Dazareth raised his throne-blade again.
This time, it carried no law.
Only weight.
"This is the final judgment. Survive it, and I'll recognize you."
Leon didn't brace.
He stepped forward.
Every fragment of his journey rose around him.
Obsidian Floors.
Dwarven Fires.
Echoes of Time.
The Architect he freed. The team he built. The world he shaped.
And he struck—not with hate.
But with conviction.
The floor shattered.
The throne-blade cracked in two.
Dazareth was forced to his knees.
Silence fell.
Then the black sun cracked—and light poured in.
Tower System Update
Duel Complete – Victor: Leon Aetheren
Title Earned: Bastion Warden
Architect Acknowledgment: Dazareth – Status: Aligned
Legitimacy Confirmed
Throne Halls Access – Unlocked
Dazareth stood slowly, gaze steady.
"You are not a moment," he said.
"You are the beginning of a new era."
And for the first time in countless cycles—
He bowed.
Leon looked upward.
And the Tower opened.
A thousand layers waited.
