"What—?!" he growled, his form beginning to destabilize.
The light intensified, growing brighter and more violent with each passing second. The dark figure let out an enraged roar as he was overwhelmed, his shadowy form dissolving into nothingness.
When the light finally subsided, silence fell over the battlefield. Eira, Helen, and Merlin stared in shock as Junior's body returned to normal, the mechanical voice fading.
Eira collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "What… just happened?"
Merlin wiped blood from his mouth, his expression a mix of awe and confusion. "That… wasn't ordinary magic," he muttered. "That was something far beyond us."
-----
Just as a sense of relief began to settle in, the oppressive air returned, heavier and colder than before.
