Supreme Magus novel Chapter 2289

Phloria followed her own advice, pushing forward into close-quarter combat instead of keeping the distance that would give Quylla the advantage.

"Back at the academy, you were so afraid of making your move on Lith that I beat you to the punch despite you had three months over me. Then, you were so desperate for love that you accepted the slave ring like an idiot and killed Yurial!"

Her blade moved in a seamless stream of lunges that turned into backhand and overhand slashes with but a flick of the wrist. Between the real Phloria telegraphing her moves, Quylla's superior core, and Bloodbind's great area of effect, no attack reached its mark.

Yet Phloria's words cut deep, making Quylla stagger.

"You killed one of your best friends, our friend, because you were weak. Even after I accepted you parasites in my home because your parents abandoned you like dogs, you dared stab my mother in the heart!" With each word, the violence of her attacks increased and Quylla's defense weakened.

"After all the pain you caused everyone, you had the audacity to play the victim and whine like a baby. After I broke up with Lith, you still didn't have the guts to make your move and ended up with the knock-off version!

"Yet the reason I hate you the most is that you ruined my career!" Phloria lashed out, releasing all the spells that she had accumulated inside Reaver at the same time. "It's because of you that Velan staged the trial that destroyed my life.

"It's because of you that Yurial died and I lost everything I've worked for. Everything for which I have sacrificed my happiness!"

As Quylla expected, Phloria had prepared mostly tier three and four spells with body casting. She had been caught by surprise and the more powerful a spell, the more time it took to conjure it.

Quylla used Bloodbind and several hard-light shields to block the onslaught, but Phloria's spells changed their direction and dodged her protections.

Thrud had taught her Ernas' Full Guard that granted Phloria a space awareness on par with Friya and the ability to imbue her spells with willpower, no matter their tier.

Quylla activated the barrier of her armor and closed her shields onto her, but it was too late. From so up close, a split second of hesitation due to surprise was a split second too much.

She took over half of the barrage and then Phloria started to pummel her with punches and kicks. Reaver was hung to her side while a flurry of attacks painted Quylla black and blue.

"I'm not dumb, little sister. I remember well that after what you did to Mom, Dad made sure that no Ernas weapon can hurt a member of the household, even adopted mutts like you!" Phloria's savage laughter almost hurt more than her hits.

Almost.

Quylla's eyes were veiled with tears from the insults and the frustration. She had done everything she could to have the upper hand yet in the end, it had amounted to nothing.

Quylla was near the bright violet whereas Phloria was deep violet, but once in close combat, they were akin to a child against an adult. Phloria had fought all of her life and had mastered several combat styles way before joining the army.

Quylla, instead, had been a bookworm until the day she had joined Lith in his apprenticeship under Faluel. The gap between the two sisters was like heaven and earth.

"Quylla!" Friya unleashed her tier five Gravity spell, Black Hole, on Ufyl and went to the rescue.