Mike's eyes locked onto the sphere forming between Julian's palms. For a single, frozen moment, something flickered across his face—uncertainty, perhaps. The first crack in his confidence.
Then he snarled and thrust both hands forward.
"BLOOM!"
The greenish decay aura surged outward in a concentrated wave, aiming to engulf Julian's attack before it could fully form. The Void Sphere met the wave of rot—
And held.
Mike's eyes went wide. "What—"
The sphere didn't decay. Didn't crumble. Didn't even flicker. Shadow absorbed the corrupting energy. Lightning burned through it. Gravity warped it away from the core. Mike's ultimate weapon, the skill that had killed dozens, was useless against this fusion.
"Impossible!" He threw his arms up in a desperate guard, pouring more power into his aura. "NOTHING resists Bloom! NOTHING!"
Julian released the sphere.
