The battlefield stopped reacting to physics.
Because something older arrived.
A tear opened beneath reality.
Not above.
Not within.
Underneath existence itself.
From it—
The Null Sanctum emerged.
Not walking.
Not flying.
Manifesting.
Figures wrapped in absence stepped into the fractured world. Wherever they stood, color vanished. Sound muted. Meaning weakened.
Lyra turned sharply.
"What are those…?"
Gideon's expression darkened.
"…Erase protocols."
Azael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So you finally move openly."
The High Null appeared last.
Not entering.
Declaring presence.
"You have exceeded acceptable structural deviation," it said.
Its voice was not sound.
It was removal of interpretation.
"Primary anomaly: Gideon Goddard. Secondary anomaly: Lyra Voss. Divine irregularity: Azael Veyr."
A pause.
"Correction mandated."
Lyra stepped back slightly.
"…Correction?"
The air around her magic began disappearing.
Not resisting.
Being deleted.
Gideon's symbols flared violently.
"This is bigger than you," he said.
The High Null tilted its head.
"Correct."
Then—
"Than you as well."