In a dream like space, two forces collided with impossible speeds. Stars shimmered, caught within the grasp of a single hand. An old, weary voice whispered, "Why…? Why can I not feel young master's star breath? You monsters… what have you done?"
A second voice, sharp and calm, replied," We… or are you the monsters?"
The old voice was heavy as though he chanted something very ancient.
A giant starlight figure formed as all spirits started screaming. The dreamy space vibrated a little as the starlight seem to break apart from the other presence. But even more a giant trap formed of some incalculable matter bound the starlight as the voice muttered,"Haah...so you really were telling the truth.... you are a fake huh...."
The first voice fell silent. Both suddenly vanished. Only the lingering echo remained:" Then Let's prepare for the final…stage"
Around them, the void shifted. The dreamy space exhaled. Spirits and forgotten manifestations reemerged, fragile and fleeting, as if the space had woke up again.
...
Beyond the receding darkness, land was devastated. Clayren fended off the knight's attack as she muttered, "Looks like both sides jointly defeated the undead. "
Clayren asked ,"Tell me is that dakness hand .... something that the queen actually wanted?"
"Or is it just the puppet master..." as she looked around strangely.
The knight coughed blood as he stood up."Clayren you bitch.... Why should I tell you...? "
"This attack will decide the ...."
He suddenly stopped and then something happened.
His sword flew out of his grasp into the ground. Then a roar sounded bursting their ear drums.
It spiraled into a drake form and vanished into the sky.
Also, just then they saw two time stopping slashes that shined brightly for a moment as Clayren's body shook, "Its that attack..."
She was stunned for some time.
Suddenly her pupils dilated. A voice she hear near her ears, "What are you doing with that guy, Clayren.It has started already. Go near that manifested hand. Stop it already...Its becming something far more dangerous...."
Clayren came to her senses as she struck, pulled her sword high up and attacked the knight with a very powerful blow. The knight was without a weapon as he was sent into the distance.
She then vanished and appeared some distance away with strange art as though she was teleporting.
....
Kerin walked back, bruised and exhausted, Lythria at his side, her head bowed. His mind was tangled in thought. "So… they found Veer's hidden chamber. I shouldn't have listened to Veer that time. Everything… it's my fault."
As they passed, Rio removed his helmet. White hair flowing like Eleana's. His eyes were empty, his expressions frozen. "Pathetic…", he muttered.
Kerin said nothing as he looked at all the golden knights. Many of them were his friends once but none of them gazed at him.
As he passed by his cohort checked on him. One young knight, voice trembling, cried, "How… how could we be so useless? We couldn't even get past them!"
Kerin knelt, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's alright. Focus on Eleana. That's what matters now."
He turned to Lythria. "Bandage center. Let's go."
She nodded, grave, whispering, "I'm sorry… Kerin…"
He shook his head, calmly. "So many things are involved… better not act hastily."
Together, they moved to tend Eleana.
Lythria suddenly looked back as though she could see the blue knight as she muttered, her expression suddenly emotionless as she murmured, "Dance for a little more....until they arrive."
..........
Elsewhere, the blue knight ascended the castle stairs, slowly unveiling her helmet. Anyone who had known Veer, Eleana, or Kerin would have frozen at the sight.
She paused, glancing back. Time itself seemed to hesitate. Two brilliant flashes tore into the sky. Drudar shuddered. The dark clouds above cleared. Her face hardened with grim resolved as she muttered, "He is that strong....to be expected..."
"Anyway, I should make the final preparations..."
..........
Earlier, Sythris, John, Marvis, the Breavan knights, and the princess made their way toward the walls.
Sythris murmured, "What… was that earthquake just now?"
A knight returned, face pale, voice shaking. "Sir John… Lady Sythris… it's not good. The walls are falling. And… there's a massive pit in the distance."
John's gaze hardened. He turned to Marvis. "What did Majesty say before you left?"
Marvis' eyes darkened. "When the time is right… he will lead himself."
John nodded, sighing." Sythris… we move forward. Stay ready…"
Then time seemed to stop.
Two immense slashes tore across the sky. The air itself split, leaving everyone paralyzed. John whispered, "Unfathomable…"
Sythris froze, disbelief etched across her face. "Veer…"
She was stunned for some time then she suddenly turned around.
She turned abruptly, slapping the princess who was bound near her.
The princess was pretty much down now.
John looked at Sythris but said nothing.
Marvis muttered under his breath, "What… what was that pressure? Not even Myrell… not even the demon hand…emitted such pressure"
John took one last look and said, "Everyone we just retreat inside. Majesty had also a plan that if something really goes wrong ...we retreat and then also make civilians inside the royal castle.... The only safe place."
John's voice was steady, commanding. "To the castle."
As they retreated, the darkness stirred beyond. Slowly. Deliberately.
...
Earlier still, inside two quiet restaurants, the stylish woman murmured, "This..."*
Her companion's eyes narrowed. "Wait… were we missing this all along? Does that mean the sky is... ?"
At the exact moment Veer and his puppet unleashed the singularity slash, the first woman's voice hardened. "We… need to intervene. Now."
The martial woman readied herself—but the world faltered. Time and matter seemed to fracture. Patrons froze mid-motion. The child, frozen innocence, stared.
Strange voids erupted around them, writhing like living shadows.
Suddenly, silence fell. Then—like a bursting balloon, everything exploded. Blood sprayed. Screams cut short. The two women trembled, rage and disbelief flooding them. The little child's blood splattered across their faces.
From the void, a presence emerged. It dominated the space with gentle authority, and its voice echoed without sound: "Let's go elsewhere …"
And just as suddenly, the presence—and the women, vanished, leaving only a pool of blood.
....
Inside the underground....
A puppet laughed with its head opened as it muttered,"Free...F....ree am f.....ree....."
Just then something clicked and a sword went passed Veer and the barely holding onto lady in red.
They were both incapacitated as the sword was pulled out.
There was a presence standing near the puppet.
The grey knight.
The puppet suddenly turned and started to run aiming for a jump to get out. Suddenly it was pulled back into the underground with a strange force.
The grey knight muttered, "Everything went as was told only that strike from the variable was too powerful.."as he looked at Veer.
He then turned his head to the puppet. "So it was really a success. You are first of a kind..."
The puppet suddenly broke its left arm with its right arm like Veer was currently without left arm. It clenched the hand hard. So hard that the grey knight's pupils dilated.
The puppet held its hand like a katana as it tore through the distance. It laughed, "A giant ant..."
The hand was inserted into the grey knight as both crashed far away. The puppet...was almost broken ...but also bleeding...horrific joints with blood ....
It slowly crawled away ...
The grey knight could not move as he muttered," As expected the puppet has crossed the limits. But I Myrell of the Drudar kingdom will capture you..."
As he spoke his armor broke further and emerald light emitted from his body. Then he stopped moving as he said,"Activated...."
A huge circular blood circle with intricate design lit up ....in the underground. Blood froma all around flowed into the blood runes as slowly and slowly multiple strange circular blood runes manifested around the puppet. It screamed,"naahhhh.I m free...nahhhh..."
But it could not move.
After some time it completely stopped moving as it muttered, "Father.....Moth..er...."
The knight in the back pupils constricted as he muttered shifting his eyes between the bloodier Veer and broken and restrained puppet,"This ...this puppet… is actually that variable completely...."