The One Hundred and Sixty-Third Act: Hard-Fought Battle

The sky was filled with crisscrossing, searing white rays.

Like a rain of light, they struck the platform and the blazing magic conduits, or flashed past Brando, Veronica, and Mephisto. Some struck the magical barrier Charles had just opened, sending layers of violent ripples across it. Hypamira struggled toward the edge of the platform, but one ray still shattered the ceremonial staff in her hands beneath her astonished gaze. Others shot toward the direction of Cruz's First Prince, turning the ice cavern into a honeycomb. Chunks of ice rained down from above, pummeling Shido and Haruze as they clutched their heads and screamed.

The first layer of light had yet to fade when a second layer formed along the paths of the first. Like lines painted with milky-white pigment across a pitch-black canvas, they spread out from the center of the platform and scattered toward everyone present like countless writhing snakes.

"Brando, the hunter siblings!" Veronica suddenly realized.

Brando froze, then his expression changed drastically. Earlier, they had been entangled with Kouhua and her minions, while Peya and Yalta had played no part in the battle. But this time, Kouhua had launched an indiscriminate attack. The hunter siblings were only slightly stronger than ordinary people, and they were still unconscious. If they were hit, they would almost certainly die. The problem was that no one had thought of this before, and every one of them was now a considerable distance from the siblings.

The white lightning was already right before them--

Brando was consumed by regret. He could only watch helplessly as tragedy unfolded before his eyes. He still remembered promising Peya in person that he would protect her and her brother. His own words still echoed in his ears.

But the first bolt struck near Peya, melting a bright