I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space

Chapter 382: Selena And Celestia

Maria’s mind raced so quickly it felt as if her thoughts were tearing over one another.

If this escalated even a fraction further, it would no longer be a clash of tempers. It would become political catastrophy.. The imperial capital was already strained by rifts and monsters. The last thing it needed was a public confrontation between the empire’s saintess, its princess, and an unknown but clearly powerful foreign figure.

Sofia, meanwhile, did not retreat from what she had said.

She stood with her chin slightly raised, blue hair stirring in the charged air, eyes locked on the girl floating above.

”You heard me,” she repeated flatly.

There was no laughter no teasing. Just clear and straight intentions.

The atmosphere thickened again, pressure pressing down from multiple directions at once.

Above them, the platinum aura surrounding the floating girl brightened, sharpening along its edges like a blade catching light.

”And who exactly,” she asked slowly, narrowing her eyes, ”are you?”

Her voice carried pride without shouting. Authority without strain.

She did not descend or strike her yet as still busy studying her. Even though the unfamiliar woman below her was offensive rude, openly hostile, and speaking with a vulgar disregard unbecoming in the presence of imperial blood. And still Celestia did not immediately move against her.

Because even though she could not sense any magic or aura from this woman, she was definitely not simple.

First, her beauty. Second, her dress which clearly was made from extremely expensive materials. Then the light jewelry she wore, subtle yet unmistakably exquisite. Even her gaze was different. And the way she stood the absolute, almost unrealistic confidence in her posture alone made it clear she was not someone to be trifled with.

And there was more.

She was facing Selena.

She saw Selena radiated a strong, oppressive holy aura and an overwhelming amount of mana when she came her.. As also saw how this woman stood before her as if she were facing someone equal if not inferior. The confidence in her eyes did not waver.

Not to say..

Celestia’s eyes flicked briefly toward the surrounding destruction. Rubble scattered. Walls broken. Selena’s clothes slightly dust-streaked.

And this blue-haired woman?

Immaculate.

Not a thread displaced.

Celestia knew Selena’s strength personally. She knew the saintess was not easily pressured, not easily forced back. If there had already been a clash and there clearly had been then this stranger had endured it without visible damage.

That meant..

She was strong.

And she was not ordinary.. And definitely have a big background simce it was obvious just by these small observations.

Celestia searched her memory for recognition. Noble houses. Foreign dignitaries. Bloodlines known for monstrous physical power or anything..

But.. Nothing.

No matter how much Celestia tried to recognize her, she could not.

That was precisely why, despite the offensive remarks directed at her, she remained calm as she simply observed.

It was not that she could not attack. Nor that she was afraid.

Celestia considered herself superior and she was deeply aware of her own strength so she had no doubt that, in a full confrontation, she would stand victorious.

And as for background?

She did not care.

Because whatever it might be, she was certain it would not matter to her

So why was she still assessing instead of striking?

Because obiously rulers do not move blindly.

And she who would become Empress of the strongest empire must act like one.

Rulers did not act without assessment. They did not move without understanding the consequences of each action beforehand.

And there was another reason.

Her mother.

Celestia wanted her recognition. Her acknowledgment. Her approval. And she knew she would not earn it by simply beating or bullying others. She would earn it by thinking. By evaluating. By choosing her moves carefully.

So she remained still, calmly analyzing the situation, extracting as much information as possible exactly as a future ruler should.

While below, Sofia returned her gaze without lowering her own.

”You don’t need to know who I am,” Sofia said, her tone sharp and unfiltered. ”Or what I am.”

”Because the only thing you need to know right now is that I’m going to show you both bitches your place.”

The words cut through the air like a drawn blade.

”For what you did to Razeal.”

Her hostility was not subtle. It did not hide behind diplomacy or coded insult. It was direct. Personal.

Sofia stared directly into Celestia’s eyes as Celestia assessed her in return, trying to handle the situation in the best possible way. Sofia, on the other hand, was completely direct about it openly hostile, showing that she did not care about anything whatsoever.

She made it clear she had come for blood and nothing else.

And yet, for some reason she also did not attacked the woman directly.

Not yet atleast.

And... At such a hostile reply

Celestia did not.. blink or said anything but something in her gaze did died.

The warmth that accompanied royal courtesy, the faint edge of restrained diplomacy it all vanished. What remained was colder and calculating now.

Because she was now certain that this woman was here for nothing but trouble

So she said no more or ask her again. There was no value in exchanging more words with someone who had already declared her intent to decapitate royalty and offer their heads as gifts.

So Instead, she moved. As with a dead and unreadable gaze, she directly floated toward Selena.

The woman was clearly not going to provide any information. So Celestia moved toward the only person who might know what was happening. Selena had been the one attacked. She would have some idea who this woman was, why she was targeting her, what her problem was, why she was so vicious... and why she was so intent on taking their head’s.

Celestia was certain she had never had any enmity with this woman. In fact, this was the first time she had ever seen her.

The only thing that lingered in her mind was the mention of Razeal’s name. That had given her a faint suspicion could this woman have come for revenge for Razeal? But even that didn’t feel believable. Why would some random woman go this far for him? Celestia had never seen her around Razeal. And who would even believe Razeal enough to seek vengeance on his behalf?

So the questions only deepened her curiosity. Still, there was no point wasting time on someone who clearly wouldn’t speak. But again she needed answers now.

Also as she floated toward Selena, her platinum aura slowly retracted back into her body. It was no longer oppressive or authoritative. She pulled it in completely, leaving only a faint shimmer around her form. Even so, she remained majestically beautiful her long platinum hair flowing gently behind her, grace radiating from her presence as though it were second nature.

While moving, she also raised a single hand, signaling the gathered guards and onlookers who had already formed a cautious perimeter after hearing the commotion to stay back.They obeyed without question. Even stronger figures were beginning to gather at a distance, but none dared step closer.

Celestia finally descended lightly to the ground beside Selena.

Her boots touching the cracked stone without sound.

Selena, however, seemed lost distant still processing the words the woman had spoken.

A wedding gift to Razeal?

Celestia reached out and shook her by the arm, pulling her from her daze.

Selena blinked.

”What’s going on here?” she demanded quietly. ”Who is that woman?”

Her voice lowered further, almost a whisper at the end.

”And where the hell were you for the last two months? I tried to find you. I tried to sense your location, but I couldn’t. Where the fuck did you go? Don’t tell me you actually did what you said you were going to do...”

Worry threaded through her final words despite her effort to hide it. The last time she had seen Selena, she had been planning to tell the truth to the Virelans. After that, she had vanished completely. Celestia hadn’t been able to sense her at all. That failure had left her in a constant, simmering bad mood ever since.

Now, when they finally met again, this was the situation.

Still, seeing Selena standing here free brought her a quiet relief. At least she wasn’t locked away in some Virelan dungeon. Celestia would never show that relief openly as her pride and noble bearing, would never allow it.

”I don’t know,” Selena though replied sharply, irritation heavy in her tone. ”She attacked me out of nowhere when I was going to meet Razeal.”

As she spoke, she pulled her exploding holy aura back inside her body too.. though a thin layer still surrounded her, ready to strike at any moment. Her deep frown didn’t fade. She remained tense, prepared to attack the woman again if necessary.

”What?” The word slipped out of Celestia before she could stop it.

”Razeal is here? Where?”

Her composure cracked slightly..not visibly to the crowd, but enough that Selena, standing this close, felt it. Celestia frowned even more. Instinctively, she expanded her mana senses, trying to locate him somewhere within the capital

At the same time, she spoke, attempting to keep her voice calm though a faint quiver betrayed her.

She still remembered the embarrassment he had gifted her in front of her mother. Taking advantage of her guilt and emotions, he had outsmarted her and used her, making her look like a fool before the Empress. Not only that, she had been forced to hear her own mother suggest that perhaps he would be a better ruler for the empire’s throne than she would just because she had fallen for a simple, stupid trick.

Those words had struck harder than any blade.

Because of that, she hadn’t been able to sleep for two straight days. She had been constantly agitated, desperate to regain the respect she felt she had lost. She had thrown herself into training and deep thinking just determined to reclaim what she had lost.

Respect.

Position.

Authority.

And now

He was back?

So, obviously, this reaction of hers...

The thought clearly made something hot and sour coil in her stomach.

But Selena paid little attention to Celestia’s inner turmoil. She simply continued what was on her mind directly..

She looked at Celestia intensely, lowering her voice, her gaze flicking toward Sofia from the corner of her eye.

”Did you hear what she said?” Selena demanded in a low voice, her tone taut. ”She said ’wedding gift’ for Razeal.”

Her eyes flicked sideways toward Sofia again, sharp and searching.

”What did she mean by that?”

Celestia was pulled abruptly from her thoughts.

”What?” Celestia was cut off mid-thought. She had been clenching her fists without realizing it. ”Did she? I didn’t pay attention. I only heard how rudely and offensively she was speaking to me,” she replied contemplatively.

But when she met Selena’s eyes, she paused.

But then she looked at Selena properly.

Really looked.

The intensity in her eyes.

The tremor in her breath.

The faint instability beginning to ripple through her holy aura.

Understanding dawned.

”No... you aren’t thinking that. That’s impossible,” Celestia said suddenly, as if she could read Selena’s thoughts directly. Yet, for some reason, a bitter taste also filled her mouth at the mere suggestion.

”Yes, I AM thinking that.. Because she literally said it. Did you not hear that? And it also makes sense why she attacked me. I’m telling you, she came here for revenge. Look, she just pointed at both of us. ”

The air around her began to pulse unevenly, holy mana responding directly to her emotional instability. Pebbles trembled. Loose debris lifted an inch off the ground before dropping again.

”Razeal must have told her,” Selena continued, the logic forming in real time as panic fed it. ”He told her what happened. She came here for revenge.”

”Hey, hey... no. Calm down. This isn’t it. There’s no way he’s married and even if he were, who would believe him enough to attack us for it? You’re overthinking. You’re creating a situation in your head and misreading everything. Alsoooo keep your dammmm voice down there are people around. Calm down. This isn’t what you think it is. I don’t believe that.”

Celestia tried to steady her, even as her own blood pressure rose at the thought. She didn’t even know why the idea unsettled her so deeply. The notion that Razeal had married someone was absurd to her.

And even if someone did found the truth? Beleived it? Fine to marry him? Would he marry her? No thats Impossible. He wasn’t even of proper age. And she was certain he hadn’t moved on from her anyw

She believed he had been hurt by what happened.

Well... she had been hurt too. She had loved him afterall. She truly had. But she had been forced to make a hard decision for both their sakes because of his weakness in strength.

But what Selena was suggesting? No. That couldn’t have happened.

Still, Celestia continued trying to calm her down, because Selena looked on the verge of a full panic attack her breathing uneven, her thoughts spiraling out of control, all because of the conclusions she had drawn in her own mind.

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