Chapter 75: Even Saints Are Interest-Driven These Days

  "A Domain?"

  Septima nodded, then threw the darkness gathered in her hand onto a patch of grass nearby. She didn't use any technique, but when the sinister aura dispersed a moment later, only dead earth remained there. Justinian didn't imitate her in any way for a long moment.

  "Is there a problem?"

  "In a sense, yes. I have no idea how to do something similar."

  She didn't look surprised.

  "It will suffice if you use a technique that manifests the purest form of your energy."

  It didn't take long for a phantom made of energy to appear right next to her, which she began to examine. Even though indifference still reigned in her eyes, it was clear that she found it interesting. Deciding to exploit this, a moment later he dismissed the technique, immediately provoking an annoyed reaction from her.

  "I wasn't finished yet."

  "I noticed."

  She furrowed her brow as he, scratching his cheek awkwardly, looked at her with a self-interest rarely seen in him.

  "Nothing comes for free."

  "Meaning?"

  "I want your knowledge about recategorization and why Boruta sent us here in such a group."

  She thought for a moment.

  "And what do I get out of it?"

  Justinian pointed to the area around them.

  "To develop, we both need regular training and a good opponent."

  She laughed in response. The mockery present in her laughter seemed quite annoying to him. Moreover, the expression on her face clearly showed that she considered such a thought not so much absurd, as downright insulting.

  "And you consider yourself such an opponent for me?"

  Shrugging his shoulders and feeling he had mustered enough courtesy, he replied while looking her in the eyes.

  "On the moon, you weren't exactly such an opponent for me."

  Tension began to build between the two adepts, intensifying with the increasingly prolonged silence. Finally, Septima shook her head, a patronizing smile appearing on her lips.

  "So be it. You can ask your questions now, so there’s no crying later that you forgot something important because of the beating you took."

  Feeling a vein begin to pulse at his temple, he blinked a few times. The She-Devil didn't deign to spare him even a glance now, which was as ridiculous as her general attitude. Without even realizing it, he really couldn't wait for the duel.

  "What will Recategorization look like? Why isn't Boruta here, and why did that old devil send such a weak representation here compared to the rest of the dimensions?"

  Yawning slightly and deliberately stalling, his interlocutor finally presented her view on these matters.

  "We can only guess. Usually, the involved dimensions sent their armies to shattered pieces of planets to settle who is stronger there. The strongest can advance, while the weakest risk the destruction of their home hell; plus, there are the whims of the Lord of Hell."

  Now it was his turn to furrow his brow.

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  "You mean that even the winners can be destroyed if they displease him in some way?"

  She shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the universe.

  "This world belongs to him, and his strength is enough to set all the rules."

  Justinian felt a terrible, painful grip close around his heart. The situation was looking worse and worse.

  "And the representation and Boruta?"

  "I have no idea what goes on in the old Voivode's head, and I have little interest in it. However, in the case of the representation itself, you are making a certain mistake that you don't notice."

  "Meaning?"

  Septima looked him in the eyes, delivering her judgment without hesitation.

  "The current representation is exactly what the 66th dimension can afford. I would even wager that the team sent here is, in military terms, noticeably above the norm."

  A few minutes later, Justinian positioned himself a dozen meters from his opponent. Even though the news he had heard earlier was devastating, worrying about it during the fight would be counterproductive now. Therefore, waiting for the agreed signal, he tried to clear his mind of all profound troubles.

  'Her mocking gaze is very helpful with that.'

  He realized she was very strong and did not intend to underestimate her. However, that didn't mean he would pass up the chance for good training just because of her ridiculous views. The She-Devil, seeing his readiness, threw a slowly descending clump of energy created from her darkness high between them.

  The moment it touched the ground, the fight began!

  Justinian furrowed his brow, dodging an elbow strike that almost crushed his nose when his opponent materialized right next to him. He decided to parry the following fist attack to the left to launch his own strike, but Septima beat him to it, counterattacking immediately.

  The first clean blow struck his ribs on the right. She instantly attacked with a kick from the other side, which he managed to block. Not wasting time, he pushed her away, which opened a window for a clean hit to her stomach.

  She stopped him with a block, making him even more irritated. This short exchange reminded him of their first fight when the pilgrimage in the 66th dimension was beginning. Back then, she was on a completely different level than him.

  'In a sense, that's still the case.'

  They hadn't been fighting for more than two minutes, and he could already see she surpassed him in technique. Her strikes were executed perfectly, and small blocks with minimal movement conserved energy without exposing her to counters.

  'All the better; thanks to this, I'll be able to learn more.'

  Imposing an increasing pace with his attacks, he decided to test her capabilities. Changing the rhythm of his strikes every few seconds, he waited for a gap that would create a chance for a clean hit. It appeared soon enough, when her ribs on the right were exposed thanks to a makeshift assault on the other side.

  Attacking, he looked into her eyes, in which there was no fear. On the contrary, annoying mockery shone there stronger than before. Soon it turned out there was a reason for it.

  'Damn it!'

  As soon as his fist got within a dozen centimeters of the She-Devil, a small, levitating wall of misty darkness appeared there. Even though it didn't attack Justinian in any way, it stopped the incoming strike and allowed Septima another clean hit. This time it was so strong that it knocked him back!

  Gritting his teeth, he immediately reached for his saber, from which a crimson glow began to emanate. The world stopped for a moment as his energy-filled slash soared towards his opponent! She, narrowing her eyes for a moment as if not believing what she was seeing, created a huge layer of darkness in front of her with a simple hand movement.

  Justinian wondered if he hadn't overdone it, watching the slash penetrate the dark magic. It was stronger than it should be, and the problem with the saber was making itself known again. However, the effect was much different than he expected.

  'Is this some kind of joke?'

  Here was his slash, strong enough to wound a careless Foundation Establishment cultivator... yet after colliding with Septima's darkness, it turned against him!

  He didn't manage to escape before the destructive power caught up to him instantly, erupting in an explosion that shook the entire training ground!

  While the explosions radiating from Septima and Justinian's fight shook the estate, very important things were happening on one of the floors.

  Here was the She-Devil Bogna, clapping her hands and commenting on the latest poetry reading performed by the young devil Franciscus.

  "Much better than before! See, I told you to focus on what you experienced with the Grim Judge as a source of inspiration!"

  Franciscus, putting aside the sheet of poetry he had used, bowed to his listener with a serious expression in a formal-aristocratic style. Then his gaze shifted to the figure of the philo-socio-meta-physico-ecologist-ghost levitating nearby, who was staring thoughtfully at one of the windows. A prolonged look was enough to determine that he would not receive valuable feedback from him today.

  'Ever since we arrived in this dimension, he seems absent.'

  Even earlier, Franciscus had trouble understanding what this man of great education was saying to him, but now he was completely impenetrable. Deciding that it was better to leave him to his affairs, the young devil turned to Bogna.

  "Do you think the progress I've made is significant?"

  The She-Devil thought for a moment, stroking her chin with her hand. Finally, she nodded, which caused a bit more color to appear on his face. It seemed that his next conversation with his uncle might go differently than all the previous ones.

  'According to the letter he passed to me, he is in this dimension and it is likely he will meet us soon...'