Draven's crimson eyes swept across the battlefield.
Calculating.
Observing.
Tracking every movement around him with terrifying precision.
Nothing escaped his notice.
Every shift in mana.
Every twitch of muscle.
Every incoming threat.
Then—
danger erupted from above.
A massive slab of compressed earth descended from the sky like a falling mountain.
BOOOOOOM!!
The air screamed beneath its immense weight.
Draven moved.
A single step.
Nothing more.
The enormous mass crashed into the platform where he had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.
CRAAAAASH!!
Steel buckled violently beneath the impact.
The platform folded inward as though struck by a meteor.
Dust, shattered metal, and chunks of earth exploded outward across the battlefield.
The shockwave rippled through the surrounding structures, causing nearby platforms to tremble.
Draven landed lightly several meters away.
Not a speck of dust touched him.
His gaze slowly lifted.
Howard stood atop the shattered earth formation.
The horned guild master grinned ferociously.
A massive battle axe rested across his shoulders.
Stone and hardened earth completely encased the weapon.
The rune engraved along his arm glowed brilliantly.
THIRD-STAR RUNE: EARTH.
Mana surged through the weapon.
Layer after layer of compressed stone reinforced the axe until it no longer resembled a weapon.
It looked like a fragment of a collapsing mountain.
Howard rolled his shoulders.
The motion alone caused the surrounding earth mana to tremble.
His grin widened.
"Got your attention yet?"
Draven didn't answer.
The moment his eyes settled upon Howard—
another attack arrived.
SHHHHK!!
Flaming chains screamed through the air.
One.
Then three.
Then ten.
Then dozens.
Sybil attacked from the side.
The burning chains shot toward Draven from every direction simultaneously.
Each link glowed with scorching heat.
Each chain moved with frightening speed.
Draven's sword flashed.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
A shower of sparks erupted.
The chains were knocked aside.
Yet the instant they were deflected—
they changed direction.
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
The chains twisted unnaturally.
Like living creatures.
Like venomous serpents hunting prey.
They curved through impossible angles and lunged again.
Not aiming to wound.
Not aiming to kill.
To restrain.
To capture.
To lock him down.
Sybil smiled.
The rune engraved on the back of her hand glowed brightly.
SECOND-STAR RUNE: PSYCHONAPSIS.
Control.
Manipulation.
Mental guidance.
Every chain moved as though it possessed its own consciousness.
One wrapped toward his legs.
Another lunged toward his sword arm.
Several more circled behind him.
Cutting off every possible route of escape.
Closing the net tighter and tighter.
Attempting to bind him completely.
The battlefield watched as the web of chains closed around him.
Then—
Howard moved.
BOOOOOM!!
The platform beneath his feet exploded.
Wind erupted around his body.
Dust scattered violently in every direction.
A second rune ignited.
Bright green light flowed through the earth armor covering his body.
SECOND-STAR RUNE: WIND.
His speed multiplied instantly.
The massive guild master transformed into a blur.
The gigantic axe carved through the battlefield with devastating momentum.
The earth coating the weapon compressed further.
Harder.
Denser.
Heavier.
Deadlier.
The combination of wind and earth transformed the strike into a moving catastrophe.
Howard roared.
"DIE!"
The axe descended.
At the same moment—
the chains tightened from every direction.
Attempting to pin Draven in place.
Ensuring there would be nowhere left to dodge.
Nowhere left to escape.
The battlefield seemed to freeze.
Mercenaries watched.
Holy Knights watched.
Aurelia watched.
Even Lucan and Aldric briefly shifted their attention toward the clash.
Because for the first time since the battle began—
Draven was being attacked by multiple Fifth-Stars simultaneously.
One restricting his movement.
One delivering the killing blow.
A perfect combination.
A flawless setup.
Howard's grin widened.
Sybil's chains locked down.
The axe arrived.
And standing at the center of it all—
Draven simply stared.
Expressionless.
Unmoved.
As though neither of them had done anything particularly impressive.
As though their coordinated assault was merely an inconvenience.
Then—
his crimson eyes brightened slightly.
And the atmosphere changed.
The air itself suddenly felt dangerous.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Like the calm before a catastrophe.
The chains closed from every direction.
Burning links twisted through the battlefield like living serpents under Sybil's command.
At the same time—
Howard's axe descended.
Wind howled.
Earth mana roared.
The strike carried enough force to cleave an entire platform in half.
And for the first time—
Draven's jaw tightened.
A flicker of irritation crossed his face.
Not fear.
Not concern.
Not hesitation.
Anger.
These people were wasting his time.
Dark crimson mana surged from the folding mass within him.
A terrifying power compressed beyond reason.
Flowing through his arm.
Through his shoulder.
Into the black shortsword.
The blade hummed.
The surrounding air distorted.
Then—
Draven swung.
SHHHHHING!!
A crimson arc exploded outward.
BOOOOOOM!!
The battlefield detonated.
The incoming chains were blown apart instantly.
Some shattered completely.
Others were hurled backward as the compressed mana wave tore through the air like a tidal wave of destruction.
Sybil's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
The shockwave swept across the battlefield.
Dust and debris scattered violently.
Nearby combatants were forced to shield themselves.
Yet Draven wasn't looking at her.
His gaze had already shifted.
Because Howard was already there.
The guild master had powered straight through the blast.
Wind mana erupted around him.
His momentum never slowed.
His axe descended with unstoppable force.
"TOO LATE!"
Howard roared.
The axe came down.
Draven stepped forward.
Not backward.
Forward.
His left fist clenched.
Dark crimson mana wrapped around it.
Layer after layer.
Compressed.
Folded.
Condensed.
The surrounding air cracked beneath the pressure.
Then—
he punched.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Fist met axe.
The impact froze the battlefield.
For a single instant—
everything stopped.
Then a visible shockwave erupted from the collision point.
The surrounding platform collapsed instantly.
Steel shattered.
Support beams snapped apart.
Chunks of reinforced earth armor exploded from Howard's weapon.
Nearby mercenaries were thrown from their feet.
Even distant soldiers staggered.
The shockwave rippled across the battlefield like a natural disaster.
Howard's grin vanished.
His eyes widened.
The enormous axe trembled violently.
The earth coating it cracked.
Then cracked again.
And again.
CRACK.
CRACK.
CRAAAAACK!!
The reinforced earth armor shattered apart completely.
Fragments scattered across the battlefield.
Howard felt something impossible.
His arms were being pushed back.
By a fist.
The horned guild master's eyes widened even further.
"...No way."
The muscles in his arms screamed in protest.
His shoulders strained.
His bones groaned.
His feet carved deep trenches through the steel beneath him.
Yet he continued sliding backward.
Unable to stop.
Unable to resist.
Draven remained motionless.
One arm extended.
One fist pressed against the massive battle axe.
His crimson eyes stared directly into Howard's.
Cold.
Silent.
Emotionless.
Like a predator staring at prey.
Then—
the folding spiral accelerated.
The compressed mass within him spun faster.
More mana surged into his arm.
The pressure multiplied.
Howard felt it immediately.
The difference was unmistakable.
The force pressing against him increased several times over.
His arms shook violently.
His breathing faltered.
And for the first time since entering the battlefield—
fear appeared in his eyes.
Because he suddenly realized something.
The attack that had stopped his axe...
The attack that had shattered his earth armor...
The attack that was currently overwhelming him...
Hadn't even been Draven's full strength.
Not even close.
And as the pressure continued to rise—
Draven looked increasingly annoyed.