The creature slowly rose from the rubble.
Broken mountains crumbled from its shoulders as black blood dripped from its pale skin. Cracks spread across its body unnaturally before sealing shut almost instantly.
One eye opened.
Then another.
Then all six.
The moment those glowing blue eyes locked onto the group again—
the atmosphere collapsed.
BOOOOOOOM!!
A wave of corrupted Aether exploded outward so violently that entire cliffs were erased from existence.
Arthur dug his feet into the ground, purple Aether roaring around him as he barely resisted the pressure.
Kierran's face paled.
"…It got stronger."
"No," Tom said grimly.
Golden Aether wrapped around his arm again.
"It's evolving."
The creature tilted its head slowly.
Its six eyes rotated independently, studying each of them with terrifying precision.
Then it smiled.
"Interesting…"
Its voice echoed unnaturally across the battlefield.
"The more despair you feel…"
Black veins spread further across its body.
"…the stronger I become."
Arthur attacked first.
BOOOOM!
Purple Aether exploded behind him as he crossed the battlefield instantly, his fist aiming directly for the creature's head.
The monster dodged effortlessly.
One eye tracked Arthur's muscles.
Another predicted the flow of his Aether.
Another read the movement of the air itself.
Arthur realized too late—
it already knew what he was going to do.
The creature struck once.
CRACK.
Arthur's ribs shattered instantly.
Before he could recover—
a second blow slammed into his stomach hard enough to send him flying through three mountain walls.
"ARTHUR!"
Kierran roared and slammed both hands into the earth.
Thousands of glowing blue chains erupted from beneath the battlefield, wrapping around the creature from every direction.
Lucas moved at the same time.
Twin blades flashed with compressed Aether as he attacked the creature's blind spots at impossible speed.
For a moment—
their teamwork worked.
The creature's movements slowed.
Lucas's blade sliced across its shoulder.
Black blood sprayed into the air.
Kierran grinned weakly. "Got y—"
The creature caught Lucas by the throat instantly.
The battlefield went silent.
Its six eyes glowed brighter.
"Predictable."
BOOOOOOM!
A blast of corrupted Aether detonated point-blank.
Lucas was launched across the wasteland like a broken doll, crashing unconscious into the ruins below.
"LUCAS!"
Kierran tightened the chains desperately—
—but the creature suddenly looked directly at him.
Every instinct in Kierran's body screamed danger.
Too late.
The monster vanished.
Kierran's eyes widened.
A hand pierced straight through his defensive Aether barrier.
Then grabbed his face.
"Sleep."
BOOOOOM!
Kierran smashed into the ground so hard the earth collapsed beneath him.
The chains disappeared instantly.
Arthur forced himself up from the rubble, blood pouring from his mouth.
Purple Aether surged around him violently now.
Unstable.
Wild.
The creature noticed immediately.
"Ah…"
Its smile widened.
"Anger."
Arthur roared and unleashed everything.
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Massive blasts of Aether tore apart mountains while Arthur attacked relentlessly, each strike carrying enough force to flatten entire structures.
For a brief moment—
he overwhelmed it.
The creature was driven backward repeatedly beneath Arthur's fury.
But then—
the six eyes adapted.
Its movements sharpened.
Its reactions became perfect.
And suddenly—
Arthur couldn't land another hit.
The creature slipped past his guard effortlessly.
A punch hit Arthur's chest.
CRACK.
Another shattered his shoulder.
Then his jaw.
Then his spine.
Arthur's vision blurred completely.
The final strike slammed him into the earth hard enough to create a crater hundreds of meters wide.
Silence.
Arthur couldn't move anymore.
The creature stood over him calmly.
"So weak…"
Then golden light exploded across the battlefield.
Tom appeared instantly.
His aura shook the entire region as ancient markings spread across his body like burning gold.
The older warrior attacked with monstrous force.
BOOOOOOM!
The collision between them split the clouds above.
Tom's fists hammered into the creature repeatedly, each impact distorting the atmosphere itself.
For the first time—
the creature struggled.
Tom drove it through mountains, shattered its limbs, and unleashed ancient combat techniques refined over decades.
But the six eyes kept evolving.
Learning.
Adapting.
Then—
the creature caught Tom's arm.
Tom's eyes narrowed.
The monster smiled.
"I understand you now."
Black spikes erupted from the ground instantly.
Tom blocked most of them—
but one pierced through his side.
The creature struck immediately after.
A devastating blast of corrupted Aether exploded point-blank.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Golden light vanished beneath darkness.
Tom crashed to the ground.
Still conscious—
but unable to stand.
The creature slowly turned toward the fallen group.
Arthur.
Kierran.
Lucas.
Tom.
Broken.
Defeated.
Its six glowing eyes stared down at them emotionlessly.
"This world truly has weakened since Levi Ravenheart disappeared."
Dark energy gathered above its hand.
A massive sphere of corrupted Aether formed overhead, swallowing the sky itself.
Arthur tried to move.
Nothing.
His body had reached its limit.
The creature raised its hand fully.
"You will disappear now."
Then—
everything froze.
The corrupted sphere stopped moving.
The wind stopped.
Even the pressure in the atmosphere vanished instantly.
The creature's six eyes widened.
"…What?"
A calm voice echoed behind it.
"You've been making quite a mess."
The monster turned slowly.
A man stood there silently.
Black coat.
Hands in his pockets.
Rain sliding off silver hair.
Arthur's eyes widened weakly.
No way…
The creature staggered backward instinctively.
Its six eyes spun wildly trying to analyze the newcomer—
and failed.
Fear spread across its face for the first time.
"…Alex."
The battlefield had gone completely silent.
Arthur could barely breathe.
His body lay broken inside the crater while blood dripped slowly across shattered stone. Nearby, Kierran and Lucas were unconscious, and even Tom struggled to rise.
Yet none of them could take their eyes off the man standing before the six-eyed creature.
Black coat.
Silver hair.
Hands casually inside his pockets.
The corrupted monster staggered backward instinctively.
Its six glowing eyes spun wildly, trying to analyze the newcomer from every possible angle.
And failing.
"…Who are you?" it demanded.
Its voice no longer carried confidence.
Only caution.
The man sighed softly.
"You've evolved this much…"
Silver light flickered faintly around his eyes.
"…and still ask stupid questions."
The creature snarled immediately.
Black lightning erupted around its body as corrupted Aether flooded the battlefield again.
"I asked you a question!"
The pressure exploded outward violently.
Mountains collapsed.
The sky darkened further.
But the silver-haired man remained completely still.
Not even his coat moved.
Arthur's eyes widened weakly.
"…He's not using Aether to defend himself…"
Tom's expression darkened.
"No."
The older warrior coughed blood.
"The world itself is rejecting the attack before it reaches him."
The creature attacked instantly.
It crossed the battlefield faster than sound itself, claws aimed directly for the man's throat—
—and stopped.
Its arm froze midair.
The monster's six eyes widened.
It couldn't move.
Silver energy wrapped around its entire body like invisible chains.
The man finally removed one hand from his pocket.
"You're noisy."
Then he flicked his finger.
The creature was launched across the ground instantly.
Shockwaves split the earth for kilometers.
Arthur's pupils shrank.
He didn't even touch it properly.
Before the creature could recover—
the black -haired man vanished.
A fist crashed into the creature's stomach hard enough to bend its body unnaturally.
The impact erased an entire mountain range behind it.
The monster coughed black blood violently.
Then another strike landed.
And another.
And another.
The battlefield became a blur of destruction.
The creature couldn't react.
Couldn't adapt.
Couldn't even see him properly.
Its six eyes rotated desperately trying to follow the movements—
but the silver-haired man moved beyond their perception entirely.
The creature crashed into the ground again.
Half its body was gone now.
Regeneration struggled desperately to repair the damage.
The black -haired man descended slowly from the sky.
Expression calm.
Emotionless.
The creature trembled.
"…Impossible…"
It tried to gather corrupted Aether again—
—but suddenly froze.
Its six eyes widened in horror.
The silver-haired man was now standing directly in front of it.
"…Did you really think adaptation mattered?"
Silver energy spread across the battlefield.
Arthur suddenly realized something horrifying.
The corrupted Aether in the atmosphere…
was disappearing.
Erased completely.
The creature noticed too.
"No— WAIT—"
The man placed two fingers against the creature's forehead.
The world went silent.
Then—
a massive pillar of silver light erupted into the heavens.
The clouds split apart instantly.
The earth cracked for hundreds of kilometers.
Arthur shielded his eyes weakly as overwhelming pressure swallowed everything.
When the light faded—
the creature was barely alive.
Its body was destroyed beyond recognition.
Three of its six eyes had been erased completely.
The remaining ones flickered weakly with terror.
The black-haired man looked down at it coldly.
"You should've stayed buried."
He raised his hand slowly.
A final attack.
One that Arthur instinctively knew would erase the creature completely.
But suddenly—
the atmosphere changed.
A crimson glow spread across the battlefield.
Warm.
Yet horrifying.
The black-haired man paused.
For the first time—
his expression shifted slightly.
"…Scarlet."
A soft laugh echoed through the ruined wasteland.
Elegant.
Calm.
Dangerous.
Red petals began drifting through the air despite there being no wind.
Then a woman appeared beside the dying creature.
Long crimson hair flowed behind her like liquid fire while black markings covered parts of her pale skin. Her red eyes glowed faintly beneath the darkness.
She wore a relaxed smile.
Yet the pressure surrounding her rivaled the six-eyed creature completely.
One hand rested gently on the creature's destroyed head.
The wounds across its body immediately began purifying and regenerating at terrifying speed.
Arthur's heart pounded violently.
Tom's eyes narrowed.
"…One of the Demon Sovereigns."
Scarlet smiled faintly.
"What a cruel thing to do, Alex."
So that was his name.
Alex.
He stared at her silently.
"You're interfering."
Scarlet shrugged lightly.
"You were about to kill one of my experiments."
The creature looked up weakly.
"…Lady Scarlet…"
Scarlet patted its head gently.
"You embarrassed yourself quite badly."
The creature trembled in shame.
Alex's brown eyes narrowed slightly.
"Move aside."
The air instantly became heavier.
Scarlet's smile remained unchanged.
"No."
Crimson energy spread around her feet like blooming flowers.
"And unlike this poor creature…"
Her glowing red eyes met Alex's brown ones directly.
"…I actually know who you are."
Scarlet's crimson aura spread silently across the battlefield.
Red petals drifted through the ruined mountains while the surviving fragments of corrupted Aether around the six-eyed creature slowly dissolved beneath her power.
Alex stood motionless.
Silver eyes fixed on her calmly.
The pressure between them alone distorted the atmosphere.
Arthur could barely breathe.
Even Tom's expression remained tense now.
Scarlet glanced toward the broken six-eyed creature beside her and sighed softly.
"You really let yourself get beaten this badly?"
The creature lowered its head in shame.
"…Forgive me."
Scarlet waved dismissively.
"You challenged the wrong monster."
Arthur's eyes narrowed weakly.
Monster?
She was talking about Alex.
Alex ignored the comment entirely.
"Move."
Silver light flickered faintly around his fingers.
The earth beneath Scarlet instantly cracked.
But Scarlet only smiled.
"You're still as aggressive as ever."
For a brief second—
her red eyes shifted toward Arthur.
Then toward Tom.
Then back to Alex.
"…Interesting group you've gathered."
Tom slowly forced himself upright despite his injuries.
Scarlet noticed him immediately.
"Oh?"
Her smile widened slightly.
"You're still alive too, old man."
Tom's face darkened.
"I was hoping your kind stayed sealed."
Scarlet laughed softly.
"That would've been boring."
The atmosphere suddenly trembled again as Alex took a single step forward.
Every instinct in Arthur's body screamed danger.
Scarlet noticed too.
And for the first time—
her smile faded slightly.
"…You're serious."
Alex's silver eyes glowed brighter.
"You shouldn't be here."
The crimson-haired demon stared at him for several silent seconds.
Then—
she smiled again.
But this time, colder.
"Perhaps."
Red energy wrapped around the wounded creature beside her.
Space itself began distorting faintly around them.
Scarlet tilted her head lightly.
"But today isn't the day for this fight."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Retreating?
Even after saving that monster?
Scarlet looked toward Alex one final time.
"…We'll meet again."
Then her gaze shifted toward Arthur specifically.
"And you, little Ravenheart…"
Her smile became strangely knowing.
"…your fate smells terrifying."
Before Arthur could respond—
the crimson energy exploded outward.
A wave of scarlet petals swallowed the battlefield.
When the light faded—
Scarlet and the six-eyed creature were gone.
Silence.
Only the cold wind remained.
Arthur stared at the empty space they left behind.
Tom exhaled slowly.
"…That was bad."
Kierran weakly lifted his head from the rubble. "BAD?! We almost died!"
Lucas groaned nearby. "I think my ribs turned into powder…"
Arthur barely heard them.
His eyes remained fixed on Alex.
The black-haired man stood quietly with his hands back inside his pockets as though none of what happened mattered.
Then—
Alex glanced toward Arthur briefly.
"You're weaker than I expected."
Arthur's eye twitched immediately.
Kierran blinked.
"…That's the first thing you say after saving us?"
Alex ignored him completely.
Instead, his gaze shifted southward.
Toward the Black Continent.
His expression changed slightly.
"…Something's moving."
The atmosphere grew tense again.
Tom noticed immediately.
"You felt it too?"
Alex nodded once.
Then—
the scene shifted.
Far away from the shattered battlefield…
Beyond the mountains…
Beyond the broken outer routes leading toward the Black Continent…
(At the same time somewhere ...)
Grey Hollow remained trapped beneath endless rain.
The abandoned settlement groaned quietly under the storm as flickering lights buzzed weakly inside the ruined lower district.
Layla stood near the shattered window of an old transport building, watching the rain pour across the empty streets below.
Grey Hollow felt dead.
But not empty.
Never empty.
The silver-haired boy rested against a nearby wall, arms folded while keeping watch over the unconscious Sunny lying across a worn couch nearby.
Sunny's breathing had stabilized slightly.
But faint cracks of unstable Aether still appeared beneath his skin every few seconds.
The boy frowned.
"He should've woken up by now."
Layla remained silent.
Her pale blue eyes stared into the darkness outside.
Toward Ashen Shroud.
The massive region separating Grey Hollow from the Black Continent borders.
Even from here, the distant black fog covering Ashen Shroud could be seen swallowing entire sections of land.
Dangerous.
Unnatural.
Alive.
The silver-haired boy glanced toward Layla.
"You still haven't explained why we're heading there."
Layla's expression remained calm.
"…Because something has awakened."
Lightning flashed outside.
For a brief second, strange symbols beneath Layla's sleeve glowed faintly.
The boy noticed.
"You felt it too, didn't you?"
Layla nodded slowly.
Then her eyes shifted toward the unconscious Sunny.
"…And somehow," she whispered quietly, "he's connected to it."