"Where are you going?"
It was Nivaan's voice.
Hades turned sharply, his eyes widening as he saw Arthur (Nivaan) standing behind him. The man he thought was finished now stood alive, calm, and perfectly fine, with the other two still protected inside his sphere.
Nivaan didn't want to appear too strong in front of the siblings. He faked a small cough, spat out a hint of blood, and stepped out of the glowing sphere.
"You two go," he said, his tone cold but steady. "I'll stop him here alone."
"No, young master! We'll fight with you!" Tristan protested."Brother's right, you can't defeat him alone!" Elara added firmly.
Nivaan simply sighed, then snapped his fingers. The protective sphere around them began to float upward, drifting them away from the battlefield despite their cries.
"Young master Arthur!" both shouted as they were carried away by the sphere, their voices fading into the distance.
When they were gone, Nivaan exhaled and smirked. "Finally."
Hades sneered. "Zazaza… buying time won't help you survive today."
Ignoring him, Nivaan began stretching casually. "My body's still stiff from this suit. Let me relax first."
Hades frowned, confused. Then, without warning, he launched a blade of condensed blood energy. It tore through the air, only to stop mid-flight and hurl back toward him at double the speed.
The impact forced him a step back. "What, how?! That strike could've shredded that general!"
Nivaan's eyes glowed faintly as a brilliant light burst from his body. His suit burned away in golden flames, revealing a radiant symbol of the sun glowing on his forehead.
"Oh. Guess I'm naked now," he muttered dryly, before summoning a new suit around himself .
Hades' voice trembled slightly. "Where did you get the Sun Physique? That gift is only granted by Solvaar himself, it was given to Ulcric, the mountain warrior. How can you use it-"
Before he could finish, Nivaan ushed forward, his fist wreathed in blinding solar energy. The punch landed like a meteor, sending Hades skidding backward through broken stone.
"Stop your useless talk, bat."
He unleashed a storm of punches, each one blazing with radiant heat. The air cracked from the impact, though Hades managed to hold his ground, his heels carving trenches in the dirt.
"You think a copy of the Sun Physique can beat me?" Hades spat, swinging his twin blood-forged swords. "You need Solvaar's blessing to wield its true power!"
The two clashed, flame against blood, light against darkness. The ground beneath them shattered with every strike.
But Nivaan frowned. This physique's useless to me anyway.
He let the glow fade, withdrawing the Sun Physique entirely. "Let's end this," he said simply.
"Zazaza… DIE, vermin!"
Hades' blade swung through Nivaan's neck, and his head flew off, clean and swift.
For a brief second, silence reigned.
Then Hades laughed, "So that's all you were-"
He froze. His instincts screamed. Something immense stirred above the clouds, an overwhelming force that made even his corrupted blood tremble.
A figure appeared high in the sky, surrounded by floating orbs of light. The same face. The same eyes.
"Why are you still alive?" Hades whispered.
"Domain," Nivaan said.
A vast sphere of shimmering light expanded around them, swallowing both in silence. The world outside vanished; only emptiness remained within.
"Now we're free," Nivaan said quietly, "from the eyes of this planet's spirit whom the people here considers goddess."
Hades's confidence wavered. "What… what are you?"
Nivaan smiled faintly. "Let me collect my reward first."
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Hades.
A clean slice, and Hades' head fell before his body turned to dust, his voice fading into the void."How can my end… be like this…"
The vampire's remains dissolved into black ash, leaving only a faint glow behind — the armor and swords reverting into a single sphere marked with golden runes that radiated Solvaar's power.
[YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE CANDIDATE OF SOLVAAR]
[AUTHORITY OF STEALTH HAS PROTECTED YOU FROM THE EYES OF SOLVAAR]
[YOU HAVE COLLECTED FRAGMENT OF *****]
"So this was a fragment of *****..." Nivaan muttered, gazing upward. "Just what are you?"
The sphere faded.
Moments later, he sensed General Veldora approaching. Quickly, he faked some bruises and collapsed. A shattered orb appeared beside him, his crafted illusion of the "artifact."
"Young master Arthur!" Veldora shouted, landing beside him. He poured a healing potion into Nivaan's mouth.
Nivaan coughed weakly. "Cough… cough…"
"Don't speak, young master! Let's get you to the royal doctor!"
"I'm fine, General," Nivaan insisted, sitting up. "I've recovered enough." He needed to keep the doctor away, any healer would see through his fake injuries.
Tristan and Elara arrived moments later, rushing to him. "Young master Arthur!"
They were relieved to see him alive. Tristan's eyes caught the broken sphere beside him. "What happened to the artifact?"
Veldora and Elara both looked to Nivaan expectantly.
Nivaan sighed, lowering his gaze. "After the prince and princess left, the vampire tried to unleash another strike, but he couldn't handle the artifact's power. His body… exploded. I used my last sphere to protect myself, but I couldn't save the artifact."
The general's face hardened. "The artifact's loss will anger the Guardian Dragon. It was his gift to the kingdom."
"Yes," Nivaan said softly, masking his amusement. "I'll ask for the Guardian's forgiveness myself."
Tristan smiled faintly. "Don't worry, young master. The Guardian Dragon values life above treasure. He'll understand."
But he had no idea that the Guardian Dragon was already on its way to the kingdom. The dragon had suddenly lost contact with its artifact, which had vanished from the face of the planet. The last time it sensed it, the artifact had been in the hands of a vampire.
That artifact had been forged from a mysterious stone he discovered long ago. He had infused it with his own power, shaping it into the twin swords and armor.
He tried to seek help from the Spirit of the Planet, but she too remained silent, just like the dragon. Both found the situation suspicious, so they decided to move together.
Back to scene
"Young Master Arthur, we don't know where he resides. He only visited the kingdom once, to aid the founding king of Jelo," Elara explained."Oh, I see," Nivaan replied calmly.
But in his mind, he was grinning. Hell yeah.
But fate had other plans.
The ground suddenly shook, cracks snaking through the castle courtyard. A massive stone pillar erupted beside the royal palace, spiraling upward until it pierced the clouds.
"What the heck is it now…" Nivaan muttered, clearly annoyed.