The cold night air rippled unnaturally as Ecliphaze — The Moonveil Sovereign hovered above the rooftop, shadows bending around him. The city below seemed frozen, bathed in dim, pale light as though the moon itself had swallowed its glow.
Kael stood at the front of the team, eyes locked on the figure. Veyra, Orion, Lyra, and Zevak took formation behind him.
"Who… are you?" Kael demanded.
Ecliphaze's voice came softly — layered with unsettling calm:
"A shadow sent to unmake what should not be. You've attracted the gaze of higher forces."
Without another word, silver crescent-shaped rifts opened midair — dozens of them — and Light-Eater Orbs launched forth, spiraling with condensed lunar energy.
"MOVE!" Kael shouted.
The team scattered just in time as the orbs detonated with blinding flashes — entire rooftop sections crumbling beneath their feet.
Orion charged first, cosmic energy rippling off his fists. He leapt through the smoke and launched a punch — but his strike passed through a phantom afterimage.
Ecliphaze phased back into sight above.
"Too slow."
A shimmer of shadow-clones erupted — six Shade Replications surrounded Orion and Lyra in a blur of movement. Their attacks came from every side, forcing the pair onto the defensive.
Lyra spun mid-air, blades slashing the shadows — but they reformed just as quickly.
Veyra unleashed a wave of crystalline flame, vaporizing three clones instantly — but in the same moment, her vision flickered. The rooftop seemed to tilt, the air warping…
Moonveil Illusions.
Veyra blinked rapidly — for a moment, she saw Kael lying wounded on the ground. Her heart froze — then her will surged, shattering the illusion with a blast of focused energy.
"He's playing with our minds!" she shouted.
Zevak, working from cover, rapidly recalibrated his scanners.
"I'm adapting his frequency — give me one more minute!"
Kael burst into motion, weaving through the illusions — a faint silver glowbuilding along his arms. His instincts guided him, sensing flickers of truth among the fakes.
"Come out!" he roared, launching a strike at one shadow — and connecting.
The real Ecliphaze staggered back, cloak fluttering.
"So you do have will. Impressive."
Above them, another energy spike — the Lunar Riftstep opened a massive crescent-tear, pulling in nearby debris, distorting gravity around the team.
Before the rift could collapse on them —
A blast of absolute cold surged through the air — freezing the rift mid-collapse. The temperature dropped instantly, frost racing across the rooftop.
From the shadows, a new figure stepped forward — Cryalis — The Frozen Miracle.
Her eyes glowed icy blue, her voice calm and chilling:
"Enough illusions."
Ecliphaze's gaze snapped toward her.
"Unexpected… reinforcement."
Cryalis raised her hand — and with a surge of Absolute Zero ice, the surrounding shadows cracked and shattered.
The tide of battle had shifted — and now the Celestial Vanguards were not alone.
Together, they prepared for the next strike — the night far from over.
END CHAPTER 9