The sky above Ferbia burned crimson.
From every rooftop, from every broken street, from every shattered tower, demons marched toward the royal palace like a living tide of darkness.
And cutting through that tide—
Were three figures.
Fire tore through narrow alleyways.
Ice froze entire squads in place.
Light pierced through wings and armor alike.
Sun, Yuki, and Aria did not slow down.
Not even once.
Every second mattered.
Every scream from the distance tightened Aria's chest.
"My father…" she whispered under her breath as she destroyed another demon with a blinding strike.
Sun cut through two more with a blazing slash.
"He'll be alive," he said firmly.
Yuki froze the ground beneath a charging beast, shattering it instantly.
"We're not letting anything happen to him."
But when they reached the palace gates—
Their hearts dropped.
The royal barrier that once shimmered with golden runes lay shattered like broken glass.
The gates were destroyed.
The courtyard was covered in blood.
Royal guards—
Fallen.
Some still breathing weakly.
Most unmoving.
And at the center of the chaos—
Stood Demon General Rasta.
His massive wings stretched outward like shadows swallowing the moon.
In one swing of his dark scythe, he cut down three elite royal knights at once.
His laughter echoed across the courtyard.
"Pathetic."
Behind him—
The King of Ferbia stood surrounded by a handful of remaining guards, barely holding formation.
Aria's voice cracked.
"Father!"
Rasta turned slowly.
His red eyes gleamed when he saw them.
"Well… the night hunters finally arrived."
Sun stepped forward.
"Let him go."
Rasta smirked.
"Come and take him."
Sun didn't hesitate.
He launched forward in a burst of lightning.
"Thunder Step!"
He appeared before Rasta instantly and swung a flame-infused punch straight toward his chest.
Rasta blocked it with one hand.
The impact shook the courtyard—
But Rasta didn't move.
He looked down at Sun with amusement.
"This is the one who slaughtered thousands?"
With terrifying speed—
Rasta struck back.
His fist slammed into Sun's stomach.
The shockwave shattered nearby stone pillars.
Sun flew across the courtyard, crashing into a wall.
"Sun!" Yuki shouted.
Aria immediately attacked.
"Royal Light Barrage!"
Hundreds of light spears rained down.
Rasta vanished in a blur.
He reappeared behind her.
"Too slow."
He swung his scythe.
Aria barely blocked it with a shield, but the impact threw her backward violently.
Yuki roared and summoned a massive ice dragon.
The dragon charged.
Rasta sliced through it mid-air as if it were paper.
The King tried to retreat, but Rasta moved faster.
In one motion—
He grabbed the King by the throat and lifted him into the air.
Aria screamed.
"NO!"
Rasta tightened his grip slightly.
"Such fragile royalty."
Sun slowly stood from the rubble.
Blood ran down his forehead.
His body ached.
He could feel it clearly now.
They were not enough.
Not against him.
His gaze shifted toward Yuki.
She understood instantly.
Her eyes widened.
"No."
Sun gave her a faint smile.
"I'm sorry."
Before she could stop him—
He whispered the words.
"Sacred Art… Dead Lock."
The world trembled.
Darkness exploded outward.
His clothes turned black once more.
His eyes burned crimson.
The air grew heavy with death itself.
DeadSun had returned.
Rasta's grin faded slightly.
"Interesting…"
DeadSun vanished.
He reappeared above Rasta and slammed him into the palace wall with one devastating blow.
The King fell free.
Aria rushed forward and caught him safely.
Rasta roared and swung his scythe wildly.
DeadSun caught the blade mid-swing.
"How dare you… touch what is not yours."
He snapped his fingers.
The scythe cracked.
Rasta was thrown across the courtyard.
But then—
DeadSun turned.
His crimson eyes locked onto Yuki.
The same empty gaze from before.
He stepped toward her.
Yuki didn't step back.
Instead—
She ran toward him.
And hugged him tightly.
"Sun!"
Dark energy flared violently around them.
But she didn't let go.
"I'm not scared of you!"
DeadSun's hand slowly rose—
As if to push her away.
Yuki pressed her forehead against his chest.
"You're not alone! I'm here!"
She pulled out the Eternal Pearl.
The pearl glowed brilliantly in her hand.
"Mind Link!"
Her consciousness burst into his.
The Eternal Pearl amplified her connection.
Inside the darkness—
She found him again.
Standing alone.
Surrounded by endless void.
Sun!
He looked toward her faintly.
Yuki…?
Come back! You're not a weapon! You're not death!
Outside—
DeadSun trembled.
The crimson glow flickered.
Moments passed like eternity.
Then—
The darkness calmed.
His eyes softened.
The black aura receded slightly.
"Yuki…"
She looked up at him.
"You're back."
He gently touched her face.
"…Thank you."
Rasta roared and charged again,he attacked aria with his scythe and she was bleeding heavily.
DeadSun turned slowly.
This time—
His eyes were not empty.
They were focused.
Controlled.
"You chose the wrong kingdom."
The battle resumed.
And this time—
It was war.
Rasta attacked with monstrous speed.
His wings cut through the air like blades.
DeadSun met him head-on.
They clashed mid-air.
Shockwaves shattered palace windows.
Stone towers cracked from the force of their blows.
Rasta summoned dark flames.
DeadSun crushed them with death radiation.
Rasta's scythe reformed and sliced across DeadSun's chest.
Blood spilled.
DeadSun didn't flinch.
He countered with a barrage of black energy blades.
Rasta blocked most—
But not all.
He grinned through blood.
"Yes! Fight me!"
Rasta unleashed his most powerful technique.
"Hell Dominion!"
The sky darkened completely.
A massive vortex of infernal energy descended toward DeadSun.
The entire palace trembled.
Yuki screamed.
"Sun!"
DeadSun looked up calmly.
He extended one hand.
"Death Radiation."
Black light erupted upward.
The vortex shattered.
Rasta screamed as the backlash tore through his body.
He fell to the ground, writhing.
DeadSun descended slowly.
He stood over the fallen general.
"You wished for conquest."
His voice echoed like a curse.
"Now suffer eternity."
Rasta tried to rise—
DeadSun raised his hand.
"Eternal Void."
The ground beneath Rasta split open into a swirling abyss.
Shadows wrapped around him.
"No—!" Rasta roared.
DeadSun's crimson eyes glowed brighter.
"I curse you to remain in the depths of hell… where you shall feel pain every second… but never die."
Rasta was dragged screaming into the void.
The abyss closed.
Silence returned.
The war—
Ended.
DeadSun's aura slowly faded.
Sun staggered slightly as his body returned to normal.
He turned—
And froze.
Aria lay on the ground.
Blood spreading beneath her.
The dark scythe's wound—
Deep.
Too deep.
Sun ran to her.
"Aria!"
He dropped to his knees beside her.
Her breathing was weak.
The King stood nearby in shock.
Yuki rushed over and fell beside her.
"No… no no…"
Aria looked up at Sun faintly.
Her eyes were soft.
"It's… quiet now."
Sun held her hand tightly.
"Don't talk like that. We'll heal you."
Yuki desperately tried using healing magic.
But the wound refused to close.
It was infused with dark curse energy.
Aria smiled weakly.
"Don't cry…"
Tears rolled down Yuki's face.
"Shut up… don't say that…"
Aria looked at Sun.
Her voice barely above a whisper.
"Jack…"
The name pierced his heart.
He hadn't heard it in so long.
"I'm here."
She smiled gently.
"Maybe… we're not meant to stay long in one life together."
His chest tightened painfully.
"Don't say that."
She reached up weakly and touched his cheek.
"Hope… we meet again… in our next life too."
Her breathing became uneven.
"I love you…"
Sun's hands trembled.
"Aria—"
She smiled one last time.
"Bye…"
Her hand fell.
Silence.
Yuki broke down completely.
"No… no… ARIA!"
Sun didn't move.
He couldn't.
His mind felt empty.
Cold.
He had lost her once before.
In another world.
In another life.
And now—
He lost her again.
The palace courtyard, once filled with war, now felt unbearably still.
The King knelt in silent grief.
Yuki sobbed beside him.
And Sun—
Stared at Aria's lifeless face.
His most special person.
Gone.
Again.
And this time—
He had watched it happen.