The atmosphere shifted, and the battlefield stilled in an unsettling silence.
The air itself seemed to tremble as a new, unfamiliar presence began to saturate the space around them.
It was not mana.
No, this was something else.
Something just as profound.
The sensation was different, more primal and ancient, as if the very fabric of reality had momentarily bent to its will.
A heavy, intangible weight pressed down upon all who stood witness.
For those who were attuned to the subtle currents of energy, they knew immediately what it was.
It was spiritual energy.
Those who had encountered it before recognized its intensity, its overwhelming potency.
It was not like mana, the fuel of magic.
Spiritual energy was far more elusive, far more refined.
It radiated a purity and power that could rival mana itself, a force that came from the very essence of one's soul.