Chapter 162: The Finger of Annihilation
The Eternal Fortress loomed over the horizon like a mountain of iron and spite. Its walls were reinforced with layers of ancient encryption that even Aki's most powerful words couldn't penetrate. Thousands of Sentinels stood guard on the battlements, their weapons locked onto the team the moment they stepped into the clearing.
"It's no use, Aki," Sai muttered, planting his shield. "We could fight for a hundred years and not leave a scratch on those gates. This isn't a battle; it's a dead end."
Rena looked at her staff, her magic flickering. "The defensive arrays are too thick. We can't get through."
But then, Volt stepped forward.
The atmosphere changed instantly. The air grew cold, and the smell of ozone filled the clearing. Volt's violet eyes didn't just glow; they burned with the light of a collapsing star. The small, floating companion was gone, replaced by a presence that felt older than the system itself.
"Step back," Volt said, his voice echoing with the frequency of a master-code. "This fortress is nothing but a flaw in the logic. It does not deserve to exist."
Volt slowly raised his right hand. A single spark of violet lightning danced on his index finger. The sky above twisted into a vortex of dark clouds, funneling all the raw energy of the server into that one tiny point.
Volt didn't shout. He didn't charge. He simply pointed his finger at the center of the fortress.
"Nullify," he commanded.
A beam of pure, violet anti-matter erupted from his fingertip. It didn't strike the fortress like a bomb; it touched it like a god deleting a mistake. The moment the light touched the gates, the iron turned to mist. The stone turned to static. The thousands of Sentinels didn't even have time to scream before they were unmade.
In less than a second, the Eternal Fortress—the greatest obstacle in the server—was gone. Where the massive castle once stood, there was now only a flat, empty plain of white data.
Sai dropped his shield in shock. "What... what are you, Volt?"
Volt lowered his hand, the violet glow fading back into his usual calm eyes. "I am the balance, Sai. And the balance has been restored."
Aki looked at Volt, then at the clear path ahead. He realized that with Volt's true power unleashed, the final gates were no longer a threat. They were just waiting to be erased.