THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR-Chapter 326: MASTER’S RETURN

The cosmic figure stood motionless, bandaged hands hanging loosely at its sides. Where a face should have been, swirling nebulae shifted in patterns that hurt to look at directly. The glass roof panels above fractured the moonlight, casting prismatic reflections across the warehouse floor—reflections that seemed to bend away from the entity as if even light itself feared to touch it.

Seraphina's orobos snake hissed, its metal body expanding as it coiled protectively around her arm. "Interesting timing," she said, her voice betraying no fear despite the sudden shift in power dynamics. "I don't suppose you're Kaz?"

The figure didn't respond. Instead, it raised one hand—a simple gesture that shouldn't have been threatening but somehow carried immense weight. The air rippled, and black thorned vines erupted from the shadows surrounding Seraphina, lashing toward her with deadly precision.

She moved with practiced grace, her body flowing like liquid darkness between the attacking vines. The orobos snake launched from her arm, expanding to three times its original size as it intercepted several thorns aimed at her throat.

"A bit excessive for an introduction," Seraphina remarked, landing in a crouch several meters away. She raised her hand, and the shadows around her pulsed with energy. "Engage!"

Two figures burst from concealment simultaneously. The first—a woman with flowing crimson hair and a long obsidian sword whose edge seemed to drink in the light—launched herself directly at the cosmic being. The second—with auburn hair tied in a neat ponytail and wielding a purplish rapier whose ornate hilt glowed with arcane symbols—flanked right, taking up a defensive position.

A third figure emerged from the shadows behind them—a blonde woman whose slender hands moved in precise arcane gestures, unleashing a barrage of ice shards that crystallized mid-air from ambient moisture.

"About time!" the crimson-haired woman—Vivian—called out, her obsidian blade slicing through the black vines with surprising effectiveness. "I was getting bored with all the talking."

The cosmic figure's response was immediate and overwhelming. More vines erupted from every shadow, creating a writhing forest of thorns that threatened to overwhelm the warehouse. Where Vivian's obsidian blade cut through them, the severed pieces dissolved into mist only for two more to grow in their place.

Shay dodged a particularly vicious tendril and skidded to a halt beside Seraphina, her rapier raised in a defensive stance. "This isn't our typical opposition," she observed, her voice calm despite the exertion evident on her face. "Its aura... it's comparable to a King-ranked swordsman or grand mage."

"I noticed," Seraphina replied dryly. Her orobos snake had returned to her, now encircling both her arms like liquid metal armor. "Careful with your approach."

From the rafters above, Katrina's voice called out, "The ice isn't affecting it properly! It's adapting to the cold!"

Shay nodded, her rapier moving in a defensive pattern. "Vivian! Fall back and regroup! We need a new approach!"

At the call of her name, Vivian disengaged from her direct assault, flipping backward with inhuman agility to land beside her companions. Blood trickled from a cut on her cheek, but her crimson eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Finally, a real challenge!" she exclaimed, spinning her obsidian sword in a flourish that left dark afterimages in the air. "I was beginning to think this assignment would be all sneaking and no action."

Seraphina shot her a quelling look. "Enough," she commanded. "Coordinated attack. Pattern Three."

The three women moved with the synchronicity of those who had fought together countless times. Vivian darted left, her crimson hair streaming behind her as she became a blur of motion, her obsidian blade leaving trails of darkness as she engaged the vines once more—not attempting to defeat them but to draw attention. Katrina positioned herself higher in the warehouse rafters, her blonde hair gleaming in the moonlight as she continued to unleash freezing spells that crystallized anything they touched.

Seraphina's role became apparent as she raised both hands, her orobos snake unwinding to form a complex pattern in the air before her. "Bind," she whispered, and the metal serpent shattered into countless fragments that shot toward the cosmic being like silver rain.

For a moment, their coordinated attack seemed effective. The snake fragments penetrated the vine defenses, wrapping around the figure's limbs with constricting force. Katrina's ice magic froze several vines solid, making them brittle enough for Vivian to shatter with precise strikes from her obsidian blade. Shay moved with incredible grace, her rapier deflecting any vines that threatened to reach Seraphina.

Then everything changed.

The cosmic figure's cloak billowed outward, revealing glimpses of a void beneath that seemed to stretch into infinity. A pulse of energy—not quite magical, not quite physical—radiated outward. The warehouse trembled, dust raining from the rafters as glass panels cracked overhead.

"What the—" Vivian's exclamation cut short as she was thrown backward, her crimson hair whipping around her face as she tumbled across the floor before catching herself against a support column.

Shay managed to stand her ground, drawing intricate patterns with her rapier that created a shimmering barrier of purple energy. "Its power is growing exponentially! This isn't right—it shouldn't be able to channel this much energy without—" Seraphina gasped.

From above, a pained cry signaled that Katrina had also been caught in the energy wave, her blonde form visible briefly as she tumbled from her perch before catching herself on a lower beam.

"Look out!" Seraphina shouted as dark magic circles materialized beneath Vivian, Shay, and Katrina—complex hexagonal patterns inscribed with symbols that glowed with malevolent purpose.

"Hex," Seraphina identified, her voice tense with recognition. "Move, all of you! Now!"

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Shay's auburn ponytail came partially undone as she raised her rapier defensively, attempting to escape the expanding circle. But the magic expanded faster than any of them could react, the glowing patterns climbing up their bodies like burning chains.

Vivian's attempted leap faltered mid-air as the magic took hold, forcing her back to the ground. Shay's barrier shattered, her rapier's glowing symbols flickering weakly against the overwhelming force. Above them, Katrina struggled against similar bonds, ice crystals forming defensively around her but melting against the hex's power.

Seraphina acted instantly, directing her remaining orobos power toward her teammates. Silver energy flowed from her hands, reinforcing both women with protective magic. "Liberare Obscurum!" she commanded, strain evident in her voice as she fought against the hex.