Chapter 369: The fight

The middle-aged Shade regarded me with a mixture of surprise and intrigue, his dark eyes narrowing as he studied his own outstretched hand. His fingers flexed, and he seemed to be probing something within himself, almost as if he could sense the cosmic mana that surged through my being.

"An unexpected twist. That cosmic mana, quite intriguing," he murmured, his voice carrying an unsettling blend of curiosity and amusement.

Refusing to allow him any time to react, I swiftly harnessed the cosmic mana's potent force, shaping it into a powerful spell aimed directly at him. The cosmic energy responded to my command, an otherworldly torrent cascading from the farthest reaches of space toward our opponent.

My disbelief, however, surged as the Shade displayed an uncanny premonition of danger. With a swift and practiced motion, he summoned an encompassing shield of abyssal darkness, forming a protective barrier that cocooned him in a shroud of impenetrable shadows. The cosmic spell collided with his makeshift defense, causing a cataclysmic clash of cosmic forces and abyssal power.

The collision of both energies unleashed a surge of brilliance that momentarily illuminated the void around us. In an instant, both my gathered cosmic mana and the Shade's defensive shield vanished into nothingness, leaving the enigmatic figure untouched and unfazed, his form shrouded in the dark ambiance.

With an eerie chuckle, the humanoid Shade spoke, his voice dripping with an unsettling mix of amusement and malice, "Interrupting a conversation is considered quite impolite, you know."

Breta, her resolve unbroken, took swift action. Her spear, imbued with an uncanny luminosity, soared through the air with remarkable precision, its target the Shade's head. The tense silence was broken by a sudden distortion, the monster's human features grotesquely contorting as his mouth stretched open to an impossible width. The spear was devoured by the abyssal void within him, only for his mouth to return to its normal proportions, his eerie smile intact.

Our breaths caught as it became clear that our adversary was unlike any foe we had encountered before. His mockery of our efforts only deepened the pit of dread in my stomach, the realization setting in that our situation was dire and seemingly insurmountable.

"Is that all?" The Shade taunted, his words dripping with arrogance.

Suppressing the fear gnawing at me, I propelled myself forward, wings beating with determination as I closed the gap between us. Breta followed suit, her determination evident as she matched my pace. The Shade's amusement was palpable, his demeanor almost mocking.

With calculated intent, I coated my claws with my poison element, my mind dismissing the conventional elements in favor of this unorthodox approach, as I doubted they would do the bastard any harm. I lunged forward, ready to strike, the Shade's arm rose in a deliberate gesture, an attempt to intercept my attack. I made a split-second decision, teleporting away just as his arm swung downward, reappearing behind him in a swift and precise motion. My claws found their mark, but the Shade's form shimmered, revealing an illusory afterimage as he nimbly avoided my strike.

Breta, undeterred, charged forth with her own assault, spear clutched tightly in her hand. Her attack was relentless, a second spear materializing in her grip as she launched herself toward the Shade. Yet, despite her determination and speed, the monster remained unfazed. He moved with an uncanny swiftness, almost a blur, effortlessly evading our combined efforts with an unsettling calmness.

"Not bad, not bad at all. But if that's all you can—" The Shade's taunt abruptly halted, his words silenced as Sidus materialized from the shadows directly behind him. Even my senses failed to detect my little brother's approach until he was already upon the malevolent being.

A subtle change in the Shade's expression flickered, his instincts urging him to dodge. It was precisely in that moment that I seized the opportunity, unleashing another surge of cosmic mana. Sidus's form was shrouded in the swirling shadows of his own darkness magic, and the combined force of his attack and my cosmic energy cornered the Shade.

Forced to react, the Shade erected his protective shield of abyssal darkness once more. The collision of his shield and my spell created a dazzling explosion of opposing energies, momentarily obscuring our surroundings. Amid the chaos, Sidus's strike connected with the Shade, his darkness mana clashing against the abyssal power.

The Shade's palm met Sidus's claw in a fierce confrontation, sending my little brother hurtling backward through the void, before his form vanished into the security of the shadows, retreating from the fray as his presence disappeared once more.

Capitalizing on the opening, Ynos swooped in, unleashing his dragon breath to bathe the surroundings in brilliant light. However, the Shade seemed to shrug off the attack's brilliance, his focus unwavering as he nonchalantly waved a dismissive hand. His attention was laser-focused on Breta's impending assault.

Seizing the moment, I channeled my cosmic mana's manipulation to alter the trajectory of Ynos's breath attack. The blazing energy teleported, emerging suddenly from the Shade's blind spot. The monster's features contorted in frustration, his efforts concentrated on countering Breta's spear thrust.

In the midst of his deflection, the redirected breath attack detonated upon the Shade's side, triggering a dazzling explosion that momentarily concealed his form. The surprise attack sent shockwaves through his body, and for an instant, his composed demeanor faltered.

Reacting swiftly, I teleported yet again, just as Breta was forced back, leaving a trailing afterimage of my form as I surged forward. With focused intent, I conjured a swirling orb of poison-imbued mana, propelling it towards the Shade's imposing figure.

As the venomous sphere hurtled towards its target, Sidus emerged from the shadows, deploying his own darkness magic. Sinewy tentacles materialized, snaking out to ensnare the Shade's limbs, immobilizing his ability to evade. Sidus's calculated move forced the Shade into a direct confrontation with my toxic assault.

A spark of hope flickered within me as the corrosive embrace of my poison attack enveloped the Shade, its malevolent form seemingly weakened. Could this be the turning point we had desperately hoped for?

Breta surged forward with her spear, channeling the divine energy within her. The weapon blazed with an aura of radiant power, and as it struck the Shade, the space itself quivered under the impact. A dazzling blend of brilliant light and deep purple hues shrouded the monster, obscuring its form for precious moments.