Spirit Shaman.

A rare and formidable path of cultivation, one that did not merely imitate the power of spirit beasts but fused with them entirely.

Practitioners of this path bound the essence of powerful beings into their own bodies, allowing them to draw upon those abilities at will—enhancing their strength, casting unique techniques, and reshaping their very form into something beyond human limits.

Through VIA’s continuous analysis, Emery had already identified several of the elder’s sources of power.

The writhing serpents forming his arm were unmistakably Diamond Fang Pythons. The elongated crystalline limbs extending from his back resembled an Obsidian Blade Spider, a high-ranking predator known for its razor-sharp appendages and relentless offensive capability. Meanwhile, the transformed legs bore the signature of a Blood Wind Goat, a beast renowned for its explosive speed and erratic movement.

And yet—

Those were only three.

There was still at least one more presence hidden within the elder’s body, something that granted him that profound concealment ability, allowing his existence to slip between perception and reality itself.

Given the elderly Three Cosmos cultivation, it would not have been surprising if even more spirit beasts were embedded within him, each one contributing a different strength, all woven together into a single, unified form.

With the information gathered, cross-referenced the elder’s abilities with records of Three Cosmos–level fugitives. One name surfaced almost immediately—an infamous Spirit Shaman once ranked among the top ten most wanted criminals of the Magus Alliance.

"The Chimera Sovereign"

The last record of him dated back five centuries ago, when a large-scale hunt forced his disappearance, leaving many to believe he had died. Yet the timing now felt far from coincidental, as that same period marked the rise of the Midnight Brotherhood. Emery’s gaze sharpened slightly, realizing the truth—this "elder" was no mere supporter, but the hidden figure behind it all.

"Hahaha... have you finally understood who you are fighting now?" the elder’s voice echoed, drifting across the battlefield as his figure blurred and vanished once more, moving at extreme speed. "It is too late to regret."

His presence flickered unpredictably, appearing only as faint distortions that circled the area, like a predator stalking from beyond sight.

And yet—

Emery remained calm.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Even against such an opponent, his composure did not waver. With his one remaining arm, he guided the Eightfold Willow Swords, drawing them inward into a tight defensive formation. The blades spun rapidly around him, weaving together into layered patterns that shifted continuously, forming a protective barrier of steel and spirit energy.

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

The sound of colliding metal rang out sharply as the formation was immediately put under pressure. The chimera elder’s attacks struck from unseen angles, while Maldrin and Skylark advanced simultaneously, their combined assault relentless and coordinated.

Blades spun and shifted, intercepting strikes, their movements guided by Emery’s will, but even he could feel the strain building. His control was not yet complete. Over the past three years, he had only reached fifty percent-mastery of the Eightfold Willow Swords, and under the relentless pressure of three Grand Magus that limitation began to reveal itself.

At first, it was subtle.

A fraction of a delay.

A slight misalignment.

Then—

Gaps.

Tiny openings began to appear within the rotating defense, momentary flaws that flickered in and out as the formation struggled to keep pace with the overwhelming assault. Each second, those imperfections grew more apparent, more dangerous.

"How long do you think you can hold on?!" the chimera sovereign voice echoed, laced with mockery as his attacks grew sharper, more refined, each strike probing for weakness with predatory intent.

Then—

He found one.

A flaw.

In a sudden burst of speed, the elder slipped through a narrow opening in the formation, his blurred figure condensing into reality for the briefest instant. In that fraction of time, his killing intent surged to its peak as half a dozen pythons erupted forward from his arm, their massive jaws snapping open, fangs gleaming as they lunged with savage ferocity.

The strike was flawless.

Perfectly timed.

Unavoidable—under normal circumstances.

But Emery had already reacted.

Twilight energy surged violently beneath his feet, flooding the swamp as thick, ancient vines burst upward in an instant. They twisted and coiled together, forming a dense, layered barrier directly in the path of the attack.

The collision was explosive.

The pythons crashed into the barrier with overwhelming force, their diamond fangs driving deep into the twisting mass of vines as violent shockwaves rippled outward. The thick tendrils shuddered under the impact, their surfaces cracking and splitting as chunks were torn apart, shredded by the sheer brutality of the strike.

For a moment—

It seemed the barrier would collapse.

Then—

The Elysian Vembrace on Emery’s arm flared to life.

A radiant pulse of energy surged outward, its ancient vitality flowing directly into the vines as the power of the Elysian Tree coursed through them. In an instant, the damaged tendrils hardened, a thin layer of luminous spirit energy forming over their surface, reinforcing them beyond their natural limits.

The vines stopped breaking.

They held.

The python fangs met resistance, their advance slowing as the newly formed spiritual layer absorbed the remaining force of the attack, stabilizing what should have been a shattered defense.

Just long enough.

Seizing that fleeting window, Emery’s focus sharpened as his will surged through the formation. The scattered blades responded instantly, snapping back into position as they shifted with precise coordination, closing the exposed gap before the elder could push any further.

The formation tightened, its rotation accelerating as it reestablished its defensive rhythm.

For a moment—

Another minute passed, and this time Emery’s expression finally shifted—not from the mounting pressure around him, but from what he sensed at the edge of the battlefield.

Fjolnir was reaching his limit.

Across the swamp, his senior staggered under the relentless assault of the Phantom Blade, several deep wounds already carved into his body. Blood stained his armor, his movements growing heavier with each exchange, yet he continued to fight with unwavering resolve.

Despite his vast experience and indomitable will, the gap between them was simply too great. Facing an opponent three realms above him was not something skill alone could fully compensate for.

Emery’s eyes narrowed as he prepared to intervene, his attention shifting toward Fjolnir’s worsening condition.

But then—

Something changed.

With a thunderous roar, Fjolnir planted his feet deep into the swamp, anchoring himself as he raised his lightning-wreathed axe high above his head. A surge of ancient power erupted from within him, raw and primal, as if something long dormant had finally awakened. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"I call upon the power of my ancestor— the great Aesir!!"

The air trembled.

A massive projection materialized behind him, towering and radiant, its form clad in divine light that pulsed with overwhelming authority. Lightning exploded outward, crackling violently around Fjolnir’s body as the golden figure merged into him, its power flooding his veins and elevating his aura to an entirely new level.

The massive thunderous blast erupted across the swamp, electricity surging through the murky waters and striking the hidden Phantom, revealing his location and stunning him for a fraction of a second.

It was enough.

Fjolnir moved with overwhelming power, as if possessed by a god.

His axe came down with devastating force, lightning roaring as it cleaved through the air.

A lethal blow.

SPLATTT

The Phantom Blade was struck head-on, greatly wounded.

Emery watched, a faint smile forming as the tide shifted.

The concern that had lingered within him vanished.

There was nothing holding him back.

"My turn now."