Jax stood face to face with Eryndel.

Blood still dripping from his wounds. Body screaming in protest. But standing nonetheless.

He glanced behind him.

Nerith's mother was there, her arms wrapped protectively around her daughter. Both women watching with desperate, tear-streaked eyes.

And beside them—General Ithris.

The same man who had tried to slap Nerith just minutes ago now looked at Jax with something entirely different.

Hope.

'Even if he loves his daughter that doesn't change the fact that he had chose position over daughter or whatever it was.'

All of them stood behind a line of soldiers—mage units, judging by their robes and the staves they carried. They had erected shimmering barriers around the battlefield.

Not just to protect the spectators.

But to contain the fighters.

A magical cage ensuring the sacred sanctum remained pristine while its occupants attempted to murder each other.

'I was wrong about these asshole demons they do care of some stuffs too.'

Jax's observation was shattered by movement ahead.

Eryndel stood across from him.

Armor gleaming under the sanctum's eerie light. That insufferable grin plastered across his face.

Even without studying him closely, Jax could see what came next.

Eryndel raised his hand.

Dark energy began gathering above his palm. Swirling. Condensing. Compressing into a sphere of absolute blackness.

It floated inches from his fingers—a fluctuating ball of destruction. Pulsing. Throbbing. Ready to burst at any moment.

"Don't die from just this one."

Eryndel's voice dripped with sadistic amusement.

The sphere began leaking energy. Shrinking as power vomited from its core like a dying star collapsing in on itself.

A beam erupted.

Screaming toward Jax.

He shifted his weight instantly. Pushed off his back foot. Dove sideways with everything his broken body could muster.

The beam missed him by a hair's breadth.

And slammed into the barrier behind.

The energy fought against the magical wall. Grinding. Screeching. Pushing with relentless fury.

Then it broke through.

The first layer shattered like glass.

The beam continued—weakened but still deadly and crashed into the second barrier.

This one held.

Barely.

The energy finally dissipated with an angry, hissing death rattle.

Jax stared at the aftermath.

'Two layers of barriers. And I spotted a third mage unit on standby in case those failed. They sure are taking this seriously might as well take it.'

His eyes returned to Eryndel.

'Demons really are overpowered as fuck compared to everyone else in this world even this bastard. No wonder they're feared.'

His mind raced.

'I need to think. But I don't have time. And I definitely don't have the HP for mistakes.'

Then a thought struck him.

'System. Can you help me with this? Please?'

Silence.

'Oh come on. Just some info on that skill. That's all I'm asking.'

The familiar interface flickered reluctantly to life.

[SYSTEM TERMED SKILL: BLACK SUN BLOOM]

[DESCRIPTION: A miniature eclipse made of compressed darkness and inverted flame]

[SYSTEM IDENTIFIED TARGET USER'S CURRENT KNOWLEDGE USES:]

[1. Dark beam - Sphere can be fired as an attack, drains user's mana]

[2. Dark rod - Sphere can extend to any desired length until sphere is fully consumed]

[3. Explosive projectile - Entire sphere can be launched and detonated at user's will]

[WEAKNESS IDENTIFIED:]

[- Only one sphere can be manifested at a time]

[- 10 second cooldown between sphere creations]

[- Manipulating dark energy requires significant mana - can empty reserves rapidly]

[SYSTEM ATTEMPTING DEEPER ANALYSIS...]

[NAME: UNDEFINED]

[MP: ╳╳╳╳╳ / ╳╳╳╳╳]

[BLACK SUN BLOOM MP COST: ▒▒▒▒▒]

[SYSTEM ACCESS DENIED]

[FAILURE TO RETRIEVE DATA]

[SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN...]

The screen flickered and died.

But Jax was smiling.

'That's all I needed to know.'

His eyes found Eryndel across the battlefield.

The demon's hand was already raised again. Dark energy swirling. Another sphere forming.

'Ten second cooldown. That's why he hasn't charged at me yet. He was waiting for his next shot to be ready.'

The second sphere completed.

Larger than the first. Angrier. Fueled by irritation that his prey had dodged.

And with a snarl of pure rage, Eryndel hurled the entire thing at Jax.

No beam this time.

The whole sphere. The whole miniature sun of death.

Flying directly at him.

Jax activated Echo Mirror.

It was successfully linked with Eryndel now.

Then he closed his eyes.

'Think. Remember everything from that basics book. The fundamentals of mana.'

The knowledge surfaced from memory.

Every element—fire, water, darkness, light they all shared one thing in common.

Mana.

Raw mana, shaped and colored by its user's will.

So Jax began treating the approaching ball not as dark energy, but as pure mana.

Because that's all it really was.

People could manipulate their elements because those elements carried something unique—their signature. Their personal mana frequency woven into every particle.

The sphere flying toward him right now carried Eryndel's signature.

His mana. His control. His ownership.

Jax reached out with his senses.

Felt the energy approaching.

Felt the signature threaded through it.

And with Echo Mirror's power...

He already had copied it.

That foreign mana signature became his own. A hack he had discovered about his skill. Whatever he could sense, he could replicate.

His eyes snapped open.

The sphere was inches from his face.

He could feel Eryndel's grin widening. Could sense the demon's finger twitching, ready to close his fist and command the explosion.

Ready to end this.

But little did he know.

His power wasn't his alone anymore.

Jax raised his hand.

And caught the sphere.

Like a baseball.

The dark sun sat in his palm. Swirling. Pulsing. Completely obedient.

Across the battlefield, Eryndel laughed triumphantly.

"FOOL!"

His fist closed. The gesture that should sever his connection to the sphere. The command that should trigger detonation.

Jax felt the attempted disconnection.

The sphere remained perfectly stable in his hand.

'Oh. So THAT'S how you explode it. Just release control. Simple. I thought I'd have to figure out something complicated like pumping more mana into it.'

He looked down at the miniature sun of destruction sitting obediently in his palm.

And patted it gently.

"Good boy."

His voice carried across the silent sanctum.

Jax knew if Eryndel cuts the connection one connection still remains which was his now.

One Attack two masters and he just handed him the leash.

"Now then... should mama turn you into a rod? Or keep you as a cute little sphere?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Either would work, really."

Every jaw in the sanctum detached from its face simultaneously.

Nerith's hands flew to cover her mouth.

Her mother looked like she was witnessing divine intervention.

General Ithris blinked repeatedly, certain his eyes were deceiving him.

The mage soldiers exchanged glances of absolute bewilderment.

And Eryndel?

Eryndel stood frozen.

Confused.

Petrified.

Hissing through clenched teeth.

Inside his body, not only had his soul packed its bags and fled the premises—his balls had joined the evacuation.

They had assessed the situation, held an emergency meeting, and unanimously decided this was above their pay grade.

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