CHAPTER 47: Awakening of the Ancient One.

The moment their feet touched the battlefield, the air changed.

A low, reverberating pulse shook the earth beneath them. The massive plant at the heart of the field stirred, as if it had been lying in wait—waiting for them.

The Lunaflora recognized their presence.

The dark energy that coiled around it shivered in anticipation, its form still locked in its sealed state. But it wouldn’t be for long.

“Now!” Anna called out.

Baihou tightened his grip on the scythe. He could feel the power surging within the weapon, responding to him, urging him forward. He inhaled sharply, his body moving with precise, practiced speed.

Then—

He struck.

With a swift, powerful arc, his blade carved through the seal.

A deafening crack tore through the battlefield. Everything trembled.

The moment the seal broke, the plant reacted violently.

A deep, rumbling groan—like the earth itself was crying out. A surge of dark energy erupted outward.

Then—

The roots burst from the ground.

The earth split open, vines as thick as pillars shot toward the sky with a force strong enough to break boulders.

What had once been a massive but dormant flower was no longer the same.

The flower’s massive stalk twisted and expanded, its form surging past the height of ancient trees, its dark petals unfurling as it fed off the corruption that had been brewing within it for decades.

The sky above them darkened, shadows cast by the monstrous plant looming over them.

For a brief moment—they realized something.

This wasn’t just a plant anymore.

It was alive.

It had been waiting—not to be freed, but to be reborn.

The energy it radiated was suffocating, pressing against their chests like an unseen force, thick and overwhelming.

But for Sakura and Baihou, who could see it, the weight was far worse.

It wasn’t just pressure.

It was writhing—pulsing—hungry.

Sakura’s grip tightened on her weapon. “It’s bigger than we expected.”

Kaziel exhaled, his gaze locked onto the towering monstrosity. “We’ve fought a lot of Greeds, but this… this is something else.”

Baihou cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. “Good. I like a challenge.”

Anna’s body tensed, her Raven perched lightly on her shoulder, its feathers ruffling as it sensed the imminent danger. “We don’t have time to hesitate. Let’s move!”

As if responding to her words, the flower fully bloomed, its massive petals spreading wide—revealing the pulsing, glowing core at its center.

The fight had begun.

As everyone moved,

Baihou sprinted forward, his scythe spinning effortlessly behind him, the blade humming with energy. His steps were light, his stance calculated, every movement flowing like a perfectly measured rhythm.

Ahead, the flower’s massive, gnarled roots twisted and coiled, waiting for its prey. Then—

It lunged.

The attack came at full speed, faster than expected. The monstrous plant thrust its roots toward him, each strike sharp like spears piercing the wind.

Baihou twisted his scythe, deflecting the first incoming strike, the force reverberating through his arms. But there was no time to rest. Another came. Then another.

It was relentless.

With a powerful step, Baihou sidestepped, ducking low as a massive root tore through the ground beside him, missing him by mere inches.

“This thing is faster than we thought..!” Kaziel gritted his teeth, his gaze sharpened as he barely evaded a strike, landing with an electric crackle.

The others scrambled to keep up—

Anna’s raven took to the skies, its dark wings slicing through the thick air before diving down in a sharp arc.

In a split second, it deflected the incoming attack—saving Anna.

She barely had time to react. She hadn’t seen it coming.

"Eyes on the target," Helion’s voice came from behind her, steady and sharp. "It’s not giving you a chance to breathe."

Anna gritted her teeth, shaking off the momentary shock.

Meanwhile, Helion moved back effortlessly, his footwork fluid, precise.

Golden threads snapped to life, weaving through the chaos, shielding him from the trespassing force as he pressed forward without hesitation.

Then—the flower screeched.

A deafening, unnatural wail ripped through the air as its core pulsed with violent energy.

In the next instant, a barrage of projectiles shot out, fast, vicious, and deadly—jagged petals hardened like blades, slicing through the air toward them.

They reacted instantly.

But Sakura wasn’t fast enough.

The sudden attack caught her off guard—

Just as the projectiles closed in—

"Tch..!" Anna dashed forward.

With a sharp command, she summoned her wolf, its form materializing in a swirl of dark energy.

In an instant, it leapt before them, its aura coiling outward, forming a protective shield of shadows for Sakura and Anna, just as the strikes collided—

Kaziel leaped back, vanishing in mid-air, and appeared in different place as the electrified took effect, his dual-blade clashing against the onslaught, deflecting several sharp petals before landing into a low stance.

Helion, however, with fluid motion, he snapped his fingers—his golden strings whipped out, forming a web-like barrier. With a fluid motion, he redirected them, sending the deadly petals flying back toward the attacking plants.

Baihou twirled his scythe, the blade spinning in a deadly arc as he moved next, once the flower was flinched, his grip on the scythe tightening.

As more twisted vines lunged at them from the sides, he swung in a full arc, his blade splitting the overgrowth cleanly, the Sapphire Heart embedded in the scythe glowing with raw energy. The cut was precise, merciless—splitting the vines apart before they could reach them.

But the flower was relentless.

The moment they closed in, the flower’s defense surged—a living trap that grew more ruthless the nearer they approached.

Vines lashed out like whips, sharp petals rained down like blades, and the very ground beneath them shifted, trying to throw them off balance.

But Baihou didn’t hesitate.

The instant he slipped into the narrow opening, he channeled his magic, energy crackling around his scythe.

With a swift motion, he thrust it forward—

A concentrated blast of magic erupted, surging through the tight space like a shockwave, tearing through the vines and forcing the monstrous flower to recoil.

Taking the lead, he moved with unwavering strength, deflecting a strike with the scythe’s pole before twisting his body, driving the blade deep into the flower’s shielded core. The energy cracked violently, the corrupted vines writhing in agony as the scythe’s power surged.

Just then—Sakura shot down from above.

She spun mid-air, her blade glistening in the dim light. Her movements were fluid, precise as she slashed.

The force shattered the shielded core with a resounding crack. A burst of dark mist erupted, dispersing into the air like dying embers.

For a brief moment—silence.

Then—the flower retaliated.

Sakura saw the attack a split second too late. A root struck her side, sending her crashing onto the battlefield.

“Sakura—!” Kaziel shouted, his voice sharp with urgency.

At the same moment, he twisted his blade, deflecting the incoming attack from his side. The impact sent electric sparks flying, his stance barely shifting as he steadied himself.

Sakura’s breath hitched as she hit the ground. Her vision blurred as pain flared through her side.

Get up.

The battlefield was still raging. She could hear Kaziel’s voice calling her name.

You can’t stay down.

But for the first time, she hesitated. She had been fast—but not fast enough.

Before the creature could strike Sakura again, Anna’s Wolf leaped into action, the massive shadow shielding her from the next incoming attack. The beast snarled, deflecting the upcoming roots attack as it bore its fangs, standing its ground as Anna stepped in to check on Sakura.

Meanwhile, Baihou found himself cornered—the flower had now locked onto him.

“Damn it,” he muttered, gripping his scythe as the roots coiled like snakes preparing to strike. He could feel it. They weren’t just attacking randomly.

It was adapting.

More roots slithered into position, blocking off Kaziel, Anna, and the others from aiming at their real objective—the core.

We need an opening.

That was when Helion moved.

With a flick of his fingers, he sent his coin spinning into the air, his golden gaze narrowing.

Then—time shifted.

With perfect precision, Helion twisted fate itself, moving in a way that the Greed couldn’t predict. He slipped through the chaos, dodging attacks with impossible grace before delivering a powerful strike—his golden string of fate rippling against the flower’s form.

For the first time, it stunned.

That was it.

Baihou reacted instantly.

With a burst of full-speed momentum, he dashed forward, his scythe flashing in an arc so fast that the air itself seemed to split.

The core—

Finally, it was visible.

Just as they were about to break through—

A force surged outward.

An unseen pulse of energy engulfed them, sending them hurtling backward.

Kaziel barely managed to brace himself as his feet skidded across the ground, while Anna’s raven covered her, flapping its wings to recover mid-air.

Helion clicked his tongue, his golden threads snapping taut to slow his momentum.

Baihou dug his scythe into the earth, stopping his movement with sheer force.

Sakura winced, steadying herself as she looked ahead, peeking over the wolf's shield—

The core was shielded again.

The flower’s petals closed tightly around it, glowing with renewed energy.

And then—it pulsed.

A surge of corrupt energy rippled outward, making the surrounding vines twist violently, their movements now faster, sharper, and more aggressive.

Phase two.

It had regained its strength.

Inside the room— Leina’s eyes snapped open.

Her heart pounded. A sense of dread crushed against her chest.

Something was wrong.

Her breath was ragged as memories rushed back—the roots at the chamber.

She had seen it before. But at the time, she thought… no, she hoped she was wrong.

But now, the truth was undeniable. The core wasn’t destroyed. It had been growing.

It was spreading.

And now, it was reaching Velmore.

Leina forced herself to sit up. Her body was still weak, but she had no choice.

She had to move.

Stumbling as she reached the door, she nearly collapsed, but she caught herself—forcing her legs forward despite the pain.

“L-Leina..! Where are you going..?!” Grandpa Otto called out, concern filling his voice.

Leina’s breathing was uneven, but her eyes were sharp with determination.

“I’m going to stop the Abyssmal Beads... from summoning its roots at the city.”

And with that—she left.

When she arrived at Velmore’s center, it was already too late.

Chaos.

Screams tore through the streets. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as a massive root ripped through a stone wall, sending debris crashing into the marketplace, tearing through the stone roads, rising like monstrous tendrils into the sky. The people stared in horror, unsure of whether to run or fight.

A mother clutched her child, desperately trying to shield them as another root shot up from the ground, barely missing them.

The city was falling apart.

"Move!"

She saw the sorcerers arrive, their cloaks billowing as they unleashed waves of magic, desperately trying to contain the monstrous plant.

But—it wasn’t working.

Leina’s heart pounded. Damn it.

She gritted her teeth as she pushed forward, dodging falling debris, her breath ragged.

And then—one of the roots moved.

It was about to attack the people.

Leina’s body reacted before her mind could.

She threw herself forward.

Just a few seconds… just milliseconds of delay…

I can make it—!

She swung her staff forward—

BOOM!

A shockwave of magic erupted, the force ripping through the air.

The root lurched back, recoiling, flinching just enough to halt its attack.

That was her chance.

Without hesitation, she cast her spell, raising her staff high as magic surged through her.

Then a massive barrier materialized, shimmering with raw energy, encircling the civilians in a protective shield.

The air trembled as the magic locked into place, forming an unyielding wall between them and the oncoming threat.

The energy surged, shimmering like a translucent fortress, holding back the monstrous force.

Just enough to push it back.

The massive root slammed against it, shaking the ground violently. Cracks spidered beneath her magic runes.

But her eyes widened as she noticed something.

The roots were still growing.

They weren’t just attacking.

They were spreading.

Then—she felt it, her Elyssence pulsed violently.

A dark energy.

This wasn’t just any Greed.

Leina’s breath hitched as she instinctively took a step back—her eyes locked onto it.

The silhouette.

Beyond the swirling dust and flickering lights of the battle—

A familiar figure stood deep within the corrupted stalk.

A woman’s silhouette.

At that moment, Aunt Patty stepped out of the bakery, her expression unreadable as she took in the chaos before her.

“Be careful, Aunt Patty…!”

Melinda, instinctively holding Aunt Patty's shoulders and moved her quickly, trying to protect her from the debris swirling in the air.

The other magicians quickly cast their spells, guiding nearby villagers to a safer zone—
but a few were struck down, overwhelmed by Lunaflora’s sudden assault.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them, and the tension in the atmosphere grew heavier.

Then a sharp bark pierced the tense air.

Drake.

The sound made Aunt Patty freeze, her gaze snapping toward the source.

Her breath hitched.

A woman’s silhouette from the past, now standing before them.

As if her past had come to meet her at last.

The Ancient One—

Isla.

Leina’s grip tightened around her staff.

This…

This was worse than she ever imagined.