Chapter 374: The Meeting

A faint smile appeared on Lilith’s face as she gave the two of them a thumbs-up.

“You can count on me to beat her up. Trust me, the only reason she caught me off guard earlier was because I… uhh… I wasn’t paying attention,” Lilith added, a hint of confusion still lingering in her tone.

Even so, Zafira merely rolled her eyes at Lilith’s act, then turned toward Anubis.

“Why are you training me so much? I’m not saying that I don’t appreciate it, but the only reason I came here was to find out more about the Colorless Goddess,” Zafira stated. “If you can’t help me, then I’ll just have to find another way.”

Anubis shook her head. “I told you I can help you, and I’m working on it. I’ve heard about the Colorless Goddess multiple times, you could even say we’re great friends.”

And yet… the only thing you’ve been doing for the past few days has been giving me chores! Zafira protested inwardly.

After all, Anubis had been mostly sleeping instead of doing anything, so Zafira had lost pretty much all hope.

If anything, she just wanted to go back home and fix some stuff in Celestara.

The travelers had been very lively, so it would be wise to exploit them for all the money they had. It wasn’t like they would run away from the city. If anything, they might even like it more.

“…?” Zafira tilted her head at her own thought process before setting it aside and glancing at Lilith.

“So what, are we supposed to just spar now?” Zafira asked.

Anubis nodded from the side. “Light sparring, just minor combat practice. No actual strong hits, understood?”

Before Zafira could even finish her nod, Lilith dashed forward, her fist outstretched.

Zafira ducked under the fist and sent an elbow right to Lilith’s jaw.

To her surprise, Lilith absorbed the elbow effortlessly, and by bringing down her own elbow, she managed to hit Zafira right in the shoulder, momentarily dislocating it.

“For a knight turned queen, you sure have some serious combat awareness,” Lilith remarked with a whistle. “But that’s about it. If we fight, then my stamina is going to triumph over yours any day of the week. Or, I could just end it early by knocking you out here and now.”

Zafira’s brows twitched. “You’re really confident. I don’t like you.”

“I don’t like you either,” Lilith replied plainly. “I remember doing my research on you, and what did I find? Nothing interesting. Your parents are plain, and your background is even plainer.”

Before she could utter another word, Zafira appeared in front of her and struck her right across the face.

Or so she thought, but that was when Lilith’s body suddenly dematerialized, and moments later, she reappeared a few meters away.

“Had we fought a week ago, you might’ve stood a chance,” Lilith muttered, her gaze darkening.

At the same time, Zafira’s hands began to slightly tremble, and once she turned to the side, her eyes widened.

<You’ve been inflicted with Fear!>

<Ding!>

<Special Type of Fear detected!>

<Effects: ???>

Zafira brought her gaze back to Lilith, but she was already gone.

And yet, a sharp pain soon shot throughout Zafira’s body, causing her to momentarily stagger backward.

She pulled out her sword and swung in an arc, trying to strike where she thought Lilith might be.

But it was to no avail, as no matter how much she swung or how much aura she used, it felt like Lilith was just not there. However, the constant damage was more than enough of an indicator that she was nearby.

Like that, several minutes passed in a flurry of slashes, missed attacks, and taking damage. Eventually, Zafira’s right wrist snapped, causing her sword to fall out of her grasp.

In the next instant, Lilith finally reappeared, then grabbed Zafira by the chin and smiled victoriously.

But that was when Zafira’s eyes turned silver, causing the space around her to turn colorless.

Lilith’s hand snapped, and just as it seemed her neck might twist the wrong way, Anubis stepped in and tapped Zafira on the forehead, then pushed Lilith aside, effectively stopping the fight.

“Now that’s a catfight,” Anubis remarked. “Both of you broke the rules, and for that, I shall punish you.”

A giant smirk appeared on her face as she waved her hand, then muttered a single word.

“Sleep~”

Just like that, Zafira’s consciousness faded, and so did Lilith’s.

.

.

.

Zafira shot awake, sweat pouring down her forehead as she frantically looked around.

She spotted Lilith sleeping on the bed directly in front of her. Without wasting much time, she stood up and ran back toward where Anubis was.

But when she arrived, her eyes widened.

Anubis was playing with the space in front of her, twisting it relentlessly until eventually, a figure stepped through.

She wore a stoic expression and walked elegantly toward Anubis.

One of her eyes was silver, the other a bright blue. Her knee-length black hair was neatly kept, and the tiny black wand she had strapped to her waist was basically the only normal thing about her.

But that was when the wand suddenly moved on its own and morphed itself into a tiny black cat that strode over to Anubis and, with a purr, rubbed itself against her leg.

“Awhh… little Cerberus, aren’t you a cutie~?” Anubis said with a wide smile, then picked up the cat and began rubbing its belly.

Unsurprisingly, the cat attacked Anubis, causing her to run away while holding the cat, leaving just the stoic woman and Zafira behind.

Her eyes seemed hollow, but once she turned to the side and spotted Zafira, a look of amusement appeared on her face.

She took a few slow steps forward, her hair shortening until eventually, it was the length of Zafira’s hair.

Zafira’s expression hardened as she met the woman’s gaze. Then she spoke.

“Are you…?”

“My name is Jane Venn,” the woman introduced herself with a barely noticeable smile.

“But you may call me the Colorless Goddess.”

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