Viora lingered for a few moments, looking thoughtful, a sad expression on her face.
Mama Ipoh sighed and said,
"But don't worry, I won't die any time soon. What he told me is only if I summon them again… Basically, as long as I don't use my Superflux, I'll be alright."
Then Viora said, with tears almost spilling from her eyes,
"You promise?"
"I promise," Mama Ipoh said in a gentle tone.
Viora started eating her cake once more, then said,
"You better keep your promise. I hate people who can't keep them."
Mama Ipoh laughed as she began eating again.
"Alright, alright, sugar!"
As they both resumed eating, Viora suddenly felt an intense sensation inside her chest. Her heart started beating harder and harder, as though it was struggling to keep up. Then, she swore she could hear something screaming behind her neck.
There was no one there, yet she could almost make out the words—at least, she thought the words were:
"Not again… please."
Her eyes darted to the side, and she noticed the wind spirits staring at something sticking out of the ground—a dark root.
As soon as she saw it, a chill ran through her, and she could feel her heart waver.
For a second, the world felt off, as though time itself had frozen. Viora's gaze was fixed on the root, and then she heard it—a familiar, sinister voice of a woman, dripping with malice.
"Ahh, that moment was so embarrassing for me... So that's why he copied my artistic talent for… What a coincidence, I met the one he used my art on..."
Suddenly, the world returned to normal. Viora blinked, and she could see Mama Ipoh, her face filled with concern.
"You okay, sugar? You were just… staring blankly for a moment," Mama Ipoh said, worried clearly in her tone.
Viora opened her mouth, trying to speak, but before she could form the words, the ground beneath her trembled and shattered.
Dark, twisted roots burst out of the earth, writhing like serpents as they coiled upward, forming a cage around her. The roots twisted and tangled together, sealing her in. She could still see the outside world through the gaps, but there was no mistaking it—she was trapped.
Mama Ipoh screamed Viora's name, moving with incredible speed toward the cage, but before she could reach it, a katana—its blade glowing an intense crimson—slashed through the air and forced her back.
"Sorry," a voice drawled, cold and mocking, "but you'll have to break your promise. Don't worry, though… promises are made to be broken anyway."
Standing in front of the cage was a tall man. His hair was as white as early snow, save for a single thick strand dyed the color of blood. He wore a black kimono adorned with blood-red symbols that seemed to pulse against the dark fabric. His eyes were as dark as the void itself, deep and endless, and a wicked grin stretched across his face.
Mama Ipoh, with an emotion that could only be described as rage on her face, said coldly,
"Hephaestus!"
The spirit let out a small laugh before responding,
"Good, you remember me. It seems my revenge will be even more delicious!"
Mama Ipoh took a couple of steps forward, then stopped. She said coldly,
"Spirit, I don't know what game you think you're playing, but you sure have nerve—trying to hurt my daughter, and on her birthday no less."
Hephaestus shrugged, turning his katana blade into his arm once more.
"Trust me, this move was totally calculated on my part. I'll never face you without a plan again. After all, you almost destroyed my soul a year ago."
Mama Ipoh's black sunglasses began to glow with an intense blue light before she responded,
"And what makes you think you can beat me after a year, second-zone spirit?"
Hephaestus lazily scratched his hair before replying,
"Can you stop with the show you're putting on? Whatever you think you're doing, it's not working. Because with those memories of yours, it confirms my theory—multiple theories, in fact. One of them is that you have some kind of sickness… I've gathered a lot of information about that shaman country in hell, but after I almost 'died' against you, I decided to take a little visit to one of my buddies and copy her ability to view other people's memories. I waited an entire year for when you'd be the most vulnerable, then put my plan into action. See, my move was completely calculated. Knowledge is power, after all…"
He said, flashing a wide grin.
"What is this expression on your face? I mean, it was so obvious… After I copied your spirit's ability of thunder, I only sent one lightning bolt. Even though you dodged, you were spitting blood like it was your last day on earth. And a shaman from Sylvanara could have easily caught up to me and finished me off as soon as I switched Veil. I thought, but then week after week, month after month, I replayed the fight in my head. That's when I realized that I should have never been able to survive the first attack from that annoying Thunderwolf of yours. Even though it hurts to admit that... and me seeing into your memories only proved to me that my theory was right. You had quite the sad life, didn't you, Ipoh?"
Then multiple roots began to deform the ground, and the spirits of wind started flying everywhere in panic.
Mama Ipoh jumped high into the sky as Viora screamed in terror,
"Mama Ipoh!"
Then Mama Ipoh landed a couple of feet away. With anger in her voice, she said,
"You…!"
Hephaestus, with a wide grin, replied,
"Do you know how long I've waited for this? It might have only been a year, but it felt like a decade to me. To have a terminally sick, pathetic excuse of a shaman like you bring me to the edge of destruction is just comical. My mentality is that I will crush anyone who dares to look down on me. My combustion will burn brighter than anyone who has ever existed—or will ever exist. My ascension to the heavens begins with you!"
then he begin to dashed toward mama Ipoh at full speed transforming his arm into a red katana he said:
"you can't afford to summon those spirits anymore or any of your other tricks!"
then mama Ipoh turned into a blur disappearing of Hephaestus eyes then he felt an intense pain in his chest ass he look down he saw mama Ipoh pressing her hand to his chest,with so much force that he though that she could pierce his body at any moment
"arg!"
he said then went flying a couple of meters then crashing to the ground leaving a crater.
Mama Ipoh cracked her fingers, her eyes filled with dark intent.
"It seems you skipped over some parts of my memory. Because if you really thought you must fear me because of my spirits or my 'tricks,' then boy, you have a lot to learn, second-zone spirit."
Hephaestus got up, his hollow eyes filled with murderous rage as he placed his red blade in front of his face. Mama Ipoh's reflection flickered on the blade. He then spoke with an inhuman smile,
"I will have your head at my feet!"
Then both combatants turned into blurs, transforming the once peaceful scene into a dangerous battlefield. The hopeless Viora could only watch.
chapter thirty-five end