The air still hummed with the echo of Noel's last strike.
The Fourth Pillar staggered backward, blood tracing a thin line down his jaw before vanishing in the heat that shimmered across the chamber. His breathing was harsh, uneven — each exhale burning with unstable mana that flickered crimson along his skin.
Noel rose from his crouch, Revenant Fang dragging a shallow line through the molten floor as he straightened. Selene and Noir stood behind him, silent, their eyes fixed on the enemy who somehow remained upright.
Albrecht's golden light flashed in the distance — the constant clash with the Third Pillar still raging beyond the haze. Every impact from their duel rattled the walls, but here, the focus had narrowed to one fight.
The Fourth Pillar drove his sword into the ground, forcing his body to stand straight. The molten cracks beneath his feet pulsed like veins of fire, his aura rising again in unstable waves.
