The guttural growls of the Dalins reverberated through the Heart's Sanctum, shaking the very crystalline floor beneath Sylus's feet. Zani's reinforced barrier, a shimmering web of thorned mana vines, pulsed violently, spiderweb cracks appearing across its surface. The Dalins, enraged by Sophia's despair-inducing deterrent, were throwing themselves against it with increasing ferocity, their golden eyes burning with a chilling, single-minded purpose.
"My lord! It won't hold much longer!" Zani grunted, her stance wide, her muscles screaming as she poured more mana into the failing defense. The pure mana of the Sanctum, though abundant, was still a raw, untamed force, and maintaining such a complex barrier under relentless assault was pushing her to her absolute limits. Her Blazer flickered, threatening to destabilize.
