Chapter 18 — The Death of the Fallen King
Purple gravity consumed the heavens.
The moment Varikon's corrupted core began collapsing, the entire battlefield changed. Space twisted violently around the ancient monster while enormous gravity cracks spread across the sky like shattered mirrors.
Mountains crumbled instantly.
The academy grounds split apart.
Even the atmosphere screamed beneath the pressure.
Students watched in absolute horror from the shelters below.
Because everyone could feel it—
This was no ordinary attack.
Varikon himself was collapsing into a living singularity.
Kaizen's face turned pale.
"If that core detonates…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…this entire continent may disappear."
Panic spread instantly among the remaining instructors.
Several looked completely hopeless now.
After everything…
After surviving the black hole…
They were still going to die.
Meanwhile high above the battlefield—
Varikon floated at the center of expanding gravity storms while purple cracks spread across every part of his monstrous body.
The corruption had consumed him completely.
Blood-red eyes burned with madness.
Dark gravity leaked endlessly from the shattered core inside his chest.
The monster laughed weakly.
Not proudly.
Not triumphantly.
Like someone already dead.
"Hahahaha…"
Purple lightning exploded across the heavens.
"So this…"
Its body trembled violently.
"…is how evolution ends."
Inside his soul world, Bali stared silently toward the collapsing fallen king.
The ancient GOD-HORSIKEN's glowing eyes carried complicated emotions now.
Reskin noticed immediately.
"…You still care about him."
Bali remained silent briefly.
Then quietly answered—
"He was once my closest friend."
Reskin froze.
Outside—
Varikon roared in agony again as corruption spread further across his body.
Reality distorted around him more violently now.
Entire pieces of floating debris vanished instantly after touching the unstable gravity field surrounding him.
Nobody could approach anymore.
Not even Seraphina.
Silver lightning surrounded her exhausted body while she stared upward grimly.
"There's no time…"
Kaizen looked toward her sharply.
"What are you planning?"
Seraphina didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She slowly removed the second black glove from her left hand.
The moment it came off—
Silver symbols exploded across her entire body.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A massive pillar of lightning erupted into the heavens.
Students gasped loudly.
Because the pressure surrounding Seraphina suddenly became terrifying.
Ancient.
Almost divine.
Even Varikon looked downward slightly.
"…Interesting."
Silver lightning wings expanded behind Seraphina while glowing markings covered her face and arms completely.
The air itself trembled around her.
Kaizen's expression darkened.
"She's fully releasing the bloodline…"
Several instructors looked alarmed.
"Can her body survive that?"
"No," Kaizen answered quietly.
Silence spread instantly.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Seraphina slowly floated upward toward Varikon.
Alone.
Reskin's eyes widened slightly.
"She's planning to sacrifice herself."
Inside the soul world, Bali nodded slowly.
"She intends to destroy the collapsing gravity core before detonation."
"But she'll die too."
"Yes."
Outside—
Silver lightning illuminated the battlefield while Seraphina stopped directly opposite Varikon.
The corrupted monster laughed weakly.
"You finally abandoned restraint…"
Purple gravity storms expanded violently around him.
"…good."
Seraphina's golden eyes remained calm.
"If your core detonates, millions die."
Varikon smiled sadly.
"Then perhaps existence itself deserves destruction."
For the first time—
The madness in his voice weakened slightly.
And beneath it…
Exhaustion remained.
Ancient exhaustion.
Millions of years wandering alone through dead galaxies.
Reskin quietly watched from below.
Then suddenly—
Varikon looked directly toward him.
Its unstable red eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Human."
Reskin froze.
Purple gravity crackled around the collapsing monster.
"You said strength alone is empty."
Silence.
Then Varikon quietly asked—
"…Would my world still exist if I believed that sooner?"
The battlefield became completely silent.
Even Seraphina looked stunned.
Because for the first time—
Varikon sounded human.
No hatred.
No madness.
Only regret.
Inside the soul world, Bali slowly closed his eyes.
"…Yes."
Varikon trembled slightly after hearing the answer through Reskin's connection.
Purple gravity fluctuated wildly.
Ancient memories surfaced again.
His lost civilization.
Friends.
Warriors.
The stars of his destroyed home world.
All gone.
All because he chased evolution without limits.
The fallen king laughed weakly.
A broken laugh.
"Hahah…"
Purple blood dripped from his body endlessly.
"…How pathetic."
Then suddenly—
The corruption surged violently again.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Varikon screamed in agony.
Dark gravity exploded across the battlefield uncontrollably.
The moment of clarity vanished instantly.
The corrupted core had reached critical collapse.
Kaizen shouted desperately—
"EVERYONE FALL BACK!"
But it was already too late.
A massive gravity singularity started forming directly inside Varikon's chest.
Not artificial this time.
Real.
Unstable.
Catastrophic.
The sky itself began collapsing inward again.
Students screamed.
Buildings shattered.
Even the mountains surrounding the academy were dragged upward toward the heavens.
Seraphina immediately prepared her final attack.
Silver lightning condensed around her broken spear until it resembled a star.
Her expression became calm.
Resolved.
Reskin immediately realized what she intended.
"No…"
He forced himself upward again despite the agony tearing through his body.
Inside his soul world, Bali instantly shouted—
"STOP!"
"If she attacks alone she'll die!"
"And if YOU interfere now, your soul may collapse permanently!"
Reskin gritted his teeth painfully.
He knew Bali was right.
His body had already exceeded every limit imaginable.
Even standing felt impossible.
But still—
He moved.
Because he was tired of watching people sacrifice themselves for him.
Golden gravity exploded around Reskin once more.
Students below stared upward in shock.
"He's moving again?!"
"That's impossible!"
Blood poured from Reskin's arms as he launched himself toward the sky.
Meanwhile Seraphina prepared to strike.
Silver lightning illuminated the entire continent.
Varikon's collapsing core expanded rapidly now.
Reality itself screamed around him.
Then suddenly—
A golden hand grabbed Seraphina's shoulder.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Reskin?!"
He stood beside her breathing heavily while gravity currents spiraled uncontrollably around his broken body.
"You're not dying alone."
Seraphina stared at him silently for several moments.
Then unexpectedly—
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"…Idiot."
Below them, Kaizen nearly lost consciousness from stress.
"THOSE TWO ARE INSANE!"
Inside the soul world, Bali sighed heavily.
"…Very well."
Golden gravity laws expanded across Reskin's soul again.
"If you insist on surviving…"
The ancient GOD-HORSIKEN's eyes glowed brighter.
"…then synchronize with me completely."
Reskin froze slightly.
"What does that mean?"
Bali's enormous form slowly lowered toward him.
"It means…"
Golden cosmic energy flooded the soul world violently.
"…for a brief moment, I will fight beside you directly."
Outside—
Golden symbols exploded across Reskin's body.
His eyes transformed completely into glowing celestial gold.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Ancient.
Overwhelming.
Even Varikon's collapsing corruption hesitated briefly.
Then—
Behind Reskin—
A gigantic golden silhouette appeared across the heavens.
BALI.
The true GOD-HORSIKEN manifestation.
Students across the academy stared upward speechless.
The celestial beast's enormous form covered the night sky itself while golden gravity bent reality around him naturally.
Even Seraphina looked shocked.
"So this is his true form…"
Varikon stared upward silently.
Then slowly smiled.
"…Old friend."
For a brief moment—
The madness weakened again.
Bali's ancient voice echoed across the battlefield like a god speaking to the world.
"Varikon."
Golden gravity spread gently through the collapsing storms.
"Rest now."
The fallen king closed his eyes briefly.
Ancient memories flashed across his corrupted mind one final time.
His home world.
The stars.
The wars.
The brotherhood he destroyed himself.
Purple tears mixed with blood across his monstrous face.
"…Perhaps…"
The collapsing core trembled violently.
"…I was simply afraid of being weak."
Silence filled the battlefield.
Then Bali quietly answered—
"We all were."
The corruption suddenly exploded again.
BOOOOOOOM!!
Varikon screamed as the unstable singularity fully awakened.
There was no more time.
Golden gravity and silver lightning erupted simultaneously.
Reskin and Seraphina attacked together.
"DIVINE GRAVITY—"
"HEAVENLY STAR BREAK—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The heavens shattered.