The deafening roar of the crumbling earth slowly faded into a hollow, ringing silence. The colossal crater in the center of the cobblestone street smoked with residual, corrupted mana. Down below, through the shattered crust of the floating island, the endless, freezing expanse of the ocean violently churned, swallowing the broken body of Ren Sihue.
Standing at the jagged edge of the abyss, the Joker did not look down to confirm the kill. He didn't need to. The output of his final strike had been more than enough to vaporize the assassin's internal organs.
Instead, the Joker dropped to his knees, his entire body trembling violently. He raised his remaining, blood-soaked hand to his face, his fingers curling agonizingly around the edges of his pristine white porcelain mask. The right side of the mask was completely shattered, a jagged, gaping hole where the painted diamond eye used to be.
