"If you want to live, make a pact with me. I can save you."
The voice was clear and unshakable, ringing in Subaru's ears until everything else faded away. The chaos, the blood pooling beneath him, the distant roar of battle—gone. The world seemed to collapse into a single, fragile moment. He lay sprawled on the ground, every inch of him battered and bloodied, his breaths ragged and shallow. Above him floated a mid-tier Yang spirit, its golden light shimmering like molten dawn, warm and resolute. That glow cut through the icy numbness creeping into his skin, and for the first time in what felt like hours, he felt something close to hope.
Subaru's eyelids were as heavy as stone, each blink threatening to drag him into darkness. Every breath scraped through his chest like broken glass, but somewhere inside him, stubbornness flared. With a trembling arm, he reached upward. His fingers brushed the light. In that instant, it was as if an unseen gate swung open—mana flowed through him, first a drop, then a stream, then a rushing flood. A tiny spark of connection roared into a blazing knot. The pact was sealed.
"Then… please hold still, contractor. This may sting a little."
The spirit drifted toward his chest, ribbons of golden light unfurling from its form. They slipped beneath his skin, pooling around his mana heart. A pressure grew there, not suffocating, but strangely comforting—a heartbeat layered over his own.
Too weak to speak aloud, Subaru cried out in his mind: "Flugel! What is this spirit doing to me?!"
Flugel's voice was as calm and sly as ever: "Through your pact, your mana channels are now linked. It can draw from you, and you from it. Right now, it's replacing part of your mana heart—think of it as a second gate. Its goal? To heal you, of course."
Power blossomed inside him, alien yet welcoming. It wasn't the shadowy, bone-deep chill of Yin. This was sunlight—warm, steady, alive. His wounds began knitting themselves together, the ache in his limbs retreating like a receding tide. Every breath came a little easier, every heartbeat a little stronger.
Time slowed to a crawl. The spirit's light moved through him with care, touching every injured part. In that glow, Subaru felt something beyond survival—it was the raw, unyielding will to keep moving forward.
At last, the golden radiance began to dim, and the spirit withdrew. Subaru pushed himself up, dragging in a deep, steady breath. "Thanks for saving me. I was… almost gone."
The spirit's light pulsed in quiet excitement. "Umm… that's what we do. Protect… guide… watch over our contractor."
Subaru cocked his head. "Don't sense anything strange from you… Alright. Oh, and drop the formal speech. I'll do the same."
A flicker of hesitation. "That would be… improper. But if you insist… I can try. Umm…?"
"Subaru. That's my name. You?"
"I… have no name. Spirits are nameless. We appear, we fade."
"That's sad." His grin was faint but genuine. "Want me to give you one? I'm pretty good at this."
The glow trembled. "R-Really? I'd like that very much!"
Subaru tapped his chin. "How about Yue? When I first saw you, you were closer and brighter than any star I've ever seen. You reminded me of the moon. Yue feels right. If you don't like it, we'll find another."
Silence stretched. Then a voice, trembling but certain: "Thank you… I will be Yue."
From the shadows, Flugel murmured with the faintest smirk, "Did I just witness a spirit cry?"
Subaru rose to his feet, though his muscles still ached with fatigue. His eyes held both curiosity and caution. "One thing though… My main element is Yin—you know that. Shouldn't a Yang spirit like you avoid me? We're opposites, after all."
Yue allowed her golden light to ripple softly, the gentle waves of radiance reflecting a moment of deep contemplation. "Actually…" she began, her voice delicate yet carrying the gravity of long-buried memories. "We saw everything—your fight with the Archbishops from beginning to end. Not just me, but every spirit nearby. By our nature, mid- and low-tier spirits like us should never come close to beings of their magnitude. Their presence alone, even their shadow, can leech away our strength until we fade entirely. But when you stood against them… for us, it was like seeing the first ray of dawn after a lifetime of darkness. If the Witch Cult had claimed this land, there would be almost no spirits left. The earth would crack and dry, the air would grow heavy and foul, the rains would vanish. Slowly, all fragile life would be snuffed out."
Her tone softened further, almost a whisper, as though she were drifting into her own past. "And yet, you drove them back… even in a state where any ordinary person would have collapsed. I saw you then—half-dead, body broken—but still clutching that stubborn will to fight. I couldn't turn away. I've always hated to see others suffer. Even when I was a mere flicker of a spirit, I sought to heal every wounded being I came across. But back then, I failed far more than I succeeded. Only a rare few times could I close even the smallest wounds. As years passed, my light grew, my power matured, and I became a mid-tier spirit. And now… I was able to truly aid you. Together, we didn't just survive—we saved this place. Well… for now, at least."
Subaru remained still throughout her words, head bowed, eyes fixed on the frost-hardened ground as if weighing every syllable. A shadow lingered in his gaze, betraying the quiet storm inside him. "I promise you, Yue… I'll save everyone. I'll drive the Witch Cult out of here, no matter what it costs me."
At his vow, Yue's light flared brilliantly, her golden glow pulsing in steady, almost heartbeat-like rhythms. "I believe in you, Subaru! But please… try not to get yourself too hurt. I'll be with you, inside, lending my strength whenever I can. Hehe~" Her tone blended warmth, cheer, and a fierce protectiveness.
A faint smile tugged at Subaru's lips as he gave a nod. Yue drifted forward, becoming a golden spark that sank into his chest, fusing seamlessly with his mana flow and leaving a lingering warmth in her wake.
After a moment's stillness, Subaru's gaze lifted toward the distant path to Roswaal Manor. Elsa's trail of carnage was clear—streaks of blood staining the earth, the metallic tang hanging in the air like a stubborn ghost. Each step along that road bore the quiet weight of death.
The land around him fared no better. Frost lay thick over every surface, the cold gnawing deep into the bones. Snowflakes hung motionless in the air, suspended in a silence so profound it felt unnatural. Subaru inhaled slowly, the breath steaming before him, and let out a quiet sigh. "I'm not much different, am I…" he muttered, resolve hardening in his eyes. Without another pause, he broke into a run toward the Mathers estate, the sharp crunch of ice shattering beneath his boots.
The road to the manor was steeped in the stench of blood and the bitter scent of death. Dozens of bodies lay strewn in the dirt, grim testaments to the battle's ferocity. The ground itself had turned a deep, rusted red where blood had seeped into the soil, and the stones were slick with a gruesome mixture of mud and gore. The frigid air only sharpened the cloying scent, and from far ahead came the unmistakable clash of steel and the muffled cries of those still locked in combat.
Even as Subaru cut through assassins and cultists with practiced precision, the enemy waves seemed endless. For every one he felled, two more emerged, the darkness pressing in like a relentless tide. His breaths grew hotter, harsher, each inhalation burning his lungs with the strain. And then, like an unwelcome whisper, an old and dangerous thought stirred in his mind. He slowed, scanning the circle of enemies tightening around him, and drew in a deliberate breath.
"I can return by dea—"
In that moment, the world fell into an eerie silence. Not just quiet—but an unnatural, soul-piercing void that swallowed all sound. Time itself seemed to lock in place, paralyzed by something far greater than logic. The air around Subaru thickened, slow and suffocating, as though each breath required pushing through a dense, invisible fog. A chilling stillness crept over everything, and then it came—the darkness.
From the depths of the shadows slithered those familiar black hands, grotesque and ghostly—the unmistakable manifestation of the Witch of Jealousy's will. Silent as death, they glided toward him, each finger stretching with malevolent purpose. They didn't just approach; they claimed the space around him, as if reality bent away from their presence. When the hands reached his chest, it felt like his heart had been sealed inside a coffin of obsidian ice. The cold wasn't physical—it was spiritual, a bite that reached into the very essence of him.
As their fingers wrapped around his heart, a jagged pain exploded through his chest. It wasn't just pain—it was authority, absolute and primal. Not a warning. A demand.
"Be silent."
Then, without a sound, the hands withdrew, evaporating into the shadows from whence they came. The world began to move again. The air loosened. Time resumed its crawl. But the cold—it remained.
Subaru collapsed to his knees, one hand clutching his chest, the other bracing him against the stone. His breathing came in erratic gasps, like someone dragged from drowning. "That... seriously hurts..." he whispered, the taste of iron heavy on his tongue. Blood? Maybe. He didn't care. The cultists in front of him stood frozen in wide-eyed horror. The scene had stunned them into complete stillness.
Then, like puppets pulled by the same unseen string, they all dropped to their knees at once. An instinct older than thought guided them. The assassins near them followed immediately, heads bowed low in submission.
Subaru, despite the agony, forced himself upright. His posture straightened with practiced authority, pain buried beneath layers of hardened will. His face remained unreadable, carved into the calm mask of command. Raising one hand slowly, he pointed toward the mansion in the distance, its walls still echoing with the chaos of battle.
"Find every last person who attacked that place... and kill them. All of them. No exceptions. If your own brother stands in the way—cut him down. This is an order... from Pandora-sama."
The words weren't shouted. They didn't need to be. Each syllable landed like a stone dropped into still water—deliberate, inescapable, final.
A moment passed. Then another. And then movement. A storm unleashed.
The crowd in front of him burst into action. Screams tore through the night as blades flashed and steel clashed. It was chaos—but directed, purposeful, and brutal. As Subaru continued walking, the number of enemies swarming the mansion dwindled with visible speed. It was as though the battlefield itself was responding to his will.
When he reached the garden, he spotted a lone figure standing amidst the storm—Ram. The chaos raged around her. Cultists clashed, crimson arcing through the air, the sound of blades singing their violent chorus. And yet Ram stood calmly, untouched by it all, her expression unreadable.
She turned to him, lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. "You're early, Barusu. That… chaos out there. Your handiwork?"
Subaru's lips twitched in something halfway between a smirk and a grimace. He gave a short nod. "Let's say I helped get the ball rolling. How bad is it inside?"
Ram lifted her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, her voice barely rising above the din. "Roswaal-sama was here before you arrived. He left to escort the surviving villagers to safety. With half of Arlam wiped out, he's taking them to the Shelter."
Subaru exhaled sharply, already trying to untangle whatever threads Roswaal might be weaving behind the scenes. "And the rest? Anyone hurt?"
Ram turned away and began walking toward the entrance of the mansion, her pace slow but steady. "Everyone's alive. Emilia-sama was injured—some foolish mistake on her part. But Hikari-chan stepped in just in time. She'll live."
Those words twisted something deep in Subaru's gut. He didn't respond—just quickened his pace, footsteps echoing louder as he entered the devastated manor.
The interior was a ruin. A massacre frozen in time. Blood painted the walls. Dust hung thick in the air. Splintered wood and shattered furniture lay strewn across the floor. Corpses—some still twitching, most long still—were scattered without order or dignity.
Some had been scorched beyond recognition, blackened bones fused to the floor. Others were impaled by faintly glowing mana crystals, their light pulsing like dying hearts. The claw marks of Meili's summoned mabeasts raked deep trenches into the flesh of the fallen. Others had been flash-frozen, now brittle statues of ice, limbs cracked, eyes wide open in death.
Every step Subaru took was accompanied by the crunch of glass or the squelch of blood. His boots were soaked before he made it past the entry hall.
Then—movement. A sudden glint of blue.
A cluster of ice crystals shot toward him from a shadowed corridor. No time to dodge.
"Shit!" he hissed, raising his arm reflexively. One shard pierced his hand clean through, exiting the other side in a spray of red. Pain. White-hot. Blinding.
"AGH! Fuck, that hurts! Who the hell did that?! Show yourself! I swear, I'll rip you apart!"
He bit back another scream, clutching his bleeding hand close. He didn't dare pull the crystal out—not yet. Blood poured freely, and he could feel his fingers beginning to tremble. But rage was louder than pain now.
Grinding his teeth, he stormed toward the door at the end of the hallway. Fury surged through him, and with a roar, he slammed his foot forward. The door exploded inward, splinters flying like shrapnel as it smashed against the far wall and disintegrated.
Subaru stepped through the wreckage, eyes blazing, the air around him growing colder still.
Despite the deep wound tearing through his left hand, Subaru summoned Duskveil with a firm grip in his uninjured right. His expression was a storm of fury and unwavering determination, every line on his face screaming resolve. The moment he crossed the threshold, his gaze honed in on Emilia, shutting out the pain that throbbed in sync with his pulse.
Behind Emilia, hundreds of delicate, razor-sharp ice crystals hovered in the air like a swarm of waiting daggers. The atmosphere crackled with mana, cold and raw. Emilia turned toward him, panic flooding her features. "Subaru? Ah! Did I just attack you? I didn't mean to—I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" Her voice trembled as she rushed over, clutching his hand in both of hers, trying to help him to his feet.
Subaru winced, then gently pulled his injured hand away, his voice strained but calm. "Relax, Mili. It stings, yeah... but it's not the end of the world."
Inside his mind, a mocking yet familiar voice echoed with frustrating clarity—Flugel. "Trying to act cool in front of the girl, are we? Idiot. That hand of yours is practically shredded. If you don't get it healed immediately, say goodbye to it. Also... we both know you're fighting the urge to scream like a child."
His jaw clenched tightly, teeth grinding against one another as he forced himself not to cry out. Yet the cold sweat trickling down his temples betrayed the truth his lips refused to voice.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air. Hikari burst into the room, her eyes wide with worry, her voice sharp. "Nii-nii! Sit down! Now!" she ordered, already moving toward him. "I can heal you, but stop pretending like it doesn't hurt. Anyone with half a brain can see you're barely holding it together."
Subaru looked past her and noticed Petra and Meili standing behind, arms crossed, expressions serious and unyielding. There was no humor in their faces, no relief—just the heavy air of warriors coming down from battle. Frederica sat slumped on a nearby couch, her maid uniform torn and bloodied, her breathing shallow but steady. Her body bore the signs of a fierce struggle.
Subaru sat down slowly, his body beginning to feel the weight of the ordeal. He extended his mangled hand. Hikari knelt and began channeling her authority. Golden light burst forth, swirling in intricate patterns around the wound. Flesh knit back together, tendons mended, pain dulled.
As the warmth spread, Emilia remained by his side. She hadn't moved. Her violet eyes were filled with guilt, self-loathing. Subaru noticed and offered her a small, pained smile.
"Hey, what is it, Mili? If it's because of what happened earlier, it's okay. You didn't mean to hurt me. You were trying to protect everyone. I get it. What you did... was brave."
Emilia bit her lip, her voice soft and shaking. "It's not just that. I am sorry... really. But more than anything, I'm scared. Puck... he's not answering me. I can't feel him at all."
The words echoed like thunder through Subaru's consciousness. He instantly recalled Elsa's earlier warning—a suspicion that had now become a reality. Roswaal had likely resealed Puck inside the mana crystal, cutting off their bond once again. Subaru's eyes darkened, his lips tightening with restrained fury. He had hoped it was just paranoia, but now there was no denying it.
Hikari exhaled loudly, finishing the healing. She wiped the sweat from her brow and stood. "There. Your hand should function normally now, onii-chan. But..." Her gaze shifted to Emilia, and her tone sharpened. "Emilia-nee, stop pretending like you can't live without Puck. If I hadn't been there earlier, you would've died. And no amount of spirits would have saved you. It's time to start owning up to the consequences of your choices."
The temperature in the room dropped. Silence settled like frost. Subaru rose, wincing slightly, and saw the stunned look on Emilia's face—a mixture of hurt and confusion.
She spoke quietly, defensively. "But Hikari-chan... Puck has always been like a father to me. He protected me when I had no one. He gave me strength when I was alone. Isn't that worth something? And you—you care about Subaru just as much, don't you?"
Hikari crossed her arms, gaze narrowing further. "Maybe I do. But when onii-chan's not around, I survive. I adapt. I don't collapse. That's the difference."
Emilia's ears drooped as if the words themselves weighed her down. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked away. No argument came to her tongue. Fighting Hikari in a verbal battle felt like swimming against a tidal wave—pointless.
Sensing the rising tension, Subaru took a deep breath and placed a gentle hand on Emilia's head. "That's enough. Hikari, I know you mean well. You're looking out for her in your own way. But now's not the time to throw blame. We all have our scars."
He turned to face the room. "We need to keep moving. If everyone's patched up, we head to the village and assist with the evacuation. There might still be survivors, and we can't leave them behind."
Hikari hesitated, lips parting to protest, but Subaru reached out and clasped her arm, gently helping her up. He didn't wait for a response. With firm steps, he led the way out of the room.
Behind them, Frederica struggled to her feet, steadying herself with the wall. Petra and Meili fell in line without a word, their faces pale with fatigue but eyes still sharp, watching every shadow.
The war wasn't over yet. But together, they would walk forward—wounded, wary, but unbroken.
As they stepped out through the massive, weathered doors of the mansion, Subaru's eyes immediately caught an unexpected—and unsettling—scene. Several cultists stood in the path ahead, their black-robed figures unmoving in the pale light. The group's hands instinctively went to their weapons, tension crackling like static in the air. But before a single strike could be made, the cultists moved in eerie unison, dropping to their knees and bowing their heads as if in reverence.
Subaru's expression sharpened, the icy glint in his eyes cutting through the stillness. He strode forward without hesitation, his voice cold and precise, each word carrying the weight of a veiled threat: "Go and tell Pandora this—next time, instead of sending those fool Archbishops after me, she should come herself."
No questions, no resistance—the cultists nodded silently, the hoods of their cloaks dipping low before they slipped away into the dense shadows of the forest. The air felt heavier after their departure, the quiet pressing down on the group like an unseen hand. Meili and Emilia moved up alongside Subaru, their eyes scanning his profile with a blend of curiosity, suspicion, and a touch of unease.
It was Ram's voice that shattered the stillness, sharp as a winter gale: "Barusu. Those cultists… were they under your command? Did you give them orders? Answer me now. If you refuse…" Her raised hand began to swirl with tightly compressed wind, the force of it whipping at her sleeve.
Subaru glanced over his shoulder, exhaling in an impatient sigh. "No, they're not under my command. You remember the curse I carry, don't you? That curse reeks of the witches these idiots worship. It's why they confuse me for some high-ranking cultist. And besides, I'm always with you. Honestly, how could I be a member of the Witch Cult? Think for a second… agh, forget it!" His words grew edged, his aura dimming into something darker, more oppressive.
"If I were you, I'd stop charging that spell right now. Otherwise… whatever happens won't be on me."
For a heartbeat, Ram's gaze locked with his in silence, the air between them taut with unspoken challenge. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she dispersed the wind. "Sometimes, I truly can't tell if you're an ally or an enemy, Barusu."
Subaru rolled his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "If I were your enemy, everyone here except Hikari would already be dead. So stop overthinking it."
The group fell into a heavy, almost suffocating silence. Even Hikari clung tighter to Subaru's arm, her usual spark replaced by a quiet apprehension. The tone in Subaru's voice earlier had done little to reassure anyone—if anything, it had cast a darker shadow over their thoughts. No one dared speak. The only sounds were the crunch of boots on frozen soil and the faint, acrid scent of smoke drifting on the wind.
Before long, the jagged silhouette of Arlam Village emerged through the haze. Once a serene haven, it now lay crippled, swallowed in tendrils of smoke that curled upward into the gray sky. Half of the village lay reduced to rubble—walls collapsed, roofs caved in, the remnants of homes blackened with soot. The air was a suffocating mixture of blood and charred wood, heavy and unrelenting. The ground was soaked in dark crimson, the mud clinging thick to their boots. From deeper within came the echo of anguished cries, merging with the distant crackle of flames still feeding on the wreckage. Though many villagers had been evacuated, scattered pleas for help proved there were still lives hanging by a thread.
Subaru remained silent, his eyes narrowing with each step. Emilia, Frederica, Petra, and Meili rushed ahead to aid the injured, their figures vanishing into the smoke. But Subaru's instincts screamed at him—this wasn't over. There was still danger here.
His path carried him to the far edge of the village, where the buildings thinned into forest. And there it was—a sight that struck him like a fist to the chest and ignited a fierce heat in his veins.
Elsa, Beatrice, and Rem stood locked in battle against the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse. The Archbishop's movements were erratic and weakened, his body marked with the toll of the fight—a strangely satisfying yet deeply unnerving sight. But the state of Subaru's allies told another story. Rem's pale skin was marred with deep cuts, blood dripping steadily to the ground. Beatrice's mana reserves had been so drained that her form flickered, edges fading like mist in the wind. Elsa, ever relentless, was breathing heavily, her posture just barely holding the weight of exhaustion.
Subaru lowered Hikari to the ground with care, his eyes locked on the chaotic clash. Then, drawing in a breath that cut through the din of steel and spellfire, he roared: "YOU TWO, FALL BACK NOW!" His voice carried like a blade through the chaos. Without hesitation, he charged toward Elsa's side. The moment Rem caught sight of him, she seized Beatrice's hand, pulling her back from the front lines as the battle shifted.
Petelgeuse was completely unraveling—his mind, already frayed at the edges, now torn apart by humiliation and failure. Being bested by Subaru once was a wound he couldn't forget. But to then fail in executing Pandora's divine will? That shattered what remained of his warped psyche. He trembled where he stood, mumbling incoherent fragments as madness poured from his mouth like poison.
"Witch-sama... Witch-sama... Witch-sama... Sloth... sloth... SLOTH! I'm nothing but slothful! A disgrace to Her name! I can't even complete a simple task! How—how utterly... PITIFUL! SHAMEFUL! MY BRAIN... MY BRAIN IS TREMBLES" he shrieked, clawing at his own scalp. Bloody strands of hair tore free between his fingers, painting his face in crimson streaks. His nails dug deep into his temples, but he felt none of it—only the guilt, the rage, the desperation to prove his worth.
He fell to his knees for a moment, muttering fervently, almost praying. Then, suddenly, he looked up.
His wild eyes locked onto Subaru.
There it was—the scapegoat, the sinner, the intruder who had humiliated him, the one who must be purged to restore balance.
"Y-You... Yes, YOU! At the very least, I'll kill you! I'll rip you apart, piece by piece, and bathe in your screams! I'll show the Witch—prove to her that my love is TRUE! That I am worthy of Her divine love!"
In that instant, an explosion of invisible hands burst forth from around him. They spiraled madly in all directions, distorting the air like heatwaves. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them, howled toward Subaru, each one fueled by Petelgeuse's desperation and hate.
But Subaru was already moving.
He shoved Elsa backward with one swift motion and gripped Duskveil tightly with both hands. The steel hummed beneath his fingers, reacting to his surging will.
His voice cut through the chaos with unwavering resolve. "I made a pact with the Yang spirit... and now, I'll show you what that means."
At those words, Duskveil erupted in radiant light—brilliant yellow, blazing like a condensed sun. It wasn't just heat; it was power, overwhelming and focused, the embodiment of the Yang spirit's essence.
Ding!!
[Skill Evolved: Mana Blade]
[New Skill Acquired: Mana Infusion Mastery]
—Skill Effect: An advanced form born from the fusion of Mana Blade, Shadow Blades, dual-polar magic, and the remnants of an unidentified divine attribute.
-Grants instinctual mastery over mana infusion and elemental weapon bonding.
-Enables seamless blending of attributes in real time, adapting to the user's will.
Subaru's lips curled into a smirk, one that masked the storm churning in his chest. "Three S-class skills traded... for a single SS+ skill. Worth it. Let's see what this can really do."
[Mana Infusion Mastery – Active]
The golden light intensified. Duskveil's blade shone with unstable brilliance, rippling with Yang energy that bent the air around it. Sparks leapt from the weapon as if it couldn't contain what had been poured into it.
Subaru stepped forward and unleashed his strike.
[Mana Slash – Activated]
A colossal wave of golden mana burst from Duskveil, carving the air with a shriek of pure force. It surged forward, tearing through the invisible hands as though they were paper illusions. One by one, they vaporized, their ethereal forms dissolving into whisps of grey mist.
But the slash did not stop. Like a guided missile, it howled toward Petelgeuse himself.
The crazed archbishop's expression twisted. The fury vanished, replaced by something far more human—fear.
He roared in desperation. "UL DONA!"
In an instant, a fortress of earth erupted from beneath him. The dome formed rapidly, layers of dense stone and compressed soil rising like a clenched fist to defy fate itself. The mana wave struck it like a meteor.
The collision was deafening. Blazing light and raw energy detonated on impact, casting harsh shadows across the battlefield. Sparks flew. The ground split beneath the dome, sending tremors through the ruined land. Dust exploded outward like a sandstorm, obscuring everything for a moment.
Subaru shielded his eyes, feeling the blastwave slam against him. He stood his ground, his hair and coat whipping in the gale created by the impact.
When the dust began to settle, faint cracks could be seen forming along the dome's surface.
Subaru exhaled sharply. "Still alive, huh? Let's change that."
And with Duskveil still pulsing in his grip, he surged forward—toward the trembling shell that held Petelgeuse within.