The smoke cleared.
A massive crater scarred the battlefield where Raven had stood.
But then—
Laughter.
Raven’s voice echoed, raw and mocking. His body was bruised, burned, dripping blood—yet his eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Oh… now this is what I wanted.”
Safari snarled, knuckles white around his hammer.
But Angeleva felt something different.
Raven wasn’t just testing Safari’s strength. He was feeding it. Pushing him deeper into rage.
On purpose.
And if Safari kept going—he would lose himself completely.
She gritted her teeth.
Legend’s voice whispered in her mind.
“Get close to him. I’ll transfer Zack’s healing energy. It’s the only way.”
Her battered body screamed in protest, but she forced herself forward.
Safari and Raven clashed again—blow for blow—until Angeleva leapt in.
She seized Safari’s arm.
“STOP!”
For a heartbeat, his movements halted. His glowing red eyes locked onto her. His aura raged.
For the first time—Angeleva felt fear.
Would he even recognize her?
Her grip tightened.
“Come back, Safari!”
BOOM!
A violent surge of negative energy exploded outward, blasting her back. Her wings fluttered wildly as she fought against the storm of destruction.
Safari’s horns pulsed with dark energy, his body radiating a power that felt… inhuman.
“Safari—!”
Angeleva didn’t hesitate. She pressed forward again, wings blazing with ethereal light, Fairy magic battling his darkness.
But it wasn’t enough.
The negative energy repelled her instantly, hurling her across the ground.
Her skin burned. Her body trembled.
And still—she clung to him.
Even as his energy seared her flesh, she refused to let go.
She felt it—his mind spiraling deeper. Rage. Grief. Betrayal. Devouring him whole.
If she let go now—he’d be lost forever.
Her wings wrapped around him, even as they tore under the strain. Blood trickled down her arms. She held tighter, resting her forehead against his.
“Come back, Safari… please…”
Her voice wavered, but it did not break.
Her warmth pressed against his darkness, hoping—praying—that some part of him was still listening.
The battlefield shook with the clash of their energies, white and black sparks tearing the air apart.
Safari’s breathing was ragged, his aura an untamed storm. His eyes glowed with bloodlust. He was no longer himself. He was becoming a monster.
“Safari—look at me!”
He snarled, hammer raised, eyes empty with hunger for destruction.
Angeleva winced, but pressed harder, forehead against his, shouting over the chaos.
“I know you’re still in there!”
For just a moment—
His body twitched.
A hesitation.
A flicker of the real him struggling to surface.
Raven smirked from the ruins. Blood dripped from his mouth, yet his grin widened.
“The Fairy Queen’s niece begging a devil to stop being a devil? How pathetic.”
He cracked his knuckles, aura swelling with murderous delight.
“I’d rather watch him consumed.”
WHOOSH!
He vanished—then reappeared behind them.
Angeleva’s eyes widened.
“No—!”
Raven’s hand speared through her wing.
The sound was sickening. Blood splattered across Safari’s chest.
Her body convulsed, her grip faltering.
Safari’s eyes flickered. His breath hitched. For the first time since his descent—he froze.
Angeleva coughed, blood dripping from her lips. Yet she clung to him still, fingers weakly curling against his chest.
She managed a faint, pained smile.
“You’re not… this kind of person…” she whispered. Her voice trembled, fading.
“Please… come back…”
Her aura flickered—then collapsed.
Her body went limp in his arms.
The battlefield fell silent.
Safari’s hands shook as he held her. His dark aura wavered, unstable. His chest clenched with guilt.
Her wings were torn. Her face pale. Her body broken—all because of him.
“This is my fault…” he whispered, shaking.
Then—Legend’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Safari! You need to get out of there. Zack can heal you both, but Raven won’t let you recover if you stay.”
Safari clenched his fists.
Run? Now? His instincts screamed to fight, to tear Raven apart.
But then he felt it—her faint grip on his arm.
He looked down. Despite her condition, she smiled faintly at him.
“You’re hurt too… We both need to recover…”
With trembling hands, she lifted her wand. A soft glow enveloped them both.
FLASH.
They turned invisible.
Safari staggered as the air shifted around them, Angeleva weak in his arms.
“Move…” she whispered. “Now.”
He nodded, holding her close as they slipped from the battlefield.
Raven stood still. His eyes narrowed, scanning the shadows.
He could feel them—but faintly, like mist slipping through his grasp.
His smirk faltered.
“Hiding?” he muttered. His aura flared, sending a shockwave ripping across the ruins. Nothing.
He sniffed the air, expression darkening.
“Tch. Clever little pests.”
But his grin returned.
Let them run. Let them hide.
It didn’t matter.
Sooner or later—he would find them.
And next time—
They would not escape.