In the heart of the dimensional rift, where there were no walls nor sky—only space torn by silence—Sajibro stood, raising the Blade of Illusion… and in his eyes sparked a flame the commanders had never seen before.
Then he spoke, with a voice that split the cosmos:
"The time for division has come… Open the gate."
The void tore apart, and a massive spatial gate formed above the armies, encircled by the ancient sigil of shadows, from which a vortex of energy erupted—swallowing the silence.
And from the heart of the Demon Kingdom… the seven commanders slid out, one by one, as if uprooted from their very essence.
Each of them was cast into a separate dimension, facing one of the Shadow Commanders:
Hana confronted the Glass Woman, who could reflect any attack.
Kuruma faced an enemy who manipulated temporal poisons.
Leon Azur entered a clash with one who split the earth with his very body.
And so… the battles were set.
But the strongest among them—a man whose aura shattered as he was thrown—landed where no sound or motion existed… only shadow.
And as he hit the ground, he lifted his gaze.
There sat Arthur, on a black stone, in a meditative pose, his sword planted beside him. His black cloak fluttered despite the still winds, and his eyes were closed—as if dreaming of a better war than this one.
He opened his eyes.
"I thought you'd send him at last…" he said calmly.
He rose from his place and slowly drew his sword. The ground beneath him absorbed a spark unlike any his enemy had ever seen.
The battle began.
Clashes unseen. Shockwaves tearing through space. Arthur's sword moved with deadly precision.
But the opponent… was no ordinary foe.
He was the Commander of the Adaptive Body—each strike reshaped him, and every stab gave him new resistance.
Arthur was forced to retreat—for the first time since the birth of The Wound.
The battle dragged on, side-worlds trembled, and the other commanders felt the pressure coming from Arthur's dimension.
In a flash, Arthur's fist met air—his opponent appeared behind him, ready for the final blow.
But Arthur…
Smiled.
"The Oblivion Cannon… won't remain what it once was."
He pulled his sword back, and it was engulfed in a darkened light—one that seemed to devour the very concept of light.
Then he declared:
"Ultimate Version – Oblivion Canon!"
He unleashed the strike.
It wasn't energy—but a shard of space-time itself. It pierced the enemy's body, froze him in place… and shattered him before his existence ever began.
The enemy fell.
Silence ruled.
Arthur stood alone… surrounded by smoke, his sword glowing.
He whispered, barely audible:
"Next."
End of Chapter Forty-One.