Dark energy swirled violently across the ruins of Velkar Temple.
The ground trembled beneath the feet of the newly transformed Void Apostle.
Black crystal armor covered most of his body now.
Dark wings of shadow stretched behind his back.
His glowing purple eyes stared down at Saksham and Orion with terrifying calm.
"You should have run when you had the chance," the Apostle said slowly.
His voice sounded deeper now, almost inhuman.
"The Void cannot be stopped."
Saksham stepped forward.
Fusion mana spun steadily between his hands.
Golden light and black darkness moved together like a living storm.
"We'll see about that."
Behind him, Orion raised his hand.
Golden energy gathered in his palm.
The surviving knights had already moved far away from the center of the battlefield.
Captain Leon watched nervously.
"This fight… is on another level."
The Void Apostle lifted one clawed hand.
Dark lightning wrapped around his arm.
"Let me show you the difference between borrowed power… and true power."
He vanished.
The next instant—
he appeared directly above Saksham.
His claw dropped like a falling blade.
Saksham reacted immediately.
"Fusion Guard!"
The swirling energy expanded into a shield.
CRASH!
The impact shattered the ground beneath him.
Cracks spread across the stone floor like spiderwebs.
Saksham's arms trembled as he held the shield.
The power behind that attack was far stronger than the Guardian's strikes.
Orion moved instantly.
"Solar Lance!"
A beam of golden light shot forward.
BOOM!
The attack struck the Apostle's side.
The force pushed him several meters back across the courtyard.
But the moment he stopped—
the wounds began healing.
Dark energy flowed through the cracks in his crystal armor.
The Apostle laughed quietly.
"You cannot win."
"This body is sustained by the Void itself."
Orion frowned.
"That regeneration will be a problem."
Saksham nodded.
"Then we destroy him faster than he can heal."
The Apostle raised his wings.
Hundreds of dark energy blades formed in the air around him.
They looked like sharp shards of shadow.
"Void Rain."
With a single gesture—
the blades shot forward.
They rained down across the battlefield like deadly arrows.
Saksham jumped forward.
"Fusion Pulse!"
The swirling sphere in his hands exploded outward.
A shockwave of golden-black energy shattered dozens of incoming blades.
But more continued falling.
Orion raised both hands.
A dome of golden light formed around them.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The dark blades crashed against the barrier and broke apart.
The Apostle watched with mild interest.
"Impressive teamwork."
"But it won't save you."
He lifted his arm again.
This time, a massive sphere of dark energy formed above him.
The air twisted violently around it.
Even Captain Leon felt the pressure from far away.
"That attack…"
"It's bigger than the Guardian's."
Orion's expression turned serious.
"If that hits the ground, the entire temple will be destroyed."
Saksham looked up at the growing sphere.
"I'll stop it."
The fusion energy gathered again in his hands.
But this time—
he focused harder.
Instead of creating a simple sphere—
he compressed the energy into a narrow shape.
Golden light and darkness spiraled tightly together.
Orion noticed immediately.
"You're changing the structure of the fusion."
Saksham nodded.
"More focused power."
The Apostle smirked.
"Try whatever you like."
Then he launched the attack.
The massive sphere of dark energy fell toward them like a meteor.
The sky itself seemed to darken.
Saksham stepped forward.
The fusion energy condensed into a glowing blade of swirling gold and black.
"Fusion Edge!"
He swung the energy forward.
A concentrated beam shot upward.
BOOOOOOM!
The two attacks collided in the sky.
The explosion shook the mountains again.
But this time—
Saksham's attack sliced through the dark sphere.
The energy meteor split into two halves and exploded in the air.
Fragments of dark energy rained harmlessly across the ruins.
The Void Apostle's eyes narrowed.
"That technique…"
Orion smiled slightly.
"He's adapting faster than expected."
Saksham raised his hands again.
The fusion energy gathered once more.
But the Apostle suddenly disappeared again.
The next moment—
he appeared directly behind Saksham.
His claw struck forward.
Saksham barely turned in time.
CRASH!
The impact threw him across the courtyard.
He slammed into a broken pillar.
Stone shattered around him.
Orion rushed forward immediately.
Golden light flared around his body.
"Solar Break!"
A powerful blast of light struck the Apostle's chest.
The explosion pushed the monster backward again.
But once again—
the wounds healed.
The Apostle slowly stood upright.
"You are persistent."
Then he raised both arms toward the sky.
Above them—
the unstable vortex began growing again.
The dimensional gate was opening once more.
Inside Saksham's mind—
the system flashed another warning.
SYSTEM ALERT
Dimensional Gate Reopening
Time Remaining: Unknown
Eliminate Void Apostle Immediately
Saksham stood up slowly.
Blood ran from a cut on his forehead.
But his eyes burned with determination.
Fusion energy formed again in his hands.
Orion stepped beside him.
Golden light gathered around his arms.
The two of them stood side by side once more.
Across the battlefield—
the Void Apostle prepared his next attack.
The final phase of the battle had begun.
To be continued…