The moment the manor collapsed, both women shot out from the debris almost instantly.
A violent shockwave spread across the area as green and crimson light clashed above the ruined remains of the building. Broken pillars and chunks of stone were thrown into the air before crashing back down around them.
Three remained protected beneath a layer of emerald energy deep within the wreckage while Khate stood several meters away from Rhea, her green armor shining through the smoke and dust spreading across the ruined courtyard.
Pieces of shattered stone continued falling around them as cracks spread further through the ground beneath their feet.
Rhea slowly dusted off her shoulder before glancing toward the destroyed manor behind her.
"What a temper," she said with a soft chuckle. "You always break things whenever you become emotional."
Khate did not answer her.
Her gaze remained fixed on Rhea alone as emerald light intensified around her armor.
In the next moment, she disappeared from her position.
Bang.
Rhea barely managed to raise her whip before Khate's staff came crashing down violently. The impact shattered the ground beneath them and sent broken debris flying outward.
Before Rhea could retreat fully, several green tendrils burst from underground and wrapped tightly around her legs.
Khate raised one hand coldly, causing the tendrils to begin draining vitality from Rhea's body immediately.
Rhea's expression shifted slightly before a smile slowly returned to her face.
The two men standing nearby suddenly trembled violently as streams of blood flowed out from beneath their skin and rushed toward Rhea.
The vitality Khate had just taken was restored almost instantly.
Blood gathered around Rhea's arm before forming a long crimson spear.
Cling.
The blood spear collided against Khate's staff as both women were pushed apart once more.
Khate frowned slightly.
"You brought them here as blood reserves."
Rhea twirled the spear lazily while wiping blood from the corner of her lips.
"You heal through life while I survive through blood. We are not very different from each other."
Khate rushed forward again without wasting another word.
This time, her attacks became far more violent than before.
Her staff swept across the battlefield repeatedly as bursts of emerald light exploded around every strike. Rhea retreated rapidly through the collapsing ruins while forming different blood weapons to block the attacks.
Spears formed.
Then blades.
Bloody chains formed lastly, each of them as thick as a tree.
Every shattered construct simply reformed again through the blood continuously flowing out from the two pale men nearby.
Boom.
Khate's staff finally struck Rhea directly across the shoulder and sent her crashing through several broken walls.
Before Rhea could recover, dozens of emerald roots erupted upward from the shattered ground and wrapped around her body violently.
The roots tightened immediately, causing several cracking sounds to echo outward.
Rhea coughed blood heavily as green light spread through her wounds, trying to overload her vitality from within.
Khate finally spoke.
"You talk too much."
Rhea lowered her head briefly before laughing softly.
Even while restrained by the roots, she continued laughing as blood trickled down her chin.
"You really think this is enough to stop me?"
Blood suddenly exploded outward from her body, corroding the emerald roots instantly.
Rhea stepped out slowly while wiping the blood from her lips.
Khate quickly noticed that the shattered bones were already healing.
The blood flowing from the two men had become thinner now, and their faces were growing increasingly pale, yet Rhea showed no concern toward their condition.
"To think the great Khate Veyne would truly become a loyal dog for the Starborns," Rhea mocked while forming another blood spear. "Your family must still regret letting you leave."
Khate's expression remained cold, but her attacks became increasingly heavy and violent. Every collision caused the ruined battlefield around them to collapse further as shattered debris continued raining down from the remains of the manor.
Rhea narrowly dodged another strike before whipping several crimson chains toward Khate's body.
Khate shattered most of them immediately, but one chain still managed to wrap briefly around her arm.
Rhea's smile widened coldly.
The chain pulsed once.
Khate immediately felt blood being pulled from her body, causing her movements to slow slightly.
The difference was small, but Rhea still noticed it immediately.
"Oh?" Rhea's eyes narrowed with amusement. "So the Dusk Bead is finally settling in."
Khate tore the chain apart instantly before retreating several steps across the cracked battlefield.
A faint cough escaped her lips as blood dripped slowly from the corner of her mouth.
The green light surrounding her body moved instinctively to heal the damage, but this time the healing process slowed noticeably.
Rhea noticed it clearly, and the smile on her face widened further.
"There it is."
Khate ignored her words completely and rushed forward once more.
Her staff descended heavily like a falling pillar.
Rhea immediately formed three blood shields layered together in front of herself.
Boom.
The shields shattered instantly, but the brief delay was enough.
A sharp blood blade pierced directly through Khate's side.
Khate's body trembled slightly from the impact.
For the first time since the battle began, her wound failed to heal immediately.
Rhea stared directly at the injury before laughing softly.
"You can feel it now, can't you?"
Khate stepped backward silently while pressing one hand against the wound on her side.
The green light around her armor flickered briefly before stabilizing once more, though noticeably weaker than before.
Rhea's smile slowly deepened.
"The pill is consuming your vitality faster than you can restore it," she said mockingly. "Every time you heal yourself, it only feeds deeper into your body."
Khate's breathing gradually became heavier.
The damage caused by the Dusk Bead was spreading much faster than she expected. If this continued for much longer, her healing abilities might collapse completely.
Rhea slowly walked forward while dragging the blood whip across the ruined ground behind her.
"You know what disappoints me most?" she asked calmly. "You abandoned greatness for this clan."
Her eyes gradually turned colder.
"And now you are dying with them."
Khate suddenly raised her head.
Emerald light burst outward from her body once again, forcing nearby debris and broken stone away from her position.
Despite the blood dripping from her lips, her eyes remained frighteningly steady.
"You speak as if you have already won."
The ground exploded beneath her feet as Khate disappeared instantly.