Damon rolled out of the way, his body casting no shadow. He didn't notice its absence. His focus was locked on Sylvia. His heart was cold, filled with a resolve that burned stronger than fear. He glanced around—his party was injured, their bodies covered in scrapes and wounds that should have been lethal. But Evangeline had managed to heal them, their secondary healer doing everything in her power to keep them standing. Damon hadn't used a single skill since the battle began. The one skill he didn't use was Shadow Armor—a skill Sylvia didn't know about. And neither would Ignath, who was possessing her. Outside, the battlefield rumbled. Deafening booms echoed through the air as Lilith clashed with Ignath's projection. A torrent of flames surged toward him. He rolled, dodging by inches. 'Lilith is fine… she's strong…' He couldn't afford to worry about her now. He rushed Sylvia, determination in his every step. More flames erupted, but before they could reach him, Xander leaped in between, his spear flashing. Gravity magic surged. The flames were pushed aside, the air around them warping under Xander's power. He planted his spear and grinned. "You're getting weaker, spirit…" Lightning crackled. Leona unleashed a ball of lightning magic, the flash blinding for a moment—just long enough. Evangeline moved. She struck from behind, her blade slicing Sylvia's arm. Her face twisted with guilt. Evangeline hesitated for half a second before stepping back, barely avoiding a flame blast. Damon charged. He slammed into Sylvia's body. She reacted instantly, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the ground with a force that cracked the stone beneath him. Before he could recover, she raised her foot—ready to crush his skull. Damon twisted at the last second. His leg swept her feet, throwing her off balance. In an instant, he pinned her down. "Guys, little help here—" Before they could respond, Sylvia roared. A dark torrent of fire erupted from her body. Damon rolled just in time, barely escaping the scorching heat. A hand clamped around his throat. Sylvia lifted him off the ground. Damon gritted his teeth and drove his dagger into her shoulder. She barely flinched. Instead, she looked at the blade… and smiled. "Paralyzing poisons don't work on me, fool." She raised her hand. Flames ignited. But just before she could unleash the fire— She stopped. Her head snapped toward the battlefield outside. For a brief second, Ignath's will faltered. He felt it—a piece of himself, erased from existence. Forever. His voice was filled with disbelief. "What…? That was… How? Impossible… A human was granted the authority of—" Before Ignath could react, Damon roared and slammed his forehead against Sylvia's. A thunderous crack echoed as the impact rattled through her skull. Ignath howled in frustration, his grip on Sylvia's body wavering for the first time. One of her eyes flickered—the lifeless darkness receding—and in its place, a familiar grey luster returned. The first thing Sylvia noticed was Damon—bloody, battered, and barely standing. Yet, despite his wounds, despite the pain carved into his expression, he was still fighting. And worse—he was holding back. Damon noticed the shift. Sylvia's waking up… but she still can't take her body back. His hand reached into his jacket. This was the perfect time to use the magic artifact. But if he failed… if he mistimed it… he could damage her mind. He needed a reaction. He needed her conscious, aware—otherwise, even if he banished Ignath, he could send her into a coma. He raised his hand. "Sylvia! Are you awake? Give me a sign!" Her grey eye flickered, but Ignath snarled and lunged. Damon barely reacted before a hand seized his throat, lifting him into the air. His vision blurred as his skull cracked against her knee. But he grit his teeth, blocking as many strikes as he could. Xander rushed in—spear flashing. But Ignath grabbed him mid-air, spun him, and hurled him into Leona and Evangeline—sending them crashing through stone like ragdolls. Sylvia watched it happen. Something inside her snapped. Anger. Pain. Regret. The emotions surged, feeding the darkness that held her captive. Ignath grinned. The more she despaired, the stronger his hold became. Black flames erupted, forming a barrier around her and Damon—trapping them both. Then, Sylvia spoke. Her voice was shaking, but filled with a quiet, simmering fury. "Shut up… shut up… You don't get to act like you care now." Her fists trembled as she glared at him. "Don't do this to me. Don't pretend you care when you don't. I… I don't want to hurt you…" Damon, covered in blood, smiled. "Ahh… So you were in there after all." Silence fell. One of her eyes glistened with tears. The other remained cold and dark. Damon exhaled. "I knew you were angry about being betrayed… Even a Saint wouldn't forgive that. And Sylvia—" His gaze hardened. "You're not a Saint." Flames roared to life—a reflex of her pain—surging toward him. Damon didn't move. Just before the fire touched him… Sylvia willed them to stop. Ignath gasped. "W-What are you doing?" Damon's bloodied grin widened. 'I knew it… she has some control now.' Ignath lashed out, sending another inferno to consume Damon—but the flames never reached him. They exploded around him, scorching the ground instead. Sylvia was stopping him. With nothing but her will. Ignath roared in fury, charging with his fists clenched. His strikes landed—blow after blow, sending blood splattering as he pummeled Damon. But Damon didn't fight back. He stood there, taking it all. Whether Ignath was screaming… or Sylvia was screaming through him, he couldn't tell. Blood dripped from Damon's mouth. Sylvia's voice cracked. "Why…?" Damon smiled through the pain. "I don't know." A tear slid from her one lucid eye. "Why…?" Damon coughed up blood. His voice was hoarse. "I'm used to being a traitor. I'm used to being betrayed." His lips curled in a bitter smile. "The first to betray me were my parents… They promised they would return, but they never did. The second were my own relatives—they turned their backs on me without hesitation. The third came from the very place I called home… The village I trusted cast me aside. Then, even the goddess betrayed me… The Goddess of Fate, who threw obstacle after obstacle in my way, as if my suffering was just part of some grand design." His eyes darkened. "I've been betrayed my entire life. Every time I let my guard down, every time I dared to hope… it happened again. So I stopped. I shut myself away. I told myself there was no point in reaching out—because in the end, all that waited was betrayal. But then you came along, Sylvia. I met you. I met Leona. You saved me." His grip on his blade tightened. His voice grew colder. "So now… Let me save you too." Damon extended his hand. Behind his back, his other hand gripped a hidden blade. In her mental scape, Sylvia stood between Ignath and Damon's shadow—who held out his hand. She hesitated. One promised her power—the power to change, to never be weak again. The other… had already betrayed her before. He was a liar. A deceiver. He would hurt her again. She hesitated for a moment. And yet— She reached out. Damon smiled. And pulled her into his arms. As she collapsed against him, his blade flashed. A glass-like dagger, inscribed with ancient runes, buried itself in her back. Sylvia's eyes widened. The sharp burn spread through her spine, through her veins— Her breath hitched as she met his gaze. The warmth vanished. His eyes were cold. Her lips parted. "Liar…" The dagger glowed. A ball of flaming darkness ripped itself from her body, screaming as it was expelled. Ignath shrieked. Before the spirit could fully escape— Damon's shadow moved. It rose like an inky tide, twisting, writhing— Then devoured the fragment of Ignath whole. — [You have slain a Lesser Fragment of Rashi Ignath.] [You have gained 40 attribute points] [You have acquired the skill Spirit Affinity.] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained 50 attributes points] [You have awakened the skill Ashborn.]