The three figures of the Forgotten Warden surged forward, their liquid forms shifting like black fire.

  Akari’s breath hitched. No patterns. No openings. Each movement was chaotic—unpredictable.

  But she couldn’t hesitate.

  She met the first with a dodge, twisting her body as a claw slashed past, tearing through the air like a blade. Too close.

  The second Warden was already there.

  It shifted, its arms morphing into tendrils, stretching toward her.

  Akari brought up her sword—but the strike never came.

  The Warden’s tendrils stopped mid-air, twitching.

  She blinked. Why—

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  A third attack.

  The last Warden moved in with an impossible speed, its form unstable, shifting between solid and liquid.

  She had no time to block.

  Instinct took over.

  She jumped, spinning her body, the blade slicing downward.

  A hit!

  The moment her sword connected, the Warden shattered, its form breaking into ribbons of mist.

  Akari’s feet barely touched the unseen ground before she had to move again. The other two lunged.

  > Veilbound Instincts Awakening…

  Your connection to the Veil deepens.

  A pulse ran through her body.

  The moment stretched—her surroundings slowed.

  She could see them.

  The Warden’s movements were no longer chaotic.

  There was a pattern. A rhythm.

  She could feel it.

  The first Warden aimed for her back. The second closed in from the side.

  Akari twisted her sword in her grip. Breathe.

  One step.

  She spun into the first, sliding low and slashing upward.

  The Warden split apart, its body evaporating before it could land the attack.

  The final Warden didn’t stop. It shifted, reforming into something bigger, its limbs stretching into bladed arms.

  A final test.

  Akari tightened her stance.

  The Warden descended.

  She didn’t move.

  The moment its blade came down—she stepped forward.

  One precise strike.

  Her sword cut through its core.

  Silence.

  The Warden froze.

  Its form collapsed, dispersing into swirling mist.

  > Trial Complete.

  You have defeated the Forgotten Warden.

  Your Veilbound Affinity has increased.

  Akari exhaled. Her body trembled from the tension, her pulse still thundering in her ears.

  But she had won.

  The darkness shifted.

  Before her, the mist parted, revealing a door of silver light.

  A way forward.

  The Veil had tested her. And she had proven herself.

  With steady steps, she moved toward the door—ready to see what lay beyond.