the shaman way

"Let the seven halos of the seven archangels of pure white come to my aid! Chiryōjutsu, Taiyō Rank of the Fifth Tier: Seven Halos of Pure Light!"

As she uttered the invocation, seven halos of pure white light materialized behind her, radiating brilliance. Mama Ipoh's hair turned a shimmering white, and her eyes glowed a deep, golden hue. Every wound on her body vanished, healed in an instant. With deliberate care, she gently placed Viora on the ground.

"Mama Ipoh..." Viora's voice trembled, her gaze locked onto the radiant figure before her.

Mama Ipoh turned her warm, gentle smile toward Viora before facing Immemorvis Obscuritas. Her back now shielding Viora, she said in a firm yet reassuring tone,

"Sugar, stay here and wait for me. I promise you, all this will just be something we can laugh about in the future. I won't let anyone touch you ever again!"

Immemorvis tilted his head, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin. His expression shifted to one of mild curiosity as he said,

"Oh, she's doing something interesting."

His eyes widened slightly as he rummaged through his pocket, eventually pulling out a severed arm. A faint chuckle escaped his lips, tinged with exhaustion.

"Looks like he's started regenerating faster than before... Lucky for you, I managed to retrieve your soul core in time."

From another pocket, he retrieved a dark orb writhing with root-like tendrils. The orb seemed alive, pulsating ominously. With precision, he pressed the orb into the severed arm, which hungrily absorbed it.

Glancing at Mama Ipoh, he let out a dry laugh and murmured,

"Spirits like us can't regenerate if our soul cores are destroyed, after all."

Mama Ipoh observed the scene carefully, her thoughts racing.

So, he managed to save his soul core from total annihilation? That means he'll regenerate sooner or later. I need to end this—both of them—quickly.

Her voice, filled with righteous anger, echoed through the forest.

"Hey, spirit of the wicked! You made a grave mistake touching my daughter!"

She pointed at the severed arm of Hephaestus, her expression fierce.

"When I'm done with you two, there won't even be a limb left of either of you!"

Immemorvis shrugged nonchalantly and flung the severed arm deep into the forest. It sailed so far that it vanished beyond the trees. Mama Ipoh's eyes widened at the audacity, but he simply sighed, his tone calm and detached.

"You're mistaken. I am no servant of the wicked. I serve oblivion—the purest total darkness. I'm just repaying a debt to him and his followers. Nothing more."

One of the glowing halos behind Mama Ipoh flew to her hand, intensifying in brightness. The light radiating from it grew blinding as she declared,

"It doesn't matter whether you're a follower of the wicked or not. Both you and Hephaestus will be reduced to nothing!"

The light from the halo reached a crescendo as Mama Ipoh's voice turned cold and resolute.

"First halo of the seven archangels... Sword of Michael: Light-Piercing Justice!"

The halo transformed into a sword of pure light, glowing brighter than the sun itself. Immemorvis raised a hand to shield his eyes, chuckling softly.

"So bright... But isn't Chiryōjutsu supposed to be a healing technique from your homeland? Why would you wield a sword? How... curious."

Mama Ipoh glanced at her luminous weapon and then back at Immemorvis, her mind sharpening.

So, he knows about my homeland too...

A smirk crossed her face as she replied,

"I shortened the incantation, but this technique isn't just about healing."

Immemorvis regarded her with an intense gaze, his lips curling into a gentle smile.

"It still doesn't matter... You have no power here. But don't worry—I haven't decided whether to kill you yet."

Immemorvis was thrown back at blinding speed, crashing into a tree with such force that the wood cracked and splintered. As he hung pinned against the tree, he looked down to see a piercing light that had run him through. Blood dripped from the wound as his gaze shifted to Mama Ipoh, who stood wielding the radiant Sword of Michael. Her breaths came heavy and labored.

"You really do have a fondness for light-based techniques, don't you?" he said, his voice tinged with mocking amusement.

Mama Ipoh's expression remained steely. She retracted the light from his body, the sword's brilliance dimming slightly, and spoke in a cold, angry tone.

"You talk too much."

Immemorvis's wound began to close almost instantly, his body knitting itself back together. His expression turned sharp and his voice cold as he raised a single finger, speaking with detached monotony.

"I will only use two of my abilities against you. The first is Velum Oblitorum—a technique that allows me to erase myself completely from another's consciousness. To all of your five senses, I will cease to exist. This extends even beyond the physical—your spiritual awareness and cohesive perception as a high spiritual being will also fail to detect me. To you, I will simply be… nothing."

He raised a second finger, his tone remaining unsettlingly calm.

"The second is Sudarium Oblitorum. From any point A to point B, your mind, senses, and spiritual perception will be utterly incapable of processing my actions. It will render you unable to predict my movements, no matter your speed. All you will perceive is where I was—never where I am."

A cruel smirk played across his lips as he raised both arms arrogantly, his voice dripping with condescension.

"I am a curious person, after all. So, entertain me, and I might decide not to kill you—or the girl."

Mama Ipoh raised her sword high into the air, her golden eyes blazing with fury. As she brought it down, she roared,

"I said, you talk too much!"

The sword's light surged, ready to strike at the speed of light once more—but in the instant before she could unleash her attack, Immemorvis was gone. Her heart tightened as she scanned her surroundings, her mind racing.

What a terrifying ability... If what he says is true, then there's no way to predict his movements. No way to fight him. Where is he?

She turned sharply, her eyes darting in every direction, but saw nothing. Anxiety gnawed at her thoughts.

He could already have his hand at my neck... or worse, at Viora's. And I wouldn't even know. If I still had my past Superflux, I'd have finished him in an instant. But I can't stay in this form much longer.

A sudden, sharp pain tore through her head, and she instinctively brought a hand to her temple. She pulled her hand away to see a single drop of blood trailing down her fingers.

Her instincts screamed, and she swung her sword at the speed of light directly in front of her. The ground erupted in a brilliant explosion of light as the blade collided, sending dust and debris flying.

He was right in front of me!

As the smoke began to clear, Mama Ipoh strained her eyes. But there was no sign of him. Suddenly, her head jerked violently to the side, a searing pain splitting her temple. Blood sprayed from the wound, and she staggered, struggling to keep her balance. The gash began to heal almost immediately, her celestial aura mending the damage.

She turned toward where she had been standing moments before and saw Immemorvis, calm and unbothered, his posture almost mocking.

"Oh, you heal fast now," he remarked with a faint smirk.

Before she could respond, he vanished again, dissolving into nothingness as though he had never existed.

"That bastard…" she muttered through clenched teeth. "He's toying with me."

Mama Ipoh plunged the Sword of Michael into the ground, the blade slicing into the earth as if it were butter. She closed her eyes and focused, her voice low and steady.

"Fine. Let's see how you handle this... If I can't see you, I'll just hit everything."

Suddenly, the battlefield erupted with light as countless swords of pure energy shot up from the ground. They pierced every direction, radiating from her position like an unstoppable tide. The entire area became a deadly web of searing light, leaving no avenue for escape.

As the light faded and the swords dissipated into nothingness, Mama Ipoh pulled her weapon from the ground. Her breaths were heavy, her body trembling slightly from the strain. She looked around, her thoughts grim.

I hope I managed to hurt him... even a little.

A voice sounded behind Mama Ipoh, casual and mocking.

"Oh... you hit me pretty good. That's smart of you. Against me, the perfect strategy really is just to hit everything."

She whirled around to see Immemorvis standing there, his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. His relaxed demeanor sent a chill through her. Without hesitation, she leapt several meters forward, putting distance between them as she turned to face him again.

Her Sword of Michael dissolved into a cascade of glowing sparks, its brilliance fading into the air. For the first time, Immemorvis's typically nonchalant expression shifted, his eyes widening slightly.

"Oh?"

Another halo of light floated forward, hovering in front of Mama Ipoh. She grasped it with both hands, and the halo's glow intensified, its radiance illuminating the battlefield. She took a deep breath, her voice steady but filled with resolve.

"Sixth Halo of the Seven Archangels—Balance of Raguel: The Balance of Fair Order!"

The halo transformed into a radiant set of scales, each side shining with a brilliant white light. As the balance settled before her, its elongated arms extended downward, crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking force.

Immemorvis's smirk faltered as his body was suddenly slashed by a tremendous invisible force. He staggered backward and fell to the ground, clutching the places where Mama Ipoh had been struck earlier in their battle. The wounds mirrored those he had inflicted on her with surgical precision.

"How curious…" he muttered, a smirk creeping back onto his face despite the pain. "What an intriguing ability you've got here."

Mama Ipoh's breaths came heavily, her determination unwavering.

"Anything you hit me with will strike you back tenfold, magnified by the weight of the sins on your soul."

Immemorvis let out a dry, tired laugh as he lay on the ground. "Not fair... I'm not exactly the most virtuous person, am I?"

Mama Ipoh smirked, her voice filled with conviction.

"That's precisely why I chose this halo. Now, try your little tricks again, and see how they come back to you—multiplied a thousandfold."

"Velum Oblitorum," Immemorvis whispered, and his form vanished into nothingness, leaving no trace of his presence.

Mama Ipoh let out an arrogant smile, her gaze calm and unwavering. The balance before her began to descend deeper into the ground, its radiant arms carving through the earth as she spoke, her voice laced with annoyance.

"Did you really think I can't do this as many times as I need to? It doesn't matter if I can perceive you—I'll just hit you over and over again."

The balance's descent continued, its power rippling across the battlefield. Suddenly, a sound of agony echoed behind her. Turning sharply, Mama Ipoh saw Immemorvis writhing on the ground, his body convulsing. The same wounds from earlier were tearing open repeatedly, as though he had been struck in the exact same place over and over again.

It was clear he had attempted to strike her from behind but paid the price.

"What a troublesome ability you have…" Immemorvis said through clenched teeth, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "But how interesting..."

With those words, he vanished once more, leaving no trace of his existence.

Mama Ipoh sighed, her exhaustion evident as she steadied her breath, her thoughts racing.

This ability is consuming my Superflux at an alarming rate. If I don't finish this soon, I'll have to pay the price...

Her grip tightened on the Balance of Raguel, its glow intensifying as she prepared for the next move

chapter thirty-nine end