Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Chapter 101 Chains of Power, Part II

"Let me show you why I'm called Sovereign."

Her words were a death knell, echoing through the cavern as the air itself seemed to tighten. The chains surrounding her no longer just moved—they sang. A haunting, metallic melody filled the space, reverberating deep within Daena and Nyssara's bones.

Daena charged first, her fists blazing with darkfire. "Enough with the theatrics!" she roared, launching herself forward. She struck with a flurry of blows, her movements relentless. Each punch detonated like a bomb, but the Sovereign was faster.

Chains coiled and danced around her like sentient beings, blocking and countering every strike. She dodged with ease, her smirk widening. "You're predictable," she said, slamming a chain down like a hammer.

Daena barely rolled out of the way as the ground shattered beneath her. "Nyssara, stop floating and hit her!"

Nyssara, hovering above with her starry magic swirling like a galaxy, didn't need the prompting. Her hands moved rapidly, forming constellations in the air. "Celestial Rain!" she cried.

From the glyphs emerged spears of light, dozens of them, raining down toward the Sovereign. They pierced through the chains, shattering some and forcing the Sovereign to step back. For a moment, it seemed like they were gaining the upper hand.

But then the Sovereign laughed. It wasn't just amusement it was triumph. "Cute," she said, raising a single hand. "But you've forgotten something. I'm not limited to chains."

The chains disintegrated into molten gold, their essence pooling at her feet. The ground trembled as the liquid spread, carving glowing runes across the chamber floor. The runes flared, and suddenly, the molten gold rose, forming a dozen towering figures golems, each one radiating with darkfire.

"Seriously?" Daena muttered, sweat dripping down her face. "Golems? She's pulling out constructs now?"

Nyssara didn't answer; her focus was on forming a massive glyph. "Keep her busy!"

"Oh, I'll do more than that." Daena darted forward, her entire body cloaked in darkfire. She spun midair, delivering a flaming kick to the nearest golem. It shattered into golden fragments, but two more advanced.

The Sovereign stood amidst her creations, watching with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "You're nothing but pests," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you think this is a game? Do you think your defiance matters?"

Nyssara unleashed her spell a wave of gravitational force that crushed several golems into the ground. "Your monologue's getting stale, Sovereign!" she snapped.

The Sovereign ignored her. With a wave of her hand, the remaining golems exploded into molten shards, the fragments coalescing into a massive, spiraling orb above her head. It pulsed with raw energy, black and gold swirling together.

"What the hell is that?" Daena yelled, leaping back.

"Something bad," Nyssara muttered, her voice tight.

The orb shot forward, splitting into dozens of smaller projectiles that homed in on the two of them. They dodged and countered, the explosions shaking the chamber with every impact.

Daena retaliated with an inferno punch, her fist colliding with one of the projectiles and dispersing it. "Nyssara, if you've got a big plan, now's the time!"

Nyssara's glyphs shimmered, and a massive celestial serpent emerged from the light. Its scales gleamed like stardust, its eyes blazing with cosmic power. "Stellar Wyrm, bind her!"

The serpent lunged at the Sovereign, coiling around her with terrifying speed. For a moment, it seemed as though they had her.

But the Sovereign's laughter echoed again, louder this time. Her body ignited with black flames, and the serpent writhed in agony before disintegrating into stardust. "You're really trying, I'll give you that," she said, her voice laced with mockery.

"She's toying with us," Daena growled, frustration boiling over.

Nyssara gritted her teeth. "Then let's stop playing fair."

The two exchanged a look, and in unison, they switched elements. Daena's darkfire flickered out, replaced by a swirling maelstrom of ice. Nyssara's starlight dimmed, giving way to roaring torrents of wind.

The Sovereign raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," she said, chains reforming around her arms. "But it won't save you."

Daena moved first, launching a barrage of jagged ice shards. They struck the Sovereign's chains, freezing them in place. Nyssara followed up with a gale-force wind, shattering the frozen chains into fragments.

The Sovereign frowned, her amusement waning. She spread her arms, and the runes on the floor flared brighter. "Enough," she said, her voice reverberating with power.

A massive pulse of energy erupted from her, throwing Daena and Nyssara back. The chamber itself seemed to groan under the pressure, cracks spiderwebbing across the walls.

The Sovereign's form began to shift. Her chains melted away, revealing her true form taller, more imposing, her crimson skin glowing with an inner light. Her horns twisted upward like jagged spires, and her golden eyes burned with an intensity that made the air shimmer.

"Let me show you what real power looks like," she said, her voice layered with echoes.

Daena and Nyssara struggled to their feet, their breaths labored.

"Daena," Nyssara said quietly, "she's pulling out all the stops. If we don't end this soon…"

"I know," Daena said, wiping blood from her mouth. "But we're not done yet."

The Sovereign raised her hands, and the very air seemed to darken. The molten gold at her feet spiraled upward, forming a massive blade in her grasp. It crackled with energy, the sheer weight of its presence making the chamber tremble.

But as the Sovereign stepped forward, her movements slowed. A faint shimmer surrounded her, and the runes on the floor dimmed slightly.

She scowled. "Damn this seal," she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.

Nyssara noticed it immediately. "She's reaching her limit," she whispered to Daena.

Daena's eyes narrowed. "Then we push her there."

She and Nyssara surged forward, their combined magic forming a deadly vortex of ice and wind, a relentless assault designed to break through the Sovereign's growing defenses. For a fleeting moment, they felt hope as their powers converged on her, a blinding strike aimed to exploit her momentary weakness.

But the Sovereign was faster.

With a single sweep of her molten blade, she cleaved through their magic as if it were air. The vortex shattered into harmless fragments, dissipating into the dark void of the chamber. Before they could react, she moved impossibly fast.

A sharp kick to Daena's chest sent her flying into the far wall, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Nyssara barely had time to raise her arms before a chain coiled around her throat, dragging her down with terrifying force. The Sovereign didn't give her a chance to fight back; she slammed Nyssara into the ground with enough force to crack the stone beneath her.

"Is that all?" the Sovereign sneered, standing tall and unbothered. Her voice was cold, dripping with mockery. "I expected more from the so-called protectors of the demon realm. Pathetic."

Daena coughed, forcing herself to her feet, her vision blurred but her defiance unbroken. "We're not done—"

"Oh, but you are," the Sovereign interrupted, her molten blade dissipating into sparks. She stalked toward them, the chains around her arms rattling faintly as they tightened. "Let me make this simple for you: you never stood a chance. Not against me. Not here."

Nyssara struggled to rise, but her body wouldn't cooperate. She glared up at the Sovereign, who loomed over her like a nightmare given form.

"And let me make something very clear," the Sovereign continued, her golden eyes gleaming with malice. "Liria is my daughter. My blood runs through her veins, whether she knows it or not. And soon enough, she'll stop pretending to play nice. She'll embrace what she is, just like me. And when she does..."

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "This world will burn, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

The Sovereign straightened, her form shimmering with raw power as the seal began to flicker and tighten around her. Her expression twisted into a grin. "Be grateful for that seal. Without it, you'd already be ash."

Then, as quickly as she had struck, she stepped back into the shadows, her form fading into the darkness. Her laughter echoed behind her, chilling and triumphant, as Daena and Nyssara were left bruised, battered, and filled with a deep, unsettling dread.