The battlefield was still, but Maingan's instincts screamed at him.
Something was wrong.
The shadows had consumed the giant. It was erased. Gone.
Yet the unease in Maingan's chest wouldn't fade. His golden eyes flickered as he surveyed the ruins. Jeruca and Jason stood beside him, exhausted but relieved.
Jeruca wiped blood from his mouth. "We actually did it. That thing's gone."
Jason let out a low breath. "That was… too much."
Maingan didn't move.
"Stay alert," he said. His voice was sharp, unwavering.
Jeruca frowned. "What? You think it's still alive?"
The ground rumbled.
Maingan's eyes narrowed.
Then the earth split open.
A force unlike anything before erupted from below. Jagged cracks raced across the battlefield, black flames spewing from the abyss. The sky itself seemed to darken, the air vibrating with unnatural energy.
Jeruca and Jason staggered back.
Then—a monstrous roar.
It returned.
A New Form, A New Terror
The Nephilim rose from the depths.
But it was no longer the same.
Its body had changed—thicker, stronger. The flesh that had been wounded before had become armored, dark plates forming over its skin like an exoskeleton. Its six hands pulsed with glowing sigils.
The most terrifying change, however, was its third eye.
It no longer looked at Maingan with rage.
It looked at him with understanding.
The giant's voice rumbled like an earthquake.
"You thought you erased me."
Maingan's fists clenched. He said nothing.
The Nephilim lifted a hand. Maingan's own shadows trembled, shifting unnaturally.
Jeruca took a step back. "Wait… No way… It's absorbing his power?!"
Jason's grip on his weapon tightened. "That's not possible."
The Nephilim smiled.
"I am beyond destruction now."
Then—it moved.
A Battle Unlike Before
Before, the Nephilim had been slow. Massive. Predictable.
Now, it moved as fast as Maingan.
In a blink, it was already in front of him.
A fist slammed forward.
Maingan barely reacted in time. He dodged, but the shockwave alone sent him skidding backward.
The Nephilim didn't stop. Its six arms moved in perfect synchronization, striking from all angles, faster than before.
Maingan twisted, his form flickering. Illusions layered over him—but they failed.
The Nephilim had adapted. It ignored them.
A fist collided with Maingan's chest.
CRACK.
Maingan was sent flying. His body tore through the remains of the palace, crashing through stone and rubble.
Jason's face went pale. "Maingan—!"
Jeruca swore under his breath. "This… this is bad."
The Nephilim turned its gaze toward them.
"You two are nothing to me."
Its third eye glowed.
A wave of invisible force rushed toward Jeruca and Jason.
They braced themselves—but the attack never reached them.
A black barrier formed between them and the giant's power.
Maingan stood before them.
His cloak was torn. His lips bled. But his eyes…
They burned with something different.
Jeruca exhaled. "You okay?"
Maingan rolled his shoulders. "It's adapting too quickly."
Jason scowled. "So what's the plan?"
The ground cracked beneath Maingan's feet as he stepped forward.
"I use something I've never used before."
A New Power Awakens
The Nephilim's third eye pulsed.
"So, you still have more to give?"
Maingan raised a hand. His own shadows moved—but they didn't act like before.
They didn't just stretch. They rose.
Jeruca felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Wait… this isn't normal shadow manipulation."
Jason's grip on his sword tightened. "This feels… wrong."
The air grew heavier. The battlefield darkened again—but this time, unnaturally.
The shadows around Maingan's feet weren't just shadows.
They pulsed. Alive.
The Nephilim's smile faltered.
"…What is this?"
Maingan exhaled.
Then—his golden eyes turned black.
His form shattered.
And for the first time—the Nephilim hesitated.