The Yokai's glowing eyes narrowed, its attention snapping away from Jiang and toward the glowing chain that seemed to manifest out of nowhere. Its jagged grin faltered. "Impossible…" The words slipped through the creature's teeth as the black energy coiled tighter against the chain, struggling, before fading altogether. The Yokai's hand trembled, momentarily weakened by the unexpected force.
Jiang barely managed to lift his head, his vision blurry, but he could still make out the dim figure standing several feet away—the Cardinal, bathed in the radiance of the chain, his expression a mixture of awe and confusion. "What in the name of...?"
The Yokai growled, recoiling from the light. Its skeletal form flickered, momentarily destabilized, before reforming. "You... dare!" it roared, launching itself toward the Cardinal, claws extended.
The Cardinal stepped back, his grip tightening on the small silver cross he wore around his neck. His heart pounded in his chest, uncertain of what he'd just summoned but feeling a surge of power course through him, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He was no warrior, no chosen one, yet here he stood, wielding a force he didn't understand. The chain remained, gleaming brightly, and instinctively, he flung it forward again, sending the shimmering links straight at the Yokai.
The creature snarled, ducking under the chain, and swept its claws upward, aiming to tear the Cardinal apart. But as the claws neared him, the glowing light around the Cardinal seemed to intensify, an unseen force repelling the Yokai's attack. The elder gasped, stepping back again, his mind racing. This isn't possible. This shouldn't be happening. I'm just a man—
His thoughts were interrupted by the Yokai's frenzied movements. "Your tricks won't stop me!" The creature lunged, a dark mist spilling from its body as it tried to close the distance.
"Stay back!" the Cardinal shouted, his voice shaking. His hand gripped the cross tighter, his faith, his only weapon now. The chain responded, wrapping around the Yokai's outstretched arm, forcing it to a stop in mid-air. A guttural scream erupted from the Yokai as the glowing links bit into its form, burning away at the darkness.
Jiang watched, still unable to move, as the Yokai writhed, struggling against the chains that now began to sap away at its strength. A cold clarity washed over him as he realized what was happening—the energy it had stolen from him was slipping away. "It's draining him," Jiang rasped, barely audible through the blood in his throat.
Aylin, crumpled against a pillar, fought to keep her eyes open through the pain. Her vision blurred, and the throbbing in her body was nearly unbearable, but something about the scene in front of her forced her to focus. She blinked hard, pushing through the haze of her injuries, and froze. The Cardinal—an ordinary human—was bathed in a golden glow, the chains of light snaking through the air, pulsing with a power she had only heard of in legends. Her breath hitched. Spirit Essence...
Her mind reeled. Spirit Essence, the gold of the unseen world, was something no mortal could ever hope to wield. It governed the mind and soul, the most sacred and locked-away power, a force for shaping reality, perception, and the spiritual plane. It was impossible. Humans were supposed to be barred from such things—completely cut off.
"How...?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. Panic and awe warred within her as she struggled to sit up. The pain in her ribs flared, but her eyes never left the Cardinal, who stood with the radiant chains lashing out at the Yokai. "This can't be real."
Her thoughts raced. Is it me? Did my presence awaken something? Or... could it be Jiang? She glanced toward the broken form of Jiang lying motionless on the ground. Could his system have triggered this? The questions piled up, but none had answers. Not now, anyway.
The Yokai snarled, clawing at the chains, but it was weakening. Each second, the glowing links wrapped tighter, the creature's form flickered, dark mist dissipating like smoke in the wind. "You… dare…" it rasped, the arrogance in its voice fading, replaced with something that sounded dangerously close to fear.