The golem staggered back a step, its hands shattered like broken glass, its stone fragments crashing to the cave floor with a hollow thud. But Suleiman didn't budge an inch. He stood unmoved like a rooted mountain, not a single eyelash flickering, unbothered by the blood trickling down his wrist.
There was something in Suleiman's eyes when he entered battle — something primal, dark, nothing like the man they knew in times of peace. As if a mask fell from his face, revealing beneath it an ancient beast that had been sleeping — and had finally awakened.
Amid the stunned silence that fell over everyone, Lorena whispered to herself, eyes fixed on the approaching figure:
*"What…? The Elder… in the Connected World?"*
She pressed her lips together. The old man's appearance on the battlefield was a real problem — especially since he coveted the position of Clan Chief and would not hesitate to remove anyone who stood in his way.
---
Shiro laughed from atop the golem, his eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
*"Uh oh… looks like you've entered the Connected World, old man. But that means nothing to me — I'll kill you today."*
He leapt from the golem's back with the grace of a seasoned killer and extended his hand toward it. The golem began to crumble — piece by piece, stone by stone — until nothing remained but a heap of grey ash scattered by the wind.
Shiro stepped forward until he stood face to face directly before the Elder.
The Elder let out a long sigh, something like disappointment in his voice.
*"You court anger recklessly, Second Elder. But… do you truly believe you can do it?"*
He didn't wait for an answer. He drove a straight punch toward Shiro's chest.
**THOOM.**
Shiro flew backward like a ragdoll flung aside, crashing through the stone wall before slamming into the ground far away.
Dead silence.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Then, from amid the dust and scattered rubble, Shiro's voice came — ragged, but filled with iron resolve:
*"Old man… you won't escape me today."*
He gripped the ground, tore his way through the debris, blood streaming down his forehead. And in that same instant, the Elder launched toward him like lightning.
---
On the other side of the cave, Narvik was fighting his own private battle.
His exhausted body refused to surrender, and the blood that had flowed so freely was finally, slowly, beginning to stop. He could barely stay standing, yet he raised his hand with a broken will, eyes locked on the scene before him.
Within seconds, ice began forming around his wrist — pale, jagged blades rising bit by bit until they reached his shoulder. Narvik breathed with great difficulty, his eyes fixed on Lorena, his hands moving toward her…
But without warning:
**The ice cracked.**
Then exploded.
Black lightning spread through the cave like a plague, consuming everything around it.
*"Don't use those powers now — they're eating you alive."*
Narvik turned toward the voice. Baran had appeared silently at his side, his eyes reading the situation with cold calm.
*"I'll handle them myself."*
Narvik leaned his back against the wall and gave a silent nod. Baran's words were enough.
---
Lorena laughed out loud — her laugh laced with deliberate provocation:
*"Hahahaha! You'll handle all of us? Alone?"*
She raised her hand slowly. Small, gleaming shards began to materialize around her, spinning in clusters, accelerating, until they became a silver whirlwind swirling around her, singing the song of death.
Baran looked at her with perfect calm, then slid his spear back into his ring.
*"Ooooh! Did I scare you, little one?"* Lorena said with a mocking smile, then released all the shards at once.
They were like countless arrows.
Baran opened his hands.
*"Black Lightning Art — Dragon's Claws!"*
Two massive talons of dense black light surged forward, meeting the metal shards midway.
**BOOM.**
The shards scattered in every direction — then slowly drifted back toward Lorena as though untouched.
Baran dusted off his hands with an air of mild annoyance and muttered to himself:
*"Hmm… trained on a truly irritating manuscript. Do I need to erase these little shards from existence entirely?"*
Then he turned to Suleiman and said in a casual tone, as if making a simple request:
*"Listen, Suleiman — on the third floor of the prison, there's someone in the Connected World who's been bothering me. Could you go deal with him for me?"*
Silence. Everyone exchanged questioning looks.
No one had sensed a fighter up there. No one. But in that same moment, they all guessed who it must be.
**Diasou.**
The only one from the Connected World who had not yet entered the cave.
---
And indeed, within seconds, Diasou descended from the upper floor, his expression making no effort to hide his astonishment:
*"I didn't expect there to be two people here at the Legendary stage besides Suleiman… and stronger than him, too."*
Suleiman straightened and shouted furiously:
*"Diasou! Are you with them or with us?!"*
Diasou held his silence for a beat, then sighed and said quietly:
*"I'm with Lorena."*
Lorena's smile bloomed like a poisonous flower.
But Baran didn't react. He said with a confidence that filled the cave:
*"Fine, fine. It doesn't matter in the end. You'll all be buried here today."*
*"You're so arrogant!"* Lorena snapped.
He didn't look at her. Instead, he turned again to Suleiman and said:
*"I've changed my mind. I'll handle these two. You go and help the old man with his fight."*
*"That's impossible — they're in the Connected World and—"*
*"Go, Suleiman."*
Narvik's voice was faint, but decisive.
*"Baran can defeat them."*
Suleiman paused. He looked at the exhausted Narvik leaning against the wall, and saw something in his eyes that resembled certainty. And in Lorena's mind, questions raced at the speed of wind:
*"How? How is that even possible? Is he really that powerful?!"*
Then Suleiman was gone.
---
Three remained: Baran, Lorena, and Diasou.
Baran extended his hand simply… and Narvik's sword began to fly from where it lay, sailing through the air until it settled in his palm as if called by name.
His spear had neared the edge of destruction after the long battle, so he turned instead to a sword he had learned to wield long ago. His grip closed around it with steady resolve.
Lorena and Diasou stood side by side.
Baran smiled.
But it was not the smile of a warrior entering battle. It was the smile of something else — something older.
Then the lightning began.
It did not spread as they were used to seeing — instead, it began to gather. To converge. To take shape at a single point, as if the entire universe were being poured into his hands.
From that convergence, a form emerged.
It had eyes.
Eyes that blazed gold — like two embers that would never die — piercing the darkness without mercy.
And when it moved… the very air seemed to tremble. To pull back. As if it knew what was coming, and fled.
And it had a tail.
Long. Dragging behind it a trail of lightning like a shadow made of fire.
Diasou froze where he stood.
And Lorena stepped back — one single step — her eyes widening, and one word fell from her lips like a stone dropped into a deep well:
*"A… a dragon?"*
---
*To be continued…*