Chapter 242: Refusal 2

After Eri confirmed that Lia's words were true and made sure her brother was alive, surprisingly with the L family, Eri raced back to the capital. She would no longer be a puppet for Min and cower in fear before him.

Soon, she saw the quiet battlefield.

No one moved. All eyes were focused on the middle, where an army of ghosts faced off with an army of undead.

Then hell was let loose in an instant. Chaos prevailed and nothing could hold back the immense force that loomed over the whole place.

Eri discovered Holn under the masses of soldiers and ghosts. She rushed to him to provide support. Holn was surprised but then grinned, "Your brother alright?"

"Yes," Eri brought out her lifeforce and the rose gold ends of her scarf tore through the enemies, "I'm here to repay the favour."

Although this wasn't the right situation, Holn still broke out in laughter, "Didn't you already repay it before?"

Suddenly the corners of Eri's lips pulled up, "No, I'm repaying something else."

Or maybe Eri just summoned the courage to go against Min and it wasn't due to Lia or anyone else. Eri wasn't clear about it but right now she couldn't join Min anymore, she was joining Lia's side. Eri's eyes glanced around and not far from them she saw Maria just kneeling on the battleground and healing.

"Lu's protecting her," Holn noticed Eri's stare and clarified, "So there's no need to worry."

"I'm not," Eri pursed her lips and continue to fight.

But her eyes couldn't help but dart to Maria. Eri and Maria barely interacted but because Eri was in the same position, Eri immediately knew that Maria wasn't willingly helping Min.

Maria was currently healing Noel and Lily. If only Maria has done this earlier then-

Maria saw all the familiar corpses even Yano in Lia's arms as Maria finally got herself to do her duty as a healer. It might be too late but it still wasn't. Maria now healed all the injured on their side. This was Maria's long overdue battle.

On the other side, the moment Lia arose, her corpses charged at Min and the ghosts he pulled over, leaving Lia the space to face off Min alone.

"What a last desperate attempt," Min sneered but his eyes glanced at the corpses, "This power shouldn't belong to you."

"It's also not yours," Lia took a deep breath.

It finally came down to the two of them. After all trials and errors, this battle that should've happened sooner last time, finally came.

Lia would finish what Yano and everyone else supporting her couldn't achieve.

Yet how was Lia going to face Min? How would she fight against him? Min's lifeforce and the ability-

Wait. Lia finally realised. Why hasn't she noticed it sooner? Her incredible stupidity was the cause of everyone's death.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped from Lia's lips. It echoed in Min's ears and made him quietly change his expression.

This damned woman was laughing. Min could see it an instant that she wasn't laughing because she broke. No, right now she wasn't a broken person but an enemy that wanted to take him down.

Min didn't like this development, he wanted to see her crawling on the floor and begging him to throw her back in the abyss. He wanted to see the light and hope in her eyes disappear and forever be clouded by darkness and despair.

Finally, Lia's repulsive laughing ceased yet a brilliant smile appeared on her face that made him even angrier, and her next words caused the veins in his body to disappear.

"Min, oh Min. I just had a realisation I should've had sooner. Do you know what it is?" Lia stepped closer to Min yet he saw she wasn't trying to attack him.

What was she thinking?

"It's the fact that you can't beat me."

Silence.

Then instant rage filled Min. He couldn't beat her?

Then what was all of this? Just a minute ago Lia was wailing about her loss Min caused and now she suddenly sprouted nonsense.

"It seems like you really broke. Do you think this is another illusion?"

Yes, that was the only way Min could explain it.

But only a wry smile of Lia's answered him. Min didn't have the patience to continue this charade and his green lifeforce flew out. It wrapped around Lia's waist wanting to pull her to Min but in the next second his lifeforce vanished.

It seemed to have even been absorbed by Lia. Min froze and stared at Lia with wide eyes.

Yes, this feeling of shock on Min's face was something Lia yearned for. More, more, more!

How he made her kneel, how he humiliated her, how he tortured her, Lia would do the same to him.

Min didn't seem to be able to figure out what was happening but Lia was dying to let him know but couldn't. If she were to reveal the truth to him, there was still the possibility of him coming up with a way to counter her.

So, Min should wriggle in his confusion and arrogance that was his downfall. It also took Lia a while to figure out what she could do. Yano's death has briefly stunned her and she temporarily forgot but there was no denying that she was the Immortal King and Min was only the Ghost King.

That meant Min's power, his lifeforce, it all belonged to Lia.

Any lifeforce Nun sent to her, Lia was able to absorb and turn it into her power.

Back then Lia foolishly believed that Min's lifeforce was harming her but that wasn't the case. Min's lifeforce and consequently everyone's lifeforce was hers. It could do her no harm anymore now that she realised and accepted her role as the Immortal King.

More and more attacks of Min's were sent Lia's way but Lia neither dodged them nor was hurt instead the second his lifeforce touched her body it disappeared.

"Why?" Min's confusion turned into full blown rage. If his attacks didn't work, then he'd use his ghosts!

With his hand, Min commanded his ghosts to attack Lia.

"Protect me," yet Lia only needed to utter two words and her corpses instantly slashed through the ghosts and even ran after Min. Since Lia has absorbed Min's lifelong power, her power only grew.

And as result, Lia arose all the other corpses, except for her friends', and filled them with Min's ghosts.

In the blink of an eye Min saw his ghosts quickly disappearing.

"Stand down," the corpses that almost got ahold of Min stopped and ran after the ghosts instead.

Lia walked towards Min as his eye twitched and his mouth opened and closed. Lia's lips curved into a smile, "Didn't I tell you, Min, you can't beat me?"

For a brief second, Min felt fear. However, it was only for a brief second. So what if Lia became a bit stronger and could counter his attacks?

The result would still be the same as always. Lia on the ground and Min above her.

Yes, this was the fate that reigned over them. Min would get what he wanted. He always did in the end.

Lia approaching him didn't make him falter. Lia could see the confidence Min had.

Once he raised his hand again, Lia saw the golden ring on his finger and it all made sense. Min has transferred the power from the cube to the ring of the Immortal King because that deluded bastard still thought he was the descendant of the Immortal King.

In order to make Min despair, Lia would first destroy the ring with half of his power. The new batch of ghosts that Min summoned, were set free to charge at Lia but this time Lia didn't even need to give a command, her corpses moved on their own to protect her.

But this was exactly what Min waited for. When Lia was close enough to Min, he caught her off guard by pulling out a sword from behind him and stabbed Lia in the stomach.

Lia stopped dead in her tracks and her gaze lowered to see the sword gliding out of her, then in the next second he poured his lifeforce into Lia's body as he did in the past. This would deal the final blow to her.

Satisfied Min watched Lia stagger backwards before falling to the ground. Lia panted as the immense amount of Min's lifeforce swirled inside of her while the wound wanted to close. This was a bit difficult for Lia to deal with. She had to admit.

But Min left her no time. He continued to attack her and pour more and more of his life force into her. The surrounding allies that watched, all screamed, "Lia! Lia!"

They wanted to rush and help her but Min only got more ghsots to keep them at bay. Especially Maria slightly cowered under Min's glare he sent her as she wanted to hurry and heal Lia.

Lu behind her provided support to form a path while the others, Holn, Noel, Eri and Lily joined. They all desperately wanted to be of help to Lia.

Yet Lia's eyes blurred and she wanted to tell them to stay away. Even if Lia could absorb Min's lifeforce, this amount he poured into her was overwhelming and Lia started to feel dizzy.

She couldn't keep up transforming his power into hers. Her body was also trying to heal itself as Min inflicted more wounds. The only way Lia stayed awake was through the voices of her allies.

"Lia, I'm almost there! So-"

"Hang on a bti!"

"I swear if you die! If you dare to!"

"Well, I just joined and you're going to disappear?"

"Hey, hey! Don't forget all the stories I gotta tell you!"

"Please stay in there! I'll be there! I'll-"

Lia smiled. She was truly too lucky to have all of them care for her, run to save her, even though it was Lia's fault that all of this was dragged out.

Even Eri turned into an ally and Lily still cared about Lia. What more could Lia ask for? She lost so many people but still had so many supporting her.

There was no way she could lose. She grabbed Min's hands and pushed him away from her. The lifeforce stopped pouring into her. Lia staggered to her feet and turned to everyone with a bright smile, "Stand back everyone, I'm more than enough to deal with trash."