Two overwhelming figures, one among the clouds and the other atop the tower, happened to meet each other's gaze.
No outsider could know what lay hidden in their eyes.
Yet that meeting of gazes crossed more than distance. It crossed Monchi's ambition and Orucia's obsession!
The moment their eyes met, both knew without a word: the time to fight was now!
Monchi swept his scepter through the air. The wizards on Floating Ice rose together, and elemental creatures of every color and shape formed behind them. Their gathered power bore down on the Void Giant Tower with terrifying force!
Their momentum surged like a rainbow, piercing straight into the heart of the Black Cloud like an arrow!
Unlike the humans' united front, the demons scattered. Lasudelan was on the verge of collapse, and the demons cared most about staying alive. None would choose this moment to fight to the death.
The demons' retreat sent the wizards' spirits soaring. They had feared that Lasudelan's string of calamities would bring even more uncertainty. Now it seemed those unknown turns of fate troubled not only humans; they brought the demons no shortage of trouble, too!
Swept along by that unstoppable momentum, the wizards pushed forward almost unopposed, rapidly closing in on the tower's summit, where Orucia stood.
Watching the demons give way on every side, the Fire Attendant Demon Tandin flashed with anger. "Those worthless fools!"
The Young Fire Demon Grewu quietly rolled to Orucia's feet and peeked out between his legs. "Lord Orucia, what do we do now?"
Orucia glanced back at the painting, his eyes calm. "Apart from the masked man, none of the others are worth fearing."
Orucia put his mask back on and walked forward, one step at a time.
As he passed Tandin, he said softly, "Protect the