Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start?

Chapter 457: Chapter453-Leslie's Strategy



Elena knew that relying solely on her own strength, there was no way she could harm Raven. His power was simply too overwhelming.

However, there was one thing she could still control-her own life!

With a sharp thrust, crimson blood gushed uncontrollably from Elena's chest.

Her complexion instantly turned pale.

Elsa, veins bulging on her forehead, watched in horror.

Her mother, once a top-tier prodigy, had mysteriously experienced a decline in her level over

the years. This blow to the heart was more than enough to end her life.

Elsa rushed to her mother's side, intent on stopping the bleeding.

But before she could reach her, a cold gust knocked her back.

Raven moved faster, cradling Elena in his arms, his expression full of panic.

"Elena, what are you doing?"

Feeling the life force in his beloved slipping away, Raven's panic only grew.

He had never anticipated that Elena would make such a decisive move-piercing her own heart!

Nor had he realized the depth of her resolve to die.

As the Wraith Marshal, all of Raven's magic was centered around death and calamity. He had no means to heal or save her.

Even if he used the rarest treasures in existence, her determination to die would render any attempt futile.

For the first time in his life, the battle-hardened Wraith Marshal, who had faced countless hardships, found himself truly panicking.

"Elena, stay awake. Don't close your eyes! I'll take you to the Fountain of Life-it will save you!"

For the first time, Raven's heart raced in fear, a sensation he had never experienced before. Suddenly, just as Raven picked Elena up, a searing pain shot through his chest.

Looking down, he saw an ice blade, etched with intricate runes, piercing straight through his heart.

The Heart of Wraiths, his core of power, had been damaged!

Raven's face turned ashen as frost spread from the blade, coating his body in a layer of ice. His heart, too, had been transformed into an icy sculpture.

In his fading consciousness, Raven forced his eyes open to look at Elena, still nestled in his arms, clutching the dagger.

Shock and betrayal flickered across his face, but quickly gave way to acceptance.

"This... this is what you've wanted to do for a long time, isn't it?"

Elena's lips curled into a faint smile, though blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. Her voice was hoarse but resolute.

"This is something I've always wanted to do but never had the chance."

Raven's pale lips twitched into a bitter smile, blood flowing freely.

Even with the icy chill and the approach of death enveloping him, he whispered:

"Even now, though you've betrayed me again, I can't bring myself to hate you."

Elena met his gaze, her smile faint but filled with exhaustion.

"Yes, you wouldn't hate me."

As she spoke, she seemed to drift back to their first meeting.

Back then, life had been so simple, so peaceful.

If only time could have frozen in that moment...

Raven, too, was overwhelmed by memories of their past together.

He thought of the spirited, mischievous girl Elena used to be, so full of life.

Yet now, she was entirely changed.

And yet... even now, being with her brought him comfort.

"Do you remember where we first met?"

Raven's trembling hand caressed Elena's cheek with a gentleness at odds with his terrifying power.

"You always told me back then not to resort to bloodshed to grow stronger, but you didn't understand—I had no other path to take."

"The world... it didn't matter to me. All I ever needed was you by my side..."

Elena's gaze softened, her mind clouded by sorrow. Raven remembered so much, yet so little.

Perhaps meeting him had been a mistake-a cruel joke played by fate.

If things had been different, if she had stayed by his side, would their story have ended differently?

As Elena's strength waned, Raven's panic deepened. His hands trembled, his voice cracked as

he pleaded:

"Elena... stay with me... don't leave me..."

No matter how he called out, no matter how desperately he clung to her, Elena gave no

response.

Meanwhile, Elsa, regaining her senses after being knocked back, prepared to charge at Raven.

But before she could move, a graceful figure appeared before her.

It was a woman, her features regal and her demeanor exuding imperial authority.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Leslie.

Elsa's expression grew tense. This was the first time she had laid eyes on the famed figure. Leslie's reputation had grown immensely in recent times, and Elsa had heard plenty about

her.

But now, seeing Leslie standing there, the ice dagger her mother had wielded clearly imbued with Leslie's magic, Elsa's heart sank.

"You... you planned all this!"

Rage consumed Elsa as she raised her magic staff, channeling gravitational energy into a devastating strike that rippled through the air.

The force of her attack was enough to threaten even a Throne Celestial.

Yet Leslie remained unperturbed.

With a calm motion, she pointed a single finger. Frost emanated from her touch, freezing Elsa's staff mid-air, along with her entire body, encasing her in a cage of ice.

"I am not your enemy," Leslie said coolly. "Everything you've seen here is part of a plan your mother and I devised together. She entrusted you to me. Be obedient, and I won't harm you." Hearing this, Elsa's anger subsided as she quickly calmed herself.

She knew her mother well-Elena was a determined woman. If Leslie was involved, it was likely because her mother had agreed to this plan.

Grief welled up inside Elsa as the realization hit her-her mother had faced this day prepared

to die.

Turning toward her mother, who now lay weak in Raven's arms, Elsa's heart ached.

Elena's breaths were shallow, her life hanging by a thread, as if a single gust of wind could

extinguish her existence.

Meanwhile, Raven, filled with seething rage, gently laid Elena down, encasing her in layers of

protective necromantic magic.

Then he turned his pitch-black gaze on Leslie.

"Leslie..."

"Leslie!"

"You dare scheme against me, against Elena? You despicable wretch!"

His voice dripped with fury, and his body radiated killing intent. The wailing cries of countless wraiths surrounded him, their forms writhing with malevolent energy as if eager to

devour Leslie whole.

"Despicable?" Leslie's voice remained calm. "Not as much as you. Besides, you know the saying: the victor writes the rules. Surely even you understand that."

Leslie's expression remained unshaken as she spoke, her confidence unnerving Raven further.

She had foreseen everything, from Raven's revival to his confrontation with Elena.

Having worked closely with Elena, the person who understood Raven better than anyone,

Leslie had devised a flawless plan.

Raven's greatest weakness, his Heart of Wraiths, had been her target all along. And today,

that plan had succeeded.

Now, severely weakened, Raven stood before her, consumed by madness.

The confrontation between the two titans was felt across the Pure Land, their clash sending shockwaves through the fabric of reality.

"Raven may be injured, but his power is still formidable. This battle could go either way,"

murmured one observer.

"Leslie wouldn't have come unprepared. She must have a strategy in place," another

speculated.

In the White Tower Tech Guild, Caesar stood before a group of celestial gods, a magical display showing the clash between Leslie and Raven in real-time.

"This... this is going to be one hell of a showdown," Caesar muttered, his voice trembling

with anticipation.