No one moved.
Inside Kyoketsu no Hikari, the silence was heavier than ever.
Everyone was staring at the person who stood before Kaizen.
The man who didn't need to announce his name.
The Yami knew him.
The leaders knew him.
Even Kaizen...
Knew him.
Thalen.
He stood calmly before Kaizen, while the terrifying aura surrounding Jinsu's body continued to spread across the battlefield.
But strangely...
Thalen released no spiritual pressure.
He wasn't trying to intimidate anyone.
He wasn't trying to prove his strength.
And that was exactly what made the Yami feel uneasy.
One of the Yami unconsciously took a step back.
"No..."
He whispered with a trembling voice.
"He's not even trying to show his power..."
The Yami beside him frowned.
"What are you saying?"
The man swallowed nervously.
"The people who need to show their strength to make others afraid..."
"They are not him."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
"Thalen doesn't need that."
---
As for Kaizen...
He was smiling.
Since his return.
Since he had taken control of Jinsu's body.
Since he had spread fear throughout everyone's hearts...
This was the first time a different emotion appeared in his eyes.
Excitement.
"Thalen..."
He said the name quietly.
"It's been a long time."
Thalen didn't answer.
His eyes only moved toward Jinsu's body.
More specifically...
Toward the wound that still remained.
Then he spoke.
"Give him back."
Kaizen's smile faded slightly.
"Hm?"
"Jinsu's body."
Thalen raised his eyes.
"You don't belong there."
For a moment, silence filled the battlefield.
Then...
Kaizen laughed.
A deep, cold laugh.
"Do you still believe that?"
He stepped forward.
"This body accepted me."
"And this world..."
His smile widened.
"Needs a king."
---
Before Thalen could reply...
His eyes moved to the side.
Toward Kenji.
He was still lying on the ground.
The wound in his abdomen remained open.
His breathing was weak.
Yuna was kneeling beside him, trying to keep him conscious.
"Kenji..."
Her voice trembled.
"Stay with me."
Kenji slowly opened his eyes.
"Don't worry..."
"I still..."
His voice faded.
He couldn't finish.
The pain was too much.
Kaizen looked at them with amusement.
"Interesting."
"Even now..."
"You are still trying to save someone weak."
Thalen moved.
Only one step.
And in the next instant—
He disappeared.
Everyone's eyes widened.
No one saw him move.
Not Kaizen.
Not the Yami.
Not even the Gaya leaders watching from afar.
Then...
Thalen appeared beside Kenji.
Yuna immediately reached for her sword.
"When did you..."
She couldn't even finish her sentence.
Thalen placed his hand over Kenji's wound.
A calm light spread from his palm.
It wasn't like ordinary healing energy.
It was pure.
Silent.
Yet carrying an overwhelming power.
The wound slowly began closing.
The destroyed flesh returned.
The pain disappeared.
Yuna stared in disbelief.
Kenji's eyes widened.
"What..."
"What did you do?"
Thalen removed his hand.
"I restored what was about to be lost."
Kenji looked down.
There was no trace of the wound.
Not even a scar remained.
He slowly stood.
"You..."
"Lord Thalen?"
Thalen looked at him quietly.
Then said:
"Sorry for arriving late."
---
On the other side...
The Yami were still frozen.
"We didn't see him move."
"Not even for an instant."
Gerudo stared at Thalen.
His face was pale.
"That man..."
"He hasn't changed at all."
Kaizen heard him.
Then smiled.
"So..."
"Even after all this time..."
"You still fear him."
He looked toward Thalen.
"I admit it."
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"You have made me excited."
And in the next instant—
Kaizen vanished.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground exploded.
He appeared directly in front of Thalen.
But instead of attacking...
His figure disappeared again.
Everyone froze.
Because Kaizen had appeared behind the group of participants.
"What?!"
Kaizen smiled.
"You're stronger than me."
He said calmly.
"I know that."
His eyes moved toward Thalen.
"But..."
He raised his hand.
"Can you protect everyone?"
A terrifying wave of black energy erupted toward the participants.
Yuna's expression changed.
"Everyone! Move!"
But the attack was already too close.
There was no time.
Then—
The world before them changed.
A void appeared.
Not a wall.
Not a shield.
Something completely different.
An empty space where nothing existed.
The black energy entered it...
And vanished.
Everyone froze.
Even Kaizen's smile disappeared for a moment.
"So..."
"This is your Domain."
Thalen raised his hand.
"My Domain."
Silence filled the battlefield.
No explosion.
No overwhelming pressure.
Only emptiness.
A void that swallowed everything.
One of the participants stared at the endless void before them.
"It doesn't..."
His voice trembled.
"It doesn't destroy attacks."
Kenji looked at the empty space surrounding them.
Then he understood.
"It makes them unable to reach him."
---
Kaizen smiled again.
"Your ability hasn't changed."
"You always had an annoying power."
Thalen looked at him calmly.
"And you always had too many words."
For a moment...
Kaizen remained silent.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha..."
The next instant—
He charged.
This time...
He wasn't testing Thalen.
He wasn't playing.
He was fighting seriously.
The two collided.
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire Illusion Domain shook violently.
A weapon appeared in Thalen's hand.
A long silver blade.
He swung it.
Kaizen blocked.
The sword disappeared.
And in the same instant—
A black spear emerged from the void.
Kaizen twisted his body and avoided it.
But the spear changed its form midair.
It transformed into countless blades connected by chains.
Kaizen was forced to retreat.
His eyes narrowed.
"You don't store weapons."
He looked at the void behind Thalen.
"You create them."
Thalen didn't answer.
Another weapon appeared.
A massive hammer formed from the empty space.
It descended with enough force to crush the ground.
Kaizen raised his arm.
BOOOOM!!
The impact created a shockwave that pushed everyone backward.
Kaizen smiled.
"Impressive."
"That's why no one has ever been able to get close to you."
---
But Kaizen didn't rely only on his strength.
He suddenly vanished.
Yuna's eyes widened.
"Yuna!"
Kenji shouted.
Kaizen appeared before her.
His hand moved forward.
But before he could reach her—
A hand grabbed his arm.
Thalen.
The two stood face to face.
Kaizen smiled.
"Always..."
"You protect others."
He leaned closer.
"But I wonder..."
"What would happen if you used your eyes?"
The battlefield became silent.
Everyone looked at Thalen.
Even Kenji.
They all knew.
There was something he was hiding.
Kaizen continued.
"You haven't used them once."
"Why?"
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"Are you afraid of what will happen when you do?"
Thalen remained silent.
Then he pushed Kaizen away.
"I don't need them."
For the first time...
Kaizen's smile disappeared.
Then he laughed.
"You are still arrogant."
---
The battle continued.
But something changed.
Thalen noticed it first.
Jinsu's body.
It was beginning to collapse.
The body Kaizen was using wasn't immortal.
It was human.
And every second...
Every attack...
Every burst of power...
Was damaging it further.
Thalen's expression became colder.
He looked at Kaizen.
"Enough."
Kaizen raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I won't allow you to destroy Jinsu."
For the first time...
Kaizen's expression changed.
Then—
Thalen disappeared.
Even Kaizen couldn't follow him.
His eyes widened.
"Impossible..."
A moment later—
Thalen appeared in front of him.
The void around his fist compressed.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The entire ground shattered.
A massive crater appeared.
Kaizen was thrown into the wreckage.
Silence covered the battlefield.
Everyone stared.
Kaizen...
Had fallen.
Thalen stood above him.
"It's over."
---
For several seconds...
Nothing happened.
Then...
A laugh came from the crater.
"Ha..."
"Hahaha..."
Kaizen slowly raised his head.
"You really haven't changed."
He stood up with difficulty.
"Even when you have the power to end this..."
"You choose to save someone else."
Thalen's eyes narrowed.
Because Kaizen was right.
He could have destroyed him.
But he couldn't risk destroying Jinsu's body.
---
Suddenly...
The sky above Kyoketsu no Hikari cracked.
Everyone looked upward.
A group of figures descended.
But they weren't participants.
They were warriors wearing the insignia of Gaya Organization.
And at the front...
A man walked forward calmly.
Tsukiro.
The moment he appeared...
Even the Yami became tense.
Tsukiro looked at the battlefield.
At the destroyed ground.
At the wounded participants.
Then finally...
At Kaizen.
"You have caused enough destruction."
His voice was cold.
"This ends here."
Kaizen smiled.
"You're late."
Tsukiro didn't react.
He simply raised his hand.
"Capture him."
The Gaya leaders moved.
This time...
Kaizen was surrounded from every direction.
After fighting Thalen...
After forcing Jinsu's body beyond its limits...
He couldn't resist anymore.
One attack.
Then another.
A storm of overwhelming power descended upon him.
And finally...
Kaizen fell.
A complete defeat.
---
But before anyone could move...
The atmosphere changed.
Everyone felt it.
Something worse than Kaizen.
A presence they had never noticed.
A Yami appeared.
No one knew when he arrived.
Not even Thalen.
The mysterious Yami stood silently.
Then he spoke.
"Kyoketsu no Hikari."
The world changed.
But this time...
The Domain was not created for battle.
It was created for extraction.
Darkness spread across the battlefield.
Wrapping around Kaizen.
Gerudo.
And several other Yami.
Tsukiro's expression changed.
"Stop him!"
The Gaya leaders moved instantly.
But the power of the Domain was faster.
Thalen disappeared.
For the first time...
Real anger appeared on his face.
"You won't take him."
He reached toward Kaizen.
But before the darkness consumed him completely...
Kaizen turned.
He looked at Thalen.
And smiled.
Thalen froze.
Because that smile...
Was different.
It wasn't Kaizen's smile.
He felt it.
That expression belonged to someone else.
Jinsu.
For a brief moment...
It felt as if Jinsu was looking at him.
As if he was saying:
"I'm still here."
Then...
The darkness swallowed them.
Everyone disappeared.
Silence returned.
Thalen stood frozen.
Looking at the empty space where Kaizen had vanished.
His fist trembled.
And for the first time in many years...
The strongest person in the world lost his calm.
"Jinsu..."
The word escaped from his lips.
Then he looked toward the broken sky.
His eyes filled with anger.
"I'll bring you back."
Even if he had to tear apart the entire Yami.