Cyrene fell silent for a moment, a barely perceptible fluctuation deep in her eyes. "I don't know either."
She answered softly, avoiding Stelle's gaze. "After all, I am merely a reserve candidate for the demigod of 'Time.' How could I possibly know all the secrets and potential dangers of the River of 'Time'?" She chose to withhold part of the information. The impact those eyes had on her was far stronger than on the others.
Castorice, however, spoke up at that moment, pulling everyone's attention back to the original goal. "Lady Stelle, regardless, at least our primary objective has been achieved. I now understand the source and nature of Nikador's eerie restorative power."
Her tone was grave as she analyzed: "That mysterious man, he fused the most core traits of Nikador's soul—'Courage,' 'Glory,' 'Tenacity,' 'Sacrifice,' and 'Reason'—together in an extremely brutal manner, forcibly blending them into an indivisible, inseparable chaotic whole."
"A soul so mixed, having lost its pure essence, cannot be accepted by the River of Souls, cannot attain rest. This is not a blessing at all, but the most utter desecration and an eternal curse upon a Titan."
"Ah? Then... what should we do now?" Stelle scratched her head, feeling things had become even more complicated.
"Do you remember what Mydei mentioned, about the unfinished ritual from his homeland?" Cyrene suddenly looked up, a flash of resolve in her eyes. "If we, on the past timeline, complete that ritual first, splitting Nikador's soul into five parts according to the original plan ahead of time..."
"Then, return to this present point in time, and let its soul reunite... Perhaps we can break the immortality curse that man imposed, which is based on the state of 'chaotic unity,' and thereby grant Nikador the thorough end it deserves."
"This time, leave it, to Mimi!" Mem, who had been resting on Stelle's shoulder, seemed to have recovered its energy. It perked up and flew up again, its small face full of determination. After the earlier danger, its mastery of the 'Time' authority seemed to have improved.
The gateway to the past slowly opened before them once more, emitting a soft, mysterious light.
This time, their goal was clear—first, resolve Nikador's crisis. As for the secret behind those eyes, it would have to wait.
...
When Stelle looked at the manifestation before her—this incarnation of Nikador's 'Reason' soul, who called himself Gnaeus—her feelings were somewhat complex.
He maintained the dignity of a Titan, yet his eyes were clearer than any state they had seen before.
"You're saying that the future me... had my will distorted, becoming an undead monster that cares not for glory, knowing only blind 'persistence'?" Gnaeus repeated softly after hearing the summary, then let out a low chuckle of unclear meaning. "Interesting. Truly... pitiful and laughable."
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the people before him, and declared solemnly and gravelly, his voice echoing through the corridors of time:
"Hear me, mortals! I am the Blade of Fury—Nikador! The harbinger of chaotic times! The incarnation of Strife! I am the necessary scar upon this world!"
His voice suddenly rose, carrying a near-tragic resolve:
"If the future me has fallen to such depths, losing a warrior's glory... Then, right here and now, I ask you to defeat me! Grant me a warrior's end!!!"
After his words fell, it was as if a switch in spacetime had been triggered.
The surrounding scenery flipped like pages of a book, the timeline leaping forward in an instant, bringing them back to—the present.
The true decisive battle was only now beginning.
"Partner, look out!"
Phainon's cry cut through the clamor of the battlefield. Just as Nikador's halberd, entwined with bloody energy, was about to cleave down upon Stelle.
Phainon's figure abruptly appeared before Stelle, the blade in his hand erupting with dazzling light, barely managing to parry that thunderous strike.
The earsplitting screech of metal collision left their ears ringing.
Stelle quickly scanned the battlefield. She saw Hysilens floating mid-air, her hands elegantly wielding a bizarre weapon that was part zither, part sword, leading a storm of pure Hydro elemental fish that swarmed and surged towards Nikador.
The fish swarm gnawed, impacted, leaving fine, dense wounds upon the Titan's divine body.
However, completely different from before—these wounds did not instantly heal as they once did, but remained clearly visible, golden divine blood slowly seeping out!
"Hmm?" Hysilens keenly noticed this unusual change, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, quickly replaced by determination. She and Terravox exchanged a glance; no words were needed, their unspoken understanding flowing seamlessly.
The next moment, the earth groaned under unbearable strain!
Terravox's already mountain-like body expanded once more, revealing its true demigod form—a massive Droma even more colossal, more ancient than the 'Strife' Titan!
It let out a roar that shook heaven and earth, its massive body carrying an aura of crushing everything, slamming hard into Nikador with a sideswipe!
"BOOM——!"
The terrifying impact sounded like a meteor striking the earth. Nikador's colossal form was sent staggering by this pure force, its balance instantly lost.
At almost the same moment, Hysilens' figure appeared like a phantom above Nikador.
She took a deep breath, and then, an ancient, stirring melody flowed from her sword.
As the music reached its crescendo, the space below her was violently torn open as if it were water!
A leviathan vast enough to blot out the sky, condensed from the authority of the 'Ocean,' surged forth with boundless majesty and oppressive force!
Its gaping maw seemed connected to an abyssal deep, swallowing the off-balance Nikador whole in one bite. Then, carrying devastating kinetic energy like a hammer of divine punishment, it slammed the Titan in its jaws down mercilessly onto the Castrum Kremnos arena below!
"THUD————!!!"
The arena floor, which had withstood countless deathmatches without complete destruction, was now smashed into a gigantic crater in that moment. Spider-web cracks spread as far as the eye could see.
Nikador's shattered divine body lay at the bottom of the pit. It struggled, trying to rise once more by its own will.
At that moment, the Blade of Fury in the sky, which had been gathering destructive energy all along, suddenly blazed with intense light from its blade, emitting a heart-stopping, sharp hum. Its enormous form began to slowly adjust its angle!
"Watch out! It's going for a desperate, final strike!" Mydei's pupils contracted sharply, shouting a warning to everyone with all his might.
Terravox reacted swiftly, its massive foot stomping down heavily. Layer upon layer of immensely thick rock walls, inscribed with earth runes, erupted from the ground, shielding everyone in front.
Hysilens also waved her hand simultaneously, channeling the vast power of the 'Ocean.' A cerulean water curtain, like the toughest barrier, intertwined with the stone walls, constructing an impregnable line of defense.