The storm above the southern side of the City of Dawn still rumbled violently.
Black clouds churned.
Lightning cracked across the sky every few seconds.
The streets were destroyed.
Buildings had collapsed.
Fire and frost covered different sections of the city from the battles of the Black Sun Syndicate.
Eryndor floated in the air calmly while Storm Pressure continued to spread through the atmosphere.
Then—
BOOOOM.
Part of the palace wall exploded outward.
A figure shot through the debris.
It was Isumi.
But something was wrong.
His eyes were unfocused.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Saliva hung from his lips as he flew toward Eryndor wildly like an animal that had completely lost control.
The moment he entered the zone of Storm Pressure—
his body slammed into the ground.
BOOM.
The pressure crushed him into the broken street.
Eryndor looked down at him.
"Look at you," he said calmly.
"Using the power of curse symbolic magic and now you're not even in your right mind."
Isumi trembled violently.
His body struggled against the pressure.
Then slowly—
he stood.
CRACK.
Veins burst beneath his skin.
Blood started running from his eyes.
His ears.
His mouth.
Even his nose.
But despite that—
he still smiled.
Eryndor floated down and Isumi —
Then dashed toward Eryndor with madness in his eyes.
SHING. SHING. SHING.
He swung the cursed blade relentlessly.
Wildly.
Without rhythm.
Without control.
Eryndor dodged every slash effortlessly.
Tilt left.
Step right.
Lean back.
Pivot.
The cursed blade tore apart buildings behind him but couldn't touch him once.
Then Eryndor spoke softly.
"Lightning Pierce."
CRACK.
Everything became still for a second.
Isumi suddenly stopped moving.
His body froze mid-step.
Eryndor calmly walked past him.
In his right hand—
was Isumi's heart.
Still twitching slightly.
Eryndor looked at it once.
Then dropped it onto the ground.
PLOP.
Isumi's lifeless body collapsed moments later.
THUD.
Silence.
Then—
ROOOOOOOAR.
Zero screamed in rage.
The sound alone caused cracks to spread through the surrounding space.
The spiritual body of Nameless expanded violently.
Dozens of gigantic spiritual tentacles erupted from his back and rushed toward Eryndor from every direction.
The attacks were fast enough to tear apart the atmosphere itself.
But Eryndor simply moved.
One step.
Two.
Three.
He weaved through every attack smoothly while lightning flashed around him.
The tentacles destroyed everything they touched.
Buildings exploded.
Roads shattered.
The ground split apart.
Zero pushed harder.
The tentacles forced Eryndor backward into the remains of a broken street corner.
Then all the spiritual limbs combined together into one gigantic black hammer.
Zero roared.
And slammed it downward.
WHHHAAAAAAMMM.
The entire area exploded apart.
Dust covered everything.
The impact flattened multiple nearby structures instantly.
Zero breathed heavily.
Then slowly lifted the giant hammer.
But—
Eryndor wasn't there.
Zero's glowing red eyes widened slightly.
Above.
He looked upward.
Eryndor floated high in the air behind him.
In his hand—
was a gigantic spear made from rotating wind and lightning.
The spear screamed with cutting pressure.
Darkness swirled around it as storm clouds spiraled overhead.
Zero instantly dashed upward toward Eryndor.
But Eryndor's eyes glowed black and white.
"Heaven's Rend."
The darkness around the spear intensified.
Then—
he threw it.
BOOOOOOOM.
The spear broke the sound barrier instantly.
Zero tried to move—
too late.
The spear pierced directly through his spiritual body and his chest.
Then continued downward.
WHHHHAAAAAAMMMMM.
The spear struck the ground beneath the city.
A massive explosion erupted outward.
Several empty houses nearby were flattened instantly.
The earth split apart.
Wind pressure ripped through the southern district.
Then slowly—
the spiritual body of Zero started disappearing.
The black smoke faded away.
His true body appeared underneath.
A gigantic hole was visible through his chest.
Zero looked down slowly.
Then collapsed.
THUD.
Dead silence filled the battlefield.
The storm above slowly calmed.
Eryndor floated downward toward the broken street.
Then—
a voice echoed from the distance.
"I knew it."
Another voice followed immediately after.
"Follow the explosions and you'll find Eryndor."
Eryndor looked toward the road leading through the ruined city.
Then smiled.
Kaelus.
Darius.
Rein.
Stellar.
Tina.
Isly.
Alucard.
Dova.
All of them were walking toward him through the destroyed streets.
Some had blood on their clothes.
Others looked exhausted.
But every single one of them was smiling.
The Black Sun Syndicate had won.
Eryndor landed on the ground and folded his arms.
"What took you guys so long to get back here?"
Rein cracked his neck.
"I fought a few annoying opponents."
Isly twirled her staff once and smirked.
"I enjoyed my fight."
Stellar walked calmly with frost lightly forming around her breath.
"I froze my opponent to death."
Darius chuckled quietly.
Kaelus immediately pointed at Stellar dramatically.
"Hey hey Stellar why do you always resort to violence…"
Then he shrugged.
"Though they deserved it."
Alucard laughed loudly.
The atmosphere around the group finally relaxed slightly after all the fighting.
But then—
a voice echoed from inside the palace.
"The Black Sun Syndicate…"
The group slowly looked toward the palace entrance.
The voice continued.
"I've been hearing about you since a year ago."
Silence fell.
The palace doors slowly began to open.