"We'll advance. And Venus, you better stay in the forest, because the enemy is your former comrade," Arya said firmly.
"Hah?! Who do you think you are?! Hmph… Fine. Besides, I can't fight while drunk like this," Venus replied.
"Thank you. Teleportation!"
He teleported Venus to the forest near the capital.
"Dina, Gamma. Can you handle the incoming soldiers? I'll face Noctis the Void alone," Arya said with certainty.
"Hah?! You'll fight him alone?"
"Yes, the enemy is VOID—he'll erase everything."
"Alright, Brother. Good luck," Gamma replied.
"Alright. Good luck," Dina echoed.
"Thank you. Time Stop!"
Time within a 100-meter radius stopped, and only Arya, Dina, and Gamma could move.
"Go."
Dina and Gamma moved forward, eliminating the guards.
"Then, Fly!" Arya took flight. "Come out, Noctis."
The sky above the capital darkened—not from nightfall, but from the void that appeared over the palace. The air thickened suddenly, as if filled with unseen energy. Arya stood on the highest balcony, body upright and cold as always. But today… he felt something different.
Then, the space in front of him cracked.
Not physically, but reality itself trembled, forming a vortex like a shattered mirror. From within it, a figure in a black cloak stepped out. No sound, no ripple of ordinary magic—only a silence that pierced the soul.
"Noctis," Arya muttered.
The man's eyes glowed a dark violet, full of emptiness. He didn't say a word. Behind him, shadows rippled like a sea of living ink. This was no ordinary magic. This was Void.
"If you came to stop me," Arya said calmly, "then prepare yourself."
Noctis raised his hand. In an instant, the ground around them vanished—not destroyed, but erased as if it had never existed. Arya stepped back once.
Void Art: Annihilation Sphere.
A sphere of void the size of a human head flew toward him. Arya spun his body, jumped sideways, and fired a magic bullet from his pistol. But the sphere didn't break—the bullet vanished upon touching its surface.
"So this magic doesn't destroy… it erases existence," Arya murmured, face serious.
Void Art: Erase Step.
Noctis appeared right behind Arya without a sound. Like teleportation, but not spatial movement—Noctis had erased his presence from the previous place and 'appeared' in a new one, leaving no trace to detect.
Arya leaned forward, then—
Time Magic: Slow Time.
Everything slowed. Noctis's attack froze mid-air. Arya jumped back and aimed calmly.
Bang!
But the bullet stopped mid-air… then vanished.
Void Art: Null Field.
"…Even a magic zone can be consumed?" Arya muttered. "Your abilities are disgusting."
Noctis raised his face, smiling faintly. His voice finally emerged—calm, but echoing in the empty space.
"Time can also be erased."
Void Art: Collapse of Chronos.
A black circle appeared in the sky, and Arya's time magic was slowly sucked in. Arya narrowed his eyes. If Void could consume time… then the only way was to speed up time, not slow it.
He touched his chest.
Time Magic: Accelerate Core.
His body lit up. His movements became five times faster. Arya's eyes could catch even the gaps where shadows didn't have time to fall.
"Not everything invisible is unpredictable." He leapt into the air.
Time Slash!
Time magic flowed into his katana. For a brief moment, even the Void cracked. Noctis stepped back. A thin cut appeared on his cheek.
That was enough. Arya smiled.
"So Void can't erase everything. Even emptiness can't conquer time."
Noctis didn't answer, only pulled down his hood. A handsome, charismatic face was revealed. But those eyes… were too hollow for someone his age.
"What is your true goal?" Arya asked.
Noctis simply raised his hand again.
Void Art: Realm Collapse.
The space around them began to shatter like glass. Arya knew this would erase their location from existence if not stopped.
"Enough," Arya muttered.
Time Magic: World Rewind.
The greatest time magic he mastered. The world seemed to tremble, time reversing destruction before it could happen.
Void and Time devoured each other.
Empty space met spinning seconds.
Arya and Noctis stared in silence, before Noctis's body trembled… and slowly, disintegrated into black ash.
Before vanishing, he spoke one final sentence.
"So you can do anything… How incredible, Exone the Executor."
Arya looked at the ground that had returned to normal. Full of dust, wounds, and silence.
He lowered his pistol and katana.
"…Thank you, my friend."
Arya's steps slowly moved away.
But the remnants of that battle would remain etched in his soul forever.
"He really was terrifying. Thank goodness I learned time magic from Lord Noctarion. And to think it could be used offensively too," Arya muttered.
"I always had bad thoughts when I heard about the Void, and truly, only time can erase emptiness."
The battle didn't last long—only ten seconds—because Arya repeatedly used time magic.
"Is Brother Arya okay?" Gamma asked, worried.
"Relax, Gamma! He's abnormal! Look up there!" said Dina.
"Eh? Where is he? He's not up there?" she panicked.
"Where did Brother Arya go?!" panic rising again.
"No idea. Maybe Noctis dragged him into his own dimension?" Dina offered a confusing answer.
———
"But there are so many guards. Can they handle it just the two of them? Ah well, let them be."
Arya walked straight into the throne room.
After that silent battle, Arya slowly landed on the ruins of the palace balcony. His breathing was heavy, but his steps remained firm. Without pause, he moved toward the throne room—where all questions awaited answers.
"Stop right there!" shouted a guard, pointing a spear at him.
"Annoying." Bang! The bullet pierced the guard's head even with the helmet.
"So you're the king?" Arya asked.
"That's right! Show some respect, commoner!" Sekius snapped.
"Respect? Don't make me laugh. Your aide just died in a ten-second battle." Arya smirked.
"What?! Noctis-kun is dead? Impossible. That means… it's my turn now."
"If he's alive, why hasn't he come here?"
"HAHAHAHA! Amazing, Exone! So, what do you want now?! To kill me?" Sekius squinted his eyes.
"Kill you? I have a lot of questions to ask first."
"What is your purpose in doing all this?!"
"Purpose? Isn't it obvious? To destroy this kingdom, of course!"
Beep beep! (Active)
"What is it, Dina?" Arya asked.
"What do you mean what?! Where are you?! You're not up there? Weren't you just up top?" Dina was worried.
"I already finished fighting him. It took 10 seconds."
"What?! You beat someone that strong in 10 seconds?!" she was shocked.
"Brother, you're amazing!"
"Hahaha! Of course I am! I'm the greatest!" he boasted.
"You! How dare you ignore me?!" Sekius was annoyed.
"Shh! Be quiet! I'm talking to my family!" Arya slowly walked away.
"Who are you talking to, Brother?" Gamma asked curiously.
"The king of this country! He's such a narcissist!"
"You don't have the right to say that!" Dina barked.
"What?! Of course I do! Ah, I'll go for now. He's getting really mad from being ignored," Arya glanced at Sekius.
"Bye, Brother! Be careful!"
"Yeah, bye!"
"Excuse me, what were you just saying?" Sekius asked, approaching again.
"Never mind. Now then, what will you do? Will you let me kill you?"
"Of course! But only after you find out what my real intentions are!"