Uncle Toda raged in blind fury as a dense, suffocating aura of dark magic erupted from his frame. Having already deployed a Soul Transformation, he pushed past his limits, deliberately rupturing his own internal channels to force an overwhelming surge of dark mana through his body.

He no longer cared whether his physical vessel could handle such volatile power. He knew Drakos had already fallen to the Sky Squad, leaving him with no retreat and no leverage. Surrendering would only mean a swift execution for his treason against the continental alliance.

There was no hope left to hold onto.

"HAAAAAA!"

A violent surge of dark magic cloaked Toda, turning the bright morning sky around the compound into an unnatural, pitch-black dusk. The suffocating fog chilled the air, accompanied by howling, angry gales that tore through the courtyard.

"Stop this, Toda! It is not too late to turn back!"

King Yomura’s voice echoed across the field. Though deeply betrayed by his younger brother, fond memories of their youth still lingered in Yomura's heart. Toda had always been competitive and envious since childhood, yet Yomura had loved him unconditionally.

Regret inevitably arrived too late. Still, Yomura believed a path to redemption remained open if Toda surrendered now.

"End this madness, Toda! Your body cannot contain that much corrupt power!"

Swirling vortexes of pitch-black wind whirled around Toda. His face twisted with raw malice—a bitter manifestation of his lifelong resentment toward his elder brother, the King.

"You always looked down on me! You never valued me!" Toda's voice mutated into a deep, guttural roar that barely sounded human. He was rapidly losing control of his own vessel.

Yomura extended a hand, desperately trying to reach his brother. In that final moment, Toda caught a glimpse of the genuine warmth and love in Yomura's eyes. But what was the point now? It was far too late.

In the back of his twisted mind, Toda caught a fleeting memory from their childhood—a distant time when three brothers, Yomura, Toda, and their youngest sibling Nadi, trained together under their master's watchful eye.

They had been happy and unburdened back then. Under the scorching midday sun, they had trained relentlessly, dreaming of growing strong enough to protect the Hanusan Kingdom. They had shared laughs even when enduring punishments for skipping practice together.

Those had been the sweetest moments of Toda's life. But time could not be rewound, and memories belonged strictly to the past.

"Forgive me... Brother."

Amidst the whistling dark winds and suffocating fog, a single tear nearly slipped down Toda's face before his body underwent a complete, hideous mutation. Shrouded in deep shadows, thick demonic scales erupted across his flesh and face. With a sickening crunch, two massive, bat-like wings bristling with jagged bone spurs burst from his back. His feet elongated into razor-sharp, gleaming talons.

"Toda! Stop!"

Toda could no longer hear his brother's cries; his consciousness had been swallowed whole by the demonic transformation. Driven by pure predatory instinct, his mutated form launched into the sky before diving downward like a falling meteor.

WOOOOSSHHH!

Toda plummeted straight toward Yomura at terrifying velocity, his gleaming talons clutching a pitch-black sword aimed directly at the King's chest.

CLANG!

A violent shockwave shattered the air. Nagada had moved at blinding speed, interposing himself above his father to intercept Toda's lethal dive. The collision triggered a fierce struggle between light and dark energy.

Nagada could tell his father had not yet fully recovered, whereas Toda was operating at the volatile peak of an unchecked demonic transformation. The kinetic force behind the attack was staggering. Nagada braced his stance with everything he had just to hold off the monstrous entity.

Despite his best efforts, Nagada's boots began skidding backward through the dirt under the crushing weight.

"Get back, Father!" Nagada shouted, his muscles trembling as he struggled against the dark pressure. "I can't hold this forever—get out of the way so I can reset my stance!"

Yomura stood motionless beneath him, staring up at his son. Watching Nagada risk his life to shield him snapped Yomura back to reality. His brother Toda was gone, completely consumed by greed and dark magic. As both a sovereign monarch and a father, Yomura could no longer let nostalgia paralyze his heart.

He had a kingdom to protect, a populace to defend, and a family to safeguard. A true king could not stand by and let his own child shield him. Yomura's hands trembled as a radiant, golden aura began to emanate from his body, causing his blade to hum with intense energy.

In his mind's eye, Yomura felt as if he were standing upon a vast, boundless ocean. High above, a single droplet of pure celestial light fell from the heavens, splashing softly onto the water's surface beneath his feet.

SPLASH!

King Yomura snapped his eyes open, a brilliant, blinding light glowing within his pupils. An explosive wave of pure aura detonated from his vessel, followed by continuous shockwaves that rattled the courtyard.

The terrifying pressure radiating from the King surged exponentially with every passing second.

The shockwave blasted Toda's mutated form backward, loosening his grip on Nagada's blade. Seizing the opening, Nagada parried the remaining force and disengaged cleanly, retreating several paces once the pressure lifted.

Nagada stared in awe at his father. Is this... Father's true power?!

"Fall back, Nagada! Let your father finish this!" Yomura commanded, a refined mantle of shimmering aura wrapping tightly around his frame.

Nagada did not dare object. He recognized the absolute resolve in his father's eyes—a monarch and patriarch preparing to fight for his honor and family. Once King Yomura made up his mind, his resolve was unshakeable.

Nodding respectfully, Nagada retreated to the perimeter, rejoining Sanjo and Yara.

The three Sky Squad members watched on, trusting the final outcome to the King of Hanusan. The staggering aura Yomura currently displayed was more than enough to match Toda's demonic form.

Still, Nagada marveled at how a man who had lain comatose for two full years could unleash such terrifying martial parameters upon awakening.

Was it truly the Soul Purifying Water that unlocked Father's soul seal? Nagada wondered, recalling his father's earlier words.

If a single vial possessed the extraordinary capability to unlock a cultivator's deepest reserves, it was a priceless treasure that every martial master in the realm would kill to possess.

How did Aji come to own such a divine elixir... and why did he give it to me so freely?