The Domain of Absolute Pride was collapsing.
Cracks spread across every mirror.
The sky shattered.
Reality screamed.
And at the center of it all—
Lira stood motionless.
Purple light flowed from her fists.
Not like fire.
Not like magic.
Like the universe itself had forgotten how to contain her.
Shota took another step back.
For the first time since becoming a Demon General—
He felt fear.
Real fear.
"...What are you?"
Lira didn't answer.
Because even she didn't know.
Her thoughts were gone.
Only one feeling remained.
Kael.
His forgotten smile.
His forgotten memories.
His forgotten promise.
And the fact that someone dared mock him.
The next second—
Lira disappeared.
Not fast.
Gone.
Shota blinked.
"...Where—"
Far beyond the battlefield.
Far beyond the kingdom.
Far beyond the continent.
Lira stood at the edge of space.
Stars stretched endlessly before her.
Worlds rotated silently.
Galaxies drifted through the darkness.
For a single instant—
She had crossed an impossible distance.
Then she vanished again.
Back on the battlefield—
Less than a heartbeat had passed.
Shun's eyes widened.
"...What?"
Eldarin stared upward.
"...Did she just..."
Liren couldn't even finish a sentence.
The air exploded.
Lira reappeared behind Shota.
Then above him.
Then below him.
Then everywhere.
Afterimages covered the battlefield.
Thousands.
Millions.
Every direction.
Every angle.
Shota couldn't follow.
His eyes couldn't track her.
His senses couldn't find her.
His domain couldn't predict her.
"...Impossible!"
The General of Pride swung wildly.
Nothing.
He attacked again.
Nothing.
Lira wasn't merely faster.
She was beyond his understanding of movement.
A fist struck his shoulder.
BOOM!
His arm shattered.
Before he could react—
Another hit landed.
His chest caved inward.
Another.
His leg broke.
Another.
Another.
Another.
Each strike landed before the previous one finished.
Shota screamed.
The proud general who once mocked kingdoms.
Who looked down on heroes.
Who believed himself untouchable.
Was helpless.
Completely helpless.
Lira finally appeared in front of him.
For a brief moment—
The battlefield became silent.
Purple energy swirled around her fists.
Tears still ran down her face.
"...Give him back."
Her voice trembled.
Not with weakness.
With grief.
Shota coughed.
"...I..."
For once—
The General of Pride had nothing clever to say.
Nothing arrogant.
Nothing proud.
Because looking into Lira's eyes—
He understood.
This wasn't a battle anymore.
This was punishment.
The shattered remnants of the domain fell around them.
Kael watched silently.
He didn't understand what was happening.
Yet his chest hurt.
Seeing Lira cry hurt.
Seeing her fight hurt.
Something inside him wanted to remember.
Wanted desperately to remember.
But he couldn't.
Lira looked at him for a moment.
Then back at Shota.
The purple aura intensified.
The sky cracked open.
Stars became visible in the daylight.
Even the Demon Realm felt the shockwave.
Far away, sitting on the Halfling throne—
Kensai slowly opened her eyes.
"...She reached that state."
For the first time—
The Sword Saint of the Demon Army looked concerned.
Because she knew something no one else did.
That form wasn't meant to exist.
And if Lira remained in it for too long—
Even reality might not survive.
To Be Continued...