The Mystic Lock had suffered damage of this magnitude not only because Shade himself was powerful enough, but also because he had a certain degree of control over it. Moreover, the powers of the Doppelganger and Hermons were tangled together, leaving neither side able to fully guard against Shade's thaumaturgy.
Of course, the most important reason was that the thaumaturgy "Corrupt Moon Flower" was perfectly suited to the current situation. Shade still did not fully understand why Miss Feliana had originally wanted him to learn this type of thaumaturgy, but if it was merely for dealing with the Flesh Aberrations in the [Foul Blood Factory], then based on this experience, he was completely confident that he could lead everyone to defeat any opponent short of a god.
As those translucent red petals continued to fall, magnificent yet bizarre red moon flowers also bloomed from the bloody, fleshy mud on the ground. Filth and holiness, corruption and splendor coexisted. The scene resembled a nightmare, yet also a painting smeared out by the most insane artist in a fit of delirium.
The Mystic Lock—Flesh City—was melting away, and the power of the [House of False Men] was fully receding. This meant that Hermons no longer had the strength to use the Mystic Lock to try to erode the power of the [House of False Men].
From beneath the foul, rotten mud where red moon flowers grew in clusters came a roar filled with extreme wrath and terror. Then Hermons burst out from the underground depths of the Mystic Lock as it was about to vanish. More than half of his body had rotted away, and the "Fire Seed Source" embedded in his chest flashed red due to severe structural damage, unable to continue steadily supplying him with energy.
The powers of Corruption