2471 By the Hand of a Mortal (Part 1)

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The Thousand Flames pressed down the energy storm, burning at it from every side. The Primordial Flames flooded the still-imploding dot, messing with the process and consuming the accumulated world energy before it could reach the critical point.

The explosion was unavoidable, but when it finally happened, part of the energy mass had been consumed and it had to fight through a thick layer of Thousands and Primordial Flames to advance.

The energy mass found no world energy to absorb and amplify to further increase its destructive power because the Hands of Menadion had focused it all to fuel the Flames.

Despite all that, the collapsing power core managed to burst through the sea of fire with enough strength left to kill the fusion between Lith and Solus.

It was the reason they had the Demons surround the site of the blast. The energy that comprised the Demons of the Darkness rearranged itself into a Sealed Space that cut off what remained of the cursed shield from the rest of Mogar.

The Origin Demons, instead, used their black and white eyes to turn into living masses of Void Flames before detonating themselves. At the same time, a wave of the Hands of Menadion conjured a Silverwing's Bastion that enveloped the Sealed Space.

This way, Lith and Solus could keep pouring mana into the barrier whereas the energy mass had no way to keep the chain reaction going. The Void Flames ate more of the force of the explosion so that when it hit the Bastion, the blast had lost another chunk of its strength.

"That's a nifty trick, but if a Bastion was all that was needed, your friend Dawn would have been killed by Sinmara centuries ago." Windfell's words fell on deaf ears since the hybrid kept three eyes on him and Stargazer but otherwise ignored them.

When the explosion shattered Silverwing's spell, more Demons had taken position in the adjacent area, half of them conjuring another Sealed Space and the other half bursting into Blight Flames.

The hybrid encased them all with a second Bastion, repeating the process four times before the Bastion finally held.

Much to the cursed objects' surprise, not only not even a gust of wind had reached them, but the strength of the creature had kept increasing the whole time. The fringes of their aura were now white and more bursts of light flared right below them.

"This was impractical." The hybrid thought out loud. "Too many spells and too many Demons. I don't think we can do this again."

Their breath was ragged, the life force consumption for the continuous stream of Primordial Flames coupled with igniting so many Origin Demons had taken a toll on them.

The tower kept fuelling the hybrid with the endless energy from the mana geyser but making up for the lost life force required time. It was the reason Sinmara had avoided using a similar strategy against Dawn.

She would have to use members of the nest instead of Demons and while Lith's creatures could be reformed as many times he wanted, one single mistake or moment of hesitation might have cost the life of dozens of Phoenixes if not even her own.

"So we agree. You are going to let us go." Windfell had a hard time saying those words with a straight face.

Another allegedly eternal being had been slain by the hand of a mortal and to add insult to injury, the cursed scimitar had to beg for his life.

"We never said that." The hybrid shook their head. "We just mean that we are going to kill you in a more efficient way."

By taking a deep breath to restore their dwindling strength, the hybrid also conjured several Demons of the Darkness. Oddly, only a few of them stayed while the majority took flight and soon disappeared on the horizon.

"I think that's enough." Baba Yaga said through the surveillance mirror. "Despite your great strength you still have limits, children. What you just did required great control and precision.

"If you try to do that again two more times, you'll die."

The Red Mother had no care for cursed objects. She spoke solely to ensure that nothing bad would happen to Solus.

"Night has instigated the living legacies against you, but Knightfall's and Windfell's death will send them a message. There's no messing with the Verhens without paying the consequences."

"I'm still alive." The cursed scimitar had never expected that Baba Yaga would stand up for him, yet his joy was ruined by her ominous words.

"I beg to differ." The Mother used the power of her own tower to bypass Solus' and Blinked right beside the hybrid.

A wave of her hand trapped Windfell in the Tower Spirit spell, Cage of Light. Like a mosquito sealed within amber, the cursed scimitar could only helplessly watch as Baba Yaga activated her tier five Creation Magic spell, Dismantle.

First, it severed the bond between living legacy and host, halving its power. Then, the spell split the mana crystals from the metal, the metal from the hilt, and the hilt from the power core.

Without a vessel to contain the intricated series of runes that had covered the whole surface of the blade, the words of power dissipated not with a bang but with a whimper.

Stargazer stared in horror at the Red Mother, fearing to be the next to die.

"Make sure to report the message or the next time we meet it will also be the last. I won't allow threats to the life of my children nor allegiances to my disowned daughter. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Stargazer tried and failed to swallow because physically incapable.

The Mother usually exuded a serene aura that soothed the spirit of her guests but to the cursed glaive she looked even more monstrous than the hybrid. At least Lith and Solus had to struggle to kill Knightfall whereas Baba Yaga had snuffed Windfell's life like it was a candle.

"Wait, Malyshka. I disagree." The hybrid spoke with two voices but from the moniker they had employed the Mother understood that it was Solus talking. "This sends all the wrong message.

"Even if this bastard never attacks us again, she can always reveal to the rest of the cursed objects our techniques, spells, points of strength and weakness. Sooner or late,r Night would learn them as well and that's not something we can allow."

"I agree." Baba Yaga pondered. "I'm certain that before returning, Night will come with a bag full of tricks and you'd better have your own."

"It's not only that." The hybrid shook their head. "If we let her go, it will make us look weak. The cursed objects will fear you, not us. The moment Dawn leaves for the Eclipsed Lands, they won't need a dimensional mage to cut off our communications.

"A simple air sealing array will suffice. If we kill her instead, no one but us will know how things have played out. The only thing that the cursed objects will ever know about this is that three of them came to kill us and they all died for it.

"They will be afraid of us, Tista, and Dawn.