Chapter 1609 Planting a Landmine Inside a Soul

"Master, don't fall into his trap. He's a very cunning man.

Let's... let's leave him be and depart from here. For my and Leela's sake, if not yours."

Layla implored Eliza to avoid another confrontation with Eren.

The injuries Eliza sustained from her battle with Demonmir still affected her, despite Layla's use of her most potent potions. But it wasn't just Eliza's injuries that concerned Layla. Eren attempted to provoke her into action.

She knew Eren wouldn't speak to Eliza in such a manner without having something against her. By providing her with logic and a personal plea, Layla wanted to give Eliza enough reason to pull out from a potential fight against Eren without hurting her pride.

After all, Layla knew that Eliza wasn't blind to see that her aim to break the bloodline shackles was practically unachievable at this point. Firstly, too much time had passed since her resurrection. Secondly, the battle with Demonmir had practically forced Eliza to anchor her soul to her new vessel.

This was a good thing for Eliza if she was only looking to harmonize with her new vessel. However, her goal to break the bloodline shackles had gotten ten times more difficult to achieve than it was before.

Thus, Layla saw no merit in Eliza engaging in another battle with Eren. If possible, Layla wanted them both to bury their hatchets and accept each other's existence. Of course, she also knew that with Eren and Eliza's personality, it would be downright impossible.

The Little Witch had underestimated the enslavement of Sin Series Mark on Eliza's soul. Or rather, under a certain someone's presence, Eliza's weakness in using the Sin Series Ability had been amplified. Thus, the Witch of the Enderflames shook her head in denial before addressing Layla.

"Layla dear, take your sister away from this place and wait for my arrival. I will come to pick you up shortly."

Eliza said before stepping forward. Layla was left speechless by Eliza's words. She wanted to tell her that she was more concerned about Eliza than her sister. But in the end, she closed her mouth and decided to remain silent, lest she end up hurting Eliza's pride.

A huge amount of Spiritual Force was churned around Eliza as she tapped into her Sin of Pride Mark. her Elemental Attainments were stirred, making strands of Enderflames appear all over the battlefield.

"I guess it's time to teach you a lesson in humility, little kitten," Eliza said as she walked forward, wielding her sword in her dominant hand. "It's about time you learn that no amount of cunning works in the face of overwhelming might," Eliza said before disappearing from her position.

Using her movement spell, Eliza breached the distance between her and Eren in an instant. The green flames that coated her body burned with even more intensity as she got closer to Eren. 

Swoosh. Zoom. Boom.

Sedating Gaze.

"Aaaaaaargh!"

Eliza was forced to go back to where she had come from after being subjected to Eren's ocular Ability. For some reason, she felt like she would go insane the moment she met her eyes with him.

"This…. This can't be. How did he do that?" Eliza clutched her head with both her hands as she asked to herself. Her eyes had turned red and she had drops of sweat covering her forehead instantly.

The Witch of the Enderflames couldn't believe that an ocular Ability from Eren would have such a profound impact on her despite the overwhelming Spiritual Force she had compared to him. She could instinctively sense that there was something wrong with her soul. She just couldn't figure out what it was. Or what had caused such an anomaly.

On the other hand, Eren was impressed with how Eliza was able to break free from his Ability so quickly. He had used his ocular Ability for the first time after becoming a demi-god after all. Even when he was not in complete control of his enhanced Spiritual Force, the casting of his Ability had to have been more potent than before.

Then again, he had not used the Sedating Gaze on Eliza per se but rather someone else hiding within her soul. Eliza's consciousness was just kind of forced to tag along with that person's soul after being affected by Eren's ocular Ability.

"What's wrong? I thought you were going to teach me a lesson. I'm here. Ready to learn all that I can. Waiting for you. Were you all bark and no bite, miss Witch of the Enderflames?" Eren taunted Eliza, there was a sardonic pity in his eyes as he looked at her.

"EREN IDRIL!" Eliza screamed at Eren, her expression turning livid.

"That's my name. Say it louder. Say it harder. Kekeke. I don't know why but I feel so good when you scream my name like that."

Eren said while successfully inserting Sansara Sage's space-element rune inside the rune mechanism of the Array Eye he was working on. In the next moment, the Array Eye disappeared from its position and appeared right inside the second Soul Seed Insertion Array Formation, which had been created for Reen.

The Mana Essence sphere itself was not teleported along with the Array Eye's layout. But it now started gravitating towards the Array Eye's new position at a steady pace. From the looks of it, with its current pace, the Mana Essence Sphere would reach inside the designated Array Eye within a minute or two. This was all the time Eren needed to make Eliza halt in her tracks.

"You… you think I'll let you go off easily after disrespecting me like that? I'll…."

Before Eliza could finish speaking, Eren activated his Sin Series Ability which one could never imagine him to activate on a battlefield.

Marks of the Seven Sins: Mist of Lust

"Aaaaaaaaargh! My head!"

Eliza started experiencing a headache she had never experienced before. Even a backlash related to souls couldn't be this potent. She felt as if a different set of memories were trying to contaminate her past experiences.

The green flames that surrounded her body like a protective cloak started turning black under the influence of Eren's Sin Series Ability. Or rather, it was someone else's Elemental Attainments that had been manifested.

"You…. what did you do to meeeee…. Aaaaargh!"