The mountain began to sink.
Simon steadied himself as the stone beneath his feet tilted. The Bloodline Origin Gate had closed behind them, but the tremor continued long after its last echo faded.
Then the slope stopped halfway through a collapse.
Broken rocks hung in the air.
They turned slowly until their flat surfaces faced the same direction.
Simon looked at his companion.
The Daemon had risen beside him. Its four ivory horns caught the pale light, and the black ring behind its shoulders turned, spreading six translucent wings.
The floating stones turned with it.
Far below, something rose from the abyss.
A broad sheet of silver stone pushed through the darkness. Another followed above it, then a third. They crossed the depth beneath the mountain without touching its walls, forming immense, suspended terraces.
The place where the One-Horned Demon had nearly disappeared was filling with ground.
Above it, the Byakko's peak lowered.
"What...?"
