The multiverse quaked.
Arkham's proxies pulsed with relentless energy, each shard a fragment of impossible power. Time itself seemed to stretch. The void around them bent under the strain of their assault.
Stojian moved like a storm.
Shadows coiled and struck outward, lashing multiple avatars simultaneously. The Source's guidance threaded through his mind—faint yet precise.
Observe the patterns. Exploit the flaws. Strike with intent.
But even with perfect coordination, victory was far from assured.
The avatars adapted faster now. They reformed shattered fragments into new, lethal formations. One massive shard surged forward, crystalline limbs swinging with deadly precision.
"Brace yourselves!" Stojian roared.
Void energy erupted, striking outward to intercept the attack. Evershift warped reality, crafting defensive corridors. Adam and Gi Hun moved like blades of inevitability, exploiting every residual crack. Chronicle Lord's threads nudged the avatars into deadly traps.
But one strike moved too fast.
Arbiter sensed it first.
The stalwart sentinel—whose dark crystals had bolstered every coordinated strike—pivoted into position. Time seemed to slow as the shard descended.
Stojian's shadows lashed violently, but it wasn't enough.
Arbiter met the strike head-on.
His crystalline form absorbed the blow—shattering in a cascade of black shards and violet energy. A scream—part human, part machine—ripped through the void as his body fragmented, scattering into nothingness.
"No!"
Stojian's roar tore through the void. Twin blades slashed through the emptiness, but it was too late.
Arbiter was gone.
Only drifting shards of dark crystal remained, dissolving into the void like tears in the darkness.
Adam's fists clenched. Gi Hun's jaw tightened. Chronicle Lord's probability threads wavered, betraying disbelief. Even Evershift faltered, attempting in vain to shield the space where Arbiter had stood.
Stojian's hands trembled inside his shadows. His green eye blazed—not with power, but with grief.
"Arbiter… no… I promised…"
You promised to protect them.
You promised no one else would fall.
And now—
A calm, firm whisper cut through his despair.
The Source.
"His sacrifice was necessary. The cracks must widen. His death allows the multiverse to endure. Do not falter. Honor him with your resolve."
Stojian's green eye flared brighter than ever.
Shadows surged, coiling into a tempest that lashed across the battlefield. He recalibrated his strategy, compensating for Arbiter's absence.
The allies, emboldened by his resolve, struck with renewed precision.
The avatars reacted violently. Cracks widened. Cores destabilized.
But the weight of Arbiter's sacrifice hung over the battlefield like a shadow.
A reminder of the cost of defiance.
"Keep moving!" Stojian shouted, his voice trembling yet sharp. "Every strike… every crack we exploit… it's for him. For the multiverse!"
Adam and Gi Hun accelerated, exploiting every opening. Evershift bent reality to force shards into destructive collisions. Chronicle Lord's threads guided each strike, anticipating every adaptation of the proxies.
Even in death, Arbiter's influence lingered.
Residual shards of dark crystal stabilized the multiverse's cracks, preventing them from collapsing under Arkham's overwhelming power. His sacrifice became a silent reinforcement—a bulwark against the impossible.
Stojian pressed onward.
Shadows lashed like whips of living void. His green eye blazed with grief and fury and resolve.
"We honor him by finishing this. No hesitation. No mercy. Every fragment of Arkham's proxies falls today."
The Source whispered softly, guiding his focus.
"The sacrifice of one strengthens the many. Use it. Victory comes through perseverance."
The multiverse trembled again as allies struck with renewed unity. Shadows entwined with void energy. Shards collided. The proxies groaned beneath the relentless assault.
Stojian's voice—low, unwavering—carried over the chaos.
"Arbiter… your sacrifice will not be in vain. Every crack we widen, every core we destroy… this is our answer."
The battle raged on.
The multiverse seemed to pause, holding its breath.
Arbiter's death was a wound—
But also a spark.
A signal that the fight for reality would not falter.
No matter the cost.