The exceptionally long heavy rain finally ceased, but the dark, oppressive sky still refused to let through even a sliver of sunlight.
On the western shore of Tenrou Island, now a battlefield in ruins, Dimaria lay pale-faced on the ground, her body still emitting residual Death Waves from enduring the roar.
Ankh brushed the dust off his clothes and emerged from beneath the buried rocks, letting out a long sigh.
The young geniuses of the Alvarez Empire were certainly something else.
If Dimaria hadn't foolishly provoked Ultear, accidentally drawing them into the Age Seal dimension, she would have undoubtedly inflicted massive, lethal damage to the entire guild.
Yet another super talent ruined by her own reckless personality.
A short while later, the three girls, each buried under sand and rubble, dug themselves out.
Erza wiped the grime from her face, looking somewhat disheveled as she remarked:
"That woman's Magic was truly troublesome to deal with."
Mirajane stood beside Ankh with a radiant smile and said. "But fortunately, even if she could take in a God, she is completely no match for Ankh!"
Ultear curled her lips.
Though they had only spent a short time together, she could already tell that this so-called Demon would seize every single opportunity to gaze at Ankh with starry eyes...
'Ugh, what a bootlicker!'
Feeling inexplicably irritated, Ultear silently criticized Mirajane in her heart.
Meanwhile, Dimaria lay on the ground opposite them, struggling to prop herself up while enduring the excruciating pain radiating throughout her entire body.
Ever since acquiring her God Soul Take Over Magic, Dimaria hadn't been beaten this badly in a long time.
The Death Waves corroded her limbs and bones, with waves of unrelenting agony washing over her.
Her face utterly pale, Dimaria gritted her teeth to suppress any pained moans.
Watching Dimaria—whose expression was twisted in pain, having gone from fierce to fragile like a legendary tragic beauty—Ankh frowned in thought for a moment before turning and asking Erza for her Black Feather Sword.
Erza felt somewhat reluctant.
Her approach to defeated enemies rarely involved direct killing, unless it was truly unavoidable or she genuinely believed the enemy didn't deserve to live.
Yet she could also perfectly understand Ankh's decision.
For an enemy who intended to sadistically harm their companions and possessed a powerful, mysterious background, eliminating them root and stem was the best course of action.
Seeing Ankh approach her with a cold detached expression and a long sword in hand, Dimaria finally showed the fear and panic befitting her actual age.
With her Magic Power depleted and her body wracked with pain, Dimaria sat helplessly on the ground, feebly trying to scramble backward in the dirt.
Just then, one of the crystals on Ankh's perpetually gleaming bracelet shone with a brilliant golden light, shooting a concentrated beam directly toward Dimaria's heart.
As the golden beam connected, Ankh immediately sensed a peculiar power slowly transmitting through it into his body.
A gentle warmth spread through him, instantly washing away the minor physical discomfort left from the battle.
This was the divine artifact given to him by the Goddess Anko, capable of absorbing the power of God Slayers to nourish Ankh's body.
Clenching his fist, Ankh marveled at the internal changes in his body.
In terms of raw strength, he felt his physique hadn't improved much, but his magical resistance had clearly transformed.
Ankh realized that if he wished, his current constitution could completely immunize him against all Magic related to the power of time!
"So this is what Anko meant by true freedom..."
Ankh's eyes flickered as he recalled the words of that troublesome goddess.
He isn't doing this to become stronger, but for freedom.
After absorbing the power of the Time God's successor, Ankh had permanently gained time resistance.
What if he absorbed the power of all God Successors?
Immunity to all laws.
Unaffected by any power system.
Even God Ankhseram could be influenced, disrupted, or even destroyed by deities of the same level, but with this divine body, the situation would be entirely different.
A divine body that could roam the world ignoring all magical laws, without any weaknesses or constraints—wouldn't that be true, transcendent freedom?
Simultaneously, Ankh could feel vast, boundless insights into the power of time and an unparalleled affinity for it rapidly surfacing in his mind.
Although the divine body hadn't enhanced Ankh's physical offensive capabilities, with these gains alone, he could now fully develop time-based Magic himself.
'Not bad... not bad at all.'
Feeling considerably better after experiencing the massive benefits of a divine artifact for the first time, Ankh's mood lifted considerably.
Meanwhile, Dimaria, who was frantically contemplating any method of escape, couldn't help but shudder inwardly upon seeing Ankh's suddenly pleased expression.
She didn't dare ponder what that specific expression might signify—this was the first time Dimaria, being a sadistic pervert herself, had ever felt such pure terrifying hatred toward perversion!
In her absolute desperation, Dimaria squeezed out the last remnants of Magic Power within her, unleashing her latent potential to reactivate the Age Seal dimension—she was determined to flee!
The bracelet seemed to have only absorbed a fragment of the God Slayer's innate Divine Power, transferring it into Ankh's body to merge with his Life God Power, without permanently affecting the God Slayer's own magical abilities in the slightest.
As the world once again fell into deathly silence and temporal stillness, Dimaria felt a massive surge of joy in her heart.
Without a single thought of turning back, she turn around and dashed madly toward the sea.
Only by plunging into the ocean would there be a chance of survival!
But just as hope blossomed in Dimaria's heart, an icy blade suddenly pierced directly through her left chest from behind!
Dimaria froze.
Her entire body turned completely cold and numb.
Staring blankly down at the blood-stained blade protruding from her chest, she rasped out with extreme difficulty.
"Why... can you move?"
Ankh slowly withdrew the Sword.
Watching as the surrounding Age Seal dimension gradually dissipated around them, he remarked calmly.
"Unfortunately, you picked the worst possible timing."
"Try to fix that nasty temper in your next life, or you will just end up reincarnating again anyway..."
Ankh caught Dimaria as she collapsed weakly, supporting her head and waist as he laid her gently on the ground.
The last flicker of light in Dimaria's fading eyes wasn't anger or hatred, nor was it pleading or fear—it was pure regret and deep confusion...
Only after confirming that Dimaria's vital signs were completely disappearing did Ankh rise and walk back toward the three women.
With the battle concluded, the group prepared to reunite with the others from the guild.
Erza gazed at Dimaria lying on the ground and sighed.
"If the situation hadn't been so urgent, I would've liked to exchange a few proper moves with her."
Having successfully killed two incredibly powerful opponents in a single day, Ankh's expression remained entirely stoic.
He felt no such regret, his mind already preoccupied with worrying about the situation of the others on the island.
Tap... tap... tap...
As the four walked, an unexpected, rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from behind them.
Ankh's expression instantly turned grave, Ultear's face shifted with deep shock, and Mirajane whirled around in alarm to look back toward Dimaria's body.
Erza stared at the sexy woman in black attire and a dark hat.
Her mind froze entirely at the sight of the woman's scarlet hair and facial features that nearly mirrored her own.
This scarlet-haired female Mage—the absolute strongest combat force Zeref had brought on this journey, Irene Belserion—was now crouching beside Dimaria, chuckling softly to herself.
"What a pathetic sight, Dimaria."
She slowly placed her hand over Dimaria's pierced left chest, and then, that all-too-familiar Divine Power gently emanated from her palm.
A milky white light seeped into the fatal wound, causing the ghastly injury to gradually shrink until it vanished completely.
Miraculously, faint, steady breaths began to escape Dimaria's nose and mouth!
Ankh's pupils contracted slightly as he watched the mysterious woman's series of actions, immediately recognizing her true identity.
Erza's mother... and also a Life God Slayer—Irene!