The distant rift grew larger and larger. As it opened, the Snakebird's uniquely terrifying aura began to spread outward.
Though it was not as overbearing as that earlier legendary presence, the aura alone was still exceedingly dreadful. Even Angel faintly felt his heart tremble.
Even Sanders and Rosen in the distance stopped talking and turned their gazes over.
When the rift had been forced open to a certain limit, red light flashed in the Snakebird's eyes. The snake scales covering its body bore a protective force as it slowly extended its head through the rift and inched its way out.
Previously, the chaotic energy at the mouth of the rift had obscured it, so all they could sense was the Snakebird's aura. But once it began to reveal its head, complicated negative emotions came surging forth.
Like endless rings of emotional airwaves, they radiated outward from the Snakebird at their center.
"Looks like Toby is about to surpass you again," a low, hoarse male voice said in Angel's ear.
Angel did not need to turn around to know that Sanders had sent the message.
The Snakebird's terrifying aura, coupled with the field of negative emotions it constantly emitted—those two points alone showed just how wildly Toby's strength had surged.
Perhaps he was already comparable to a mid-stage Level 1 formal wizard.
Demonic Beasts of the same rank were generally stronger than wizards. On top of that, Toby's two incarnations—the griffin and the Snakebird—were both aristocrats among Demonic Beasts and possessed special abilities. If Angel truly faced Toby, he might not necessarily win unless he revealed all his trump cards.
"That's good too. From now on, I can leave all the fighting to Toby," Angel replied without the slightest pressure at being surpassed, even sounding perfectly at ease.
If a student