Haidoro cracked his fingers.
The wounds visible on his body were healing slowly.
Everyone surrounding him remained tense.
Haidoro was only recovering his external injuries.
The internal wounds were still healing at a painfully slow pace.
[Haidoro]: Range Shiftling, Pointus Apparatus.
Thousands of vines burst from the ground, tearing the scorched earth apart.
Everyone immediately took to the skies—
Everyone except Ganaraj.
Instead of retreating, he launched himself straight toward Haidoro.
The others had little chance against those vines capable of piercing through almost anything.
While they avoided the assault from above, Ganaraj aimed to catch Haidoro off guard.
He had fought a similar ability before.
Grandor's.
That experience should have given him an advantage.
No.
That assumption itself was the mistake.
Although Pointus Apparatus originally belonged to Grandor, it became far deadlier in Haidoro's hands.
Haidoro was faster.
Stronger.
Far more versatile.
The moment Ganaraj threw his punch, a sphere of intertwining vines formed before Haidoro.
The shield absorbed the entire impact.
Before Ganaraj could launch another strike, countless vines rushed toward him from every direction.
He had no choice but to retreat.
The instant Haidoro lowered the shield—
Kark appeared.
He drove his fist toward Haidoro's head.
Haidoro answered with a kick.
Kark was launched backward, crashing straight through a mountain before finally coming to a halt.
[Pratik]: Let's try the combination.
Everyone had already agreed on this strategy beforehand.
They maintained a considerable distance from Haidoro.
Kel.
Ganaraj.
Pratik.
Even Kark, who had already gotten back to his feet.
All four formed hand signs simultaneously.
[Kel]: Range Shiftling, Advanced Amplifier.
[Kark]: Range Shiftling, Boost.
[Pratik]: Range Shiftling, Shadow Lord.
[Ganaraj]: Range Shiftling, Speed.
Their Range Shiftlings expanded together, overlapping around Haidoro.
At the center of that intersection...
Surya would be the one to fight him head-on.
Normally, a Range Shiftling benefits only its caster.
However, under certain conditions, its effects can be transferred to a chosen ally.
The drawback...
The caster loses those benefits themselves.
Surya dashed forward.
The instant he entered the overlapping Range Shiftlings—
Both he and Haidoro were dragged into a Voidal Dimension.
Pratik's Range Shiftling.
Shadow Lord.
An endless world consumed entirely by darkness.
Inside the Voidal World...
Haidoro could clearly follow Surya's movements.
Stopping him shouldn't have been difficult.
Or so he thought.
The moment Surya reached him—
His speed exploded.
Within a single blink...
Millions of slashes rained upon Haidoro.
Enhanced by every overlapping Range Shiftling, Surya's attacks far exceeded their normal strength.
For the first time...
Haidoro bled.
Tiny scratches spread across his body.
[Haidoro]: Not so fast, kid.
Haidoro fired a magma beam at barely ten percent of its usual output.
Normally...
That alone would have been enough to knock Surya unconscious.
But Kel's Advanced Amplifier had already altered the battlefield.
It strengthened Surya's attacks while suppressing the destructive output of Haidoro's techniques.
Haidoro noticed the change only after launching the attack.
[Surya]: You won't leave this planet alive!
Surya roared as he flashed past Haidoro, carving a massive sword wound across his body.
[Haidoro]: We'll see if you're right.
Haidoro closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then—
[Haidoro]: Range Shiftling, Speed.
Inside this Voidal World, where every active Range Shiftling favored Surya...
Haidoro introduced one of his own.
A Range Shiftling that elevated his speed to relativistic levels.
Now...
He could finally perceive Surya's movements.
[Surya]: Sword Addition, Multiple Shoots.
Hundreds of radiant swords appeared across the dark sky.
Like falling stars, they rushed toward Haidoro from every direction.
Meanwhile...
The wounds Surya had inflicted were already closing.
Haidoro had nearly recovered from all of his external injuries.
[Haidoro]: Very well...Then I'll fight at my best.
An overwhelming Aura erupted from his body.
It compressed around him with terrifying density.
[Haidoro]: Divya Dru.
The countless swords collided with Haidoro's slash.
The destructive force behind that single strike was enough to cleave a small moon in half.
The outcome...
Complete annihilation.
Despite every enhancement supporting Surya—
Despite every debuff placed upon Haidoro—
Surya's technique was utterly overwhelmed.
Every sword shattered.
A single gigantic slash tore across Surya's body, knocking him completely out of the battle.
At the same time...
Pratik's Voidal World split apart.
Shadow Lord was torn in half.
The dimension collapsed.
Both fighters returned to reality.
Surya was thrown across the battlefield.
His body was covered in blood.
Somehow...
He was still alive.
Haidoro walked out of the collapsing dimension almost unfazed.
Minor internal injuries remained.
But to him...
They were insignificant.
Pratik's eyes widened.
His concern wasn't for the battlefield anymore.
It was for Surya.
To everyone watching...
The fight had lasted barely a second.
And that wasn't an illusion.
It truly had ended in less than a second.
It was never a battle.
It had been a one-sided stomp from beginning to end.
[Haidoro]: Anyone else wants to try their luck?
Pratik immediately rushed toward Surya.
He pulled him away from the battlefield and activated his healing technique.
[Pratik]: Range Shiftling, Shadow Lord's Garden.
Only then did he realize something.
Haidoro's attacks carried anti-healing properties.
The wounds recovered far more slowly than expected.
Everyone finally understood...
Even in his weakened state...
Haidoro was still a monster beyond reason.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Pratik teleported Surya away.
Back to Nini and Lila.
Back to where Griho was already receiving treatment.
One ally had fallen.
Five remained.
To be continued...