Back at HQ, Zara Blitz was stationed at the vault, tasked with defending it—and Mercury's Magic Crystal. The air around her buzzed with tension; something felt wrong.
Her comms crackled to life.
"Takashima? Miu? Status report?"
Miu's voice came through, shaky and strained. "Takashima's badly injured… he's… he's dying…"
Blitz's tone stayed firm. "Calm down, Miu. Just hurry back."
"…Right."
The line went dead. Blitz exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Damn it… what the hell is happening out there…"
Then she felt it—the surge of magic in the distance. A pressure so massive it shook the air itself. Blitz looked up toward the monitors, a small smile tugging at her lips. "That power… Aika. You've surpassed me already… well damn." She chuckled softly.
Her expression steadied as she turned back to her post. She stood tall before the massive vault doors, the hum of the Crystal echoing faintly from within.
That's when footsteps approached.
She spun—and froze.
"Sovereign Helion Calder?" she said in surprise. "Sir, you should be in your bunker. It's far too dangerous here."
"Pah," he scoffed, waving a hand. "A true leader doesn't hide."
Blitz smiled faintly. "That's why I respect you."
Blitz frowned as they reached the lower chamber. The air was heavy with the hum of the Magic Stone, its faint blue glow reflecting off the metal walls. Her instincts still screamed that something wasn't right.
"With all due respect, sir," she said, glancing back, "why are you here?"
"The magic stone is in danger," Calder answered, his deep voice calm but steady. "I came here personally to make sure that doesn't happen. The demons' plan… is to take out our stone."
Blitz scoffed lightly. "Ha. No one's getting past me."
"That's the thing," he said, tone lowering. "I believe they're tunneling to it."
She turned, brows furrowed. "You can't be serious…"
"It sounds like nonsense," he replied, folding his hands behind his back, "but better safe than sorry."
She hesitated. "But, sir—"
"That's an order."
Blitz nodded reluctantly, stepping toward the control panel. Her hand swept subtly through the air behind her, releasing a faint shimmer of magic that passed over him like mist—her usual anti-possession check.
No trace of demonic energy. Clean.
The massive vault door rumbled open with a hiss of steam. "Requesting guard change at the main vault entrance," Blitz said into her comms.
"Roger that," came the static reply.
Blitz and Calder entered. The tunnel lights flickered slightly as they descended, the rhythmic pulse of the Crystal echoing through the chamber like a heartbeat.
Blitz stopped halfway and raised her hand. A blue pulse of energy spread from her palm, sweeping through the air and walls. The spell rippled outward, searching for movement.
"…All clear," she sighed, lowering her arm. "Looks like it was all for nothing."
Calder gave a small nod. "Well, it's good to make sure."
Blitz turned to head back up the steps. "Now, I can't leave the door unguarded, so we best ge—"
SLICK!
Her voice broke.
The air left her lungs in a sharp gasp.
She looked down. A black blade had pierced straight through her abdomen, the edge glowing faintly red as it pulled free. Blood splattered against the stone floor, steam rising where it met the cold air.
"W–What…?" she choked out, stumbling forward.
Blitz staggered forward, blood still seeping from her wound, her teeth clenched. Every step left a smear of red on the steel floor.
"You bastard!!" she roared. "You better make your next shot count!"
Calder only smiled, calm in the face of her rage.
"I know I can't beat you the way I am…" he said softly.
Before she could strike, he turned—reaching toward the glowing pedestal behind him.
"Don't you dare—!"
He ripped the Magic Stone free.
The chamber exploded in light. A violent surge of energy erupted outward, shaking the entire facility. Sirens wailed through the halls; lights flickered and shattered as alarms screamed across the network.
On the upper decks, Andrew's voice cracked through the comms, raw with panic.
"Oh no… no, no, no! DAMN IT!!" He bolted down the hall, shouting into his headset. "All Arch Mages—protect the Magic Stone! Somebody's removed it!!"
Far above the clouds, Vayne, Crowne, and Riku—still overseeing the chaos—heard the call over comms.
"Understood!" Vayne shouted, already breaking formation.
Crowne's eyes narrowed. "If someone touched that stone, this entire planet's finished."
Riku clenched his jaw. "Then we make sure that doesn't happen."
They angled downward, magic flaring around them as they dove toward HQ—three blazing trails descending through the storm.
Down below, Blitz rose to her knees, clutching her abdomen. Her magic flared weakly, desperate for one last strike.
Calder turned, the glowing crystal in his grasp casting red light across his face. "You always were too loyal," he said coldly.
The stone pulsed once—then detonated.
A wave of blinding energy tore through the chamber, erasing everything in its path. Blitz's scream was cut short as the blast punched clean through her chest, ripping her heart apart. Her body hit the ground in silence, the blue glow in her eyes fading to gray.
Calder exhaled softly, as if the act had been nothing. He spat beside her lifeless body and stepped over her, walking toward the exit as the alarms continued to wail.
From the sky above, Vayne, Crowne, and Riku saw the explosion tear through the HQ's upper levels.
"Blitz!" Riku shouted into his comms.
Andrew's strained voice came through, crackling. "Her life signal's gone…"
Crowne's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! Blitz would've called for backup!"
The three dove faster, cutting through smoke and ash. Below, through the ruins, they could already see Sovereign Calder walking through the shattered vault doors—Magic Stone glowing in his hand.
"What is he doing here?" Vayne muttered, his tone sharp.
"Sire!" Riku called out, stepping forward. "What happened?! Where's Blitz?!"
Calder said nothing. He only lifted his hand slowly, revealing the glowing Magic Stone. Its light pulsed with a strange, unnatural rhythm, shadows twisting around his arm like living smoke.
Crowne's eyes widened. "You bastard—what did you do?!"
He stepped forward, magic flaring in his hand, ready to strike—
—but Riku caught his arm. "Don't raise your hand against my Lord!"
Crowne shot him a glare, teeth gritted. "You sure about that, genius? He's got traitor written all over him."
Calder smiled faintly. "Thank you, Hoshigane Riku, for your loyalty," he said, his tone soft and mocking. Then his grin widened. "You are relieved of your duty."
The Magic Stone's glow surged—blinding white light.
Andrew reacted first, energy gathering at his palms. "Barrier up—!"
Vayne snapped, grabbing his wrist. "DON'T! That's a Divine Stone!!"
"Riku, MOVE!!" Crowne shouted, slamming into him just as the building tore open.
The blast was pure magic force.
Sound vanished. Air itself split apart. The pressure wave hit like the fist of a god, crushing everything in its path. Walls folded inward, metal supports shattered, stone ruptured into dust. The shockwave traveled through the HQ, collapsing entire wings of the facility. The ground split open, lights burst, and ceilings caved in under the invisible weight of unleashed power.
Outside, the surface of the headquarters cratered downward, a shock pulse racing across the city like thunder.
When the smoke began to clear, nothing was left of the lower vault—only a gaping scar of twisted steel and fractured stone.
Vayne staggered to his feet, his armor scorched and dented from debris. Crowne coughed, brushing the dust from his face, his expression flat but dark.
"Tch," he muttered, "next time you want to stop me, Riku, try picking the right side."
Riku didn't respond. He fell to his knees, staring into the devastation below, his voice cracking as it rose into a raw, trembling scream.
"CALDEEEERRRRR!!!"
Calder was making his way out of the shattered city, his steps heavy, the glow of the stolen Magic Stone pulsing faintly in his hand. The smoke was still rising behind him when shapes appeared ahead—four figures waiting among the ruins like they had been there all along.
Emo stood at the front, posture relaxed, one foot resting on a broken pillar, his grin wide and careless. Zak stood just behind him, straight-backed and silent, his armor shifting faintly like liquid metal in the dim light. Azazel leaned against a cracked beam, swinging her twin cleavers lazily, humming to herself, while Gull crouched low to the ground, head twitching, his breathing uneven and animal-like.
The air between them was still.
"You got the Stone?" Emo asked, voice light, almost cheerful.
"Indeed I do," Calder said, raising it slightly so the faint red glow brushed across his face.
Emo laughed under his breath. "And all you had to do was betray humanity. You really are something else."
Calder shrugged. "Say what you like. As long as I get to live."
Zak exhaled. "Then let's get moving."
Azazel pouted. "We can't. We're waiting for Satsujin."
Gull growled low, metal chains rattling around his wrists.
"Yeah, Gull," Emo said with a grin, "I'd leave him too if I could. The guy's a walking failure."
Moments later, Satsujin appeared from the haze. His armor was cracked, the shadows flickering weakly from his blade. He was barely walking straight, his mask split down the center, blood dripping through the cracks.
"Seriously, Satsujin?" Azazel tilted her head. "You let Angel Squad do that to you? Those weaklings?"
Satsujin's gaze sharpened. "Watch your tongue."
Emo chuckled. "Hey, easy. Rank 1 or not, you look half-dead. Guess you had it rough."
Calder adjusted his hold on the Stone. "Let's just go before we draw attention."
"Sure," Emo said, stepping closer, grin widening. "But first…"
Without warning, Emo's hand plunged straight into Calder's chest.
Calder gasped, eyes wide as blood burst from the wound. "W–We had a deal…"
Emo leaned in slightly. "We did," he said quietly. "And it was with the devil."
Calder collapsed to his knees. His fingers twitched once, then went still.
Emo pulled his arm back, shaking the blood off it, his grin never fading. "That's the part I like best."
Satsujin stared at him, silent. "Let's get out of here."
"Right," Emo replied.
"That's a good idea. You don't want the Arch Mages finding you."
Emo froze.
Crowne was suddenly there—no sound, no warning—his arm draped casually over Emo's shoulder as if he'd been standing beside him the whole time. "That would be bad," he said quietly, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
Emo turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing. "It would indeed."
SLASH!
Twin blades flashed. In a single motion, Crowne's daggers sliced across Emo's side. Blood splattered the ground as Crowne stepped back, spinning both blades effortlessly in his hands, expression unreadable.
"How did you find us?!" Emo snarled, clutching his wound.
Crowne tilted his head. "After you killed that man, you forgot to hide the Stone's presence."
Emo gave a shaky laugh. "My bad."
Zak sighed, pressing a hand to his face. "Seriously… you're an idiot."
Emo only smirked wider. He reached into a small, swirling portal and pulled free a massive scythe, the air warping around its jagged edge. The Magic Stone pulsed in his other hand.
"You're the idiot for coming here alone," Zak muttered.
Crownes s grin stretched unnaturally, one eye widening. "Yeah, maybe… but I'm a bit bonkers! Absolutely bonkers!" His laughter echoed across the ruins—loud, cracked, and unhinged.
"Kill him!"
Azazel darted forward first, twin cleavers dragging sparks behind her. Gull bounded beside her on all fours, growling, chains rattling from his arms. Zak's armor shimmered, morphing as dozens of floating blades formed around him, circling like predators.
Crowne didn't flinch.
He moved—silent, sharp. His daggers cut in blinding arcs, deflecting Azazel's first strike and slipping past her guard to slash her shoulder. Gull lunged, but Crowne sidestepped, twisting his blade across the beast's jaw and kicking him into the dirt. Zak's knives descended like rain, but Crowne flowed through them, each step measured, each strike clean.
He was fast—too fast. His movements were tight and efficient, every slash purposeful. His expression stayed calm, almost bored, as he fended them off. Blood streaked his coat, but he didn't slow; every movement was instinct, every strike precise.Crowne leapt back, creating distance between them.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth—something off, something wild.
Between his teeth, glinting faintly under the light, was a Divine Stone.
He held it in his mouth like a madman.
Emo blinked, then let out a laugh that turned into a cough. "Well, that explains it…" He spat blood onto the ground. "Alright then, Crowne… let's make this fair—"
He raised his hand to activate his scythe's power—
—and a streak of lightning cut the air.
In less than a blink, Riku appeared. His expression was pure fury, his eyes glowing with raw rage as he snatched the stone clean out of Emo's hand.
Emo froze for a second, then smiled crookedly. "…Interesting."
"Damn you, Emo!" Riku roared. "This battle will mean nothing unless we end it here!"
The ground trembled. In the distance, the entire Mercury military could be seen advancing—thousands of soldiers, armored units, and airships pushing across the city toward the battlefield.
Emo's smirk widened. "Well…" He brushed off his shoulder casually. "Guess that's our cue."
He lifted a hand in mock salute. "Thanks for the hospitality—it's been fun."
Zak scoffed, but Azazel just giggled, spinning one of her cleavers. Gull crouched low, growling softly. Even Satsujin, burned and bandaged, stood silent at the edge, glaring daggers.
Crowne clenched his fists. "We lost…" he muttered.
Emo opened a portal behind them—its edges rippling like molten glass. He looked back once, his grin sharp.
"Hope to see you again, Malrik Vayne—" he paused, feigning realization. "Oh, my bad… you go by Malrik Crowne now, don't you?"
Crowne dashed forward, magic energy surging, blades igniting with power. He was only a few feet away when—
Emo tilted his head, smirking. "Oh, and… how's Olivia?"
Crowne stopped dead. His expression shattered—frozen mid-stride, eyes wide, pupils shaking.
"Crowne!! Stop them!" Riku shouted, already running past him—
but Crowne didn't move.
The portal shimmered—and the demons stepped through one by one. In seconds, they were gone.
"Crowne?!" Riku grabbed his shoulder, trying to snap him out of it.
Crowne didn't answer—until his fist suddenly swung, landing clean against Riku's gut.
"Guh—!! What the hell was that for?!" Riku gasped, doubling over.
Crowne smirked faintly, his tone calm again. "You had a bug on you."
Riku glared up at him. "You're impossible."
Moments later, the Mercury army arrived—armored vehicles, air units, and mages in formation. Andrew, Vayne, and the command team ran up, weapons drawn.
"Took you long enough," Crowne said dryly, flipping one of his daggers in hand.
Vayne exhaled, clearly annoyed. "You retrieved the Magic Stone?"
"Sure didly do," Crowne said, tossing it toward him with a grin.
Vayne caught it. "Good. We need to stabilize the barrier before what's left of their fleet regroups."
Andrew nodded, speaking into his comms. "All units—prepare to push the remaining demons out of the city!"
High above Mercury's orbit-
The surviving Demon Users stepped out of their portal onto one of Lionel's damaged warships. Smoke and sparks still curled from the ship's ruptured hull as it drifted among the wreckage.
"Withdraw," Emo said flatly, brushing ash from his sleeve.
Satsujin turned to him, his face hidden beneath the cracked remains of his mask. "That's not your call to make."
Emo tilted his head lazily, his smirk never fading. "You're in no condition to command anyone, Rank One. You can barely stand." He tapped the side of his ear and opened comms. "All warships—begin withdrawal."
The order echoed through the channels. Across the void, Lionel's remaining ships turned, engines flaring as they began to retreat from Mercury's orbit.
Satsujin's hand shot out, gripping Emo's shoulder hard. "Lionel's going to have our heads for this," he growled.
Emo glanced back at him, that same playful grin tugging at his lips. "Relax," he said lightly. "We'll be just fine."
Satsujin narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
Emo chuckled softly and opened his palm. Resting in it was a glowing, pulsing Divine Stone—its light cold and unmistakable.
"They've got a fake," he said, his grin widening as the stone's glow reflected in his eyes. "We've got the real one."
The battlefield was silent.
Ash hung thick in the air, drifting through the wreckage of what had once been a city. The sky was gray, the ground cracked and scorched. Around them, the remains of fallen warships lay scattered—massive hulls torn apart and half-buried in rubble, silent witnesses to the devastation.
Arnik and the others emerged slowly from the debris.
Their armor was scorched and battered, streaked with blood and ash. None of them spoke.
Kai walked ahead, his steps slow, mechanical.
In his arms, he carried Rose. Her once-vibrant pink hair was darkened with blood, her Yari carefully strapped to his back. His face was blank—empty of emotion, his gaze unfocused.
The arm that Satsujin had taken from him… seemed to have been replaced with magic.
Translucent light formed its shape, flickering faintly along his shoulder and down to where his fingers should've been. It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat—weak, unstable, a reminder of both loss and survival.
Markus followed behind, silent, his blade dragging slightly against the cracked ground. Arnik walked last, his expression tight, his chest heavy with grief he couldn't express.
They moved through the ruin without a word. The only sound was the crunch of ash beneath their boots.
Ahead, a faint shimmer glowed between the broken walls—a barrier.
Aika.
They reached her slowly. The shield flickered weakly as they approached, fading away to reveal her slumped form inside.
"Aika…" Arnik's voice was rough, low.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Arnik…?" she whispered, barely conscious. "Did we… do it?"
"Not yet," he said softly. "We still have… a lot of fighting to do."
She tried to smile, forcing herself to stand—but her legs gave out, dropping her to her knees.
"Funny…" she said weakly, trying to laugh through her exhaustion. "My body… won't move…"
Her gaze shifted around the ruins. "Where's… Rose?"
Kai stepped forward. He knelt down, gently setting Rose on the ground before her.
Aika froze.
Rose's pink hair fell over her shoulders, soaked through with blood. Her demi-cat ears were still, her eyes closed, her skin pale against the gray ash.
Aika's lips trembled.
Then she moved—slow at first, then faster—dragging herself toward her friend.
"Rose…?" Her voice cracked. "Rose?"
She reached out, her armored hand shaking as it touched Rose's cold fingers.
"Rose!"
Her voice broke. The first sob came low—then louder.
"ROSE!!!"
The scream tore through the dead air. She shook Rose's shoulder again and again, her tears spilling freely, streaking her dirt-stained face.
Aika's scream rips the air apart — raw, animal, every last thing inside her clawing out. She wrenches Rose closer, fingers digging into cold armor, voice breaking into ragged, high keening that sounds less like words and more like a thing coming apart. Tears slam down her face; she laughs between sobs, a little sound that's half hysteria and half prayer. "Wake up, damn you—wake—wake—" Her hands shake so hard she can't tell if she's pushing or pulling. Her words tumble into nonsense. She rocks, screams, pounds Rose's chest like the only rhythm left in the world.
Arnik moves before anyone can think.
He's a blur of motion, striking the side of her neck — a sharp, precise blow meant to snap her out of the spiral, not to maim. Aika convulsed once, then went limp; Arnik caught her as she collapsed, holding her to his chest. For a heartbeat the world narrowed to that small, hollow quiet. His bright blue eyes shifted, bleeding into a hard red. He pressed his fist into the ruined ground and whispered through gritted teeth, "I'll make them… pay."
Arnik looked up—his red eyes narrowing as dozens of crimson glows pierced through the haze. Demon Machines. A sea of them. Their mechanical roars echoed through the ruins, claws scraping against stone as they closed in from every direction—over a hundred strong.
Behind them, the rumble of heavy armor and engines rolled through the smoke. Mercury's army. Lines of tanks, walkers, and armed soldiers pushing forward, their banners tattered but unbroken. The end of the battle was near, but the field was far from safe.
Arnik's voice cut through the static-laced wind.
"Kai… take Rose's body to HQ."
Kai looked up slowly, his expression hollow. "Arnik…"
"That's an order," Arnik said firmly, his tone low but shaking. "Markus—take Aika back."
Markus hesitated, his eyes burning. "I can still fight."
"You're not fooling anyone," Arnik said, stepping forward, his aura flaring faintly around him. "Using your Blood Wolf Art takes more out of you than you let on."
Markus froze, surprised by how sharp Arnik's voice was—how calm. Then, wordlessly, he nodded. He knelt, lifting Aika into his arms.
"Don't die," he muttered.
Arnik didn't answer.
As Markus and Kai retreated, the first wave of Demon Machines lunged.
Arnik's hands clenched. Power crackled—blue lightning bursting from his veins, arcing across the ruins. Then, flames ignited around his fists, mixing with the electricity until both bled into white plasma. The air around him twisted, the ground glowing beneath his feet.
He didn't shout. He didn't speak.
He moved.
The first machine that reached him was gone in an instant—its torso split apart by a single strike. Arnik vanished in a streak of light, reappearing behind another, tearing through its frame with a plasma-charged punch that shattered its core.
Each step was thunder. Each hit was an explosion.
Lightning Mutation—flash.
Flame Mutation—burn.
Plasma Mutation—obliteration.
He fought like a storm unleashed, switching forms mid-motion, every strike a blur of fire and light.
Mercury's army closed in behind him, forming lines, cannons locking onto the enemy as support fire rained past him—but Arnik didn't stop. He tore through everything in front of him, bare-handed, his armor glowing white-hot.
In less than a minute, eighty Demon Machines lay broken across the field—scattered, burning, their cores melting into slag.
When the smoke cleared, Arnik stood alone at the center.
Steam rolled off his armor. His fists dripped molten metal.
And his eyes—dark red, filled with resentment—stared through the haze, unblinking.
He whispered under his breath, voice trembling with fury.
"This isn't over…"
The battlefield burned through the night.
Mercury's army advanced behind Arnik, their cannons thundering in rhythm with his fists. Every shot, every blast tore through what remained of Lionel's forces. The Demon Machines fell in waves—some to fire, some to lightning, most to sheer exhaustion of a war too long fought.
By dawn, the sky had quieted.
Smoke still drifted through the ruins, but the roars and screams were gone. The last Demon Machine collapsed in a heap of sparks, its red eyes dimming to black.
Arnik stood among the wreckage, motionless. The wind pushed ash across his armor as he exhaled, his energy fading from plasma's brilliance back to human stillness. Behind him, Mercury's soldiers began to cheer—weakly at first, then louder, rising through the broken streets like the first breath after drowning.
The war for Mercury… was over.
The survivors gathered the fallen, rebuilding what little strength they had left.
Kai carried Rose's body back toward HQ, her Yari clutched to his back like a promise.
Markus watched the horizon in silence, blood still drying on his armor.
Aika slept soundly, her breathing faint but steady in the medical ward.
And Arnik—
He sat alone among the ruins, staring out across the gray expanse, the light of morning reflecting in his red eyes.
Lionel's forces were finished.
For now…
The long battle was done.
It was time—
to rest.