Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 688: Attempted Retrieval

Kaine felt the entire world turn red. She heard a ringing in her ear as her gaze was locked onto Mira's lifeless body.

That final smile. . .

If she wasn't concerned about her own body, if she wasn't trying to survive, maybe Mira wouldn't be in that state.

Gritting her teeth, the collar around Kaine started to go berserk as obsidian spikes pierced deep into her skin but she didn't care.

Plunging her finger into her neck, she activated the collar once more.

The new collars developed by the Zenia family allowed one to overcharge and limit break their abilities. To enhance it to the next level.

But most are only authorised to use it once since they can't handle subsequent activations without the risk of death. However, without Mira here, what else was there left for her to do?

Even if she dies, she'll take down Mira's killer with her!

Second Limit Break!

Third Limit Break!

Watching this, Alice tilted her head.

She could see the rapid flow of energy going berserk around Kaine. The way they injected themselves into her body via the collar, transforming her, mutating her into a vessel for power.

'So this is the secret behind the collar.' Alice narrowed her gaze.

Like many things, the Collar worked similar to a contract. At least it did for the aspect of Limit Breaking. While Alice didn't know the exact nature of the contract, she could see that it involved three parties. One was Kaine herself, the second was the Abyss. And the third was unknown.

However, Alice had a hunch that the third party was probably the Zenia family or something to do with her blood.

Regardless, since Kaine was now losing herself in anger, it was a prime opportunity for Alice to act!

Bloodline Release!

Her soul state manifested behind Alice as she was about to make a move when Kaine clenched her fist.

*BANG!!!

Immediately, the space around her came crashing down with Alice hastily teleporting herself out of danger.

"Multiple vectors!" Alice widened her eye in surprise as Kaine slashed up with her hand.

An invisible force tossed her into the air.

Struggling to orientate herself, Alice threw a dagger towards Kaine which missed the target but that was fine!

Swapping locations, Alice slashed down.

Void Flux – Cleave!

*BANG!!!

Seeing her strike forcefully shifted off to the side, Alice clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Kaine glared at her with blood dripping from her eyes.

Her body was breaking apart but she didn't care.

"Kill!" Snapping her finger, Kaine applied two forces onto Alice in an attempt to tear her in half.

Sacrificing one of her arms, Alice summoned briar thorns from beneath Kaine. However, there seemed to be an invisible rotating barrier around her, preventing the attacks from landing at all.

In this kind of situation, Alice had to use a different approach.

One that bypasses this barrier.

At that moment, Alice felt an invisible force punch against her chest but her body didn't move.

Two forces!

From holding her in place while the other one strikes through her!

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Alice's pupil trembled as she glared at Kaine who revealed a grin.

"Did that feel good? To kill the one who killed your sister?" Alice's voice whispered in Kaine's ear.

Her entire body froze with a dreaded chill.

How was she whispering in her ear? It was clear that she was in front. . . of her. . .

Little by little, Alice's wounded body started to disappear.

*CRACK!

Without giving Kaine a chance to comprehend what was going on, Alice wrapped her arms around her head and twisted it off!

Crushing the head, she burned the body and turned to Alana who was observing the entire ordeal.

From the start of the illusion till the end, she kept watching, not making a single move.

"Aren't you even the slightest bit worried? Your friends just died ya know?" Alice gestured to what remained of the two girls.

"Worried? Why should I be? They gave me the perfect chance to analyse everything I need to know about you. The way your body moves, the way your energy flows. How you activate those strange casting methods of yours along with that hallucination at the end.

"You've shown me your hand so why should I be worried?" Alana dismissed with a wave.

"Our goal is and always will be to retrieve family assets. That's to say, you. If anything, I would've killed Kaine myself had she truly tried to kill you."

Hearing this, Alice furrowed her brows.

If she was planning on 'retrieving' her as she said, surely she didn't mean with just the three of them.

Even with the main army having collars to create near immortal soldiers, it was far too lacking.

So what else is there? Alice had already set up a grid covering almost the entire battlefield. The moment someone abnormally strong approaches her, she would be able to detect it. Yet there was nothing.

What was she missing?

Three days. Three days of silence from the enemy and this is all they came up with?

Something was wrong, dreadfully so.

At this point, a sense of worry began to fill Alice's heart. It felt as though she was now walking atop a palm, everything she did was within the boundaries of their calculations.

"You finally feeling the pressure?" Alana smiled ominously.

"You see, my power is to analyse. I observe, analyse, copy and make counters. But the analysis does not end there."

Hearing this, Alice felt a sense of danger from all around her.

As though the entire realm was her enemy.

'I need to leave!' Stomping down, she tried to open a portal out of her location but Alana was faster.

A counterforce crashed into Alice's casting, negating it.

It wasn't the same as cancelling abilities with her blood but rather using energy to neutralise and disrupt the casting process.

Second Resonance.

Curving her lips up into a smile, Alana began to activate her second resonance while Alice's mind spun for a way out.

Personal Artifact!

Disrupting the formation of the personal realm, Alyss took over!

Phantom Shift!

Activating her fastest movement, Alyss rushed into Alana's range as she deployed Zone, capturing everything in her gaze.

Hand to hand combat! Since Alana was countering their casting, the only other way was to brute force things!

*BANG!!!

Unleashing two hooks, Alyss frowned seeing Alana block them with ease.

"Tsk!" Clicking her tongue, Alyss tried to disrupt Alana's footwork with a kick but Alana avoided it by lifting up her leg.

Blocking Alana's follow up kick, Alyss punched towards the knee only for Alana to jump up and use her spare leg to push Alyss away.

'I'm going for the kill!'

Creating two blades using blood, metal and Eldritch energy, Alice spun the blades and threw one towards Alana who blocked it using Kaine's vector control!

With the first strike missing, Alyss followed up with Soul Chaser!

*CLANG!!!

Blocking these strikes with a red scarf, Alana copied Mira's abilities and countered using the power of the Void.

Her punch aimed at Alyss's head phased through a portal and aimed for the neck from behind!

Ducking to the side, Alyss slashed up with her blade in an attempt to stab Alana in the jaw.

Unfortunately, her attack missed with everything being captured in Alana's gaze.

Yet despite missing, there was a smile on Alyss's face.

Void Flux!

Handing control over back to Alice seamlessly, Alice fired a Void Flux from below.

*BANG!!!

Parts of her flesh were charred from the near miss as Alana snapped her finger and threw Alice's body into the sky using Vectors.

Creating a platform above her, Alice swapped out and Alyss rushed forward!

Killing Arc!

*BOOM!!!

Missing the slash, Alyss went in with a hook strike that missed but followed up with a backhand, slapping Alana and causing her to stumble to the right.

Without giving her a chance to recover, Alyss rushed in!

*BANG!!!

A heavy punch from the left followed by an upper cut from below!

Grabbing Alana's head using both her hands, Alyss slammed her knee into her face before kicking her in the stomach.

Tagging in, Alice snapped her finger and a singularity spun to life above her palm.

Void Flux!

Firing a Void Flux, Alice frowned seeing it countered at the last second. But it wasn't any normal counter. Alana fired her own variant of the Void Flux!

However. . .

"I don't suggest you use that attack often. I got pretty lucky the first time I used it ya know? My teacher even scolded me for it." Alice grinned as Alana clenched her wrist.

The attack exploded before she could create a safe distance!

Void Step!

Appearing next to Alana, Alyss took over and tried to punch Alana in the ribs only for it to be blocked.

Dark limbs hooked around Alana's waist while she was distracted, pulling her closer as Alyss followed up with Killing arc!

*KRK!!!

Seeing her own attack being deflected by Vectors, Alyss clicked her tongue but it wasn't all bad. They were beginning to understand the timing of Alana's replication now!

Alice tagged in, landing a chop against Alana's throat then followed up with a palm strike against the ear, disorientating her momentarily.

Void Flux!

Speed and precision was the focus as the miniature Void Flux fired towards Alana's eye.

Blocking it with her palm and moving her head out of the way, Alana gritted her teeth.

"What's wrong? Calculations can't keep up?" Alice grinned.

Hooking her leg behind Alana's knee, Alice broke her stance and tagged Alyss in.

Soul Chaser!

Three slashes dug into Alana's body, tearing off both arms and landing a deep slash across her chest.

"I got you now." Alana's blood transformed into chains, whipping around Alyss.

The realm around them trembled and both of them were thrown into the Void!

Looking at the islands around her, Alyss paused before letting out a laugh.

Atop the islands were the forces of the Zenia family. Hybrids and soldiers, wearing the same collar as the ones Alana and the twins were wearing. They were waiting for her this entire time.

Only. . . They chose the wrong battlefield!

"Feris~ Don't blame me now. They're the ones who invited me to this realm!" Alice grinned.

This time, it wasn't her fault. If she makes a mess of this realm, Feris can only blame the Zenias for dragging her here!