The night sky above the royal capital had turned completely dark.
Massive clouds gathered in the north, forming a swirling storm that refused to fade. Lightning flashed deep inside the black clouds, illuminating the distant mountains again and again.
Saksham stood on the palace balcony, staring at that storm.
He could feel it clearly now.
The energy of the Void Guardian.
It was enormous.
Each surge of dark mana felt like a heavy pressure pushing against his chest.
Inside his mind, the system interface glowed faintly.
SYSTEM ALERT
Void Guardian Awakening: 85%
Royal Army Status: Critical
Recommended Action: Immediate Intervention
Saksham clenched his fists.
"They won't last much longer…"
Behind him, Orion leaned against the balcony railing, watching the same storm.
"You're right," he said calmly.
"The royal knights are strong, but that monster is no ordinary enemy."
Saksham turned toward him.
"Then we should leave immediately."
Orion nodded.
"Yes."
"But understand this first."
He stepped closer to Saksham, his expression more serious than before.
"The moment we step onto that battlefield, everything will change."
Saksham raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Orion folded his arms.
"The Void Cult knows me."
The wind on the balcony suddenly grew stronger.
Saksham remembered what Orion had revealed earlier—that he once studied darkness magic with the cult.
"If they see you," Saksham said slowly, "they'll recognize you."
Orion nodded.
"Exactly."
"And when that happens, they won't just focus on the royal army anymore."
"They'll focus on us."
For a moment, the two of them stood silently under the stormy sky.
Saksham then asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Why did you really leave the cult?"
Orion looked away for a second.
His usual calm expression became distant.
"When I joined them," he said quietly, "I believed we were researching forbidden magic for knowledge."
"But eventually I discovered their true goal."
Saksham crossed his arms.
"The Void Guardian?"
Orion shook his head.
"No."
"The Void Guardian is only a weapon."
Saksham felt a chill.
"Then what is their real goal?"
Orion's eyes hardened.
"They want to open a gate."
"A gate?" Saksham repeated.
"To something that exists beyond our world."
The wind howled across the balcony as Orion continued.
"The Void Guardian is only the first step."
"If it reaches full power, it can tear open the barrier between dimensions."
Saksham stared at him.
"And what comes through that gate?"
Orion answered with a single word.
"Disaster."
For a moment, the only sound was the distant thunder from the northern mountains.
Saksham looked back at the storm.
"So if we stop the Guardian…"
"The ritual fails," Orion finished.
Saksham nodded slowly.
"Then that's exactly what we're going to do."
Orion smiled faintly.
"I like your confidence."
"But confidence alone won't defeat that monster."
He pointed at Saksham's hands.
"Show me the fusion again."
Saksham took a deep breath.
Golden light gathered in his right hand.
Dark energy formed in his left.
Instead of forcing them together, he moved his hands slowly in a circular motion.
The two energies began orbiting each other.
Light and darkness spun faster and faster.
Then finally—
they merged.
A swirling sphere of gold and black appeared between his palms.
Fusion Mana.
The power vibrated through the air.
Orion nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"But remember something important."
"This is only the beginning."
Saksham frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Orion stepped forward and lightly touched the fusion sphere.
The energy immediately doubled in size.
Saksham's eyes widened.
"Your fusion is still unstable," Orion explained.
"You can create it, but you can't maintain it in battle yet."
Saksham slowly closed his hand, letting the energy disappear.
"So I still have a long way to go."
Orion shrugged.
"That's how growth works."
He then turned toward the palace doors.
"Come on."
"We're leaving."
Saksham followed him inside the palace corridor.
The halls were quiet.
Most soldiers had already been sent to reinforce the northern front.
Moonlight shone through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the floor.
As they walked, Saksham asked another question.
"How are we getting there?"
Orion smiled slightly.
"We won't walk."
A few minutes later, they reached the royal stables.
Several armored horses stood inside, ready for travel.
But Orion walked past them.
Instead, he stopped in front of a much larger creature.
A black winged beast rested inside a separate enclosure.
It looked like a mix between a horse and a dragon.
Saksham stared at it.
"What is that?"
Orion opened the gate.
"A royal wind drake."
The creature lifted its head and looked at Orion.
"Long time no see," Orion said.
The drake snorted softly, as if recognizing him.
Saksham looked surprised.
"You know this thing?"
Orion shrugged.
"I used to travel a lot."
He climbed onto the creature's back and extended a hand.
"Coming?"
Saksham hesitated for only a second before grabbing Orion's hand and climbing up behind him.
The wind drake spread its massive wings.
The stable doors burst open.
Then—
with a powerful leap—
the creature launched into the sky.
The capital quickly shrank below them.
Cold wind rushed past as they flew north.
The storm ahead looked even larger from the sky.
Lightning flashed constantly inside the black clouds.
Saksham looked toward the distant mountains.
"That's where the battle is happening…"
Orion nodded.
"Yes."
Below them, the dark forest stretched endlessly.
But in the distance—
they could finally see it.
Velkar Temple.
The ruins were glowing with dark energy.
And even from the sky—
they could see the enormous figure standing in the middle of the battlefield.
The Void Guardian.
The monster roared again.
The sound echoed across the mountains.
Saksham felt the pressure of its power even from this distance.
Inside his mind, the system flashed one more warning.
SYSTEM ALERT
Void Guardian Awakening: 88%
Time Remaining: Unknown
Saksham stared at the monster below.
Then he slowly clenched his fists.
"This ends tonight."
The wind drake descended toward the battlefield.
And the real fight was about to begin.
To be continued…