Chapter 121: Chapter 121: When Angels Fall to Darkness

Swish! 

Swish! 

Swish! 

With every sharp step, the air rippled— 

as if the entire space moved with her. 

"Your mastery of Sonído has improved a lot…" Ren said with a calm note of admiration— 

before vanishing in the blink of an eye and reappearing right behind Mahiru, unleashing a barrage of punches so fast they were barely visible. 

But Mahiru did not back down. 

She bent gracefully, her body twisting with the fluidity of a shadow dancer, slipping past his strikes by a hair's breadth. 

Between her steady breaths, her lips parted slightly—revealing white teeth… and the sharp fangs gleaming in the light. 

Bite! 

She sank her teeth into her lip, a warm drop of blood sliding down the corner of her mouth— 

and at that very moment, a glowing orb of light began forming inside her mouth, expanding and brightening with each pulse. 

Roar! 

Without hesitation, Mahiru fired a Gran Rey Cero straight at Ren. 

It launched with terrifying speed— 

much faster than the technique should normally allow, considering the charging time it requires. 

Boom! 

The golden Gran Rey Cero struck Ren directly, erupting into a violent wave of energy that consumed the entire area. 

The ground cracked, trees snapped apart, and dust rose like a suffocating storm… 

The explosion's power was terrifying—even though it wasn't fully charged. 

But Mahiru felt no relief. 

It wasn't enough. 

She reached toward her waist with decisive speed, drawing her sword as if slicing through the air itself. 

She whispered, voice low, cold… carrying the weight of an inverted prayer: 

"Desciende… Ángel Caído." 

And in that instant—everything changed. 

The air fractured around her, as if light itself broke apart. 

Black feathers began falling slowly from the void, and with each feather that touched the ground, a strange, dense energy coiled around Mahiru. 

From her back, massive black wings unfurled— 

veined with glowing crimson lines that pulsed like arteries carrying forbidden power. 

Her eyes turned a deep, blood-red, filled with a shine that could freeze the heart of any opponent. 

Broken angelic markings—dark as ink—appeared across her skin, spreading beneath her collarbone and along her arms like runes carved from shadow. 

Her hair, once lighter in shade, darkened to pitch black… grew slightly longer… flowing behind her like living smoke with a will of its own. 

And above her head, a shattered halo formed— 

fragments of dark light spinning slowly, emitting faint whispers from another world. 

"Black Purifier Wings!" 

Buzz! 

The air detonated around Mahiru all at once. 

Her black wings beat with a deep, resonant thrum, making the feathers tremble as if answering a silent call. 

Suddenly—dozens of feathers tore free from the wings, transforming mid-air into long, razor-sharp dark spears, each veined with faint red light. 

Each spear hovered in perfect stillness— 

as if awaiting a single gesture from her to descend upon Ren mercilessly. 

"You're absolutely ruthless in battle… good lord." 

Ren sighed dramatically as he walked out of the devastation created by the Gran Rey Cero moments earlier. 

Not a single scratch marked his body— 

as if the explosion had been nothing but a passing breeze. 

Swish! 

Swish! 

Swish! 

The spears shot forward all at once, ripping through the air savagely, blurring into streaks of black. 

Mahiru had no intention of talking anymore— 

battle consumed her entirely. 

"Cage of Repentance!" 

Mahiru's voice rang out—rich yet merciless— 

and a sealing circle appeared beneath Ren's feet. 

From it erupted black chains glowing with dark holy light, writhing like living creatures as they lunged to bind him. 

"Dealing with Fallen Sight is seriously annoying…" 

Ren muttered as he vaulted over the incoming spears, smoothly avoiding the chains snapping at him. 

He knew well that Infinity was useless here— 

Because both Black Purifier Wings and Cage of Repentance were powered by Fallen Sight: 

A supernatural eye similar to the Six Eyes… 

but with destructive amplification against weaker attacks, making it a direct threat to him. 

Roar! 

Suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed— 

Not human, but laden with deep sorrow and raw agony, 

like the scream of a torn soul. 

Mahiru's Reiatsu erupted from her body in black-scarlet rings, spreading across the field like waves of living shadow. 

And the moment the roar reached the ears of the onlookers— 

They collapsed to their knees. 

Hands clutching their chests, breath ragged, faces pale. 

They couldn't move at all— 

as if their hearts were being crushed under her very presence. 

"Your control over your power has improved a lot." 

Ren's voice came from directly in front of Mahiru— 

So close she felt his breath brush her skin, heated by overwhelming energy. 

"But… we need to stop now." 

He looked straight into her eyes. 

"You're starting to drown in the fight—and losing awareness of your surroundings." 

Mahiru froze. 

A faint light returned to her eyes, as if consciousness slowly pulled her back from another world. 

With each breath, her wings faded, her energy calmed, and her expression returned to normal. 

"I'm sorry! I—I'm really sorry!" 

She bowed repeatedly, apologizing nonstop. 

When she fought… 

the gentle Mahiru vanished completely, replaced by a feral version of herself that only stopped through pressure—or collapse. 

But… 

Ren was the only one who could bring her back. 

Just one word from him was enough— 

As if his presence alone anchored her to the world. 

"It's fine." 

He spoke with a soft smile, gently patting her head with genuine warmth. 

"It's like when athletes enter the Zone… but you can't let your instincts control you. 

You need to fight consciously. That will make you much stronger in the future." 

Then he stretched with obvious exhaustion, exhaling deeply. 

"And now… let's go back. I'm actually tired and want to rest." 

He was truly exhausted— 

He had spent entire years inside this separate space, training Mahiru and the others nonstop… 

Helping them reach the stage where they could control their power— 

instead of being controlled by it. 

_