Chapter 1003 1003: Unexpected Step
Talia loosened her grip, letting her sword fall. She let her right hand remain in Lucifer's grasp while grabbing the falling sword with her left hand. She swung the sword toward the last person.
Lucifer was slightly surprised by her quick thinking. She didn't try to use her strength to push forward. Instead, he took advantage of something else. Her sword attacked once more, aiming for the last person.
As soon as Talia released her sword, Lucifer had guessed what she was planning. The conversation was just to distract him.
He reached just as quickly, freeing Talia's right wrist. Seizing the opportunity, he skillfully utilized the wind, executing a powerful swing with his right foot. The forceful impact landed on Talia's stomach, propelling her several feet backwards. The Sacrificial Sword fell from Talia's hand.
Lucifer caught the sword, not letting it even though the last human. At this moment, everything was clear. His identity was exposed and it was more important than anything to spoil this sacrifice.
Talia gained her balance, her expressions grim as she missed another opportunity to handle this matter without having to fight.
"You don't realize what you're dealing with. Hand over the sword while I'm still asking nicely." Talia reached out her hand, asking for the Sword.
Her behavior was something that Lucifer found very strange. From what he heard, Talia was the strongest person in the Star Alliance. He also felt that she was very strong.
Despite her strength, she didn't even attempt to fight him, trying out methods to kill the last person while avoiding a battle. If it was him, he would've fought the moment he was blocked, but she used a sneaky trick to avoid a fight.
He was unclear just why she was avoiding a fight? Did it have something to do with the Sacrifice? Or was it something else? In any case, he found it interesting.
"Don't stop her! I want to die!"
The last remaining human in the shackles had fully expected to be killed and freed from this hell, only to be obstructed by Lucifer. He felt hostility towards Lucifer, instead of gratitude.
Lucifer didn't care what the man felt. In his life, he had seen many people hate him, so it was ordinary. Instead, his mind remained focused on Talia and her strange actions.
There were also more questions he had. If the condition to get the inheritance was to kill the five humans, then what if she failed to kill the five because the fifth was killed by him?
He was certain that freeing the man was impossible after all. The man's soul was connected to the shackles. The moment those shackles were broken to free him, he was going to die.
"And what if I don't?" Lucifer asked in return, as he placed the sword on the man's throat, revealing his intentions to kill the man himself.
As he did so, he noticed the expressions of Talia. There was no worry on her face. Instead, that was some eagerness, as if she wanted him to kill the man.
"I see. So the inheritance will appear as long as the five men are killed, no matter who kills them. And if I'm not wrong, it won't be good for me if that inheritance appears."
"Inheritance?" The woman asked, sarcastically. "The inheritance isn't something you can stop from appearing. The moment I stepped on this platform and killed the first person, everything was set in motion."
"Nothing you do can stop it! Even if you kill that person, nothing will change. And even if you let him live, it'll still stay the same. Since the others are killed, he'll die on his own in less than two days. At most, it'll cause a delay of two days, but the outcome still remains the same."
She still reached out her hand. "But if you hand over the Sword and let me finish it sooner, I might be able to let you live, granted you become a prisoner."
Lucifer wasn't sure what to believe and what not to believe. He had no knowledge about this place or what the test actually was. But he could certainly feel the man's life force slowly decreasing. It was clear that he was dying. Even if he did nothing, the man was going to die soon.
Still, he had one big question. If Talia already had everything in her control, then why was she asking for the sword? She had waited for centuries. For someone like that, two days were nothing. They why? Why did she want the Sword back?
More than wanting the Sword back, he felt as if she wanted the sword to not stay in his hand. As if she was worried about something quite different. Why was she scared about him having this sword?
Was she worried that he was going to use it against her? That didn't feel right either. He could fight her with his own sword. This Sword made no real change.
He thought about the possibilities, only to think of something that he hadn't considered before. There was one method to stop the inheritance.
His eyes glanced at the Statue in the distance. The Sword in his hand was made from the similar matter as the statue, and seemed to carry a similar power.
Another thing he just noticed was that his body wasn't feeling the same burning sensation as soon as he held the Sacrificial Sword.
Talia's expressions were distorted as she saw the direction Lucifer was looking at. This time, she couldn't stay as calm as before.
She ran toward Lucifer, appearing right before him to block him. Unfortunately for her, Lucifer could also teleport. The moment Talia appeared before him, he was confined to his choice.
In an instant, he vanished, reappearing just above the mysterious statue. Summoning all his strength, he forcefully thrust the sword downward.
The entire mysterious realm trembled as the Sword pierced through the statue. A blinding light erupted from the impact, engulfing Lucifer in its radiant glow.