Zayriel and Zamiel's eyes narrowed as Khalarix rose from the crater. Its severed hand had yet to regenerate, but the madness burning in its gaze told another story. Its aura seethed and grew heavier, darker — as if something ancient inside it had awakened once more.
When its eyes met Zayriel's, a flicker of pure horror flashed across its monstrous face. The beast stepped back — trembling, reliving the agony of the moment its arm had been erased.
That reaction didn't escape the duo.
They exchanged a glance.
"Let's finish this," Zamiel said.
Zayriel nodded.
Zayriel sheathed his sword. Zamiel dismissed his axe, and before him, a new weapon materialized — a broad silver blade shimmering with moonlight. Its surface bore the insignia of a full moon, runes etched in radiant patterns that pulsed with divine rhythm. One look at it, and you could tell — this was no ordinary weapon. This was a master relic, a blade that had once tasted the heavens.
Then the system's voice echoed faintly —
Technique Activated: Second Art of the Lunar Blade – Moonfall Requiem (master technique)
A divine slash born from the moon's sorrow. The user channels concentrated lunar energy into the blade, dimming the world beneath its glow. When unleashed, a radiant crescent descends from above — obliterating everything within its arc and leaving behind only silver light and silence.
As Zamiel raised the blade skyward, the moon above trembled.
Its light bent — drawn into the sword like rivers of liquid silver.
The wind stilled.
Sound vanished.
And for a single heartbeat… even time itself seemed to kneel.
A whisper left Zamiel's lips.
"Moonfall Requiem."
The moonlight shattered.
A divine radiance tore through the sky, descending like celestial judgment. The blade carved a single arc — pure, silver destruction — splitting heaven and earth in one stroke. Mountains cracked. Shadows vanished. Even the stars seemed to recoil.
Khalarix roared in fury, his instincts screaming of death. He slammed both feet into the ground and bellowed:
Skill Activated: Cataclysmic Slam (Advanced Technique)
Description: Kharaxis leaps and strikes the ground, unleashing a shockwave powerful enough to level a battlefield.
Effect: 200-meter radius; Damage ×8 to all targets below Level 16.
The monster leapt and crashed into the earth.
A colossal explosion followed — the shockwave colliding head-on with the descending crescent.
BOOOOOOOM!
The sky split open. The earth screamed. A hurricane of silver and green swallowed everything.
When the light finally faded, silence fell. Nothing moved.
Zayriel's eyes glinted through the haze. This is my chance, he thought. Feeling Khalarix's aura waver beneath the explosion, he crouched, both hands raised, destructive energy surging wildly through his veins.
First Stage of the Berserker Series – Spirit Beast Rage!
A violent pulse of energy erupted from him, forming a colossal lion of purplish Destruction Flame. Its roar tore through the battlefield, its aura melting everything in its path.
Zayriel's body shook as he compressed the beast — forcing its essence into both arms until two phantom lions formed at his fists. They were smaller now… but infinitely deadlier.
He crouched once more.
The ground beneath him cracked.
Then — he vanished.
Only the lingering trails of his destructive aura remained, devouring the air where he once stood.A silhouette of Kharaxis was seen roaring in agony, its cry shaking the scorched battlefield. Even though Cataclysmic Slam was a powerful technique, it was still only an Advanced Skill — and against Zamiel's Ultimate Art, enhanced by Ryu, which drew out the full potential of his attack, the result was inevitable.
It was no surprise that Kharaxis was wounded this badly. In fact, if not for its higher level and the resilient nature of its technique, it would have been annihilated on the spot. It was then that a figure blurred into existence before Kharaxis. Before the beast could even react, the phantom lions in Zayriel's hands roared — a deafening, primal sound that made the air tremble.
The first strike connected squarely with Kharaxis's abdomen.
A violent burst of Destruction Energy erupted from the impact, punching a gaping hole through its stomach. The force rippled outward, tearing through muscle and essence alike.
Kharaxis howled — a raw, tortured roar that split the skies. The pain flooding through its body now was far beyond anything it had endured before, even compared to when its hand was severed.
Before the monster could recover, Zayriel was already in motion again — a streak of purple light and fury. The second phantom crashed into Kharaxis's chest with devastating precision.
The explosion of destructive force ripped through its body, scorching its soul from within. Kharaxis screamed, thrashing violently — and for the first time, tears glimmered in its burning eyes as fragments of its soul began to unravel, fading into nothingness.
From the distance, Zamiel watched the devastating assault unfold. A small, cold smile curved on his lips as he raised his weapon once more and activated another of his technique
Third Art of the Lunar Blade: Celestial Annihilation
Grade: (master Technique)
Description: The user channels pure lunar energy through their silver blade, forming a crescent eclipse that descends with unstoppable force. Everything in its path is obliterated, leaving only silver light and silence.Zamiel exhaled softly, his eyes reflecting the pale light of the moon. The air stilled — even the wind dared not whisper. He lifted his silver blade toward the heavens, and the runes along its edge blazed to life, pulsing in rhythm with the moon above.
A tremor rippled through the sky as lunar energy gathered around him, bending the light of the world into a single, blinding point. His voice, calm yet divine, cut through the silence:
"Third Art of the Lunar Blade…"
The moon darkened, haloed by a radiant eclipse that bathed the battlefield in ghostly silver. His aura surged, twisting into a storm of divine radiance as the blade hummed with celestial power.
"Celestial Annihilation."
He swung.
A single arc of pure moonlight split the air — silent, absolute, transcendent. The very fabric of the world seemed to fracture under its brilliance. For an instant, everything was silver — the sky, the earth, even the shadows — as if existence itself was rewritten in lunar light.
When the radiance faded, Zamiel stood motionless, the sword lowered at his side, its runes dimming softly like a heartbeat slowing after glory.The place where Kharaxis had stood… nothing remained. Everything faded into emptiness. Yet Zamiel frowned. "I didn't feel that attack connect with anything," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
He looked up and saw Zayriel hovering in the air. His gaze sharpened. "Didn't you feel the disappearance of the beast?" he asked.
Zayriel tilted his head, confused. "What disappearance are you talking about? It clearly disappeared along with your attack."
Zamiel still didn't fully believe it, but he didn't press further. "Well… we're done," he said.
Zayriel nodded, though in his mind he thought: That was close. If his attack had actually connected with Kharaxis, it would have disintegrated the monster entirely. There would have been nothing left to absorb — no corpse, no flesh.
He reflected on his last two attacks. They were already more than enough to kill Kharaxis. When he had punched its stomach and chest, he couldn't generate its heart or innards — the combined intense pain, the explosion that ripped its body into pieces… the reason it hadn't completely disintegrated was that Zayriel had needed it intact to absorb. Zamiel's attack had simply covered him, giving him the perfect opportunity.
As the dust settled and he absorbed the flesh, Zayriel felt satisfaction course through him. He looked at his system screen.
"Congratulations, host. Level 18 monster Kharaxis defeated. Host gains EXP. Level increased to 8. Stat rewards have been updated and are viewable in your screen."
Zayriel exhaled in relief. It was he who killed Kharaxis. His last two attacks had been enough to end the fight, and the absorption had ensured every ounce of strength and bloodline enhancement was now his. He converted it all into system points, feeling the reward settle within him.
Before he could check his full progress, however…Before he could check his full progress, however… the ground pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
"Tch… do you feel that?" Zamiel's voice was low, tense, almost swallowed by the unnatural silence around them.
Zayriel looked up. His expression froze, eyes widening.
Above the horizon, crimson silhouettes began to emerge — massive, monstrous forms, each one radiating a presence that warped reality itself. They moved with terrifying precision, their steps synchronized as if the earth itself obeyed their command.
Each figure carried the aura of an apex predator.
Each one was stronger than Kharaxis.
The air trembled. The wind stilled. Even the ruins beneath their feet seemed to shiver in fear.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Multiple Level 20 Entities detected. Estimated arrival — 3 minutes.]
Zayriel's stomach twisted. His pulse raced. A cold, unnatural dread crawled up his spine. These were no ordinary threats — the sheer magnitude of their power, the synchronization of their movement, and the oppressive aura pressing down on him made it feel like the end of everything.
Zamiel's grip on his weapons tightened, the silver sword of the moon reflecting a faint, trembling light. Even he, unshakable in countless battles, felt his chest tighten as a pulse of raw, terrifying energy rolled over him.
Time seemed to slow. Every instinct screamed warning, every nerve in their bodies screaming: This… this is pure oblivion.
The horizon darkened further as the monstrous silhouettes drew closer. The world itself seemed to mourn what was coming.
And in that instant, both warriors understood: the nightmare had only just begun.