The battlefield shook violently.
BOOM!
Another collision sent both figures flying apart.
Thunder Lord slid hundreds of meters across the shattered ground before planting her spear into the earth, bringing herself to a halt.
Opposite her, Ralph skidded backward through the sky.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Yet...
He was smiling.
Thunder Lord narrowed her eyes.
Something had changed.
The violent darkness surrounding Ralph no longer exploded recklessly as before.
Instead...
It began shrinking.
Compressing.
The endless sea of black light condensed around his body until it resembled liquid darkness.
The pressure radiating from him increased severalfold.
"What..."
One of the spectators swallowed nervously.
"His aura..."
"It's becoming stronger!"
Ralph slowly raised one of his swords.
The condensed darkness flowed into the blade.
The weapon trembled violently.
"I've underestimated you."
His voice had become strangely calm.
"But this battle..."
"...ends now."
BOOM!
He disappeared.
Thunder Lord instantly raised her spear.
CLANG!
The collision produced a deafening explosion.
Before she could retaliate—
Darkness erupted beneath her feet.
Dozens of black vines burst from the cracked earth.
They wrapped around her ankles.
Her wrists.
Even her spear.
The vines resembled living creatures.
Every one of them pulsed with sinister black light.
Thunder Lord's lightning surged.
CRACK!
Several vines exploded instantly.
But before they could completely break—
More appeared.
Then more.
And even more.
"They're multiplying!"
Someone in the crowd shouted.
"They're feeding on his darkness!"
Ralph swung both swords repeatedly.
Each slash released another wave of condensed darkness.
Every strike gave birth to countless more vines.
The battlefield itself had become his hunting ground.
Thunder Lord leaped into the air.
Unfortunately—
The vines followed.
They burst from cliffs.
From broken rocks.
Even from the shadows cast by the mountains themselves.
There was nowhere to escape.
The Tempest Seraphix shrieked.
With a beat of its enormous wings, it unleashed countless bolts of heavenly lightning.
Entire forests of dark vines were reduced to ash.
But almost immediately—
Fresh vines emerged.
One finally coiled around the Seraphix's leg.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
The divine beast struggled violently.
Its lightning continuously destroyed the restraints.
Yet it could no longer fly freely.
Thunder Lord's expression finally changed.
She raised one hand.
The Tempest Seraphix dissolved into countless sparks of blue lightning before returning to its summoning space.
She had recalled it.
Not because it had been defeated...
But because leaving it on the battlefield any longer would only allow Ralph's strange darkness to consume it.
"..."
The battlefield fell silent.
The people of Thunder Lord Shelter stared with pale faces.
Their confidence had disappeared.
"No..."
"Thunder Lord..."
"She's being pushed back..."
For the first time since the battle began...
Their leader had lost the initiative.
On the opposite side, the disciples of Thousand Sky Palace erupted into cheers.
"Hahaha!"
"I knew Master Ralph hadn't shown everything!"
"Those vines are impossible to escape!"
"Thunder Lord is finished!"
"Master Ralph!"
"Master Ralph!"
Their voices echoed across the battlefield.
Ralph slowly walked forward.
The countless black vines slithered around him like an army awaiting orders.
His eyes burned with frightening determination.
"You've ruled for too long."
"This era..."
"...belongs to the Underworld."
Thunder Lord remained perfectly silent.
Blue lightning flickered across her body