For a moment, Azire's eyes widened with sudden realization.
"Suna… we did that attack on the ground."
Suna blinked, confused. "Yeah? What about it—"
Azire turned pale. "Belial and Maya were still there!"
Suna's expression shifted instantly, like she'd just been stabbed in the back. Panic began to rise in both of them—until Cocobeal appeared on Azire's shoulder in a wisp of smoke.
"Relax, idiots," Cocobeal said casually. "Before you stupidly unleashed that attack, I pulled them into our timescape. They're safe."
Azire let out a massive sigh of relief. "I owe you one, Cocobeal."
"Oh, I know," Cocobeal replied with a smirk.
The scene shifted again—smoke curling away as Hollie now stood face-to-face with the masked man, circling him slowly. They mirrored each other, eyes locked, steps deliberate.
"What's your name?" Hollie asked, her voice sharp.
"My name… is Draumir," he said coolly. "And you?"
"Hollie. Wielder of the Verdant Fang." Her sword glowed with a soft emerald pulse as she introduced herself with pride.
"Well then," Draumir said, smiling beneath his mask. "I expect a good fight, Wielder of the Verdant Fang."
Without another word, he surged forward—and Hollie met him head-on.
Their first clash sent a shockwave rippling through the air. Hollie's sword sparked against Draumir's armored gloves, a green trail slicing through the air with each movement, while his gray energy left a shadow in his wake as they darted across the ceiling like dancing ghosts.
"Armored gloves, huh?" Hollie muttered mid-swing. "Pretty smart."
From below, Suna bit her lip. "How are we supposed to help her? We can't just throw magic around—we might hit her."
Azire clenched his fists, frustrated. Once again, he was watching someone he cared about fight alone.
Above, the battle raged on. No one could gain the upper hand. Until—
Hollie suddenly dashed back, planting her feet against the ceiling and yelling, "Vinebind!"
Her sword pulsed. From it, vines burst forward, chasing Draumir as he moved. They twisted and multiplied rapidly. Draumir dodged with speed, but the vines didn't relent.
He narrowed his eyes. What's her plan?
Within seconds, the entire ceiling was covered in a dense web of vines. Then Hollie's voice echoed all around him.
"You're in my domain now."
She vanished into the vines, moving swiftly and silently, her presence everywhere and nowhere.
"Now, Draumir…" her voice whispered from the dark green canopy, "you're the prey of a very unforgiving predator."
Then—everything stopped.
Silence.
Then laughter.
Draumir's cold, steady laugh filled the space. "You think this is your world?" he said, voice rising. "It's MINE!"
With a blinding pulse of magic, the entire battlefield shifted. The vines vanished. The water was gone. The ground returned beneath them as the white box reasserted its presence.
Everyone hit the ground hard.
Draumir stepped forward slowly. "You've all taken this fight so seriously… I suppose I should do the same."
He charged toward them with terrifying speed.
Azire stood tall. "You made a grave mistake letting us all fight."
He and Hollie rushed in, striking together with synchronized fury. Azire summoned Umbrual, his blackblade, and roared:
"Demonic Slash!"
His sword howled through the air, the distortion in his voice crackling with forbidden power.
But Draumir… phased right through it. Like mist.
The whole group froze.