Ceberus and Arion had now arrived at the outskirts of the metal dumping ground. The smell of rust and foul oil greeted them like the gates to a hidden hell. Arion shook his head slowly, his eyes sweeping across a sight he never knew existed in this city.
"I... didn't even know a place like this existed in Niagara."
Arion's voice was barely audible, laced with guilt and anger. "And to think, I've come here so many times with my late father. But he... never brought me to this side."
Zayan, who stood beside him, let out a long sigh before replying:
"Because it was hidden."
"The city government deliberately turned a blind eye and closed their hearts. They didn't want the central authorities to know a place like this existed, because that would mean... the city's budget would have to be shared."
"They chose profit over humanity."
Silence. Stillness. Only the sound of metal scraping against metal in the distance. Niagara City, seen from afar, looked like a metropolitan paradise—but beneath it, a hell like this simmered, waiting for the right time to explode.
The deeper they walked, the taller the metal piles became, like giant iron graves. Sunlight barely penetrated the fog and dust hanging in the air.
Suddenly, the dark sky was torn open by a pillar of light.
The light shot up, blinding—but it didn't come from Gavrilo as they had expected. It came from Nate. A sacred force burst forth without warning, piercing the metallic fog and shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Ceberus and Arion exchanged glances. Without a word, they dashed as fast as they could toward the source of the light.
When they arrived, the sight before them made their blood run cold.
Gavrilo and Nate had returned to their true forms.
They stood before Eizo and his siblings—like tiny gods from a forgotten age. Both radiated a pure yet deadly light, forming a barrier of energy to keep the Abyss monster from approaching.
Eizo stood in the middle of them, gaping. Unsure whether to feel fear... or awe.
At that moment, the symbol on Arion's palm began to glow. As if answering the call of destiny long written. The symbol—which matched the one on Gavrilo's hand—pulsed like the heart of the world awakening.
Without words, without signal... Gavrilo split himself.
In a single flash of light, his body dissolved and merged with Arion. Just like before—a golden mask appeared, covering Arion's face. That light was no ordinary light—it carried consciousness, strength, and Gavrilo's fury, uniting with the prince's body.
Arion was no longer fully himself.
He was Gavrilo.
A prince possessed by light.
A hero turned weapon.
And with a single thunderous step, Arion charged at the Abyss monster. His first strike hit the creature's chest so hard, the massive black body was hurled far backward—crashing through piles of metal and destroying one of the heavy machines.
The world trembled.
But this was only the beginning.