The southern side of the City of Dawn trembled beneath the pressure of three monsters standing against each other.
Broken streets.
Collapsed walls.
Black smoke rising into the sky.
The palace wall behind them was already damaged from the earlier exchange, and lightning continued flashing above the city from the lingering power of the Black Sun Syndicate.
Zero and Isumi stood side by side.
Eryndor stood alone opposite them.
The wind around him crackled softly.
Then Isumi smiled.
"In the name of my lord Prince Luther…"
Dark curse symbols spread across his arm.
"I release the Curse of Sin — Gluttony."
BOOM.
A violent red aura erupted outward from Isumi's body.
His frame changed immediately.
He became taller.
Slimmer.
More unnatural.
A long red sword formed inside his hand, but the moment it appeared, thorn-like vines wrapped around the hilt and pierced into Isumi's palm.
The blade was feeding on his blood.
Yet instead of pain—
Isumi laughed.
The sword pulsed with hunger.
The air around it warped slightly as if it wanted to devour everything nearby.
Beside him, Zero raised his hand calmly.
"In the name of my lord Prince Luther…"
Black smoke spread from beneath his feet.
"I release the Curse of the Fallen One — Nameless."
The darkness swallowed his body.
When it cleared—
Zero no longer had a physical form.
His body was now entirely spiritual.
Shifting black smoke constantly moved around him while two glowing red eyes stared from within the darkness.
No face.
No flesh.
Only presence.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Even the air itself became heavy.
Eryndor looked at both of them calmly.
Then he spoke.
"Hybrid State."
CRACK.
Lightning erupted around his body.
His hair spiked upward slightly as black-and-white electricity danced across his skin.
Wind rotated around his feet.
The pressure of Storm Authority slowly spread outward.
Then—
Isumi vanished.
FTL speed.
He appeared directly in front of Eryndor and slashed downward with the red cursed blade.
The sword screamed through the air.
Eryndor moved slightly to the side.
The blade missed his face by inches.
At the same time—
Eryndor stepped on the sword.
BOOM.
The street cracked beneath the force as the blade was pinned to the ground.
Eryndor raised his right leg to kick Isumi—
—but Zero appeared.
A massive tentacle erupted from the black smoke of his spiritual body.
The tentacle expanded instantly into a gigantic black hammer.
WHAAAAM.
It smashed into Eryndor.
Eryndor crossed his arms and blocked.
Still—
the force pushed him backward across the broken street.
Stone shattered beneath his feet as he slid back.
Then he flipped once through the air and landed smoothly.
The moment he landed—
Isumi attacked again.
SHING. SHING. SHING. SHING.
Multiple red slashes tore through the air toward Eryndor.
Each slash carried curse energy strong enough to split buildings apart.
Eryndor dodged left.
Right.
Tilted backward.
Stepped forward.
Every slash barely missed him while exploding through the streets behind him.
Isumi suddenly appeared directly in front of Eryndor again—
—and vanished instantly.
Eryndor's eyes narrowed.
Above.
Zero opened his massive mouth inside the darkness.
A gigantic black beam erupted downward.
BOOOOOOOOM.
The attack swallowed the entire street.
But Eryndor planted his feet firmly into the ground.
Then moved both hands in a circular motion.
"Lightning Mirror."
A huge circle of light formed in front of him.
The black beam struck the circle—
—and instantly reflected.
Another lightning circle appeared behind Zero.
The reflected beam exploded directly into him.
WHAAAAAM.
Zero's spiritual body distorted violently.
The surrounding buildings shattered from the impact alone.
Isumi looked shocked for half a second.
Eryndor lowered his hands slowly.
"It's my turn to attack."
CRACK.
Lightning burst beneath his feet.
"Shadow Step."
The moment Eryndor's right foot touched the ground—
he disappeared.
Isumi's eyes widened.
Behind.
Eryndor appeared directly behind him and kicked him hard in the side with his right leg.
BOOOOOOM.
Isumi's body bent from the impact.
He was launched straight through the palace entrance.
Entire sections of the wall exploded apart as he vanished inside.
Dust erupted everywhere.
Zero roared and lunged toward Eryndor—
—but Eryndor simply raised one hand toward the sky.
"Storm Pressure."
The heavens darkened instantly.
Black clouds gathered above the battlefield.
Lightning cracked across the sky continuously.
The atmosphere became unbearably heavy.
Pressure descended over the surrounding area like an invisible mountain.
Zero's spiritual body suddenly slowed.
The black smoke around him trembled violently.
Even moving became difficult.
Eryndor stood beneath the storm calmly while lightning flashed around him.
Then he looked toward Zero.
And smiled slightly.