Time seemed to freeze in that instant, dust hanging motionless in the air.
The moment Yuhran saw the black spear, his pupils shrank to pinpoints, his breathing stopping for a split second.
Because Shaton was charging up—aiming straight at Milialde's back.
"Wait…"
He forced out the two hoarse words and suddenly tightened his grip on Milialde's wrist with his other hand, trying to stop her from continuing to flee.
He knew all too well that on land, no matter what, humans could never outrun a demon capable of flight.
Milialde felt the pull from behind and froze for a moment.
She turned back to look at Yuhran, her eyes filled with confusion and urgency.
She couldn't understand it at all—why he wouldn't seize the opportunity she'd created at the cost of everything.
But the instant she saw the spear tearing through the air, she understood.
Why…
Her thoughts raced.
Why was this demon's vitality so terrifyingly strong? That had been her full-power strike—yet it had barely wounded him?
There was no time to think. The moment the thought surfaced, the attack was already upon them.
Milialde could feel the pressure wave from the spear brush across her face, her skin prickling with instinctive dread.
Turn around… no, too late.
Magic—damn it. The previous battle had drained her mana to nearly zero.
Was there really no chance left to block it?
At that critical moment—
At the instant when Milialde's pupils contracted to needlepoints, when she could see no solution and could only wait for death—
Yuhran clenched his teeth.
And raised the holy tome high.
The pages flipped.
Whoosh!
Don't let me down now!
"You should have done this earlier, Yuhran."
The holy tome's cool voice sounded beside his ear. At the same time, a small, white, hexagonal barrier suddenly unfolded in front of him.
From activation to effect, the speed was instantaneous.
The next moment, the shadow spear—like a black meteor—smashed into the center of the barrier, erupting with a deafening roar.
Crack!
The barrier fractured for an instant, spiderweb cracks spreading across it—then holy light blossomed, and it healed completely in the blink of an eye.
"Impressive magic. Unfortunately for him, I'm a sacred artifact."
The tome's voice brimmed with confidence. Yuhran tugged his lips into a strained smile.
As the shadow spear crashed to the ground and dissolved back into shadow, his trembling breaths finally began to steady.
Cold sweat slid down his forehead.
"That was close… damn close…"
A fraction of a second later, and both he and Milialde would have been pierced through.
Why was this demon so absurdly strong—so strong that even Milialde couldn't defeat him?
Just then, Yuhran noticed Milialde's pupils rapidly dilating.
Her long lashes trembled uncontrollably, disbelief flooding her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
That just now—was that defensive magic?
Yuhran… could use magic now?
Meeting her shocked gaze, Yuhran knew this was not the time to explain.
Reflected in his eyes were Shaton's narrowed, pitch-black pupils—like two bottomless pools of stagnant water.
He suddenly pulled Milialde back with him.
"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to figure out how to defeat him."
"If we don't kill him, we absolutely won't be able to leave. Demons can fly."
"Demons…?"
That term immediately caught Milialde's attention.
Yuhran knew about them?
She opened her mouth to ask, but recalling his words just now, she swallowed the question back down.
Taking a deep breath, the icy air flooded her lungs and calmed her slightly.
Her gaze turned heavy and grave.
"You're right. But my mana is almost completely depleted—and his life is linked to that shadow giant."
"I honestly can't think of any way to defeat him."
Yuhran looked toward the distant giant. Its massive silhouette blotted out nearly half the sky. His brows knit tightly.
So that's how it is?
His thoughts spun rapidly—but he, too, had no clear solution.
The holy tome would only protect him in moments of crisis; it wouldn't actively participate in combat.
Wait…
Combat?
If the shadows were being controlled by the demon, then once the demon was taken out of this world—
Would the shadows still be able to act?
Yuhran thought of drones that lost control and crashed the moment they exceeded range.
He pressed his lips together, leaned close, and whispered a few words into Milialde's ear.
Seeing this, surprise flashed through Shaton's eyes before he let out a cold snort.
"So I misjudged you? This ant actually blocked my magic?"
"But it doesn't matter. You have no chances left. Blocking one attack means nothing—let me send you on your final journey."
As he spoke, he swept his hand outward. Dozens of identical black spears appeared out of thin air around him.
They lined up in a fan-shaped formation. Shadows and lethal edges gathered at their tips, some even wreathed in black miasma that radiated a chilling aura.
You can block one strike—but dozens? Hundreds?
Shadows in nature were endless. Until his mana ran dry, so was his magic.
"Go!"
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
The shadow spears shot forward like a torrential storm, carrying terrifying power.
Before Yuhran could finish speaking, he saw this and raised the holy tome again.
He knew the tome was not truly invincible. The fact that it couldn't grant him a magic seed proved its power had limits.
To avoid reaching those limits and being left helpless, he immediately shouted to Milialde:
"Remember what I just told you! That's our only chance to beat him!"
At this moment, Yuhran couldn't help but feel grateful.
A few days ago, to guard against unforeseen circumstances, he had quietly returned to Japan under cover of night.
He'd thought it was just a precaution.
Who could have imagined it would actually come into play at such a critical moment?
Milialde nodded solemnly.
She silently gathered the remnants of mana within her body, knowing full well that if this failed, she would have no strength left to resist.
Forcing her mind to stay taut, she steadied herself.
As the elder, she should have been the one protecting Yuhran—yet instead, she'd been protected by him.
What an irony…
She cut off all stray thoughts with ruthless resolve.
Clang—clang—clang.
As Shaton's barrage was fully blocked by the barrier, the impacts rang out in an unbroken chain.
At the same time, she quietly wove her remaining mana into threads, shooting them out to bind.
Yuhran lowered his center of gravity, pushing his breathing technique to the limit, calf muscles tightening like steel.
He stared fixedly at Shaton. In his state of extreme tension, the world before his eyes seemed to slow down, bit by bit.
Just one moment.
One moment was all he needed.
The soldiers had already fully withdrawn after the previous attack, while the priests had rushed into the city to contend with the shadow giant.
Even if she vanished on the spot, Milialde would have an excuse prepared for him.
Instinctively gripping the Gate Between Worlds in his pocket, Yuhran clenched his teeth.
For survival—
He was all in.
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