Lord Envoyâs masses of mana reached for the cane, only for its grey radiance to soften the impacts, redirecting that foreign energy without altering its texture, purpose, or power.
That was the core of Airrakâs ability. She wielded an extreme, even unmatched understanding of the mana flow. She could perceive its patterns, trends, and innate intentions, viewing it as a proper living being with habits and inclinations.
If Khan were to learn about and describe that ability, he would see it as a perfect understanding of the worldâs symphony. Airrak could immerse herself in it, redirecting some of its invisible gales without disturbing the environment.
That was how Airrak had dealt with her opponentâs incoming attacks. No matter how violent, any wave of energy would blow elsewhere if the right hindrance appeared on its path. The trick was to avoid creating any impact. Airrak only had to set a different route for the mana to follow.
That was also why Lord Envoy had requested Airrakâs help. He needed to place his energy in specific spots, but the space in the area was twisted and hard to navigate.
Lord Envoy would have needed to untangle that twisted fabric or force his way through it to implement his technique, leading to a time-consuming process.
Instead, Airrak didnât need any of that. She had already figured out how the areaâs symphony worked, so she could send Lord Envoyâs energy where he needed it to be directly.
So, when the masses of energy reached the cane, they slipped past it, crossing Airrak to shoot in the distance. Some mana even did U-turns, flying in the opposite direction, following the ethereal roads Airrak had set it upon.
The process required utmost precision, which Airrak achieved by closing her eyes and waving her free hand alongside the incoming mana, resulting in a slow, dance-like technique.
The tall, lean, long-haired Kingâs scarlet eyes darted left, right, up, and down while inspecting that strange cooperation. Just like Airrak, he saw more about the environment than the mere energy that made it, gaining insights into the technique at work.
That alone wasnât enough to tell the long-haired King what the two children of the mana were up to. After all, the technique came from the combination of two elements, of which the King couldnât know everything.
However, the intent behind the technique worried the long-haired King. He felt somewhat scared, as if his subconscious understood that, whatever Lord Envoy and Airrak were up to, he couldnât let them complete it.
Still, there was another cause of worry, probably an even greater one. Lord Blind Sword stood in front of his two teammates, scabbard in hand, wearing a defensive stance despite his previous boasts.
And the long-haired King knew Lord Blind Sword couldnât be underestimated. He didnât even need to rely on his innate talent to confirm that. Everything about that Thilku radiated deadliness, making him an opponent few could face head-on.
The long-haired King ended up glancing at his burly companion by his side, knowing without a shadow of a doubt how bad a match-up Lord Blind Sword was for him. His fellow King was by no means weak, but Lord Blind Sword required more than mere strength.
A wisp of True Chaos fuming from the long-haired Kingâs wings flew toward the burly King, fusing with him to convey a silent message. The latter met his companionâs scarlet eyes, lingering in that exchange of glances for a few seconds before performing a solemn nod.
The burly King shot upward at that point, his figure rising high in the black, starless sky through his mighty leap, seemingly disappearing from the area.
Meanwhile, the long-haired King also shot forward, albeit in a straight line toward his opponents, but his charge was quickly cut short.
A clanging noise resounded in the area. Lord Blind Sword had rushed forward to meet the long-haired King, unsheathing his blade in the process, only for the alienâs fuming palm to stop it.
The scene was somewhat peculiar. Nothing came out of Lord Blind Swordâs handle, but something pressed on the Kingâs palm nonetheless. It seemed his hand had blocked an invisible blade, and the amount of True Chaos leaking from it vouched for its sharpness.
"[I can see your blade, child of the mana]," The long-haired King said through his strange whisper, smiling calmly. "[Your killing intent is blinding]."
Surprisingly, Lord Blind Sword felt his slash grow weaker under that direct contact with the Kingâs palm, but that cutting power didnât vanish. The King was draining it, harnessing it inside his existence, seemingly preparing to unleash it back at the Royal Guard.
Needless to say, the situation instantly became deadly. Lord Blind Sword knew his bladeâs power better than anyone else, so he was aware of what would happen if the King reflected it at him.
Yet, things only worsened.
The burly King had begun his descent, his upside-down figure mimicking a falling arrowhead. His figure was still slow, but the sky all around him had darkened, radiating a violent, almost boiling force that was shooting down at a far higher speed.
That descending torrent of darkened sky was big enough to hit everyone on the surface, but Lord Envoy and Airrak clearly were its actual targets. The burly King wanted to kill them with that devastating blow, or injure them deeply, to interrupt their technique.
As focused as Airrak was, she became aware of that incoming danger. Still, Lord Envoy hastened his energy release, forcing her to choose between matching his pace or retaining her attention on her surroundings.
That action conveyed a deeper meaning. Airrak knew that Lord Envoy was also aware of the incoming danger. Still, he trusted his fellow Royal Guard deeply, too, and was asking Airrak to do the same.
And Airrak did exactly that. She didnât really know why, but she felt she could trust those giant, red aliens, and her faith was quickly rewarded.
"[Do you think sight enables you to block]?" Lord Blind Sword said in his native language, his emotions mixing with his voice.
The King initially didnât understand what the Thilku was talking about, but his eyes soon went wide. He looked up, only to see that the darkened sky had split in two, alongside the burly King among it.