Chaos continued behind him.
Shadows surged across the walls, the ceiling, the floor, sliding over one another like a living infestation while the metallic screams of the chains echoed through the colossal structure. Kidero's fire illuminated parts of the chamber in rapid bursts of orange light, but the darkness always returned moments later, filling every empty space left behind by the attacks.
And in the middle of all that—
Arthur stood before the sword.
The primordial spirit remained curled near the base of the blade, her small body wrapped in remnants of the dark energy still crawling over it like living smoke. She was no longer screaming. Only trembling from time to time, like someone trying to resist something still corroding her from within.
Arthur's right eye burned.
Blue surfaced again.
Stronger now.
Not like fire.
Like depth.
A faint vibration ran through his arm the moment his fingers touched the hilt.
And immediately—
The energy reacted.
Blue lines raced through the blade, running across the golden symbols near the guard. Light spread along the metal while the dark energy writhed violently in response.
It resisted.
The shadows clinging to the sword trembled like living organisms, trying to climb Arthur's arm, trying to consume the new energy that had touched the blade.
But they couldn't.
The instant the blue touched them—
They vanished.
They did not burn.
They did not explode.
They were denied.
As if they ceased to exist for the briefest fragment of a second.
The primordial spirit slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were still unstable.
But there was awareness in them now.
She stared at Arthur silently for several seconds.
As if trying to see beyond his appearance.
Her voice came out low.
Weak.
— That energy…
Blue pulsed through the sword once more.
The dark fragments began retreating little by little.
— I recognize it…
Arthur kept his grip firm on the hilt.
The sword felt strange.
Heavy… and yet familiar.
The spirit narrowed her eyes.
— But you…
She hesitated.
Her expression shifted for an instant, like someone trying to reach a memory buried too deeply.
— No…
A small tension crossed her face.
— Strange…
The shadows on the blade receded a little more.
— I'm still… trying to remember…
Behind him, the battle worsened.
A violent crash echoed through the chamber.
Arthur turned immediately.
The shadows were multiplying.
Fast.
The shadow Orcal advanced in groups now, forcing Alexius and the others backward while the small black spiders spread across the floor and walls, climbing over one another in distorted swarms.
Ayame unleashed a surge of lightning against two of them, opening a blue-white flash that disintegrated part of the creatures on impact. But the shadows behind them kept advancing without hesitation.
Shirō intercepted an Orcal from the side, the clash producing a heavy metallic sound that echoed among the gigantic pillars of the chamber. The creature split apart partially… only for the darkness to gather itself again moments later.
— They're coming faster! — Mia shouted.
Compressed gusts of wind tore through the chamber's main corridor, pushing dozens of creatures backward, but new forms continued emerging from the darkest areas, sliding across surfaces as though the environment itself were producing them.
Kidero advanced with flames exploding around his blade.
Fire illuminated the entire side of the chamber.
This time, three shadows were destroyed completely.
But others came immediately after.
Without stopping.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
Then Kazuko staggered.
His knee struck the ground for a moment.
Mia looked toward him immediately.
The shadow inside his body was getting worse.
Dark lines surfaced beneath the skin of his neck, pulsing slowly like corrupted veins. Small traces of that energy began escaping from his chest in the form of black smoke before dissolving into the air.
Kazuko struggled to breathe.
His hand trembled around his weapon.
— Kazuko! — Ayame called.
He tried to stand immediately.
But the movement failed.
The shadows around him hesitated again.
Pulling back.
Watching.
As if recognizing something.
Arthur saw it.
Discomfort tightened in his chest.
But there was no time.
Alexius noticed too.
And in that instant, he looked directly at Arthur.
— Now!
Arthur pulled the sword free.
The metallic sound echoed through the chamber.
And the light intensified.
The blade began emitting a golden glow mixed with dimensional blue, while lines resembling flames spread along its length. The primordial spirit seemed to shudder faintly at the same moment, as though the sword were finally breathing again after a very long time.
Arthur ran.
The shadows noticed immediately.
They shifted direction.
All of them came at once.
The path between him and the group began disappearing beneath the sheer number of creatures advancing simultaneously.
One spider lunged from the side.
Arthur swung the blade.
Light cut through the creature.
This time, it did not reform.
The shadow split apart and vanished into dark fragments that failed to return.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Another creature came.
He struck again.
The result was the same.
The shadows began recoiling from the sword's glow.
But not enough.
The shadow Orcal advanced together, blocking the path while dozens of smaller creatures spread across the sides, trying to completely surround him.
The chamber darkened once more.
Shadows everywhere.
Arthur kept moving.
Every strike of the sword opened space.
But the numbers were increasing too quickly.
Until he realized—
He would never make it through in time.
Alexius realized it too.
The shadows were already forcing the group against one of the chamber's massive structures. Kidero kept his flames burning at full intensity while Ayame and Shirō struggled to keep the creatures away from Mia and Kazuko.
And behind them, the Zaraqnil's chains vibrated harder and harder.
Arthur took a deep breath.
Planted his feet firmly.
And threw the sword.
The blade spun through the air.
Blue and gold left a luminous trail cutting through the chamber's darkness like a slash of light tearing through a black sea.
The shadows tried to reach the sword mid-flight.
But were destroyed the moment they touched its glow.
Alexius raised his hand.
And caught the sword in the air.
The instant his fingers touched the hilt—
The primordial spirit awakened further.
Her eyes opened completely.
The energy surrounding the blade erupted into light.
She stared at Alexius for a second.
Then spoke:
— You…
Her voice sounded clearer now.
More conscious.
— You carry their bloodline…
She stopped.
As if realizing she had said more than she should have.
Alexius narrowed his eyes slightly.
But did not respond.
The fire erupted immediately.
Far greater than before.
Flames exploded around the sword in a spiral of gold and orange, illuminating the entire chamber in a brutal flash. Heat surged through the environment like a shockwave, and for the first time since the battle began—
The shadows retreated.
For real.
Alexius advanced.
His first strike cut through three shadow Orcal at once.
The creatures disintegrated completely.
No regeneration.
No return.
The sword left trails of fire through the air, every movement producing luminous explosions that burned the shadows until nothing remained.
The small spiders began fleeing from the illuminated areas.
Kidero's eyes widened for a moment.
— So that's what it was…
Alexius kept moving.
Every strike opened space.
Every burst of light weakened the darkness dominating the chamber even more.
But there was a problem.
The chains.
The light was reaching them too.
The black links began vibrating violently.
Cracks spread across the metallic surface.
The dark energy wrapped around them fluctuated.
The Zaraqnil slowly raised her head.
Her legs moved.
This time with force.
One of the chains stretched to its limit.
The metallic sound echoed through the entire chamber.
And then—
CRAAACK.
The first link shattered.
The silence that followed was worse than the noise.
Because everyone immediately understood what it meant.
Another chain vibrated.
The remaining shadows began writhing uncontrollably.
And the Zaraqnil began breaking free.