Chapter 71

Xain, Karin, and Clarissa didn't even see Eirisse move. To them, one moment, the black knight was about to take her head off. The next, she was feeding on Almer, her own thrall. Right now, she declared that she was going to devour the entire town. Karin was shaking in fear after witnessing Eirisse, her supposed mistress, feed on one of her own thralls. In her head, she wondered, *Will she consume me next?*

Ercale, meanwhile, grabbed the artifact and concealed it within his garb. Eirisse, her eyes filled with madness, turned to look at Xain, who was holding her brother and her meal in his hands. The fear-stricken Mari had now fallen silent from sheer shock and fear. Seeing that Eirisse was looking in his direction, Xain held Lennix's unconscious body and the frightened Mari tighter. Despite his eyes being trained on her and him unblinkingly staring in Eirisse's direction, she moved faster than his perception could see and was on top of him before he could react. Luckily for him, the black knight's shadow shoved him and the others out of the way and formed a thick shield of shadow, blocking Eirisse's attack.

Eirisse had similar black claws, reminiscent of Lennix's, extending from her fingertips, that the shadow just blocked. As Ercale immediately unleashed a lightning bolt towards her, from her perspective, the lightning bolt lagged behind. She easily dodged it, deeming it far too slow to pose any threat.

"Look at you, slightly less pathetic now," taunted Ercale, attempting to provoke Eirisse. Unfazed, she ignored his taunt and attempted another assault on Xain and Mari. Once again, the black knight's shadow intervened, expanding into a protective shield with a half ring shape. Ercale was taken aback by the black knight's impressive control over shadow magic. *That's impressive, especially without it being the main body,* Ercale thought, as the black knight remained motionless, arms extended, skillfully manipulating all the shadows simultaneously.

Eirisse altered her course, aiming for Clarissa with her slashing claws, yet once more, the black knight's shadow adeptly blocked her attack. Undeterred, she shifted her focus to Xain and the others, only to face another blockade from the black knight's shadow. Swiftly changing directions again, she targeted the black knight himself. Anticipating her move, he erected a shadow wall, but Eirisse adjusted her trajectory just before reaching it, attacking the unconscious Zee.

This sequence repeated itself about 14 times, leading the black knight to discern Eirisse's strategy. *She plans to catch me off guard, but I won't let it happen,* he resolved. Spreading shadows throughout the entire room, they reached a height of about two feet from the floor. Eirisse felt a gradual slowdown in her movements, courtesy of the shadow. Although the effect wasn't substantial, it still impeded her progress. For Ercale, the black knight, and Eirisse, time seemed to elongate due to their extraordinary speed, while from the others' perspectives, this intricate dance unfolded in a mere 8 seconds.

From Xain's perspective, the black knight's shadows kept going to block a different person but then stopped, and then suddenly, shadows surged from where the black knight stood, spreading rapidly throughout the room. "This is just absurd; what can any of us even do?" Xain muttered to himself, holding Mari closer in an attempt to contribute in some way.

With her speed diminished, Eirisse recognized the futility of persisting in her previous strategy. Yet, the slowed pace affected everyone, providing her an opportunity. She accelerated toward Ercale, her claws ready. He stood unprotected, the black knight having neglected to place a shadow duplicate for defense. As she closed in, Eirisse executed a slashing motion with her right hand, aiming to rip through Ercale's jugular. Swiftly dodging by backstepping, Ercale retaliated with a lightning-charged strike. His right hand crackled with electrical energy as he delivered an upward diagonal motion toward her head. Although Eirisse's movements were slowed, she outpaced Ercale's lightning-infused chop, sidestepping it effortlessly. Seizing the advantage, she redirected her attack, opting for a powerful punch instead of a slash that was aimed at his midsection.

As the punch closed in, Ercale skillfully maneuvered his body to evade the attack, swiftly responding with a lightning-infused punch directed at Eirisse's throat. Attempting to evade, Eirisse found herself boxed in by walls of shadow that materialized from the ground, hindering her movements. The lightning punch landed precisely on her throat, the impact slamming her into the shadow wall behind her, further reducing her speed. Capitalizing on the advantage, Ercale stomped on the ground, causing lightning to surge and envelop Eirisse's entire form with yellow energy. The powerful attack evaporated the shadow walls around her.

As the smoke cleared, Ercale surveyed the aftermath. "Now to see the damage," he remarked. Eirisse's skin bore the unmistakable signs of severe burns and damage, resembling a practical-effects zombie from the movies he used to watch. Jumping back, she could feel the extent of her injuries, but she had little knowledge of her current appearance. In the exchange, Eirisse deduced that Ercale was not slowed down by the shadows. The black knight, a master of shadow magic, had meticulously kept the shadows clear from Ercale's legs, creating the illusion of contact without impeding his speed. This precaution extended to everyone in the room except Eirisse.

The black knight was determined not to let her claim another life under his watch; he would transform this entire room into a death trap specifically designed for her demise. This would be where she met her final end. As Ercale prepared another lightning bolt to attack, a sudden, deafening explosion erupted right above them. Unlike the earlier blasts, this one dislodged the central mechanism powering the grand fountain. The sheer force of the explosion knocked Xain, Karin, and Clarissa to the ground. As Xain fell, the unconscious Lennix dropped hard to the floor, with Mari landing on top of him.

"Are you okay, Mari?" Xain inquired, but the sounds of tearing wires and bursting steam drowned his voice. The valves of the mechanism and pipes burst open, and the entire contraption hung precariously by a thread. Everyone gazed upward at the impending catastrophe, knowing that the slightest disturbance could send the massive mechanism crashing down. Another explosion rocked the area above ground, causing the giant mechanism to come crashing down on them.