The fight didn't slow down.
If anything—
It got worse.
Zael stepped in again, blade moving without pause, the abyss wrapping tighter around him like it actually belonged there. Every swing hit harder now. Not just stronger—heavier. Like the space itself was getting dragged into it.
The female royal blocked—
But this time her arm dipped.
Just a little.
Still—
That wasn't supposed to happen.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then widened.
"…Wait."
Zael didn't stop.
Void Step.
Gone—
Back in front of her—
Clash.
She slid back a step.
Actually slid.
"…That's not—"
Another strike.
Faster.
She blocked again, but her footing shifted.
"…What did you do?"
No answer.
Zael just kept coming.
Calm.
Steady.
Like none of this was a big deal.
The abyss around him pulsed again.
Not wild.
Not unstable.
Controlled.
That's when it hit her.
Her expression changed.
Not anger.
Not irritation.
Shock.
Real shock.
"…No."
She took another step back, eyes locked onto him now.
"…That's abyssal power."
Zael tilted his head slightly, like he was thinking about it.
"…Is it?"
That tone—
Light.
Casual.
Like he didn't care.
Her voice rose.
"…Don't play with me!"
She pushed forward this time, attacking harder, trying to break his rhythm—trying to force an answer out of him.
Zael met her head-on.
No hesitation.
Their clash cracked the air again, but this time—
He pushed back.
Harder.
She felt it.
"…That's not something you just use—"
Another hit.
She blocked—
Barely.
"…It consumes—!"
Void Step.
He disappeared.
Her eyes snapped to the side—
Too late.
The strike landed.
She staggered.
Actually staggered.
"…What are you?!"
Zael let out a small breath, almost like he was bored.
"…You talk too much."
Behind them—
Auralis was laughing.
"Yo, she's panicking!"
Her hammer slammed down again, keeping the male royal busy as Zane cut off his escape cleanly.
"…Focus!" the male royal snapped, barely holding his ground now.
But she didn't.
Couldn't.
Her attention stayed on Zael.
"…That power—"
She stepped back again, creating space.
"…You're not corrupted."
A pause.
Sharp.
"…So how are you using it?!"
Zael rolled his shoulder slightly, blade resting low for a second.
"…Maybe I just like it here."
That did it.
Her composure cracked.
"…That's not how it works!"
Her aura flared again, stronger this time, pressure spiking as she rushed him again.
But it was messy now.
Not as clean.
Not as controlled.
Zael saw it instantly.
And took advantage.
They clashed again—
Faster.
Harder.
But now—
He was the one in control.
Every exchange pushed her back a little more.
Every step she took—
Was forced.
"…No…"
She blocked another strike, teeth clenched now.
"…This doesn't make sense…"
Zael leaned in slightly, voice low enough that only she heard it.
"…Yeah?"
A small smirk pulled at his lips.
"…Get used to it."
Her eyes tightened.
And for the first time since she showed up—
She looked unsure.
Not of the fight.
Of him.
Because whatever she expected—
This wasn't it.
Not even close.
And that—
Was messing with her more than the fight itself.
She rushed him again.
No more talking.
No more questions.
Just force.
The ground cracked under her step as she closed the distance, aura flaring hard—like she was trying to shut everything down in one go.
Zael didn't move at first.
He just watched her come.
Then—
Void Step.
Gone.
She twisted mid-motion, reacting fast—
But not fast enough.
He reappeared to her side—
Blade already moving.
Clash.
She blocked.
Barely.
The impact pushed her sideways, her footing breaking for a split second.
That was all he needed.
Phantom Split.
Two strikes.
She picked one—
Wrong again.
The real hit landed clean.
She staggered back, breath hitching slightly.
"…Tch—"
No time to reset.
Zael was already there again.
No pause.
No space.
Just pressure.
Constant.
Relentless.
Every time she tried to stabilize, he broke it.
Every time she tried to create distance, he closed it.
And that abyss around him—
It wasn't fading.
It was getting smoother.
Like he was getting more comfortable with it by the second.
"…This is insane…"
She blocked another strike, arms shaking just a bit now.
Behind her, the male royal finally snapped.
He forced Auralis back with a heavy burst and turned—
Desperate.
"…Move!"
He charged straight at Zael, trying to break the flow.
Bad idea.
Zael didn't even turn fully.
One step.
One swing.
Abyss Rend cut across him—
Deep.
Too deep.
The male royal froze mid-motion, eyes wide like he didn't even process what just happened.
Then—
He dropped.
Just like that.
Auralis blinked.
"…Well damn."
Zane didn't say anything.
Didn't need to.
The fight was already decided.
Back at the center—
The female royal saw it.
Felt it.
That last bit of balance—
Gone.
She stepped back slowly, breathing uneven now.
Not panicking.
But no longer calm either.
Her eyes stayed on Zael.
Locked.
Trying to figure him out even now.
"…You…"
She exhaled.
Shook her head once.
"…You're a problem."
Zael shrugged lightly, like it wasn't his issue.
"…Not your problem anymore."
That hit different.
She knew it.
Looked at the ground briefly—
At where the male royal had fallen—
Then back at him.
A long second passed.
Then she let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah."
No anger.
No big reaction.
Just acceptance.
She straightened slightly.
"…I'm not winning this."
Auralis snorted behind him.
"Smartest thing you've said."
The woman ignored her.
Her gaze shifted past them—
Not to the altar—
But beyond.
Into the abyss.
A pause.
Then—
She moved.
Faster than she ever did during the fight.
Straight off the edge—
Into the abyss below.
Gone.
Just like that.
Silence hit.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Auralis blinked.
"…She just—"
Zane finished it.
"…Ran."
Zael didn't chase.
Didn't move.
He just looked at where she disappeared—
Then turned.
Because that wasn't the problem.
The altar stood there.
Cracked.
Glowing faintly.
But—
Inactive.
Aurelia stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
"…It's not open."
Auralis frowned.
"…What?"
Zane walked up beside the altar, studying it.
"…It needs something."
Zael already knew.
"…A token."
Silence.
Auralis looked around the empty peak.
"…You're joking."
No one laughed.
Because there was nothing here.
No item.
No trigger.
Nothing.
The ground rumbled again.
Low.
Unstable.
Aurelia's voice dropped slightly.
"…This place is still collapsing."
Auralis clicked her tongue.
"…So we fight all that just to get stuck here?"
For the first time—
There was tension.
Real tension.
Because there was no clear answer.
Then—
Zael's chest pulsed.
Faint.
Subtle.
He froze.
"…Wait."
Something moved.
Not outside.
Inside his space.
Then—
It appeared.
The Watcher's Key.
Floating.
Quiet.
Like it had been waiting.
Auralis blinked.
"…Oh."
Without warning—
It shot forward.
Straight into the altar.
Embedded itself into the center.
The moment it did—
Everything reacted.
Light surged.
The altar lit up completely.
The cracks sealed.
Then—
A screen appeared.
---
[Watcher's Key Activated]
[Overriding Influence…]
[Overriding…]
[Overriding…]
[Overriding Complete]
[Permission Seized]
---
Another layer unfolded.
---
[Available Permissions:]
• Absolute Teleportation Access
• Spatial Lock Override
• Environmental Suppression
• Entity Access Recognition
• Emergency Extraction Authority
---
Auralis stared.
"…Yeah, I'm not reading all that."
Zane's gaze sharpened.
"…Teleportation."
Aurelia nodded immediately.
"… That's it..."
Zael didn't hesitate.
"…Do it."
The moment the choice was made—
Another screen appeared.
---
[Select Destination]
---
A map unfolded.
Massive.
Endless.
Points scattered everywhere.
Cities.
Zones.
Unknown locations.
Anywhere.
They could go anywhere.
Auralis leaned in slightly.
"…Yo…"
Zane didn't speak, but even he paused.
Aurelia's eyes moved quickly across it—
Then stopped.
"…The camp."
Zael didn't even look twice.
"…Yeah."
No debate.
No second thoughts.
They had come from there.
They were going back there.
Selection confirmed.
---
[Destination Locked]
[Initiating Teleportation…]
---
The light surged.
The ground cracked one last time beneath them.
The peak gave way completely—
But it didn't matter anymore.
Because the space around them twisted—
Folded—
And then—
They were gone.
—
Blood Peak collapsed into the abyss.
The altar shattered.
The light vanished.
And just like that—
The island returned to silence.
—
[END OF ABYSS ARC]