The unchained Splinter of the Silent King was no longer a calm, serene being. The elegant, obsidian form had shattered, and what stood before them now was a terrifying figure of pure, swirling void.
It was a hole in the shape of a person, a walking patch of nothingness that drank the light and color from the world around it. The air grew cold, and a deep, soul-crushing silence fell over the Forge, a silence so profound it felt like it was swallowing sound itself.
This was a battle unlike any they had ever fought. It was not a fight against a person or a machine. It was a fight against the concept of "The End."
Ilsa was the first to act. With a defiant roar, she charged, her energy shield glowing brightly. She swung her combat dagger, a weapon that could cut through the hull of a starship, aiming for the center of the void-figure.
