Lilith twisted her body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the massive meteor of black flames that came crashing down. Her feet dug into the cracked earth as the impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield. The air around her resisted her movements, the sheer force of her speed creating sonic booms that echoed like distant thunder. Yet, despite her agility, Lilith knew she wasn't a melee combatant. Every dodge, every movement—none of it came from technique, only from the overwhelming power she possessed. And even then, it wasn't enough. Her opponent was an entire rank above her. A true monster. As if to prove the gap in their strength, Ignath raised its hands skyward. A suffocating pressure filled the air as the sky blackened, churning with an unholy energy. Then, it began to rain. Black fire. Lilith clicked her tongue, thrusting her hand forward. [Vector Repulsion] A massive barrier formed, twisting space itself to repel anything it touched. The flames turned and curled, their trajectory forcibly altered. But something was wrong. Ignath's fire didn't behave like normal vectors. It leaked through. A devastating blast erupted, streaking toward the battalion of knights locked in battle with the spirits. Lilith reacted instantly, vanishing and reappearing between them. She redirected the attack with a desperate flick of her wrist, but the force was still enough to hurl her back, carving a deep crater into the earth where she landed. She coughed, the taste of blood in her mouth. Above her, Ignath's laughter rang through the scorched air. "You are strong, but protecting those weaker than you only limits you." Lilith wiped her mouth, teleporting back into position. Her hands moved in rapid succession, magic seals forming at her fingertips. Then, she raised her palm. Space twisted violently, forming a singularity of crushing force. She smirked. "Don't you know?" Her voice was cold, almost amused. "Gravity is merely a curvature in space." Ignath roared, its body bursting with unchecked flames. A wave of black fire exploded outward, consuming everything in its path. The earth melted, turning to ashen sludge. The trees disintegrated to dust. The very air seemed to scream, warping under the raw heat. "Hahaha!" Ignath's voice boomed. "So what? You can't use any wide-area attacks without killing your own allies in the process!" Lilith frowned. He was right. She had no qualms about sacrificing them, but if they all died here—in her presence—it would tarnish her reputation. Their victory against their first real opponent couldn't be a pyrrhic one. This battle wasn't just Damon's. It was theirs. She bit her lip as Ignath's flames sent her hurtling backward once more, the impact creating another sonic boom. Clouds of dust rose around her as she skidded to a stop, surrounded by a thin red film of protective energy. Even so, she had taken a few scrapes. "This would be so much easier if I had some backup…" she muttered, dusting herself off. She couldn't fight freely while protecting an entire battalion. Ser Galahad was on her level, but weaker, and he was already struggling with his own opponents. Her gaze shifted toward Ignath's massive projection. It remained untouched, looming over the battlefield like a god of destruction. Her fingers curled into a tight fist. If I want to kill it, I suppose a little collateral damage is fine… She was ready to cut loose. To end this. Then, she heard footsteps. Slow. Unhurried. A voice followed, smooth and familiar. "Ahh, there you are, Astranova…" Lilith's expression darkened. That voice. She turned slowly, her smile cold. Violet eyes met hers, gleaming with amusement. Renata Malcrist. Lilith's lips curled. She really couldn't stand this woman. Renata glanced at the towering dark spirit, unimpressed. "Did your boy toy dump you?" she mused, tilting her head with mock sympathy. "Huh, what a shame. Every time I see you, there's always trouble in paradise. I heard he left you for an older woman… imagine losing to some hag." Lilith's cold smile didn't waver as she turned back to face Ignath. "Listening to gossip, Renata? I wonder what compelled the academy to let such a violent creature off house arrest." Renata had been confined for weeks after their last fight at Athor's Sanctuary. Unlike Lilith, who had only received a mere week of punishment, Renata had been locked away behind closed doors—until now. Her violet gaze flicked to Ignath, utterly dismissive. "There's a really cute boy I want to bully," she said flatly. "And it seems you're in my way." Lilith sneered. Renata didn't care about Damon. But the thought of her being anywhere near him made Lilith's blood boil. "Has anyone ever told you not to touch things that aren't yours?" Renata cracked her knuckles. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎 "He's not yours either." Ignath's inhuman eyes flickered, its blazing form darkening ominously. "The both of you… are going to ignore me, the great Rashi Ignath… to fight over a boy that is about to die?" Renata rolled her eyes. "Only speak when you're spoken to. Our girl talk is far more important than whatever you have going on here." That was it. Never in its many millennia had Ignath been insulted so brazenly. A great dark spirit—disregarded like a mere nuisance by children. Without warning, a pillar of black flames erupted toward them. Renata smirked, raising her hand. [Zero Out.] Numbers flickered across the raging inferno, shifting rapidly until they reached a single digit. Zero. The flames vanished into nothingness—rendered powerless by Renata's magic. The Attribute Zero. The instant the attack was neutralized, Lilith struck. A sphere of spatial destruction formed in her palm, twisting and tearing at reality itself. She hurled it. It struck Ignath's side, the space around it shattering. The dark spirit howled in agony as half its body was erased. It recoiled, preparing to unleash a cataclysmic blast— But before it could act, a freezing sensation crept over its core. "Zero Out." Renata's cold voice rang from behind. Ignath's defenses crumbled to nothing. Snarling, it lashed out, a whip of black fire cracking through the air— Renata was flung backward, crashing through the trees. But Ignath barely had a moment to register its victory. Where was the other one? A terrible chill crawled up its molten spine. It looked up. Lilith hovered above, hands clasped around a ball of absolute nothingness. Not darkness. Not void. Nothing. Her face was pale. Her body trembled. But her emerald eyes burned with ruthless determination. "Die." She unleashed it. Ignath ceased to exist. There was no explosion, no destruction—just erasure. As the remnants of its consciousness faded, its final thought was one of horrified recognition. 'Ahh… the authority of a…' Gone. That part of Ignath would never return. It had never been. Lilith collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. Her body convulsed, lungs gasping for breath. Her trembling hand reached out—toward the building where Damon was. Her vision blurred. Her lips parted. But no words came.