Sarah chuckled softly, like someone amused by a child refusing to hand over a toy.
"So be it," she said, brushing back a strand of hair. "Let me show you what a true Divine Step cultivator can do."
Ace's soul then trembled.
Something primal screamed inside him. His body moved before his mind caught up.
"—RUN!!" he roared, voice amplified by soul force.
But it was too late.
When he turned—
He saw Lily.
She wasn't smiling not was she wasn't laughing.
There she was, standing still, frozen mid-step, her twin daggers slack in her fingers.
Her eyes were wide, confused and almost hurt as if she didn't understand what had just happened.
Sarah hadn't moved.
There was no light. No sign of a technique used. Nor the sound of any chant.
It was just a thought, a moment gone.
The world stood stilled.
Air collapsed in on itself. Space bent like glass under heat.
And then, Lily's knees gave way.
Her torso slid sideways, cleanly severed at the waist.
