For a moment, it seemed as though the darkness pouring from Altopereh's core would never end.
It spread like a living abyss, devouring light, sound, even the sense of space itself. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as if the very concept of existence was being rewritten in that single point. Youri felt it pressing against him—not physically, but deeper, like something clawing at the edges of his mind.
Then—
It stopped.
Not gradually. Not fading.
It simply… ceased.
In a single, impossible instant, the overwhelming surge of dark energy vanished, collapsing inward as if it had never existed. The tremors died. The distortion in the air settled. The oppressive weight lifted.
Silence followed.
Altopereh stood still.
Where once its core had been hollow—empty and lifeless—now it pulsed again with a faint, steady glow. Not the chaotic energy from before, not the wild presence of Tartarus, but something familiar. Something contained.
Something restored.
Youri's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
The knight stood atop the Orbiton.
Unmoving.
Untouched.
As if what had just occurred was nothing more than a simple act—routine, effortless, inevitable.
Slowly, he turned his head.
His gaze fell upon Youri and Lea.
The wind surged violently in that moment, whipping through the broken cliffs and scattering dust across the air. The crimson sky seemed to ripple faintly, as though reacting to his attention.
Behind him—
Gaisen rose.
The great ruler of the domain, battered and broken, forced itself upright from the shattered rock. Its massive body trembled, but its presence remained overwhelming. With a thunderous roar, it lunged forward, its jaws opening wide enough to swallow the knight whole.
It moved with everything it had left.
A final strike.
But it never reached him.
The viverrine intercepted.
Like a phantom cutting through reality, it descended in a blur of motion, slamming into Gaisen with crushing force. The collision echoed across the domain, sending both colossal beings crashing back into the jagged terrain, carving through stone and scattering debris in every direction.
The ground shook violently.
But the knight—
Did not move.
He remained standing atop Altopereh, completely still, his attention fixed solely on Youri and Lea.
Then—
He spoke.
The sound of his voice was unlike anything Youri had ever heard.
It wasn't just a language he didn't understand—it was something beyond language entirely. Each word carried layers of meaning that seemed to exist all at once, overlapping, shifting, resonating. It felt less like hearing… and more like being forced to perceive something his mind wasn't built to comprehend.
Youri staggered slightly, his brow tightening.
"What… is he saying…?"
Before he could react further—
Lea spoke.
The same language.
Flawlessly.
Her voice, usually calm and grounded, now carried that same strange resonance, as if she were momentarily part of something far greater than herself.
The exchange was brief.
Precise.
Heavy with meaning Youri could not grasp.
Then it ended.
The viverrine rose again, emerging from the debris with effortless grace. It hovered above the knight, its translucent wings beating slowly, distorting the air around them.
Without a word, the knight stepped upward—
And the creature caught him.
In one fluid motion, he was back upon its back, seated as before, as if he had never left.
The viverrine turned.
The sky above them warped.
A distortion formed—subtle at first, then widening into a tear in the crimson expanse.
And just like that—
They were gone.
Vanished into the sky as if they had never existed.
Silence returned once more.
But it was different now.
Heavier.
Uncertain.
Lea didn't hesitate.
The moment they disappeared, she rushed forward—her composed demeanor breaking for the first time since Youri had met her.
"Gaisen!"
Youri followed quickly behind her.
The massive creature lay among the shattered rock formations, its body still, its breathing slow and heavy. The once-dominant ruler of this domain now looked… fragile.
Wounded.
Lea reached its side and dropped to one knee, her gloved hand pressing gently against its head. Her posture softened completely, the sharpness in her presence fading into something far more human.
"I'm so sorry…" she whispered.
Her voice was low, almost trembling.
"I couldn't even help you…"
Gaisen exhaled—a deep, rumbling breath that shook the ground beneath them. Its massive eye shifted slightly, focusing on her. Despite the damage, despite the defeat, there was no anger in it.
Only recognition.
Youri slowed as he approached, watching the scene in silence.
For the first time, the so-called "monster" didn't look like a force of destruction.
It looked… alive.
"…Is it going to be okay?" Youri asked.
Lea gently ran her hand along the creature's armored scales, her movements careful, almost reverent.
"He's severely wounded," she said. "But don't worry."
She paused briefly.
"If there's one thing about them… it's that they don't die."
Youri frowned slightly. "What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like," Lea replied. "They can be broken. Weakened. Even reduced to nothing."
Her hand tightened slightly.
"But they don't disappear."
Youri looked at Gaisen again, processing her words.
"…For now," Lea added quietly.
A brief silence passed.
Then Youri spoke again.
"He said something," he said, his eyes lifting toward the sky where the knight had vanished. "Didn't he?"
Lea didn't respond immediately.
She remained still for a moment longer, her hand resting against Gaisen's head.
Then she slowly stood.
"…Yes," she said.
Youri stepped closer. "What did he say?"
Lea turned toward him.
For the first time, there was something different in her expression.
Something uncertain.
"He said…" she began, her voice quieter now, "…your mission isn't over yet."
Youri's eyes narrowed.
"My mission…?"
Lea didn't elaborate.
Instead, she took a step closer to him.
"There's more," she added.
Youri held her gaze.
"…What?"
Lea looked up briefly at the crimson sky, then back at him.
"He also said…" she continued, "…that he brought your friend back."
Youri froze.
"…What?"
The words didn't register at first.
They didn't make sense.
"My… friend?"
Lea nodded slowly.
Youri's mind raced—faces, memories, fragments flashing through him all at once.
Then—
His eyes widened.
"No… you don't mean—"
"He sealed Altopereh back into the core," Lea said.
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Youri stood there, unmoving, his gaze drifting past Lea—toward the towering Orbiton behind them.
Toward the core.
Now glowing.
Alive.
And for the first time since arriving in Tartarus—
Youri felt it again.
Not just a pulse.
A presence.
Faint.
Distant.
But unmistakable.