Badum…

Badum…

"Master…"

Chu Su's voice echoed as Sword Demon slowly opened his eyes.

"Ahh… not over yet…" he muttered softly as he stood.

His wounds began healing rapidly as his strength surged higher and higher.

Finally

Sword Demon smiled.

All of Void's slaves were frozen in time.

His body shifted, morphing into his Aeron form

Then time resumed.

A Rank 4 aura erupted from him.

"Shit…"

None of Void's slaves could move. The pressure alone held them in place.

"So… you forcefully broke through to Rank 4," Void finally spoke.

Shock spread across his slaves' faces.

A forced breakthrough?

This wasn't a true advancement

But a false Rank 4 state.

A path that would make a real breakthrough even harder in the future. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

No Quasi Rank 4 being would choose this.

And yet…

Sword Demon did.

Once again showing how much his disciples meant to him.

"Sigh…"

Void exhaled.

For the first time

His expression changed.

Disappointment.

"You should stop now. Any further attack… and it becomes a fight to the death," Sword Demon said, glancing at the others.

They had once been comrades.

Loyal.

United under one master.

Now…

They stood on opposite sides.

He didn't blame them.

Nor did he try to persuade them.

All he wanted was one final battle with Void.

Nothing more.

"Sorry… can't do that."

Nyx shook her head as she entered her Aeron form.

The others followed, transforming into their demon forms.

None of them would force a false Rank 4 breakthrough like Sword Demon

But they would still fight with everything they had.

Boom…

Space shattered and rebounded violently.

All of Void's slaves except Linkir charged at Sword Demon.

Their speed was instantaneous.

But

Just inches away from him…

They stopped.

Their attacks froze in place.

Even as a false Rank 4

Rank 4 was still Rank 4.

The gap was absolute.

A difference in existence itself.

They were beneath him.

How could they possibly harm him?

Sword Demon waved his hand.

Instantly

Everyone was severely injured.

Their eyes widened in horror.

Deep wounds tore across their bodies, refusing to close.

Blood poured endlessly.

Even worse

Their power felt sealed.

They collapsed to the ground in shock.

Then

Their shock deepened.

Alayot was still standing.

Calm.

Unmoving.

"Sigh…"

Alayot stepped forward, appearing just inches from Sword Demon.

It was as if an invisible barrier prevented anyone below Rank 4 from even approaching him

But Alayot merely glanced at it…

And walked through.

Everyone inhaled sharply.

How was this possible?

No

The real question was:

How strong was Alayot?

They got their answer.

Bang!

Sword Demon's chest caved in as Alayot struck.

But it didn't end there

Alayot grabbed his head and slammed his forehead into him.

Thud!

Sword Demon staggered back a step, his eyes losing focus for a brief moment.

Everyone's understanding shattered.

Even a false Rank 4…

Was still far beyond them.

Yet Alayot had pushed him back.

Even one step

Spoke volumes.

But hope faded just as quickly.

"Hm…"

Sword Demon moved forward.

He grabbed Alayot's wings

And tore them apart.

Alayot was sent flying

Sword Demon followed instantly.

Appearing above him, he grinned and slammed the hilt of his sword into Alayot's head.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed as Alayot crashed through multiple layers of space.

A terrifying shockwave burst from his body enough to disintegrate multiple universes instantly.

Alayot coughed blood as he rose, his expression serious.

"It's no use…"

Sword Demon's voice came from behind him.

Slash!

Alayot was split in half.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

This…

This was overwhelming.

They knew Alayot was powerful.

But not this terrifying.

And yet

Even he was defeated.

Was this the end?

Could they not even stop Sword Demon from reaching Void?

Just as despair began to settle

Linkir appeared.

She walked forward calmly, her tail swaying gently.

Her demon form was fully revealed ...graceful, alluring

But beneath it…

Was something far more dangerous.

A terrifying power hidden deep within.

Even she didn't seem fully aware of it.

But the others felt it.

Their hearts trembled.

"Are you alright?" Linkir asked, glancing at the injured Alayot.

His eyes were dull as he responded,

"I'll live…"

His body began healing, but his aura was noticeably weaker.

He hadn't come out unscathed.

"Good enough," Linkir murmured.

Then she turned to face Sword Demon.

"I understand your guilt… your self-blame… your hatred," she said.

"Huh… do you really?" Sword Demon asked with an amused smile.

"I do," Linkir replied calmly.

Sword Demon burst into laughter.

"You do? How?"

"Have you ever watched your sister get tortured right in front of you?"

"Watched everything you had… taken away?"

"With no hope of ever getting it back?"

He sighed.

"You know nothing."

"I do. I'm a castaway. I watched my own uncle trade me away. The very people I laid down my life for… betrayed me. Fun part was

they did it in a blink of an eye. No resistance, no hesitation,

but they did it instantaneously and that's when i knew i meant nothing to them."

"Sword Demon… after that, I shouldn't trust anyone."

She paused.

"Yet I still trust you enough to have my back."

"So maybe it's not exactly the same…"

"But can you really say losing your loved ones is greater than being betrayed by them?"

"At least for you… your memories are filled with joy. Peace. Happiness."

"Mine?"

She shook her head slowly.

"They're filled with questions."

"Why?"

"Why couldn't they love me fully?"

"I did everything for them…"

"To protect them…"

She exhaled softly.

"So everyone carries their own poison."

Everyone fell silent.

One sought revenge for his disciple who watched his sister get tortured and killed… another disciple lost… entire worlds destroyed while the other protected her master.

The weight of it all pressed down heavily.

"That… was your disciple's fate," Linkir said slowly, her gaze shifting to Shen Ye.

"Fate?"

Sword Demon laughed.

"Watching your sister get tortured… then killed…"

"While you're forced to stand there and watch…"

He clenched his fist.

"Was that his fate?"

"Bullshit."

"Bullshit…"