Arlan comprehended Edna’s meaning but remained undeterred. "I said let her go," he growled, his eyes ablaze with anger. "Stop inflicting pain on her."
Edna chuckled, "As you wish, my Prince. I can listen to you before I kill you. After all, you have been serving me with your blood all these years."
Soon after Oriana ceased her struggle and looked at Arlan with teary eyes. The pain inflicted upon her was insignificant compared to her desperation to save Arlan.
"Your...Highness..." a low whisper escaped her lips as she gazed at him, feeling relieved that he was unharmed.
Arlan was poised to approach her when...
"Do not forget my warning. I will kill her if you go to her," Edna cautioned, halting Arlan. "I am free from that cage her mother had locked me in. I can find another body now, even if it’s not hers. Think before you act. Your recklessness might truly make me kill her."
Arlan clenched his fists. He couldn’t kill the witch, as it would result in Oriana’s death. He had to comply and restrain himself.
Edna advanced toward Oriana, who lay weakened on the ground. The paralyzing effects of the medicine Arlan had used lingered, leaving her drained and covered in cold sweat. The pain had sapped a significant portion of her energy.
With a layer of the energy globe still separating them, Edna knelt in front of Oriana. "My dear, Oriana. Before I take over your body, I have a gift for you," Edna declared. "I am going to take away the most precious thing from you."
Oriana stared at her with trepidation as Edna continued, "Do you know what this is?"
Anxiety washed over Oriana as she observed a peculiar weapon materialize in Edna’s hand. A long knife with a wooden handle. Her instincts screamed that something terrible was about to happen.
"This weapon is a divine creation crafted from the blood of a Dragon," Edna explained. "Do you know what it can do?"
Oriana’s gaze instinctively shifted to Arlan, standing in silence, his expressions unchanging.
"This weapon, forged from divine power, can kill even the most powerful supernatural beings and obliterate their souls entirely," Edna elaborated. "Their souls won’t even reincarnate. Even if he is a Dragon, this weapon can kill him."
Oriana panicked, fully understanding Edna’s sinister intent. She had read about divine weapon and she knew Edna was telling the truth. This weapon could really kill the Dragon.
"Edna, you can’t."
"Oh, but I can," Edna chuckled. "The reason we have my Prince here is that he would die. I wanted him as my mate, but he has a better use. Unless I break you entirely, I can’t take on your body, and he is the key to breaking you. Moreover, he has betrayed me and tried to kill me. Keeping him alive will only put me in disadvantage. He needs to die so I can keep living."
"You wicked witch. You survived on his blood till now, and want to kill him now?" Oriana gritted her teeth. She looked at Arlan, "Leave. Go away from here. Do not let her kill you."
"He has only two options," the witch interrupted. "In order to kill me, he has to destroy his own soul. Either he kills me and three of us die together, or he alone dies and saves your body at least." Edna looked at Arlan as she stood up, "So, my Prince, what would you want to do?"
Arlan met Oriana’s gaze, his voice dignified. "I expect you not to let her take over your body. Can you at least do that for me?"
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