Chapter 215: Sword Empress’ Orders, Establishing Hierarchy
"Apprehend the Nagas. Heal the critically injured, both our people and theirs. The others should be transferred to a hospital. Contact the other strongholds and call in reinforcements. Have them search for the Nagas’ main hideout," she ordered.
Vale looked to his back.
The two awakeners behind nodded, and started typing on their devices.
Eleanor continued, "Split the remaining guilds into two groups. One group should focus on moving the serpent’s corpse, and taking it to a secure location. The other group needs to stay and protect the stronghold. Our defenses are weakened right now. Monsters could take advantage of that."
Vale nodded.
"What about the Sentinel?"
"My disciple will take care of it."
"Phantom Voice?"
Eleanor didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she pulled out her device and opened the latest message.
It was from Catherine. She hadn’t been able to check it during the battle.
After skimming through it, her expression lightened slightly.
"The Nagas dealt with the Phantom Voice already. They are coming out of the Mirror Dimension soon. Send people to apprehend them."
"Understood," Vale said, though his tone suggested he had more to say.
A few moments later, he cleared his throat.
"Sword Empress, maybe you should help Evil Sword with the Sentinel. I can handle the apprehension process—"
Eleanor cut him off with a sharp glance.
"Vale," she said, her voice cold and clipped, "were my orders unclear?"
The silence that followed was immediate.
Vale stood still, trying to hold her gaze, but he looked away after a while.
He had seen her temper, but this was the first time he felt the full weight of it directed at him.
Though Eleanor had been calm and almost gentle when speaking to Isaac, Emily, and Alice, that version of her didn’t exist when it came to strategy or authority.
She didn’t tolerate pushback.
It was one of the many reasons she was known as the Sword Empress.
"No, ma’am. Your orders were clear."
Eleanor didn’t say anything else.
Vale slowly turned to leave, but his thoughts were spinning.
He’d wanted to deal with the Nagas quietly—perhaps even ensure some escaped so the governor could use them later—but with Eleanor still present, that wasn’t going to happen.
He had no choice but to play along for now.
As he joined the teams tending to the injured, he glanced toward Celia.
’What did you do, Celia?’ he wondered, watching her move between the unconscious bodies.
It wasn’t hard to guess she had been involved in bringing down the serpent.
That much was clear.
Though he was still unsure of how exactly they had defeated the serpent.
’Sigh... This is going to get complicated. The governor’s plan failed.
’But maybe... maybe this is our chance.’
He didn’t smile, but deep down, part of him was relieved.
The Nagas were alive.
The corpse had been recovered.
And someone might finally be able to drag the governor into the light.
...
Emily’s POV
Inside the translucent dome, everything was silent.
No one outside could see what was happening within, and that was exactly what Emily needed.
She stood alone with the serpent’s corpse.
Even lifeless, the body radiated pressure.
Its scales shimmered faintly with lingering mana, and the energy around it hadn’t fully dispersed.
Without wasting time, Emily took out the Phantom Core Extractor.
She activated it.
A swirling mist of cloudy energy rose from the serpent’s corpse.
The spirit had not yet fully dissipated.
It floated above the body—a ghostly form of the N’theris Serpent—before slithering toward her at high speed.
As expected, it attacked immediately.
Emily didn’t flinch.
She knew the standard method to avoid being attacked was to use the Celestial Spirit Token and form a beast bond right away.
That way, the spirit would be bound to her and would not lash out.
But she didn’t do that.
Because Alice had taught her something better.
Spirits, even when bonded through the token, would often act independently or arrogantly.
They would test their master’s will, especially if the bond wasn’t formed on equal—or dominant—terms.
So Alice had taught her how to establish hierarchy first.
Emily took a deep breath and circulated her Spirit Element through her body.
A pulse of energy rippled through the air.
She raised a single palm and stopped the serpent’s giant ghostly form mid-charge.
The serpent reeled back in shock.
It couldn’t believe its eye.
It’s giant and strong body was stopped singlehandedly by this frail girl...?
"I gain an inherent advantage against spirits when I use my Spirit element," she said, speaking calmly. "And if I’m using it against spirits I created, like you, then I’m basically invincible."
The ghost-serpent stared at her, visibly disturbed.
It tried to slither away, but the dome blocked it.
There was no escape.
"Sorry," Emily said with a small smile, cracking her knuckles. "I’m not doing this to hurt you, okay? This is simply establishing a hierarchy."
For the next thirty minutes, the N’theris Serpent’s spirit was thoroughly beaten down.
Every time it tried to rise, she pushed it back down.
When it tried to intimidate her, she overwhelmed it with her attacks.
It wasn’t a battle.
It was a one-sided demonstration.
Eventually, the serpent hovered near the ground.
Its ghostly form was dim and trembling.
All of its arrogance dispersed after none of its attack worked, and it could only take attacks in exchange.
"You are not fighting anymore?"
Emily knelt in front of it and smiled.
"That’s better."
She brought out the Celestial Spirit Pact Token and activated it.
The moment the bond formed, she felt the thread of connection between them tighten.
"Can you understand me now?" she asked gently.
Tirra, her ghost-bird, relayed her words telepathically.
The serpent nodded.
"Good. You’re mine now, okay? We’re going to work together."
Emily smiled again, but the serpent shivered.
To it, her smiling face looked like the beginning of a nightmare.
She had smiled just like that before she beat it!
It closed its eyes, but instead of attacking, Emily tapped the Soulbind Pendant, and told it to enter.
The serpent’s spirit obeyed and vanished inside.
"Alice’s method works quiet nicely."
Establishing a Beast Bond could fail even with Celestial Spirit Token if the Spirit was a lot stronger than Emily.
However, thanks to Alice’s method, the spirits accepted the bond, and it made the process a guaranteed success.