Lucinda soon coughed out blood as she fell to one knee.
My eyes narrowed.
It seemed the attack from the Leviathan she had blocked earlier, combined with the battle against the Voidborns, had finally taken its toll on her body.
I gritted my teeth.
"You should've gotten on that vessel along with the others."
My voice was cold.
"You'll only be a hindrance if you join the battle in your current condition."
I looked at her injured state before scoffing.
"Putting on a brave front without having the strength to back it up."
"Pathetic."
Lucinda let out a small chuckle.
Then suddenly—
"Hey."
I frowned.
"Do you hate me?"
My body froze.
Does she kno—
"It's just..."
She looked toward the distant battlefield.
"Ever since you came to the academy as an assistant professor."
"You always seemed like you wanted to pick a fight with me."
My eyes narrowed.
"Don't misundersta—"
Before I could finish, she slowly stood up and stepped forward.
Her crimson eyes met my golden ones.
"And then there's that gaze of yours."
She stared directly into my eyes.
"At first I thought it was admiration."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"Maybe even love."
Then her smile faded.
"But no."
Her eyes softened slightly.
"Those eyes of yours..."
"They hate me, don't they?"
My fists tightened.
I remained silent.
"I don't think I've ever met you before the academy."
Lucinda continued quietly.
"And even if we had some disagreement somewhere..."
"I don't think any of that would warrant the kind of hatred I see in your eyes."
Her gaze never left mine.
"So why?"
"Why do you hate me, Zio Norken?"
...
The world seemed to disappear.
Memories surged through my mind.
A filthy room hidden deep within the Valen Estate.
Rotten food thrown before a child.
Mocking servants.
Cold stares.
Days.
Months.
Years.
No one came.
No one cared.
Then—
another memory surfaced.
A young boy walking through the main hall.
Hope filling his eyes.
A desperate hope.
"S-Sis..."
Lucinda turned.
And the look she gave him—
wasn't anger.
Wasn't disappointment.
It was disgust.
"Get out."
...
Get out.
Those words echoed endlessly inside my mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
That day—
Rio Valen had finally broken.
Because even at the very end—
his own sister hated him.
She didn't see him as family.
Didn't see him as a brother.
Only as trash.
Something worthless.
Something unwanted.
My golden eyes slowly gleamed.
My hands trembled.
Then—
I moved.
Lucinda's eyes widened.
In an instant, my hand wrapped around her throat.
SLAM.
Her body was lifted from the ground.
My eyes held nothing.
No warmth.
No humanity.
Only emptiness.
Lucinda grunted.
In her mind, shock exploded.
This strength?
She desperately tried to move.
Tried to summon ice.
Tried to break free.
Nothing worked.
I didn't even budge.
Then—
my grip loosened.
My own eyes widened.
"W-why...?"
Tears slowly fell down my face.
My voice trembled.
"D-Didn't they treat you horribly, Rio?"
My body shook violently.
"S-So why are you stopping me, Rio?"
Another tear fell.
"I-I'll put an end to everything for you."
My voice cracked.
"W-Wouldn't that make you happy too?"
"S-So why are you stopping me?"
Lucinda coughed violently as her eyes widened.
"H-How do you know that name—"
But it was already too late.
Rio was losing control.
...
As he fell to his knees, Rio's eyes turned completely white.
Not silver.
Not glowing.
Pure white.
As if every trace of consciousness had been stripped away.
"Zio!"
Lucinda immediately rushed forward.
Ignoring everything else.
Ignoring the battle raging across the ocean.
Ignoring the screams and explosions in the distance.
She dropped beside him and grabbed his shoulders.
"H-How do you know that name?"
Her voice trembled.
"P-Please..."
"Please tell me..."
Then—
something slipped free.
The amulet around Rio's neck fell onto the sand.
Crack.
The artifact shattered.
And the disguise vanished.
Long black and white hair spilled across his shoulders.
The illusion was gone.
Lucinda froze.
Her pupils contracted.
The world seemed to stop.
"N-no..."
Her voice came out as a whisper.
"N-no..."
Her hands began trembling.
"N-no..."
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"N-no..."
Her breathing became uneven.
"I-impossible..."
She slowly fell to her knees.
Staring.
Unable to look away.
Unable to deny what she was seeing.
The face she had not seen in years.
The face she had buried inside her memories.
The face she thought she would never see again.
"Rio..."
COUGH!
Before she could move—
a fist slammed into her stomach.
BOOOOM!
Lucinda's body shot across the shoreline.
Sand exploded.
Several meters of earth shattered beneath her as she crashed violently into the coast.
Meanwhile—
Rio remained kneeling.
Both hands clutching his head.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A scream erupted from his throat.
Not human.
Not normal.
Pure agony.
Memories.
Voices.
Fragments.
Thousands of them.
All colliding at once.
Inside his mind—
Astravax roared.
[CALM DOWN, RIO!]
[CALM DOWN!]
Rio could barely hear him.
The pain was overwhelming.
Like his very soul was being torn apart.
Then—
it happened.
The entire Ocean of Noctara lit up.
A blinding radiance erupted from the horizon.
One pillar.
Crimson Red.
Then another.
Azure Blue.
Then a third.
Radiant Gold.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Three colossal pillars of light pierced the heavens.
They rose beyond the clouds.
Beyond the atmosphere itself.
Like divine spears connecting earth and sky.
The ocean shook.
The skies trembled.
The city of Noctara froze.
Every citizen.
Every mage.
Every noble.
Every soldier.
All of them looked toward the heavens.
Because those pillars were impossible to ignore.
They illuminated the entire kingdom.
Turning night into day.
Even the distant battle came to a halt.
Vex's eyes widened.
For the first time since his arrival—
fear appeared on his face.
His battle with Lancelot stopped instantly.
"N-no..."
His voice shook.
The Perished Army artifact trembled within his grasp.
Cold sweat ran down his forehead.
His gaze remained fixed on the three pillars.
As if he recognized them.
As if he understood exactly what they meant.
"N-NO!"
His roar echoed across the ocean.
"WHY NOW?!"
...
The three pillars of light continued to pierce the heavens.
Their radiance illuminated the entire Ocean of Noctara.
The sea trembled.
The skies distorted.
Even mana itself seemed to become unstable beneath their presence.
Then—
two figures descended from the heavens.
One was beautiful beyond reason.
Long hair flowed behind her like moonlight itself. Her flawless features seemed almost unreal, as though they had been sculpted by the gods themselves. Silver eyes gazed upon the world with detached elegance.
Retainer of Beauty.
Nephius.
Beside her stood a man dressed entirely in black.
His smile was casual.
Relaxed.
As though none of this concerned him.
Yet the moment his feet touched the air above the battlefield—
death itself seemed to follow.
Retainer of Death.
Xeno.
His eyes immediately fell upon Rio.
A grin spread across his face.
"It seems like it's begun."
Nephius remained silent.
Her gaze rested on the kneeling figure below.
For the first time—
concern appeared within her expression.
Xeno chuckled softly.
"To think the trigger would be his sister."
His smile widened.
"How interesting."
Below them—
Vex's face darkened.
"Xeno."
"Nephius."
His voice held disbelief.
"You two planned this?"
Xeno blinked.
Then laughed.
A dark laugh.
A dangerous laugh.
"What are you saying, Vex?"
He spread his arms.
"As if any of us would dare interfere with something of this scale."
His eyes gleamed.
"This was our Sovereign's plan all along."
The words struck the battlefield like thunder.
"Subject 082."
Xeno's smile slowly widened.
"Should soon regain his memories."
Silence.
Then—
his gaze met Vex's.
"And you know what that means, don't you?"
Vex's face instantly paled.
For perhaps the first time since arriving—
fear appeared within his eyes.
Not fear of death.
Not fear of defeat.
But fear of what was about to awaken.
Nearby—
Lancelot slowly raised his sword.
Golden mana erupted around him.
The sea itself split beneath the pressure.
His gaze remained fixed upon the three Retainers.
"Three Retainers."
His voice was cold.
"Inside Astryx."
"Do you wish to die?"
Xeno turned toward him.
Then laughed again.
"Lancelot."
"The Golden Knight."
The Retainer of Death shook his head.
"You misunderstand."
His smile disappeared.
For the first time—
his expression became serious.
"We are not here to fight."
His gaze slowly drifted toward Rio.
Still kneeling.
Still screaming.
Still breaking apart.
"We are here to witness."
The ocean grew silent.
Xeno pointed toward Rio.
His voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
"Prepare yourself, Lancelot."
"Because you are about to witness something this era has never seen."
The three pillars of light suddenly intensified.
The heavens trembled.
The ocean split apart.
And Xeno smiled.
"The birth of a Calamity."
"A true Calamity."
"One capable of shaking the world itself."
The smile on his face widened.
"So watch carefully."
"The Retainer of Chaos is about to awaken."