The battlefield was a wasteland of ruin devastation, yet the true destruction was not of building or streets—it was Knox.
He could barely stand, his body a shattered ruin of blood and broken bones. Every breath was agony, his limbs refusing to obey as his vision blurred from the relentless onslaught he had endured. He had fought battles before, faced enemies beyond him, but this was something else entirely
Zerath was done playing games.
All amusement had vanished from his expression, his golden eyes locked in with terrifying focus. There was no hesitation, no mercy—only an absolute inescapable certainty.
Knox had already lost.
And then Zerath moved.
The air barely had time to scream before an iron fist collided with Knox's abdomen, the sheer force of the impact rupturing the ground beneath them. It felt as if his organs were crushed inward, bones fracturing instantly as the shockwave exploded outward, leveling entire structures in the distance. The pain was blinding—white-hot and unbearable.
Before he could even react, before he could process the devastation tearing through his body, Zerath's foot came up in a brutal, unrelenting arc. The kick connected with his skull, sending him flying through the air like a lifeless corpse, his battered form smashing through building after building, each collision sending a spray of rubble and debris skyward. By the time he finally came to a stop, buried beneath the wreckage of what had once been a skyscraper, his body was barely recognizable—bloodied, broken, hollow.
But Zerath wasn't done.
Not even close.
In a flash, he was there, looming over the wreckage with an eerie, unshaken composure. Without ceremony, he reached down, gripping Knox by the throat, and with effortless strength, lifted him into the air like he weighed nothing at all.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, without warning, Zerath slammed him into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Over and over again.
Each impact was a detonation, a brutal collision that sent crack spider webbing through the earth, deep fissures tearing through the battlefield with every devastating blow. Knox's body had long since lost the ability to resist—he was barely conscious, only dimly aware of the fact that he was still alive. But even that felt temporary.
Then, Zerath shifted his grip, rearing back his fist, energy crackling around his knuckles like the birth of a collapsing star. This was the final blow.
The one that would en it all
And then—a light.
Blinding, radiant, and utterly unstoppable, it tore through the battlefield in an instant, crashing into Zerath's body with the force of a cosmic explosion. The sheer magnitude of the impact sent him skidding backward for the first time, his footing faltering against the overwhelming, divine radiance. The very air trembled in its wake, golden waves of energy cascading outward like ripples in an ocean of power.
And then, from the sky, she descended.
Seraph.
Like an angel of war, she dropped onto the battlefield, landing beside Knox's ruined form, her golden hair billowing in the wake of her divine aura. The instant her feet touched the ground, she was already moving, kneeling down and pulling him into her arms, cradling his broken body against her chest.
"Knox," she whispered, her voice trembling as she pressed her forehead against his. "You're alive. You're alive."
He barely managed to open his eyes, the pain still unbearable, his body refusing to move.
"Stay with me," she pleaded, her fingers tightening against him, desperation leaking into her voice. "Please, don't you dare close your eyes. Don't you dare leave me."
He tried to speak. But nothing came out except a weak, rasping breath.
Zerath was already recovering. The attack had pushed him back, but that was all it had done—his body, unscathed, was already moving toward them once more. His expression was unreadable, yet there was no mistaking the deadly intent in his eyes.
Seraph barely spared him a glance. She lifted a single hand, and in that moment, a sphere of brilliant light expanded outward, enveloping both herself and Knox in an impenetrable barrier.
Zerath's fist slammed into it—
And the force rebounded instantly.
The effect was immediate. His own power turned against him, the shockwave fracturing his bones as his arm snapped in multiple places. But the wounds lasted mere moments—his body regenerated instantly, only for the cycle to repeat as he struck again.
Crack! Heal. Crack! Heal.
Every time he attacked, the barrier retaliated with equal force, breaking and remaking him in an endless, brutal loop.
Yet Zerath did not stop.
And inside the barrier, Seraph held Knox closer, her golden light flowing into him, desperately trying to heal his wounds.
But something was wrong.
Something wasn't responding.
Far.
Far.
Farther Away.
Knox's eyes snapped open.
And he was nowhere.
An endless void stretched in every direction, yet it was neither empty nor full, neither dark nor light. Here, existence and nonexistence intertwined, dancing together in an endless, eternal waltz.
Then, a voice spoke. Deep, calm, ancient. It resonated through him, rather than simply being heard.
"You stand within a place that defiles the limits of mortal comprehension. A realm that exists outside of time, where rules of reality bend and break with no consequence. You are nowhere, and you are everywhere, child. A place where the mind wanders and the body dreams. Welcome, Knox Jun... to a place beyond boundless."
Knox turned sharply, his instincts flaring, but there was nothing. Or rather, there was something, but his mind simply refused to perceive it.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his voice hoarse but steady.
The voice chuckled, low and knowing.
"You cannot hear my name. Not yet. You are simply too weak."
Knox's fists clenched. "Then why bring me here?"
"Because you are lost. And because I seek your help, just as much as you seek mine. And in return, I will give you what you so desperately need."
Knox narrowed his eyes. "And what's that?"
"The power to fight. The power to rise beyond them."
For a brief moment, that void trembled.
"I will evolve your system, Kaelina, beyond the Divine rank. Into something more. Something... greater. A Supreme System."
Knox's breath hitched. "That's impossible. Systems only evolve to Divine—."
"Very well, then. I shall create a new rank."
A pause.
"The Creator of these systems may be... mildly irritated. But he is an old friend. He will not mind."
Knox clenched his fists. "If you're this powerful, why do you need me? What could I possibly offer you?"
The voice chuckled.
"In time, you will know."
Then, from the abyss, there was a single, deafening snap.
And the void collapsed.
Light.
Kaelina's voice screamed his name.
Knox found himself in a blinding white space, Kaelina's form flickering before him. Her presence was chaotic, shifting between radiance and something far beyond Divine.
She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Knox?! What just happened?! I've been calling your name, but I—" She stopped. She stared at herself. "I evolved. Twice. That's not possible."
Knox exhaled. "It is now."
Kaelina's expression flickered between shock and realization. "You... you met him, didn't you?"
Knox simply nodded.
She stared at him for a long moment, then said, "Whatever happened next... we face it together."
Knox closed his eyes. "Then let's go."
Seraph gasped as Knox's body repaired itself in an instant, the deep wounds sealing shut as if they had never existed. His breath steadied. His broken limbs restored themselves.
Then—his eyes opened.
And for the first time, there was something different in them.
Seraph barely had time to react before she was pulling him into an embrace, arms tightening around him in a desperate, almost crushing grip. "You idiot," she whispered, her voice raw with emotion. "You absolute idiot. I thought I lost you."
Knox exhaled, his arms slowly wrapping around her. "I'm here."
And outside the barrier, Zerath stopped.
For the first time, his expression shifted—not in anger, not in amusement, but in something far more cautious.
Then, the air shuddered.
The other Four had arrived.
Nyxara, Vaelith, Draeven, and Iskander all stepped forward, their presence alone distorting reality.
Nyxara's gaze fell upon Knox, and a slow, knowing smile curled across her lips.
"Something isn't right."