"Grandpa Aris!" Eleanor cried in shock, stepping toward the one-eyed old man. "How could the Legacy Spirit awaken ahead of time?! Wasn't the shop protected by the Seven Keys Spell?!"
Grandpa Aris coughed and wheezed, clutching his chest, which was exposed beneath a layer of black soot. "Someone from the inside... leaked the spell's secrets. The Silver-Masked Army didn't come alone. They're being led by an ancient spirit trapped inside an old mirror belonging to the Antique Shop!"
Zephyrus leaped down from Rian's arms. The red bell around his neck jingled rapidly, reacting to the powerful magical distortion radiating from the city center.
"The Ancient Mirror Legacy Spirit..." Zephyrus hissed through telepathy. "That was one of Drakon's trusted generals, whom I sealed away three hundred years ago! It's planning to use the Ancient Map to forcibly open a dimensional gate!"
"We don't have any time left." Rian clenched his fist. His exhaustion suddenly evaporated, replaced by a faint golden aura of majesty that began to glimmer again in his irises. "We have to get that map now, before these three days become the end of the world!"
Ten minutes later, they arrived in front of Grandpa Aris's Antique Shop.
The old wooden building was surrounded by thick, blackish-purple fog. The shop's front door had been eroded by a supernatural aura, emitting whispers that made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.
BAM!
Rian kicked the wooden door wide open.
Inside the shop, which was packed with antique wall clocks and dusty statues, floated a giant, faceless female figure made of shards of black mirror glass. Embedded in the spirit's chest was an Ancient Codex bound in golden chains—the Map of the Grand Mages' Locations!
"Too slow, Grand Mage!" the Legacy Spirit's shrill voice echoed, making every piece of glassware in the shop crack. "This map has already merged with my soul!"
The Legacy Spirit waved its hand. Dozens of sharp glass shards shot toward them like a rain of knives!
"Eleanor, protect Grandpa Aris!" Rian shouted.
Without hesitation, Rian leaped forward. "Paw!" Zephyrus's front paw pressed against Rian's shoulder, instantly channeling magical power into him.
BZZZZ-ROAAARRR!
Rian swung his right hand. A Golden Flame Shield formed in the air, deflecting every glass shard and shattering them into glittering dust!
"Mochi! How do we separate the map from its chest?!" Rian shouted while resisting the enemy's magical pressure.
"That spirit is bound to the Master Mirror at the back of the room!" Zephyrus replied sharply. "Destroy the mirror, and its physical form will collapse!"
Malakor shot forward like a black shadow, leaping over the old shelves. "I'll handle the mirror! Rian, keep the spirit distracted!"
"Got it!" Rian charged ahead. With a golden fire sword in his hand, he cleaved through the wave of darkness fired by the Legacy Spirit.
But the Legacy Spirit noticed Malakor's movement. It twisted half of its glass body around, preparing to slash the black cat with a gigantic mirror claw!
"Don't even think about it!" Zephyrus shrieked.
Zephyrus drew a deep breath. The premium fish crackers he'd eaten earlier had given his feline metabolism a fresh burst of energy!
"HAAAH... HAAAH... HAAATCHOOO!"
BOOM!
This time, Zephyrus's magic sneeze didn't release telon oil. Instead, it unleashed a Sticky Magic Foam Glue Wave that completely wrapped around the Legacy Spirit's mirror hand, freezing it in place!
"WHAT IS THIS?! WHY IS IT SO STICKY?!" the Legacy Spirit shrieked hysterically.
Malakor didn't waste the opportunity. The black cat leaped high into the air and swung his silver magic claws straight into the center of the Master Mirror in the corner of the room!