The night had reached its deepest hour, that suffocating point where darkness no longer felt natural but alive. Flames devoured the western districts of the capital like starving beasts, spreading across rooftops and shattered streets while smoke coiled into the heavens in endless black spirals. The roars of prisoners echoed through the city alongside the desperate cries of knights struggling to hold the collapsing lines. Steel clashed against steel, magic exploded through the air, and blood painted the stone roads crimson beneath flickering firelight. Yet even amidst such chaos, something far more terrifying was unfolding at the center of the battlefield.
A sudden pillar of radiance erupted into the night sky.
For a brief moment, the entire capital froze.
Knights stopped mid-swing. Prisoners turned their heads. Even civilians hiding behind ruined walls lifted trembling eyes toward the source of that terrifying light. It illuminated the streets like a second moon, swallowing shadows whole as waves of pressure rolled across the battlefield. Instinctively, everyone began moving toward the center of the chaos. Toward the place where monsters were fighting.
Inside the royal palace, silence reigned in stark contrast to the screams outside. A young boy stood near the enormous window overlooking the burning capital, his calm gaze reflecting the inferno consuming the kingdom. Firelight danced across his pale face while distant explosions rumbled through the night like thunder. Behind him, a man approached carefully before lowering himself into a respectful bow.
"Young Prince," the man said quietly, "we have prepared the plan to execute the First Princess. Should we proceed?"
The prince remained silent for several seconds, his eyes fixed upon the burning horizon.
"Our plan with Cilard failed because he vanished…" he murmured at last. "But this chaos is even better. Release him. Let him kill her during the uproar. No one will suspect anything."
A cruel glint flickered through his eyes as he slowly placed a hand against the cold glass window.
"I want this kingdom reduced to ashes."
The servant lowered his head deeper before disappearing into the darkness without another word.
Far away, at the heart of the battlefield, Zeo stood facing Death beneath the collapsing sky.
The Creator State wrapped around his body like divine armor. Silver, white, and golden streams of energy flowed around him while flames coiled beneath his feet, distorting the air itself. Across from him stood Death in absolute silence, his crimson eyes gleaming beneath the burning streets.
Then suddenly—
A grin stretched across Death's face.
"Show me," he said softly, almost excitedly. "Show me what your powers are capable of."
Countless metallic arrows manifested behind him in an instant.
The sky darkened beneath their numbers.
Then they descended.
Zeo narrowed his glowing eyes before thrusting a burning fist forward. The flames around his arm erupted violently, exploding into a wave of fire that collided against the incoming arrows. The impact alone shattered nearby windows and sent a shockwave tearing across the streets. Metallic projectiles were thrown away like leaves caught in a storm, crashing into buildings and roads with deafening force.
But Zeo did not stop there.
The flames surrounding him suddenly spiraled upward.
A tornado of fire roared into existence.
Buildings melted from the unbearable heat while the streets cracked beneath the pressure of its birth. The blazing inferno twisted toward Death like a divine punishment unleashed upon the earth itself. Yet before the attack could fully engulf the battlefield, Zeo vanished in a burst of fire and reappeared beside Akidna. Without hesitation, he grabbed her carefully and propelled himself away from the battlefield, flames exploding beneath his feet to increase his speed.
The knights nearby immediately raised their weapons the moment they saw his glowing form descend among them.
"Stand down," Akidna ordered weakly, lifting a trembling hand. "He is with us."
Reluctantly, the soldiers lowered their swords.
Zeo gently helped Akidna sit against the remains of a broken wall before his gaze slowly drifted toward the wound piercing her stomach. Blood still stained her armor despite the healing attempts.
"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.
It was a stupid question.
And yet… Akidna understood immediately what he truly meant.
For a moment, she simply stared at him before answering with a faint smile.
"Yeah… it really hurts," she whispered softly. "Just like your pain."
Relief flickered across Zeo's face.
Then guilt replaced it.
He slowly stood up again, the fire around him growing more unstable.
"Leave him to me."
Akidna looked at his back silently before speaking again.
"We'll meet again… right?"
Zeo paused.
The flames around him illuminated his glowing eyes as he glanced back over his shoulder.
"Yes," he said calmly. "If you manage to defeat your destiny."
Her eyes widened slightly.
But before she could ask anything more, Zeo had already disappeared into the burning streets.
Akidna stared after him in silence.
"Does he… know my future?"
Meanwhile, Zeo tore through the battlefield like a comet, flames erupting beneath every step and shattering the roads beneath his overwhelming speed. Through the smoke and destruction, Razya's voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"What's the plan now?"
"We trap him," Zeo answered immediately.
Razya frowned. "And then what? Even if we succeed, how do you plan to kill him?"
A faint smirk appeared on Zeo's face.
"We'll figure it out."
Through the burning streets, his gaze suddenly locked onto Death standing motionless atop a ruined building. Flames reflected within those crimson eyes while screams echoed all around him. Calm. Silent. Like a deep ocean hiding monsters beneath still waters.
Then suddenly—
The building beneath Death twisted violently.
Stone and earth erupted upward, binding his body in massive restraints as Zeo manipulated the surrounding structures with earth element.
"Done watching?" Zeo asked coldly. "Then let's continue."
The entire street exploded apart.
Death shattered the restraints effortlessly, reducing buildings and roads into rubble with raw force alone. Zeo barely managed to shield himself with layers of earth before the shockwave tore through the battlefield.
Razya's voice suddenly became tense.
"We're running out of time."
Zeo frowned. "What do you mean?"
"This is your first Creator State," she answered quickly. "Your limits aren't stabilized yet. We could lose this form at any moment."
Before Zeo could respond, Death appeared directly outside the earth shield.
Metallic tentacles wrapped around Zeo's legs instantly.
Then—
BOOM.
He was thrown through several buildings like a ragdoll.
Pain exploded through his body as old wounds reopened violently. Blood spilled from his mouth while his vision blurred from the impact.
"Don't focus on the injuries," Razya said calmly inside his mind. "I'm suppressing them. Focus on him."
Zeo slowly forced himself back onto his feet while metallic armor formed across his body. Flames ignited around his fists once more, burning hotter and hotter until even his skin began to char beneath the pressure.
"If you want a fist fight…" Zeo muttered darkly. "Then come."
Death smiled.
The next instant, both of them collided head-on.
Their punches alone shattered nearby buildings.
Shockwaves rippled through the streets with every impact while the ground continuously collapsed beneath their feet. Fire clashed against metal. Strength against strength. Creator against Creator.
And then—
Reality itself began to crack.
The sky trembled violently above them.
Fragments of darkness peeled away like broken glass while invisible fractures spread through the world itself. Zeo gritted his teeth in frustration as he realized the consequences of his own actions. To make himself stronger, he had weakened the structure of his world. And now, under the pressure of their battle…
The world was screaming.
Death suddenly slipped past Zeo's attack and lunged toward him with a metallic blade—
But everything turned white.
Silence swallowed the battlefield completely.
Zeo blinked in confusion.
There was no sky. No ground. No sound.
Only an endless white void stretching infinitely in every direction.
Razya stood before him calmly.
"We are inside your inner consciousness," she explained quietly. "This is where we decide who controls the body during Creator State."
Zeo stared at her for several moments before speaking without hesitation.
"Take control."
Razya blinked once.
Then nodded.
Back in reality, Death's blade descended toward Zeo's throat—
Only for Zeo's hand to suddenly catch it effortlessly.
CRACK.
Death was slammed violently into the street hard enough to destroy the surrounding roads entirely.
Smoke exploded upward.
Then Death slowly looked up.
High above him floated Zeo's body.
Emotionless.
Cold.
Divine.
But the one staring down at him was no longer Zeo.
It was Razya.
For the first time that night, Death's expression changed.
He immediately dashed forward.
But the moment he entered her range, Razya spoke softly:
"Mirror World."
Death's eyes widened.
Elsewhere, Akidna sat surrounded by healers while still issuing commands to the remaining knights despite her injuries. Blood loss made her vision blur repeatedly, yet she refused to rest while her kingdom burned around her.
Then suddenly—
The knight standing behind her collapsed.
Akidna turned sharply.
Two chains shot toward her from opposite directions.
Her instincts screamed.
She shoved the healers away to protect them—
But she was too late.
Blood splashed across the ground.
And somewhere beneath the dying night, fate quietly smiled once more.