An army of spirits, strengthened by the essence of Velshekar herself, extends endlessly.

«Cassian Thalukvar, you old bastard…» Velshekar snarls. «I'll kill you with my own hands!»

At her command, the spectral army surges forward against Cassian Thalukvar.

Yet he remains calm, unshaken.

He doesn't step back. He doesn't flinch.

In the blink of an eye, the spirit army crashes into him, and...

—WOOOM!

A storm of black wind bursts out from Cassian in every direction.

The spirits closest to him are sucked into that dark maelstrom and hurled into the air like confetti, while those outside the range of his defensive spell halt their charge and retreat.

And yet, despite the destructive force of that shadowy gale, the spirits caught in it are not destroyed like those struck earlier.

The essence of Velshekar infused in them keeps them intact.

Cassian, however, stays silent. He only lifts an eyebrow, a faint sign of surprise. He never thought they would withstand it.

Velshekar, however, is equally shocked—for the opposite reason.

Just as Cassian hadn't expected such resilience from the enhanced spirits, Velshekar had expected them to push through the dark storm and reach the dark mage.

Finally, Velshekar lets out a sigh of resignation.

-It's no wonder that mere spirits can't even approach someone like him—and I'm sure he isn't even using a shred of his true power. No matter. Fortunately, this Innatus's ability is not limited to summoning worthless pawns to be sacrificed. I only hope this body can withstand what I'm about to do…-

In an instant, the spirit army dissolves into countless streams of whitish ether laced with green.

The streams swirl together, converging toward Velshekar until they are absorbed into her body.

When the last particle vanishes, a devastating surge of Sanguis energy bursts from her—so intense that space itself seems to twist around her.

A scream of pain and rage tears from her throat. Her muscles swell grotesquely, and the ground beneath her feet collapses under the crushing pressure.

The air itself is so saturated with energy that even Hakuto can hardly believe what he is witnessing.

«Surprised, old bastard?!» Velshekar sneers. «Now that I've absorbed the spiritual energy of the most powerful spirits confined in the Realm of Forgotten Souls, not even a dark mage could scare me now!»

But the old man simply shakes his head in quiet disappointment.

Velshekar then hurls herself forward in a devastating rush against Cassian.

Shadows rise once more to shield the dark mage.

All of this unfolds under Hakuto's watchful eyes.

-Velshekar is a dangerous enemy, but Cassian is far more terrifying. If they killed each other, things would be so much easier… but I doubt that's possible.-

The violet lightning storm around Hakuto intensifies, as does the Sacred Flame blazing from his body.

-…as much as I hate the thought, I'll have to fight alongside Velshekar!-

—ZAP!

Hakuto shoots like lightning, striking at Cassian from the opposite side of Velshekar.

«These pitiful fools dare to challenge the power granted to me directly by Nyratalir. An unforgivable insult…» Cassian murmurs.

The storm of shadows around him grows even more destructive—a true hurricane of darkness.

From the black mantle covering the ground, countless massive clawed arms rise, striking at Hakuto and Velshekar alike.

«Damn it… getting close to that old bastard is impossible! I need another approach!» Hakuto snarls, dodging claw after claw instead of attacking.

He spreads his violet wings wide and soars not toward Cassian, but upward.

Ten meters. Twenty. Fifty. A hundred… still useless.

He darts in zigzags like a pinball, leaving a violet trail behind—the only way Shin and Chantal can follow his movements.

-Shit… I hoped Cassian's shadows had a limit to their range, but it seems not! Fine then—it's time for a more direct approach!-

A surge of electric plasma bursts from Hakuto's body, wrapping him in a massive incandescent violet sphere.

The shadows that hounded him are disintegrated instantly, even those dozens of meters away.

-Those shadows are fast and deadly, but they're not that durable. Perfect!-

Now, cloaked in blazing plasma, Hakuto dives straight at Cassian.

All the shadow appendages turn back toward their master, abandoning Velshekar for the moment.

She too is forced to keep dodging endlessly while plotting a way to reach him.

The shadows gather together in one spot, joined by countless more rising from the ground, merging into a colossal cone aimed at the plasma sphere.

But Hakuto refuses to yield.

He drives forward with relentless force, his attack reminiscent of the plasma spheres Raelos once prepared to wipe out Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

Of course, Hakuto restrains himself—his sphere is only strong enough to destroy Southern Italy. But obviously that's not his goal.

He aims to break through Cassian's defenses, then scatter the plasma at the last moment.

«You possess great power, boy, I'll grant you that,» Cassian states with cold calm, utterly unshaken. «But you're a fool to think it can rival the gift bestowed upon me by the most powerful being to ever exist.»

The tip of the gigantic shadow cone collides with the plasma sphere.

The shockwave rips the land apart, opening deep fissures and triggering violent tremors.

The withered countryside bursts into flames as the rising heat sears the ground. The Caspada estate is torn away like a straw hut in a hurricane.

No ordinary human could endure this. Shin and Clarissa are forced to retreat nearly three hundred meters to avoid being burned alive.

Even Chantal, despite her initial attempt to stay close and support Hakuto, is forced to withdraw and join Shin and Clarissa at a safe distance, unable to keep up with the immense drain her vampiric regeneration would demand.

But Velshekar can afford it—thanks to the immense energy she has absorbed from the countless souls invoked through Levreshka Dulcar's Innatus.

With such a reckless yet destructive attack, Hakuto was certain he could shatter Cassian's solid defenses... but things are not turning out as he expected.

Not only has the shadow cone managed to block Hakuto's rapid, devastating descent, but it is even piercing into the sphere.