"Is that… truly the Light element???"
It wasn't a mere question; it was a confession of pure shock...
Lorian stood frozen, his eyes reflecting a painful, white brilliance. The light radiating from the Knight's sword wasn't just a glow—it was unnaturally pure. It didn't flicker; it didn't tremble as it usually did with Light users...
It was stable. Constant. Absolute.
"My eyes… they hurt just from looking at it," Lorian muttered, his voice low, adding as if he hated to admit it: "It's Pure Light."
Raym felt a sharp pang in his chest. The Light… which he had always considered rare. The Light… which he thought was a burden he carried alone. He swallowed hard.
"And I thought I'd seen everything…"
The Knight raised his head slowly. He wasn't breathing audibly, yet the light around him pulsed like a second heart beating beneath his armor.
Then— He vanished.
There was no sprint, no movement. Just a disappearance… and a reappearance. He was in front of Raym in less than a heartbeat.
CLASH...
The sound of steel striking condensed light erupted. A massive pressure surged outward like a shockwave, cracking the earth beneath them and shattering the windows of the surrounding buildings. Raym was forced back a full step this time, his boots skidding over the fractured tiles.
"Fast…!!!" he hissed through gritted teeth. No. He wasn't just fast. He was faster...
Saon lunged from the right, swinging his blade in an attempt to break the Knight's focus. Simultaneously, Raound slammed his palm toward the ground. The weight of the air shifted violently; gravity suddenly intensified around the Knight, attempting to pin him to the spot.
Lorian raised his arm cautiously, poised to intervene at the perfect micro-second.
The engagement turned chaotic. Sparks of light flew like shrapnel. The air screamed from the friction. The pressure mounted until Raym's ears began to ring. He held the Knight's blade with one arm, his muscles twitching from the opposing force.
"You won't succeed twice!!!" Raym roared, preparing to repeat his previous punch.
But the Knight—simply—tilted the angle of his blade by a mere fraction. A small, precise movement. It was more than enough to keep his sword locked against them while simultaneously parrying Raym's incoming strike.
The two lights touched...
Everything froze for a fraction of a second. It wasn't a normal collision. It was a conflict between two similar, yet discordant sources. Reality shuddered. The air distorted, straight lines bent, and even the shadows lost their direction.
Raym felt something pierce his very core. Not pain, but… a recognition.
"If he's going to use it…" he whispered to himself.
Then— He coated his sword in Light.
In that instant, Lorian realized the impending catastrophe. His eyes widened. "Raym— NO!!!"
But the two lights had already fused...
EXPOLSION...
It wasn't just a sound; it was a white tide that swallowed everything.
When their hearing returned, the first thing they heard was the rain. Heavy drops drumming against the scattered debris. The sky was dark, its clouds swirling with an unnatural rhythm.
Rain… at a time like this???
The rubble shifted. Raym emerged first, gasping for air. His injured arm was bleeding again, the light around it flickering and fading. Saon followed, his face tight but steady, then Raound, whose injuries were minor but whose energy was spent.
Lorian was partially buried under the wreckage. As they rushed toward him, he raised a hand in a weak gesture...
"I haven't… reached the end yet."
They stood together in the rain, breaths heavy, clothes torn, steam rising from their bodies from the residual heat. They thought they had survived.
Then— from within the thick gray smoke… a shadow emerged.
Standing tall. Majestic. Like a hunter waiting for the right moment to pounce on its prey. And in this case… they were the prey. He moved with slow, heavy steps, like a ghost that had returned from death and refused to go back.
In a flash— he vanished again...
"Behind you!!!" Raound screamed.
They spun around, but the light had already lunged. Saon intercepted him alone this time. A sharp screech, a black spark, and a lethal strike was deflected from Raym's neck by a mere breath.
The Knight stumbled back a step. Saon seized the moment. He raised his blade high.
The sky responded.
But the lightning wasn't white. It was black.
Dark streaks tore through the clouds, carrying the cruelty of the abyss and the power of a thunderbolt. It struck around the Knight. It tried to pin him, but he was swifter. Still, the black lightning slammed into his armor, emitting a sound like a muffled scream.
For the first time— the Knight took a genuine step back.
Raound and Lorian locked eyes. No words were needed. Now or never.
Raound struck the ground with immense force. The balance of gravity around the Knight shattered. Massive pressure from above, and at the same time—an invisible reinforcement of Saon's strength. Raound was one of the finest gravity users; he could manipulate two separate focal points simultaneously...
The Knight's armor began to crack.
From a distance, Lorian raised his arm, taking a familiar stance. "Nine Arts of Flame : Sixth Art— Demonic Flame!!!"
Fire swirled around the Knight, taking the shape of a face—a vengeful entity glaring at its enemy before the kill... The flames exploded. It wasn't just fire; it was a sentient force.
It lunged. It swallowed the Knight whole...
The heat forced everyone back, their lungs burning. They exchanged looks. We did it…
But from within the fog and smoke…
Thud. A heavy metallic sound against wet stone... Thud.
The smoke cleared slowly. The Knight was standing. His armor was cracked and scorched, steam hissing off the metal, but the light still pulsed within him...
He moved.
At that moment, a new detachment of the SI army appeared, spreading out quickly to encircle the area. The Knight turned away from Raym and his companions, charging toward the newcomers.
But— from the ranks… one man stepped forward.
He advanced with calm, measured steps. The glowing sword collided with his weapon.
And stopped. Completely...
The light was deflected. The rain seemed to freeze for a second. Everyone watched in disbelief. Lorian was the most shocked of all.
His voice broke as he whispered:
"Damn it… it's him..."
"Nero."
The silence that followed was heavier than any explosion that had come before...