Silence briefly settled over the endless void after thousands of Telekinetic Swords filled the skies of the Alternative World.
The countless blades revolved in incomprehensible orbits, each moving as though it possessed a will of its own. Light from the parent planet—hundreds of times larger than Earth—reflected across every polished edge, creating an endless ocean of metallic radiance that seemed to blanket the entire horizon.
The Four Dragon Elders no longer regarded the rain of swords as an ordinary spell.
Their expressions became far more serious than before.
The Fire Dragon Elder narrowed his eyes as he observed the ever-changing trajectories of the blades.
"...Isn't that the First Observer's ability?"
His voice carried unmistakable disbelief.
He was no longer speaking to Valt, but to the other Elders, as though seeking confirmation for a conclusion even he found difficult to accept.
"Telekinetic Sword..."
"That ability should have vanished along with the First Era of the Observers."
The Earth Dragon Elder slowly nodded.
The dark-brown scales covering his body emitted a faint glow as his eyes followed every blade surrounding Valt.
"It appears so."
His deep voice rumbled through space.
"That is not magic born from the Root."
"It neither borrows the laws of the Root nor constructs spells as ordinary mages do."
"It is an ability exclusive to those who possess the Heart of Aura Blades."
"As long as that core exists..."
"...every sword will act as an extension of its master's will."
The Water Dragon Elder slowly clenched his fist.
"In that case..."
"...we cannot allow him to maintain the rhythm of this battle."
His gaze sharpened.
"Do not destroy the swords."
"Destroy their source."
The Four Dragon Elders exchanged silent glances.
No commands.
No countdown.
Yet they moved simultaneously.
Valt immediately recognized the shift in their strategy.
Thousands of new simulations flooded his mind.
Their formation had become vastly more efficient.
They no longer attempted to confront every sword.
Instead—
they ignored every distraction and focused upon a single objective.
Him.
"So..."
"You've finally found the answer."
Valt's quiet voice echoed beneath his mask.
"A wise decision."
The Wind Dragon Elder disappeared first.
The space through which he traveled bent like fabric pulled by an invisible force.
At nearly the same instant—
the Earth Dragon Elder emerged from the opposite direction, exploiting the smallest opening within the orbiting sea of black blades.
Hundreds of swords immediately altered their trajectories to intercept.
But the Fire Dragon Elder carved a path through them with an ocean of crimson flames.
Meanwhile—
the Water Dragon Elder froze the flight paths of dozens more.
For the first time since Telekinetic Sword had been unleashed—
Valt's defensive network developed an opening.
"NOW!"
The Earth Dragon Elder's voice thundered throughout the void.
He thrust one open palm toward Valt.
There was no shockwave.
No light.
Yet—
the space surrounding Valt abruptly froze.
Valt immediately sensed something was different.
The attack was not aimed at his body.
Nor at his mana.
It struck directly at the spiritual core sustaining his very existence.
Instantly—
the entire world around him fell silent.
The next moment—
tiny fractures spread throughout his consciousness.
Valt slowly closed his eyes.
He could feel his soul itself bearing an overwhelming pressure.
For a fraction of a second—
thousands of Telekinetic Swords lost synchronization.
"That..."
The Earth Dragon Elder spoke coldly.
"...is our true target."
"The body can be restored."
"But the soul is the foundation."
Before Valt could regain his balance—
the Wind Dragon Elder had already ascended high into the void filled with shattered moons.
He slowly raised both hands.
Every colossal fragment began to tremble.
Entire continents still attached to the broken satellites were lifted into space.
Mountains were torn free.
Oceans spiraled upward.
Every fragment of matter revolved faster.
Denser.
Tighter.
Until—
they collapsed into a single sphere of absolute darkness that swallowed all surrounding light.
Gravity itself began to lose control.
Space bent toward a single point.
"Abyssal Singularity."
The Wind Dragon Elder's voice echoed as the black hole came into existence.
Within an instant—
every fragment of every shattered moon was consumed by the singularity.
The orbits of millions of Telekinetic Swords were violently disrupted.
Even Valt's own body began to drift toward its center.
He drove several swords into space itself, attempting to anchor himself.
It failed.
Dozens more followed.
One after another—
they were torn away.
The gravitational pull continued to increase.
Until—
Valt himself was dragged into the absolute darkness.
The singularity closed.
Silence returned to the void.
The Four Dragon Elders silently watched the place where the black hole had disappeared.
Then—
a faint ripple spread through the empty space behind them.
A single black card slowly rotated into view.
It was followed by the quiet sound of footsteps.
Valt Nacht stood there once again.
His Victorian black suit bore numerous marks of damage, yet his posture remained perfectly upright.
The half-black, half-white mask still displayed its familiar smile.
His crimson eyes now burned with a far deeper radiance than before.
He exhaled slowly.
"If you destroy my body..."
Valt gradually lifted his head.
"...it won't be enough."
His crimson gaze shifted from one Dragon Elder to the next.
"And if you destroy my soul..."
A faint grin formed beneath his mask.
"...that won't be enough either."
The Four Dragon Elders remained silent.
"As long as the Nacht Family still exists..."
"...my existence will not end so easily."
Crimson energy began spreading throughout the entire Alternative World.
The thousands of Telekinetic Swords that had briefly lost control slowly began vibrating once more.
One.
Ten.
One hundred.
One thousand.
Their numbers continued to grow.
Valt slowly raised his right hand toward the heavens.
His voice resounded through the fractured fabric of space.
"Aura Blade!"
Every sword stopped moving simultaneously.
Their surfaces began to change.
The metallic sheen gradually faded away.
It was replaced by an abyssal blackness that seemed to devour every trace of surrounding light.
The aura emitted by every blade multiplied many times over.
If they had once resembled living weapons...
They now looked like a pack of apex predators awakening from an ancient slumber.
Valt calmly looked toward the Four Dragon Elders.
"The first form..."
"...was merely an introduction."
A single black blade slowly drifted into his outstretched hand.
His fingers closed around its hilt.
"Welcome..."
"...to the second form."
And for the first time since the battle had begun—
the Four Dragon Elders felt an undeniable premonition.
The balance of the battle...
was about to shift once again.