"Here they come again!" Merka widened his eyes as a surge of blue aurora illuminated his whole body.

Even though Merka couldn't see anything, he understood that something was coming.

"The Heart of the Furnace."

In a panic, Merka raised his right hand to block. The mud he had been practicing with for days instinctively burst out from his body, forming a shield that tightly protected the right side of his body.

After a muffled bang, the figure in the black robe disappeared into the smoke once again.

Merka, who had been struck, felt like his whole body was falling apart. Not only was the mud shattered, but his arm, which had taken the impact, was swollen and unrecognizable.

Merka wondered why his smoke seemed to have no effect on Mulan.

"How can he be so accurate..."

"Can he hear my voice?"

In his magical vision, Merka noticed that every time Mulan commanded an attack, the cat ear on top of his head would twitch slightly.

"I believe he's close to reaching his limit."

Mulan said from outside the smoke.

"He can't hold on for much longer against such a massive smoke."

Mulan wasn't worried at all that Merka, who was hiding in the mist, would take the opportunity to heal himself.

For Mulan, whether it was spending a significant amount of magic to heal or saving that magic to escape, Merka's chances of winning were slim.

Moreover, the fact that Merka had not continued spreading the smoke indicated that this type of smoke couldn't affect a large area.

"Just in case..."

"I'll create another clone."

Mulan took off his black cloak, revealing his tight-fitting exercise wear and pants. Mulan without the cloak looked strong and confident, completely different from when he wore the black robe. His body, which had been concealed under the robe, was still quite muscular, dispelling any impression of weakness.

Mulan threw the black robe on the ground and took out a prepared bandage from his pocket, throwing it into the robe. With a slight incantation, the robe was filled with an expanding body.

Merka, who was standing in the mist, was stunned by this scene. It completely exceeded his understanding and conception of the entire field of magic.

The more physical and fiery forms of magic leaned toward, the smaller the price paid, while the opposite was true for other forms.

For a complex and unheard-of clone spell like this, it was inconceivable that it would only require such minimal materials and a few incantations.

"Unless... he's using some special method to deceive me."

Merka's mind moved, clenching his teeth tightly as the mist surrounding him became more viscous.

The sun had just risen on the horizon, casting a faint light on this rapidly moving gray behemoth. The chaotic fur appeared to emit deep roars.

The agitated cloud surge swept Merka away in great speed while Mulan stood still in his place. He reached out to touch the bow-shaped object next to him, draped in a black robe like a fierce beast.

"If I have another clone, my plan won't work."

"In that case... I'll have to take out one of them."

"Can I do it?"

Merka unconsciously reached for the black shadow hidden in his pocket, the finger given to him.

"No... now is not the time to use it."

Merka soared through the mist, like a gray shooting star, fluttering up and down amidst the dawn-lit tree shadows. Natural brilliance burst forth from his body, casting a shimmering light that caused the surrounding verdant tree shadows to sway.

"Descent of the Holy Son."

Merka's deep and profound pupils, resembling the galaxy itself, pierced through the mist. His hair seemed to dance in the bleached waves, floating naturally and melodiously.

A soul-like white flame of panic surged up in Merka, his shattered ribs and organs burning intensely, making crackling sounds, and in an instant, they returned to their original state.

"Tear him to pieces." Mulan coldly stared at the thick fog that had flown far away, speaking indifferently.

Three azure auroras swept in an instant, making any distance seem laughable before such speed. Like three projectiles, the black-clothed figures pierced through the smoke like blue silver needles, again and again.

Merka clenched his teeth, holding his breath, even slowing down the frequency of his magical wings' flapping, all to reduce the sound produced.

But under such intense movement, how could there be absolute silence?

Three flashes surrounded Merka, one responsible for listening from the side and two continuously launching attacks. Before long, the white flames on Merka weakened considerably due to the fierce assault.

Merka had considered counterattacking, but they were too cautious. Every time they hit him, they never stayed in the smoke, offering no chance for retaliation.

"It's good... if it wasn't for your suspicion, I would never have come up with this plan."

Merka increased his flying speed in one breath, completely disregarding the sonic boom he created.

"Trying to escape?" Mulan furrowed her brows, immediately controlling a clone with all her strength, rushing into the smoke where Merka was.

Like a giant roc spreading its wings, a tumultuous storm rose layer by layer. A black-clothed figure, like a lurking great white shark in the deep sea, with a terrifying power to risk everything, directly targeted the exposed voice of Merka within the darkness.

However, what the black-clothed figure faced was a towering giant cedar that dozens of people couldn't enclose. Its speed was too fast, and by the time it realized this, it was already unable to stop.

With a loud bang, the giant robe broke in half at the waist, and the upper half collapsed with a rumble. At the same time, the black-robed figure's body was stuck in the groove formed by broken tree fibers.

"I didn't expect it, did you? The illusion of sound can also be created using a backdrop."

"Hiss... the backdrop can't be used anymore. In his cautious state, every second of dropback consumes astronomical amounts of magic power."

Merka looked at the distorted black-clothed figure, raised a hand high, and swung it down fiercely.

"Good shepherd!"

An exaggerated explosion of smoke burst forth, and the black-clothed figure was instantly crushed in half by the violent explosion. Due to excessive use of magic power, Merka's face also appeared slightly pale.

Looking at the black-clothed figure with only the upper half of the body remaining, Merka knelt down and wanted to uncover the burnt bandages on his body.

"Let me see your true face..."

"That should be what I say to you."

At a speed impossible for any human to react to, two flashes sliced open the mist enveloping Merka. The remaining two black-clothed figures – one restraining the throat and the other binding Merka's hands – forcibly held Merka against the rough fracture of the cedar.

With the faint morning light shining on her face, Mulan sat expressionless on a broken tree stump, gazing down upon Merka.