The light vanished.
Silence devoured the Holy Arena of Solara—now nothing but a hollow carcass drifting in endless dark.
A single presence dominated all: cold, creeping… alive.
From the depths where Rein once knelt, a figure emerged—tall, lean, cloaked in living shadow. His eyes burned with violet fire, and his grin was carved from hunger.
The crowd gasped. For a heartbeat, no one breathed. Even light itself seemed hesitant to touch him.
"W-What's happening?" Master Seren muttered, stunned.
The Chief Captain of the Black Sun Guild, Vyre Lareth, the Eclipse Heir—the Soul Reaper—had appeared.
Every Guild Master rose to their feet in shock.
"What is he doing here!?" roared Master Rogar.
All eyes turned toward the Guild Master of Black Sun.
To their horror, his eyes glowed blood-red.
"What does this mean, Master Lucien?" asked Master Kareen.
But Lucien didn't answer. Slowly, he floated upward—joining his Chief Captain at the center of the Holy Arena.
Then Vyre spoke, his voice deep and venomous.
"You don't understand… The Obsidian Dominion Kingdom—the Black Sun Guild—has long pledged itself to Empress Seraphel Noctris. The Demon Empress!"
He grinned.
"And this man you call Master Lucien? He's merely one of my shadows."
Lucien's body dissolved—fusing into Vyre's shadow.
A ripple of dread passed through the arena before the darkness spread like wildfire.
Vyre summoned hundreds of living shades that swarmed the stands.
Students and nobles screamed—some fled, others drew their weapons.
The air was chaos, filled with echoing screams and the hiss of shadow meeting steel.
The S-Class Captains—Jaxom, Kaiya, Lyra, and Silas—leapt into action, fighting to protect the survivors.
Meanwhile, the Guild Masters stared as Vyre stood atop Rein's fallen body like a ghostly god.
His hand reached toward the frozen soul beneath the shattered floor.
"So pure," he whispered. "A soul forged in grief and resolve. This is all I need."
From the high towers, the Guild Masters stood in unison.
"Protect the soul!" roared Master Seren. "Don't let him take it!"
The arena erupted into a symphony of holy light as the Guild Masters descended.
Grandmaster Seren Aldric unleashed golden radiance that wrapped around the entire arena.
Master Elyndra summoned radiant vines of life that sprouted from the cracks.
Master Kareen Frostbane released a blizzard so cold it devoured even the lingering flames of Ravien's earlier attack.
Master Rogar Drayne, trembling with rage, slammed his hammer into the ground—holy magma bursting forth, scorching the shadows.
For a fleeting second, hope flared bright across the Holy Arena.
Then Vyre laughed—and hope died screaming.
"Four Guild Masters... and yet you tremble," Vyre said. "Don't you see? Your light was never enough to banish us."
The S-Class Chief Captains joined the fray, releasing their full might to shield Rein's fading body.
Eira's frost blended with Kareen's storm; Cyran and Elyra fought back-to-back against the abyssal monsters rising from the ground.
And amidst the chaos—Ravien, broken, bleeding, but alive, dragged himself toward Rein.
"Get away from him!" he shouted, forcing himself to move. Flames burst from his palm, forming a sword.
Though weak, it still burned with defiance.
He charged. "Leave his body alone!"
Vyre caught the blade between two fingers—then melted it into nothing with black magic.
"Pitiful," Vyre sneered. "You dare raise your hand against eternity, blasphemer?"
He drove his hand through Ravien's chest.
Time stopped.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
A scream tore from Rogar's throat, primal and broken.
"Ravien! My son!"
But Ravien didn't fall.
He gripped Vyre's arm—flames igniting once more, searing Vyre's skin.
"If I die… I'm taking you with me!"
The explosion roared through the void.
Light consumed everything.
For an instant, all that existed was fire and silence. Then the blaze faded—leaving only one figure still standing.
Vyre stood there… smiling.
Ravien lay broken on the ground, motionless.
The world froze in silence.
"I don't need you," Vyre said coldly. "His pure soul alone will grant me immortality."
Master Rogar's eyes widened. His voice cracked with disbelief.
"No… my son…"
Vyre's tone echoed like thunder.
"You mortals never learn. Sacrifice means nothing before eternity."
He snapped his fingers.
The Dominion formed.
The entire arena transformed into a floating graveyard beneath a crimson moon—an ocean of ruins suspended in void.
The ground screamed as reality split. Chains rose from the cracks, slithering like serpents.
Despair itself seemed to solidify, becoming the stage for Vyre's godhood.
Chains of black magic coiled around every Guild Master and Captain, sealing their power and severing them from the outside world.
Outside the domain, the students and S-Class Captains—Jaxom, Lyra, Silas, and Kaiya—fought desperately against the shadow beasts swarming the gates.
"This is my realm," Vyre whispered.
"The Requiem Abyss."
From the blood-red sky descended spectral warriors—corrupted echoes of ancient heroes, a thousand souls bound to Vyre's will.
The S-Class Captains clashed with them, unleashing forbidden arts just to survive.
Seren and Elyndra fought back-to-back—holy light colliding with endless darkness.
Kareen summoned her Frostveil Wyrm, whose breath froze even the crimson moon.
Rogar, consumed by rage, reforged Ravien's shattered sword from molten magma and charged.
"I'll kill you, monster!"
But their goal wasn't victory.
It was to stall Vyre—to protect Rein's soul for as long as possible.
Yet Vyre moved like smoke—untouchable, unstoppable.
Every attack phased through him; every spell, absorbed.
He raised his hand—shadow bindings erupted, restraining every Guild Master and Captain once more.
"Your resistance is meaningless," Vyre said with a manic grin. "When I ascend, I'll devour this world! I will become the King of Darkness—for Empress Seraphel!"
He turned to Rein's body, lifted it gently, and pressed his lips close.
A sinister light began to drain from Rein's chest.
"No…" whispered Kareen, trembling as she watched Rein's soul being drawn out through Vyre's mouth.
They could do nothing.
Then—
Master Seren's voice thundered.
"Even if gods or demons stand before us—this light will never bow!"
He unleashed a burst of blinding light.
Kareen screamed Rein's name.
The S-Class Captains threw everything they had left—magic, steel, blood.
But Vyre's hand closed.
And then—
A voice echoed through the Dominion.
Soft. Familiar.
"Stop."
A faint light flickered in the distance.
Ravien—barely alive—dragged himself forward, his voice defying death itself.
"Impossible…" Vyre muttered.
"L-let go of his body! I won't… let you have him!" Ravien growled weakly, forcing himself to stand.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Even Vyre paused, his feeding interrupted.
"You fool! What can you do, fragile mortal?" Vyre roared, forming countless dark spikes from shadow.
"I'll end you myself!"
Ravien screamed—a sound of pain, grief, and fury—unleashing the last of his fire.
Rogar struggled against his bindings, summoning flame; Seren's light flared brighter; Elyndra prayed.
Ravien, spent, collapsed to his knees.
The dark spikes rushed toward him.
"It's over," Vyre sneered.
Then—
Shing!
A single slash split the air.
The dark spikes disintegrated before touching Ravien.
A quiet hum followed. The world held its breath, unsure what force had intervened.
Everyone froze.
Even Vyre's grin faltered.
"What… is this?" he hissed.
Ravien, trembling, looked up.
Before him stood a small girl—her back turned.
Black hair tied up, tiny horns, small bat-like wings… and a heart-shaped tail swaying behind her.
"Y-you're… who?" Ravien whispered. "M-Miss?"
The girl turned slightly, smiling impishly.
"I told you to eat something sweet, didn't I? See? Now you're dying of hunger."
Everyone's eyes widened.
Vyre snarled. "A demon child!? Why are you here?"
His gaze sharpened as realization struck.
"You… you side with the humans? Traitor! A disgrace to our kind! Empress Seraphel will not forgive this!"
Lilith twirled her dagger playfully.
"Empress Seraphel? Hmph. Never heard of her. And I'm definitely cuter anyway."
The arena fell silent.
"Ha! It doesn't matter," Vyre barked. "You're just a child demon. Nothing can stop my ascension! That man's pure soul will make me eternal!"
Across the field—
"Miss Lilith?" murmured Master Seren.
"Lilith? Who's Lilith?" Elyndra asked.
"That girl… she's a demon?" Kareen said.
"But she just saved Ravien!" Rogar added.
"Master Seren! She's here!" Cyran shouted.
Seren exhaled.
"No… she's not our enemy, Master Kareen. Nor is she an ally. Prepare yourselves. What you're about to witness…"
His eyes hardened. "…defies comprehension."
Lilith hid her dagger and grinned at Vyre.
"Huh? Who said I'd stop you? You wanna be immortal? You need a hundred thousand souls? Then go ahead."
Everyone froze.
"Miss Lilith! Wait—what!?" shouted Seren.
"Shh… Grandpa, hush. No matter what you do, he has to become immortal." Lilith smirked, crossing her arms.
"What does she mean?" Kareen asked, trembling.
Lilith sighed dramatically.
"Ugh, you all forget who you're talking to."
Vyre snarled, no longer waiting.
He lunged—grabbing Rein's body again—and began sucking out the remaining soul.
Lilith swiftly grabbed the kneeling Ravien and moved to the spot where the Guild Masters and Chief Captains were.
"No! Rein!" screamed Kareen.
At that moment, they felt their dying hope.
To Be Continued...