The sky cracked with celestial light.
Aether stood at the center of the battlefield, his body steaming, his eyes half-lidded—
Not with fatigue, but restraint.
Silvian hovered midair, starlight forming a protective halo around his frame.
Below, students and professors huddled behind protective barriers. The academy's defensive dome had already been shattered. Nahida, bleeding from a cut on her forehead, refused to move.
"Aether!" she shouted. "You'll die if you fight him now—he's not just a god-rank, he's a Starblade Executioner! You're not ready!"
Aether didn't answer.
He wasn't listening.
He was changing.
Trait Evolution: [Devourer Seed] → [Devourer Heart]
Passive Ability Unlocked: Hunger Without End
Devouring efficiency: +600%
Can now absorb celestial skills and restructure them
Memory Fragment Restored (Origin Timeline: Year 482)
Aether lay on the blood-soaked battlefield, gasping.
His body was broken. His allies gone.
Above him stood Nahida.
But she wasn't crying.
She was smiling.
"Did you really think I'd love someone like you, Aether?" she whispered.
"You were always just a pawn."
Then came the second voice.
"I warned you, brother," said a man cloaked in emerald fire. "She chose me."
Lucien.
Aether's blood brother. His best friend.
The one who drove the blade through his back.
"You were too dangerous to live."
Darkness took him.
Aether's hands trembled now—not from fear, but from rage.
His voice came low, filled with shadow.
"Lucien… Nahida…"
His body pulsed. Muscles twisted, his skin radiated energy, and behind his back—
Two wings formed. But not angelic.
They were like cracked obsidian, steaming with soul mist.
New Form Accessed: [Lesser Devourer – Phase I]
Silvian narrowed his eyes. "Impossible. You should've died from that last strike."
Aether raised his hand.
A black spiral formed in his palm, sucking in starlight like it was dust.
Silvian's weapon began to bend and break.
"What—?!" he gasped. "That's illegal! You're bending divine rules!"
"No," Aether replied.
"I'm breaking them."
Skill Absorbed: [Stellar Pierce – Rank: SSS]
Skill Corrupted → [Eclipse Fang – Rank: ???]
Passive Mutation: [Devourer's Copy]
WHOOM!
The air imploded as Aether appeared before Silvian in an instant.
One punch. Just one.
It shattered the Executioner's ribs and sent him crashing through five mountains.
Silvian coughed blood, barely catching himself midair.
"You monster…"
Aether landed, walking toward him.
"I was the monster you all made."
Silvian activated his final technique: [Falling Stars Judgement].
Twelve spears of starlight descended from the heavens, each with the power to destroy a city.
Students screamed. Nahida raised a barrier.
Aether didn't move.
He looked up and smiled.
"Eat."
The sky turned black.
Devourer Domain: [Glutton's Womb] Activated
Effect: Any non-devourer skill is consumed upon entry.
Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.
All twelve spears vanished—devoured.
Aether appeared behind Silvian.
"You fought well."
Silvian turned, but too slow.
Aether's hand touched his chest.
"Now die with purpose."
BOOM!
A black flower bloomed from Silvian's body—devouring him from the inside.
He disintegrated without a sound.
Silence.
Everyone stared at Aether—no longer a weak E-rank.
He was something else.
Nahida stepped forward. "Aether… I—"
He looked at her.
And she froze.
His eyes held no love. No pain. Only memory.
"I remember now."
Tears welled in her eyes. "So... you really are…"
Aether turned away. "Don't cry now. You made your choice."
Title Obtained: [God-Slayer Candidate]
Reputation: Feared by 3 Major Guilds
Hidden Quest Unlocked: [Trial of the World-Eater]
Public Status: [Unknown Entity – System Flagged]
In the underground city of Draith, a girl with white horns watched the battle through a mirror shard.
"Aether survived," she whispered, licking her lips.
Beside her stood a shadowy figure.
"Should we help him or kill him?"
Aira smiled. "Neither. We'll just give him hope… and take it away later."
"Just like last time?"
Her grin deepened. "Exactly like last time."