The skies shattered.
The once-beautiful examination island was now a realm of destruction — the sea was divided, the trees scorched into pillars of ash, and fragments of ice floated through the air like dying stars.
At its heart stood the EX+ Fallen Archon, Vharr'goth the Unbound, roaring into the heavens with a sound that shook the world's foundation.
> "CELESTIAL… THE LIGHT… THAT BANISHED ME!"
Its molten wings unfurled, dripping with burning ichor. The ground beneath it turned into rivers of fire.
Across from it — hovering amid starlight — stood Liyana Lufinze, her silver hair dancing in the celestial wind, her eyes glowing gold like miniature suns.
Her breath fogged faintly — not from fear, but from the intensity of her mana.
And beside her, still standing despite her exhaustion, was Sylus Varellis, the Ice Princess, her sword now reforged in blue-white divine frost.
---
[Academy Observation Chamber]
Every crystal in the control room flickered — struggling to keep up with the mana overflow.
> [MANA OUTPUT EXCEEDING MAXIMUM LIMITS]
[WARNING: WORLD VEIL FLUCTUATION DETECTED]
Asfi gasped. "She's pushing her body past Celestial tolerance! She'll burn herself out!"
Chroma gritted his teeth. "If she keeps this up, that entire island will vanish!"
Principal Alice, however, only smiled faintly.
> "Oh, my lovely star," she whispered. "So you've finally remembered how to shine."
---
[Back on the Island]
Vharr'goth stomped forward, every step creating tremors that sent waves across the broken land.
Its voice boomed, like a choir of ten thousand tortured souls.
> "YOU... WERE NOT SUPPOSED... TO EXIST AGAIN!"
Liyana's voice answered like a bell — calm, gentle, yet shaking the air.
> "And yet... here I am."
The light around her intensified — halos of starlight rotating behind her like divine sigils.
She exhaled deeply.
---
[Celestial Sovereign Art: Starborn Breath — 2nd Form: Dawn of the Creator]
Her mouth opened slightly, and a sphere of light formed — swirling galaxies condensed into a single point. When she released it, the explosion painted the sky gold and white.
The beam struck Vharr'goth square in the chest, ripping through its armor and piercing through the clouds above.
The entire island shook.
Sylus had to anchor herself with ice pillars to avoid being blown away.
> "This... this power—!" she gasped. "It's divine... no, beyond divine!"
But when the light cleared, the Fallen Archon still stood — now burned, half its face melted, but alive.
It roared again, the sound splitting the sea.
> "I... AM... IMMORTAL!"
---
Liyana floated higher, her expression unreadable. "Then you'll die tired."
The creature lunged, and the battle resumed — each blow cracking reality itself.
Its molten claws met her radiant barriers, its dark flames collided with her celestial light.
Each impact sent shockwaves that reached the academy's mana barriers — even the professors had to reinforce them manually.
---
[Meanwhile — Sho's Mindscape]
Darkness. Silence.
Then — warmth.
Sho opened his eyes inside a void of light.
He stood within what looked like a shattered dream — stars floating, voices echoing.
> "You've been asleep long enough, Sho Ardenthal."
He turned — before him stood a figure that looked like himself, but older, cloaked in shadow.
> "Who... are you?"
"I'm you — the part you've yet to awaken."
Sho blinked. "What do you mean?"
The shadow smiled faintly. "The world's changing faster than you think. That girl — she's burning her light for you. Don't let her do it alone."
Sho clenched his fists. "Then... lend me your strength."
The shadow nodded. "Then awaken... as the one who can stand beside her."
---
[Reality — Back on the Island]
A pulse of golden light erupted from Sho's body.
His eyes snapped open — glowing faintly with a mixture of gold and azure.
Liyana, mid-battle, sensed it and glanced back, smiling faintly.
> "So... you finally woke up."
Sho stood, gripping his sword. "You didn't think I'd let you fight alone, did you?"
Sylus blinked in disbelief. "You were unconscious three minutes ago—"
Sho smirked. "Guess I'm a quick healer."
Liyana laughed softly, even amid chaos. "Fine then... don't fall behind."
> [SYSTEM NOTICE: Temporary Quest Activated — "Stand Beside the Star"]
[Reward: ???]
---
The Battle's Peak
Vharr'goth howled, spreading its molten wings wide.
> "[Fallen Domain: Ashen Ruin!]"
The sky turned crimson. Volcanoes erupted across the island's core.
But the three stood together — Liyana glowing like a star, Sho gripping his blade charged with Dimonation Pulse, and Sylus's frost aura freezing the lava before it reached them.
Liyana raised her hand. "Together."
Sho nodded. "Let's end this."
Sylus smirked. "Then don't hold back."
---
Their combined strike was indescribable — frost, light, and steel merged into one blinding wave that ripped through the Archon's chest.
The creature screamed, its molten heart exposed, before collapsing into a crater miles wide.
Its final words echoed:
> "The... Celestial... will rise... again..."
Then silence.
---
Aftermath
The skies cleared.
The sea calmed.
The island lay in ruins, yet somehow... beautiful.
Sho fell to one knee, breathing heavily.
Sylus sat nearby, exhausted but alive.
And Liyana — floating gently above them — lowered herself, her aura fading, her eyes soft again.
Sho smiled weakly. "Remind me... to never make you mad."
Liyana laughed, wiping a bit of blood from his cheek. "Only if you promise not to scare me like that again."
Sylus rolled her eyes. "You two should just get married already."
Liyana and Sho both blushed instantly.
> "Wha—!"
"W-We're not—!"
Sylus smirked faintly. "You're cute when you deny it."
---
[Academy Observation Hall]
Asfi clapped her hands together, grinning. "Aww~ how romantic!"
Chroma sighed in disbelief. "Romantic? They just fought an EX+ class entity!"
Principal Alice smiled, her tone sweet as ever.
> "And they survived. That's what matters. Now… let's bring them home."
---
The crystal screens dimmed as the teleportation sequence began.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE: Exam Overridden — All Survivors Returning to Academy Grounds]
A soft light enveloped Liyana, Sho, and Sylus.
As they vanished from the ruined island, the fallen Archon's corpse began to fade — its ashes whispering into the sea, leaving only one lingering phrase carried by the wind:
> "The Celestial shall soon remember... everything..."
---
To Be Continued...