The battlefield held its breath.
Dust floated mid-air.
Cracks spread slowly across the ground.
Even the collapsing academy seemed to hesitate.
Because something unnatural was about to happen.
Kael stood unsteadily.
Every part of his body felt wrong.
Incomplete.
Across from him—
The Devouring King stood in silence.
Watching.
Waiting.
The Executor shifted his stance slightly.
"…You're hesitating," he said calmly.
Neither of them answered.
But for once—
they weren't ignoring him.
They were ignoring everything else.
Kael took a slow breath.
"…You said this is our body."
The Devouring King tilted his head.
"It is."
"…Then why are we fighting over it?"
Silence.
The Executor's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Devouring King didn't respond immediately.
Then—
he smiled.
Not mocking.
Not aggressive.
Interested.
"You finally figured it out."
Kael clenched his fist.
"…We're both incomplete."
The First Forgotten Legend watched quietly.
The air shifted.
The Fourth Seal flickered again.
"Synchronization pathway detected."
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…Pathway?"
The Devouring King stepped forward slowly.
"You want control."
A pause.
"I want freedom."
Kael nodded slightly.
"…Then we make a deal."
The Executor moved.
Fast.
But this time—
neither Kael nor the Devouring King reacted alone.
They moved—
together.
Kael stepped forward.
The Devouring King shifted at the same time.
And for a brief moment—
their movements aligned perfectly.
The Executor's strike landed—
And stopped.
Blocked.
But not by Kael.
Not by the Devouring King.
By something in between.
A flicker of black and white energy.
Unstable.
But real.
The Executor stepped back instantly.
"…New response pattern."
Kael's voice came out—
but layered.
"Temporary synchronization achieved."
He froze.
"…That wasn't me…"
The Devouring King chuckled.
"No."
"That was us."
⚠️ SYNCHRONIZATION INITIATED
STABILITY: 12%
The air trembled violently.
Kael's body flickered—
half solid
half shadow
Pain shot through him instantly.
"NGH—!"
The Devouring King winced slightly.
"This is unstable."
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…Then don't fall behind."
The Devouring King laughed.
"Don't slow me down."
The Executor attacked again.
Faster.
Sharper.
But this time—
Kael saw it.
Not with the Fourth Seal.
Not with prediction.
With instinct.
Shared instinct.
They moved as one.
Dodge.
Step.
Counter.
Kael's fist struck forward—
And the Devouring King's power followed.
BOOM.
The Executor blocked—
but slid back several meters.
The ground beneath him cracked deeply.
For the first time—
he paused.
"…So this is your solution."
Kael stood still.
Breathing heavily.
The Devouring King's voice overlapped his.
"Temporary."
"But enough."
⚠️ SYNCHRONIZATION: 27%
STABILITY DROPPING
Kael staggered slightly.
"…We can't keep this up…"
The Devouring King responded instantly.
"Then end it faster."
The Executor raised both hands.
The sealing symbols expanded again.
More complex.
More refined.
"…You adapt," Kael muttered.
The Executor nodded.
"And you destabilize."
A pause.
"You will collapse before I do."
Silence.
Kael's breathing slowed.
"…Maybe."
The Devouring King grinned.
"But not before we break you."
The two moved again.
This time—
faster than before.
The battlefield blurred.
Impact after impact.
Shockwave after shockwave.
The academy ruins were completely destroyed now.
Nothing left but open ground.
And power colliding with power.
Kael felt it clearly—
The synchronization was slipping.
⚠️ STABILITY: 9%
"…We're running out of time…"
The Devouring King's voice dropped.
"Then stop holding back."
Kael froze for a split second.
"…If I go further…"
Silence.
Then—
"We don't come back the same."
The Devouring King didn't hesitate.
"Good."
Kael smiled faintly.
"…You're crazy."
"You knew that."
The Executor raised his hand again—
final strike forming—
Kael took one step forward.
And whispered:
"…Let's finish this."
The synchronization surged violently.
⚠️ SYNCHRONIZATION SPIKE
UNKNOWN STATE APPROACHING
The sky above cracked again.
Something deeper reacted.
Watching.
Because this—
was not supposed to happen.