Chapter 475: What the Hand Devours

Wincent raised the God Hand, and the compressed mana gathered at his fingertips. The crimson light condensed, shrinking smaller and smaller until it was no larger than a marble, yet the pressure radiating from it made the air tremble. He spoke four words, quiet and precise.

"[Density], [Sharpness], [Speed], [Converge]."

The marble of mana pulsed once, then shot forward.

Azrynn’s eyes widened. The attack was already halfway to her before her mind caught up. She didn’t have time to dodge.

’That attack is dangerous! I need to raise my defenses now!’

She slammed her palm against her chest, and the runes along her daggers flared bright green. Lines of light spread across her body, weaving together into a shimmering layer of runic armor. It clicked into place just as the attack hit.

The impact was devastating.

The compressed mana detonated against her guard, and the shockwave ripped through the plaza. Azrynn’s body was hurled backward like a ragdoll, blood spraying from her mouth as she tumbled across the shattered stone.

But she didn’t hit the ground.

A ribbon of void energy snapped out and wrapped around her waist, yanking her to a stop mid-air. Alice stood a few paces away, one hand extended, her violet eyes fixed on Wincent.

"What was that?" she muttered, her voice low and sharp. "Controlling mana? What kind of power is that? Does something like that even exist?"

Azrynn coughed, blood dripping from her lips as she forced herself upright. Her runic armor flickered weakly, cracks spreading across its surface. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at Wincent.

"There has to be a weakness," she said, her voice hoarse but steady. "No power like that comes without a price."

Wincent lowered his hand slowly, the God Hand’s crimson veins dimming to a faint pulse. He tilted his head and studied Azrynn calmly. The elf’s technique was unlike anything he had seen before, and it made him genuinely curious.

"Your body is tougher than it looks," he said. "Is that because of your strange magic?"

He took a step closer, his boots crunching against the shattered stone.

"I’ve seen mana used in a hundred different ways. Barriers, elemental strikes, healing, curses. But what you use..." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "It doesn’t flow like mana. The concept is completely has a different origin altogether."

Wincent smiled, then spoke in a casual tone, as if he wanted to negotiate.

"Tell me about it. If your answer satisfies me, I’ll let you all live."

Azrynn pressed two fingers against the runes on her palm. Green light pulsed from her hand, and the gash across her ribs began to knit together. She didn’t look up at him. Her voice was quiet, but edged with steel.

"You think I’d reveal my power just because you asked?" She straightened, rolling her shoulder as the runes flickered along her daggers. "That’s the same as throwing away the blade that protects me."

Alice let out a short, sharp laugh.

"Heh. Good words, Azrynn. Rather than listening to his nonsense, let’s just crush him. It’s way past my bedtime."

Wincent tilted his head, the God Hand pulsing softly in the dim light. His expression was calm, almost amused. He looked past Alice, his gaze settling on Azrynn with quiet interest.

"Such a shame," he said. "Perhaps I’ll just capture you and let the others die."

He took a slow step forward, steam curling from the joints of his mechanical arm.

"Because you see... I do like new things."

The crimson veins along the God Hand flared. Wincent raised his arm and began to chant, the words low and deliberate, each syllable pressing against the air like a weight.

"[Compression], [Piercing], [Velocity], [Unerring]."

Alice thrust her palm forward, void energy compressing into a dense sphere of shimmering black light. It shot toward Wincent like a bullet, trailing ribbons of shadow.

But the moment it touched the space around him, the sphere shuddered. The void energy twisted, stretched, then vanished swallowed whole as if it had never existed.

Alice’s eyes widened. Her hand lowered slowly, fingers curling into a fist.

"What...? My attack was absorbed?"

The God Hand pulsed. The sphere slowed mid-air, trembled, then dissolved into faint wisps of light that coiled toward the mechanical arm and sank into its metal.

"It’s useless. Your attacks won’t touch me."

Azrynn didn’t look at him. She kept her eyes on Alice, her voice low and steady.

"Don’t waste your energy, Alice. As long as he’s controlling the mana around him, he won’t be touched."

She raised her dagger, the green runes along its edge pulsing faintly.

"But my runes are different. I can hit him."

Alice crossed her arms, her tail flicking behind her. Her violet eyes narrowed.

"Then what? You want me to just stand here like Ignis?"

Behind her, Ignis tried to speak. She pushed herself up on one knee, flames sputtering weakly around her arms, but the words caught in her throat. Her fire still wouldn’t stabilize. She clenched her fists and forced herself to stay upright, frustration burning in her eyes.

Azrynn turned her head slightly toward Alice, her expression calm but serious.

"I can use my runes to reinforce your attacks." She tapped the glowing marks along her blade. "If I layer my runes over your void energy, the attack won’t be purely mana anymore. He won’t be able to absorb it."

Alice’s lips curled into a sharp grin.

"Now that’s a good idea."

But the words had barely left her mouth when Wincent’s attack was already flying toward them.

The compressed marble of mana screamed across the plaza, trailing a line of warped air in its wake.

Azrynn reacted instantly. She slammed her palm against the ground, and the runes along her arm flared bright purple. The shattered stone beneath them shifted, rising in a jagged wall between them and the incoming attack.

The impact was devastating.

The compressed mana detonated against the stone wall. The barrier held but cracks branched outward across its surface, and the shockwave hurled both of them backward. Azrynn hit the ground hard, rolling once before catching herself on one knee. Alice landed in a crouch beside her, void energy flickering around her fingers.

Azrynn wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, her breathing sharp.

"Even if he absorbs your mana," she said, "it’ll still distract him. That’s all we need."

Alice glanced at her, then nodded once.

"Alright." She rose to her feet, void energy coiling tighter around her hands. "Let’s do this."