The Void Guardian's massive claw came crashing down toward Captain Leon.
BOOM!
Leon jumped to the side just in time.
The ground where he had been standing shattered into pieces.
Dust filled the air.
Leon quickly regained his footing.
"This thing is too strong…"
Around him, the remaining royal knights were struggling to hold the monster back.
Two knights attacked from the sides with enchanted spears.
Their weapons struck the creature's body—
CLANG!
The attacks barely left scratches.
The monster swung its tail violently.
Both knights were thrown across the battlefield.
The cult leader watched the battle calmly from the temple steps.
"Interesting…"
"I didn't expect the royal knights to last this long."
But he knew the truth.
The knights were already losing.
Captain Leon looked around quickly.
Several soldiers were injured.
Some could barely stand.
If the battle continued like this…
no one would survive.
Leon tightened his grip on his sword.
"I have to end this quickly."
He gathered all his mana.
His blade began glowing brighter than before.
"Everyone!"
"Fall back!"
The knights immediately obeyed.
They jumped away from the monster.
The Void Guardian turned toward Leon again.
Its glowing red eyes focused entirely on him.
Leon took a deep breath.
"Royal Knight Secret Technique…"
"Solar Breaker!"
His sword erupted with powerful golden energy.
He dashed forward at incredible speed.
The monster raised its claw to block—
SLASH!
Leon's blade cut deep across the creature's chest.
A massive crack spread through the dark armor.
Black energy burst from the wound.
The Void Guardian roared in rage.
But before Leon could attack again—
the cult leader suddenly raised his hand.
"Enough."
Dark chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around the monster.
The creature struggled but slowly stopped moving.
Leon stared at him in confusion.
"You're… stopping the fight?"
The cult leader smiled.
"The test is complete."
Leon's eyes widened.
"Test?"
The cult leader looked at the monster calmly.
"The Void Guardian is not fully awakened yet."
"This battle was simply to measure its strength."
Then he turned his glowing eyes toward Leon.
"And thanks to you…"
"We now have the data we needed."
Leon realized the danger immediately.
"You're planning something bigger…"
The cult leader's smile widened.
"Of course."
He raised his hand again.
The magical circle beneath the temple began glowing once more.
"Soon the entire world will witness the return of true darkness."
Back at the royal palace—
Saksham suddenly felt the dark energy surge again.
This time it was even stronger.
Inside his mind, the system flashed urgently.
SYSTEM ALERT
Void Guardian Awakening: 32%
If Awakening reaches 100%
Catastrophic Event will occur.
Saksham's eyes narrowed.
"100%…?"
That meant the battle at the ruins was not the real goal.
The cult was preparing something far worse.
Far away at Velkar Temple—
the cult leader began walking away from the battlefield.
The Void Guardian stood behind him like a silent monster.
He spoke one final sentence before disappearing into the darkness.
"Tell your king…"
"This was only the beginning."
Captain Leon stood there silently.
He had won the battle.
But somehow—
it felt like a defeat.
To be continued…