Iraelyn's face lit up like a fireworks display as a brilliant idea popped into her head. With a snap of her fingers, she proclaimed, "That's it!"

"Hey, cut it out with the muscle flexing," Desira grumbled, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly rolled out of her head.

Ignoring Desira's warning, Iraelyn flexed her biceps, channeling her inner strength. "Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of my bulging muscles!"

Desira threw her hands up in exasperation. "I said no using your barbaric strength!"

Meanwhile, Vivi, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane, piped up, "Um, what's the plan here, guys?"

The shadows weren't content to sit around twiddling their thumbs waiting for Malifira's spell to finish or for Desira to trap them again, neither had they waited for Iraelyn to execute her plan.

They decided to take matters into their own shadowy hands and launch a preemptive strike!

In the chaos that ensued, Vivi valiantly attempted to defend Malifira while she continued her spellcasting marathon.

Meanwhile, Desira and Iraelyn were dodging effortlessly and evaded incoming attacks like they were playing a game of dodgeball.

At the side, Pamela's luck was on overdrive as she miraculously avoided projectiles with the finesse of a clumsy ninja.

Iraelyn didn't waste another second, and she embarked on her destructive spree, her muscles flexing with every swing of her mighty arms.

With a ferocious roar, she began demolishing everything in her path - ceilings, walls, columns - nothing was safe from her wrath.

"Hoi, what are you doing?!" Desira's alarmed voice pierced through the chaos, but it fell on deaf ears as Iraelyn continued her rampage.

Vivi, cowering in fear, covered her head and let out a mournful wail. "Agh! Stop destroying things!" she pleaded, but her words were drowned out by the deafening cacophony of destruction.

Undeterred by the cries of her companions, Iraelyn pressed on, relentless in her mission.

And when the dust finally settled, revealing the aftermath of her onslaught, they found themselves trapped, the entrance to where Ren and the others had gone now sealed shut by the rubble.

With a smug smirk, Iraelyn dusted off her hands, congratulating herself on a job well done. "Now they couldn't follow the others to Nyxos," she declared triumphantly, basking in her moment of glory.

But her victory was short-lived as Desira, appearing behind her like a furious whirlwind, delivered a swift whack to the back of her head. "Idiot! You also trapped us with them!" she scolded.

Iraelyn's lips formed a tight line. "Yeah, but now they can't follow Ren and the others. Our mission is to hold them off here, and I did just that."

Desira slapped her own forehead with the palm of her hand.

Why did she always find herself surrounded by idiots?

Iraelyn's actions seemed to only further enrage the shadows, as they launched themselves at the group with savage strikes and destructive spells.

"Now what did you do?" Desira spat, her words barely audible over the onslaught of incoming projectiles.

However, their attempts to evade the shadows proved futile; they were outnumbered and outmatched.

Desira was struck by a powerful blast of magic, sending her flying several meters away, while Iraelyn found herself surrounded by her own shadow as well as those of Azazel and Elena, each delivering relentless blows.

Meanwhile, Vivi struggled to defend Malifira, but the relentless advance of Malifira and her own shadow made it nearly impossible.

"Hey, Malifira! Are your spells ready yet?!" Desira shouted as she emerged from the rubble, blood dripping from a gash on her forehead, her gaze locked on the shadows closing in around her. "We don't have much time here."

At that moment, Malifira's eyes snapped open, and a strange wind swept through the entire room.

"I've already finished," Malifira said, a smile playing on her lips.

Desira's brow furrowed as she noticed the peculiar air, devoid of any scent but swirling around them like an ethereal dance. "What did you do?"

Malifira's eyes gleamed, her smile sinisterly sweet. "I've unleashed a potent sleeping alchemical spell that will put everyone, including the shadows, to sleep. There's no cure or escape from this."

. . .

. . .

Vivi's eyes widened in shock. "Egh?! Does that mean we're going to be asleep as well?"

Malifira's grin widened, relishing the moment. "That's right. But don't worry, the spell will only last an hour. That's probably enough time for Ren and the others to take down Nyxos and retrieve Lorelai and our shadows."

Iraelyn crossed her arms and pondered for a moment. "Indeed. With these methods, no one is harmed. Both sides will just be rendered useless, sleeping away while Ren and the others risk their lives." Her expression then hardened. "Hoi Malifira! This is a cowardly way!"

Malifira remained unmoved. "It's the most optimal way to ensure that we live."

"Are you sure this will work?" Vivi asked nervously. "What if the shadows don't succumb to sleep?"

"It will work," Malifira replied confidently.

The first to succumb to sleep was Azazel's shadow, and Malifira chuckled. "Just like my lord, off to sleep first."

Desira's frustration bubbled up like a pot about to boil over as she vigorously scrubbed her hands over her face. "Ugh. Why am I always surrounded by idiots?" she lamented, her voice tinged with exasperation.

The other shadows, momentarily taken aback by the sudden strange air, hesitated in their attacks. One by one, they succumbed to the effects of Malifira's potent sleeping spell, collapsing to the ground in unconscious heaps.

Despite her panic and the heavy weight of drowsiness settling over her, Vivi noticed something. "Hey, where did Pamela go?"

As if on cue, the others also became aware of Pamela's sudden disappearance amidst the mayhem.

"Yeah . . . where did that little coward slink off to?" Iraelyn's voice carried a hint of annoyance, her eyelids drooping with fatigue as she prepared to join her companions in sleep.

"Hey, Malifira, if we don't wake up . . . I'll hunt you down in my dreams," Desira declared with a menacing tone.

Malifira responded with a soft chuckled. "Who do you think I am? I never make mistakes with my alchemy . . ." With that assurance, she closed her eyes, surrendering to the embrace of sleep.

"Good night, everyone . . ." Vivi murmured, her hand outstretched, too tired, and she drifted off into the realm of dreams, leaving behind the chaos.