Kaelen felt the last of his human restraint snap. The Blade of Dawn was no longer just a weapon in his hand; it had grown tendrils of indigo light that bored into his arm, fusing with his bones. His golden armor began to crack, leaking a thick, misty violet smoke.
"More... I need more!" Kaelen's voice was no longer his own. It was a distorted roar, a mixture of a dying king and a hungry god.
His eyes turned entirely indigo, void of any white or pupil. He let go of his conscious mind, allowing the sword to take full control. His golden wings shattered and reformed into four massive, jagged appendages of "Dark Light"—an Eclipse state that defied the laws of nature.
"ULTIMATE FORM: THE ECLIPSED SOVEREIGN!"
Kaelen vanished in a flash of violet lightning. He reappeared behind Zane, the Blade of Dawn now twice its original size, vibrating with a frequency that disintegrated the very air. He wasn't just slashing; he was tearing holes in space itself.
Zane felt a cold terror he hadn't known before. The dragon around him roared in pain as Kaelen's sword bit through its shadow-flesh, drinking the dragon's essence directly.
"You're not... a Hero!" Zane screamed, blood leaking from his ears as the atmospheric pressure spiked. "You're a hole in the world!"
Kaelen didn't answer. He laughed—a sound like grinding metal—and raised the sword for a final, world-ending strike. The ground beneath them began to liquefy into molten glass.
High above, Lia watched the carnage. She felt the 'Threads' in her hand grow hot, almost burning her skin. She wasn't horrified; she was fascinated.
"The fruit is ripening," she whispered, her eyes glowing with Fang Yuan's borrowed vision. "The more he loses himself, the purer the energy becomes. Burn, Kaelen. Consume, Zane. The Master is watching."