Lilac poured all her holy energy into the core. The swirling red mass began to shift, bleeding into gold—then into an eerie purple.
"Huh?" Her voice cracked. "What… is this?"
Daemon didn't answer at first. Then he started laughing.
"Pfft… Puhahaha!"
"You're not dead?" she yelled, panicked. "Why?! What's happening?!"
Daemon stepped forward, his shadow stretching over her, and without warning, slapped her across the face. She hit the ground, stunned, staring up at him.
"Thanks for the help," he said, eyes glowing. "Feeding all that pure holy mana into my core? Now I can fuse the fragments completely. The demonic nature won't overtake me anymore. I have balance. Control. And all because of your sweet, idiotic little act of mercy."
Her face went pale. "You… used me?"
He knelt beside her, flicking her forehead. "Of course. Did you really think you could kill me with a prayer?"
