Black mist flooded the seventh descent.
The Half-Corrupted stood at the center of the shattered chamber with incomplete wings spread behind its massive body.
Crimson cracks pulsed beneath its charcoal skin.
Its black eyes locked onto Arthur Ravenheart.
"…Let us continue, Smile of Heaven."
The creature vanished instantly.
Arthur barely raised his arms in time—
A monstrous punch slammed into his guard hard enough to launch him across the chamber.
Stone pillars exploded as Arthur crashed through them violently.
The Half-Corrupted immediately chased after him.
But—
A massive black spear suddenly intercepted the creature mid-charge.
The impact forced it backward for the first time.
Everyone froze slightly.
Then heavy footsteps echoed across the broken floor.
Tom stepped forward slowly.
His coat moved gently in the corrupted wind while black markings glowed faintly along his arms.
The Half-Corrupted tilted its head.
"…Another insect?"
Tom grabbed the black spear from the ground calmly.
"…Nah."
Dark Aether spiraled around the weapon.
"…I'm the adult in this situation."
Arthur forced himself up from the rubble breathing heavily.
"…About time…"
Tom smirked slightly without looking at him.
"You're reckless."
Arthur wiped blood from his mouth.
"Runs in the family."
The Half-Corrupted suddenly laughed loudly.
"…GOOD."
Then corruption exploded outward from its body.
The chamber shook violently as it rushed Tom directly.
Fast.
Far too fast.
But Tom didn't move.
At the last second—
Black chains erupted from the floor around him.
The Half-Corrupted's claw smashed through several—
—but Tom's spear suddenly pierced forward.
Dark Aether detonated against the creature's chest.
The impact launched the Half-Corrupted backward across the chamber.
Its crimson eyes widened slightly.
"…You conceal your resonance well."
Tom spun the spear once calmly.
"Old habit."
Then—
he disappeared.
The floor beneath him exploded instantly.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Fast.
Tom appeared directly behind the creature and swung his spear horizontally.
The Half-Corrupted ducked beneath it—
only for Tom to slam his knee directly into its stomach.
The shockwave bent nearby chains outward violently.
The creature coughed black blood.
But immediately retaliated.
A corrupted blade formed from its arm and slashed toward Tom's neck.
Tom blocked using the spear shaft—
but the force still blasted him backward across the chamber floor.
The Half-Corrupted grinned wider.
"…Now THIS is entertaining."
Then flames exploded from the side.
Arthur rushed back into the fight.
Fire spiraled around his right arm.
Ice consumed his left completely now.
Purple Aether crackled wildly around his body.
The moment the Half-Corrupted turned—
Arthur attacked relentlessly.
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
Every strike infused with elemental destruction.
A flaming hook smashed into the creature's jaw.
An ice-covered knee froze part of its ribs instantly.
Tom immediately followed.
His spear slammed into the frozen section.
The ice shattered violently—
along with the creature's armor-like corrupted flesh.
For the first time—
the Half-Corrupted staggered.
Alex moved instantly.
Black Aether erupted around him like a storm.
Then—
His fist collided directly with the creature's face.
The impact distorted the entire chamber.
The Half-Corrupted crashed through multiple support pillars before stopping itself.
Its smile had disappeared now.
Black blood dripped from its mouth.
Its crimson eyes slowly scanned the three of them.
Alex.
Tom.
Arthur.
Then—
it smiled again.
Wider than before.
"…Three monsters pretending to be human…"
The chamber trembled violently.
The corruption around its body thickened.
Then suddenly—
its incomplete wings tore open further.
Black flesh ripped apart violently as enormous skeletal appendages emerged from its back.
The System glitched instantly.
[ WARNING ]
[ ENTITY EVOLUTION ACCELERATING ]
[ SURVIVAL PROBABILITY DECREASING ]
Arthur's breathing slowed.
Tom tightened his grip on the spear.
Alex's expression darkened slightly.
Then the Half-Corrupted spread its transformed wings completely—
and the entire seventh descent went dark.
The seventh descent was collapsing.
Massive pillars crumbled one after another while black chains snapped violently across the chamber.
Below them—
The Chained Devourer continued rising slowly from the abyss.
Hundreds of glowing eyes opened endlessly across its colossal body.
Watching everything.
Watching everyone.
And smiling.
Arthur Ravenheart slowly forced himself up from the shattered ruins where he had crashed.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
His breathing had become uneven.
That single hit nearly crushed his ribs entirely.
The System flickered weakly before him.
[ WARNING ]
[ CRITICAL INTERNAL DAMAGE DETECTED ]
[ MULTIPLE FRACTURES ]
[ CONTINUE COMBAT? ]
Arthur wiped blood from his face roughly.
"…Obviously."
Purple Aether flared violently around him again.
Far above—
Alexi Ravenheart stared at him in horror.
"…Arthur stop…"
Her voice shook.
"You can't fight that thing…"
Meanwhile—
the Half-Corrupted spread its skeletal appendages wider while corruption flooded the chamber.
Its laughter echoed endlessly.
"…Can you feel it now, Smile of Heaven?"
It raised one clawed arm toward the abyss below.
"…True evolution…"
Then—
Alex appeared directly in front of it.
His fist collided with the creature's face hard enough to bend the surrounding air.
The Half-Corrupted crashed sideways through several collapsing pillars.
Alex's brown eyes were colder now.
"…You talk too much."
Tom immediately joined.
His black spear tore through the darkness and pierced one of the creature's wings.
The Half-Corrupted roared violently.
But this time—
Alex didn't let it recover.
Black Aether exploded around his leg as he drove a devastating kick into the creature's chest.
The impact launched it directly toward Arthur.
Arthur reacted instantly.
Fire erupted around one arm.
Ice around the other.
Then—
Arthur's flaming uppercut smashed directly into the Half-Corrupted midair.
Before it could recover -
An ice-covered elbow shattered into its jaw.
Arthur attacked relentlessly now.
Every movement fueled by rage.
By fear.
By desperation.
Punch.
Kick.
Flame.
Frost.
The chamber lit up blue and white with every strike.
The Half-Corrupted blocked several attacks—
but Arthur's speed kept increasing unnaturally.
The System flickered rapidly.
[ USER RESONANCE OUTPUT EXCEEDING EXPECTED LIMITS ]
[ WARNING: EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY DETECTED ]
The Half-Corrupted suddenly grabbed Arthur's wrist mid-punch.
Its grin widened.
"…YES…"
Then it slammed its forehead directly into Arthur's face.
Arthur staggered backward instantly.
The creature followed with a corrupted knee to his stomach.
Arthur nearly collapsed.
But before the Half-Corrupted could continue—
Tom's spear pierced through its side again.
Alex appeared immediately afterward.
Black Aether condensed around his arm violently.
Then—
A point-blank strike detonated against the creature's chest.
The explosion blasted corruption throughout the chamber.
The Half-Corrupted screamed in genuine pain now.
Yet—
it was still smiling.
Then suddenly—
everything shook.
Not the chamber.
Reality itself.
The Chained Devourer had moved again.
A colossal black hand gripped the edge of the abyss and pulled upward further.
Its body began emerging slowly now.
Long chains wrapped around its massive form like restraints barely holding something impossible together.
The smiling mouth within the darkness widened further.
Then—
it spoke.
Every person in the chamber froze instantly.
Because the voice did not echo through the air.
It echoed through their souls.
"…Another… vessel…"
Arthur's body stiffened immediately.
The countless eyes across the Devourer shifted toward him simultaneously.
"…Incomplete…"
The System glitched violently.
[ WARNING WARNING WARNING ]
[ ATTENTION USER: ARTHUR RAVENHEART ]
[ ENTITY HAS IDENTIFIED YOU ]
Arthur's heartbeat slowed.
The creature's gigantic smile widened further.
"…Smile… of Heaven…"
The Chained Devourer's countless eyes stared down upon them from the abyss.
"…Fragile…"
Its voice echoed through their souls like ancient bells ringing beneath the ocean.
The pressure flooding the seventh descent became unbearable.
Even breathing hurt now.
Kierran forced himself back onto his feet despite blood running down his face.
Lucas stood beside him shaking slightly.
Far ahead—
Arthur Ravenheart continued exchanging blows with the Half-Corrupted while Alex and Tom fought beside him.
The chamber had become a battlefield of fire, ice, black Aether, and corruption.
Yet the Devourer…
watched.
Almost curiously.
Then suddenly—
it spoke again.
"…Do you know…"
One colossal hand tightened around the edge of the abyss.
"…why battle exists?"
Nobody answered.
The Half-Corrupted slowly backed away slightly as though even IT respected the being beneath the chamber.
The Devourer's smile widened.
"…Weak creatures believe battle is about victory."
Its countless eyes shifted slowly toward Arthur.
"…The proud believe it is about protecting others."
Then toward Alex.
"…The experienced believe it is survival."
Then toward Tom.
"…And monsters…"
Its voice deepened.
"…believe battle is freedom."
The seventh descent trembled violently.
Arthur clenched his fists harder.
The Devourer continued.
"…But all of them are wrong."
Silence consumed the chamber.
Then—
the entity laughed softly.
A horrifying sound.
"…The essence of battle…"
Its gigantic eyes glowed brighter.
"…is revelation."
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
The Devourer's smile stretched wider.
"…Only in battle do creatures reveal what they truly are."
The words echoed heavily through the collapsing sanctum.
"…Fear."
Lucas froze slightly.
"…Rage."
Arthur's flames intensified unconsciously.
"…Despair."
Kierran's hands trembled harder.
"…Hope."
Alexi stared downward weakly from her chains.
"…Love."
Arthur looked up at his mother instantly.
The Devourer noticed.
"…Yes…"
Its voice became quieter now.
"…The battlefield strips away lies."
The colossal entity slowly pulled itself higher upward.
More of its endless form became visible through the darkness.
"…A king reveals himself in war."
Its countless eyes locked onto Arthur again.
"…And so do monsters."
The Half-Corrupted grinned wider immediately.
Alex's expression darkened slightly.
Tom tightened his grip on the spear.
The Devourer continued speaking calmly despite the chaos around it.
"…You humans misunderstand strength."
Its chains rattled violently.
"…Strength is not power."
One eye opened directly above Arthur.
"…It is the ability to continue moving forward…"
Another eye opened.
"…when your soul begs you to stop."
Lucas slowly lowered his shaking fists.
Kierran's breathing steadied slightly.
Even Arthur listened now.
Then—
the Devourer smiled again.
"…That…"
The abyss beneath it twisted unnaturally.
"…is why I adore battle."
Silence followed briefly.
Then the entity's countless eyes narrowed slightly toward Arthur.
"…Now then, Smile of Heaven…"
Its voice shook the chamber.
"…show me what kind of existence you truly are."
The seventh descent had stopped feeling like a place meant for the living.
The chamber shook endlessly beneath waves of destruction as chains snapped overhead and ancient walls collapsed into the abyss below. The very air had become heavy with corruption and resonance, twisting violently whenever power erupted across the battlefield.
Yet despite the nightmare surrounding them—
they fought.
All of them.
Arthur Ravenheart rushed forward first, purple Aether exploding around him as flames erupted across his right arm and ice consumed his left. His body screamed from exhaustion, but he ignored it completely.
Because above him—
Alexi Ravenheart was still chained.
Still suffering.
And every time Arthur looked at her—
he found the strength to move again.
Arthur's flaming fist slammed directly into the Half-Corrupted's face.
The impact detonated through the chamber like artillery fire.
Before the creature could recover—
Ice erupted across its torso as Arthur's second strike landed immediately afterward.
Steam exploded outward violently.
Then came Alex.
Black Aether surrounded him like a storm as he appeared behind the creature and unleashed a devastating barrage of attacks.
Each strike distorted the air.
Each impact shattered the floor beneath them.
Tom joined next.
His spear tore through the darkness coated in violent resonance energy before piercing directly through one of the creature's skeletal appendages.
The Half-Corrupted staggered.
Then Lucas and Kierran entered the fight too.
Fear remained visible on both their faces.
Their hands still trembled.
But they fought anyway.
Lucas drove both fists into the creature's ribs while Kierran flashed behind it, his blade carving deep across corrupted flesh.
For a brief moment—
they overwhelmed it.
The Half-Corrupted was pushed backward beneath the combined assault.
Alexi's eyes widened slightly.
Hope.
For the first time in years—
hope filled her chest.
Maybe they could actually do it.
Maybe her son truly had come to save her.
Arthur looked upward briefly during the chaos.
Their eyes met.
And despite everything—
Alexi smiled through tears.
That single expression reignited something inside Arthur instantly.
Purple Aether exploded harder around him.
"MOVE!"
Arthur rushed forward again alongside Alex and Tom.
Fire spiraled violently around one arm.
Ice froze the battlefield beneath his feet.
Alex's black Aether collided against corruption while Tom's spear carved through the chamber like lightning.
The Half-Corrupted was forced backward again.
And then—
it stopped smiling.
Silence suddenly fell over the battlefield.
The creature slowly lowered its head.
Its crimson cracks began glowing brighter.
Darker.
Its skeletal appendages twitched unnaturally behind it.
Then corruption exploded outward from its body.
The entire seventh descent shook violently.
Arthur's eyes widened instantly.
The pressure flooding the chamber became monstrous.
Lucas nearly collapsed from it.
Kierran's breathing stopped for half a second.
Even Alex's expression darkened.
The Half-Corrupted slowly lifted its head again—
and whatever humanity remained inside it…
was gone.
Its black eyes had become endless voids.
Its smile stretched too wide across its face.
Then it moved.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Lucas never even saw it coming.
The creature's fist slammed into his chest with horrifying force.
The sound of bones breaking echoed through the sanctum.
Lucas's body flew violently through several stone pillars before crashing beneath rubble.
He didn't move afterward.
"LUCAS!"
Kierran charged blindly in rage.
The Half-Corrupted appeared before him instantly.
A corrupted blade sliced across Kierran's torso.
Blood sprayed through the air as Kierran spun violently before crashing against a broken wall.
His sword slipped from numb fingers.
He collapsed motionless.
Arthur's heart dropped instantly.
No.
Not them too.
Tom attacked immediately after that.
His spear thrust toward the creature's throat coated in immense resonance energy.
But this time—
the Half-Corrupted caught the weapon effortlessly.
The spear shattered apart in its claws.
Tom's eyes widened.
Then—
A monstrous strike slammed into Tom's stomach hard enough to crater the chamber floor beneath him.
Before he could recover—
another hit crashed into his face.
Tom's body launched across the battlefield and went still.
Alex moved next.
Black Aether erupted around him violently as he attacked with enough force to level entire cities.
Punches.
Kicks.
Shockwaves.
The battlefield exploded beneath their clash.
Yet the Half-Corrupted blocked every attack now.
Like it was adapting.
Evolving.
Then suddenly—
it caught Alex's fist.
For the first time—
Alex looked shocked.
The creature smiled.
"…Weak."
It slammed Alex into the ground.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until black Aether flickered weakly around Alex's unconscious body.
Then silence fell.
Lucas lay broken beneath rubble.
Kierran bled heavily against shattered stone.
Tom motionless near the collapsed walls.
Alex defeated.
Only Arthur remained standing.
Above him—
Alexi's expression shattered completely.
"No…"
Her voice broke into tears.
Her son.
Her child.
The only person still standing.
Arthur's breathing had become ragged now.
Blood covered nearly every part of his body.
One arm hung weakly at his side.
Purple Aether flickered around him like a dying flame.
Yet still—
he stepped forward.
The Half-Corrupted watched him quietly for a moment.
Then it spoke softly.
"…Cruel, isn't it?"
Arthur remained silent.
The creature slowly looked around at the battlefield.
"At first, life gives creatures hope."
Its gaze shifted toward Lucas and Kierran.
"Companions."
Then toward Tom and Alex.
"Strength."
Then finally toward Alexi.
"Something precious."
Its eyes returned to Arthur.
"And then…"
Its smile widened slightly.
"…life takes everything away."
The seventh descent trembled softly around them while the Chained Devourer observed from the abyss below.
Arthur clenched his fists weakly.
The creature stepped closer.
"…This is why battle is sacred."
Its distorted voice echoed calmly throughout the ruined chamber.
"Because only at the edge of death do creatures reveal what they truly are."
Arthur slowly lifted his exhausted eyes toward it.
"…And what am I?"
The Half-Corrupted stared at him for several seconds.
Then smiled.
"…A boy standing against despair."
Silence consumed the battlefield.
Alexi cried helplessly above them.
The abyss stared upward endlessly.
And there—
within the ruins of a collapsing world—
Smile of Heaven prepared for the fight of his life.