Planting his boots into the earth, Nagada launched himself into the air toward the five advisors. Whirling his broadsword in a tight arc, he intercepted two incoming blades, the kinetic weight behind his strike knocking the weapons clean out of their grips.

Pivoting mid-air, he delivered a rapid double-kick, sending both elder advisors flying toward opposite ends of the courtyard.

As Nagada touched down, the remaining three advisors lunged at him simultaneously. Nagada instantly erected a spherical barrier of natural magic, absorbing the impact of two incoming strikes. Under Warrior Jiro's instruction, every Sky Squad member had been taught to manipulate atmospheric mana to form defensive shields whenever surrounded or pressed from multiple angles.

The third advisor's sword collided directly with Nagada's blade.

CLANG!

Internal energy pressed violently against internal energy. Nagada held off the third advisor's blade while his ambient magic shield absorbed the remaining two attacks.

Nearby, Sanjo and Yara held their ground against Toda's elite bodyguards. These rank-seven combatants formed the core vanguard of the Hanusan Kingdom, serving directly under the high command.

Sanjo moved like a streak of light, his uncanny speed frustrating the guards' efforts to pin him down. Wielding his dual trisulas with fluid grace, he parried incoming polearms while inflicting precise, debilitating counter-strikes across their armor.

Beside him, Yara executed a high-speed defensive pattern with her long, flexible rapiers. Her movements resembled an intricate, deadly dance—a specialized assassin combat style developed under Warrior Jiro's tutelage.

Jiro had directed Yara to master lightweight, razor-sharp blades, pairing them with high-velocity footwork to maximize her lethal potential. Moving at blinding speeds, her slender frame vanished and reappeared across the battlefield, evading heavy strikes with effortless grace.

To the elite guards, she appeared to blink out of existence entirely, making her movements nearly impossible to track with the naked eye. Before they could react, several guards were thrown off balance, suffering deep cuts from her flickering steel.

"She's too slippery!" one guard shouted in frustration.

Observing the battlefield, Toda spotted an opening in Nagada's stance.

With Nagada occupied on two fronts, Toda seized the opportunity, leaping into the air with his sword leveled directly at his nephew's neck. It was a lethal ambush, catching Nagada at a moment when parrying seemed impossible.

Toda plummeted like a meteor, driving his blade downward with terrifying momentum.

CLANG!

A violent shockwave erupted as Toda's blade was intercepted inches from Nagada's throat. A shadowy figure had materialized at Nagada's side, swinging a heavy sword to block the lethal blow.

Shocked by the sudden interference, Toda redirected his force, parrying the incoming counter-strike. The two fighters locked blades, their internal aura grinding against each other in a fierce contest of strength.

As the energy flared, Toda locked eyes with his opponent and gasped.

It was his elder brother—King Yomura!

He has completely recovered?!

"You traitorous fool, Toda!" Yomura roared, his internal energy surging like an overflowing river.

Having consumed the Soul Purifying Water provided by Nagada, the dark seal binding his core had been completely dissolved. The sacred elixir had not only restored his strength but had also refined his internal channels, enabling him to break through to a higher realm of cultivation.

Yomura had initially held back to evaluate his son's growth as a Sky Squad operative, taking immense pride in Nagada's progress. But seeing Toda resort to a cowardly ambush, the King stepped in to put an end to his brother's treason.

"I am no traitor, Brother!" Toda sneered, straining against Yomura's blade. "I am doing what is necessary to preserve the Hanusan Kingdom! I will ensure this realm survives and prospers, no matter the cost!"

"Nonsense!" Yomura barked, his eyes flashing with righteous fury. "You speak of saving the kingdom while destroying everything our ancestors built! You have sold your soul to the forces of evil!"

"The world has changed, Brother!" Toda countered. "We must align with the strong to survive! Adhering to outdated ideals will only bring total destruction!"

"HAAAAAA!" "HAAAAAA!"

BOOOOOOM!

The collision of their aura hurled both brothers backward through the air.

Flipping mid-air, Yomura landed firmly on his feet, re-establishing his stance to continue the duel.

"Focus on those traitorous advisors, Nagada!" Yomura called out, keeping his eyes locked on Toda. "Leave your uncle to me!"

Nagada offered his father a confident smile, and the two exchanged a firm nod.

Meanwhile, the five advisors regrouped, surrounding Nagada once more. Abandoning all restraint, a murky, pitch-black haze began to seep from their pores.

Dark magic?! Nagada's eyes narrowed. They had become puppets of the Demon Lord—Mondu sleeper agents whose very souls were bound to the dark army.

The dark energy cloaking the advisors grew denser and heavier by the second.

Executing a Soul Transformation, dark scales erupted across their skin as veins turned black. Their physical parameters multiplied instantly, shrouded in a volatile aura of corrupt energy.

Unlike a full Demon Transformation practiced by pure dark cultivators, a Soul Transformation was a hybrid art utilized by orthodox martial artists who integrated dark energy into their internal pathways. While slightly less potent than a true demonic mutation, its primary advantage lay in camouflage—allowing practitioners to pass as normal martial artists until they chose to unleash their dark aura.

Now exposed as Mondu traitors, the five advisors dropped all pretense.

"The truth is laid bare!" Nagada declared, a howling wind whirling around his blade. "I will show no mercy to traitors!"

Igniting his internal aura, Nagada lunged at the transformed advisors in a flash of silver light.

Moving with unnatural agility, the five advisors exploited every angle, attempting to overwhelm Nagada with superior numbers and raw speed. They swarmed him from above, below, front, and behind, raining down a torrential assault.

Forced onto the defensive, Nagada deployed a dense natural barrier to absorb the onslaught. Yet under the relentless barrage of dark energy, cracks began to web across his shield.

It's time to take this seriously! Nagada resolved, his eyes burning with absolute determination.