Chapter 97: Phantom's Gambit

Hidden beneath the bushes at the corner of the estate house, Haku observed Solomon presenting his toxic concoction before settling back into his seat. 'This is it. Get ready, little brother.'

'Neko go!'

A toothy grin spread across Haku's face as Darius's command echoed in his mind, 'Now, Haku!'

"Ignite." At that signal, one of Haku’s blazing phantoms hidden inside a garden shed at the front of the estate burst into brilliant yellow flames. The pouch of iron dust around its neck ignited, altering the fiery explosion that rocked the grounds.

"3...2...1...Ignite."

As the replica sculpture on the gift table exploded into a ball of yellow flames, Haku revealed himself from his ghost-form, displaying a black cloth tied around his front leg. 'Go!'

With the wedding party in full view through the disguised Immortal Beast Codex, Neko, his body transformed into purple lightning, burst forth from the cloth.

At the same moment Darius's Echoing Thunder Palm connected with a stunned Atleman, Neko approached, narrowly missing Lady Clarke's throat. He scratched Sealia's chest, seizing the diamond pendant in a flash of light, his form merging with the remnants of Darius's lightning assault as he passed by.

Maintaining his swift pace, Neko executed a wide arc around the front of the estate, passing one of Haku's phantoms, and returned to where his brother waited. The fox's grin was wide as he took Neko back inside the treasure. Haku then shifted back to his Ghost-form, a flicker of excitement in his eyes, 'Did you get it?!'

'Got it! Neko did good!'

"Let's go. Ignite." Haku darted away as the remaining clone exploded in a burst of yellow flames, his thoughts filled with triumph, 'We did it! Just need to get back to Marcus's now.'

As Haku leapt through the breach in the estate he had left open, a sudden pressure descended, 'That's gotta be Atleman—he seems pissed.'

"Cowards!" Atleman’s roar echoed behind him.

Chuckling to himself as he ran, Haku increased his speed, 'He sounds more than pissed. I need to hurry, Big brother and that annoying human should be along shortly.'

Glancing back, he spotted two auras violently cutting through the sky—one blazed upwards in flames, the other arcing deeper into the city, opposite of Haku’s path.

Dashing through a dimly lit alleyway at full speed, Haku was suddenly gripped by a chilling premonition, as if diving headlong into an enemy's jaws. Reacting on pure instinct, he vaulted from the wall to a rooftop, 'What was that?!'

Glancing back and seeing nothing unusual, he continued his way toward the manor. Below him, a subtle disturbance rippled through the shadows of the alley, then stealthily moved toward the Brundy estate.

Slowing his pace, Haku remained on high alert; something had set his instincts ablaze, along with both Brundy brothers rampaging through the city, caution seemed necessary.

Detecting Solomon drawing near, he quickly concealed himself under a cart and closed his eyes, relying on his sharp sense of smell to monitor his surroundings. True to his caution, it wasn’t long before Solomon flaming colors streaked past, his figure enshrouded in rage.

Once Solomon's aura had receded far enough, Haku dashed towards the manor, only for Solomon's aura to suddenly shift, honing in on him rapidly. 'Can he see me?!'

Accelerating, Haku wove invisibly through the city's lanes. He was nearing the Kinneman Manor when, from out of nowhere, a monstrous scream reverberated across the city, halting both him and the advancing Solomon. 'That feeling!... wait, he's leaving?' Observing Solomon's aura, Haku watched as his fiery form hurtled back toward the Brundy estate, leaving him momentarily puzzled but relieved.

'I'm getting a bad feeling,' his gaze shifting anxiously between the Brundy estate and the Kinneman Manor. He finally halted, his decision made, 'Neko! You need to stay inside the Codex no matter what.'

'Neko?' came the faint reply.

His voice rising with urgency, Haku insisted, 'Promise me!'

Sensing the gravity in Haku's tone, Neko responded from within his golden cloud, 'Neko promise, big brother.'

'Remember your promise.' With that, Haku removed the cloth tied around his arm with his teeth and stashed it beneath a stack of crates behind a house. Then, bursting into a sprint, his speed was extraordinary as he raced through the city, 'Please let me be wrong...'

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"Valdene! This one seeks Valdene, not Brundy."

The words hung heavily in the air, creating a tense silence. Atleman, clutching his wounded arm that glowed with healing energy, turned towards Solomon, confusion etching his features. "Valdene? The Valdenes are all dead."

Solomon's gaze shifted, landing sharply on Sir Feng. His expression darkened, then twisted into a knowing smirk. "Valdene...it all adds up now. You've aged significantly since our last encounter. Fascinating, the spells you employ."

Panic flared briefly in Darius's eyes, 'Damn it, not now!' He feigned confusion. "Spell? What spell? The only enchantment here is from that creature's tongue. I warned you, Atleman, his words are poison—he’s already ensnaring your brother."

Both Solomon and Trayton chuckled darkly, closing the distance towards Darius. "The intruder at your wedding is uncovered, brother. This 'Sir Feng' is an impostor, and greatly sought after by my Tower Master."

Scanning the faces of Darius, Trayton, and Solomon, Atleman's expression turned steely as he finished healing his arm. "Vampyres do not wield lightning, or fire..." he murmured, gripping his axe tighter and stepping toward Darius.

Darius, sensing the shift, played his final hand, "I did it to protect Sealia! Crowley planned her death and I can prove it!"

Atleman paused, his brow tightening, quickly followed by Solomon’s laughter, "Pathetic! Do you really think that will sway anyone?" His hand swept up, summoning a wall of flame beneath Darius.

With a quick leap back, his disguise broken, Darius was forced into revealing his true form, aglow with his hidden aura to counteract the flames.

"That's better. Good to see you again, Darius Valdene," Solomon declared, his voice dripping with malice.

As Darius landed, he surged his lightning mana to its limits, muscles tensing visibly. "I can prove my words are true! Just let—" His plea was abruptly silenced as he raised his gauntlet in defense, an explosion hurling him backwards as he intercepted a spell.

"Kill him!" Solomon bellowed, his command sharp as Trayton mostrous body vanished into his shadow.

"Ethereal Steps!" Darius shouted, his form blurring as he narrowly evaded Trayton's emerging claws from beneath him.

Pushing his speed to the limit, Darius weaved through the city streets, his heart pounding as he dodged an onslaught of shadowy strikes and fiery spells.

Trayton's claws slashed through the air, missing Darius by mere inches, while Solomon launched wave after wave of spells, each one more aggressive than the last. Amidst the chaos, Atleman stood frozen, his resolve faltering as he watched the frantic chase unfold.

'I need to get back to Marcus.' His muscles screamed with the effort of maintaining such intense speeds, his mind racing for a solution.

As he darted left to dodge a shadow strike and rolled right to escape a sweeping fire lash, Solomon saw his opening. With a malevolent grin, he conjured a concentrated bolt of flame, hurling it towards Darius. The bolt split mid-air into hundreds of smaller flaming arrows, each one homing in on its target with lethal intent.

Just as the arrows were about to strike, a feminine shout cut through the air, "Enough!" Descending like a guardian deity, Lady Clarke's yellow aura exploded as she landed. She summoned the formidable image of a mountain, encasing herself and Darius within a protective dome of solid rock. The flaming arrows crashed against the earthen shield, dissipating harmlessly.

"Foul shadow!" Lady Clarke's voice thundered as she raised her hammer high and brought it crashing down.

The ground shuddered violently as the dome around them exploded. Spikes of earth shot forward from the impact, ripping Trayton from his shadowy refuge as he roared in pain.

"Clarke!" Solomon bellowed, his hands weaving through the air, summoning a massive orb of flames.

"That’s Lady Clarke." The words were sharp as a blinding flash detonated the fireball directly over Solomon, blasting him out of the sky. With a resonant clang, Marcus landed, rapier poised, staring down at the disheveled Solomon from a nearby rooftop.

Grimacing, Solomon staggered to his feet, Trayton reemerging from a shadow beside him. "Atleman! What are you doing?!" Turning, he found his brother standing still, with Crelos at his side, both wearing expressions of disgust.

Solomon scanned his surroundings with growing desperation, then burst into manic laughter. "You take their word over mine?! They are deceiving you! Help me kill them, and I can explain everything. Remember, we are family; I would never harm Sealia."

"I never said you did..." Atleman's gaze hardened, his aura swelling with fury. "Was it for power, brother? Or have you always harbored such hatred towards me?"

As Solomon faltered, paling further, a monstrous beast burst onto the scene, emerging from dark blue flames. The black beast, all sinew and snarling maw, positioned itself beside Darius and Clarke, its eyes fiercely set on Trayton.

"Big brother, that thing needs to die. Right now," Haku growled, the flames licking around his neck and back flaring intensely, his horns casting an eerie glow.

In a shattered part of the city, a moment destined to become local legend unfurled. Solomon and Trayton, encircled by three steel knights, Darius, and Haku, seemed diminished amid the overwhelming auras surrounding them.

"You should have heeded my warnings. But you never do, do you?!" Solomon's voice rose in accusation. "This is all your doing, Atleman! I warned you against marrying. You've only yourself to blame. You've always been the fool, brother! Did you honestly think you could defy Crowley? You knew his desires, and yet you forced his hand!"

Shaking his head, Atleman closed his eyes briefly, a profound sadness crossing his features as Crelos joined Darius, leaving the brothers to confront one another. "I've always loved you deeply, Solomon. Despite what anyone said, I always stood up for you," Atleman's voice was heavy with emotion, his aura darkening, swirling violently around his battered armor as he stepped closer.

"Who asked you to?!" Solomon snapped, his voice dripping with scorn. "You always treated me like some wounded animal needing your pity!"

"Enough," a cold interruption came, not from Atleman but Trayton, stepping between them, his eyes a stark white. "Choose now—family or master?"

Solomon's aura roared as he yelled back, "I have no family!" Pulling a flaming crystal from his pouch, he turned fiercely. "I'll cover you; make your request!" His aura exploded into a blaze, hands alight as he summoned a fiery dome to envelop them both.

Marcus's shout cut through the chaos as he leaped forward, "Break through now! The Vampyre's preparing to sacrifice!"

Clarke's aura burst forth, her massive war-hammer swinging through the air with ground-shaking force. Each blow from her war-hammer sent vibrations throughout the city.

Beside her, Atleman's aura swirled like a raging ocean, his heavy battle axe creating waves of chilling mist as it sliced towards the barrier. His water-infused manaforged gear sparkled with the brilliance of the deep sea, enhancing each cleave with the power of the ocean's currents.

Marcus, in contrast, ignited the air around him with a fiery aura, his rapier flickering like a tongue of flame. His gear, imbued with the essence of fire, glowed intensely with a sleak design, each thrust of his rapier exploding in a shower of sparks.

Sensing the urgency in their actions, Darius frowned, "Haku, break that barrier. Use both your phantoms. Everyone, get back!"

Noticing their hesitation, Marcus barked sharply at Atleman and Filipina as he retreated, "Listen to the boy if you value your life!"

Brundy and Clarke reacted immediately and followed Marcus, leaving Solomon frantically maintaining the barrier with uplifted hands, and Trayton standing motionless, his eyes shut and arms limp as his cracked skin began to mend, smoke coming from his skeletal nose.

"Celestial Blaze Phantom Art!" From Haku's back erupted two streams of flame that swirled and merged above him, gathering into a smaller, blazing version of himself, about two-thirds his size.

"Go!" He commanded as he and Darius leapt back, distancing themselves as fast as they could.

As the blazing phantom lunged forward, slamming into the barrier, Solomon's laugh echoed, broken and deranged, "It's too late!"

In the next breath, a strange calm descended, the world seeming to slow... shattering it, a cataclysmic explosion rocked the area, the force of the blast visibly shaking the air.

The city block was swallowed in flames. As they ran, the shockwave from the explosion swept Darius and Haku off their feet, their eardrums rupturing from the force.

After a few moments of disorientation and chaos, Darius eventually pushed aside a chunk of rubble and stood, dust cascading from his black hair as he frantically scanned the center of the devastation. The intense mana from the flames obscured his vision, even with his Arcane Gaze. Squinting through the haze, he began to notice a dark form amidst the inferno.

Nearby, Haku rolled from the frame of a shattered building, shaking off dust and timber. In quick succession, Marcus appeared with a flash of fire, while Clarke and Atleman crashed heavily into the ground nearby.

Darius, retrieving a high-grade mana crystal from his pouch, began to cycle his Arcane Talisman Technique, "This isn't over."

As he stared into the heart of the flames, a chilling presence met his gaze. Blood red pupils, oozing with killing intent.