The battlefield remained broken.
Fragments of distorted space drifted slowly through the air like shattered glass frozen in time.
Kael and Elara still stood—
but barely.
Riven stared at them from behind, his chest tightening.
For the first time since the war began—
he truly understood something terrifying.
The Divines were not invincible.
But neither were they normal.
SOMETHING FEELS WRONG
The five Divine figures remained motionless above the battlefield.
Too motionless.
No victory.
No arrogance.
No satisfaction.
Only stillness.
Kael noticed it immediately.
"…Their energy changed," he said quietly.
Elara steadied her breathing beside him.
"…It feels unstable…"
CRACKS IN DIVINITY
Then—
Riven saw it.
A crack.
Not in the battlefield.
On the Inferno Monarch's arm.
A black fracture spread beneath the flames like corrupted stone beneath burning skin.
And it wasn't only him.
Cryomix frost flickered unnaturally.
Shadow distorted unevenly.
Aqualis currents trembled.
Even Soul Hall authority pulsed irregularly.
RIVEN WHISPERS
"…What… is that…?"
No one answered immediately.
Because even Kael looked surprised.
IMMORTAL STONE CURSE
The Soul Hall presence finally spoke.
"…Continued synchronization is accelerating degradation."
The words were calm—
but heavy.
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"…Degradation?"
The Inferno Monarch looked down at the crack spreading across his arm.
Not pain.
Disgust.
THE TRUTH REVEALS
Kael's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…The Immortal Stone…"
Riven looked at him.
"…You know about this?"
Kael remained silent for a moment before answering.
"…The Divine clans gained immortality through system-linked stones."
"…But immortality always demands balance."
THE CURSE
The black fractures spread further across the Inferno Monarch's flames.
Not weakening his power—
but corrupting it.
Like immortality itself was slowly consuming the user.
ELARA UNDERSTANDS
"…So that's the price…"
Cryomix voice echoed coldly:
"…Immortality is stability."
A pause.
"…But prolonged war creates corruption."
SYSTEM SIDE EFFECT
The more the Divines pushed their power—
the more the Immortal Stone curse spread.
And this war—
was forcing them beyond safe limits.
RIVEN REALIZES
"…So even they're breaking…"
For the first time—
the Divines no longer looked untouchable.
They looked trapped.
KAEL SEES THE WEAKNESS
Kael's eyes moved carefully across each Divine presence.
Calculating.
Observing.
"…Their immortality isn't freedom…"
"…It's a cage."
DIVINE RESPONSE
The Inferno Monarch's flames erupted violently.
"…Do not mistake corruption for weakness."
The battlefield shook instantly.
Even cursed—
their power remained monstrous.
ELARA'S CONDITION WORSENS
Elara suddenly staggered slightly.
The unstable energy from earlier still lingered inside her.
Kael immediately noticed.
"…Your synchronization is failing."
"…I know," she answered quietly.
But even now—
she didn't step back.
PARALLEL
And for a brief moment—
Kael realized something.
The Divines and Elara were not entirely different.
Both were forcing unstable power beyond natural limits.
Both were slowly breaking themselves to continue fighting.
RIVEN'S FEAR RETURNS
Riven looked toward the cursed fractures spreading across the Divines.
Then toward Kael.
And suddenly—
a terrifying thought entered his mind.
"…If power always takes something…"
His voice dropped.
"…Then what will it take from us?"
No one answered.
Because the battlefield already knew.
FINAL BUILD
The black curse spread further across the Divine forces.
Yet instead of retreating—
their pressure increased again.
As if they had already accepted destruction long ago.
This war was no longer between heroes and enemies.
It was between existences—
already being consumed by the power they carried.