The hall was filled with heavy breathing after Void's great explosion, and the dim light reflected off the faces of the four battle-weary warriors. King Seraphil and his wife Morgana gasped for breath, their armor cracked and their bodies riddled with wounds, while Void stood tall, his eyes glowing like embers in an eternal night, his blazing swords dripping sparks from the dark aura.
Void gave a short, mocking laugh before saying in a low but commanding voice, "If this king hadn't intervened to save you… you would be nothing but ashes now, Queen."
Lucian turned to him, exhaling sharply, the icy aura still enveloping him. "Calm down, Void… we're not here to kill them," he said sternly.
Void laughed again, his laughter echoing through the hall. "Sorry," he replied. "I didn't think they were that weak."
Seraphel staggered with difficulty, his face pale and sweat pouring down his face, as he struggled to keep the shattered shield of light around him. He barely raised his head before Void began to gather his energy again, the black aura thickening around him like a deadly vortex, and the intent to destroy filling the space.
But before he could unleash it, Lucian moved with lightning speed.
He breathed deeply, murmuring, "Breathe ice."
Everything froze. The air itself slowed, and the sparks caught in Void's hands transformed into still streaks of black light.
In this stillness, Lucian surged forward, his blue eyes gleaming with an icy brilliance, and charged at Seraphel with lightning speed, his ice-coated sword piercing through his defenses. He then delivered a powerful kick that sent Seraph crashing to the ground, losing his balance.
The technique ended, and time flowed once more. The two kings collapsed together, breathing heavily, and the hall fell into a heavy silence broken only by their gasps. Lucian approached Void and said firmly, "Enough, Void. If you kill them, a war will erupt among the Eight Kingdoms. No kingdom will emerge unscathed."
Void paused, his silence more profound than his words, and the aura surrounding him gradually diminished. He raised his head slightly and said with a faint smile, "You always ruin the good moments."
Then silence fell again… until a familiar voice within Void's head, quiet but weak, said, "I have regained my strength… Surrender control, Void."
Void's head bowed slowly, then he smiled submissively and said, "Welcome back, Saruto."
The dark aura vanished, and the dragon's features gradually faded until Saruto returned, his body weary, his face pale, his energy drained by exhaustion. Lucian rushed to him and caught him before he fell to the ground, saying, "Calm down… I've finished the battle. Rest now."
But Saruto opened his eyes with difficulty and said in a halting voice, "No… not yet… we have to… stop the princesses… quickly!"
Before he could rise, the ruins shook violently. The ground itself trembled beneath their feet, and explosions from deep within the ruins echoed like thunder. Lucien looked around and asked anxiously, "What's happening?!"
"It's… the princesses!" Saruto replied, his face contorted with terror.
The two vanished in a swift step, moving toward the princesses. When they reached them, smoke filled the air, thick and opaque, covering the walls and floor like a veil of mystery. Saruto advanced slowly, trying to break through the smoke, and called out in a hoarse voice, "Elaisa? Camellia?!"
Two shadows formed in the mist, their silhouettes merging as if they were standing face to face. "They're alright," Saruto said with relative relief.
But when the smoke had completely dissipated, his blood ran cold. Camellia stood there, her body covered in wounds, her sword embedded in her sister Eliza's chest.
The room froze. Drops of blood trickled slowly onto the hall floor, and time seemed to stand still. "What have you done?! Have you lost your mind?!" Saruto shouted, his voice booming as he rushed toward her.
He caught Eliza's body before it fell to the ground, blood soaking his arms. He gazed at her beautiful, pale face, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry I'm late. Please don't leave me, Eliza."
Camellia wept silently, tears falling from her trembling eyes. Eliza opened her eyes with difficulty, looked at Saruto, smiled through the pain, and said in a faint, broken voice, "Don't cry… Now you won't have to choose between us… Now."
She laughed, a short, peaceful laugh, before her breath faded and her eyes closed forever. "Nooooo!" Saruto screamed in anguish.
But before he could completely collapse, her body began to glow with a sacred light, slowly dissolving into golden energy particles that floated through the air and drifted toward her sister. The light entered her body, mingling with her own demonic energy, until she glowed with a duality of color in a single form.
She raised her head, her eyes now holding the radiance of both sisters, as if Eliza's memories had merged with hers.
As for Saruto, seeing this, he lost control of his energy.
His dark power began to explode from within him, an aura rising from his body. Lucien quickly backed away, shouting, "Saruto! Calm down!"
But his friend didn't hear him. The energy was materializing around him in a massive sphere that was expanding at a terrifying speed, engulfing everything in its path.
Lucien caught Camellia, who was unconscious, then grabbed the two exhausted kings and leaped out of the ruins at full speed. Once outside, they looked back and saw the entire palace engulfed in a massive ball of energy. Then… the explosion.
A black and purple light flooded the sky, followed by a surge of energy that swept through the ruins, shattering the surrounding towers and mountains. The wind howled, the earth shook, and Lucien screamed at the top of his lungs amidst the storm: "Saroooooooo!!!"
But there was no answer, only the echo of the explosion filling the air, like a final farewell between the two friends.