Ethan's breath came in ragged gasps, pain blooming sharp and deep in his chest.
And in that moment, he understood—this wasn't something mortal strength could match.
He stood frozen for a heartbeat.
Then he raised his head, eyes burning, and shouted, voice like thunder cracking across the battlefield:
"All of you—channel your power into me! Now!"
The command rang out like a war drum, shaking the very air.
The slumbering soul of the army stirred awake.
Fairies, Dragonkin, mages, warriors—every soldier raised their hands in unison.
Streams of energy burst from their bodies, thousands of beams converging like rivers rushing into a single sea.
All of it surged toward Ethan.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—!
An indescribable force ignited inside him.
His blood roared. His soul sang.
The air around him compressed into a shimmering shell of light, runes flickering across his skin like stars caught mid-pulse.
Ethan tilted his head back, voice low but clear enough to make the world tremble:
