The soul-wielding Voiceless trembled. The soul energy swirling around his body twitched violently, as if trying to flee. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed the full force of his mana and aura, binding the souls to himself with renewed strength.

  Kai smirked and whispered, “You who were wronged. You who were defiled. Rise once more and reclaim your revenge, Soul Cycle.”

  His emerald mandala magic circle stopped spinning and reversed direction, slowly drawing in the grey spectral energy from the page within him. The energy fueled the ancient spells of a Soul Forger.

  From the ground, grey specters erupted, screaming, twisting in agony, as they clashed with their own lifeless bodies, desperate to return.

  Kai raised his hands. Threads of deep life energy shot out, attaching to dozens of mangled corpses. As if rewinding time, the bodies reformed, limbs reattaching, flesh regrowing. They stood, eye sockets hollow, yet brimming with vengeance. The specters screeched as they possessed their resurrected, now stronger vessels. This was a spell only one proficient with Life and Soul magic could do.

  The rest, whose bodies had been utterly destroyed, floated aimlessly, wailing.

  Kai’s voice was cold as ice. “Don’t worry. For you, I have another way.”

  ?Hatred twisted his expression. These heartless murderers had to suffer, just as the dead had.

  “Lost souls of Purgatory, unite one final time. Bring forth your resentment, Spectral Armory!”

  The bodiless souls twisted and transformed into spectral weapons. They reflected the tools they once wielded in life: sickles, knives, rakes, hoes. But their power was not bound by form.

  The newly risen Spectral Hosts seized the weapons and charged, screaming and crying, toward the Voiceless.

  The Voiceless figure twitched, breath erratic. In all his years of dark missions, he had never seen anything like this.

  He reinforced his body with aura, intertwining it with soul energy, and struck out. Each punch, hook, and kick shattered villagers’ bodies, but they kept slashing, tearing at his soul barrier with every strike of their spectral weapons.

  The more damage they suffered, the more aggressive they became. To his shock, their bodies regenerated as fast as he could destroy them. Thin green threads of life, hosts' lifelines, stretched back to Kai, who stood behind them, chuckling.

  Feed as much as you need, Kai thought. Have your revenge.

  Sensing that Kai was the source of the zombie’s power, Voiceless focused his aura into a single fist and struck out, unleashing a wave of condensed energy. The blast tore through the crowd of villagers, burrowing a path through their regenerating bodies.

  He dashed forward, spectral grey energy radiating from his body as he charged more aura into his fists.

  Kai raised his hands calmly. “I was expecting you.”

  With a violent motion, he slammed them into the ground. “Resentment Chains!”

  The spell drew upon the lingering hatred of the dead, binding and draining the life of its target. The greater the resentment in the area, the stronger the spell became.

  Massive, spectral chains, almost metallic in appearance, erupted from the earth, coiling around Voiceless’s legs with terrifying speed. He had no room to react. More chains surged upward, binding his arms, torso, and neck. He was completely restrained, with no chance of escape.

  Kai approached slowly, his Noxblade orbiting him like a predator. He chuckled.

  “What’s up, Mister Voiceless, was it? Let’s see what’s behind that mask of yours.”

  He grabbed the black mask and pulled hard. It barely budged, as if fused to the face.

  Kai frowned. “Okay, you know what I don’t care.”

  He waved his hand, and the chains tightened, cutting into Voiceless’s body.

  The Spectral Hosts surged forward, blunt weapons raised. They hacked at the bound figure relentlessly. Time seemed to stretch as they struck again and again, until finally, a head rolled free. The chains collapsed, dissipating into mist.

  Kai had let Noxblade finish the job. He had no time to waste on this farce.

  “You’ve fulfilled your last wish. Return to the cycle of rebirth. May your next life be better than this one.”

  He released the green strings, and the bodies disintegrated into motes of grey light, the summoned souls vanishing with them. Finally ready to leave this cursed world.

  Kai’s eyes returned to normal, and he exhaled sharply.

  “That was disgusting. Soul magic twists your mind unexpectedly. Having pieces of that bastard didn’t help either.”

  Scry whispered, still shaken. “Are you okay? That was disturbing to watch. That wasn’t you at all.”

  Kai nodded solemnly. “It was me, my hatred, that is. Using soul magic brought back a sliver of Florian’s personality. That doesn’t usually happen when I use abilities from other memories. I’ll need to be careful if I ever use it again.”

  He turned and rushed to check on Xarion, who was being treated by Liliya.

  Meanwhile, Nerva was still locked in battle with the last Voiceless.

  ***

  The last remaining Voiceless chipped away at Nerva’s stamina, each earth-shaking strike of his greatswords rattling Nerva to his core. He couldn’t close the distance to land a blow; his only option was to defend and wait for an opening.

  This is getting me nowhere… Let’s try this then. “Unyielding Sentinel!”

  Bits of his metal aura surged into his arms and shields, coating them in a mercury-like liquid sheen.

  The Voiceless swung both greatswords down, each strike radiating crushing gravity-like pressure. He’s close to evolving his aura… there’s a hint of gravity in it.

  Nerva raised his dual shields overhead and braced for impact. He couldn’t move, locked in place by the sheer force of the incoming blow.

  The twin strike crashed against his mercury-coated shields, driving Nerva to one knee. Blood spilled from his mouth as the vibrations tore through his organs and core. But he didn’t yield. With a roar, he pushed his aura upward, and the mercury erupted like a tidal wave, knocking one greatsword spinning into the air.

  The Voiceless instinctively looked up. Nerva seized the moment, forcing his body beyond its limits as he dashed forward. He reappeared inches from the brute’s masked face and unleashed a relentless barrage. Each shield strike, coated in mercury, crashed like a tsunami against the Voiceless’s body.

  His earthen-yellow membrane cracked under the overwhelming force. Clothes ripped, blood dyed the ground.

  But the brute refused to fall. He raised his remaining greatsword high, channeling his yellow aura into the blade. Ripples of mana erupted, forming a two-meter zone of triple gravity.

  Nerva’s strikes slowed to a crawl as the Voiceless moved with unnatural ease, retrieving his other sword. Damn this bastard… how tough is his body to withstand this force? Nerva cursed as gravity crushed him deeper towards the ground. His knees buckled; he sank into the dirt.

  “If you think I’ll die here, buried like this… you’re fucking kidding yourself!” Nerva bellowed, focusing his mind on his core and mana channels.

  Metal mana and silver aura intertwined within him. For a pure fighter to ascend to Grand Master, he had to merge all mana into aura, then fuse that energy into his core, evolving it into a master core that embodied the pure laws of his element. For Nerva, that law was Rigid Flow.

  Metal was like water; it could flow, it could harden. His destined affinity with mercury meant adaptation: flowing through battle, shifting between shield and blade.

  He embraced that truth. “I will adapt. I will be the shield when I must protect, and the sword when I must punish. I will flow. I will change!” His soul roared in resonance.

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  Metal mana twisted within him, fusing with his aura. Silver turned more metallic, flowing like mercury through his veins. The sensation was divine, power beyond anything he’d felt. But first, he had to survive.

  The Voiceless charged, both greatswords slashing with crushing gravity. Nerva’s bones creaked, blood vessels burst. He pushed his aura to its limit, striking with his right shield while raising his left to parry.

  His left shield expanded, mercury surging outward into a massive liquid barrier. At the same time, his right shield merged with his aura, the dagger-like tip extending into a lance that pierced the Voiceless’s chest.

  The twin greatswords slammed into the enlarged shield, but the mercury absorbed the gravitational vibrations, dispersing the force. The liquid metal coiled around the weapons in response, locking them in place.

  The mercury lance erupted inside the Voiceless, sprouting thorn-like spikes that tore through his body.

  Gravity collapsed. The Voiceless fell into a puddle of blood, his weapons collapsing onto the ground next to Nerva.

  Nerva exhaled, pulling his aura back as he staggered to his feet. He stored the two greatswords in his amulet; they looked sturdy enough to keep and limped toward the group tending to Xarion.

  ***

  A shadowy figure cloaked in pure shadow mana sat upon a pale white throne, its brilliance starkly contrasting the darkness that enveloped her. The figure’s face was hidden behind a black mask; two narrow slits for eyes and a wide, unsettling grin carved where a mouth should be, evoking the eerie visage of a clown.

  Another figure emerged from the gloom, draped in a simpler black cloak. His mask bore a downturned mouth, a symbol of sorrow. He knelt low, his voice deep and gravelly.

  “The punished ones were dealt with by the forces from Eastsun. How do you wish us to proceed?”

  “Do nothing,” the woman behind the clown mask replied, her voice laced with cruel amusement. “They failed their mission and were left to rot in Eastsun. Their deaths prove their weakness. But I want to see who ended them. I want to savor their final moments.”

  She snapped her fingers. Four faces appeared before her: Xarion, Liliya, Kai, and Nerva. The last moments of each Voiceless flickered to life, projected in the air like ghostly memories.

  “Hmm… The Dracorious and the blonde one pushed their aura to the Grand Master level and won through brute force. Meh, how dull…” She spat on the floor, visibly irritated.

  “The mage is an Eldari, but a frail one. Ninth-circle spells? Predictable… Boring…” Another disdainful spit followed.

  She wasn’t seeking valor or justice; she craved bloodlust, madness.

  Then Kai’s final battle played out. Her body shivered with delight.

  “Ooooh, that’s it! That cold stare… the madness in his eyes. And those, what are those? Such suffering, so raw, as they hack away at Number Three.”

  She watched as Kai decapitated the enemy, the vision fading into darkness.

  “If I’m not mistaken,” the sorrowful man said, “he used soul magic to summon the undying. He let them torment Number Three before finishing the job himself.”

  “That look… such hatred, such joy in tormenting his foe. I want him. He’d be perfect for the Anger Mask. Or perhaps… my delicious toy.” She twitched with anticipation upon her throne.

  “Master, that won’t be possible right now,” Sadness reminded her gently.

  “I know, Sadness. That daughter of mine is becoming a nuisance. Crazy bitch, just like her mother.” She laughed, a sound both cruel and amused.

  “We must also prepare for the opening of the Realmgate. The final mask lies hidden there. With it, our goal will be within reach.”

  “Yes, Master. Everything proceeds as planned. A pity we lost Voiceless Three through Six…” A trace of regret colored his words.

  “They failed and died trying to fix their failure. Laughable. We have no use for such shadows. Failing the mission is punished by death anyway, by the rules of the League.”

  “Well then, off you go. Prepare properly… or else.” Her laughter echoed through the chamber as Sadness melted into the shadows.

  ***

  Kai rushed to Xarion’s side as Liliya doublecast Heal, her mana barely enough to keep him from slipping away.

  Zara knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face as she begged Liliya to save him. Umbra, in her human form, stood awkwardly nearby, unsure of what to say.

  Kai dropped to his knees, gently grasping Xarion’s pale hand with his own red-scaled one.

  “Lord… seems I won’t be able to guide you to greatness. Forgive this weak one for failing the glory of the dragons,” Xarion mumbled, delirious.

  “Don’t speak. Save your strength,” Zara pleaded.

  “Liliya,” Kai said urgently, “my current spells can’t heal wounds this deep. But if you teach me your Heal, I can combine it with my third-circle magic. It might work.”

  “Heal is light magic. It won’t work with life mana,” she replied, shaking her head, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Stupid girl,” a voice snapped. Scry emerged from Kai’s inner world, visibly upset and in a rush. “You forget he’s a freak, and he’s got me. Show us your strongest healing spell, and I’ll rewrite the formula to use life mana instead.”

  Liliya nodded and placed her hand on Scry’s forehead, pouring the spell formula for Holy Heal, a sixth-circle healing spell, the strongest she could cast below Arch level, into his mind.

  Scry’s eyes gleamed as the knowledge flooded in. “I see. Give me five seconds.”

  His body glowed with mana as a complex magical formula materialized in the air. Liliya watched in awe as Scry stripped away the light magic components, replacing them with Viridya’s emerald life mana. He adjusted the spell’s strength to account for Kai’s abnormal mana reserves.

  The formula shrank and shot into Kai’s mind. His third circle spun, etching the spell into itself, granting him instant understanding.

  “Got it,” Kai shouted.

  An emerald, ever-shifting magic circle flared to life behind him, mandalas dancing as the spell activated.

  Kai raised his hands over Xarion’s dying body and whispered, “Viridian Heal of the Goddess!”

  Green motes of mana shimmered into existence, cascading over Xarion. Deep emerald light enveloped him and the ground around them. Grass regrew. Flowers bloomed. After a minute, the light faded. Xarion lay there, fully healed, not a scratch on him.

  Kai collapsed into Liliya’s lap. “Sorry… that was taxing,” he murmured with a weak smile as he tried to get up.

  “Rest,” she said, gently pressing him down. “That was incredible. You learned a sixth-circle spell in seconds and cast it perfectly, without even chanting.” She smiled; her cheeks tinged with pink.

  “And you!” she turned to Scry, eyes gleaming. “You created a brand-new spell on the spot? We have to spend more time together!”

  “Sure… sure…” Scry chuckled, too tired to argue.

  Zara threw her arms around Xarion, who had managed to stand. Umbra patted his shoulder.

  “Welcome back, lizard!”

  “Thank you. And thank you all, especially Lord Kai,” Xarion said warmly, helping Kai to his feet and hugging him like a brother.

  Nerva wobbled slowly toward them, relieved to see everyone alive.

  “You look fine, you bastard!” he shouted at Xarion. “Had me worried sick. I couldn’t even enjoy my fight!”

  “Well, you look like crap,” Umbra teased, wrapping an arm around his waist and lifting him off the ground into her arms.

  “You look like a girl like that,” Xarion laughed, color returning to his cheeks.

  The group turned to see Umbra carrying Nerva bridal-style and burst into laughter. Nerva blushed furiously.

  “Please put me down, Miss Umbra…”

  She chuckled and set him gently beside Xarion, then scooped up the exhausted Scry like a kitten. “I’ll complain later,” he muttered before falling asleep.

  “There are survivors in that collapsed house,” Kai said, remembering the mother and child he’d seen beneath the broken planks. “We should help them.”

  “Take them with you to the Arcanum,” Scry suggested. “There’s nothing left for them here.”

  “That’s a good plan,” Nerva agreed. “Explain everything to them first.”

  Kai nodded and stepped into the ruined house. Beneath the splintered wood, the mother and child still hid, trembling. He crouched beside them, offering a gentle smile.

  “I’ll take you to Fallhaven, all right? The bad men are gone. I’ll keep you safe.” His voice was warm and steady. “I’ll place you in my inner world, you can eat and rest there. When we reach Fallhaven, I’ll let you out. It’s still dangerous here.”

  The woman studied him, searching for any trace of malice. But his eyes held only sincerity. “ Okay, sir… thank you,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

  Kai nodded and shifted her and the child into the Arcanum, settling them in a spare room with a bath. With a thought, he summoned rations of food and water onto the table from his storage. Then he turned back toward the group, scanning the ruins for more survivors, hoping, but finding none.

  “ They’re safe now,” he said at last; his expression conflicted. “Scared, but they’ll recover.” He pulled out mugs filled with shimmering healing water. “Drink. It’ll help us recover. We need to move, there’s still more of those bastards out there.”

  The group grew tense again, grabbing the drinks and spirit fruits Kai had prepared. They had to recover quickly; Francis and the remains of his army were still somewhere out there.?

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