"Don't worry... I will always protect you..."
Klaus moved with strategy, evading the three Abyssal Heralds as they rushed him. Unlike Shade, the creatures were feral, attacking with pure aggression. Each individual herald was stronger than their creator, leaving Klaus heavily outclassed in the clash.
He maintained a defensive stance through most of the battle, unable to find even a single opening as the creatures pressed forward without pause. He dodged swiftly, but it was his precognition and Phantasmal State that carried the weight of his defense, and he knew they could not hold out forever.
Still cautious of using his speed of light after what had happened with Shade, Klaus restrained himself from using the ability altogether. Because of this, there was no clear way for him to win against the three creatures relentlessly striking at him.
The heralds fought with seamless synergy, their coordination unnatural, as though born of a single will. Whenever Klaus tried to strike at one's blind spot, another would intervene instantly, as if they all shared the same vision.
As the fight dragged on, Klaus grew tired while his opponents showed no signs of fatigue. Landing even a single attack felt impossible. Even if it was early to say, he could already tell this was the toughest battle he had ever faced, surpassing even his clash with Limbo.
Soon, retreating to catch his breath, Klaus's vision blurred and his strength waned. Sensing weakness, the nearest herald swung a deadly fist upward. The blow landed on his abdomen, the sheer force lifting him from the ground and suspending him midair.
The second herald lunged immediately after. As the first crouched low, the second used its back to leap forward, slashing its claws across Klaus's chest while he remained airborne. Each claw carved deep wounds, hurling him across the battlefield.
Before he could land, the third herald intercepted him. With frightening speed, it stomped him into the ground, the impact sending a tremor across the area before kicking him away.
Klaus's body crashed through buildings, breaking walls until finally rolling to a stop. He lay nearly lifeless, the glow in his eyes flickering before they began to close.
The brutality of the strikes was beyond anything he had ever endured. Darkness closed in, and slowly, he began to lose consciousness.
From afar, Olivia watched with wide eyes, her timid expression displaying her deep concern. She glanced at The End, who ignored her unease, his gaze fixed on the battle from his throne with unshaken intensity.
Olivia clenched her teeth in frustration, her heart pounding as Klaus's still form lay unmoving. "Please, Klaus," she thought desperately. "Please, find a way. You're the only one who can stop this."
...
"...Klaus, I know you can do this. I believe in you."
...
Klaus's eyes shot open, his breath ragged. The faint vibrations of the ground stirred him awake--but far more than that was the familiar voice he had just heard within his mind, a voice he hadn't heard in months.
Clenching his teeth through the pain, he pressed his palm against his blood-soaked torso. He tried to slow the bleeding with sheer pressure, though he lacked the practiced skill of other seasoned demigods who could do so. The claw marks stretched deep across his chest, and he had already lost far too much blood. But still, he refused to stay down.
Struggling, Klaus pushed himself to his feet. The vibrations of the earth grew heavier, heralding the approach of his enemies.
At this point, what Klaus felt about the battle was different. The voice he had just heard reminded him of what he was fighting for. It allowed him to refocus on the much bigger objective beyond saving his brother: saving all of humanity.
In that moment, amid the incredible pain he felt, Klaus recalled his battle with X during the Divine Tournament, and one statement from their exchange lingered in his mind.
"Pain promotes progress."
After so long, Klaus recognized these words as truth, even if he hadn't wanted to admit it before. He understood now that things were never black and white, and that simply trying to be a good person would never be enough. In this moment, he embraced those words, finally accepting his fault in perspective after all this time.
Standing tall, Klaus's pained gaze shifted to anger--not only for his ignorance, but also for his weakness that had held him back. He knew that if he had been stronger, he could have defeated the creatures and perhaps even saved Shade by now. His weakness was costing the safety of both his brother and all of mortal life, and he was finally ready to overcome it.
Walking out of the building he had crashed into, Klaus once again met the creatures that rushed at him. Their relentless assault began to enrage him, and now, instead of fear, he felt only fury.
As the battle went on, Klaus's wounds slowly began to heal, and the bleeding eased after a short while. Unlike before, however, he was holding his own much better. It wasn't that he had suddenly become stronger despite his injuries, but rather that the dismissal of his fears allowed him to notice something peculiar about his opponents.
For all their overwhelming power, the heralds lacked a tactical mind like Shade's. Their synergy was remarkable, but their actions were not strategic--but rather feral. That small realization gave Klaus the faintest glimpse of a path to victory.
Klaus's performance began to change. He shifted his fighting style to mirror theirs, matching them in primal ferocity. This allowed him to channel his rage into the fight while also keeping up with their speed and strength. And since he was far more tactical than they were, it granted him an advantage in at least one aspect of the clash.
As the fight raged on, one of the heralds swung a clenched fist into Klaus's jaw. The blow landed cleanly, making the demigod flinch. But instead of retreating, Klaus held his ground, spitting blood and returning a glare of fury before striking back with a punch of his own to the creature's head.
The herald staggered back, but another quickly took its place, lunging forward with its maw wide open as if to bite Klaus in half. However, its form swiftly passed through the demigod's body harmlessly.
Klaus's eyes snapped to the creature as he maintained his Phantasmal State. The instant the herald phased past him, he deactivated the ability and struck with a kick to its side.
Even if Klaus's strikes lacked the devastating weight he wanted, they were still enough to deal noticeable damage.
As soon as the kick landed, the third herald charged in, catching him wide open and swatting him aside.
Klaus stumbled back, but managed to stop himself in place. With a grunt of rage, his eyes began to glow before releasing a tremendous burst of light. Recognizing that blinding them all at once was the only way to gain an opening, he raised both hands above his head, summoning a Solar Ball.
When the blinding flash settled, Klaus stood with a third-grade Solar Ball forming above his palms--the same level he had used in his battle against X. His breathing was heavy, but without hesitation, he hurled the massive sphere of light at his opponents.
As the creatures regained their vision, the red-eyed herald acted swiftly, noticing Klaus's attack. With haste, it moved ahead of the others, bracing its forearms together as the Solar Ball closed in. The explosion was devastating, shaking the battlefield.
When the blinding light dissipated, the red-eyed herald was nowhere to be found, obliterated by the might of the blast. All that remained was a puddle of darkness, inching steadily toward the Abyssal Pit.
Klaus noticed immediately, his caution rising. He understood that if the puddle reached the pit, the herald could respawn. He rushed forward to intercept, but before he could, the other heralds lunged at him, halting his advance and forcing him into combat.
Klaus maintained a defensive stance, his eyes flicking between his adversaries and the puddle creeping toward the pit. With that distraction, one herald suddenly slammed its claws into his right arm, its talon-like nails tearing into his bicep.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Klaus grabbed the creature's arm with his free hand. Fueled by adrenaline, he used incredible force to crush the herald's wrist and rip its hand off before the other struck him away.
Landing hard, Klaus glanced at his grasp, dark liquid dripping in place of the molten creature's severed limb. He rose again, though pain wracked his body, and watched as the Abyssal Pit trembled. From its center, another creature of darkness crawled out, bearing the same red eyes as the one he had defeated.
Klaus watched as it regrouped with its kin. Stepping behind the blue-eyed herald--the one missing an arm--it placed its hand on its shoulder, and in seconds, the lost limb was restored.
Klaus stood in unexplainable pain, his blood soaking his clothes, but he refused to give up. His breaths came fast, his body heavy.
"All I need to do… is defeat you all at once," he muttered, his hair falling over his glowing eyes. "Easy."
Provoked by his words, the three heralds rushed him at once. Klaus moved with grace and intense focus, his precision sharper than it had been at any earlier point in the battle. Whether it was his unyielding desire to win or his divine genes pushing him beyond his limits, his strength now rivaled his foes, his actions fueled by rage.
Klaus traded brutal blows with the heralds, determined to end them. He slammed his fist into one, and when the others tried to interfere, his phasing negated their attacks.
His strikes hit harder than before. With one uncontrolled right hook, he smashed a herald's head so hard the towering creature flipped sideways.
Immediately, another herald grabbed him from behind while the third rushed forward with claws bared. But as the attack neared, it phased through Klaus--striking the creature restraining him instead.
Capitalizing instantly, Klaus kicked the one in front of him away, then turned on the one behind as it reeled from its kin's attack. With no hesitation, he thrust a small Solar Ball into its mouth. The resulting blast blew its head apart, its dark form absorbing the blinding flash.
The third herald closed in during the chaos, its claws raking across Klaus's face. Blood sprayed, but Klaus didn't flinch.
Eyes blazing gold with fury, he seized the creature's head and slammed it into the ground. The herald he had kicked away rushed back toward him, while the one he had slain melted into a puddle of darkness. Klaus knew he had to finish this quickly before it was too late, especially with his energy waning.
Lifting the herald he held, Klaus swung it into its charging kin. With the distance gained, he spread both palms wide, summoning two first-grade Solar Balls after a deep sigh.
With focus in his eyes, Klaus moved closer as the two creatures charged in. They reached mere inches from one another, and the heralds swung their vicious claws at the demigod. Because of their towering stature, the claws were guaranteed to reach him first. But Klaus was prepared.
Having increased the density of the spheres of light during his run, Klaus was able to release the Solar Balls from his hands, guiding them with his ability to manipulate light as the claws of his foes phased through his body. In that moment, the two orbs homed in on the Abyssal Heralds, striking them squarely in the chest.
The explosion was incredible, engulfing the entire battlefield. When the light settled, Klaus knelt on the ground, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
He coughed blood from his mouth, his rage having fueled him long past the point where his stamina had run dry. Now the weight of it all fell on him at once. But at least he had managed to defeat the creatures before the first one could merge back with the pit of darkness.
As the puddles of darkness left by the heralds spread across the ground, the Abyssal Pit reclaimed them. Soon, the pit began to tremble before another arm emerged from its center. This time, instead of a monstrous claw, it was clad in dark armor.
Shade pulled himself out of the pit, coughing violently as liquid darkness poured from his mouth. His eyes squinted in pain as he rolled to the ground, exhaustion overwhelming him. It was clear that sustaining the heralds had taken an enormous toll. His fatigue even seemed worse than Klaus's. Still, after a few seconds, he forced himself upright, steadying his breath.
Klaus remained grounded a moment longer. His vision was blurry, his body bloodied, but he refused to falter after coming so far. Soon, he rose as well, rage burning in his eyes as he staggered forward. But after only a few steps, he froze.
Shade held Klaus still with his shadows once more, the Abyssal Pit shifting back to his side. But this time, Klaus would not remain immobilized.
Klaus's eyes glowed brighter than before as the shadows surrounding him were driven away, replaced by a Radiant Aura that wrapped every inch of his body.
Determined to finish the battle, Klaus pressed his knuckles together, light gathering in his palms. At the same time, Shade knelt beside the pit, plunging his hand into its depths. In seconds, Klaus manifested the Sol Blade, while Shade drew a blade of darkness from the Abyssal Armory.
Both demigods were heavily fatigued in different ways, but their resolve was the same: neither would accept defeat. Instantly, they met, weapons clashing.
Light and darkness collided in their purest forms, the impact so violent it flung their arms apart and shook their surroundings. Without hesitation, they closed in again, their blades striking with precision.
Their skill was immaculate, each having honed their mastery to the peak of their ability. After several clashes, both weapons shattered upon one another--but neither fighter paused.
Klaus formed another Sol Blade in an instant, while Shade pulled a fresh weapon from the pit. Swiftly, their duel resumed without a loss of momentum.
The battle raged on, and both fighters focused in silence. Their blades shattered again and again, but each time they replenished them without delay.
After several more exchanges, Shade realized Klaus held the advantage in their clash. Retreating briefly, he thrust his hand forward, calling the Abyssal Pit ahead of him. From it, countless spikes of darkness erupted, surging toward Klaus.
Klaus witnessed the situation, but instead of panicking, he took a deep breath and focused. With a change in stance, he recalled his training with Siege, where he learned patience and precision to slice the falling apple. The darkness rushed closer, reaching mere inches before he finally struck.
In a single instant, Klaus cut through every spike of darkness, dicing them with his Sol Blade. He hadn't even used his Burst Speed, yet his movements were nearly imperceptible. As the fragments scattered, he stood his ground before immediately rushing forward, stretching his blade toward Shade.
Klaus swung cleanly through Shade's chest, slicing across his abdomen. However, instead of blood, darkness poured from the wound.
Shade had replaced his body and organs with pure darkness before the attack, keeping himself alive. Shocked by Klaus's action--knowing his brother had never struck with intent to kill before--he realized the situation had changed. With a grunt of anger, he counterattacked, but Klaus was now harder to hit than ever.
Whether from his trial with the heralds or the rage fueling him, Klaus began to overpower Shade. His strikes were precise, landing slash after slash, though Shade swapped his body parts when needed to avoid fatal damage.
After another clash that shattered both weapons, Klaus pulled back, spreading his hands with fingers wide. Instantly, miniature Solar Balls formed at each fingertip before he hurled them toward Shade.
Shade dodged the initial volley, but Klaus guided the orbs with subtle finger movements, forcing them into pursuit. Exhaustion slowed Shade's evasions, and one orb finally grazed his armor. The resulting explosion was devastating, nearly stronger than a normal first-grade Solar Ball. And it didn't stop there.
The blast sent Shade tumbling into another orb, sparking a chain reaction. Each detonation hurled him into the path of the next, like a living pinball, until every Solar Ball had struck.
As the light faded, Shade lay on his back, unmoving.
Klaus gasped slightly from the strain of his attack. His opponent stayed grounded longer than usual, and it was clear that his last strike had been fatal. He took a moment to regain his strength, his Radiant Aura settling before finally moving forward.
His steps were calculated as he watched his opponent's unconscious form on the ground. Soon, he reached Shade, his eyes showing the easing of his rage as he surveyed his fallen brother.
He knew his actions and aggression were for the best for their reality, but he hated seeing Shade in such a state. Still, he was relieved to have finally managed to put an end to the fight--or so he thought.
Before another moment could pass, Klaus noticed the absence of the Abyssal Pit nearby. Immediately after, darkness surged from Shade's back, lifting him off the ground and setting him upright with force as his eyes shot open.
Shade stretched his left hand and grabbed Klaus's right bicep, specifically the wound inflicted earlier by the Abyssal Heralds. He gripped mercilessly, and Klaus screamed in agony as he arched backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Shade slammed his right foot into the side of Klaus's knee, breaking his brother's right leg with a single blow. But that was not all. As Klaus began to fall back, Shade conjured a blade of darkness and swung it at him.
Klaus twisted his torso just enough to avoid the full force of the slash, but the blade still sliced through his right hand, severing it completely.
He rolled across the ground, blood gushing from where his arm had been. His grunts of pain were audible, and his vision blurred rapidly. Struggling to look up, he saw Shade let out a taunting grin, having used a dirty trick to catch him off guard.
Klaus gritted his teeth, watching as Shade raised his weapon to the skies. The End watched with a smile, while Olivia's eyes filled with tears. But before the blade could descend, a voice cut through the moment.
"Shade!"
Shade froze as Riley and Rose rushed back onto the battlefield.
"Stop this," Riley continued. "What are you doing?"
They stopped a few feet away from their fellow demigods. With a single glance, Rose realized exactly what had transpired, especially sensing the conflicting emotions Shade now displayed.
"I think... he's under The End's influence," she explained to Riley.
Riley turned to Rose briefly, then returned her gaze to Shade. "Shade, you need to snap out of it," she said calmly. "You were about to kill your own brother."
Shade slowly lowered his hand, his eyes shifting to the demigods behind him. But his gaze was full of disgust, unmoved by Riley's words.
"You need to fight it," Riley persisted.
But Shade showed no reaction, only growing contempt. He moved swiftly toward Riley, raising his weapon to strike.
Rose took a stance, but Riley remained calm and resolute. "I know who you are," she said, keeping her gaze on Shade as he advanced. "I know you won't let this consume you."
Shade's blade extended toward her, but before he could strike, she spoke words that caught him off guard.
"I know you won't forsake Natalie."
Suddenly, Shade's eyes widened, and he froze in place. His blade dropped from his grasp as memories flooded his mind--childhood moments with Klaus and the unconditional love Natalie had shown him, despite not being his biological mother.
...
"There's something I have to tell you, Shade. The truth is… you were adopted by our family as a baby after your mother passed."
Shade watched Natalie sit beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder as she held him close. The surroundings reflected their home, and Shade appeared much younger than he had been moments ago.
Natalie looked at him with a heavy heart. "I know it's a lot to take in," she said. "But I didn't want you to grow up resenting me for keeping the truth from you. And I know you're old and mature enough to hear it now."
Her eyes softened as she turned away for a moment. "Despite all this… I promise to continue loving you until the end of my life," she said. "No matter what you feel about it."
The silence was intoxicating. Shade felt the world around him shift after hearing the truth, yet deep down, it wasn't sadness he felt.
"I… don't care about being adopted," he finally said, catching Natalie's attention. "As long as I'm with you and Klaus… this will always be my home… and you will always be my family."
Natalie smiled warmly, impressed by his response. "You truly are all grown up," she said, drawing him into a big hug.
...
Shade stood in place, his mind racing with memories of his family. Soon, he began to let out grunts of pain, his eyes closing as he shifted stance.
Riley stepped back, watching as Shade held his head. He let out an immensely powerful, banshee-like scream, similar to the one he had before his transformation, and his body shook with pain.
The End observed the scene with a curious smile. "Ohh?" he muttered, amused. "Interesting. You mortals truly are entertaining creatures."
Shade's grunts continued as the darkness armor around his body began to liquefy, dripping away. He squinted in pain for a few more moments before finally collapsing to the ground, the tension from his agony slowly easing.
Riley's gaze was fixed on him alongside Rose, concern evident as she listened to his labored breaths. "Shade?" she called, her voice soft.
Shade remained motionless for a moment longer, then slowly spoke. "R-Riley?"
"Oh my gods," Riley whispered in shock, leaning closer. "You're okay."
Klaus barely watched, observing as Riley helped Shade to his feet. Unlike before, his brother's eyes were back to normal, signaling that he had finally regained his mind from The End's influence.
"What… happened?" Shade muttered, his hand still on his head as Riley steadied him.
His gaze swept across the wasteland that surrounded them. But his shock only deepened when he saw Klaus, drenched in blood, his right arm lying a short distance away.
"Klaus!" he called, trying to move but stumbling slightly.
Riley reacted immediately, catching him before he fell.
"I'm... fine," Klaus said between breaths, trying to ease his brother's worry. "You're… okay now. I'm… glad."
Shade's concern was evident, but he let it go, turning his attention to Riley. "Your voice…" he muttered. "Somehow, I managed to hear it through the darkness."
Riley smiled. "You're one of the strongest-willed people I know," she said. "I'm just glad I could help when you needed it."
Shade smiled back and leaned in to hug her, and she returned the embrace warmly.
The battlefield settled, the demigods catching a moment of relief--but something unsettling pressed on Klaus.
Suddenly, before anyone could react, every demigod froze in place. Klaus's confusion grew as his gaze dropped, revealing the source. Beneath them, covering the entire area where they stood, a massive pool of shadows had spread.
Klaus looked back at Shade, who still held Riley in an embrace. Yet even in that moment, Klaus noticed the sudden grin spreading across his brother's face.
Riley stood in utter confusion, frozen by the Binding Shadows beneath them. "What the hell is go--"
But before she could finish, her eyes widened as a sound echoed across the area. Riley glanced forward in shock, locking eyes with Klaus, who stared back with growing horror.
Klaus felt an eerily similar sensation wash over him after meeting Riley's gaze, one that made him feel sick. Slowly, his eyes moved downward, where he saw Shade's fist driven completely through Riley's abdomen.
Pain washed over Riley instantly, and blood began seeping uncontrollably from her torso.
"Riley!" Rose shouted from a short distance, attempting to break through the shadows that held them. Shade's strength in keeping them immobilized was incredible, and she wondered how he could wield so much power in that moment.
Klaus lay unable to move, trapped both by his injuries and the shadows. "N-No..." he muttered, watching the terror in Riley's eyes as they remained locked on him.
"K-Klaus?" Riley whispered, her voice trembling.
Her vision blurred, and the situation began to feel unreal. Suddenly, her body started to morph where Shade had struck, darkness creeping through her form and consuming her within moments.
This was a power Shade possessed that Klaus had forgotten until now. His father had mentioned a similarity in power between him and Shade, where they could transform not only nonliving objects into their natural element but also living creatures. This was exactly what Shade was doing to Riley.
Within seconds, Riley's entire body was consumed, her form shattering instantly and exploding into liquid darkness that littered the area around Shade.
Klaus's gaze remained fixed ahead, wide with utter disbelief. The pain from his own injuries was nothing compared to the weight in his mind.
Rose's eyes were filled with pure terror, watching as a fellow demigod and friend was reduced to fragments of darkness. And yet Shade kept his evil grin, his eyes returning to the same inverted state as before.
As the Binding Shadows finally vanished from the ground, Rose fell to her knees in sorrow, watching the puddles of darkness that had been Riley move into the Abyssal Pit. Tears rolled down her mortified face as she pressed her palms to the ground in defeat. Meanwhile, Shade stood upright, his darkness armor returning to his body at once.
Klaus's gaze remained fixed for seconds where he had last locked eyes with Riley. A flood of memories washed over him--from when they had first met in the Cosmic League, to when she had helped him overcome his grief for Avalon, to the moment they had shared a kiss on his roof. Everything crashed into his mind at once, and then, suddenly, Klaus began to chuckle.
Rose turned to him in pain, watching as he slowly lowered his gaze, his hair covering his eyes, and laughed uncontrollably.
His laughter continued for a few seconds before its tone shifted. Hints of pain crept into his voice, his crooked smile fading. Within moments, his laughter became indistinguishable from crying, as tears rolled freely down his face.
The sight was unbearable for Rose, watching her closest friend break emotionally, his body battered and barely intact. Yet before she could react further, the battlefield itself began to tremble.
Small quakes shook the earth, drawing even The End's curious attention from his throne.
Klaus cried for a few more moments before letting out a powerful scream of agony. His voice was the most intense it had ever been, and Shade's grin swiftly vanished as he sensed the shift in the situation.
Shade observed Klaus's broken body, no longer in a position to fight, yet still felt an inexplicable reason to be concerned. And then it happened.
In an instant, a massive beam of light fell from the sky, enveloping Klaus completely in divine radiance. The glow was unlike any light Klaus had used before, amplifying Shade's unease.
Seconds passed, and the hallowed light blocked all visual contact with Klaus from the other demigods. And finally, after a few moments, the light dissipated.
What remained was a sight no one had expected. At the center of the residual glow was Klaus, who began to rise on his two feet. His dismembered arm was now fully restored--but that was not the most astonishing change.
Somehow, Klaus's height towered well over the norm as he arose, and behind him unfurled a pair of massive, magnificent white wings.
Shade's eyes widened in utter shock, matched by Rose's disbelief. Both enemy and allied demigods shared the same expression, witnessing Klaus's eyes open, now completely white and devoid of pupils.
And in that moment, the truth became clear to everyone: Klaus had ascended.