Mighty Attack

Valentino was a man with a thick skin but a narrow mind. Outwardly, he appeared refined and always wore a smile, but in truth, he was a master of deceit, a snake hiding behind a mask of kindness.

In the Heavenly Demon Clan, no one's hands were clean of blood, and no one could truly be called honest. Dealing with those who openly show their brutality is often easier, but people like Valentino, who conceal their viciousness behind a facade of charm, were the hardest to handle.

Lilith knew well what kind of man Valentino was, which is why she had always reacted to his obsessive advances with strong disdain. Were it not for the fact that the higher-ups of the faction had assigned her under his leadership, she would never have stayed by his side for even a second.

"Valentino, I'm here for one reason only. This is Aizen. He helped me a great deal in the past, and I've been protecting him ever since. Now that he's ascended to a black-clad disciple, he intends to join our faction."

Lilith spoke to Valentino without any courtesy, causing the two attendants by his side to frown slightly.

"Oh, this? It's a small matter. Since you've asked, Lilith, I'll gladly open the doors for him."

Valentino glanced at Aizen briefly, then smiled at Lilith, eager to impress her. His relentless pursuit of Lilith wasn't just due to her beauty. It was because she was strong, intelligent, and ambitious. A woman like her, as a partner, would be the perfect ally to help him climb higher in the fierce competition of the Heavenly Demon Clan.

As for love or emotions, those were meaningless to Valentino. His pursuit of Lilith was driven solely by self-interest.

"You said that, didn't you?"

Lilith looked at him with a sly expression, while Aizen stood quietly by her side, smiling, knowing that the critical moment was coming.

"Yes, it's a small matter. I said it. Why? Is there a problem?"

Valentino furrowed his brows slightly, looking at Aizen. He wasn't a fool. Lilith's tone and expression had clearly raised some suspicion, but he had already agreed, and backing out now would be difficult.

"Do you remember Leo?" Lilith asked, instead of answering.

"Why mention that fool?" Valentino grumbled, displeased.

"Because Leo has a cousin named Steward Edric, who was part of our faction... but Steward Edric is dead now."

Lilith smiled mischievously.

"Dead?" Valentino's eyes widened, and he immediately turned to look at Aizen, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp.

"You killed him?"

This time, Valentino almost shouted the question. His two attendants turned their attention fully to Aizen, their combined killing intent making Aizen feel a prickle on his skin, like needles piercing his back.

Valentino was quick to change his attitude. Still, Aizen was surprised to sense that both of Valentino's attendants had also practiced internal sorcery. The three of them together exuded an intimidating aura, enough to trigger Aizen's inner Aura to stir within his core.

Suppressing the surge of power within his core, Aizen's expression only faltered for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. He met Valentino's gaze and nodded, calmly admitting the truth.

"Yes, I killed Steward Edric, which is why I want to join your faction—to seek your protection."

"You killed one of our own, and now you want to join us?"

Valentino laughed bitterly, then turned his scornful gaze to Lilith. "Is that why you came to me? You must be mistaken. Even if I dislike Leo, this is an internal matter. But now that this man has killed someone from our faction, he is an outsider, an enemy. No matter how much I loathe Leo, I have to capture this man and hand him over. That's the rule of the faction."

With those words, Valentino waved his hand, his eyes cold as he glared at Aizen. "Take him."

Immediately, both attendants lunged toward Aizen with force. Both of them had mastered sorcery arts, and their hands were thick with calluses from practicing deadly hand techniques.

"Stop!"

Lilith snapped coldly, and with a flick of her arms, several sharp metal blades shot out toward the attendants, aiming directly at them.

The two were startled but reacted quickly. Although they weren't as strong as Lilith, they had enough skill to defend themselves. They pulled back, slashing their palms through the air, producing a sharp, whistling sound with their strength.

Thwack! Thwack!

The blades were deflected by their hands, which were tough as old bark, but not without pain. Shallow wounds appeared on their hands, and blood seeped out.

Their hands had been infused with internal Aura , which had prevented the wounds from being deeper.

"How dare you!"

Valentino roared in anger.

His pursuit of Lilith was out of self-interest, not genuine affection. Now, seeing this mad side of her again made him furious. His attendants had been injured, and he couldn't simply let it slide. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"I've been daring for a long time," Lilith retorted fearlessly. She unleashed another barrage of blades, this time aimed directly at Valentino, showing no sign of backing down.

She had grown used to protecting Aizen, so much so that she acted on instinct, forgetting that Aizen might not be weaker than her anymore. She instinctively took the lead in defending him.

With a roar, Valentino surged forward instead of retreating. Suddenly, a flash of white light illuminated the hall, as if a sword of brilliance had struck out of nowhere, its presence stunning and beautiful.

The sword rang out!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of rapid clashes filled the hall. Every one of Lilith's blades was deflected by Valentino's sword, and she had to leap back to avoid being hit by the powerful strike.

Her agility was impressive, far superior to Aizen's.

But Valentino wasn't targeting her. With one swift move, he redirected the force of his strike toward Aizen, the sword's light gleaming like a serpent's fang, striking with deadly precision.

The silver glow of the blade was dazzling, carrying a lethal intent aimed directly at Aizen's vital points.

Valentino had been hiding his malice behind a smile, and now, with this strike, he intended to kill.

Aizen had no choice but to face the attack head-on, as there was no time to dodge. With Lilith forced back, his only option was to meet the sword with his own strength.