Being carried by the tornado and rolling through the sky, Kael felt his stomach churning violently.
"Rómestámo! Think of something! What can you do?" Kael shouted loudly to his companion, but his voice was nearly drowned out by the massive howling winds around them.
Rómestámo had been holding his weak friend Morinehtar the whole time, but still heard Kael's words.
He didn't speak, but his voice transmitted directly into Kael's mind. "You protect Morinehtar in a moment, then let me out of your magical barrier. I'll cast with full power to stop the tornado."
"Are you sure?" Kael asked with surprise and doubt, knowing the wind and sand outside had enough force to tear a person apart.
But Rómestámo gave a definitive answer.
Since that was the case, Kael chose to trust him and released Rómestámo from the magical shield.
Instantly, Rómestámo was like a falling leaf, directly swept into the fierce winds by the tornado, spinning endlessly with it.
Seeing this, Kael showed a worried expression.
But soon, faint mysterious incantations echoed within the tornado.
The next second, accompanied by brilliant light flashing from the tornado's center, a massive magical shockwave instantly exploded.
The raging tornado was struck by tremendous force, falling into stagnation as it was blasted apart at the middle, forming a huge vacuum zone.
At the vacuum's center, Rómestámo hovered holding his staff, his blue robes torn to tatters, his body covered with countless scratch-like wounds.
Without the tornado's support, Rómestámo immediately plummeted the next second.
On Kael's side, along with Morinehtar in the magical shield, they also fell together.
He quickly rushed toward Rómestámo, bringing him back into the magical shield, and just before hitting the ground, cast spells to cushion and slow their descent, landing gently.
But even landing safely, Kael couldn't relax because Saruman and the Nazgûl were surrounding them again.
"Give up resistance, Kael. Look what you can do, like a caged beast, just making futile struggles," Saruman tried using mentally suggestive magic voice hypnosis to make Kael surrender.
But Kael was no longer his former self. His mind now had a mental fortress built by Occlumency that blocked Saruman's mental influence.
So Saruman's hypnotic voice magic had no effect on him whatsoever.
He even took out the Victory Horn and blew it, directly canceling Saruman's voice magic.
Seeing his hypnotic magic had no effect, Saruman's expression became somewhat ugly.
"Saruman, your opponent is me!" Rómestámo faced Saruman holding his staff.
Simultaneously communicating with Kael telepathically. "Kael, I'll hold off Saruman and the others. You take Morinehtar and leave first. He'll only grow weaker here and needs to leave immediately."
Hearing Rómestámo's words, Kael was startled. "What about you?"
Rómestámo's expression was very grave, his mental voice becoming more urgent than ever. "We can't stay here any longer. I sense an even more dangerous darkness approaching. The longer we remain, the harder it will be to leave!"
"Take Morinehtar and go immediately. Don't worry about me. After I hold them off for a while, I have ways to escape!"
But Kael didn't believe Rómestámo's words. If he had ways to escape, he would have done so with them long ago instead of waiting until now to stay behind and hold off Saruman, letting them leave first.
Rómestámo's intention was nothing more than sacrificing himself.
But Rómestámo had obviously made up his mind, giving Kael no chance to refuse. "We can't hesitate anymore, Kael. The danger is getting closer! If we delay further, none of the three of us will be able to leave!"
He looked toward northern Mordor as if sensing something, with terror and gravity. "He's coming! Go quickly! Take Morinehtar and leave now!"
Distant commotion could be heard as Rómestámo's white bull charged through, ramming countless Haradrim and orcs, quickly reaching Rómestámo.
Rómestámo quickly placed the weak Morinehtar on the bull's back.
"Kael, don't mind me, go quickly! I'm still useful to them. Even if captured, they won't kill me. You just need to take Morinehtar away, then find other help to rescue me!"
With that, he charged toward Saruman without looking back, unleashing his full power in a single strike, releasing powerful magical energy. Single-handedly, he held off Saruman and the Nazgûl, creating an opportunity for Kael and Morinehtar to break through.
Seeing this, Kael's expression changed repeatedly, but ultimately he respected Rómestámo's decision and left with Morinehtar first.
Saruman on the opposite side, seeing this scene, also guessed Rómestámo's intention and sneered. "Want to create escape opportunities for them? Hmph, overestimating yourself. None of you are leaving today!"
With that, he released his full magical power against Rómestámo while commanding the three Nazgûl. "Stop them for me!"
As Saruman the White, his power was stronger than other wizards. Even with Rómestámo fighting desperately, he was still firmly suppressed by Saruman, only able to watch helplessly as three Nazgûl charged toward Kael and Morinehtar.
Facing the three surrounding Nazgûl, Kael dared not be careless. He drew his star-glass vial, infused it with magic, and activated Eärendil's Light to drive back the Nazgûl.
The brilliant, holy Eärendil's Light had restraining power over dark creatures like Nazgûl, who momentarily dared not approach.
Kael didn't linger and immediately prepared to leave with Morinehtar.
Seeing this scene, Saruman was both shocked and furious, trying to prevent Kael's escape but being desperately blocked by Rómestámo.
For a moment, the massive Minas Harad fortress buildings were continuously destroyed and collapsed under the magical impact of two wizards.
Surrounding Haradrim and orcs fled in terror, fearing involvement.
But just then, the terrified shrieks of Haradrim and orcs suddenly ceased at a certain moment, as if their throats had been violently seized.
Time around them seemed to fall into stagnation. Wind stopped, and night became thick as ink, carrying cold, suffocating pressure like massive stones pressing on hearts, making even heartbeats extremely difficult.
Thousands of seductive and despairing voices seemed to whisper nearby, like countless cold, slimy worms trying to burrow into minds and devour souls.
Morinehtar lying on the bull's back, showed terrified despair, his weak voice filled with hopelessness. "He... he's coming!"
The battle between Rómestámo and Saruman also suddenly stopped, each showing different expressions.
Saruman had a complex expression of seeing reinforcements arrive but failing to complete his mission beforehand.
Rómestámo showed pure terror and gravity, plus regret.
Having exhausted himself holding off Saruman, he was now completely drained but still struggled to quickly reach Kael and Morinehtar's side to face the coming horror together.
In midair, darkness rapidly gathered and then violently tore open a dark rift.
The rift was like a giant vertical eye, with surrounding shadows surging and gathering like living things, resembling writhing dark tentacles.
A black shadow emerged from the rift, a faceless figure with only a human outline, like a black hole devouring surrounding light, with only two points of crimson light like eternal ghostfire, coldly surveying below.
Three Nazgûl respectfully prostrated at the shadow's feet, welcoming his arrival.
Though reluctant, Saruman still bowed his head, acknowledging him as leader.
"Sauron!" Rómestámo spoke the name with difficulty.
Kael felt like he was facing a great enemy, sensing death's threat closer than ever before.
The Sauron before him wasn't in Eye form. Rather, this black shadow was Sauron's true body. That Eye was merely Sauron's symbol and spirit form used to watch Middle-earth, allowing Sauron to see distant places.
"Saruman the White, Morinehtar and Rómestámo the Blue, and Kael the Black-Robed, gathering so many wizards at once is quite a surprise," Sauron's voice was full of seductive and corrosive power, whispering in everyone's ears.
His crimson gaze swept over the two Blue Wizards.
"Morinehtar, Rómestámo, we're old friends. For millennia you've opposed me in the east, inciting rebellions everywhere, causing me considerable trouble!"
"But I greatly admire your abilities. After all, being able to trouble me, preventing me from completely ruling the east and concentrating all forces to reclaim western lands—this shows you possess outstanding talent and ability! As long as you're willing to submit to me, I can let bygones be bygones, even let you rule the eastern world, become masters of the east, and rule the entire world together with me. What do you think?"
Sauron's voice was full of seductive power, like thousands of voices whispering constantly, seeking weaknesses to break through mental defenses and completely corrupt souls.
Rómestámo guarded his mind firmly, giving Sauron no opportunity to exploit, angrily saying.
"Don't think you can make us submit to you, Sauron, servant of Morgoth! You're nothing but a nameless, faceless being who will ultimately fail!"
"Is that so?" Sauron wasn't angered but spoke with slight mockery. "But your companion doesn't seem to think so."
Hearing this, Rómestámo immediately felt uneasy and looked back at Morinehtar.
He saw Morinehtar's expression constantly struggling, sometimes clear, sometimes crazed, like a split personality.
Rómestámo was greatly alarmed and quickly grabbed Morinehtar. "Morinehtar, hold fast to your will! Don't be defeated!"
Morinehtar's eyes were full of struggle. His weak, exhausted mind couldn't block Sauron's mental erosion and was being constantly corrupted.
"Rómestámo, kill me quickly! Don't let me fall into darkness!" Morinehtar struggled to say.
Rómestámo certainly couldn't kill his dear friend, but to prevent his friend from falling into darkness, regardless of everything else, he used all his mental and spiritual power as a shield to protect Morinehtar's mind and stop Sauron's power from further eroding him.
Seeing this, Sauron made no move to stop it, even enjoying watching.
Because Rómestámo's behavior was tantamount to consuming his own mental and spiritual power to protect another, making him increasingly weak.
When Rómestámo's mind became extremely weak, Sauron could easily break through his mental defenses and corrupt and control him. Such a win-win situation naturally pleased him not to interfere.
Seeing Rómestámo was no longer a threat, Sauron's gaze turned to Kael, his eyes full of mockery and inquiry.
"Kael, an existence outside fate, repeatedly disrupting my plans. I've long been interested in you. Let me see what secrets you have that make you so unusual."