The battlefield froze. Even the wind seemed to halt as Blackmail stepped forward, his presence warping reality. Shadows stretched unnaturally, cracking the ground beneath them.
Hikaru, Daji, and Jaki Onna surged forward, ready to strike—but suddenly, their bodies stiffened. Every joint locked, every muscle frozen in place. Blackmail's sinister grin widened.
"You think you can defy me?" he whispered, his voice echoing like a virus infecting the world itself. "I don't need to fight you. I only need to control you."
Hikaru's katana hovered mid-swing, glowing runes trembling in the air. Daji's tails froze, fox flames flickering weakly. Jaki Onna's fists, once chaotic torrents of destruction, hung uselessly by her sides.
The trio struggled to move, their own instincts betraying them as Blackmail's mind control overrode reflex, will, and even their elemental powers. Pain flared as their bodies resisted, but the stiffness was complete—they were puppets in a nightmare.
Brush D. Rush appeared nearby, aura blazing with desperation. His gacha summons charged forward, but Blackmail's influence spread faster than they could react. Even the summoned SSRs staggered as probability itself bent under Blackmail's control.
Hikaru's eyes filled with tears, glinting through the mental chains. "I… I won't… let him… take us!" she whispered, voice trembling, the struggle of will against absolute control clear in every blink.
Daji's fox flames flared weakly, trying to break free, whispering to herself, I protect him… I protect Brush… but Blackmail's mental grip drove her into stiff obedience.
Jaki Onna's chaotic energy pulsed, trying to lunge, trying to swing, but her fists hung limply. Even her drunken unpredictability was nullified.
Blackmail stepped closer, delighted. "You are nothing without freedom. All your power, all your strength… yours to command."
The trio's aura flickered, minds screaming against the chains, but Brush alone could not reach them yet. The battlefield became a tense stillness, the calm before the inevitable storm, as Blackmail prepared to push his control even further.