On the other side of the battlefield, the duel between Lorgar and Erda had settled into a strange rhythm.
Lorgar was in no hurry to win. He had not unleashed his full strength, nor had he even tried to break through Erda's defenses.
At that moment, Lorgar fought Erda with an almost leisurely air, as though trying out his moves.
Every shot, every swing of his sword carried an effortless composure, as though he were not fighting to the death but testing a newly forged weapon, learning its feel, its limits, and how it performed under different conditions.
"Show me what you can really do, Erda!" Lorgar sidestepped an invisible blade formed from Enuncia, then fired a backhand shot that shattered another incoming spike of energy. His voice carried undisguised provocation.
"Is that all you've got? Then you might as well crawl back to the Cabal's lair and retire!"
Erda ignored his taunts.
Her expression remained icy, but something was gathering deep within her eyes.
The power of Enuncia around her began to intensify. The oppressive weight in the air rose exponentially, as though an invisible hand were tightening the mainspring of reality itself.
Lorgar sensed the change. His smile faded slightly, and his gaze grew more serious.
He knew the real attack was coming.
A moment later, Lorgar saw three figures.
They emerged from the void behind Erda like reflections rising from beneath the water, gradually sharpening from blurred outlines into distinct forms.
The first was a dark-skinned woman, gaunt and thin, holding a twisted staff. A dark red gemstone was set into its tip like a congealed drop of blood.
Her gaze was sinister and piercing, like a vulture looking down at dying prey.
The second was an old woman whose skin had an unhealthy blue-gray cast, as