The ground beneath the magic circle began to shatter, opening an abyss of azure and black light that swallowed Cletus. His body was engulfed in spectral flames, and in the blink of an eye, he was no longer in that world.
He was on another plane now — a wasteland of black rock floating amid an opaque, sunless blue sky. The air felt still, sound was muffled, as if time itself had been suspended. In the center of that floating terrain, plunged into the ground, a sword emanated a cold, pulsing light.
Cletus walked slowly toward it. Each step made the ground tremble, and the wind began to circle in subtle whirlwinds. He stopped before the blade, staring at it with a mix of reverence and obsession.
The sword was magnificent: a long, narrow blade of silver metal covered in spiraling tribal inscriptions, reminiscent of wolf fangs and claws. The crossguard was shaped like lupine wings, and at its center — an engraved emblem of a silver wolf howling beneath a shattered moon.
"So, it's you..." he murmured, his voice echoing in the void.
"The sword of the Wolf-God... Ulysses."
Cletus removed the amulet from his neck —the one that had once been fused with the pendants he had stolen. The artifact glowed with red and blue light.
He raised it before the sword and, with a smile, said:
"Let's see if you recognize your true master."
The amulet began to warp, melting into liquid energy. This energy spread through the air and penetrated the blade, causing it to vibrate as if waking from a millennial slumber. An azure glow washed over the entire plane.
Cletus grasped the sword's hilt. The impact was immediate: the ground shook, thunder split the azure sky, and a brutal force began to flow through his arms.
With a cry, he ripped the sword from the ground — and the world around him transformed.
The rocks began to levitate, the blue sky fractured, revealing red and black rifts. Spectral chains shattered, and the ground reorganized itself into a colossal spiral.
Cletus raised the sword and a wave of energy enveloped him, molding plates of silver and shadow around his body.
The Lupine Armor of Ulysses had returned.
His pauldrons were like wolf jaws, the helm bore the divided lunar symbol, and his cape seemed made of living smoke. His eyes —one red and one blue — burned like embers.
"This is it... absolute power!" he roared, his voice echoing with two overlapping intonations, one human and one monstrous.
Meanwhile, at Twilight's Eye castle, Lucy reached the summit.
The wind was strong, the sky spinning in a red spiral laced with black lightning, and the ten monuments floated around the central circle, radiating energy.
She looked up and murmured with a defiant smile:
"Alright... let's crash this party, shall we?"
Without hesitation, Lucy advanced to the center of the circle. As soon as she stepped on the sigil, the ground reacted, and demonic energy lifted her into the air. Her body began to float, being pulled into the crimson spiral in the sky.
Inside the castle, Tory remained seated on the ruins of the hall, her head bowed. The air was dense, and the distant sound of demonic trumpets echoed.
Footsteps.
She raised her gaze and saw Nyra walking calmly down the corridor, her stare fixed straight ahead.
Tory tried to say something, but Nyra simply passed her in silence, opening a door that led to the west wing.
For a moment, Tory just sat there, watching the wolf's silhouette disappear into the gloom.
On the parallel plane — the Inner World of Ulysses — Lucy emerged, shrouded in a crimson mist, landing softly on the rocky ground. As soon as her feet touched the floor, a crushing pressure made her hunch over for an instant.
A shadow appeared behind her, moving at supernatural speed.
A blow cut the air — and Lucy, instinctively, raised her sword to block. The impact was brutal, exploding in a spray of blue and red sparks.
"Tch... what a warm welcome," Lucy muttered, spinning her blade.
Cletus stepped forward. He now wore the Lupine Armor of Ulysses, his eyes glowing in divergent hues, his sword aimed at her.
His voice was deep and distorted, as if several voices were speaking at once:
"Welcome... How does it feel to look upon the image of your father?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow, letting out a sarcastic laugh.
"It's like looking at an RPG warrior. But tell me, why are you sticking your nose in other families' business, huh? What's the deal, man, got nothing better to do?"
Cletus began to laugh — a thick, uncontrolled laugh. Lucy laughed along, mocking the situation.
"You can still joke in the face of absolute power?" he yelled, raising his sword.
"I feel the power flowing through my body! The power of the MoonKnight!"
But suddenly, his laughter turned into a scream.
The blue energy began to mix with a red shadow. Cletus contorted, his skin tearing and revealing muscles covered in incandescent runes.
Deformed wings began to sprout from his back; claws emerged from his hands; a third eye opened on his forehead. His skin turned gray and cracked, and his height increased to nearly ten feet.
The sound of breaking bones echoed as his voice became monstrous.
Lucy spun her sword in the air and took a step forward.
"Man... my father wasnt this ugly. You can tell just by looking." She pointed her blade at him. "But you know what? This form suits you better."
She smiled, confident, taking her combat stance and wielding, alongside her sword, Tory's spear that she had collected from the battlefield.
"Let's start the main attraction!" Lucy declared, her eyes glowing red, the wind whipping her silver hair.
The ground trembled. The sky split open in blue and red.
The final duel was about to begin.