Vaelix stared straight into my eyes. Fury burned inside him but beneath that fire, I could sense something else. Control. The kind that only came from centuries of killing.

He didn't move rashly. No roar, no charge. Just a slow, deliberate motion as he raised his hand, never breaking eye contact. The air between us tightened, and before I could react, Anjee's body jerked forward as if yanked by an invisible chain.

He flew through the air, helpless, and landed in Vaelix's grasp. His claws closed around his throat with a dull, final sound.

My stomach turned cold.

I clenched my teeth, Essence rushing through my veins as my thoughts raced. I couldn't move first. If I attacked, I'd lose access to my laws, and Vaelix would crush me in close combat. But if I hesitated, Anjee would die before I could even blink.

My mind spun through possibilities. The chains around us hummed faintly, alive and waiting to punish the first mistake. Steve and North stood frozen behind me, their breaths shallow.

I forced myself to breathe slowly, my gaze never leaving Vaelix.

The moment I looked into Vaelix's eyes, I knew he wasn't going to make this easy.

His gaze burned with restrained fury. He wanted me to surrender. But surrendering meant death, for me, for North, for Steve, and maybe for all of Vaythos too.

I cursed myself for losing control, for killing Vynor. If I had been patient, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

I waited, hoping the chains would react, that they'd take Vaelix's grip on Anjee as an attack and bind him. But nothing came. The realm stayed silent. It was almost as if the chains themselves wanted to watch how this ended.

Vaelix said nothing.

He just stared at me, eyes glowing like stars. His hand didn't move, but I could see Anjee hanging limp in his grasp, his neck caught between those monstrous claws. The light in Anjee's eyes flickered, weak but still there. He was alive. Barely.

My mind raced. I couldn't attack; if I moved first, I'd lose access to my laws. And if I hesitated too long, Vaelix would crush Anjee's throat before I could even blink. There was no clean solution. Every option led to loss. And then there were Steve, North and Primus to worry about.

I took a deep breath and steadied my heart. "Anjee," I called softly.

His eyes twitched. Just barely, but he heard me.

"I will fulfill your wish."

He didn't speak, but I saw the faintest grin stretch across his broken face. That was enough.

'Node 3, activate.'

Essence surged through my body like a flood. My heart roared in my chest. My skin burned, and my blood turned burning hot. But I didn't let a trace of that energy leak outside. I kept it hidden, suppressed beneath calm breath.

Vaelix's eyes narrowed. He must have felt something. A low growl escaped his throat, and his claws tightened around Anjee's neck.

'[Psynapse Fracture].'

Pain split through my skull as my Psynapse divided into six streams, each one blazing in a different direction.

'[Phantom Dive].'

Shadows wrapped around me, and I vanished from the spot. The world twisted. Space tore. Traveling through the chained realm's anomalous layer was agony, like my body was being sliced apart by invisible blades. Blood splattered from the cuts tearing open across my skin, but I ignored it.

I reappeared behind Primus. His body swayed, barely conscious.

"[Lightning Rend]!"

My staff lit up with violet lightning, arcs snapping around me as space itself rippled. I swung in a full circle, doing a 360, the strike tearing through the distorted air.

BOOM!

The explosion shattered the silence. Lightning danced along the void. The fractured space turned against the Ferans, striking from every direction. Bolts shot toward Vaelix like a storm of violet death.

Vaelix roared, his body glowing red. Anjee's body erupted, blood exploding outward. My chest clenched as I realized what he had done. He had used Anjee's blood to shield himself. The blood formed a barrier, pulsing with Essence, absorbing the lightning's impact.

Many of the Feran grandmasters weren't so lucky. They were hit full-force by the stray lightning and were badly injured. Their screams faded as they fell into the abyss below.

I landed near Primus, lightning still crawling across my body. My chest ached, but I ignored the pain, raised my hand, and wrapped Essence around him to protect him from the aftermath. Then I dashed forward, cutting through the remnants of the storm.

In an instant, I was face to face with Vaelix. His eyes burned, his aura flaring like a raging sun.

I swung my staff downward. Essence gathered and spiraled through it, the air vibrating under the weight of my strike.

Vaelix didn't back down. He threw his fist forward, coated in thick, crimson energy.

BOOM!

The collision ripped through the void. Shockwaves spread outward, crashing into the chains below. Vaelix's massive frame was sent flying downward like a falling meteor. He stabilized himself before completely getting lost in the abyss below.

For a moment, I stood still, breathing heavily. Steam rose from my body, every vein pulsing from the active Node.

Physically, I had the upper hand. Transcendent or not, Vaelix wasn't stronger than me in close combat, not while Node 3 was active.

But then, I felt it. The pressure I'd been waiting for.

The chains reacted.

I instantly deactivated Node 3, forcing the raging Essence back under control.

Whoooom…

A tremendous force surged from the side. The chain bridge beside us lit up with a blinding glow. The next instant, a pulse of gravitational energy pulled everything toward it, me, Primus, Vaelix, and the remaining Ferans.

The world blurred as we were dragged across the void and slammed onto the bridge.

I rolled, forcing myself up, gripping my staff for balance. The chain beneath us trembled like a living thing. An Essence storm flared in the distance. I could see Vaelix on the other side, his claws bleeding, his expression darker than ever.

My Psynapse fractures reacted instantly, locking onto the position of everyone still standing on the chain. Vaelix was somewhere in the middle of the remaining Ferans, around twenty of them. Primus lay behind me on the chain, unconscious but alive.

I had done what I set out to do.

Except for Steve and North, everyone else was trapped on the chain with me. It was a do-or-die situation, and I knew there was no turning back.

The chain bridge then started trembling and cracking.

I let out a slow breath, feeling a brief moment of relief that my plan had worked. But that relief didn't last long. The next challenge waiting ahead was far more dangerous than anything I had ever faced. It was just me, my Essence and my body against Vaelix.

My right hand was still regenerating, the faint sound of Primus's shallow breathing echoing behind me. I couldn't afford to wait. I had to move before they could react.

With a sharp breath, I launched forward.

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