Renn stepped between them and Noir calmly. Golden eyes met black. Silence consumed the hall. Noir observed him quietly. Then spoke.
"You still don't understand."
Black tendrils slowly twisted behind him. "Seris belongs to the Black Petals." His voice grew colder. "She was raised there. Broken there. Forged there. She will always return to where she belongs."
Renn remained silent. Noir continued. "You people speak about friendship." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Family. Companionship."
The tendrils sharpened around him. "But you know nothing about her darkness." A pause.
"You cannot save Seris."
The words echoed heavily through the corridor.
"She is Moonveil. The Black Petals' greatest assassin."
"And no matter how much light you show her…" His voice lowered. "…darkness will always claim her again."
Silence lingered. Then Renn answered quietly. "…Maybe."
Noir narrowed his eyes slightly. Renn slowly raised Lumindelle. "But that's her choice to make. Not yours."
Golden Aether surged softly around him. Noir's gaze sharpened instantly. The tendrils exploded forward again.
SHHHKKKK—!!!
This time, Renn moved. Fast. Too fast. Golden light flashed through the corridor like lightning itself.
Noir's eyes widened slightly. "…What?"
Far behind the battlefield—
Cedric stood beside Garrick and Lyra while observing the clash silently. The golden flashes reflected across Cedric's tired eyes. Then Cedric suddenly spoke.
"…What do you think of Renn?"
Garrick crossed his arms, staring toward the battlefield.
"I only acknowledge strength."
A faint grin slowly appeared across his face.
"At first, I thought Renn was just another outsider playing hero inside Shadowhaven." He scoffed quietly. "Weak. Naive. Someone who'd eventually break once reality crushed him." His eyes narrowed.
"But he fought head-on. He adapted in the middle of battle faster than most assassins survive in their entire lives."
"And even while bleeding…" Garrick's grin widened wider. "…the bastard never stepped back once."
A brief silence followed.
"That's not talent anymore. That's someone worthy of standing above others."
Cedric remained silent briefly. Then exhaled smoke slowly.
"…I understand."
His eyes followed Renn. "At first, I thought he was just another talented knight. But inside the underground facility…" Cedric's voice quieted.
"…He changed my mind."
The memory surfaced again. The child. The attack. Renn protecting the child without hesitation.
Cedric lowered his gaze slightly. "…In the middle of battle, I chose survival first." A pause.
"But Renn…"
His eyes sharpened. "…He moved before thinking about himself."
Lyra blinked quietly. Cedric continued. "He saw those children and became angrier over their suffering than over his own wounds."
The cigarette ember glowed faintly. "That reminded me of the old Veiled Council."
"Protect the weak."
"Eliminate monsters."
"Preserve balance."
"Not domination."
Cedric slowly looked toward Renn again. "And despite his strength, he never became cruel. He spared enemies. He listened. He treated even assassins like people."
Garrick laughed quietly. "…Yeah. Weird guy."
Cedric nodded once. "In Shadowhaven, strength usually creates tyrants. But Renn…" His gaze deepened. "…uses strength to protect others."
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Cedric spoke one final time. "And even after learning the truth about this kingdom, he still walks forward."
"No hatred."
"No fear."
"Just resolve."
Cedric exhaled slowly. "For the first time in years…" A faint pause. "…I think Shadowhaven may still have hope."
Back at the battlefield—
SHHK—! SHHK—! SHHK—!
Black tendrils surged endlessly across the corridor like a storm of blades. Renn twisted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding another barrage before sliding backward across the cracked floor.
Even with his current speed— he was barely keeping up.
"…Damn it."
Another tendril pierced past his shoulder by centimeters. Renn immediately leapt backward again before raising his hand slightly. Golden particles gathered instantly beside him.
Lumindelle appeared.
The small golden spirit floated calmly amidst the chaos, its radiant body illuminating the dark corridor faintly while Noir's shadows continued rampaging around them.
Renn blocked another incoming tendril with his dagger before speaking quickly.
"…Lumindelle."
The familiar glanced toward him.
"I need to get faster."
BOOM—!
Another tendril slammed into the ground beside Renn violently, shattering stone upward. Renn clicked his tongue while avoiding the debris.
"At this rate, I can't close the distance."
Lumindelle observed the battlefield silently for a moment. Then its golden eyes glowed faintly.
"…You already possess the answer."
Renn frowned slightly while deflecting another strike. "What?"
Lumindelle pointed toward Renn's armored right arm.
"Aether Armor Manifestation."
Golden mist flowed around the gauntlet covering his arm completely. "You've already manifested partial armor through direct Aether condensation." Lumindelle floated closer. "But you're limiting the flow to one area."
Renn's eyes narrowed slightly. "…You mean spread it?"
Lumindelle smirked proudly. "Not spread. Transfer."
Its golden tail swayed lightly. "Aether Armor Manifestation is unique to Familiar contractors. Every Familiar creates a different armor form depending on their nature and the contractor's Aether."
Lumindelle pointed downward toward Renn's feet. "In your case, your Aether Meridian capacity is still incomplete. That's why your manifestation only formed around your arm."
A tendril rushed toward them.
SHHK—!
Renn instantly destroyed it with a slash. Lumindelle continued calmly. "But the skill itself already exists within you."
Renn slowly understood. "…Condense the Aether into my legs…"
Lumindelle smiled. "Exactly."
Golden Aether immediately surged downward through Renn's body. The pressure changed instantly.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
A violent eruption of radiant Aether exploded beneath Renn's feet as golden armored boots materialized around both legs.
The ground beneath him shattered instantly. Cracks spread violently across the corridor while golden energy surged upward around his body like lightning.
Black tendrils intercepted desperately.
CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
Golden sparks erupted violently across the corridor as Noir forced layer after layer of Veil Arts between himself and Renn's advancing dagger.
But Renn didn't stop.
BOOOOM—!
Golden Aether exploded beneath his feet as the manifested armor accelerated him again. The corridor shattered behind every step he took.
Fast.
Too fast.
Noir's eyes narrowed sharply for the first time.
SHHK—!
Another wave of tendrils erupted from the walls like black serpents, aiming directly toward Renn's blind spots. Renn twisted mid-motion, parrying one strike while his armored boots slammed against the floor.
CRACK—!
The impact launched him sideways instantly.
Then forward again. Like golden lightning ricocheting across the battlefield.
Kael stared despite his injuries. "…His speed is crazy…"
Lio's eyes sharpened quietly. "…I barely sees his moves anymore."
Renn appeared directly before Noir again.
CLANG—!
Their weapons collided violently. Golden Aether and black Veil Arts exploded across the hall like opposing storms. Noir's tendrils wrapped around Renn's dagger arm instantly—
SHHK—!
Renn tore through them with brute force. But Noir countered immediately.
BOOOOM—!
Black tendrils erupted upward beneath Renn's feet, forcing him backward through a pillar. Stone exploded around him violently. Noir raised his hand again. The shadows moved.
Every tendril inside the corridor converged toward Renn simultaneously from every direction.
An execution strike.
SHHHKKKKK—!!!
Taren's eyes widened. "RENN—!" Golden light erupted.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
Renn surged forward through the storm itself. The armored boots detonated with Aether every step, forcing explosive bursts of acceleration that shattered incoming tendrils before they could fully close around him.
Closer.
Closer.
Noir's expression slowly changed. Not anger. Not hatred. Recognition.
Renn reached him.
CLANG—!
Noir blocked directly this time. Their clash shook the corridor violently while black tendrils and golden mist spiraled around them endlessly.
Renn vanished.
Noir's eyes widened. Too fast.
The manifested armor surged with explosive Aether acceleration as Renn appeared directly at Noir's side instantly.
SHHK—!
The golden dagger cut across Noir's tendrils. Another movement—
"Aether Art: Zero Step"
CRACK—!
Renn's armored kick shattered the floor beneath Noir's footing. Noir immediately countered. Hundreds of tendrils erupted around him desperately. But Renn pushed through all of them. Closer and closer.
The golden dagger slowly advanced toward Noir's chest. Black tendrils intercepted desperately. Barely.
For the first time— Noir smiled faintly.
Not bitterly. Not mockingly. Quietly. Then he whispered—
"…Please…"
The dagger pierced forward.
"…Save Seris."
SHHHKKK—!!!
Golden light erupted across the corridor like a star collapsing into darkness. The tendrils froze. Noir's body staggered backward slowly.
Then—
THUD.
Black Petal Number One fell.