The chains didn't just tighten—
They anchored.
BOOM.
Kael's scream tore through the battlefield as something inside him was forcibly dragged outward.
Not energy.
Not power.
Presence.
"…STOP—!"
The Devouring King roared from within:
"YOU'RE RIPPING US APART!"
The Executor didn't respond.
He simply raised his hand further—
And pulled.
CRACK.
Something invisible snapped.
Kael's body froze.
His vision split.
Left.
Right.
Inside.
Outside.
And then—
it happened.
A shadow tore itself out of him.
Not fully formed.
Not complete.
But real.
Kael collapsed instantly.
His body hit the ground hard—
no aura
no pressure
no overwhelming presence
Just…
him.
"…What…"
He tried to move—
but everything felt heavy.
Weak.
"…I feel… empty…"
Above him—
the shadow twisted violently.
Struggling.
Shaping.
And then—
it took form.
A figure.
Tall.
Dark.
Eyes glowing like something that had consumed too much existence.
The Devouring King had stepped out.
Partially.
But enough.
The entire battlefield went silent.
Even the wind stopped.
"…So this is what it feels like…" the Devouring King said slowly, flexing his fingers.
His voice no longer echoed inside Kael.
It existed.
Out here.
Real.
The Executor watched him carefully.
"…Incomplete manifestation," he said.
The Devouring King smiled.
"And you're still alive."
The ground beneath him cracked.
Not from power—
From pressure alone.
Kael, still on the ground, stared upward.
"…That's… inside me…?"
The First Forgotten Legend appeared beside him instantly.
"…Not anymore."
Her voice was tight.
Focused.
"Now it's a problem."
The Devouring King turned his head slowly.
His gaze landed on her.
And his smile widened.
"You're still around?"
She didn't respond.
But her chains tightened.
Ready.
The Executor stepped forward.
"Phase one complete."
Kael's eyes widened.
"…Phase… one?"
The Devouring King's expression shifted slightly.
"…You planned this."
The Executor nodded.
"Of course."
A pause.
"It's easier to deal with you… outside the host."
Silence.
Then—
the Devouring King laughed.
Loud.
Uncontrolled.
"You think this makes it easier?"
BOOM.
His aura exploded outward.
This time—
nothing held it back.
The ground shattered.
The sky distorted.
The academy ruins trembled violently.
Kael felt it clearly now—
Without the Devouring King inside him—
he could feel just how overwhelming it truly was.
"…That… was inside me…?"
The First Forgotten Legend glanced at him.
"And still is."
Kael frowned weakly.
"…What do you mean?"
She didn't answer.
Because the Devouring King had already moved.
Instantly.
He appeared in front of the Executor.
No buildup.
No warning.
Just—
impact.
BOOM.
The Executor blocked—
barely.
The force pushed him back for the first time.
His feet dragged across the ground—
leaving deep marks.
"…So you can interact directly now," he muttered.
The Devouring King grinned.
"Now I don't have to share."
He attacked again.
Faster.
Heavier.
Each strike warping the space around them.
This wasn't Kael fighting anymore.
This was something ancient—
finally unrestrained.
Kael struggled to sit up.
His body felt wrong.
Too light.
Too slow.
"…I can't… keep up…"
The Fourth Seal flickered faintly.
"Host integrity compromised."
Kael clenched his fist weakly.
"…Give me something…"
Silence.
Then—
a response.
"You wanted control."
A pause.
"This is the cost."
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…I can't just sit here…"
The First Forgotten Legend looked down at him.
For a moment—
something changed in her expression.
Not authority.
Not distance.
Concern.
"You shouldn't move."
Kael shook his head.
"…If I don't… I lose everything…"
She watched him carefully.
Then—
slowly—
she extended her hand.
"…Then stand."
Kael froze.
"…You're helping me?"
A pause.
Then—
quietly:
"You're still my summoner."
Kael grabbed her hand.
And pulled himself up.
Unstable.
But standing.
Across the battlefield—
the Devouring King slammed the Executor into the ground again.
BOOM.
But this time—
the Executor didn't stay down.
He raised his hand.
And the sealing symbols flared again.
Stronger.
More complete.
The Devouring King's movement slowed slightly.
"…You're adapting."
The Executor stood.
"Of course."
A pause.
"That's my role."
Kael's eyes widened.
"…He's not losing…"
The First Forgotten Legend nodded slightly.
"No."
A pause.
"He's learning."
Silence.
Kael looked at the Devouring King.
Then at himself.
Two separate beings.
Two incomplete halves.
"…Then we're both going to lose."
The Fourth Seal whispered:
"Unless you change the outcome."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"…Not alone."
He looked up.
At the Devouring King.
"…Hey."
The battlefield paused for a split second.
The Devouring King turned.
"…What?"
Kael took a breath.
"…We're not done."
Silence.
Then—
a slow smile.
"Now you're talking."
The chains around reality trembled again.
Because something new was about to happen.
Not separation.
Not control.
Something else.