The battlefield was collapsing into madness with every passing second. The portals were no longer just gateways—they had become wounds in the very sky, bleeding monsters into the world without end. Each new roar shook the Presia Dukedom to its core.
Roman's golden aura crackled violently as he struggled to push back waves of monsters while simultaneously shielding terrified civilians. His sword was a blur of radiant arcs, each slash cutting through darkness, yet for every monster he struck down, three more emerged from the abyss.
"Father! Sister! Come to me!" Roman bellowed across the chaos.
Jacob and Selena fought through the blood-drenched streets, carving their way towards him. Their blades flashed, and the ground trembled with the weight of their auras. Both arrived at Roman's side, panting yet unyielding.
"We can't hold this line forever," Jacob growled, his blue aura burning brighter, shaking off the monsters that clawed at his armor. "Evacuating all these people is impossible. We don't have the numbers. Half the battalion is already dead or crippled!"
Selena's crimson aura erupted, the young swordmaster unleashing her fury, cutting down monsters that lunged too close. Her eyes burned red with anger and despair. "We'll save whoever we can! Even if it costs us everything!"
Roman clenched his jaw, his grip on his radiant blade tightening. His golden aura pulsed erratically as the shadow system's cold voice rang in his mind:
> Warning: Accessing further Fallen God power is restricted. Host body cannot sustain full output. Proceeding risks permanent collapse.
His face twisted in frustration. "Then I'll do it another way…"
Closing his eyes for a breath, he shifted his core. The Yin energy dimmed, swallowed, while the Yang flared—his divine gold aura igniting into a sun-like brilliance. His entire body glowed, and the sword in his hands blazed so fiercely it seemed forged from the heavens themselves.
Jacob's eyes widened. Two cores…? And now he can control them at will? This power… this is unheard of… terrifying.
Selena, teeth gritted, smirked despite the carnage. "Don't think I'll fall behind, little brother." Her crimson aura flared hotter, coating her blade in searing fire. She dove into the monsters like a living inferno, carving them apart with burning precision.
Roman raised his free hand and shouted. A glowing rune ignited beneath his feet, expanding into a swirling gate of light. "I'll create safe passage! Get the survivors through this portal!"
The knights, battered and bloodied, obeyed instantly. Jacob and Selena began driving people into the golden portal. Mothers clutched screaming children, old men staggered with wide, terrified eyes, and wounded knights leaned on each other as they stumbled through.
But the deeper they went into the city, the worse the horror became.
The streets were painted with death. Severed limbs scattered the ground. Bodies of peasants and knights alike were torn apart, some half-swallowed by grotesque maws, others shredded beyond recognition. The smell of blood and burning flesh made even seasoned knights retch.
Selena halted mid-step, dropping to her knees. She gagged violently, vomiting as her trembling hands tried to wipe away the blood on her boots. "Gods… what… what is this nightmare?"
Roman pushed past, his jaw locked, his eyes bloodshot. His golden aura lashed violently as he cut down monsters without hesitation, without mercy. Each swing of his blade was a storm.
Then he froze.
There, amidst the corpses, lay a familiar body.
The kindly shopkeeper who had once welcomed him warmly when he first ventured into town. The man who smiled, shared food, and entrusted him with looking after the children. Now he was unrecognizable. His legs had been ripped away. One of his eyes hung grotesquely out of its socket. His chest cavity was torn open, empty.
Roman's breath hitched. His sword arm faltered. For the first time in this world… tears streamed down his face.
"No…" his voice cracked. His shoulders shook. "No… not him. Not them…"
His scream ripped through the battlefield, a sound of raw grief and rage.
The golden aura around him exploded outward like a supernova, engulfing the streets in radiant light. Monsters caught within it disintegrated instantly, their bodies burned to ash in holy fire.
Jacob and Selena shielded their eyes, but they ran toward him as the golden storm raged.
This was not just a boy with a sword anymore.
This was wrath. This was despair. This was a hero breaking apart in real time, drowning in blood and fury, yet standing defiantly in the face of endless darkness.