He let the remaining dagger slip from his fingertips. "I never thought I would say that to you. But, let's dance."

As the dagger descended from Jamie's hand, it vanished into thin air before it could ever touch the ground. They heard no clatter of metal, no steel hitting against stone. The cavern seemed to hold its breath.

Jamie strode toward Theren, his steps measured and unhurried, even as he weaved between the piercing attacks of the cloak. Each one missed him by mere centimeters, but he moved as if engaged in a leisurely stroll.

In the recesses of his mind, a voice protested sharply. The passenger he had within his own consciousness.

"Quiet. I know how to use this," Jamie replied, trying to keep his focus. "What are you talking about? I didn't crash the car when I said that last time. No, no. I said, let me test it and see what happens."

[Thousand Daggers]

Theren's eyes widened behind the smooth, ivory mask. Confusion and frustration were plain in the tension of his posture. To him, Jamie appeared unarmed, defenseless. Yet every time the cloak's tendrils struck out, shimmering blades materialized from the air itself, slicing through the fabric with ruthless efficiency.

Jamie couldn't see Theren's face, but he imagined the scowl twisting his features. If not for the brief glimpse of his new skill's description, even Jamie might have been confused by the sudden turn of events.

[Thousand Daggers]

The dancer needs no blades to cut.

Your mana can become as lethal as steel daggers.

Create and control them using threads of mana.

The explanation itself was simple, but how it would be used left a lot of room for interpretation. Jamie had conjured ethereal daggers, each one a blade of condensed mana. They were connected to his fingertips by nearly invisible threads. If Theren had taken a moment to observe, he might have noticed the subtle, precise movements of Jamie's fingers.

With each gesture, Jamie transmitted his mana outward, spinning threads that manipulated the spectral daggers at astonishing speeds. The blades danced and whirled around him, striking from unpredictable angles. Their movements were fluid and silent, making it nearly impossible to track them. Combined with the cloak's frenzied attacks, the battlefield became a chaotic blur of attacks and defenses.

"What?" Theren exclaimed, confusion evident in his voice. "What is he doing? Return!" With a sharp gesture, the cultist summoned his cloak back to him. The tattered fabric obeyed, retracting from the battle and enveloping his shoulders once more.

"Yes... I will speed up this," Theren muttered to himself. He began to chant towards the gate. "Fàgaidh armachd mhòr nan diathan air an oidhche."

As Theren's incantation filled the air, Jamie heard a deep rumbling behind him. The ominous gate was beginning to close, its immense doors grinding against the stone floor. Each creak signaled that time was running out.

"I'll have to speed up. It'll be hard to keep the daggers moving while I run," Jamie talked to himself before leaping toward the enemy. His movements were a blur as he dodged the fallen soldiers scattered across the floor.

Without the relentless attacks from Theren's cloak, his path was straightforward. Yet, it was no less dangerous. At any moment, the enemy could attack him again, or it could launch its spears.

Jamie's eyes met Theren's. The cultist was now completely focused on his opponent. Both knew that everything would be decided in these few moments.

With a swift flick of his wrists, the Theren manipulated the orbs of blood still floating next to him. The crimson liquid obeyed his command, spiraling to form several spears of solidified blood.

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"Let's see you dodge thi—" Theren's taunt was abruptly cut short by a sharp pain in his arm. He glanced down to see a small dagger embedded in his bicep, dark blood seeping from the wound. His damaged cloak had attempted to deflect but failed to fully protect him.

"Why don't you dodge this?" Maria's strained voice rang out from across the cavern. She stood with visible effort, her face pale but resolute. Though she wavered on her feet, her intervention had worked, disrupting Theren's concentration.

"Damn it!" Theren cursed, his eyes flashing with rage beneath his mask. He ripped the dagger from his arm with a pained reaction.

Theren shot a venomous glare at Maria, but he had no time to retaliate. Jamie was closing in fast. The cultist refocused, summoning more spears of corrupted blood with swift, fluid motions.

"I can't hesitate. Any extra moment could be enough for the gate to close," Jamie talked to his passenger.

He wasn't about to give Theren another chance to unleash whatever dark magic he had. Raising his left hand, he extended threads of mana from his fingertips.

With a decisive flick of his wrist, Jamie sent the mana daggers hurtling toward Theren. The blades sliced through the air, leaving trails of energy in their path.

"Not a chance!" Theren spat, hurling blobs of the viscous black blood to intercept the daggers. The corrupted substance met the mana blades mid-air. As soon as the black blood touched the daggers, it spread across their surfaces like ink blotting on paper. The mana constructs flickered and dissolved, the corruption dissipating them into wisps of fading light.

Despite everything, one of the daggers managed to slice through Theren's barrage. But being only a single attack from a distance, Theren had ample time to dodge. But even while avoiding the attacks, Jamie got what he needed most: time. He managed to buy enough time to get close and come face-to-face with Theren.

Jamie heard the ominous creaking of the gate once more. The massive doors were nearly touching as they closed.

"Hurry!" Jessica pleaded, her voice strained with urgency.

Now that they stood so close, the clash intensified, each movement fraught with peril. Jamie swung his arms deftly, manipulating the mana daggers that whirled around him. Theren dodged or deflected them with his tattered cloak, eyes glinting with fierce concentration behind the mask. Jamie had to be cautious; a single misstep could mean being struck by one of Theren's corruption-laced spears.

'An opening. I need an opening,' Jamie thought, his mind racing as he searched for the right moment. Calculations blurred through his head. How much time remained before the gate closed completely, when Theren might launch his next attack, when he could strike?

'It's not going to be enough,' he realized with a sinking feeling, just as he glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye. Someone was stirring. Serana, rising unsteadily from the ground, her staff glowing with a faint blue hue.

"Now!" Jamie surged forward, seizing the moment.

Theren attempted to leap back, but his footing faltered.

[Ice Floor]

Serana struck her staff against the stone, summoning the last vestiges of her mana. A layer of ice spread across the cavern floor, freezing Theren's boots in place. His eyes widened in shock.

Seizing the opportunity, Jamie flicked his right hand, the mana daggers connected to his fingers responding instantly. They shot toward Theren with blinding speed. Unable to move and with barely any distance between them, Theren was defenseless.

Two daggers sliced through the ivory mask, piercing near his eyes. Cracks spiderwebbed across the mask's surface. Two more embedded themselves in his torso, aimed at his lungs.

"Argh!" Jamie shouted. He retracted the daggers only to hurl them again, over and over.

He didn't know how deep the daggers had struck or how quickly Theren's divine powers might heal him. All he knew was that he had to continue. The mana daggers became a relentless storm, striking at Theren's arms, legs, and chest, each impact chipping away at his defenses.

"The gate... the gate seems to have stopped," Jessica called out, hope flickering in her tone.

But Jamie didn't relent. He unleashed several more volleys until, at last, the ivory mask shattered, crumbling into fine dust. The tattered brown cloak disintegrated, fragments dissolving into the air like ash. Yet, the stag horns remained, protruding from Theren's forehead. A reminder of the dark ritual he had attempted.

Theren staggered, his eyes filled with rage and disbelief. Blood trickled down his face from where the mask had cut into his skin.

Behind them, the colossal gate that had been inching closed now stood motionless.

Breathing heavily, Jamie allowed himself a brief glance toward it. His curiosity gnawed at him; the urge to know what lay beyond was overwhelming. Taking cautious steps, he approached the gate, the air thick with a divine aura.

"What the fu..." he murmured, squinting to see through the narrow gap between the doors.

For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. Amidst the swirling darkness, a gigantic eye stared back at him.

A deep, resonant voice whispered, reverberating within his mind rather than his ears. "Until next time"

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