"Shade, you go first—"
Worried that the crystals on her body would spread to Shade, the Maid pushed him, but Shade shook his head.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
He poured an entire bottle of Holy Water No. 3 over Tifa. As the liquid flowed down her body, her crystallized body began to return to normal.
But the holy water evaporated quickly. Shade reached out and held her in his arms, letting the light on his body fully suffuse her.
The two remained motionless in each other's embrace until the earthquake ended half a minute later and the crystallization around them stopped spreading.
The darkness around them grew even denser, black streams flowing toward the center of the Crystalline Forest. The ground had abruptly risen a layer due to crystallization, and every object nearby was covered in black crystals.
The oppressive environment affected their minds. As these dark crystals erupted, Shade could clearly feel his mood worsening.
"Be careful. The demon's power is affecting us. It's Pus of Man. Don't have negative emotions; avoid any negative emotion as much as possible."
The Maid warned him cautiously, her voice low. With all four amulets shattered, she was nearly unable to hold on.
"I understand."
The dark streams continued flowing ahead. Following their direction, the two passed through the dense darkness, crossed one crystallized giant tree after another in the oppressive silence, shattered the pitch-black crystal boulders blocking their way, and finally broke through the Crystalline Forest, officially entering the very core of the Darkness Domain.
That tremor just now really might have been the final blow of the decisive battle. Along the way, they encountered many people sealed inside dark crystals. Even the Servants of Secrets and Secrecy Keepers within the Darkness Domain had been crystallized. Shade risked touching one