The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne exchanged a knowing glance with Mr. Wolf by her side, silently communicating their shared resolve.

If it came to that, they'd have no choice but to destroy the Millennia Aegis.

Nothing mattered more than human life.

With the deadline looming, Abigail refused to wait any longer, launching a full-on assault on the two. To her, as long as they still breathed, they could serve her grand purpose; individual lives held no value. Success would absolve her of all past deeds, no matter how dark.

Percival's powers were constrained, yet the Millennia Aegis within him surged with endless energy.

Vivienne, with her powers channeled into her silver needles, joined forces with Percival to withstand Abigail.

Even within the magic circle, Abigail found no advantage.

One protected by the Millennia Aegis, the other unaffected by the circle.

Abigail's attempts to counter grew more desperate, but leveraging the circle's focal point, she narrowly evaded their attacks multiple times.

Seizing the moment, Vivienne and Mr. Wolf cornered her with nowhere to flee.

Suddenly, the sky darkened-an ominous sign.

Abigail Ephemeral ceased her attack, a strange gleam in her eyes. "Your time is up," she declared.

Vivienne and Percival, quick to react, prepared their defenses.

Percival reached for the Millennia Aegis, intending to destroy it, only for an invisible force to whisk it away.

Hovering above the circle, the Aegis radiated a soft glow.

smirked, believing the Aegis needed a chosen one to activate. Yet, within the circle, it seemed to align itself, mocking her adversaries, "Did you really think you could touch what the circle claims?" With everything in place, Abigail locked her gaze on Vivienne, aiming to harness the Aegis's power

countered

wouldn't let harm befall Vivienne, not with their first child on the way. Abigail raised an eyebrow, amused, "First, I'll kill you, then the child. Only then will she grasp the true depths of joy and sorrow." Hearing Abigail's threat towards Vivienne and her unborn child, Percival's

protect them

They had come to end Abigail's reign of

and their future child, meant

"don't worry, she won't succeed. We'll capture her and

"Alright, Vivienne wants her

scoffed, "Still dreaming of glory? You'll have plenty of time for

moved to capture Vivienne with

the last moment, a figure threw themselves at

a brutal counterattack from Abigail, refused to let go, "You took my son... I want

Delilah's sudden intervention and her

Aegis unleashed a beam

danger, Vivienne and Mr. Wolf, in unison, directed all their power at the Aegis,

by Vivienne's mentor-for emergencies, destroy the artifact to

the circle's backlash began, Abigail spat blood, her recently healed wounds reopening. Delilah,

a blinding fight signaled the circle's destructive retaliation, consuming

everything to reality, leaving

instinctively grabbed Percival's hand, "Mr. Wolf, are you

Vivienne for injuries, "I'm fine. Did

powers. You should have held back; using

long as Vivienne was

and Percival exchanged a glance, both equally stunned. Magic circles, it seemed, were not just the stuff of

instant, two living, breathing people

think Abigail

chill run down his spine, "People don't just disappear into thin air. But given what we saw, even if she's alive, it