«'This is the fate of anyone who dares stand against the mighty Velshekar—even Nyratalir himself!'» Cassian repeats, his body swelling like a balloon ready to burst. «Fine... if that's what you want, then I'll make sure you can repeat those words to him directly!»

Just as everyone's combined attacks are about to land, a wave of black energy erupts from Cassian's body. It is darker, heavier, more powerful than anything he has ever unleashed before. The blast throws all his assailants far away.

Hakuto bounces across the ground several times, crashing hard, yet somehow forces himself to his feet before collapsing completely. Shin and Chantal are not as fortunate—they fall, crushed by the force. Itsu endures the impact better than the rest, while Velshekar, caught in midair as she is about to cast a devastating Blood Word capable of erasing the shadow mantle, is thrown off balance. Still, she manages to land on her feet despite the fall.

«What… what the fuck has that old bastard turned into now?!» Velshekar snaps.

The surrounding shadow mantle has been fully absorbed into Cassian, triggering a grotesque transformation that leaves everyone petrified. Even Itsu, who until a moment ago seemed unshaken—as if none of the dark mage's attacks could surprise him—looks horrified. It is as if he already knew what to expect, but even he cannot keep calm anymore. His steps are slow, trembling, as he retreats from the monstrous figure before him.

Cassian no longer has anything human. His humanoid frame, taller and more slender than before, has become a shapeless silhouette without eyes or mouth. His body is completely black, so dark that no facial features can be distinguished—only the contours remain.

«Yes, this is the expression of terror I have longed to see in your eyes,» Cassian murmurs. His voice is completely different now—deep, hollow, distorted like an echo from the abyss. «You were fools to refuse death earlier and force me to reveal the true face of my power. And yet, even though I see fear in your eyes, you have not sunk into madness and despair. Clearly, it is only my appearance that terrifies you—not what this form truly represents. You have shown disrespect to Nyratalir again and again, so it is only right that he be the one to punish you properly.»

«Nyratalir?! Don't talk bullshit, old bastard! Has age finally scrambled your brain?!» Velshekar snaps, her voice quivering between anger and fear. «I don't need to remind you that Nyratalir is sealed in a dimension inaccessible and inviolable even to a near-omnipotent being like him. And since you're still hunting for the two hybrids, it's obvious you haven't freed him yet! This is just a bluff—you only changed form, nothing more!»

«On that point, I cannot deny it—Nyratalir is still imprisoned in that place. But I do not need to remind you that my bloodline—the Thalukvar—is descended directly from one of Nyratalir's twelve daughters. A fraction of his infinite power flows in me. What you see before you is nothing less than the physical form taken by Nyratalir's energy—and I have become its vessel! Now I am the Avatar of the Primordial Shadow. And even if only a small fraction of infinity flows in me, a fraction of infinity is still infinity! Velshekar… your lack of faith is pitiful. For that, you will die first!»

Suddenly… Cassian vanishes from sight. And...

…a scream rips out of Velshekar's throat, shrill and agonized.

The long, black arm of the Avatar of the Primordial Shadow bursts through her chest and out her back, her still-beating heart clutched in his razor-sharp fingers.

A jet of blood sprays from Velshekar's mouth against Cassian, but the blood never stains him. The crimson stream is sucked instantly into his body, as though into a humanoid black hole. Along with the blood, green sparks flicker from the gaping wound in her chest.

«The first of the blasphemers has been dealt with,» Cassian murmurs with satisfaction, crushing her heart in his grasp. Her body collapses lifeless to the ground, while faint, serpent-shaped emerald flames whirl aimlessly around the corpse.

Cassian then turns his gaze toward Itsu.

«Now it is your turn—soon you will be reunited with that treacherous brother of yours!»

Hakuto clenches his fists. A storm of lightning erupts from his body, his legs bending, ready to launch himself toward his friend to help him stand against the creature of pure darkness.

But before he can even push off...

«Oh… you are incredibly resilient, brat. My compliments,» Cassian sneers.

He has struck once more, trying to pierce Itsu as he did Velshekar, but this time the blow does not land fully.

Cassian's black arm tears through the dense wall of fuchsia flames Itsu has raised around himself, then through the sturdy skeletal orange armor of his Innatus, and finally reaches the vampire's flesh. The clawed hand manages to penetrate little more than a centimeter into his chest, but the strike is stopped by his ribs—reinforced with the Corrupted Flame born from the Eye of the Fallen-One—right before the heart.

Yet the pain is excruciating. Itsu staggers, stunned by the searing agony, but despair itself drives him to endure.

The Corrupted Flame around him blazes fiercer than ever as he seizes Cassian's arm in a crushing grip. But contact with that shadowy body deforms his own. His arms stretch and warp, as though being pulled into the darkness he tries desperately to restrain. Bones strain to breaking, skin rips apart as if being sucked inside. Holding back his screams becomes impossible.

—ZAP!

A bolt of violet lightning slams into the monster, followed instantly by a beam of scarlet energy. Hakuto and Chantal seize the opening Itsu has forced, striking Cassian with everything they have. But their power vanishes the moment it hits, neither explosion nor shockwave triggered, their magic completely nullified.

«It's obvious now—magical attacks won't work on him,» Shin states, shaking his head with resignation.

«Then I'll cut that bastard to pieces the old way!» Chantal retorts.

The crimson aura of her Sanguis fades, replaced by the pure white blaze of the Sacred Flame. In her hand, the white fire sword extends, gleaming.

She charges Cassian, blade raised high, ready to cleave down onto the arm still embedded in Itsu's body.

But the dark creature refuses to allow it. He stretches out his other arm, unleashing an explosion of black wind that engulfs her, hurling her to the ground.

Her body is shredded from head to toe, as if trapped in a hurricane filled with razor-sharp glass.

Then, with a violent pull, Cassian withdraws his arm, abandoning for now the attempt to rip out Itsu's heart. He steps back—not in fear, but to gain a clearer view of all his enemies at once. He studies them, deciding who to kill next, like a sadist relishing the psychological torment of powerless prey.

And now… his gaze locks onto Shin.