Chapter 281: The Attack Reached Its Final Destination
I stood at the edge of the crater, spinning my staff once before letting it vanish in a flash of light. My feet touched down beside the crater’s rim, and my wings slowly faded behind me.
Azalea flew over, landing beside me in a hurry. Her eyes scanned my empty hands, then darted to the crater below.
"What are you doing?" she asked, worry clear in her voice.
I gave her a wink and a small grin.
"Trying to finish this. Don’t worry—I’ve got a plan. But I need you to stay back. Make sure it doesn’t turn its attention to you again."
She looked unsure for a second but then nodded and took off, flying a safe distance away.
I rolled my shoulders and exhaled slowly, centering myself as I looked down into the crater.
The Deathmist inside was churning violently again, trying to reform. I could already see the phantom’s shape taking hold—twisting, rebuilding.
Once more, it chose the form it had used before. Azalea’s shape, sculpted from Deathmist. But it wasn’t as solid this time. The mist looked thinner, less stable. It was weaker now.
"Hey there," I said with a cheeky smile, stepping closer to the edge. "Enjoying the action so far?"
Of course, it didn’t care for pleasantries. No reaction. Just a sword lifted in silence, its glowing red eyes fixed on me.