It allowed Thrud to apply kinetic energy to the spells, giving them ma.s.s and backing them with her physical might.

On top of that, Phantom Echo generated a second beam and Life Maelstrom increased the power of both spells tenfold. It was the best she could do since Thrud had no idea how to cast Blade Tier spells.

She had practiced with Arthan's set for centuries, but it was still a copy of something that Tyris had crafted for Valeron. After refining her body and Awakening both the Guardian's and the First King's blood she could now tap into the set's full potential but they were still a bad match.

Valeron had been a loving and protecting leader whereas Thrud was driven by rage and ambition.

Acala unleashed Rising Sun just in time, the Blade and the Spirit Spell clashed just a few meters away from him, but it was enough. Rising Sun was fueled by the ex-Ranger's deep violet core and Dawn's power core, both boosted to the next level by their synch.

The power cores of their equipment and steed more than filled the gap with Thrud's dull white and the constant flow of world energy from the mage tower made the spell's destructive power nigh-infinite.

'I wish I could've dodged and then released Rising Sun but Blinking would have slowed me down. At my level, Blade Tier spells require a lot of focus. Focus that I might have lost if I allowed that huge a.s.s beam to follow and hit me.' Acala knew that high-level spells were willpower imbued and capable of chasing their target.

Unless he Warped a kilometer away, Thrud's Royal Griffon would have reached him anywhere before Rising Sun could manifest, locking him into a losing battle.

Thrud immediately felt that despite everything she had, it would take the Blade Spell just a few seconds to overpower her. The steed drew in world energy faster than her white core and even limited the amount at her disposal.

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On top of that, the two spells were leagues apart. Spirit Magic was considered the sixth tier of magic, but even with Life Maelstrom and Phantom Echo boosting it, a Tower Blade spell was akin to tier eight.

"I really pity you, Acala." Thrud said with a grunt, her Griffon voice reverberating over the conflicting spells. "You are just like my husband was. A slave forced to serve with a smile on his face."

'Don't listen to her. You are not my slave, but my partner.' Dawn's consciousness had returned to him after losing her body.

'Not anymore, you mean.' Acala's face twisted at the memory of how she had manipulated him, taking control over his life and eroding his mind until he was just a puppet in her hands. 'If not for Verhen's partner, I wouldn't be even here anymore.'

'How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry!' Dawn could feel their bond weakening. The destruction of her own body had weakened her and her influence on him.

"Do you know what's the difference between you two?" Thrud asked. "That the moment I learned what my husband was going through, I let him go. He returned to me by his choice. He doesn't want to take part in this war and I respect his decision."

"Shut up, you witch! You know nothing about us!" Dawn said through Acala's mouth, making him waver further.

"What about you?" The Mad Queen ignored her, talking only to Acala. "Why are you here?"

The doubt crept into his mind, making him think that maybe Dawn had manipulated him again. Even though she had done everything she could to earn his forgiveness, deep down Acala didn't trust her.

Their cores went out of synch, making Rising Sun lose a huge chunk of its power and focus. Before Dawn could even think of a word to rea.s.sure Acala, Thrud put everything she had left into Royal Griffon.

The tide of the battle turned in an instant, but the Horseman still managed to escape by activating the mind link with her mother. Baba Yaga Warped both Dawn and the undead from the Eclipsed Lands to the safety of her hut.

"Excellent thinking, child." The Red Mother said while a.s.suming her Maiden form. "Not only have you greatly weakened Thrud, but also by retreating she can't afford to leave Belius in case you return."

"That was no plan, I was just desperate." Dawn collapsed onto the floor, her body writhing due to mana abuse and Acala resisting her influence.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'm a failure as a host and as a mage." Their visage turned from feminine to virile non-stop, respectively frustrated and desperate. "You should have chosen Manohar, not me."

"What the heck are you talking about? When did I ever care about that idiot?" Dawn asked and Acala showed her the images of Endless Nova which resembled the Mad Professor's Supernova while Morning Star resembled Avatar of Light.

"I admit that I copied Supernova because it was brilliant, but I invented Morning Star centuries ago to fight Divine Beasts." She used a partial mind fusion to show him the truth and dispel his doubts.

She still couldn't afford a full fusion without the risk of frying Acala's brain with the knowledge acc.u.mulated during her existence. The ex-Ranger could now see how different the two spells were and how most of what the Mad Professor had achieved was but a pale imitation of the Horseman's opus.

"I failed you once again. If not for me, Thrud would be dead and the War of the Griffons would be over." Acala hated himself so much that he wanted to cry.

"You are wrong." Dawn spread her warmth in a telepathic embrace. "Thrud would be just back at the Golden Griffon and maybe she would have recovered so fast that she might have discovered about Vladion.

"Also, this is not your fault nor did you fail me. This is all on me. Thrud was right about one thing. You never had the opportunity to give me anything because I took everything you had by force.

"Mom, can you please split us?"

"Are you abandoning me?" Acala's voice was broken.

"Are you sure?" Baba Yaga asked. "You are the first of my Hors.e.m.e.n to ever reach partial fusion with your host. Your bond is the real deal."

"I'm not abandoning you." Dawn answered Acala first. "I'm not going to even look for another host until I hear your honest answer. Mom, our fusion will never become full until we really trust each other.

"Back when we- I fought Verhen, I witnessed what real unity between Horseman and host is and this doesn't even come close. Our bond is as flawed as I am."

Baba Yaga nodded, placing her hand on Acala's chest and extracting the pulsing white crystal that was Dawn's real body.

At first, the ex-Ranger's mind felt shocked and sad by the silence that suddenly filled it. Then, he started to gasp for air, puking his guts out in a seizure until he lost consciousness.

With freedom came clarity, but also the full weight of his actions. As long as they were bonded, Dawn had protected him from the emotional burden of killing his own betrothed back in Nalrond's village and everyone who considered him family.

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