Four and a half years of training led to this moment.
Everyone stood in the cellar:
Mira
Satoro
Haruto
Sable
The Dreaded Knight
Nova and Lira stood behind them, clutching the child, unable to help but watching with pounding hearts.
The ancient book hovered above the stone table, glowing violently.
Mira raised her hands.
"Begin!"
Ancient magic surged through the circle:
Satoro's red-black flame
Haruto's unstable crimson
Mira's cursed silver
Sable's icy blue
The Dreaded Knight's bone-white aura
The book cracked—
But instead of exploding—
SOMETHING ELSE BROKE.
Haruto's eyes widened.
His pupils turned pure black.
Then crimson.
His entire body convulsed.
"FINALLY."
Arkhamis's voice shattered through the room.
Haruto let out a demonic scream—
And the world went silent.
Haruto Is Possessed
Haruto stood slowly…
But his face was no longer Haruto.
His expression was twisted. Evil. Ancient.
His aura darkened the whole cellar.
Arkhamis had taken control.
Mira yelled:
"No— NO! He wasn't ready—!!"
Haruto/Arkhamis raised his hand.
A massive wave of crimson force blasted the group backwards.
Satoro hit the stone wall hard.
Sable slid across the floor.
The Dreaded Knight cracked into the pillar.
Nova screamed and shielded her child.
Lira held her trembling.
Haruto stepped forward slowly, voice layered and demonic:
"You thought you could weaken me?
You thought you could break my prison?
FOOLS."
Then he blurred forward—toward Satoro.
The Battle Begins
Satoro pulled his blade just in time.
Clang—
The force sent Satoro sliding back several feet.
The Dreaded Knight stepped in with his greatsword.
Haruto turned—
BOOM—
He punched the Dreaded Knight so hard the armor dented inward.
Sable moved next, faster than anyone had ever seen him fight before.
He slammed his foot into Haruto's ribs—
The impact cracked the stone beneath them.
Haruto slid back, smiling through Arkhamis's grin.
Sable exhaled slowly.
"…Leave him to me."
Satoro shook his head violently.
"NO— that's my brother! I'm not letting you—"
Mira grabbed Satoro by the collar and yanked him backward.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, SATORO!"
Satoro struggled violently.
"Mira— LET ME GO—!!"
"NO!" she screamed.
"He'll kill you! Sable is the only one who can stand against Arkhamis!"
Satoro roared in frustration, trapped in her arms like a caged lion.
Nova cried, "Satoro, please—!"
But he couldn't hear anything except Haruto's suffering.
Sable vs. Arkhamis
Sable stepped forward.
Haruto (Arkhamis) lowered into a stance.
Two ancient forces collided.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each punch shattered stone.
Each kick tore cracks through the floor.
Sable kicked Haruto through two pillars.
Haruto rose again immediately, body shaking, grinning with blood dripping down his chin.
"You're weaker than before, old king…"
Sable smirked.
"And you're sloppier than I remember."
They charged again.
Satoro watched helplessly, tears burning in his eyes.
"Haruto… hang in there…"
Arkhamis's Trap
After minutes of brutal combat, Haruto suddenly fell to his knees.
Crying.
Shaking.
His voice was desperate—Haruto's voice.
"Sa… Satoro… help me…
It hurts… please…"
Satoro's heart shattered.
He ripped out of Mira's grip with a scream.
"NOVA— HOLD THE BABY!"
He ran toward Haruto with full speed.
Mira screamed:
"NO— SATORO— STAY BACK— THAT'S NOT HIM!!"
But Haruto's tear-filled eyes made Satoro hesitate.
"Satoro… please… I'm scared…"
Satoro's blade lowered.
His hand reached out.
But Mira's scream cut through the room:
"SATORO— IT'S A TRAP—!!"
Too late.
Haruto's crying expression twisted—
Into a demonic smile.
Satoro froze.
"…What?"
"You fool."
Arkhamis stood up slowly, eyes burning.
"You gave me exactly what I wanted."
Sable turned too late.
Satoro lunged and—
in blind fear and protective instinct—
He stabbed Sable straight through the stomach.
Sable's Death
Sable gasped.
He looked down at the blade in disbelief.
Blood dripped slowly down the steel.
Satoro's eyes widened in horror.
"No… no, no, no— Sable— I— I didn't—"
Sable placed a shaking hand on Satoro's cheek.
His voice was soft for the first time in thousands of years.
"…You are… my lost fragment."
Satoro shook violently.
"What— what do you mean—?"
"You are… what remains… of the soul Arkhamis stole from me."
Sable whispered, smiling faintly.
"You are… my reincarnation.
My second chance."
Satoro fell to his knees, sobbing.
"No… please— don't die—"
Sable gripped his face tighter.
"Promise me…
don't become like me."
His voice trembled.
"I became cold… hateful… empty…
because I lost everything I loved."
His eyes drifted to Nova, Lira, the child… and Haruto.
"Don't lose your heart, Satoro.
Don't lose your love.
Don't let the cycle… turn you into me."
Satoro cried harder, shaking uncontrollably.
Sable chuckled softly.
"…Besides… I am tired."
He leaned his forehead against Satoro's.
"For the first time in thousands of years…
I am ready to rest."
Satoro screamed:
"SABELLLLLLEEE—!!!"
Sable exhaled one last breath…
And died with a peaceful smile.
In his last moment, he whispered:
"Break… the cycle…"
His body fell limp.
Arkhamis Rises
Haruto's body lifted into the air, glowing red.
Arkhamis's voice echoed:
"One king down.
Four souls left."
"And now…
LET THE WORLD BURN."
Satoro slowly lifted his brother in his arms, tears falling onto Haruto's unconscious face.
Mira whispered, shaking:
"…Fifteen days was too generous."
The Dreaded Knight lowered his skull, voice trembling:
"My brother…
is gone."
Nova cried into her child's hair.
Haruto's body shook violently as Arkhamis began to fully awaken.
And Satoro, grief and fury burning in his blood…
finally understood the weight of Sable's warning.