The impact was still echoing when everything started moving again.
But it wasn't an organized fight anymore.
It was chaos.
People shouting.
Dust in the air.
Magic exploding without direction.
And in the middle of it—
Lilith.
Still.
Watching.
Like she was choosing.
— She's… way too calm.
Elion said, out of breath.
— It's not calm.
Rivel answered.
— It's control.
— Control of what?!
— Of everything.
Before anyone could answer—
Lilith moved.
And this time…
it wasn't to attack.
It was to test.
She appeared in the middle of a group of hunters.
Five.
All armed.
One of them raised a massive axe.
Heavy.
Brutal.
— NOW!
He brought it down.
The impact cracked the ground.
But didn't hit.
Lilith wasn't there anymore.
She appeared behind him.
And repeated the movement.
Perfect.
The same strike.
Just better.
The hunter didn't even see it.
He was launched against a wall.
That didn't exist.
— …what?
The wall appeared on impact.
Mike.
— I told you it works.
He was standing now.
Breathing hard.
Different look in his eyes.
— If she can learn…
He snapped his fingers.
— I can invent too.
The ground in front of him turned liquid for a second.
Lilith sank half a step.
Not enough to trap her.
But enough to slow her.
— Now!
Lyra shouted.
She opened her hands.
Pure magic bursting out.
This time it wasn't a direct attack.
It was many.
Small explosions.
Fast.
Sequential.
Lilith dodged.
Blocked some.
Missed others.
But she was smiling.
— She's enjoying this.
Lyra said through her teeth.
— I am too!
The unstable girl showed up again.
She came back laughing.
Blood on her face.
— Let's see how far you can go!
She went in spinning.
Fast kicks.
Loose movement.
Different from before.
She was adapting too.
Elion appeared at her side.
— Don't let her focus on one target!
His sword lit up again.
Celestial Weapon.
The strike came clean.
This time—
Lilith stepped back.
For real.
A full step.
Silence.
— It worked.
— DON'T STOP!
Kael stepped in.
Now without holding back.
Direct movement.
He didn't attack first.
He read.
Waited for the mistake.
And corrected it.
But this time—
Lilith didn't make one.
She anticipated.
And blocked before it happened.
The two locked.
For a second.
And it was enough for everyone to realize:
👉 She was already keeping up with Kael.
— That's bad…
Elion said.
— That's really bad.
On the other side—
more hunters arrived.
Running.
— WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!
— TOO LATE TO EXPLAIN!
Lyra answered.
One of them drew a bow.
But it wasn't normal.
The arrow formed instantly.
Pure energy.
— Get out of the way!
He fired.
The arrow wasn't fast.
It was inevitable.
Lilith tried to dodge.
But the arrow bent in the air.
And hit.
Direct impact.
She stepped back.
For the first time…
she looked bothered.
Mike smiled.
— Now we're talking.
He raised his hand.
And this time—
he didn't create a wall.
He created three creatures.
Made of pure imagination.
Shapeless.
Unstable.
But alive.
— Go.
They rushed forward.
No pattern.
No logic.
Lilith froze for a second.
Not understanding.
And that was her mistake.
Kael moved.
Lyra too.
Elion with them.
Rivel vanished again.
Now—
full pressure.
But in the middle of all that—
Mike stopped.
The smile faded.
— …no.
Elion turned fast.
— What?
Mike pointed.
Lilith wasn't being pressured anymore.
She was…
learning too fast.
Way too fast.
The creatures started to vanish.
The arrow lost effect.
The magic began to fail.
And she took a step forward.
— We…
Mike said low.
— already lost control.
Silence.
And this time—
no one disagreed. The rhythm broke.
Not because someone stopped.
But because no one could keep up anymore.
Lilith took another step.
And everything around… lagged.
Didn't stop.
Didn't freeze.
Lagged.
Like the world was one second behind her.
— …you guys seeing this?
Lyra said, breathing uneven.
— I am.
Elion answered.
— And I can't explain it.
— You don't need to explain it.
Rivel said.
— Just survive.
She appeared.
In the middle of them.
No movement.
No warning.
Kael was the first to react.
Blocked.
But the impact—
went through.
Like it wasn't enough.
He stepped back.
Two steps.
First time.
Silence.
— …this is not good.
— Not at all.
Lilith looked at her hand.
Opened it.
Closed it.
Like she was testing her own body.
— She's comfortable now.
Mike said.
And that was worse than any attack.
— Then take her out of it!
Lyra shouted.
She rushed.
But this time—
Lilith didn't react after.
She reacted before.
Lyra's magic didn't even reach.
It was intercepted midair.
And sent back.
Denser.
Heavier.
— LYRA!
Kael pulled her at the last second.
The explosion hit behind them.
And tore the ground open.
— …shit.
The archer tried again.
Three arrows now.
Curved.
Unpredictable.
Lilith didn't dodge.
She caught them.
One.
Two.
Three.
With her hand.
And threw them back.
Faster.
The archer didn't even react in time.
The arrow pierced his shoulder.
— AAAAAH!
He dropped.
— DAMN IT!
Lyra froze for half a second.
And it was enough.
Lilith appeared in front of her.
Unhurried.
Raised her hand.
— NO!
Mike stepped in.
Created a wall.
But it wasn't stone.
It was unstable.
The wall bent.
The impact went through.
And hit both of them.
They were thrown.
Rolling.
Mike hit hard.
Stayed down.
No air.
— Mike… get up…
He whispered to himself.
But his body didn't respond.
Flash.
A memory.
A voice.
"You don't need to understand everything… you just need to believe in what you want to do."
Merlin.
His eye opened.
— …okay.
He took a deep breath.
And stood.
— Then let's do it right.
He stomped the ground.
And the world answered.
The ground rose.
An entire structure formed.
Buildings.
Pillars.
Platforms.
All wrong.
All improvised.
But solid.
— Try fighting me like this.
Lilith looked.
Curious.
Mike vanished.
Appeared above.
Dropped spinning.
Created momentum midair.
Changed direction three times.
She tried to follow.
Missed.
First time in seconds.
Kael saw it.
— NOW!
He moved.
Elion with him.
Rivel reappearing.
Lyra returning.
All at once.
Now—
real pressure.
Lilith stepped back.
But not from weakness.
By choice.
She was…
adjusting.
Again.
And then—
she changed.
Her body got lighter.
Faster.
More… perfect.
— No…
Elion froze.
— She's evolving again?!
— It's not evolution…
Rivel answered.
— It's full adaptation.
Silence.
And then—
she disappeared.
For real.
No one saw.
No one felt.
And when she appeared—
it was already too late.
She struck.
Direct.
At someone.
The impact echoed.
The body fell.
Heavy.
No reaction.
Absolute silence.
Lyra froze.
— …no.
Mike stopped.
— Who…?
The dust settled.
And revealed.