forward, raising his blade. “Enough talk. Take this!” His sword slashed downward.

Aside from those strange psychic abilities, these two were truly the strongest on Earth. Their power exceeded anything ordinary people could imagine, and each clash of sword and blade sent storms sweeping across the sand.

Ace’s swordplay was simple and brutal—every strike fast, precise, and ruthless. Wendy’s style was more ethereal; her violet blade split into countless beams, enveloping Ace.

Both were absolute masters, disdainful of the technological weapons of their respective sides. In their hands, nothing could withstand a single strike.

Ace let out a low shout, sweeping his blade sideways and knocking Wendy back. She flew backward a dozen meters, landing and gripping her sword, poised to strike again.

A trickle of blood seeped from Wendy’s shoulder—bright and uncanny. She frowned; she hadn’t evaded Ace’s blow and her flawless skin was finally cut. Ace grinned triumphantly, reveling in his advantage, but in less than a second, his expression froze. Raising his hand, he touched his cheek—a thin bloodstreak appeared.

Wendy smiled too. It was, in truth, a draw.

The beach they fought on was stripped of sand, exposing a rocky foundation. At the center of their battle, the ground had sunk over a meter, all sand blown away.

Their speed was so fast that human eyes could barely follow. On the dark beach, violet and white streaks clashed and crossed, Ace facing a worthy opponent for the first time, unleashing his full strength. Each movement triggered shockwaves, while Wendy’s power, though slightly less, was offset by her agility, weaving through the raging winds, her Star of Violet Radiance relentlessly thrusting toward Ace’s face.

No one knew how long their stop-and-go battle lasted. Ace suddenly let out a long howl, slashing down with a blade whose energy surged like a tsunami. Wendy was startled, unable to defend in time; she was swept away by the sword’s force. Before she could steady herself, Ace was upon her. “I’ve seen through your moves!” As he spoke, a brilliant white blade slashed directly at Wendy’s chest.

Wendy managed to block, but Ace’s raw strength caught her off guard. After the blow, she shot across the beach like a bullet, smashing into a distant cliff.

“Wendy!” Sayaka Mochizuki dropped from the sky, calling out anxiously. Wendy’s body slammed into the cliff, shattering the rock and embedding her within.

“I’m fine,” Wendy breathed quietly. “I underestimated him.” Her violet pupils narrowed sharply, and she leapt out with force. At the same moment, Ace descended from above, slashing down and splitting the cliff in two. Fortunately, Wendy dodged quickly, or she would have been cut in half.

“Though I hate to admit it, his strength truly surpasses mine.” Wendy hovered in the air, looking down at the collapsed cliff and sighing softly. “But even if his raw power is greater, it’s not by much. The outcome is still undecided.”

“Wendy, isn’t your greatest advantage your supersonic movement?” Sayaka Mochizuki appeared beside her, catching Wendy, her tone indignant. Wendy shook her head. “It’s useless. The strain of supersonic movement is too much for my body. Once used, I’m basically spent. And I’m sure—even after using it, I couldn’t defeat him quickly. If I can’t, and lose my combat ability, none of you can stop him.”

“Damn it, how is he so strong?” Sayaka grumbled as the dust gradually settled. Wendy’s expression grew serious. “It’s not hard to understand. As the strongest Special Forces soldier in the entire Alliance, of course he’s formidable.”

As the dust cleared, the split cliff was revealed. “Hey, where did he go?” Sayaka exclaimed. Ace didn’t appear as the dust settled.

“Danger! Get out of the way!” Wendy shouted, pushing Sayaka aside, but it was too late. A fierce sword energy descended upon them—Wendy’s reaction was swift, but Sayaka was caught in its wake. She screamed in pain, blood spraying into the air as her left forearm was shattered!

“Sayaka!” Wendy cried out in fury, watching her comrade plummet, finally caught by Tita. Wendy’s violet eyes blazed with anger as the two figures fell from the sky, locking eyes as they descended. “I swear I’ll cut you down!” Wendy roared, Ace smirked coldly. “Come and try.”

The scent of battle grew stronger. Like twin meteors, they fell from the sky—yet neither cared. At this moment, their eyes saw only each other. The fight would go on!

“Is this the time for you two to exchange glances? Something big’s happened!” Xie Liu’s urgent shout rang from afar. Wendy turned, bewildered, to see Xie Liu dragging Angela as they raced from the woods, Angela still clutching her makeshift flight device.

“And there’s an even bigger one coming behind us—we’ve got trouble!” Xie Liu yelled to Wendy, panic in his voice.