They moved together.
Not in coordination.
In contradiction that somehow aligned.
Lyra attacked first—
Her magic didn't cast spells.
It rewrote rules.
Gravity reversed in one direction, then inverted inside itself. Time lagged behind impact, causing damage before attacks landed. Entire sections of reality were forced into unstable equations.
Azael simply walked through it.
"Your system is primitive," he said.
Gideon appeared behind him instantly.
No spell.
No movement.
Just arrival.
His strike landed.
For the first time—
Azael was pushed back.
Silence cracked across the battlefield.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"…He actually moved him."
Azael steadied himself.
Slowly.
Then smiled.
"You are learning."
The sky darkened further.
And then—
Azael raised his hand.
"End of observation."
The world folded inward again.
But this time—
Gideon resisted.
And Lyra reinforced him.
Their powers collided—not harmonized, not merged, but synchronized resistance.
Reality screamed.
The sky fractured into infinite layers.
And for the first time—
Azael's control broke completely.