Chapter 83 : First technique

In an instant—Arthur could see it.

The spells.

Their structure.

Their inner framework.

Lines of energy.

Nodes of power.

The way mana twisted and compressed—

All of it became visible in his vision.

He could see how the lightning spell was formed—

How the gravity field was constructed—

Where the binding chains were anchored.

Everything was like watching complex diagrams laid bare in front of him.

He took a breath.

One word left his lips.

"Nullify."

The world seemed to shudder for a moment.

The structure of the lightning spell—

Broke.

The arcs of electricity flickered—

Then shattered into harmless sparks.

The gravity sphere rippled like disturbed water—

Then collapsed in on itself—

And vanished.

The chains of light shot toward him—

But their lines fractured before they reached his legs.

They dissolved into fragments of fading light.

Vamina’s eyes widened.

"Impossible..." she whispered.

But she didn’t stop.

Her panic only made her move faster.

"Roar! Tear! Crush!" she yelled.

Multiple magic circles formed around her.

Lightning.

Wind blades.

Compressed air blasts.

Summoned beasts rushed forward, following her commands.

Even after witnessing her spells being broken—

She continued the bombardment.

Refusing to back down.

Refusing to accept—

That someone could just dismantle her magic in front of her eyes.

Meanwhile...

Sakura pulled the bowstring back to its limit.

The red energy around the arrow twisted, compressing into a tight, violent glow.

Then—

She released it.

The arrow shot forward toward Julia at near-supersonic speed.

It tore through the air, leaving a crimson streak behind it.

Julia leaned to the side.

The first arrow whistled past her face—

And crashed into the wall behind her.

Boom.

Stone shattered.

A massive hole appeared where the arrow struck, debris raining down in a violent burst.

Julia didn’t stop.

She kept moving, closing the distance between them step by step.

Sakura drew another arrow.

Released it.

The second one flew just as fast.

Julia lowered her body and slid under it, feeling the heat of the energy pass over her head.

It struck another wall.

Boom.

Another deep crater formed.

The third arrow followed a heartbeat later.

Julia twisted her body, narrowly stepping aside as it brushed past her shoulder.

Boom.

This time, the floor cracked, fragments of marble splintering outward.

Three arrows.

Three explosions.

Julia was getting closer.

’Just a bit more,’ she thought.

Sakura’s gaze sharpened.

She drew the string again.

The fourth arrow formed, drenched in red energy.

Julia’s confidence rose.

’I can dodge this one too.’

The arrow fired.

It came straight at her.

Julia moved to the side with practiced ease—

But this time—

Something astonishing happened.

At the last second—

The arrow’s trajectory changed.

As if it bent mid-flight.

It curved slightly and tore through Julia’s right arm.

A sharp pain exploded through her limb.

Then the arrow detonated.

Boom.

Dust and smoke swallowed half the hall.

The shockwave pushed Julia back a step.

When the dust finally began to clear—

Julia stood there, breathing hard.

Her right arm was covered in blood, the sleeve torn and burnt.

She clenched her teeth, forcing her breathing to slow.

The bleeding gradually slowed as she tightened her muscles and controlled the flow.

She winced in pain.

"Fuck... that future-seeing ability really is annoying," she muttered. "Her attacks are coming with almost pinpoint accuracy... no matter how good I am at dodging those arrows."

Across from her—

Sakura’s eyes lit up.

A sharp smile formed on her lips.

"Got her," she said.

In the next second—

She drew her bow again.

Multiple arrows formed at once, each wrapped in that same sinister red energy.

One after another—

She released them.

They shot toward Julia in rapid succession.

Julia didn’t hesitate.

She pushed off the ground and ran straight at Sakura again.

The air around her shifted.

Her eyes calmed.

Her footsteps—

Became quieter.

She took a deep breath.

Then spoke under her breath.

"Valmont family... Infinite Void Art: First Technique..."

Her aura contracted.

"Zero State."

In an instant—

Her presence almost vanished.

Her killing intent faded.

Her breathing stilled.

Her aura disappeared completely.

To Sakura—

It was as if Julia had dissolved into the surroundings.

No intent.

No presence.

Nothing.

As if she had become invisible to instinct itself.

Sakura’s eyes widened.

Her gaze darted around.

"Where are you, you cowardly bitch?!" she shouted.

Her voice echoed through the hall.

But there was no answer.

No sound of footsteps.

No hint of movement.

Then—

In the very next second—

A fist slammed into her chest.

Julia’s punch landed cleanly.

Even though Sakura saw a flicker of movement just before impact—

Even though her future sight showed her the strike—

Her body—

Could not fully react in time.

Crack.

Most of her ribs shattered under the force.

The air was knocked out of her lungs as she flew backward.

She crashed into the ground.

The impact made the floor crack beneath her, spiderweb fractures spreading outward where her body landed.

"Kh...!"

She coughed violently—

Blood spilling from her lips.

Arthur watched from a distance, his eyes narrowing with interest.

"Wow," he said. "Now that’s the Julia I know... you can’t take her down just by injuring her."

Vamina’s eyes widened.

"Sakura!" she yelled.

She raised her wand and instantly cast a spell.

A magic circle appeared beneath Sakura—

And her body vanished in a flash of light.

She reappeared right beside Vamina, who immediately began casting another spell, healing energy gathering at the tip of her wand.

But—

A familiar voice echoed coldly through the hall.

"Nullify."

The healing spell shattered before it could take form.

The light around Sakura’s body flickered—

Then broke apart like glass.

Vamina stared in disbelief.

Arthur was already running toward them.

The small dragon roared and moved to block his path, fire burning in its throat once more.

At the same time, Boby sent several of his shadows rushing forward, dark figures lunging at Arthur to stop him.

Arthur’s expression didn’t change.

He lowered his stance slightly.

The air around him shifted.

His muscles tightened.

His breath slowed for a brief second.

Then he moved.

"Celestial Dragon Style... First Fo—... Fuck it, it sounds so cringy."

Arthur immediately switched to Iron Breathing, pulling all his qi inward while the surrounding mana gathered under his control.

His Infinite Harmony Constitution aligned both forces perfectly, allowing them to amplify each other instead of clashing, which amplified his strength to the maximum—generating even more power than it should have.

The energy compressed into a single point, dense and focused, until nothing was wasted.

In one precise motion, he released it—

Delivering all his strength at once in a clean, concentrated strike meant to break through anything in its path.

"ONE POINT COLLAPSE."

All of his body’s strength concentrated into a single point.

His arm shot forward, his fist crashing into the dragon’s head.

The impact resounded like a thunderclap.

Boom.

The dragon’s eyes rolled back as its body was lifted from the ground and sent crashing down.

It hit the floor—

And didn’t move again.

Unconscious.

Vamina couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Her mouth parted slightly.

Even her beasts—

Flinched.

On the ground, Sakura forced herself to breathe steadily through the pain.

A small, strained smile tugged at her lips.

With a muffled voice, she spoke.

"Now’s... the chance," she said."The Null Realm... let’s take it there."

Vamina’s eyes sharpened.

She nodded once.

Without hesitation, she began chanting another spell.

Magic surged through the hall.

The air pressure changed abruptly.

A strange vibration spread across the grand hall, sending ripples through the air.

Even the ground trembled slightly.

Shockwaves spread outward from Vamina as complex magic circles began layering over each other, forming an intricate pattern that started swallowing the entire space.

Even Arthur’s expression shifted.

His eyes narrowed.

"...What now?" he muttered, genuinely surprised by the sudden, overwhelming distortion in the air.