However, against all expectations—
The Blade of Fury's final target was not anyone on the battlefield.
Its tip, precise and resolute, was pointed towards Okhema in the distance—towards the Dawn Device that sustained the light of the entire holy city!
A searing column of light, condensed from all of Nikador's remaining power, madness, and obsession, shot forth like a spear of judgment tearing through the heavens!
Where it passed, space itself distorted, carrying the will to obliterate everything, piercing straight towards the "sun" upon Kephale's back—that symbol of hope and sanctuary!
At this critical juncture!
Beneath the sky in the direction of Okhema, nearly a hundred small yet steadfast figures simultaneously manifested. They were the "Tribios" within Okhema! Hand in hand, an unprecedentedly massive Infinity Gate yawned open before the Dawn Device!
The column of light slammed violently into the Infinity Gate. The void behind the gate trembled intensely under the unimaginable pressure, but the portal ultimately stabilized, swallowing and banishing that strike capable of destroying hope entirely!
With the release of this final attack, the Blade of Fury in the sky completely dimmed, losing all luster.
In the crater below, Nikador's movements abruptly ceased.
As if it had finally exhausted all the power and obsession that sustained its existence, its colossal body collapsed with a thunderous crash, moving no more.
Devoid of sustaining power, the enormous Blade of Fury also began to disintegrate and fall. Countless fragments of metal and energy fell like a tragic meteor shower, burying the now-lifeless divine body of the Titan deep below.
It had expended everything, at the cost of its own life's end, to launch one final attack against that "Dawn" which believed itself to be sheltering all living beings.
...
Stelle watched the Coreflame of Strife slowly rising from the ruins.
Her taut nerves were just beginning to relax when she suddenly sensed the atmosphere was wrong—Phainon beside her, Mydei, even the demigods Hysilens and Terravox. Their faces showed not the relief of victory, but were instead clouded with even deeper gravity, their gazes sharply scanning the surrounding void.
"Partner, stay alert," Phainon's voice was very low, carrying unprecedented seriousness. "This battle... is far from over."
"Hmm?" Stelle's question hadn't even left her lips before the answer arrived uninvited.
Right before the drifting Coreflame, space tore open as if by an invisible hand, and a figure manifested without any warning.
He was entirely shrouded in an unremarkable black robe, his face covered by a featureless mask that reflected a cold metallic sheen, utterly silent.
A frigid light instantly surged in Hysilens's eyes. She had no intention of negotiation. For this uninvited guest, action was the only language.
Her form transformed into a streak of cerulean light, appearing almost instantly before the black-clad man. The sharp sword in her hand, carrying a bone-chilling cold and absolute resolve, stabbed straight for the other's heart!
Yet, facing this lightning-fast strike, the black-clad man merely raised the seemingly broken, notched-edged longsword in his hand with extreme casualness, an almost lazy motion.
"Ding——!"
A clear yet abnormally piercing sound of metal clashing rang out.
Hysilens's lethal strike, imbued with demigod power, was actually parried with pinpoint accuracy by that broken sword. The tip of her blade halted upon the black robe over the other's chest, unable to advance another inch! The powerful impact didn't even cause the black-clad man's figure to waver in the slightest.
Seeing this, Terravox let out a low roar as dull as thunder. His mountain-like true form lunged forward abruptly. A massive rocky hoof, like a small hill, slammed down with immense force! Its target was that minuscule black-clad man, aiming to crush him and the surrounding earth into dust!
At the moment the hoof was about to make contact, the black-clad man's figure made a ghostly flicker. In a manner that defied the laws of physics, he appeared dozens of meters away to the other side, effortlessly evading this strike capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone.
Seeing himself entangled by the two demigods and unable to break free easily for the moment, a flicker passed through the black-clad man's eyes behind the mask.
He made a feinting slash with his broken sword. The next moment, several slightly ethereal figures, like reflections in water, separated from his side and shot soundlessly towards the Coreflame of Strife!
"Don't even think about it!" Phainon and Mydei shouted in unison. Both had been on guard and now shot forward like arrows from a bow, meeting those duplicates from left and right. Sword light and fist winds intertwined as they instantly became locked in combat.
Hysilens, seeing the Coreflame in danger, intended to fall back to defend it. But the black-clad man's main body clung like a persistent shadow. As his broken sword swept through the air, his sword techniques formed an intangible quagmire, not only defusing the assaults from her and Terravox one by one but also turning the tables to firmly pin them down in place.
That seemingly simple, unadorned swordsmanship actually left the two demigods momentarily unable to disengage.
Just as the battle situation was deadlocked and everyone was pinned down at this critical moment, the black-clad man seemed to still have energy to spare!
His wrist moved again. Another four duplicates, identical to the previous ones, materialized behind him.
These duplicates cleverly bypassed Phainon and Mydei, who were fiercely battling the first wave, and shot towards the Coreflame from different angles like four silent black bolts of lightning!
At this crucial juncture, a calm, steady voice broke the balance of the battle:
"Sir, uninvited guest, whatever your purpose may be, I must ask you to desist. This object is not something you should lay hands on."
It was Welt. He had, at some unknown time, positioned himself beside the Coreflame. He lightly tapped the ground with his cane, his gaze behind his glasses sharp as an eagle's.
The next moment, along the paths the four duplicates were charging, space suddenly collapsed!
A miniature black hole, deep, dark, seemingly capable of devouring all light, abruptly formed. And it rapidly expanded! Its powerful gravitational pull instantly seized those duplicates. No matter how they struggled, they could not resist the devouring force born from the universe's fundamental laws. In an instant, they were dragged into the endless darkness, vanishing without a trace.
In the distance, the black-clad man's main body, who had seemed perfectly at ease until now, exhibited an extremely subtle hesitation in his movements for the first time.
He slowly turned his head. That cold metal mask seemed to penetrate the distance of space, taking a deep "look" at Welt.
That gaze seemed devoid of any emotion, yet also seemed to contain countless difficult-to-decipher messages—scrutiny, assessment, or perhaps a trace of... unexpected acknowledgment?
The stalemate lasted only a few seconds. The black-clad man seemed to judge that, with Welt's intervention, he could no longer easily succeed.
He no longer lingered in the fight. With a casual swing of his broken sword, he parried Hysilens's renewed assault. His figure then floated backward, as abruptly as he had appeared. Amidst faint spatial ripples, his form gradually faded, ultimately disappearing completely from everyone's sight.