CHAPTER 98: ANIMA

"What... are you?"

Gallos just stared at Mikel, who was supposed to have little spiritual energy. After all, the latter gave off no spiritual energy on normal days, which was already strange in itself, especially considering Mikel had been able to hold Eron’s glaive despite that.

Even though concealment techniques existed, there was no way to hide such overflowing cursed and spiritual energy.

So, how was this kid doing it?

Unaware of Gallos’ internal conflict, Mikel’s red eye glowed as he scanned the area. Haleth didn’t just enhance his Night Vision. He could also temporarily conceal Mikel’s presence within a mile radius.

Combining both allowed him to detect cursed energy across a wide area. It was how he’d been finding food for the Blood Chain without the help of any ghosts. And right now, there wasn’t any cursed energy nearby—or anyone with spiritual energy.

"How do I do it?" he mumbled, glancing at Doom’s screen.

[Launching memory log script for opening an Anima Portal from the Book of the Dead, Chapter 2, page 13...]

Following that, the screen displayed the correct way to summon an Anima safely.

All he had to do was concentrate his spiritual energy on the book’s page, and it would open for him.

Mikel turned to the Book of the Dead, which floated before him. Its pages fluttered and stopped on the designated page. He placed his hand on it, took a deep breath, and briefly closed his eyes.

When he reopened them, a flicker glinted across them as he chanted, "Anima."

The page beneath his palm ignited. But by now, Mikel was used to the heat, especially since the Blood Chain liked to burn him for whatever reason.

Slowly, the Book of the Dead shrank until it could fit in his palm. Mikel clenched his hand around it, feeling the sizzle dig into his skin. It made him wince, but only slightly, and only for a moment.

At the same time, everything around them darkened until only Mikel, mini Gallos, and Haleth remained.

It was just a void.

Had it not been for Haleth’s lantern, they wouldn’t have seen anything.

Gallos and Mikel looked around, scanning their surroundings. But there was nothing, just an endless darkness. When Mikel’s eyes landed on Gallos, his brow furrowed.

"You..." Mikel trailed off, watching Gallos return his gaze. "...You’re back."

Hearing that, Gallos looked down at himself and realized he had returned to his normal size. When he looked back at Mikel, he noticed the boy was no longer looking down, but up.

Not just that, his worn-out armor appeared repaired. Though in this void, it no longer gleamed silver, but instead looked blackened. He touched the side of his helm, and it was no longer broken.

Gallos remained silent, but he understood what was happening.

He was able to pull me out of my form, he thought, flexing his hand. Or rather... my Zone.

His gaze shifted to the void.

"This isn’t a Zone, even if it feels like one," he said. His voice no longer sounded pitchy. It carried a nobler, more masculine tone. "It’s an Anima."

An Anima pretending to be a Spiritual Zone... or perhaps something else.

Gallos drew a breath, swallowing hard. He could no longer deny what he’d been suspecting.

This young lad... wasn’t just dangerous. This Anima—and the presence it carried—felt ancient. And it was watching him.

"Yeah?" Mikel cocked his head, studying Gallos from head to toe.

Surprisingly, Gallos felt different from the cafeteria. Even back in the dorm, when he’d watched Ran sleep, Gallos didn’t feel wrong—just different. For the first time, Gallos understood why people once revered these phantoms as guardians.

[System Detected: Gallos, the Silver Knight Phantom]

[System Note: Within the Anima, Phantom Gallos is not bound by contract protocols. His actions do not reflect the will or consent of his wielder.]

Mikel arched a brow and smirked. "So the theory’s true, huh?"

[Correction: An Anima follows its caster’s will—conscious or not. With the Warden’s current will, it has overridden Phantom Gallos’ constraints, allowing him to operate on personal directive.]

Ahh...

So, because Mikel had thought about letting Gallos use this space to freely release his spiritual energy, the Anima had granted it.

"Theory?" Gallos asked, snapping Mikel out of his thoughts.

"Mhm. Theory. You’re strong," Mikel replied, amused. He faced the Phantom. "Hey, how about you and I... spar?"

The brows beneath Gallos’ helm twitched. "Spar? But I don’t have—" He stopped. His eyes caught the long, light sword now resting at his side.

"A certain someone just told me that within this Anima, you don’t represent your wielder—only your will," Mikel explained casually. "In here, you’re not Ran’s Phantom. You’re just Gallos, the Silver Knight."

Gallos stared at the boy, probing his own spiritual energy.

It was true.

He could feel it—his own power, flowing through him like it used to. Phantoms were powerful beings. Their strength did not reflect their wielder’s capabilities.

That was why Ran couldn’t wield him properly. Gallos’ energy far outclassed his.

"Come on," Mikel said with a shrug. "I know you’re itching to fight."

Because Mikel’s cursed relics were also stirring in excitement.

Silence followed those words as they stared at each other. Then Mikel raised a hand.

"Oh, and don’t tell Ran about this, alright?" he added as if it were an afterthought. "If you do... I’ll have to kill him—"

CLANG!

Mikel didn’t get to finish because Gallos was already in front of him, sword in hand. On instinct, Mikel snapped his wrist, and in a blink, his beaded bracelet unraveled into a long chain.

Gallos’ polished black blade collided with Mikel’s rusty chain, the latter gripping both ends tightly to block the blow.

After a beat, Mikel grinned—too wide—it looked almost villainous.

Gallos, on the other hand, stared at Mikel, then stepped back, raising his sword. Only this time, the chain’s other end whipped out and crashed into Gallos’ side. Thanks to his instinct, he was able to block it.

No words were spoken between them anymore as the sound of metal rang out within the Anima, echoing sharply to do the talking. Sparks flashed in bursts, making their silhouettes blink in and out of sight.

Meanwhile, Haleth stood off to the side, lantern held steady, watching the battle unfold.

This isn’t a spar, Haleth thought, able to follow the fight despite the blinding speed.

This is a real battle... or at least, that’s what it looks like.

And yet, Haleth remained calm, unshaken by the increasing spiritual energy from both because there was only one thing that mattered.

Mikel... was smiling and to Haleth, that was enough.