Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Rhea's own sword was sent hurtling through the air, violently repelled by the lightning-fast Diceros Right Katar. Meanwhile, Diceros Left's relentless assault shattered her remaining defenses, lodging itself deep within her left Scapula, just beneath her left underarm.

The battle was over almost as quickly as it began. The chasm between Eren and Rhea was insurmountable, their skills imbalanced beyond measure. Rhea had not even had the opportunity to showcase the true extent of her prowess, her contracted beast rendered ineffective by Eren's Sedating Gaze alone, before being pulled beneath the water's surface by an enigmatic force.

With a sense of measured admiration, Eren observed the aftermath, a fleeting expression of impressed acknowledgment gracing his features. Rhea's body was sent hurtling in the opposite direction of her disarmed sword, propelled by the forceful lash of one of Eren's Aqua Whips. Though he could end her life in an instant, he chose to spare her. He was mindful of the nuisances that might arise if Rodrick brandished it as unnecessary bloodshed.

"Four seconds... Impressive indeed. That's three seconds more than what I expected from her." Eren murmured to himself, his tone laced with a mixture of satisfaction and intrigue.

Eren wasn't saying this to soothe his ego. In the game of life and death, someone like Rhea lasting for 4 seconds against someone like Eren was indeed an impressive feat. He expected a swift defeat, but Rhea's resilience exceeded his expectations. It was a display worthy of recognition, even amidst the throes of overwhelming defeat.

Eren's time spent in the Sansara World was also partly to blame for Rhea's current condition. There, he fought with the top-notch rankers of his generation. He even fought with Demonmir and saw the Sages in action. One could say that Eren's battle standards were almost unattainable for normal rankers of his generation.

As a result, Eren's sense of normal battle had changed. Rhea had skills in her work. She could be considered an extraordinary talent in Erbaia. However, she paled in comparison to the average standard set by the Sansara World participants. So Eren's way of fighting with Rhea was definitely overkill.

Eren was unphased by Rhea's pain-induced screams. He felt like he was already lenient toward her. He was careful in his attacks, not targeting her vital organs. He also made sure her ship and crew were safe from his attacks. This was the most he could do to give Rodrick clear-cut results in his quest to neutralize House Slughorn.

The butcher approached his battle with Rhea nonchalantly, using it as an opportunity to experiment with his water-based attacks. He withheld most of his go-to spells and techniques, choosing instead to test his aquatic abilities. The outcome left him pleased with his performance.

Meanwhile, Rhea's contracted beast found itself forcefully pulled beneath the water's surface, trapped by an unseen force. The Red-Lipped Krait squirmed and hissed, its movements restrained by the watery shackles. Desperate to escape, it attempted to sever its connection to its mana body and return to Rhea. However, even that proved futile as the unknown force imprisoned its very essence within the aquatic prison.

That force, unknown to Rhea, was none other than Eren's spirit beast, recently named Triton. Over time, Triton grew in size and shape, its horn taking on a more exotic appearance. Within the water, it possessed the ability to change its form at will. It remained hidden beneath the battleground where Eren and Rhea clashed, biding its time for the appropriate moment to ensnare the contracted beast.

Triton had a voracious appetite for devouring and assimilating various water-related elemental attainments. Through its link with Eren's blood, it acquired some of his characteristics and powers, allowing it to incorporate them into its own repertoire.

Curiosity welled within Triton, compelling it to reveal itself and absorb the elemental attainments possessed by Rhea and her contracted beast. However, being a spirit beast, its intent was not to harm Rhea or the Red-Lipped Krait, but rather to comprehend and assimilate their abilities for its own growth.

Under Eren's influence, Triton emerged from the depths, commanded to pull the Red-Lipped Krait beneath the surface, where it could fulfill its purpose. Triton accomplished this task effortlessly, despite its seemingly diminutive fish-like form, effortlessly overpowering the beast that was 20 feet long before consuming it bit by bit.

Unexpectedly, something extraordinary occurred, catching Eren off guard. Triton not only absorbed the Red-Lipped Krait's water-element comprehension but also managed to sever the beast's contract with Rhea.

The connection between Rhea and her contracted beast was abruptly severed, causing her to cry out in agony once more. Fortunately, Triton executed the separation so skillfully that Rhea's mana core remained unharmed, though she experienced heightened physical and mental anguish compared to what she had endured thus far.

Eren's eyes closed as he sensed the presence of a newly contracted beast rune enveloping his mana core. This rune took on a linear form, encircling his core like a spectral ring surrounding astral bodies in the vast cosmos.

'Another companion for Ertaur,' Eren mused, a smile creeping onto his face as he unintentionally claimed Rhea's contracted beast as his own. The beast's soul lay dormant, exhausted from the relentless onslaught it endured at the hands of Triton.

Despite the ordeal, the Red-Lipped Krait remained largely unscathed. Under Triton's influence, it had come to terms with its current predicament, survival instincts outweighing any loyalty it once held to Rhea.

In the ensuing moment, Eren dispersed his spells, causing the weapons that had surrounded him to vanish into thin air. The blade storm that filled the air dissipated in the blink of an eye. Only the lingering traces of Eren's overwhelming mana signatures lingered in the surroundings, a testament to the fierce battle that had just transpired between him and Rhea.

Gracefully, Eren landed on the water's surface, his feet finding stability upon the liquid plane. Employing Aqua Steps, he moved with deliberate poise, steadily approaching Rhea, who struggled to keep herself afloat given her battered state.

A pool of crimson-tinted water formed around her, a grim testament to her open wounds. Suppressing her screams, she exerted every ounce of willpower to contain her pain. Her forehead glistened with beads of sweat and traces of blood, her gaze wary as Eren drew nearer, a smile etched upon his face.