"No… no," Akito muttered, his voice trembling with fury.
He suddenly lunged forward, aiming straight at Kronoran—
But his path was blocked by Viras.
"Skill activated: Executioner's Smile."
With a wild roar, Viras charged at Kronoran like a feral beast.
He swung—
But Kronoran was faster: seven lightning-fast strikes slammed into the face of the Guardian of Madness.
And yet—Viras didn't flinch.
His crazed grin only stretched wider.
"My turn… HA-HA-HA!!!"
A vicious swing—
The strike came so fast that even Kronoran couldn't react in time.
The full force of the blow struck his arms and hurled him back three meters, skidding across the marble floor.
"I remember your ability," Kronoran said calmly.
"You absorb damage… then return it threefold.
If any other Guardian had taken that hit—they wouldn't have survived.
Interesting…" he narrowed his eyes.
"But this isn't your trump card, is it?
Go on—show me the hell hiding behind that mask of madness."
"You idiot…" Viras chuckled hoarsely.
"It's not time yet… and I'll still tear you to pieces… HA-HA-HA-HA!!!"
That high-pitched, piercing laugh cut into Akito's ears like glass.
He held Lumen's body in his arms—his fingers were trembling.
"Why… why couldn't I protect you?" he whispered.
"You were just a child…"
A single tear slid down Akito's cheek.
He clenched his fist and slammed it into the marble—shattering it beneath him.
Seconds later, Kianir appeared beside him.
His voice was quiet—but firm.
"Calm down, Akito.
We need to hide Lumen's body—until the Creator arrives.
Only he can bring him back."
"But… without Lumen's power, all of you will die," Akito breathed.
"We know," Kianir gave a faint smile.
"Every one of us understands. But we are Guardians.
And if we must stand to the end—we will.
For the Creator's will."
He placed a hand on Akito's shoulder.
"Now go."
Meanwhile, Kronoran stood face-to-face with Viras.
His eyes narrowed.
"You can't do anything.
Without Lumen… you're helpless, aren't you?"
"Shut up."
Viras cracked his neck.
"Heh… Let's begin."
"If you plan to split your power among clones," Viras said, watching as three Kronoran clones scattered in different directions, "you're making a mistake."
He stepped forward.
"I wasn't planning on retreating.
So… you want to witness how worlds die?
Fine.
Then let's dance."
Skill activated: Dance of Madness.
In an instant, Viras's body was coated in a dense black shell, etched with glowing blue lines pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.
His eyes turned black and crimson—at the center, a glowing blue iris, like frozen fire in the heart of chaos.
And that grin—
Still mad, but now glowing faintly blue, as black teeth ground in anticipation of the next strike.
Kronoran flinched.
His eyes widened.
"No way…
Is this that form?" he growled.
"The one that destroyed an entire planet with 1.2 million inhabitants…?
Do you remember? You must remember.
Ferration.
The screams. The elders. The children begging for mercy…
And you didn't stop. You killed them one after another."
He raised his arms—
But didn't make it in time.
Viras vanished from view—
Then appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye.
A single swing—
So powerful it burned through Kronoran's arms, scorched his hair, and swept forward, obliterating marble, pillars, and everything in its path.
Kronoran's clone turned to ash.
Haegar barely dove into a portal in time—crashing near Akito, his body scorched, half of it a smoldering mess.
"What…" Akito gasped. "The Guardian of Madness is that strong…?"
"I hate that bastard," Haegar rasped,
"But… this form… and his ability…
He's one of the strongest Guardians alive."
Akito gritted his teeth.
Blood pounded in his head.
His heart hammered like a prisoner in a cage.
"Shit…" he muttered.
"Why can't I do anything?
I thought I'd grown stronger… but maybe all my battles… were just games.
I'm pathetic."
Meanwhile, a troubling thought passed through Kronoran's mind:
"If I hadn't summoned the Absorbing Light…
That would've been the end.
And even now—I couldn't nullify all the energy…"
But Viras was already gone.
Another flash—
Another strike.
Then a second. A third.
Each one just as insane, just as devastating.
Everything began to burn.
Flames soared upward.
Walls melted.
Air cracked from the pressure.
This wasn't a battle.
This was Hell—wrapped in a madman's grin.
Viras continued his relentless assault—a flurry of blows that shook the entire world.
But just before the last strike—he paused.
He dropped low—then launched his leg upward—
A brutal kick straight to Kronoran's gut.
The impact was so fast and fierce that, for the first time in the battle, a mouthful of blood burst from Kronoran's lips.
His body spun through the air, completely disoriented—
And a moment later, it crashed into the ceiling with a deafening boom.
He hovered in the dust for a second—
Then fell hard, slamming into the marble floor and rolling across it.
"Mad Demon…" Kronoran coughed, staggering to his feet.
"You're really something…
I acknowledge you.
Even better… than that one… Kianir."
He wiped the blood from his mouth—
but smiled. A soft, grim smile.
"But you were late.
You were good—damn good.
But you should've finished me with that last hit."
Tension flashed in Viras's eyes.
And in that moment—
A flash.
A blinding, searing light engulfed everything—
Reality itself trembled.
This time… it was different.
Like the fabric of existence had cracked.
Kronoran's voice echoed—
But not like before.
It came from several worlds at once—
Echoing, distorted, and cold.
"…I've lingered for too long."
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!