Dust still hung in the air of the Colosseum. Time seemed to stand still as the figure stepped into the light.
A face half-covered in shadow, yet its features were unmistakable.
Valerian.
Altair backed away a step, as if the ground beneath him was crumbling. His hand trembled, pointing aimlessly.
"N-n-no... this can't be... I must be having a nightmare... this must be magic!"
But the more he denied it, the clearer the face became. A vacant look. His father's gaze—soulless.
Feran gritted his teeth. His eyes welled up, though he tried to hold back.
"F-Father...?"
His voice cracked, like a lost child.
In a flash, memories consumed him.
He was a little boy again, sitting on Valerian's back. His father's laughter echoed as he ran through the village fields.
"Hold on tight, Feran. You're my little knight."
Meanwhile, Altair remembered his father's large hand gripping his, leading him down a rocky path towards home.
His mother fed them both at a simple wooden table, Valerian smiling warmly from across the table.
"Look at my family... I will protect you until the end."
Those memories collided brutally with the empty figure before them now.
The father who was once so warm... was now just a shell.
Altair fell to his knees. His hands covered his face.
"Why... Why are you here, Father...?"
Feran bowed his head, his shoulders shaking.
"This... isn't real... it's not our father... this isn't him!"
Quartzis, in contrast, clenched his fists. His eyes were filled with rage.
"Father? Hah... he's nothing to me! If this is the man you call father, look... now he's just their puppet!"
Lazric scoffed, swallowing as hard as he could to hide the turmoil within him.
"First time I see my father directly... and he's like this? Haha... damn it... what a cruel world!"
He lit a spell in his hand, his voice trembling though he tried hard to sound cold.
"I don't care if he's our father or not. They've been playing with us!"
But none of their younger brother's words could heal the wounds of Altair and Feran.
Their hearts felt squeezed.
And the reality, no matter how bitter... still stood before their eyes.
Dust still swirled in the air. Valerian's aura—their father's—was so real, but Altair and Feran seemed to refuse to believe it.
Quartzis took a half-step forward, his breath catching, but he tried to speak.
"Brother... please, calm down..."
But Altair didn't move, his eyes red, staring at his father's figure which now stood like a soulless puppet. Feran was even worse—his whole body was rigid, as if the world had collapsed before his eyes.
Lazric swallowed, then looked at Quartzis. They both knew... for them, this was the first time seeing their father. They didn't have many memories—only stories, only fragments of the past that Professor Aldemar had given them.
And as if time itself had bent, they both remembered that day.
In a room full of books and magical tools, Professor Aldemar sat in an old rocking chair. In his hand, a faded photograph: himself standing with a man with a stern face—Valerian.
Quartzis, who was a small child at the time, sat on the floor hugging his knees.
"Prof... what kind of person was father? And... when can I meet him?"
Aldemar fell silent. His gaze fell upon the photo, before his lips let out a long sigh.
"Ehhmm... that..."
Lazric, still a child but full of mischief, interrupted with a pouting face.
"That's right! I want to see my father too. It's so mean of him to leave us with a cruel Professor... rawrr!"
Professor Aldemar laughed softly, pretending to be offended.
"Haha, you naughty boy. Your father..." He paused for a moment, as if searching for words. "He was a strong, great, smart person. It's hard to describe him, but... he was also very kind. Maybe a little too protective, and yes... a bit of a cold facade. And don't forget—his annoying arrogance."
Quartzis and Lazric at the time were just silent, their eyes wide, absorbing every word. For them, their father was just a distant shadow... but a warm one.
Now that shadow stood before them. Real, but twisted into an enemy's weapon.
Quartzis clenched his hand, his eyes hot, holding back tears.
"Brother Altair... Brother Feran... listen. I know this hurts. But that's still our father. We can't lose control in front of them!"
Lazric stepped forward, trying to close the gap between his brothers who were on the verge of collapsing and the crushing reality.
"That's right... we can't fall here. You knew father better than we did, but precisely because of that—don't let them play with your memories!"
But those words were like hitting a blank wall. Altair was still trembling, Feran was still staring blankly, while on the other side Spectralis just smiled with satisfaction, enjoying the deepening wounds.
Rex let out a long sigh, his voice a hoarse rumble.
"Aaah... annoying. This sad moment is ruining the atmosphere. Come on, Nocturnus, let's just finish them off."
Nocturnus turned, a faint smile on his pale face.
"You're right. The cries of grief are boring my ears."
Rex laughed, his bones rattling.
"In that case... let's change the atmosphere a bit."
He rotated his hands, and from the black ground nearby, a dark portal opened. The stench of death wafted out as several of his soldier skeletons stepped out, each carrying a strange musical instrument made of bone and rusted metal.
One of them sat down in front of a rickety piano with missing keys. Its bony fingers began to press down slowly.
Treng... treng... treng...
The notes were chaotic at first, but gradually formed a rhythm—a war song, loud, hitting the air like a giant hammer striking anyone's chest who heard it.
Rex stomped his foot, then jumped into the arena with a boisterous laugh. His black magic swirled, forming a magic circle beneath him. From there, a terrifying scythe appeared: its handle from a long rib cage, its base a vulture's skull, and its black blade curved long. A jagged jaw was attached to its base, as if ready to bite.
Nocturnus followed, descending with an elegant motion. He drew his sword from its scabbard—suddenly the silver sword seemed to split like a mouth, the double blade gleaming pale silver with a red streak of blood flowing along its side. Near the hilt, an engraving of a toothed mouth seemed to clamp and open slowly, as if the sword were alive and hungry.
Altair, Feran, Quartzis, and Lazric tensed up. The aura of the two enemies was already oppressive enough, but it didn't stop there.
A dark shadow enveloped the arena. From above, Valerian jumped down with a hard thud, the ground cracking under his feet. His gaze was empty, his face cold, his body stood stiff yet still radiated an undeniable power.
Spectralis just smiled, his hands crossed.
"Well... this is the real show. The music has started, the audience is ready. Let's see... if these four siblings can survive on stage."
The arena trembled. The skeleton's war song got faster.
Feran clenched his fist, his teeth chattering, holding back his emotions. His gaze shifted from Valerian's empty face to the cracked ground beneath his feet. His breath was heavy, but finally he growled.
"Hhh... damn it. I got too carried away."
He turned to Altair with a loud voice.
"Altair, snap out of it! That's not father! It's just a shell, a puppet moved by the enemy! We can't linger here!"
Those words were like a whip. Altair bowed his head, his fingers trembling, covering his face. For a moment he was just silent, then he roughly wiped the tears that had welled up in his eyes. Slowly he stood back up, his body straight, his eyes ignited with a new fire.
Quartzis and Lazric exchanged glances—a satisfied smile formed on their faces. Finally, their two older brothers had risen again.
"That's it..." Lazric whispered while lifting his hand as if gripping something.
"Now we're complete." Quartzis added, his eyes sharp, staring at the enemy.
The four of them now stood in a line. The night wind hit their faces, carrying dust and the dark piano notes still being played by Rex's skeleton.
Altair drew his sword, cold light reflecting from its blade.
Feran grabbed his dagger, planting it into the ground once before lifting it high.
Quartzis clenched his gauntlet, which glittered with crystal energy.
Lazric had already raised his hand high, a spell swirling around him.
They took their stances.
Four siblings. Four resolves.
On the upper stands, the villains watched.
Fulguran and Veyron sat silently, their sharp gazes weighing every movement.
Spectralis just grinned widely, his smile thin but full of satisfaction, as if this show was made specifically for him.
Sylvia and Kael, who usually always bickered, were now silent—their eyes fixed on the arena.
Riftbreaker casually opened a packet of yesterday's Yeti meat, chewing it while watching.
Meanwhile, Umbranox... his gaze was not on the fight, but on Riftbreaker who was eating casually. A small smile escaped his lips before he quickly hid it; yes, he was hiding his affection in front of Riftbreaker.
BOOOOOM!
The first attack exploded.
Lazric, quick as a flash, cast a spell—a blue lightning bolt struck the air, zapping straight towards Rex.
But Rex just raised his hand, as if flicking away dust. The lightning bolt veered off, disappearing without a trace.
"Heh... so light." he said with a bored chuckle.
Nocturnus immediately lunged forward. The toothed sword was unsheathed, its silver blade reflecting a blood-red light as it was swung towards Lazric.
But Feran was quick, his dagger clashing hard with Nocturnus's blade. The sound of metal was deafening, red sparks igniting from the enemy sword's pattern.
On the other side, Altair was already facing Valerian.
His lips trembled, but his eyes were now without a doubt. He gripped his sword tightly—and stared straight into his "father's" eyes.
Valerian advanced. His steps were heavy but fast, the silver sword flying with deadly precision. When the blade was raised, a blinding light exploded, enveloping the arena.
WOOOOSH!
Instantly the entire colosseum was bathed in light.
The villains in the stands, closed their eyes for a moment.
Altair blinked, but the light... was familiar.
A childhood memory slipped in—his father from before, with a proud smile, had once shown him that light.
"Father..." Altair whispered.
"Tell me a bedtime story."
"Alright, father will tell you about his adventures, do you want to hear? "
"Of courseeee"
He remembered Valerian's story from long ago—about his meeting with angels. How he fought by their side against monsters from the underworld. And in return, the angels taught him the secret of the Light Element.
Now, before Altair, the power that was once a father's pride... was now a weapon to kill his own son.
BOOM—!
Lazric's lightning bolt hit the arena, but Rex just laughed, parrying it with a swing of his scythe as if splitting the wind. Small skeletons emerged from the ground, trying to grab their feet.
Rex: "Aaagh, delightful! Let's give your blood a rhythm!"
Quartzis moved forward, his crystal gauntlet hitting hard, causing the ground to crack. Quartz crystals emerged, forming a shield and also a spear to stab Rex. But the skull scythe moved quickly, breaking the crystals one by one.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Feran drew two daggers. His body moved quickly, almost like a shadow, each step creating a flash of iron that emerged from the ground as a sudden stab. Nocturnus parried with his vicious-mouthed sword, each clash producing a sound of grinding teeth. Occasionally, zombies would emerge from the darkness, attacking Feran's back, but they were struck down by his sharp daggers.
Nocturnus: "Fast. But not fast enough to save you."
Feran: "Hmph... we'll see."
In the center of the arena—Altair faced Valerian head-on.
Sword against sword. Gold against silver.
Every one of Valerian's swings reflected a bright light; silver walls appeared, reflecting a blinding glare. Altair was forced to close one of his eyes, but still attacked with the gold he summoned, forming a solid shield and an additional blade.
The flash of light got stronger. Everyone in the arena closed their eyes.
Rex: "Aaagh! My eyes hurt—and I don't even have eyes! Annoying!"
He patted his skull, then laughed loudly.
Rex: "Alright... let's get out of this light."
BRUMM_!!
A wave of blacknes enveloped Rex, Lazric, and Quartzis. In an instant, they disappeared from the main arena.
When they opened their eyes, the ground beneath their feet had changed:
An ocean of bones stretched as far as the eye could see. Black walls loomed, filled with skull engravings. The air was stuffy, full of the whispers of death.
Quartzis: "W-where are we?"
Rex: "Hahahaha... Welcome to my domain."
Outside the arena, Kael stared in confusion.
"Huh?! Where did they go?"
Riftbreaker, while chewing on Yeti meat, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Damn you, Rex. I wanted to enjoy that fight... but you took it to your domain instead."
Umbranox glanced for a moment, but his eyes were actually focused on Riftbreaker who was busy eating, not on the battle.
Spectralis just smiled widely, as if waiting for something even crazier to happen.
Fulguran stared intently at Altair and Valerian, his eyes narrowing, serious.
Veyron crossed his arms, saying nothing, just watching the duel between father and son.
. . .
Lazric's breath began to grow ragged, sweat mixed with blood dripping from his temple.
"Hhh... damn... my energy... I feel too tired just to lift my hand..."
Rex walked casually, his scythe spinning, his skull's shadow dancing on the domain's walls.
"You're weak, little boy. You're just entertainment... go ahead and scream for me again."
His scythe slashed Lazric's shoulder—blood spurted out. Lazric screamed, his body falling into the ocean of bones. Rex stepped on his chest, pressing slowly as if he were testing a new toy.
"Aaarghh!!"
Quartzis froze, his eyes wide. His heart was shaken by a mix of fear and rage.
He whispered to himself, his voice almost breaking:
"I... am useless. Altair and Feran are always great in a fight. Lazric can even create amazing magic. Me? I can only punch... punch like an idiot. I... am just a burden."
His hands trembled. Then the earth beneath him cracked—CRACK!
Giant crystals loomed from the ground, erupting wildly out of control. An aura of bluish-purple mana exploded, forcing the air in Rex's domain to tremble.
"Wh—?! What is this?!" Rex immediately summoned a giant purple magical shield.
But Quartzis had already lost control. His body shot forward like a projectile, swallowed by the light of the crystals.
BOOOM!!
He hit Rex so hard that the purple shield shattered into pieces. Crystals pierced through him, destroying Rex's bones until the skeleton's body was sent flying into the domain's wall.
Meanwhile, Altair was still locked in a sword duel against his father. Each silver slash reflected the light, blinding the eyes.
Altair closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke in his heart:
"I can't beat Father. I've tried… it's impossible. The only way… steel debris."
Memories struck him—a scene from the war of the underworld. How at that time, out of control, that power flowed from him, wiping out thousands of troops in an instant. The cries and screams still echoed.
"But if I don't use it now… everything will be over. I must… even though I'm afraid."
Altair released his sword. The gold surrounding him crumbled—replaced by dark black metal fragments that emerged from the air, glittering coldly.
Steel debris.
The metal enveloped his body, forming a jagged, serrated armor. A dark black sword formed in his hand. Every movement of the armor emitted a heavy sound like the underworld breathing.
Sylvia's eyes widened, covering her mouth.
"What is that? What is that black metal?!"
Kael also gaped.
"I… can't even feel it with my magic…"
Riftbreaker, whose flesh was already gone, for the first time stood up with full focus.
"That's steel debris. Underworld ore. Harder than diamond, resistant to thousands of degrees of heat. To forge it alone requires it to be mixed with gold… but him? He controls it."
Kael turned, his face pale.
"Is it true… that strong?"
Riftbreaker: "Undoubtedly."
Spectralis chuckled, his eyes glowing wildly.
"Hahahahaha… this is what I've been waiting for! Show me, Altair!!"
Veyron clicked his tongue, his eyes sharp towards Spectralis.
"Be quiet. Focus. You're enjoying this too much."
Fulguran didn't speak. In his heart, he looked straight at Altair who was now enveloped in black metal.
"That golden boy… it turns out he has a black metal awakening. They… really are not to be underestimated."
The arena was boiling—their attack after attack reflected large sparks. The fight was starting to draw to a close.