Suddenly
Every fighter — every battle — seemed to pause at once.
Erika and Gray froze mid-motion, their weapons locked against Magnus's chains of wind.
A pulse of dark energy rippled through the air — deep, ancient, heavy.
Magnus's eyes widened. "What is this magic…? But how…?"
He turned toward the direction of Pillar, his voice trembling. "Malrik… what the hell is he doing there?"
The air grew denser. Magic itself felt distorted — as if reality had flinched.
Across the empire, others felt it too.
Seraphina and Dawn stopped mid-air, water and light feathers flickering between them.
That pressure — that darkness — cut through their magic like a blade.
Seraphina's wings twitched, her face tightening.
"That energy…" she whispered. "It's not human."
She turned her gaze toward the distant Pillar, eyes narrowing.
"No… it's him."
Dawn lowered her arms slowly, the glow around her hands fading.
A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
"Yeah," she murmured. "He's back."
Not far away, Ari and Celestia stood locked in their own duel, beams of light and holy fire hanging frozen in midair before dissolving.
Celestia's expression went pale as she felt the same surge.
"That… presence…" she breathed. "Impossible."
Across from her, Ari's eyes softened — not with fear, but relief.
"Finally," she whispered, almost to herself.
Tracey, standing amid the rubble, his beast aura flickering, glanced toward the Pillar's direction.
"…Is it really him?" he said quietly, eyes wide with a rare mix of disbelief and relief.
Zeran lay on the shattered ground, blood still dripping from his mouth, but a grin broke across his face.
"Heh… here he comes."
And somewhere amid the sea of cooling lava, Magna stood — chest heaving, embers still glowing in his skin.
He looked toward the same horizon, a tired but knowing smirk forming.
"Can't ever stay outta a fight, can you?" he muttered, his grin widening.
"Guess that's just like you, Imperial."
Beneath the Pillar, the black crystal shattered.
A slow, seeping pulse of dark magic spread outward, curling like smoke through the air.
Scene shift — far across the battlefield.
BladeHex, CA Alliance, Team Erika, Zeran, and Magna pressed forward, their attacks relentless, holding the Hollowborns .
________________________________________
And they felt it too.
For a moment, everyone froze, then slowly turned their gaze toward the direction where Ari and the others had gone.
Vince furrowed his brow. "Aren't they…? I thought he was captured."
Silver shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You know he's not an ordinary mortal like us."
A subtle smile spread across both of their faces.
Suddenly, a strange reaction stirred nearby. Aden's eyes widened in confusion. "What… what is this magic?"
Then it happened. Dark snowballs began to descend — but only on the Hollowborns. The moment the shadowed ice touched their bodies, they froze, their movements stopping mid-air as if time itself had betrayed them. Slowly, they collapsed, falling limply to the ground, as though their souls had been wrenched from their bodies.
A low, chilling sound echoed across the battlefield — a haunting, sinister whisper of dark magic: the snowfall
All eyes shot skyward. Imperial hovered above, radiating a power that made the air itself tremble. And then, without warning, he vanished — leaving only a whisper of wind in his place.
From the dimensional rift, Magnus emerged, dragging Erika and Gray with him. His gaze immediately fell on the Pillar… then froze. The crystal lay shattered, and Malrik's body was sprawled on the ground, bloodied, lifeless. Rage and confusion flared across Magnus's face, his hands trembling with restrained power.
Before he could react, a thundering strike erupted in front of him.
Imperial moved like a storm, faster than sight. In a blur, he seized Magnus by the head, dragging Erika and Gray with him. The three were hurled across the battlefield, tumbling violently, rolling over broken stone and debris. Imperial's voice cut sharply through the chaos as he addressed Seraphina and then Celestia, pulling them into the fray with ruthless precision.
All three collided with the ground in a shower of dust and sparks, rolling backward before Imperial stood again — calm, unyielding, unstoppable.
The three emperors scrambled to their feet, fear and urgency flashing across their faces. Magnus began chanting a spell, his hands weaving complex runes in the air. In response, two dimensional cubes materialized on either side of the battlefield.
From one cube emerged Malrik… or rather, the hollow shell of him, a body suffused with the dark magic of the Hollowborn. From the other cube, Kai returned, stepping onto the field with grim determination.
Now, five of them stood together — Magnus, Seraphina, Celestia, the Hollowborn Malrik, and Kai — facing Imperial, who remained perfectly composed. The battlefield seemed to shrink around him; every instinct screamed that the fight to come would shake the very foundations of their world.
Imperial's gaze swept over them. "Let's end this."
Flashback — Inside the Crystal
Imperial's mind raced. The Octagram had to be complete — eight points, eight magic's. Right now: the two beasts, four emperors including my brother, Finn… that makes seven. Malrik was only a clone outside, acting as a conduit between the crystals's interior and the world beyond. The eighth? Not him. It was my magic.
Magnus had been clever — concise in his decisions. Killing the three elders had slowed the Octagram, but now, with my magic weaving through it, the delay was being overcome. All that remained was the signal.
And then I felt it.
Finn… down. Now it's my time.
Malrik sensed it first. Chains binding Imperial began to melt, devoured by black flames.
"What… how!?" Malrik gasped, realizing he might still intervene.
But Imperial didn't need to touch him. With a thought, he shredded Malrik's body into pieces. And then, using his blade, he reassembled them — blood swirling around his form, painting him like a storm of death.
Malrik screamed in horror.
Then, for a brief, terrifying moment, he understood: he was still alive.
But Imperial was relentless. Time and again, the same cruel sequence repeated. Piece by piece, Imperial tore him apart and rejoined him, until finally, Malrik could bear no more. His body failed, and he died.
Imperial's gaze hardened. "Hey, lady… it's time. Give me your power again. Just like when I faced the four Vice Generals in Solaria Empire."
A white-and-green figure stepped forward. Her hand touched Imperial, and in an instant, she vanished.
Imperial's voice rang out. "Shatter dimension."
The crystal cracked violently, splintering into countless shards. Reality itself seemed to waver, then snapped — and suddenly, Imperial was back in the present.
Seraphina summoned her Grass Magic, and thick, twisting roots erupted from the ground, lashing around Imperial as they tried to siphon his power. The air vibrated with the hum of absorbed magic, but Imperial stood unmoved, his aura radiating absolute control.
Malrik, infused with Hollowborn power, hurled himself forward, a whirling hurricane of shadow and blood, aiming straight at Imperial. Kai's lightning crackled, slashing through the storm toward him. Celestia unleashed a torrent of water, a crashing wave meant to engulf him. Magnus conjured a dark sphere of dimensional energy, dense and malevolent, ready to crush him.
All five attacks struck in near-perfect coordination — a symphony of power meant to overwhelm.
And yet, Imperial simply moved, almost lazily, and deflected every strike. The roots shriveled and fell away; Malrik's hurricane twisted harmlessly past him; Kai's lightning fizzled against an invisible barrier; Celestia's wave shattered in midair; Magnus's dark sphere warped and imploded without effect.
He stood at the center of the chaos, untouched, unyielding, radiating power so complete that the battlefield itself seemed to bend around him. Every attack meant to bring him down had been nullified with terrifying ease.
Magnus "now it's almost time for the revival of lord sruken so now don't hold back and give it all to kill him".
Dimensional Zone: Realm Collapse
Water Zone: aqua Domain
Grass Zone: grass field
The battlefield trembled as three zones collided—Dimensional, Water, and Grass.
Reality warped.
The sky darkened, swallowing the horizon in shadow deeper than night. The ground softened beneath the fighters' feet, turning damp and overgrown as thick grass pushed through cracks of shattered stone. A heavy scent of rain filled the air.
Imperial stood firm, his cloak fluttering as lightning flickered in his eyes. He tightened his grip around his dark blade.
Across from him, Kai roared—his lightning blade surging with unstable energy. Bolts tore through the ground as he charged, the air screaming with electricity. The beam trailing from his sword cracked open the earth itself.
Just as the blade neared Imperial—
From beneath him, Ryne emerged, eyes glowing faintly.
"String Magic: Constrict."
Threads burst from the ground, coiling around Kai's lightning sword and twisting violently. With a single motion, Ryne swung his arm—throwing both Kai and his weapon away. Kai hit the ground hard, rolling through mud and grass.
Magnus grimaced. "Tch… damn it. That Kai could've been useful—but now Finn's down. His hypnosis is fading."
He looked toward Kai's limp body. "Without Finn maintaining control, Kai's barely half-alive… just a shell moving on instinct."
Imperial stepped toward Magnus, the storm flashing behind him.
He spoke coldly. "What's wrong, servant? Lost in thought in the middle of battle?"
With a sharp spin, he swung his dark blade at Magnus.
At the last instant—
Celestia thrust her palms forward.
"Water Dragon: Ascend!"
From the wet ground, a towering water dragon erupted, surging upward. It struck Imperial from below, sending him flying into the air.
But Imperial twisted mid-air, stabilizing effortlessly. He hovered, his eyes burning crimson and gold. Raising his lightning-forged sword, he whispered—
"Awaken… Heaven's Wrath."
The sky above him split open. Thunder roared.
A swirling mass of storm clouds gathered around his blade tip.
Then—
Boom!
A blinding bolt ripped across the heavens.
A lightning storm rained down over the entire battlefield.
Because of Celestia's Water Zone, the soaked ground became a conductor—magnifying the lightning's power twofold. Every strike that touched the ground rebounded, spreading like wildfire across the grass.
Seraphina reacted instantly, wrapping herself within layers of living vines.
Magnus conjured a dimensional cube around himself, warping space for protection.
But Celestia and Malrik weren't so lucky.
Lightning struck them directly—violent and merciless. Both were hurled backward, bodies scorched and steaming. Blood spilled from their lips as they hit the earth.
Then, in a blur of movement—Imperial appeared before Malrik.
Magnus' eyes widened.
"No—!"
He tried to manipulate Malrik's body with dimensional control, forcing a dodge.
But Imperial was too fast.
Slash!
A single horizontal motion.
For a moment, silence blanketed the battlefield.
Then—Malrik's body slid apart, the upper half falling slowly to the ground.
Flames of black magic erupted, consuming the corpse.
Imperial lowered his sword.
"Dark Magic: Seal."
The fire grew brighter, swallowing Malrik completely until nothing remained but ash drifting in the storm.
Imperial's eyes flicked toward the remaining three. His voice was calm, almost cold.
"One down," he said, turning slightly. "Three left."
Magnus's hands glowed purple as dimensional cubes floated around him, shifting with every breath.
Celestia knelt, her arm trembling as she gathered the surrounding water once more.
Seraphina stood tall, vines curling around her arms like living armor, her eyes sharp and cold.
"Malrik…" Celestia whispered, clutching her side, blood mixing with the rain.
"He's gone."
Seraphina's gaze hardened. "Then we fight smarter—together."
Imperial tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable.
"Together, or apart…" he said calmly, his voice echoing through the storm. "It won't matter."
He raised his hand, and lightning spiraled around him, forming a single radiant spear of energy.
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he launched forward like a thunderbolt.
Magnus reacted instantly, slamming his palms together.
"Dimensional Wall!"
Space itself folded before Imperial, forming a cube barrier of shifting reality. But Imperial didn't stop. His lightning spear collided with it, bending dimensions until fractures spidered through the barrier.
Magnus's eyes widened. "Impossible—!"
Imperial twisted his blade once. Space screamed—then shattered. The wall broke apart like glass, and Magnus was hurled backward by the shockwave.
Before he could recover, Celestia's voice cut through the thunder.
"Water Bind!"
From the soaked earth, streams of water erupted upward, coiling like serpents around Imperial's limbs.
At the same time, Seraphina thrust her arms forward.
"Grass Magic: Verdant Spear!"
Dozens of massive vines shot from the ground, their tips sharpened into piercing lances. They converged on Imperial from every direction.
For the first time, he stood still—motionless amidst the storm.
Then his eyes flashed.
"Too slow."
Lightning Pulse.
A violent wave of electricity burst outward, vaporizing the water bindings and reducing the vine spears to ash. The shockwave rippled across the battlefield, forcing Celestia and Seraphina to retreat.
But before Imperial could counterattack—
A flicker of blue light appeared behind him.
Kai.
His lightning blade crackled violently, his eyes glassy and empty under Finn's fading hypnosis. He lunged forward, roaring—
"RAHHHH!"
The blade came down, lightning screaming through the air.
Imperial didn't even turn.
He lifted his hand, catching the blade between his fingers. The lightning flared, splitting the ground beneath them, but Imperial's grip didn't move.
His voice was low—almost pained.
"…Brother, you're not my enemy. Just wait a little longer."
Then he raised his voice, the storm echoing with it.
"I will bring you back!"
Kai roared again and swung wildly. Imperial blocked with his forearm, then pushed him back—not striking, only restraining.
Celestia saw her chance.
"Now!"
She slammed her hands together. The ground beneath Imperial liquefied, her Water Zone amplifying every raindrop until it became a raging tide. From the left, Seraphina's vines lashed through the flood, their stems hardening into steel.
Imperial exhaled softly. "Persistent."
He thrust his palm into the air.
"Lightning Magic: Amplify."
The clouds above answered.
A beam of lightning descended from the heavens, crashing into Imperial's body and enveloping him in a white-gold aura. His form blurred into streaks of light—each step cracking the air. The grass beneath him vaporized into smoke.
Then—he vanished.
Three impacts followed in the same heartbeat.
Magnus's spatial cube shattered.
Celestia's water dragons split apart mid-formation.
Seraphina's vine armor tore open, her knees slamming into the ground as sparks crawled across her skin.
All three were thrown backward.
Celestia coughed blood, her lips trembling. "His speed… it's not just lightning—he's moving through dimensions."
Magnus clenched his fists, disbelief twisting his face. "He's syncing his lightning with the Dimensional Zone itself—he's breaking my space!"
Imperial appeared above them, suspended in the clouds, his dark blade glowing brighter than ever.
He pointed it downward.
"Let's end this—"
But once again, a flicker of blue light appeared.
Kai.
He materialized behind Imperial, body trembling, eyes flickering with a faint spark of recognition—a single tear forming despite the hypnosis.
"Brother…" he whispered, barely audible over the thunder.
Imperial froze. His sword halted mid-swing.
That hesitation was all Celestia needed.
"Water Magic: Leviathan's Fang!"
From beneath the grass and mud, a colossal dragon of water erupted, its massive jaws gaping wide as it swallowed Imperial whole.
The explosion shook the field, a storm of mist and debris bursting outward.
Seraphina reinforced it, her vines twisting around the water's body, sealing it into a hardened shell to imprison him inside.
Inside that cage of water and roots, flashes of lightning began to crackle—then flared brighter, until the entire sphere glowed white from within.
Magnus's instincts screamed. "Get back—now!"
Too late.
The sphere erupted.
A pillar of pure light shot into the heavens, piercing the clouds. Rain turned to steam in its wake. When the glow faded, Imperial hovered once again—untouched, electricity crawling across his skin like living fire.
He looked down at the three generals struggling to rise, then glanced at Kai—still trembling, caught between hypnosis and faint consciousness.
Imperial's eyes softened—just slightly.
"You three…" His voice rumbled through the storm, deep and merciless. "You won't survive this one."
Lightning flared behind him, forming massive arcs like wings. The grass below him ignited, leaving a ring of blackened earth.
Magnus steadied himself, blood dripping down his face. "He's… still holding back. Even now."
Imperial lowered his blade slightly, eyes glowing a deep gold through the mist. His voice carried across the battlefield, calm but cold.
"Now… let's make this more interesting."
He took a slow step forward, each movement sending ripples through the wet, cracked earth.
"You three love to control others… twist their wills, decide their fates…"
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Then allow me to show you how that truly feels."
He raised his sword — its edge coated with black lightning that devoured the stormlight around it.
"Dark Zone: Infinite Darkness of Death."
The world stopped breathing.
A pulse spread from under Imperial's feet — slow at first, then faster, expanding outward like ink spilled across parchment.
The ground darkened.
Grass wilted instantly, its color drained to black.
The puddles turned to void — reflecting nothing.
Celestia froze mid-step, staring down. "Wh–what is this magic…?"
Magnus clenched his jaw, his spatial senses collapsing under the pressure. "Is this… his Zone?!"
The pulse didn't stop.
It spread across the field, devouring everything in sight — and then farther.
Beyond the battlefield.
Beyond the horizon.
—
Elsewhere — Across the Six Empires
In distant cities, people gasped as the ground beneath them began to change — grass fading to black, rivers turning still and silent.
The air thickened, magic flaring unnaturally high.
From the north mountains to the royal capitals, mages stumbled, feeling the surge through the atmosphere.
"The ground… it's darkening…"
"What's happening to the magic flow?"
"It feels like death itself is breathing."
All across the continents, the world dimmed under a spreading shadow — not a natural night, but an eclipse born of raw, unrestrained magic.
And at the center of it all — stood Imperial.
—
Back on the battlefield, the darkness rose like fog, surrounding the Emperors. The air grew heavy — colors faded, sound itself began to die.
Even the rain refused to fall here.
Magnus's spatial cubes flickered, unstable. "My Zone— it's being overwritten!"
Celestia knelt, clutching her chest as the water around her evaporated into black mist. "It's… consuming mana itself—"
Seraphina's vines shriveled, crumbling into dust before they even reached Imperial. "This isn't just darkness… it's void."
Imperial's shadow stretched across them, endless — each step echoing like a heartbeat.
When he spoke, his voice seemed to come from every direction at once.
"This is the truth of darkness… not absence, but domination."
Lightning coiled around him, black and gold intertwined, bending the air. His aura tore the rain apart, his presence so immense that even Magnus's dimensional distortions began to crumble, unable to exist inside this Zone.
He looked up — the sky now gone, replaced by swirling black clouds streaked with red light.
"This is my Zone," he said softly.
"The Infinite Darkness of Death. The largest and strongest Magic Zone ever created."
Then his eyes narrowed — the glow of pure fury and control burning within.
"And now…"
"…let's see how you survive inside my world."
The ground cracked.
Lightning turned black.
Kai's scream cut through the thunder.
His lightning blade flashed — wild, unrestrained — as he charged once again toward Imperial, sparks splitting the rain in half.
Imperial didn't move.
His eyes weren't on Kai.
They turned — cold and sharp — toward Finn's broken body lying amidst the wreckage.
"Enough."
He lifted one finger.
A faint hum spread through the battlefield.
Then—BOOM.
A sphere of darkness erupted from Imperial's chest — silent, pulsing, heavy.
Not just magic.
It was something deeper.
Finn's eyes widened — his body twitching once.
From within him, a faint mist of energy was pulled out — glowing pale blue, struggling against the darkness.
Celestia gasped from afar. "That's… a soul?!"
The mist screamed — then dissolved into the dark sphere like dust into night.
Finn's body went still.
And just like that—
he was gone.
The air trembled.
The hypnosis shattered.
Kai's movements stopped mid-strike — his eyes flickering with confusion, the lightning around his blade fading into soft sparks. His body went limp, consciousness slipping.
Before he could fall, a blur of black and gold appeared beneath him.
Imperial caught him gently, one arm around his shoulder.
He looked down at his brother — the stormlight reflecting in his calm, tired eyes.
"You're free now, brother," he said quietly.
"Take some rest."
He slowly lowered Kai to the darkened ground. The black soil of the Dark Zone rippled beneath them like liquid shadow.
Then, Imperial pressed his hand against the ground.
A symbol flared — deep purple and silver.
"Dark Summon: Elara."
From the circle, a column of soft dark light rose, twisting gently before forming into a figure.
Elara emerged, serene yet fierce, her eyes glowing faintly violet. She knelt beside Kai immediately, hands glowing with white-blue healing energy.
Imperial's voice softened.
"Heal my brother."
Elara nodded silently, placing her palms over Kai's chest. The gentle hum of healing magic filled the silence — an island of peace in a storm of chaos.
Imperial stood once more, facing the horizon. His wet hair clung to his face, black lightning flickering behind him like wings.
Ahead — the three Emperors rose again.
Magnus wiped the blood from his lips. The distortion around him grew sharper, dimensions slicing through the rain like glass.
Celestia's eyes glowed ocean-blue as the rain turned dense, swirling around her body like a living storm.
Seraphina clenched her fists, the dead grass beneath her feet sprouting again — green at first, then golden, infused with raw magic.
Their combined aura surged, shaking the field.
Celestia's voice trembled with fury and awe. "He… killed Finn without lifting his sword."
Magnus gritted his teeth, the space around him warping violently. "He's beyond any measure of power now."
Seraphina's eyes glowed emerald. "Then we ascend too."
The ground cracked.
Their magic exploded outward — three colors colliding with Imperial's darkness.
The world shook.
Celestia's Water Zone deepened — turning every drop of rain into a blade.
Seraphina's Grass Zone twisted, merging with the Dark soil — roots and vines laced with void energy.
Magnus's Dimensional Zone fractured reality itself, forming endless mirror-like shards around him.
Their combined power climbed — higher and higher — until even the air began to hum with overload.
Imperial watched, unfazed, his blade resting loosely in his hand.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"So… you finally stopped holding back."
He took a step forward. The shadows beneath him rippled outward.
And as the three Emperors roared — their ultimate magic awakening — Imperial raised his lightning sword and dark sword once again.