Suddenly, Reeve stopped coughing, and a jeweled black staff appeared in his hand. He pointed it at Heideline: a blue flash immediately erupted from the staff, and the young woman was swallowed up without the slightest resistance.
But Amadi, with a brutal gesture of his hand, cut the space in front of him; the storm of lightning that should have fallen on Heideline found itself teleported right in front of Stacy.
A cry of horror erupted. Stacy immediately followed up with the Magic Staff Substitution and then the Mirror Substitution, but nothing worked. Even when she grabbed a dazzling talisman with designs so intricate they made her head spin, it had no effect.
The Staff of Ancestors recreated the Lightning Storm Reeve had witnessed at sea, risking his life, cast with all his might by a Cardinal of the Church of the Storm. This Cardinal was a Sequence 3 Sea King who had once cast it at the cost of his life.
Although this replica lacked the power of the original, it was more than enough to kill an "Affliction Demon" equipped with a Sequence 4 talisman.
But, against all odds, the lightning doesn't hit Stacy.
Between the three, a struggle erupted between black flames and blue electric arcs, until, with no residual force, the Lightning Storm dissipated helplessly into the villa.
Reeve and Amadi, seeing this black flame capable of neutralizing a blow almost worthy of a Sequence 3 demigod, said nothing. They simply redoubled their caution, although a glint of "I expected that" shone in their eyes.
A voice then sounded, sometimes close, sometimes far away:
"New Elder… Amadi… what a handsome man. Too bad you're an Abraham. Otherwise, I would have almost spared you. No need to run away; I've already found your essential information through some introspection."
Amadi replied in a mock-casual tone, "Oh? So, all those who left before us, you captured, killed, and then used them to communicate with their spirits? Not a single attempt at conversion? How cruel."
"No point in trying to provoke me," the vaporous voice continues.
"The Abrahams, it must be said, are admirable. Even your Sequence 8 or 9 trash refusing to submit to a demigod. Is that your arrogance as a former family of angels?"
Heh heh... Joining forces with us, the divine families, wouldn't really be a shame, though. You, you're not even capable of producing a single Sequence 6 anymore!
Another voice, full of hatred, rises:
"Enough talking! Heideline is dead, you should kill them both now, to avenge her!"
It was Stacy, the Witch of Pain, her face twisted with fury.
A light laugh floated through the room:
During this exchange, Reif had already discreetly handed the Staff of Ancestors to Amadi, who was circling around them, brandishing the Dagger of Secrecy. Reif didn't speak; he simply gave him a meaningful look.
Pain finally showed on Amadi's face. The ever-optimistic "Astrologer" had realized the obvious: only one of them could desperately stop the other, and only he could survive. Apparently, the only survivor would be himself. Looking at the old man who had dedicated his life to Abraham, Amadi couldn't help but feel his emotions shift.
For two or three seconds, they stared at each other in silence. Then both felt a tingle in their throats. Without a word, Amadi brandished the Staff of the Ancestors, discovered a spatial portal, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The demigoddess witch doesn't try to hold him back. She simply reveals her silhouette, a soft smile on her lips:
"No need... I've already sealed the surrounding space. What do you think I was doing...?"
She stopped abruptly, stunned:
"Impossible! This black staff... could it be an artifact of an angel?!"
Panicked, she waved her hands as if pulling on invisible threads. Then, after a moment, she seemed to reassure herself and gave a quiet smile.
Without warning, a dazzling light flooded the villa.
The beam engulfed the Sorceress of Pain and the Sorceress of Despair at once. In the latter's hands, silver threads seemed to glow in the light before being destroyed by its glare.
The Witch of Despair hugged Stacy. Her face remained impassive, without a trace of triumph, so far removed from her former confidence.
As the light fades, she coldly declares:
"Abraham… scared little mice running around. But this time, you won't be able to run away. You won't escape."
Reif took the hand. The ring he wore cast an eerie glow, illuminating the surroundings. His throat felt like it was about to burst, but he forced his voice.
"I know… your virus has already doomed me. But I never wanted to run away!"
And he roared with all his might:
"You say that we, Abraham, will run away, that's true, but you say that we are cowards? Impossible! However miserable the Abrahams may be, no one surrenders! Our present joy comes from the gift of our ancestors. Do you know who the Wanderer's Ring is made of?"
"He is my ancestor! The glory of our angelic family comes not only from glory at the top, but also from our unyielding spirit at the lowest! The spirit of our ancestors will always bless us!" Reeve roared at the top of his lungs.
A flash, accompanied by a thunderbolt, burst from Reeve's body.
His body slowly dissolved into the light, but something remained—a diamond-like gleam, which immediately melted into the Wanderer's Ring.
The Witch of Despair and Stacy were also swept away by the wave of light and electricity. The black flames and ice that protected them melted like shadows in the sun.
Before being touched, the Witch of Despair made a gesture, and both vanished into a mirror.
When the light went out and the thunder fell silent, the Witch of Despair reached out, grabbed the ring, and then hurriedly disappeared through the mirror.
Just a few minutes after he left, a slight whistling sound was heard.
A figure fell silently from the sky onto the ruins of the villa.
Another, golden one, immediately joined her. The two figures exchanged a glance, then turned towards a motionless shadow, crouching in a corner.
A third presence appeared—without brilliance, but with an overwhelming aura.
They approached, exchanged a few words, nodded... then parted silently.
(End of chapter)