As the wall of light materialized, Edgarth's sharp gaze remained fixed on the Empress. Without hesitation, he hurled a potion toward her and vanished through the door. The instant the potion neared its target, it erupted in a violent explosion, sending a wave of blistering heat surging through the air. Ryan flinched as the heat grazed his face. Then, with a shimmer of mana, another door materialized beside him, and Edgarth stepped out, his expression unreadable.
Both of them turned their attention to the aftermath.
As the thick smoke began to clear, the silhouette of the Empress emerged—completely unscathed, standing exactly where she had been.
Ryan's throat went dry. "I don't think we stand a chance, even with these enhancements. Have you tried to contact the pope?"
"Yes, but there was no answer. They've severed all communications and disabled every teleportation circle."
His eyes then locked onto something behind the Empress. "Look at the space behind her," Edgarth murmured, his tone unusually grave.
Ryan narrowed his eyes, following Edgarth's line of sight. A faint distortion rippled in the air just behind the Empress, like a fractured mirror barely holding together. From within, streams of icy mana seeped out and flowed directly into her body, merging seamlessly with her presence.
"She wasn't expecting to be summoned this early," Edgarth continued. "It looks like she's still not fully here."
Ryan's eyes widened slightly. "So that means we have a chance?"
Before Edgarth could respond, the Empress slowly raised her hand. Without a word, the temperature in the air plummeted. A crystalline hum resonated through the battlefield as thousands of gleaming, ice-forged swords materialized above them, suspended like stars in the night sky.
Edgarth exhaled sharply. His grip tightened around his magic bag with his remaining potions. "Maybe not."
With a graceful yet commanding motion, the Empress lowered her hand. The suspended blades obeyed, plummeting toward them like a divine judgment.
There was no time to think—only to act.
Even with Ryan's domain, dodging thousands of swords at once was nearly impossible. They moved in a frenzied rhythm, flickering from one doorway to another, narrowly evading the relentless barrage. Glacial ice clashed against the stone around them, shattering upon impact, sending icy fragments scattering through the air.
Minutes passed, though it felt like an eternity. When the last sword struck the ground, silence returned, broken only by the crackling remnants of frost.
Ryan pushed himself up from where he had crouched for cover, his breath uneven. Half of his domain had been obliterated, the once-stable fabric of his magic struggling to hold. His arms and legs bore deep cuts, the cold biting into his wounds. Beside him, Edgarth was in no better shape, his cloak torn, blood dripping from a gash along his cheek.
Ryan clenched his fists, his exhaustion momentarily shoved aside. Shadows began to pour from his body like an ink spill, twisting and coiling unnaturally. Across his domain, similar shadowy figures flickered into existence, each one identical to him—clad in darkness, daggers in hand, their presence distorting the very air around them.
Edgarth reached into his belt and tossed Ryan a potion. "Drink this."
Ryan caught it midair, uncorked it with his teeth, and downed it in one motion. A sharp, cooling sensation spread through his body, his wounds sealing themselves shut, his fatigue melting away. He flexed his fingers, strength returning to his limbs. "Alright. Let's go."
The moment the words left his mouth, the shadow figures lunged toward the Empress from every possible angle. Their daggers gleamed with an unnatural sheen, their movements swift and unpredictable.
The Empress, unfazed, responded in kind. Once again, thousands of icy swords manifested above her. With a single thought, they launched toward the approaching shadows, tearing through them effortlessly. One by one, the figures were destroyed, but their forms did not dissipate entirely. Instead, the fragmented darkness drifted through the air, merging together.
Within moments, the scattered remains of the shadows coalesced into a swirling ring around the Empress, closing in like a living trap. The ring constricted, its crushing presence threatening to strike from all sides.
But before the attack could land, a wave of frost erupted from the Empress's body, expanding outward like a shockwave.
Ryan's breath hitched. Every single shadow froze in place, solidified into black ice.
His fingers trembled slightly. "She froze the shadows? How is that even possible?"
Above her, a doorway suddenly flickered into existence. Edgarth burst out from it, twin potions in his hands, hurling them straight for her head.
Just before they could connect, the potions froze midair, and his body stiffened. Ice spread up his limbs, locking him in place, each movement growing harder as the cold spread.
The Empress turned her cold, impassive gaze toward him. "You can't use the same trick twice."
A single icy blade shot toward the frozen Edgarth, piercing his chest.
Or at least, that's what should have happened.
Instead, his figure wavered, then vanished, revealing itself as a mere shadow. A split second later, the real Edgarth materialized beside Ryan, landing in a crouch.
"Thank you."
A wave of mana erupted from Ryan's body, distorting the air around him. His shadow flickered unnaturally, writhing like a living entity. He exhaled sharply, determination solidifying in his gaze.
"Let's end this before she fully manifests."
As if responding to his command, the very foundations of his domain trembled. The spectral houses within it groaned, their forms shifting. Thick, jagged branches burst from their structures, weaving through the ground like living veins, binding the dirt and stone together. The terrain itself twisted under his control, merging into something monstrous.
Beside him, Edgarth poured his remaining energy into his own magic. Hundreds—no, thousands—of doors flickered into existence, their forms unstable, phasing in and out of reality. Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, the doors began to fuse together, merging into a single massive gate that loomed behind them like the entrance to another world.
The transformation was swift.
Within a minute, Ryan's domain had reshaped itself into something colossal—an upper half of a monstrous entity, formed from the intertwining wood and stone of his domain. Its form was crude yet powerful, its massive limbs crackling with the raw force that held it together. The creature's jagged fingers curled into a fist, ready to strike.
The Empress remained unmoved. Her gaze, like an eternal winter, bore into them with cold indifference.
Then, with a mere flick of her wrist, the sky darkened.
Ten thousand icy swords manifested above them, each one sharper than steel, their crystalline edges gleaming with an unnatural light. The frozen weapons hovered ominously for a brief moment before they rained down like a righteous wrath.
A massive door, as large as half of the wooden monstrosity, materialized in front of them, its edges crackling with Edgarth's mana. It swung open just in time, swallowing half of the descending swords. A second later, another door opened high above them, redirecting the deadly projectiles toward the empty sky.
The remaining half of the icy barrage continued its descent, but the towering creature lifted its colossal hand. The sound of ice shattering echoed through the battlefield as the swords met the creature's reinforced limbs. Shards of frozen mana scattered in all directions, cutting through the already broken terrain.
Ryan let out a breath, a grin forming on his face.
Darkness slithered around the wooden monster, enshrouding it like a living cloak. The shadows thickened, merging into the gaps between its branches and stone, fortifying its already massive form. The air grew heavier, the ground beneath them sinking under the weight of Ryan's expanding domain.
They now had one single chance to strike.
…
On the Other Side of the Wall of light.
Cirnath and the others were in midair. A luminous orb formed at the center of the glowing ring above Oryu. It pulsed with divine energy before unleashing a concentrated beam of light aimed directly at Emma.
She reacted instantly, twisting her body to evade the attack. The beam barely missed her, but when it struck the ground, the force of the impact obliterated several houses in the city. Debris scattered, and a wave of heat radiated outward from the destruction.
"Damn it," Cirnath muttered, his expression grim as he poured more mana into his platform spell.
A platform materialized beneath them, solidifying just in time to intercept falling rubble and prevent further harm to the people below. But before Cirnath could fully stabilize the structure, another beam of light shot toward him—fast and unrelenting.
He was still mid-cast, unable to move or defend himself. The attack was unavoidable.
Just as the beam was about to strike, Cristina leaped in front of him. A massive, glowing magic circle appeared in the air between her and the attack. The barrier flared to life and the beam collided with the shield, sending out a blinding burst of energy, but the defense held and it absorbed the impact.
At that moment, ten chains of glowing mana materialized around Oryu, surging forward and wrapping tightly around him, restricting his movements.
Seizing the opportunity, Gerhard's salamander-like beast reared back, its massive jaws parting. A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its throat before a torrent of searing flames erupted from its mouth. The fire surged toward Oryu, but Cristina wasn't finished.
She whispered an incantation, her hands forming a precise pattern. A second magic circle appeared in front of the salamander, amplifying the power of its flames. The blaze intensified, turning white-hot as it roared toward Oryu like an unstoppable tide.
The ring above Oryu suddenly descended, rotating rapidly around him. As it spun, its golden light sliced through the chains that bound him with terrifying ease. The amplified flames reached him a second later, but the ring acted as a shield, deflecting the fire before it could breach his defenses.
Then, without warning, the spinning ring shot forward, slicing through the air with deadly precision—its new target, Gerhard.
Emma moved without hesitation.
Mana surged through her body, causing the glow around her fists to intensify until they radiated with raw energy. She lunged in front of Gerhard, her muscles tensing as she met the incoming attack head-on.
With both fists, she struck the spinning ring, unleashing the full force of her power.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the sky. The golden ring cracked, splintering under the pressure, before finally shattering into countless fragments that dissolved into the air.
With a smile on his face, two more rings appeared above Oryu's head. The moment they formed, beams of light shot out—one aimed at Cirnath, the other at Emma.
Emma darted across the battlefield, dodging with quick, precise movements, while Cristina conjured a glowing shield in front of Cirnath, blocking the incoming attack.
Without slowing down, Emma leaped onto the wall of light that acted as a barrier and sprinted toward Oryu.
Meanwhile, Gerhard stood atop his summoned creature in midair, facing Oryu directly. He raised his hands, and two massive, dragon-like beings made of fire took shape beside him. With a silent roar, they surged forward, crashing into the newly formed rings and shattering them.
Seizing the opening, Emma closed the gap. She sprang onto Oryu's head, giving him no time to react. Her fists pulsed with golden energy. From just a few meters away, she punched forward—not at Oryu himself, but at the air. A massive golden fist, far larger than her own, materialized and slammed into the spherical shield surrounding him.
The force sent Oryu hurtling downward, crashing into the platform below. Though his shield prevented any direct injuries, the impact triggered something beneath him—a trap.
And then—Boom.
From the smoke of the explosion, Oryu leaped out. Though slightly injured, his expression showed more surprise than pain. But the moment his feet touched the platform again—
Boom.
Another trap detonated beneath him.
Realizing that the entire ground was laced with traps, Oryu launched himself into the sky. However, before he could gain distance, a coordinated assault from Emma's relentless punches and Gerhard's fiery attacks sent him crashing back down.
The impact triggered yet another trap, but this time, a protective shield had already formed around him, absorbing the blast.
"That's a clever combination," Oryu remarked, his gaze locking onto Cirnath. "Moving her traps onto your platform… It looks like that spell really boosted your power." A wicked grin spread across his face. "Then let me show you my domain."
He pulled out a black crystal and crushed it in his hand.
Ding. Dong.
The deep, eerie toll of church bells filled the arena.
From seemingly nowhere, an enormous church materialized, its towering structure casting a shadow over the battlefield. A new platform spread beneath it, completely overtaking Cirnath's.
They all knew what it meant. Oryu had activated his domain.
Ryan and Edgarth had only been able to summon theirs because of the spell affecting the city and them. But Oryu? He had sacrificed a black gem to force his into existence.
Now, he stood at the grand entrance of his church, the wicked smile still etched across his face.
Above him, four golden rings materialized atop the towering structure.