Chapter 228: A secret
Yasira's face twisted in fury as she spat out her words, blood dripping from her lips.
"You think we're cowards?" she hissed, her voice full of venom.
"You think the Asura are weak, that we're afraid of you? You have no idea what we've sacrificed, what we've done to keep this world from tearing itself apart!
"You don't understand the burden we bear, how we hold this balance together while your kind—savages—destroy everything they touch!"
Her body trembled with rage, her eyes blazing with hatred as she forced herself to speak through the pain.
"You mock us, Lyerin, but we are the ones who shaped this Earth. We are the ones who fought the wars, who bled and died so that your pathetic tribe could live in their little bubble, unaware of the true horrors that lie beyond your understanding."
Lyerin merely watched her, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement, his grip on her head firm.
Yasira's voice grew louder, almost hysterical as her anger consumed her.
"You think we fear you? You think we fear anything? You're nothing compared to what we've faced—what we've conquered! We've battled gods, monsters, beings so powerful that they could crush this world with a single thought!
"You think you're special, human Lyerin, but you're just a speck. A tiny, insignificant speck in the grand scheme of things!
We will come, will get our hands and blades on your neck and end you!
"You will become an example of the true might of the Shura race! The Asuras you defeated in the survival trial are just the junior ones, the others are in their missions, conquering other worlds! You have no idea, you have no idea what's coming for you and your little human Tribe!"
She coughed, blood splattering on the floor beneath her as she gasped for breath, but her fury remained unquenched.
"The Asura aren't weak. We're not cowards. You talk about immortality as if it's something you've earned, but it's a curse—a burden that you'll never understand.
"We live and die by our will, by our strength. We don't hide behind cheap tricks and lies like you do! So remember my words, my declaration, because once you fall, this is the same voice you will hear!"
Lyerin chuckled softly, his fingers tightening slightly around her skull as he watched her with a look of condescending amusement.
"Buhahahhahaha
"Oh, Yasira, your passion is truly something to behold," he teased, his voice dripping with mockery. "I'm almost convinced by your little speech. My spine was shivering in fear. Almost."
Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, her eyes burning with fury as she struggled to speak again.
"We are not afraid of you, human bastard Lyerin! We've faced far greater threats than you could ever imagine. You think you're clever, that you've outsmarted us, but you're just a fool playing with forces beyond your understanding!"
Lyerin laughed outright at that, his voice echoing through the hollow wreck of the ship.
"Oh, really? You've faced greater threats? Is that why you're here, broken, defeated, and bleeding at my feet?" He leaned down closer to her, his voice lowering to a whisper, "If the Asura are so mighty, why do I have you like this? Why have I broken you so easily?"
Yasira growled through gritted teeth, her whole body trembling with the effort of keeping herself upright.
"You may have won this battle, but you haven't won the war. You don't understand what you've set into motion. You don't know what's coming for you."
Lyerin, still grinning, tilted his head and tightened his grip on her, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "Oh, Yasira. I know exactly what's coming. That's why I'm having so much fun."
Her eyes widened in disbelief at his words, but before she could speak again, Lyerin interrupted her. "But enough about your pitiful Asura pride. Let me tell you a little secret, something you should've learned long ago."
He lifted her head higher, his fingers pressing into her temples as he spoke.
"The tribe I rule, or the Stonehooves tribe aren't really immortal. Not like you think. So you don't have to worry. It's true, we come back stronger after we're killed, but only up to a point."
He smiled down at her, his voice taking on a playful tone as if he were discussing something trivial.
"You see, it's all about mana capacity. The more mana you have, the more lives you get. But it's not infinite. Take me, for example."
Yasira's eyes flickered with confusion, but she said nothing as Lyerin continued.
"I'm in the third stage of Eldren Mana. That means I have three lives. If I'm killed three times, and each time I come back stronger, then I'll be truly dead the fourth time. That's it. No more resurrections. No more second chances."
Yasira stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock. "What... what are you saying?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "Why are you telling me this? You could have kept it hidden…"
Lyerin chuckled again, his smile widening. "Oh, Yasira. You still don't get it, do you?" He leaned down even closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "I don't care about keeping it hidden. I don't care about playing it safe. You want to know why I'm telling you this?"
He pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes with a gleam of mischief.
"Because I want to challenge your precious Asura race. I want to see what you can do. I want to see if you're really as strong as you claim to be. Isn't that fun?"
Yasira's breath hitched in her throat, her mind reeling from the sheer audacity of his words.
He wasn't afraid.
He wasn't hiding anything.
He was throwing down the gauntlet, daring them to come after him, daring them to try and stop him.
Lyerin's laughter filled the air once more, a wild, manic sound that echoed through the desolate ruins of the ship. "I want to see what you're made of, Yasira. I want to see if the Asura are truly as powerful as you say. And when I've beaten you, when I've crushed every last one of you, you'll know that all your bluster, all your pride, was for nothing."
He released her head, letting her collapse to the ground as he stood over her, his eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of excitement.
"So go ahead," he said, his voice taunting. "Tell your people. Tell them I'm coming for them. Tell them to be ready. Because this is going to be fun."
Yasira's body trembled as she lay on the ground, her mind racing with everything Lyerin had just revealed.
Her hatred for him burned hotter than ever, but beneath it all, there was a growing sense of fear—fear that maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth.
That he knew something they didn't. That he was more dangerous than they had ever realized.
And as Lyerin stood above her, grinning down at her with that infuriating smile, she knew that this was far from over.
Suddenly, Lyerin would add, "let me check on my fellow Earthlings. Are the Borgias Family destroyed already?"