Crista and Lumina stood back to back, poised atop a fractured platform suspended above chaos. Debris floated around them, and the scorched sky offered no comfort. Dust twisted in the air, blinding, but their eyes remained locked ahead—unflinching.
From the haze, a flicker of energy broke through.
The cloaked man emerged, his feet resting lightly on a hovering slab of stone. His presence alone made the air tighten.
He clapped his hands together once.
A pulse of orange light rippled outward—and suddenly, dozens of spectral clones phased into view, surrounding the two Valkyries from every angle like a synchronized army.
Crista narrowed her eyes. "This might be more difficult than I expected."
"So what's the plan?" Lumina asked, voice low but tense.
"Stay alive," Crista said, blades already gleaming in her hands. "You got my back?"
"Of course," Lumina replied without hesitation.
The real cultist raised one glowing hand.
"I know the Valkyries are celebrated for their skill. And the Iodem? Talented in their own way," he said smoothly. "But tell me—does your skill have a ceiling? Let's find out who shatters first."
The clones moved before anyone could respond.
Dozens of orange energy arrows rained from every angle, tracing sharp arcs through the sky. Crista and Lumina became a blur of motion—parrying, deflecting, weaving between beams. Their weapons clashed with the incoming light again and again, holding their ground in a storm of death.
Crista gritted her teeth. There's no opening… If we lose pace, even for a second… it's over.
"Crista?!" Lumina called over the barrage.
"Yeah?!"
"I have a plan. Listen close—"
Across the fractured battlefield, Indra's swords met Torren's staff in a maelstrom of sparks. Their duel had become a violent rhythm, each move anticipating the next. Torren's strikes were refined and fanatical, precise like ritual. Indra held his own, but the older man gave no ground.
Nearby, Gabriella and Sekino faced the towering demon spirit. The monstrous entity bellowed as it swung a massive arm, each blow shaking the field.
"This is pointless!" Sekino snapped. "Nothing we do hurts it!"
"We're not here to kill it," Gabriella panted, her Shinsei glow flickering. "Just keep it distracted. You should go—help Crista and Lumina. Something's wrong."
"Understood," Sekino said, already pushing off the ground.
"I'll make you an opening," Gabriella promised, flinging herself at the creature once more.
Back above, Crista and Lumina had launched into action.
They separated, vaulting across crumbling platforms. Crista vanished into a spiral of smoke and stone, cutting through one clone, then another—until she was swallowed by the wreckage.
The arrows kept coming.
And then—
Sekino landed hard behind the real cultist, his presence exploding across the space like a thunderclap.
"Three-on-one," Crista said, emerging beside him.
"Works for me," Sekino replied.
Together, they pressed the advantage. Crista's precision, Lumina's agility, Sekino's timing—each movement calculated, unified. One by one, the clones fell. The pressure broke. The final projection fizzled with a crackle of light.
The real body dropped to one knee, gasping, sweat pouring down his face.
Then his form flickered—and disintegrated into ash.
"It's finally over," Lumina breathed, staggering.
"Almost," Crista muttered. She froze mid-step. Her eyes locked on Lumina's back—slashes and bruises in streaks of red and purple.
[She's been getting hit this whole time?]
"What's wrong?" Lumina asked, blinking.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You don't look fine."
"You need help," Sekino said, stepping up.
"I'm fine," Lumina insisted, though her knees buckled slightly. "I'll go to Gabriella and—"
Her legs gave out. She collapsed.
"Oh my God—Lumina!" Crista cried, rushing to her side.
"Let's get her to Gabriella," Sekino said, lifting her without hesitation. In one swift movement, they soared toward the center of the battlefield.
The ruins were a battlefield of gods.
Back in the shattered clearing, Indra continued pressing Torren with relentless momentum, the sharp clashing of steel and staff echoing across the fractured battlefield. Sparks flew with every strike, but the older man's defense remained ironclad—Torren's focus never wavering, even as pressure mounted.
Nearby, Gabriella danced between swings of the massive demon spirit, radiant energy streaking behind her like comet trails. Her form blurred in bursts of light as she traded blows, keeping the creature's attention divided.
A sudden burst of divine pressure swept through the area as Crista landed beside Indra. Her arrival was immediate and fierce, her dual blades crossing Torren's with seamless precision.
Sekino stayed at Lumina's side, glancing between the fight and her slowly recovering form.
Torren snarled, clearly frustrated by the growing resistance.
With a furious growl, he broke away—leaping backward and throwing a hand toward the massive spirit behind him.
"Return to me!" he shouted.
The demon spirit stopped mid-swing. Its body shuddered, and a sickening roar echoed as it rushed toward its summoner. In a storm of blackened wind and curling shadows, it collided with Torren's form.
The fusion was horrific.
Dark energy spiraled upward like a twisting cyclone as the spirit's essence poured into Torren. His body cracked with pulses of purple flame, veins glowing with corruption as his frame swelled and contorted. His eyes split into slits of molten gold, and his voice deepened—now layered with the growl of the demon fused within him.
The warped battlefield trembled as the newly transformed Torren stepped forward, his feet sinking slightly into the broken earth with each thunderous step.
"Behold…" he whispered, his voice a distorted chorus. "The future."
Gabriella hurled a blazing star-shaped sphere directly at his chest.
It struck.
And did absolutely nothing.
The star fizzled against his chestplate, dissipating like mist.
"Aww, come on," she groaned, her hands dropping to her sides, exhaustion creeping into her voice.
Torren laughed maniacally, throwing his arms to the sky.
"Now! Now is the time for retribution! To bring along a bright future!"
"We don't have time for another one of his speeches," Sekino muttered under his breath. "Lumina's hurt pretty bad."
"I can help her," Gabriella said, moving quickly to Lumina's side. She knelt, placing both hands over her chest. Golden light spread across Lumina's body, closing gashes and mending her back.
"She should be fine now," Gabriella said after a long moment, her tone steady. She stood and turned to Indra. "Any ideas on how to take this guy out?"
Indra shook his head, frustration tightening his jaw.
"There has to be something we can do."
"They're ignoring me," Torren said bitterly. "No matter."
He extended both hands. The air warped and darkened as massive orbs of chaotic energy gathered in his palms—unstable, screaming with power.
"I'll end this little game."