The moment the Dark Knight fell—
The battlefield exhaled.
Not in relief—
But in hesitation.
Because something—
Was wrong.
Elias had already moved.
No wasted time.
No second thoughts.
His gaze shifted—
Locked onto the remaining threat.
The White Knight.
"…End it."
His voice was calm.
Decisive.
He stepped forward—
Blade rising—
Intent clear.
One more strike.
One more execution.
And then—
CRACK.
The air broke.
Not shifted.
Not trembled.
Broken.
A sound—
Like something that should not exist—
Forcing itself back into reality.
Elias stopped.
Instinct.
Behind him—
The fallen body of the Dark Knight—
Moved.
"…What—?"
Hinabi's voice cut sharply.
Magumo turned—
Too late.
The Dark Knight rose.
Not slowly.
Not heavily.
But instantly.
Like it had never fallen at all.
Its shattered armor—
Reforming.
Its broken blade—
Restored.
Its crimson glow—
Burning brighter than before.
"…You've got to be kidding me—"
Magumo didn't finish.
Because the Dark Knight—
Was already in front of him.
A single step.
A single motion.
A punch.
BOOM
Magumo's body folded.
The impact was clean.
Brutal.
Absolute.
He was sent flying—
Crashing through stone—
Rolling across the battlefield before slamming into the far edge.
His HP—
Dropped.
Violently.
20%.
"…GHH—!"
He coughed.
Blood spilling.
Vision shaking.
"…That… was fast…"
The Dark Knight didn't look at him again.
Didn't care.
Its attention shifted.
Hinabi.
"—!"
She reacted instantly.
Flames erupted—
Defensive.
Offensive.
Explosive.
But the Dark Knight—
Was faster.
It appeared in front of her—
Blade already descending.
CLANG
Hinabi blocked.
Barely.
Her flames exploded outward from the impact—
But the force—
Drove her back.
"…Tch—!"
Her boots carved into the ground.
Another strike came.
Heavier.
Faster.
Relentless.
She twisted—
Dodged—
Countered—
But she wasn't built for this kind of pressure.
Not alone.
And then—
It came.
A killing blow.
The Dark Knight's blade rose—
Darkness condensing around it—
Violent—
Unstable—
"Hinabi."
A voice.
CLANG
Elias intercepted.
Steel met darkness.
Light met shadow.
The impact shook the battlefield once more.
"…You're not done yet."
Elias said quietly.
The Dark Knight didn't respond.
But its presence—
Shifted.
It recognized him.
Again.
"…Fall back."
Elias spoke without looking.
Hinabi exhaled.
"…Yeah… no need to tell me twice."
She stepped back—
Flames lowering slightly.
Magumo groaned from the distance.
"…You two better not lose…"
Elias didn't answer.
Because the fight—
Had reset.
And this time—
The Dark Knight was stronger.
—
On the other side—
Light still ruled.
The White Knight stood.
Untouched.
Unbroken.
Unyielding.
Chains of light extended from her arms—
Glowing brighter.
Tighter.
More aggressive.
"…It's getting stronger."
Sumi muttered.
Kiraya stepped forward.
Shield raised.
Sword burning.
"…Then we hit harder."
The White Knight lifted slightly off the ground.
Halo flickering behind her.
[Boss Skill: Radiant Cascade]
Light exploded outward.
Wave after wave.
Faster.
Denser.
More lethal.
"…Again—!"
Ayame shouted.
But Kiraya—
Was already moving.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Resonance]
Her blade ignited.
Flames roared to life—
Wild.
Controlled.
Dominant.
She swung—
A massive arc of fire surged forward—
Colliding directly with the incoming waves of light.
BOOM
Fire and radiance clashed mid-air—
Exploding outward in a storm of heat and brilliance.
But this time—
Kiraya didn't just block.
She pushed.
"Fayzan—NOW!"
Through the flames—
A figure emerged.
Fayzan.
His body burned with intensity.
Not reckless.
Not wild.
But focused.
"…Got it."
[Warrior Skill: Blazing Breaker]
He surged forward—
Through the explosion—
Through the light—
Through the pressure—
The White Knight reacted.
Chains tightened.
Blade raised.
But—
Too late.
Fayzan closed the distance.
A single strike.
Clean.
Direct.
Absolute.
SLASH
The flames carved through her armor—
Splitting light itself—
The White Knight froze.
Her chains flickered.
Her halo cracked.
A single line—
Across her body.
Then—
Light shattered.
Her form broke apart into fragments—
Glowing—
Fading—
Disappearing into nothing.
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
"…We… did it…"
Ayame whispered.
Sumi exhaled slowly.
"…One down."
Kiraya lowered her blade.
Flames fading.
"…Good work."
Fayzan stood there—
Breathing heavily.
But his eyes—
Didn't relax.
They shifted.
Toward the other battlefield.
Where darkness—
Still stood.
Where Elias—
Was still fighting.
"…Not over."
Fayzan muttered.
And as if responding—
BOOM
Another explosion echoed.
Light was gone.
But darkness—
Had returned stronger than ever.
And this time—
It wasn't falling easily.
The light… did not fade.
It returned.
At first—
It was subtle.
A flicker.
A shimmer in the air where the White Knight had vanished.
Fragments of radiance—
Gathering.
Reforming.
Rebuilding.
"…No way…"
Sumi's voice trembled.
Kiraya's eyes narrowed.
"…Again?"
The light condensed.
Chains reformed.
Armor reshaped.
Halo restored—
But no longer fractured.
Perfect.
The White Knight stood once more.
And this time—
Her presence had changed.
Heavier.
Sharper.
Absolute.
"…She's stronger…"
Ayame whispered.
The White Knight lifted her hand.
Chains of light ignited instantly—
Brighter than before.
Tighter.
Faster.
She moved.
No warning.
No buildup.
She vanished.
"—?!"
Kiraya reacted—
Barely.
Her shield rose—
Just in time.
BANG
The impact was devastating.
Her body was launched backward—
Sliding across the battlefield as her boots tore into the ground.
"Kiraya—!"
Fayzan rushed forward—
But the White Knight was already there.
A second strike.
CLANG
Fayzan blocked.
But the force—
Crushed through his defense.
"GHH—!"
He was driven into the ground.
The earth beneath him cracked—
Splitting outward violently.
Her chains followed.
They wrapped.
"—Tch!"
Fayzan tried to break free—
But the chains burned.
Light tightening.
Punishing movement.
Kiraya forced herself up—
HP dropping rapidly.
15%.
Fayzan—
15%.
"…Damn it…"
Kiraya wiped blood from her lip.
"…She's on a completely different level now…"
The White Knight floated slightly above the ground.
Watching.
Judging.
Then—
Her voice.
For the first time—
She spoke.
"…Vow… must be upheld."
The chains tightened further.
The air trembled.
[Boss Skill: Sacred Vow]
Light surged.
Binding.
Restricting.
Punishing.
Kiraya gritted her teeth.
"…Fayzan—don't move too far—!"
"Yeah—I noticed—!"
The pressure was unbearable.
Every movement—
Cost them.
Every step—
Punished them.
And then—
She raised her blade.
[Boss Skill: Radiant Cascade]
Light exploded again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Unavoidable.
"…We can't block that again—!"
Sumi shouted.
Kiraya raised her sword anyway.
"…We have to—!"
But before the attack could fall—
BOOM
A shockwave split the battlefield.
Darkness—
Collided with light.
Elias landed between them.
"…Fall back."
His voice was calm.
Unshaken.
Absolute.
Kiraya froze.
"…Elias—?"
Behind him—
The Dark Knight stood.
Restored.
Reborn.
Stronger.
Two bosses.
Side by side.
Light and darkness.
And in front of them—
One man.
Elias.
"…You two handle recovery."
He didn't look back.
Didn't hesitate.
"Wait—!"
Fayzan tried to speak—
But stopped.
Because he felt it.
That presence.
That certainty.
Elias stepped forward.
"…I'll handle this."
Silence.
Even the bosses—
Paused.
As if recognizing something.
Elias raised his blade.
White-gold flames ignited once more.
But this time—
Different.
Sharper.
Denser.
Controlled.
Not just power.
But mastery.
The White Knight moved first.
Chains surged forward—
Blazing.
Piercing.
The Dark Knight followed.
Blade raised—
Darkness roaring.
A perfect pincer.
Unavoidable.
Unstoppable.
Elias stepped in.
Not back.
Forward.
His sword moved once—
A flash.
The chains—
Severed.
A second motion—
CLANG
The Dark Knight's strike—
Deflected.
A third—
A step.
A turn.
A counter.
Both bosses—
Forced back.
"…No way…"
Hinabi whispered.
"…He's fighting both—?"
Magumo stared.
"…Alone…?"
Elias exhaled slowly.
"…Come."
A challenge.
The White Knight surged again—
Faster than before.
The Dark Knight followed—
Relentless.
And Elias—
Met them both.
Steel.
Light.
Darkness.
Flames.
Everything collided.
Every strike from the bosses—
Was answered.
Every combo—
Broken.
Every attack—
Countered.
But this wasn't domination.
This—
Was balance.
Because even Elias—
Was being pushed.
His steps grew sharper.
His timing tighter.
His movements—
More precise.
Because one mistake—
Would end it.
Two bosses.
One man.
And the battlefield—
Could barely contain them.
Kiraya clenched her fist.
"…We can't just watch—"
"Don't."
Fayzan cut her off.
His eyes locked on Elias.
"…If we step in now…"
A pause.
"…We'll only get in his way."
Silence.
Because deep down—
They knew.
This fight—
Was no longer theirs.
At the center—
Elias clashed with both knights once more.
A three-way collision—
That shattered the ground beneath them.
And for the first time—
A small crack—
Formed—
On Elias' blade.
"…Heh…"
Magumo smirked faintly.
"…Now this is a real fight."
Because the truth was clear.
Even Elias—
Couldn't hold this forever.
And the battle—
Was far from over.