The battlefield did not slow.
It adapted.
And this time—
So did they.
"…We split them."
Elias' voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
"Separate targets. Separate pressure. Break their rhythm."
A pause—
Then—
"Now."
Kiraya moved instantly.
"…Fayzan—Sumi—Ayame, with me!"
She dashed forward—
Shield leading—
Pulling the White Knight's attention.
At the same time—
Elias stepped toward the opposite side.
"…Hinabi. Magumo."
His gaze locked onto the towering figure in black.
"…We take the Dark Knight."
Hinabi smirked.
Flames flickering to life around her fingers.
"…About time."
Magumo rolled his shoulders.
"…Let's see what this thing's made of."
Behind them—
The remaining eighteen players repositioned.
Healers.
Archers.
Support.
"…Backline, maintain distance!"
"…Watch the chains—!"
"…Call targets—!"
The formation split cleanly.
Two battlefields.
One war.
White Knight Engagement
The air shimmered.
Chains of light hovered—
Waiting.
Watching.
The White Knight raised her arm.
"…!"
Kiraya's eyes sharpened.
"…It's coming again!"
The White Knight lifted slightly—
Halo flickering—
[Boss Skill: Radiant Cascade]
Light exploded outward.
Layered waves—
Faster than before—
Wider—
Deadlier.
"—Brace!"
But this time—
Kiraya didn't retreat.
She stepped forward.
"…Not again."
Her blade ignited.
Flames coiling—
Rising—
Answering her will.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Resonance]
She swung.
A massive arc of fire tore forward—
Crashing directly into the incoming waves of light.
BOOM.
Flame met radiance.
The two forces collided violently—
Exploding outward in a storm of heat and brilliance.
But it didn't stop there.
The flames didn't just attack—
They wrapped.
Encasing Kiraya—
Fayzan—
Ayame—
Sumi—
A burning barrier.
A shield.
The Radiant Cascade struck—
Again—
Again—
Again—
But this time—
It didn't break through.
"…We're holding!"
Ayame gasped.
Her staff trembling—
But steady.
Kiraya gritted her teeth.
"…Now—!"
That was all Fayzan needed.
"MOVE!"
He vanished into flame—
[Warrior Skill: Blazing Dash]
A streak of fire cut through the battlefield—
Closing the distance instantly.
His fist ignited—
And struck.
BOOM
The impact forced the White Knight back—
Just slightly—
But enough.
"…Got you—!"
At the same time—
Ayame raised her staff.
Her voice trembling—
But determined.
"…I won't fall behind…!"
Light gathered—
Condensed—
Then—
[Tamer Skill: Crystal Jaguar]
The ground beneath them fractured—
Purple light erupted—
And from it—
A massive jaguar formed.
Its body—
Made of crystalline structures.
Sharp.
Brilliant.
Alive.
"…Go!"
The jaguar lunged.
Fast.
Precise.
Its claws tore through the air—
Striking the White Knight directly.
CLANG
For the first time—
She was pushed back.
Her feet sliding slightly across the ground.
"…We're actually—!"
Sumi smirked.
"…Don't celebrate yet."
Because the White Knight—
Didn't stagger.
She adapted.
Her arm moved—
Smooth—
Effortless—
Her weapon struck.
CRACK
The Crystal Jaguar—
Shattered.
Fragments of purple crystal exploded outward.
Ayame gasped.
"…No—!"
At the same time—
Her blade moved again—
A precise counter.
Fayzan barely raised his guard—
CLANG
But the force—
Sent him flying back.
"—Tch!"
He skidded across the ground.
"…She's fast…!"
But in that moment—
There was an opening.
A small one.
A perfect one.
And Sumi—
Was already there.
Gone.
Invisible.
Then—
Behind her.
"…Too slow."
[Assassin Skill: Double Edge]
Two strikes.
Clean.
Precise.
Deadly.
SLASH—SLASH
Both blades landed—
Directly—
Critical hits.
The White Knight's body jolted—
For the first time—
Damage registered.
"…That's our opening!"
But she didn't fall.
Didn't stagger.
Instead—
She lifted again.
Higher.
Chains glowing brighter.
"…Again—!"
Kiraya's eyes narrowed.
"…I won't let you—!"
Boss Skill: Radiant Cascade.
The waves returned.
Faster.
Sharper.
Relentless.
But Kiraya—
Was ready.
Her blade ignited once more.
"…We break it again!"
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Resonance]
Fire surged forward—
Meeting light head-on.
Again.
And this time—
They held.
On the opposite side—
The air felt heavier.
Slower.
Oppressive.
Each step the Dark Knight took—
Shook the ground.
"…This one's worse."
Magumo muttered.
"…Way worse."
Elias didn't respond.
His eyes remained fixed.
Reading.
Analyzing.
"…Don't rush."
Hinabi stepped forward.
Flames spiraling around her arms.
"…I don't need to."
She snapped her fingers—
Fire erupted—
Surging toward the Dark Knight.
It hit—
Exploded—
But the figure didn't move.
Not even slightly.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Magumo clicked his tongue.
"…Fine."
He dashed forward—
Blade raised—
A heavy strike—
CLANG
Blocked.
Effortlessly.
The massive shield absorbed everything.
Then—
It moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Elias' eyes widened slightly.
"…Get back—!"
Too late.
The shield rose.
"…Incoming!"
[Boss Skill: Abyssal Bastion Crash]
BOOM
Darkness exploded outward.
A shockwave tore across the battlefield.
Players hit—
Thrown—
Pinned—
"…Damn it—!"
Magumo slammed into the ground.
Stunned.
Immobilized.
Hinabi braced—
Flames bursting outward—
But even she—
Slid back.
"…So that's your trick…!"
Elias stepped forward.
Even as the shockwave faded—
He moved.
Not away—
But in.
"…He has a delay."
A pause.
"…That's our window."
Hinabi grinned.
"…Now you're talking."
Her flames ignited—
Brighter.
Hotter.
"…Let's break him."
The Dark Knight stepped forward again.
Heavy.
Unstoppable.
But this time—
They were ready.
Because now—
They understood.
This wasn't a fight of power.
It was a fight of timing.
And for the first time since the battle began—
They were starting to catch up.
Two battlefields.
Two bosses.
One chance.
And far away—
Unaware.
Two players continued walking toward the same destination.
Getting closer.
With every step.
To the moment—
Everything would collide.
The battlefield split in two—
Not by distance.
But by will.
On one side—
Light.
On the other—
Darkness.
And at the center of the latter—
A king stood.
Unshaken.
Unmoving.
Unmatched.
The Dark Knight rose once more.
Its massive frame loomed over the fractured arena, black mist leaking endlessly from the cracks in its armor like grief that refused to fade.
Its crimson glow pulsed—
Stronger.
Heavier.
Angrier.
Because this time—
It had found its target.
Elias.
"...So you've chosen me."
Elias stepped forward.
Calm.
Measured.
His blade lowered at his side.
Not in surrender—
But in certainty.
Behind him—
Hinabi's flames burned brighter.
Magumo cracked his neck.
The remaining players held their breath.
Because they all felt it.
The shift.
The focus.
The Dark Knight raised its shield.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
The air trembled.
"Here it comes—!"
Hinabi shouted.
But before the shield could fall—
"Not happening."
Magumo moved.
[Warrior Skill: Earth Templar]
His foot slammed into the ground.
BOOM
Stone erupted upward—
Not as a wall—
But as force.
A rising pillar struck the underside of the Dark Knight's shield—
Stopping it mid-swing.
The impact echoed violently.
The shield—
Never touched the ground.
Silence.
Then—
Hinabi smiled.
"Nice one."
Her hand lifted.
Flames gathered instantly.
Violent.
Condensed.
[Mage Skill: Infernal Burst]
She fired.
A concentrated explosion of fire slammed directly into the Dark Knight's torso.
The impact—
Forced it back.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Elias moved.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
Just—
Execution.
He stepped in.
Blade rising.
Then—
Struck.
A clean.
Precise.
Devastating arc—
CRACK
The hit landed directly on the Dark Knight's helmet.
The force—
Drove it down.
Knees bending.
Body lowering.
For the first time—
It staggered.
"…Now."
Elias whispered.
But the fight—
Was far from over.
The Dark Knight's body trembled.
Then—
The mist around it surged violently.
[Boss Skill: False Beloved Phantoms]
The world distorted.
Shadows split.
Forms emerged.
One—
Two—
Ten—
Twenty—
Dozens.
Illusions.
Perfect.
Flawless.
Every single player inside the dungeon—
Recreated.
"…Again with this—!"
Magumo clicked his tongue.
Hinabi's flames flared.
But Elias—
Didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't react.
Because he already understood.
The illusions charged.
All at once.
Fayzan.
Kiraya.
Hinabi.
Magumo.
Even—
Elias himself.
Steel clashed.
Explosions rang out.
Footsteps thundered.
Chaos—
Perfectly orchestrated.
But at the center—
Elias stood still.
Watching.
Reading.
Understanding.
"…Too clean."
A whisper.
Barely audible.
The first illusion reached him.
Fayzan.
Blade blazing.
Swinging down—
Elias stepped slightly to the side.
Minimal movement.
Maximum efficiency.
His sword moved once.
Clean.
Precise.
The illusion—
Shattered.
Another came.
Hinabi.
Fire roaring.
He stepped forward—
Not back.
Cut through the flames—
And struck.
Gone.
More came.
Faster.
Relentless.
But Elias—
Never rushed.
Never panicked.
Every step—
Measured.
Every strike—
Final.
Meanwhile—
Hinabi and Magumo were not idle.
"Left!"
Hinabi called out.
Magumo reacted instantly.
A clone of Kiraya lunged—
Magumo intercepted—
CRASH
He crushed it mid-motion.
"Annoying."
He muttered.
Hinabi turned—
Two Sumi illusions appeared behind her.
Daggers flashing.
She didn't turn fully.
Didn't need to.
Flames erupted outward—
INCINERATING both instantly.
"…Cheap tricks."
Back at the center—
Elias faced himself.
The illusion of Elias stood before him.
Same stance.
Same presence.
Same blade.
"…Interesting."
A brief pause.
Then—
They moved.
Clang.
Steel met steel.
Perfectly mirrored.
Perfectly equal.
But only for a moment.
Elias stepped in.
Changed angle.
Adjusted timing.
A difference—
So small—
It was almost invisible.
The illusion—
Couldn't follow.
Slash.
It shattered.
Silence fell.
The illusions—
Gone.
All of them.
Only one remained.
The real one.
The Dark Knight.
And it was already moving.
It dashed forward.
Faster than before.
Target locked.
Elias.
But this time—
Elias didn't wait.
[Sword Skill: HellBlitz Excalibur]
Light ignited.
Not soft.
Not radiant.
But blazing.
White-gold flames engulfed his blade.
The ground beneath him cracked.
Pressure exploded outward.
Hinabi stepped back slightly.
"…So he's serious now."
Magumo smirked.
"…About time."
The Dark Knight raised its blade.
Darkness gathered.
Violent.
Unstable.
Then—
They struck.
Two forces.
Two absolutes.
CLANG
The collision shattered the arena.
Light and darkness exploded outward.
The ground beneath them collapsed.
Air screamed.
Energy tore through everything.
Elias' flames surged.
The Dark Knight's darkness resisted.
For a moment—
They were equal.
Then—
Elias moved again.
A second swing.
Same skill.
But stronger.
Sharper.
More precise.
The flames doubled.
The pressure multiplied.
CRACK
The Dark Knight's blade—
Shattered.
Its body—
Split open—
Light tearing through darkness—
And for the first time—
The Dark Knight—
Fell.
Silence.
Heavy.
Unreal.
Hinabi exhaled slowly.
"…That's one down."
Magumo rolled his shoulders.
"…Took long enough."
Elias lowered his blade.
The flames faded.
But his eyes—
Shifted.
Toward the other side of the battlefield.
Where the light still burned.
Where the White Knight still stood.
"…Not over yet."
Because the true battle—
Was still unfolding.
But little did they know
The battle against the Dark Knight was just about to start