Nothing remained in the wake of the attack…
Not space…
Not time…
Not even life.
Half of the universe…
Was erased by a single strike Far away On Earth…
The sky suddenly turned black The oceans began rising by several meters Mountains cracked apart Earthquakes spread across entire continents Purple and black lightning streaked through the atmosphere Hunters looked toward the heavens in terror, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing It was as if The universe itself was dying.
Meanwhile, within the Hydra Constellation…
The explosion slowly began to fade As the clouds of dust drifted away The scene that emerged Was swallowed by silence.
Lunara Had fallen to his knees His golden spiritual form had completely faded No aura remained His mana had been exhausted Particles of light still drifted from his severed arm.
His chest had been torn apart…
His legs were broken…
Most of his body had been destroyed.
And yet…
The crystal…
Still stood untouched Not even a single scratch marked its surface Even with his final breath Lunara had succeeded in protecting his son Oblivor advanced with slow heavy footsteps He had nearly returned to his humanoid dragon form His breathing was uneven He too had suffered tremendous damage.
But…
He was still standing He stopped before the crystal Looking down at Lunara with contempt, he spoke.
"So…You've used every last card you had You no longer possess the strength to protect him Nor is there anyone left who can stop me."
He turned his gaze toward the crystal.
"Now First your son will die Then the woman he loves After that humanity And finally…The entire universe."
Lunara slowly forced his eyes open Despite the unbearable pain written across his face A faint smile rested upon his lips Seeing it, Oblivor frowned.
"Why…Why are you still smiling?"
At that very moment…
Crack…
The silence…
Was shattered once again A faint cracking sound echoed from within the crystal Resonating throughout the entire universe Oblivor's pupils shrank Lunara gently closed his eyes and whispered,
At last And within the darkness…
A violet light…
Drew its very first true breath.
Crack…
A new fracture spread across the surface of the crystal In that instant, it felt as though time itself had stopped Oblivor stood frozen within his colossal dragon form His eyes were fixed solely on the crystal. The mana surging from within him had reached a level beyond all measurement With every passing second, the pressure multiplied The fabric of space warped, clusters of stars drifted from their places, and violet and black lightning clashed throughout the void Lunara meanwhile had collapsed to the ground struggling to breathe Most of his body had been torn apart His right arm was gone his armor had completely crumbled and even his golden spiritual form had begun to fade.
Yet his eyes never left the crystal.
"Just a little longer Please endure a little longer my son…"
Oblivor clenched his teeth in fury.
"Enough!"
His enormous claws became enveloped in dark mana Black flames rose from them as the surrounding space began to shatter.
"This time you will be erased completely!"
His massive body lunged forward Every step ripped apart the void, leaving behind rifts of darkness Lunara tried to shout.
"No!"
But not even his voice would answer him Just as Oblivor's claw was about to reach the crystal
SHING!
A single, flawless sword chime echoed across the battlefield.
Then…
Silence
Oblivor's attack had stopped His gigantic claw hung motionless in the air, only centimeters away from the crystal A single drop of black blood drifted through the void.
Then
BOOOOM!!
Oblivor's right arm was severed cleanly from the shoulder The gigantic limb spun away, flying for kilometers through space Oblivor's pupils shrank.
"What"
Before he could even comprehend what had happened
SHING!
A second flash of light appeared A searing pain erupted in the center of his chest Looking down he saw the tip of a black sword protruding through his body.
"…Impossible…"
The tremendous force hurled him backward His colossal body tore through meteors the size of mountains, skidding for kilometers Black blood poured into the star-filled void like rain Dust and raging mana storms completely obscured the battlefield No one dared to breathe.
Several seconds later…
The dense mist slowly began to disperse The first figure to emerge was a warrior clad in a long black cloak billowing in the cosmic winds Violet shadow flames rose from the black sword in his hand His piercing gaze was fixed directly upon Oblivor.
Ignarion.
He stood firmly before the crystal A few meters behind him A gigantic being clad in black armor appeared Immense mana radiated from the enormous dark wings upon his back Violet light burned within his eyes.
It was…
Neroth.
Oblivor instinctively stepped backward.
"No That aura"
The void trembled once again Two separate shadow rifts opened Two more figures emerged The first was a slender warrior with white hair and a cold smile upon his face The twin black swords in his hands seemed capable of cutting through darkness itself.
Clairael.
The second was a gigantic dragon clad in armor wreathed in blazing flames Every step he took shook the void.
Antaios.
The Four Shadow Marshals stood together before the crystal Not one of them spoke They simply stared at Oblivor.
That silence…
Was far more terrifying than any roar.
For the first time…
Oblivor's heart truly trembled with fear.
"You How are you all still alive?"
A mocking smile appeared on Clairael's lips.
"You call yourself a king yet you can't even get past a single royal guardian."
Antaios lowered his massive battle Fire Its flames surged high into the heavens.
"We haven't even begun to fight."
Oblivor roared in fury.
"DO YOU THINK A FEW SHADOWS CAN STAND AGAINST ME?!"
Dark mana exploded outward once again.
Yet…
Not one of them moved Neroth stepped forward with slow, heavy strides He extended his claw The mana radiating from him now suppressed the entire Hydra Constellation.
His deep, commanding voice echoed throughout the void.
"No hand that reaches toward our King will remain attached."
The very next instant…
Neroth vanished.
Oblivor sensed only a shadow forming behind him It was already too late.
SHRAAAAK!!
With a single slash of his black claw, Neroth tore open Oblivor's back from shoulder to waist Blood erupted into the heavens Roaring in agony, Oblivor staggered forward At the same moment, Ignarion emerged from the shadows and unleashed a diagonal slash.
SHING!
A second deep wound opened across Oblivor's chest Before he could even hit the ground…
Clairael reached him at a speed beyond light itself His twin swords flashed simultaneously.
SHIK! SHIK!
Both of the dragon's wings were severed cleanly from their roots For the first time Oblivor completely lost his balance Just as he began to fall The heavens turned crimson Antaios raised his battle axe with both hands.
The flames surrounding it condensed with the intensity of a star's core.
"Burn."
The instant his axe descended Crimson flames crashed down upon Oblivor like the explosion of a newborn sun.
BOOOOOOM!!
The heat of the explosion began melting the nearby stars Oblivor's colossal dragon body was completely engulfed in flames His screams echoed throughout the entire Hydra Constellation As the flames gradually faded Oblivor collapsed onto his knees.
For the first time…
There was no rage in his eyes Only pure fear His trembling voice whispered,
"…Imp… impossible…"
"Could it be…?"
His gaze slowly returned to the crystal The violet light emerging from within now illuminated the entire universe The Four Shadow Marshals silently stepped back Not one of them turned their backs on the crystal All four knelt at the same time They lowered their heads As though the one they had awaited…
Was finally about to awaken.
A new crack spread across the surface of the colossal crystal standing at the very center of the battlefield.
Crack…
The sound was small Yet its echo spread throughout the entire universe Oblivor froze within his colossal dragon body. His pupils contracted involuntarily. For the first time, the rhythm of his heart became uneven.
"…"
He couldn't breathe.
The mana rising from within the crystal had reached a level beyond all measurement. It was not a power that Monarchs, dragons, or even the Ancient Ones could comprehend.
This…
Was the power that had existed before the beginning of everything Another crack appeared.
Crack…
The space surrounding the crystal began to collapse beneath an invisible pressure Clusters of stars changed their course Entire galaxies instinctively retreated The fabric of the universe itself twisted beneath the grasp of an unseen force Oblivor instinctively took a step backward.
"This mana…"
His voice trembled.
For the first time in his life…
He felt fear.
The Dark Monarch, who had once devoured countless Universes Now stood in terror before the awakening of a single being The millions of monsters filling the heavens fell silent No command had been given None of them could move Because every instinct within them screamed a single command.
Run.
But there was nowhere left to run The crystal cracked once again.
CRAAAAAAAAACK!!
Then…
An explosion deafened the universe.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Violet light spread into infinity As the crystal shattered into millions of fragments, the resulting wave of energy shook not only the battlefield…
But reality itself.
The broken shards drifted through the void like stardust, each one radiating a brilliant violet glow Oblivor instinctively raised both arms to shield his face When the explosion finally subsided…
Silence returned The clouds of dust slowly drifted away.
First…
A pair of feet became visible Then long garments resembling black armor…
And finally…
A solitary figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Ömer Jin Hoo.
Not a single wound remained upon his body His shattered form had been completely restored.
His muscles…
His bones…
His soul…
Everything had returned to absolute perfection But it was not only his body that had changed The silent violet aura burning around him overwhelmed even the darkness of space itself His hair swayed gently His eyes had become completely black At the very center of that endless darkness…
Glowed brilliant violet irises.
There was no anger…
No hatred…
No mercy…
No emotion whatsoever within those eyes.
Only absolute dominion Ömer took a single step.
Tap.
It was only one step.
Yet with that single step…
The entire universe trembled.
The fabric of reality cracked In distant galaxies, stars extinguished…
Then reignited Oblivor's knees collapsed beneath him.
"…"
No…
It was not his own will His very body had acknowledged the being before him As its true king His colossal dragon form began dissolving within seconds His bones shrank His wings disintegrated His scales vanished.
Whether he wished it or not…
Oblivor was reverting to his true form.
"This… this can't be…"
Blood spilled from his lips The pressure of the violet mana crushed not only his body But his soul as well Every breath felt as though his lungs were being torn apart He tried to raise his head.
He failed.
Ömer's mere presence would not allow it.
At last…
He collapsed completely His forehead touched the empty void His trembling voice echoed across the battlefield.
"I… I…"
The words caught in his throat.
"Please forgive me…"
His voice broke.
"Your Majesty Great Ancient King…"
At that same moment Every Shadow Marshal knelt.
Morvath.
Neroth.
Ignarion.
Clairael.
Antaios.
And the Shadow Army, numbering well into the millions No one had received an order None was necessary The one standing before them was no longer merely their master.
He…
Was the true Monarchs of Shadows Together, they lowered their heads.
"WE BOW IN REVERENCE BEFORE THE TRUE ANCIENT KING!"
Their voices echoed across every corner of the universe Oblivor's body trembled uncontrollably.
"Please am not a being worthy of fighting you Please Spare me Spare what remains of my army…"
Ömer gave no reply He simply continued walking With every step, his violet aura expanded farther The universe itself struggled to bear his existence.
Stars trembled.
The fabric of space cracked.
Neroth slowly raised his head and spoke with profound respect.
"My King The universe is beginning to collapse."
And indeed…
Across every corner of existence, colossal rifts tore through space Timelines intertwined Reality itself continued to unravel Yet the expression on Ömer's face did not change.
Slowly…
He raised his right hand A tiny violet light appeared in the center of his palm The light expanded into a perfect circle.
First, it encompassed several meters…
Then kilometers…
A planet…
An entire star system…
A galaxy…
And finally…
The entire universe.
The instant the violet light reached every corner of existence Time itself seemed to stop Collapsed space rewove itself Shattered stars returned to their original form Erased galaxies were reborn The endless darkness gave way to light It was as though The universe had found its rightful master once again.
Ömer slowly lowered his hand.
He spoke not a single word Because sometimes The silence of a king Carries more weight than all words ever spoken.