Jack's crazed smile gradually faded, his expression darkening into a frown as his eyes locked onto the figure standing before him.
"Tch… One day, I decide to stretch my wings a little, and trouble just crawls out of the woodwork," he muttered, annoyance thick in his voice. His hands twitched at his sides, his fingers itching to summon the darkness that churned within him.
However, Ivan's focus wasn't on Jack. His piercing blue eyes were trained on the stunned Alisha, who stood frozen, her face pale as disbelief radiated from her. The shattered remains of her barrier still flickered faintly in the air, as if mocking her failure.
Jack's spear had torn through her defenses like they were made of paper.
"You may have a great deal of karma," Ivan finally spoke, his voice calm and measured. "But your understanding of power is limited. It's not that I doubt your capacity, but I suggest you step aside. Let me deal with this."
