Below—
the battlefield suddenly fell into a strange moment of silence.
Draven's eyes shifted.
He glanced toward the distance.
At the same moment—
Lunaria also turned his head.
His golden eyes focused on something beyond the battlefield.
High above—
Aldric's attention was drawn in the same direction.
His expression changed.
Far in the distance—
a figure was flying through the sky.
Mana surged violently around her body.
Vaelith.
Nia was with her.
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
"Vaelith?"
He watched her approaching figure.
"Why's she here?"
His gaze moved over the enormous amount of mana surrounding her.
"And what's with all that mana she's releasing?"
"What the hell is she doing?"
---
Draven continued staring into the distance.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
*What is that... one?*
Then—
something changed.
---
Inside—
pitch darkness.
There was no light.
No sound.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
Then—
an arm suddenly emerged from within it.
**WHOOSH!**
The arm stretched forward.
A hand grabbed someone's neck.
A voice echoed through the darkness.
"Do you not remember?"
The grip tightened.
"I don't remember asking you to do as you please with my body."
---
Outside—
Draven suddenly froze.
His body stopped completely.
His arm rose toward his head.
His fingers pressed against the side of his skull.
His expression changed.
"...I get it now."
His voice was quieter.
"So that's it."
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"It seems that act is some kind of trigger for you, brat."
A faint smile appeared.
"I thought I had a little more time before you tried to take over."
He paused.
His gaze shifted toward Vaelith in the distance.
"...Was it because she was carrying the young ones?"
For a moment—
Draven remained completely still.
---
Lunaria watched him.
His eyes narrowed.
*What is happening to him?*
Draven wasn't moving.
His body had suddenly become completely rigid.
*Is he having some kind of problem?*
Lunaria studied him carefully.
*Could it be because of the mana that was released?*
Whatever the reason—
it didn't matter.
This was his chance.
Lunaria shifted his stance.
Lightning immediately exploded around his body.
**KRAK!**
His figure vanished.
**ZAAAAAP!**
In an instant—
he reappeared directly in front of Draven.
His blade was already moving.
Straight toward Draven's heart.
**SHIIIIING!**
Lunaria thrust the blade forward with everything he had.
But—
just before the blade could pierce Draven's chest—
it stopped.
**CLAAAAANG!**
Lunaria's eyes widened.
Draven's arm had moved.
His fingers were wrapped around the blade.
He had caught it.
Barehanded.
The blade stopped completely between his fingers.
Lunaria's pupils contracted.
*What...?*
He hadn't even seen Draven move.
Draven slowly raised his head.
His crimson eyes locked onto Lunaria.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The killing intent that erupted from Draven's body was overwhelming.
**BOOOOOOM!**
Lunaria's entire body stiffened.
For the first time—
his expression changed.
Draven's fingers tightened around the blade.
His eyes were filled with pure killing intent.
He stared directly into Lunaria's eyes.
Then—
he spoke.
"Dare interrupt me."
His voice was cold.
Lunaria's pupils contracted.
*That killing intent...*
He didn't hesitate.
His body immediately moved backward.
**ZAAAAAP!**
Lightning exploded beneath his feet.
In an instant—
Lunaria retreated.
He reappeared at a distance with a spark of lightning.
**FZZZT!**
But—
something was wrong.
Lunaria suddenly felt something warm running down his chest.
His eyes widened.
Blood sprayed from a cut that had suddenly appeared across his chest.
**SPLASH!**
He stared down.
A thin line of blood slowly spread across his clothes.
*When...?*
His mind raced.
*When did he cut me?*
He hadn't seen Draven move.
He hadn't even felt the attack.
*Was it during that brief moment when I attacked him?*
Lunaria's eyes narrowed.
*No...*
*I didn't even realize I had been cut.*
Blood continued flowing from the wound.
Lunaria stared at Draven from a distance.
*That attack...*
*It happened so quickly that I didn't even notice it.*
---
Meanwhile—
Draven's arm had returned to his head.
His fingers pressed against his skull.
His expression was irritated.
"Damn brat..."
He clicked his tongue.
"Just wait a moment."
His eyes narrowed.
"Didn't you wish to kill the elf?"
He paused.
"I was going to do exactly that, so just—"
The voice from within immediately cut him off.
"I don't remember asking you to do that."
Silence.
Then—
the voice became colder.
"So screw off."
Draven's expression twitched.
"...Damn brat."
He went silent.
For several moments—
nothing happened.
Then—
Draven suddenly straightened.
His arm moved.
**BAM!**
He struck the side of his own head.
"Damn bastard."
**BAM!**
"If you've finished with what I'd asked of you..."
**BAM!**
"Then fucking get out."
Another strike.
"Don't screw around with my body."
He stopped.
His arm slowly lowered.
Draven stood there silently.
Then—
his gaze dropped toward his own body.
His expression gradually changed.
*...So this is what it feels like.*
He remained still.
His attention shifted inward.
*To have a mana pool.*
For so long—
his body had been suffering from the constant strain of his power.
The pain.
The pressure.
The feeling that his insides were constantly being torn apart without end.
But now—
there was nothing.
No unbearable pressure.
No constant pain.
No sensation of his body being ripped apart from within.
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
*This is beyond what I expected.*
He remained silent.
*I don't feel it.*
He took a slow breath.
Nothing hurt.
For a moment—
Draven simply stood there.
*I don't even remember what it felt like...*
His gaze lowered.
*...to not be in pain.*
And yet—
right now—
he wasn't.