The light from the blast faded—
And Viras instinctively looked up.
Kronoran was still standing in the same spot…
But something about him had changed.
His body had turned semi-transparent, as if woven from mist.
Beneath his skin—if it could still be called that—dark veins pulsed with deep navy blood, threaded with bright yellow sparks, like dead stars drifting slowly in his circulatory system.
He raised his hand—
And instantly conjured a perfect sphere of light, flawless in shape.
It vanished from his palm…
And reappeared right next to Viras.
"Bastard—!" was all the Guardian of Madness managed to mutter before leaping to the side, sacrificing part of his leg.
The contact lasted only a moment—
But it was enough.
The skin on his leg instantly blackened, cracked like dry clay—
And in seconds, it disintegrated into dust, as if time had been sped up a billionfold and erased the flesh.
"Shit…" Viras growled through clenched teeth, fist tightening.
Skill activated: Infernal Laughter
A ragged, rasping, piercing laugh exploded through the palace, echoing off every wall, every crack in the stone.
And then—
The echo compressed into a single point.
Kronoran.
He froze in place.
"What… I can't… move…?" he whispered, both surprised and irritated.
And at that moment—
Viras's fist, moving at a terrifying speed, slammed into Kronoran's face.
The blow sent him flying like a meteor, soaring at a speed that could've pierced through galaxies.
But then—
Everything froze.
Kronoran slowed.
Distorted waves shimmered around him, like fractured time itself.
He halted his fall—without a word, without emotion.
"I haven't felt power like this… in a long time," he said.
"…It's beautiful."
Viras was already airborne—blazing forward like a comet.
And in the next fraction of a second—
Everything slowed again.
He saw every detail.
Every spark.
Even the dust in the air had stopped moving.
"Beautiful," Kronoran's voice echoed across space.
And then—
Viras's body was sliced in half—top to bottom.
No sound.
No flash.
Just a cut.
Perfect.
Clean.
From head to toe.
His body hit the marble.
Both halves struck the floor with a heavy, hollow thud.
Skill activated: Edge of the Instant.
Kronoran whispered the name.
"KRO-NO-RAN!!"
Haegar roared with raw fury—
His body half-charred, skin splitting from the pain, but his crimson eyes burned with hatred.
He took a step forward—
And suddenly, Kronoran appeared right before him.
Their eyes met.
"You don't speak to me like that, Haegar," Kronoran said coldly.
"I am no longer what I was."
He slammed Haegar to the ground with one hand.
But at that very moment—
The scars on Viras's body lit up brightly.
Skill activated: Vulnera Locuntur.
From every scar, dozens of tiny blades burst out with a deafening sound—
They shot in all directions like deadly bullets, each one infused with madness and wrath.
Kronoran had expected this.
He instantly turned—
And used Haegar's body as a shield.
"I hate people like you…
Die, you bastard," Haegar rasped, eyes shutting as he exhaled one last breath.
Silence.
The blades struck him—
Hundreds of cuts, blood and ash.
Kronoran tossed the mangled body aside,
And for a brief moment—his expression tightened.
"Even in death… you still fight," he muttered.
He clenched his fists.
"If I hadn't seen that skill myself back when Karmas defeated you…
I would've fallen for it."
He turned—
And charged toward his next target.
He stopped in front of Lament.
Lament calmly lifted his head.
"So you're finally here, Kronoran…
Pity that you—"
WHAM.
The sentence never finished.
Kronoran grabbed him by the head and smashed it into the marble with such fury that cracks spread across the entire arena.
"Shut up," he said coldly.
A thunderous boom shook the hall.
Flames rose even higher.
Kronoran's fingers clenched around Lament's skull, grinding it into the stone—
Until he noticed something…
Beneath his hand—Lament was smiling.
A calm smile, as if already knowing the outcome.
A flash—
And Kronoran's hand passed right through an illusion, striking empty marble.
"No way…" he whispered.
Behind him—Lament.
A punch to the gut.
A sharp dash to the side—
And suddenly he stood at a distance.
Skill activated: Soul Chain.
Gray chains ignited in the air, wrapping tightly around Kronoran's body—
Crushing him with overwhelming force.
He couldn't move.
In seconds, the chains began to shift—
Every other link turned black and white, as if absorbing something unseen.
"You've hidden your soul for too long," Lament rasped.
"Show it to me.
Maybe then… I'll spare you."
Kronoran didn't blink.
"I don't have a soul."
But then—
Right in front of him, as if summoned—
His soul appeared.
Black and white—
Like a mirror of the chains.
He clenched his teeth.
"Until I destroy it… my power is halved," he thought.
"A strong ability," Kronoran admitted.
"Why did you kill them?" Lament demanded.
"Lumen… he was just a child.
And the others?
They were living souls.
You're the only one I don't forgive.
I'll erase you."
He tightened his fists.
The chains began to snap—
Kronoran's soul lunged forward like a weapon.
Blades of light tore through the air, racing toward Lament.
"So… you feed off soul energy?" Kronoran's voice was hoarse—but steady.
"Then I'll give you ten times more."
He raised his hands sharply—
And his entire aura exploded outward.
The soul shattered—
Lament was blasted back with tremendous force.
In a blink—Kronoran was at his flank.
"Activa—" Lament began to speak.
"Too late," Kronoran said coldly.
A blade of light pierced through his abdomen.
A kick—
And Lament's body flew like discarded trash, slamming into the far wall.
Kronoran stood tall.
He flicked the blood off his hand.
"I'm overflowing with power.
Look at me, Kianir.
You're the only one left.
The others are dead."
A blink—
And he was already two steps from the Guardian of Tranquility.
"It's your turn to follow them."
He swung.
…but the strike never landed.
Something flew past Kianir like a wall of light-blond hair—
Stopping the deadly blow cold.
[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!