After that thing shattered completely, all that remained was black ash and debris strewn across the ground, slowly drifting in the Rift's glow.
The battle had taken place in the Spiritual Empty Domain. It had been brief to begin with, and time flowed slightly faster there than outside. To those watching from outside, a sudden flash lasting only a few breaths was followed by the thing's collapse. It happened so fast that none of them had time to react.
Vegadov watched his friend's body suddenly disintegrate and fell into a momentary daze. As a Fighter, he immediately realized what had happened.
He could not help wanting to go over and look, but Chen Chuan had told him earlier that if anything went wrong, he would need to protect the others and should avoid intervening up front. So he forced himself to remain exactly where he stood.
Chen Chuan angled the blade in his hand and slowly walked toward the black smoke and ashes. As he stepped on the debris, it crackled beneath his feet, sending more ashen smoke drifting into the air.
Within that smoke, however, the vague outline of a face emerged. Once it rose overhead, it seemed to stare at him, then abruptly plunged toward the back of his head.
Chen Chuan kept walking forward, seemingly unaware.
At that moment, the phantom of a large hand appeared behind him and seized the smoke. As though it were something solid, the thing immediately began writhing and struggling.
Standing behind him, Vegadov saw it clearly. The moment the Spirit Manifestation grasped the thing, its entire form became distinct.
It looked like a tangled clump of grass, with countless small, grain-like objects nestled within it. On closer inspection, however, those were heads—human heads and the heads of various creatures, each wearing