Sakura pushed herself up from the floor.
Her arms throbbed with pain, a sharp pulse running through the cracked bones.
Dust clung to her clothes.
Her hair fell loosely around her face.
But her gaze—
Turned colder.
Much colder.
She slowly raised her head and locked eyes with Julia.
"You fucking bitch," Sakura hissed.
Her voice dripped with venom.
Before the pain could spread further, the red-haired woman beside her stepped forward.
Vamina’s expression hardened.
She raised her wand without hesitation, murmuring under her breath.
A soft, pale light flared at the tip of her wand—
Then split into several streaks of glowing energy that wrapped around Sakura’s arms and torso.
The light seeped into Sakura’s body.
Bones realigned.
Cracks closed.
Bruises faded in seconds.
In an instant—
Her injuries were almost completely healed.
Sakura flexed her fingers once, feeling her strength return.
Then—
In the very next second—
A bow materialized in her hand.
Black and violet energy swirled around it.
The weapon released a faint, nacing aura—
Growing stronger.
Little by little.
Like sothing alive waking up.
Sakura’s eyes glinted dangerously.
She turned her gaze toward the teenage boy standing near Olivia.
"Boby," she said, her tone sharp and commanding. "Protect Olivia at all costs. She is very valuable to us."
The boy—Boby—nodded silently.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
He took a single step forward.
Then—
His shadow began to stretch.
Darkness spread beneath his feet, expanding unnaturally.
From that expanding darkness—
Shapes started rising.
One after another.
Human-like silhouettes ford from pure shadow.
So tall.
So small.
So with jagged, monstrous outlines.
Within seconds—
Multiple shadows stood up around him, surrounding him and Olivia like an unbreakable wall.
They ford a defensive circle.
Silent.
Still.
But dangerous.
System ssages flickered faintly in front of Boby’s eyes.
[SHADOW SYSTEM: SHADOW GATE ACTIVATED]
[OPENING SHADOW SPACE...]
[SUMMONING REGISTERED SHADOWS]
More dark figures erged from the black pool at his feet.
His system worked in a simple but terrifying way.
Every person, monster, and even insect he killed—
He could seize their shadow.
The mont their life ended—
Their shadow beca his.
The system would drag those shadows into a separate dinsion—
His shadow space.
A dark, endless world that only he could access.
Inside that space, all the shadows he had collected were stored.
Organized.
Waiting.
He could call them out whenever he wished.
But that was not all.
By killing more creatures—
And claiming their shadows—
He gained shadow points.
Even if he killed sothing as small as an insect—
Its shadow would be absorbed.
And the system would reward him.
Those shadow points could be used to upgrade his existing shadows—
Make them faster.
Stronger.
Smarter.
Sotis—
When a particular shadow was upgraded enough—
It even gained new abilities of its own.
That was why, even now—
The shadows surrounding Boby and Olivia weren’t just simple silhouettes.
So had glowing eyes.
So had sharp claws.
So carried ghostly weapons.
Each one carried the trace of the lives he had taken.
Seeing that—
Sakura’s lips curled into a small smile.
Now reassured that Boby and Olivia would be safe, at least for a while—
She shifted her gaze.
"Vamina," Sakura said quietly. "Give cover."
Vamina took a deep breath.
Sparks of lightning started crackling across her body.
Tiny arcs of electricity danced across her arms and shoulders, then spread to the ground around her.
System ssages flashed in front of her eyes.
[BEAST SUMMONING SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[CHECKING AVAILABLE CONTRACTS...]
[UPDATING BEAST RANKS...]
[SUMMONING SEQUENCE INITIATED]
Vamina possessed a beast summoning system—
A rare, terrifying power that allowed her to ta creatures ranging from ordinary beasts—
To legendary monsters—
And even mythical beings.
She hadn’t been born with it fully activated.
Her system had grown stronger over ti.
By completing quests assigned to her by the system—
Tracking, surviving, negotiating, subduing—
She had forged contracts with beasts all over the world.
Each successful capture.
Each completed mission—
Unlocked the right to summon stronger and stronger creatures.
Now—
The fruits of that effort began to show.
A massive magic circle flared to life in the middle of the hall.
Glowing symbols spun around its edges, forming layers of intricate patterns.
The air shook.
Wind rushed outward from the circle, pressure rising sharply.
Then—
They started coming out.
First—
Heavy footsteps.
A towering ogre stepped out of the magic circle.
Its skin was a dull, sickly green.
Its muscles bulged.
It gripped a crude stone club in one hand, its eyes glowing faintly as it looked toward Vamina and then toward Arthur and Julia.
Then—
Two more ogres followed behind it.
Next—
Several large wolves erged.
Their fur was black as night, their eyes shining with an eerie, intelligent light.
Their fangs were bared, low growls rumbling from their throats.
They padded forward and took positions near Vamina, ready to pounce at a mont’s notice.
And then—
The temperature in the hall shifted.
Heat washed over everyone.
From the magic circle—
A small dragon crawled out.
Its scales shimred with a deep crimson hue.
Smoke drifted from its nostrils with every breath.
Sharp eyes scanned the area, then narrowed as it took its place beside the ogres and wolves.
Within monts—
A small army of monsters stood beside Vamina and Sakura.
Loyal.
Bound.
A deadly force gathered in an instant.
Sakura watched the scene unfold.
Then—
Her eyes suddenly unfocused for a brief second.
A vision flashed in her mind—
Possible futures.
Lines of probability.
Outcos.
When she returned to herself, a big smile ford on her face.
"Now there’s a fifty-fifty chance that I can still turn the tables around," she said, sounding almost amused.
She tightened her grip on the bow.
Her gaze locked onto Arthur.
"But first," she added, her voice dropping slightly, "I’ll have to take care of him."
She stepped closer to Vamina and leaned in slightly—
Whispering sothing into her ear.
Vamina’s eyes widened.
For a mont—
She hesitated.
Then she nodded in understanding.
Even without her system—
Vamina was an accomplished A-rank mage.
Her magic alone was already deadly.
With her beasts beside her—
She was far more dangerous.
Not far away—
Julia slowly walked toward Arthur.
She didn’t rush.
Her steps were steady.
Controlled.
Her eyes moved from the monsters—
To Sakura—
Then finally to Arthur.
"So," she said lightly, stopping near him, "what’s the plan?"
Arthur exhaled slowly.
His eyes swept across the hall—
At the shadows surrounding Boby and Olivia.
At the beasts lined up beside Vamina.
At Sakura holding her ominous bow.
"Well," he replied, "it seems like she just wants to kill us now."
His gaze shifted toward Jas lying nearby.
"And she knows that we won’t kill him," Arthur continued, "as long as she has Ms. Himari as a hostage."
Julia’s lips pressed into a thin line.
"So now," she said quietly, "it all cos down to who will survive this place... huh."
Arthur’s eyes swept across the hall one more ti.
"As it seems," he said calmly, "that’s how it is... and I’m sure the mont we both move, she’ll secure Jas too. They do have the numbers advantage."
Julia clicked her tongue softly.
"So what’s the solution?" she asked.
Arthur’s gaze hardened.
"You take half," he said. "And I’ll take the other half."
He glanced toward Vamina and the beasts around her.
"Just stay away from the mage," he added. "I’ve got a bad feeling she’s planning sothing ridiculous."
Then his eyes slid to Jas, who was still lying unconscious on the floor.
"And I’ll take care of this bastard too."
Arthur walked over to Jas and crouched down beside him.
He placed his fingers lightly on Jas’s body—
Then began pressing several specific points in quick succession.
Neck.
Shoulder.
Lower back.
Thigh.
Each touch was precise.
Controlled.
"Now," Arthur said as he stood back up, "this bastard won’t be able to run even if he wakes up."
Julia watched him, eyes narrowed slightly.
"It still astonishes ," she said. "How can soone learn Pulse Break in two months...? It took years just to use one proper technique."
She shook her head.
"And here you are... you’ve learned more than five in just two months."
Arthur smirked.
"Jealous, are you?"
Julia’s mouth twitched.
"Not even a little," she shot back. "Get started now... they’re coming."
On the other side—
Sakura raised her bow.
She placed an arrow on the string.
A crimson light gathered at the tip—
Then spread, engulfing the entire arrow.
Red energy wrapped around it like living fla, making it hum dangerously.
Julia’s eyes locked onto Sakura.
"I’ll take care of that bitch," she said flatly. "You take care of the magician."
"That is the plan," Arthur replied.
He paused.
"There’s one more thing you should know about her," he added, eyes still on Sakura. "She can see several seconds ahead into the future."
Julia’s eyes widened slightly.
"She can what...?"
"So take that into account when you fight her," Arthur said. "Don’t rely on anything too straightforward."
Julia’s jaw tightened.
She didn’t complain.
Didn’t question it further.
She just exhaled slowly and shifted her stance.
Her legs bent.
Her fists tightened.
Her gaze focused entirely on Sakura.
On the other side of the hall—
Vamina’s eyes also widened.
Because—
In the very next instant—
Arthur disappeared from his spot.
No flash.
No warning.
Just—
Gone.
Then—
Boom.
A thunderous sound echoed from the left side of the hall.
Another.
Boom.
From the right.
Sakura’s eyes flickered rapidly, trying to follow him.
Vamina turned her head sharply, trying to track the blur.
All around them—
Vamina’s summoned beasts flinched.
More booms echoed throughout the hall.
Shadows flickered.
Steel flashed for the briefest monts.
Then—
One of the large ogres suddenly froze.
A thin red line appeared across its thick neck.
Its head slipped off its shoulders.
Hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Blood gushed out like a fountain.
Another ogre turned in confusion—
Only for its head to go spinning into the air a heartbeat later.
The wolves snarled and tried to reposition—
But one by one—
They collapsed.
Each one falling with a clean cut across the neck.
Blood splattered across the polished floor.
Within seconds—
Several of Vamina’s summons had already fallen.
Headless.
Lifeless.
Their blood pooled into dark, sticky patches on the white marble.
Vamina’s breath hitched.
She reacted instantly.
"Drakar!" she shouted, pointing her wand toward Arthur’s blurred afterimage. "Burn him!"
The small dragon’s eyes snapped toward Arthur’s direction.
Its pupils narrowed to slits.
It opened its jaws wide—
And roared.
A deafening, piercing sound shook the air.
Flas burst from its mouth a heartbeat later.
A torrent of blazing fire shot forward.
Wherever the flas touched—
The floor lted.
Stone turned red—
Then blackened.
The air itself warped from the heat.
Arthur ran.
His body moved with trendous speed, weaving between pillars and broken bodies.
The dragon’s flas chased him, crashing against walls and floor, leaving molten scars behind.
He could feel the intense heat licking at his back.
’First... I’ll have to take care of that lizard,’ he thought.
Behind the dragon—
Vamina refused to stop.
She raised her wand again.
Magic circles flickered in front of her.
"Chain Bolt!" she shouted.
Several arcs of lightning shot out toward Arthur, crackling through the air.
The next mont—
"Gravity Well."
A dark, swirling sphere appeared near him, pulling debris and bodies toward it, trying to slow his movents.
"Bind!"
Translucent chains of light shot out from the ground, aiming to trap his legs.
Vamina’s spells ca in rapid succession.
She was trying to trap him.
Crush him.
Injure him little by little until he could no longer move.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
Then—
Sothing inside him shifted.
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[ TALENT: CROWN OF SORCERY HAD BEEN ACTIVATED]
[ANALYZING SPELL STRUCTURES...]
[DISPLAYING FORMULAS...]
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