Time itself seemed to distort in Damon’s perception, stretching unnaturally as his eyes widened, fixed entirely on the sight of Mira struggling helplessly in Ethan’s grasp, her feet barely touching the ground as her fingers clawed weakly at the arm around her throat, her breath breaking into strained, desperate gasps that echoed louder than the entire battlefield combined.

A single thought surged through him.

No... she can’t die.

Not here.

Not like this.

Something within him snapped, not in a sudden explosion, but in a deep, violent unraveling as a dark haze began to seep outward from his presence, faint at first before rapidly thickening, black smoke trailing from the corners of his eyes like a slow-burning fire, while jagged streaks of darkness crept through his white hair, staining it unevenly as though something buried deep inside him had finally broken through the surface.

And then—He moved.

Not with speed alone, but with something far more overwhelming, as his figure blurred across the distance in an instant, closing the gap before Ethan could react, his leg driving forward in a precise, brutal strike that connected with Ethan’s side and launched him away from Mira with crushing force, tearing her free from his grip as her body collapsed onto the ground.

Mira fell hard, coughing violently as air rushed back into her lungs, her body trembling as she looked up, her vision unsteady, only to freeze at the sight before her, where Damon stood with smoke rising steadily from his eyes, his presence altered into something far more intense, far more unstable, something that made even her instinctively recoil in fear.

Before she could process it—

He moved again.

In a single seamless motion, Damon was already in front of Ethan’s collapsed form, his fist driving down without hesitation, striking with a force that reverberated through both flesh and metal, the impact echoing sharply as Ethan’s head snapped back under the blow.

He did not stop.

His fist rose and fell again, then again, and again, each strike heavier than the last, each impact carrying an increasing lack of restraint as the assault turned relentless, almost mechanical in its repetition, yet fueled by something far more primal, far more violent, as Ethan’s half-mechanical body trembled under the barrage, exposed circuits sparking, metal bending and cracking as the structure that held him together began to give way.

And yet—

Within that chaos—

Damon’s thoughts remained.

I... can still think.

The realization cut through the storm of motion, even as his body refused to slow.

My mind is still in control... how...?

His fists continued to fall, faster now, more aggressive, yet his awareness did not fade with it.

There’s aggression... my body is harder to control... but my thoughts... they’re still steady...

Then, like a thread connecting everything together, a memory surfaced within him.

"My resonance blurs their intent to attack, calming their aggressiveness and suppressing hostile impulses."

Serena.

It’s her resonance... Angelic Retribution...

Understanding settled even as his body refused to stop, his strikes driving Ethan further into the ground, reducing what remained of his form into something barely recognizable, a broken amalgamation of twisted metal and shattered flesh.

Through it all, Ethan laughed.

Not loudly.

Not strongly.

But persistently.

"Hahaha... so this is how it ends... huh..."

Damon did not respond, his fist rising once more before crashing down again with unrelenting force, the sound of impact echoing again and again across the vast floor.

Then, without warning, Damon grabbed Ethan’s mechanical arm, his grip tightening as he tore it free with brutal strength, the limb ripping apart at the joint as wires snapped and metal split, a distorted scream tearing from Ethan’s throat, layered between human pain and mechanical feedback.

"You deserve it," Damon said, his voice cold, devoid of hesitation.

His fist struck again.

And again.

Each impact landing with the same merciless consistency as Ethan’s voice continued to break through between blows, his laughter fractured, interrupted, yet still present.

"Hahaha... I... guess... I... do..."

Even now—

He did not deny it.

Then, barely holding together, Ethan spoke once more, his voice fading, yet still reaching through the chaos.

"But... what would you have done... in my place...?"

Damon’s fist clenched tightly, the motion pausing for just a fraction of a second before he drove it forward one last time into Ethan’s chest, the force lifting his upper body slightly before it fell back down, completely helpless, no longer capable of resistance.

Damon slowly straightened.

Looking down at him.

His breathing steady.

His expression unreadable.

And after a brief silence, he answered, his voice calm, yet absolute.

"I would never be in your place."

Damon slowly turned away from Ethan’s broken form, the remnants of that violent surge still lingering faintly in his posture, only to find Mira and Serena standing a short distance away, both of them watching him with guarded expressions, their bodies tense as though unsure of what he might do next, while Serena instinctively stepped forward, placing herself slightly ahead of Mira with her whip already in hand, her stance firm and ready despite the exhaustion evident in her frame.

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

Then—

The change began.

The black smoke that had been seeping from Damon’s eyes started to recede, thinning and dissolving into nothingness as the unnatural intensity around him faded, the dark streaks that had spread through his hair slowly withdrawing until the strands returned to their original white, while the sharp, unstable edge in his gaze softened, clarity returning as control fully settled back over him.

With that—

The strain hit.

His body faltered slightly as exhaustion crept in all at once, the weight of the battle catching up to him as he dropped down onto one knee, his grip loosening around the sledgehammer as his breathing deepened.

Mira reacted instantly.

Without hesitation, she rushed toward him, her hands already glowing with a soft golden light as she knelt beside him, placing them gently against his injuries, the healing energy flowing steadily as cuts closed, bruises faded, and the lingering damage from the fight was undone piece by piece.

Damon looked at her.

At the same time—

They both spoke.

"A-are you okay?"

The words overlapped awkwardly.

Mira froze for a second, her face flushing instantly as she realized it, her eyes darting away in embarrassment, while Damon gave a small shake of his head, a faint, tired expression crossing his face as he straightened himself up slowly, regaining his footing.

Serena approached them next, her posture relaxing slightly now that the immediate threat had passed, her own transformed state fading as the last traces of her resonance disappeared, returning her fully to normal, and without needing to be asked, Mira turned her attention toward her as well, her hands glowing once more as she healed the minor injuries Serena had sustained during the fight.

Before any of them could speak further—

The world shifted.

CRACK! SHATTER!

A faint cracking sound echoed through the space.

Then another.

CRCK!

And another.

The surroundings began to fracture like glass.

Thin lines spread across the vast floor, climbing up the pillars, stretching across the air itself as the entire environment started to break apart piece by piece, the illusion of solidity collapsing as the breach destabilized around them.

All three of them looked around watching.

Damon exhaled lightly.

"It looks like we cleared the breach, huh," he said, his tone calm, almost casual despite everything that had just transpired.

Serena stepped closer to him, her expression tightening slightly as she crossed her arms, a faint irritation returning to her voice.

"Hmph... we would have done it a lot sooner if you had just told me everything from the beginning instead of keeping it all to yourself," she said, her gaze sharp as she looked at him.

Damon smiled faintly.

Then stepped closer.

"I thought you already knew everything," he replied calmly.

Before Serena could respond, he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as he brought his lips close to her ear, his tone quiet enough that only she could hear.

"After all... weren’t you the one who guided us into this place?"

Serena’s eyes widened instantly.

The words hit.

Before she could react—

Damon stepped back as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, he reached out and grasped Mira’s hand, pulling her slightly closer as the fractures around them deepened, the world shattering more rapidly now as light began to spill through the cracks.

And then—

The breach collapsed completely.

***

Outside, the city had transformed into a controlled zone of tension and urgency, the once-bustling streets now sealed off by a wide perimeter as a massive, semi-transparent barrier arched over the area, forming a glowing blue dome that encapsulated the breach at its center, where the black hole-like distortion churned slowly, warping the air around it with an unsettling pull.

Armed personnel moved in coordinated formations along the edges of the barrier, their movements sharp and disciplined as communication devices crackled with overlapping reports, while a specialized response unit stood assembled near the primary entry point, five figures clad in combat-ready gear, each radiating a presence that marked them as far above ordinary operatives.

A commanding voice rang out across the formation, firm and unwavering.

"You will clear this breach as soon as possible," the officer declared, his tone leaving no room for error, "after all, someone from a ducal lineage is inside, and no faults will be tolerated."

"YES!" the response came in unison, sharp and resolute, as the five-member party stepped forward in readiness, their focus entirely on the swirling anomaly before them.

A short distance away, standing just outside the immediate command radius, Elowen observed everything quietly, her posture relaxed yet attentive as her eyes traced the movements of the response team, a faint, knowing smile forming at the corner of her lips.

"They moved pretty fast..." she murmured under her breath, her tone thoughtful, almost amused, "I suppose the Valmont Duchy decided to intervene."

Before the team could proceed further—

A voice cut through the noise.

"L-look... someone is coming out!"

The words spread instantly, drawing every gaze toward the center of the barrier, where the surface of the breach began to distort in a new way, as though something from within was pushing outward.