Vaal, Karn, and Sethr walked back along the same path they had come from, but unlike before there was now a faint hesitation in their steps as if something unseen was pressing down on their instincts, their bodies moving forward while their minds lagged behind, and as they passed through the hollow corridor the chained holo ghosts drifted around the broken pillars, their forms phasing in and out of existence while passing through them like cold mist that carried neither warmth nor life, creating an unnatural silence that stretched endlessly until after nearly thirty minutes of walking they finally stepped outside the domain of the holo ghosts, and the moment their eyes adjusted to the open space they saw it Ruby.
Her body was no longer stable, as reddish flames were tearing through her flesh while melting her form as if she were nothing more than something fragile thrown into a furnace, the fire rising higher and higher with each passing second while the surrounding air distorted under the sheer intensity of the heat, and Vaal, Karn, and Sethr froze completely as horror spread across their faces because what stood before them was not something they could understand or react to, their minds blank as they watched the king's Ruby burn alive without any sign of stopping, their thoughts collapsing into confusion until suddenly something moved within the burning mass of flesh as a hand tore its way out from inside her melted skin, forcing its way through the weakened layers followed by another hand emerging from within, and then with brutal force both hands ripped the burning skin apart as the entire body split open violently and a figure burst out from within the flames, ascending into the sky while tearing through the burning remains as scattered fire trailed behind.
The three of them stood there completely frozen, their shock reaching deep into their core because they had never witnessed anything like this before, and technically they had only been alive for twelve days, making the scene before them something beyond comprehension as their eyes followed the descending figure, a woman in her twenties with glowing red eyes, reddish wings spread wide behind her, crimson hair flowing wildly through the air as she landed before them without hesitation, her presence calm yet overwhelming as she walked toward them while Vaal quickly pulled out a fragment and retrieved clothes from it before handing them to her, but Ruby looked at him with cold indifference and said there was no need to waste time as saving Dev was the only priority because any delay now could lead to consequences none of them could predict, and without waiting she turned to move forward, but her steps halted for a brief moment as her gaze shifted back toward the burning remains of the skin she had shed, still engulfed in red flames, and for a single second her expression faltered as a tear fell from one eye before she turned away again and ran back into the holo ghost domain toward the Pillar of Death.
Within the Wolf Holo Clan, the silence carried tension as one voice spoke cautiously, questioning whether the one they had sensed could have survived such a transformation that burned through life force itself, wondering what kind of holo animal would willingly choose such a path, and the clan leader remained silent for a brief moment before explaining that when a holo animal reaches a certain stage it gains the ability to transform into a human form at will, but a holo ghost does not possess that privilege and if one desires to reach that stage prematurely then the only path is to burn its own life force to forcefully achieve the transformation, causing human nature to manifest while the animal nature is discarded into the skin itself, yet such a method carries a fatal consequence as the transformation lasts only eight hours before death inevitably claims them, and the process itself is a cruel method of dying as flames engulf the entire body requiring absolute endurance because failure midway results in immediate death, making it something only those with sheer will can achieve.
As the explanation ended the leader shifted focus toward the present situation, asking whether all members had gathered as only nine hours remained before the gate to the real world opened, emphasizing that the gate's location changes each time yet always appears near the barrier of the Pillar of Dead , ordering his men to remain stationed there to ensure they do not miss it.
Inside the Infinite Library within the Seventh Pillar of Death, Dev lay restrained on a floating stretcher as glowing belts bound his body tightly in place, his movements restricted no matter how much force he attempted to exert while beside him stood the old man whose presence carried a calm yet disturbing certainty, and despite his weakened state Dev forced his voice out to question how the old man had manifested physically when he was supposed to be the Pillar of Death itself, prompting the old man to reveal with a faint smile that what Dev had seen earlier was merely a clone created a 800 year ago to search for a suitable vessel, explaining that for a long time no body could contain him until Dev appeared, yet the clone had developed its own will and desired the inheritance for itself, leading to a deception where the clone believed it was receiving everything only to be eliminated, and through that deception trust had been established as Dev's companions willingly sent him inside, allowing the old man to proceed with his plan since he himself could not leave the pillar but Dev could enter it, making him the perfect candidate.
His gaze then shifted outside the transparent boundary of the pillar where he noticed only three figures remaining, the absence of the others immediately triggering suspicion as tension rose within him, sensing that something had gone wrong, and without wasting time he turned back as his tone grew colder, declaring that it was time for the final serum before walking toward a laboratory setup near the bookshelves where complex tubes connected in multiple directions carried liquids that merged into a final solution dripping steadily into a container, which he picked up before crushing a fragment into it followed by a thin bone resembling that of a snake, mixing them into the solution as it reacted before drawing the substance into a syringe, adjusting it carefully before turning back toward Dev.
Dev struggled violently against the restraints, attempting to break free as he pushed his body to its limits, but no matter how much effort he exerted the belts held him firmly in place while the old man approached slowly, and gathering every last ounce of strength Dev attempted to activate his wings one final time only to fail completely, prompting the old man to calmly reveal that he had already removed them, stating that wings were unnecessary for him since this body would soon belong to him, and as he raised the syringe to inject it into Dev a sudden massive impact shook the entire pillar, causing books to fall in all directions while the structure trembled violently, forcing the old man to stagger as his attention snapped outside where he saw a figure repeatedly striking the pillar with overwhelming force.
Ruby.
Her fists were engulfed in flames as each strike sent shockwaves through the pillar both inside and out, while outside Kai, Chiru, Vaal, Karn, Sethr, and Rehx watched the scene unfold with tension gripping their expressions, Kai's face especially twisted with guilt as the realization of being deceived weighed heavily on him, and from within the pillar the old man projected his voice outward, claiming to be Dev's grandfather and insisting he was helping, but Ruby stopped briefly before smiling coldly as she dismantled his lie by stating that Dev's grandfather had been crushed beyond recovery at the gates in the ocean, leaving no will behind and making it impossible for him to have created something like the Pillar of Death, her voice sharpening as she demanded Dev's return while declaring she would break the pillar even at the cost of her own life.
Inside, irritation flickered across the old man's face as he retrieved a book and opened it, releasing another version of himself that immediately moved to engage Ruby in combat, and the moment Ruby confirmed it was not Dev she attacked without hesitation as the clone's face became visible to the others, shocking them as the man they believed dead stood before them alive, yet amidst the clash Ruby quickly recognized the pattern of cloning and reached a conclusion, her expression shifting into something mocking as she delivered a powerful strike that sent the clone crashing toward the pillar before laughing and calling out his true identity, mocking him as Raphael, the so-called great mad scientist, the failure of an era, and those words pierced through the real one inside.
Rage consumed him instantly.
Without hesitation he drove the syringe directly into Dev's heart.
Dev's scream erupted violently, echoing through the pillar as unbearable pain spread through his chest with the serum burning into his heart like fire consuming him from within, and outside Ruby heard it clearly as her expression shattered into pure rage, her body launching high into the sky before descending with terrifying force as her fist struck the pillar again and again while she declared Raphael's death, each impact shaking the structure as if it might collapse, yet inside Raphael only laughed, his voice filled with madness as he declared that no matter how much she tried she would never break the Seventh Pillar of Death, "Do not take the Pillar of Death lightly, we are not mere history, we are the disaster that forced history to change."
His laughter echoed endlessly.