The battlefield trembled beneath the weight of inevitability.
Steel screamed.
Light fractured.
Darkness pressed in from all sides.
And at the center of it—
Elias was losing ground.
Not in skill.
Not in resolve.
But in time.
—
CLANG
The Dark Knight's blade crashed down again, each strike heavier than the last.
Each swing carried intent.
Purpose.
Pressure.
Elias parried—but the force bled through his arms, into his shoulders, down his spine.
His boots carved into the stone—
Grinding.
Sliding.
Not breaking—
But not advancing either.
"...Tch."
A flicker of movement—
The White Knight.
She didn't rush.
She arrived.
Weightless.
Silent.
Her blade descended in a clean arc—
Elias twisted—
Too late.
CRASH
The impact drove him backward—
Hard.
Stone shattered behind him as his body slammed into the wall.
The breath was forced out of his lungs.
His vision shook.
And then—
Chains.
Light.
Binding.
[Boss Skill: Sacred Vow]
They wrapped around his arms, torso, legs—
Tightening.
Restricting.
Punishing.
"...So this is your play…"
Elias muttered under his breath.
Pin.
Control.
Then—
Execute.
The Dark Knight stepped forward.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Its shield raised.
Dark energy gathered—
Thick.
Violent.
[Boss Skill: Abyssal Bastion Crash]
The ground beneath it cracked—
The air itself grew heavy.
Elias' eyes sharpened.
"...Not good."
And above—
The White Knight rose slightly.
Radiance gathered around her blade.
Pure.
Merciless.
[Boss Skill: Radiant Cascade]
A perfect kill sequence.
No escape.
No counter.
Just—
End.
—
Then—
"NOT HAPPENING!"
A burst of flame tore across the battlefield.
Kiraya.
She exploded forward—
Shield first—
Sword blazing.
Her eyes burned with focus.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Resonance]
She swung—
A massive wave of fire erupted—
Colliding directly with the White Knight's forming cascade.
BOOM
Flame met light—
And for a moment—
They stopped each other.
Kiraya gritted her teeth.
"...You're not touching him."
Her flames expanded—
Wrapping around Elias' position—
Shielding.
Deflecting.
Buying time.
—
At the same moment—
Fayzan moved.
Fast.
Decisive.
His body blurred through the battlefield—
Closing the distance to the Dark Knight.
"Oi."
Flames ignited along his arm.
"Get off my leader."
He struck.
A concentrated blast—
Point-blank.
BOOM
The Dark Knight was launched backward—
Its massive frame tearing through the ground before crashing hard against the far side of the arena.
The Abyssal Bastion—
Interrupted.
Cancelled.
—
The pressure broke.
The chains loosened—
Just enough.
CRACK
Elias tore through them.
Not cleanly—
Not effortlessly—
But forcefully.
Like ripping apart fate itself.
He stepped forward.
Free.
Breathing steady.
Eyes sharp.
And for the first time since the fight began—
He wasn't alone.
—
Kiraya stood to his left.
Shield raised.
Flames still flickering.
"…You good?"
Elias adjusted his grip on his sword.
"…Took you long enough."
A faint smirk.
Kiraya huffed.
"…Next time try not getting pinned to a wall."
—
Fayzan rolled his shoulder slightly as embers danced around him.
"…These things don't stay down."
His gaze flicked toward the White Knight—
Already stabilizing.
Already reforming light around her blade.
"…We need to end them together."
Elias nodded once.
"…I know."
A pause.
Then—
"…We do it now."
—
Across the battlefield—
The Dark Knight stood again.
Cracks along its armor pulsed with crimson light.
The White Knight floated slightly above the ground—
Halo fractured—
But burning brighter than before.
They moved—
In sync.
Again.
—
Elias stepped forward.
Aura rising.
Pressure expanding.
"…This time—"
His blade lifted.
Flames—
White and gold—
Ignited along its edge.
"…we don't give them a second chance."
—
Behind him—
Kiraya steadied her stance.
Fayzan's flames surged higher.
And in the distance—
Hinabi's eyes gleamed with dangerous excitement.
"…Now this is getting interesting."
—
The battlefield inhaled.
And this time—
They were ready.
For the first time since entering the chamber—
the raid party had momentum.
Not hope.
Not confidence.
Momentum.
And inside a battle where even a single mistake meant death—
that alone was enough to change everything.
The shattered arena was covered in scorch marks, broken crystal, and fractured stone.
The remains of earlier attacks still smoldered across the floor.
White light drifted through the air.
Dark mist coiled between the cracks.
And standing at the center of it all—
the two bosses still remained.
The Dark Knight.
The White Knight.
Broken.
Damaged.
But still standing.
Still reviving.
Still refusing to die.
Kiraya wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and exhaled sharply.
"…This is getting ridiculous."
Fayzan stared at the two knights, flames dancing weakly around his arm.
"…No."
His eyes narrowed.
"…There's a pattern."
Hinabi, who had been watching from the rear until now, suddenly stepped forward.
Her crimson-orange hair flickered in the heat around her.
Her gaze moved once.
From the White Knight.
To the Dark Knight.
Then to Elias.
And in that instant—
she understood.
"…They're linked."
Everyone turned toward her.
Hinabi's voice sharpened.
"…They aren't reviving because we're failing to kill them."
A pause.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…They're reviving because we're killing them separately."
Silence.
The realization hit all at once.
Kiraya's eyes widened.
"…You mean—"
"They need to die at the same time."
Fayzan clicked his tongue.
"…Of course they do."
Magumo, still injured and leaning against a broken pillar, muttered bitterly.
"…That's insane."
Hinabi ignored him.
She turned to Elias.
And for once—
her expression was completely serious.
"…Can you do that attack again?"
Elias looked at her.
Then at the two bosses.
Then slowly—
his sword rose.
White-gold flames began gathering along the blade.
The pressure around him immediately changed.
Heavy.
Dense.
Violent.
"…I can."
Hinabi nodded.
"Good."
Her voice became cold.
Precise.
Commanding.
"…Then charge it."
Elias did not hesitate.
He planted his sword beside him.
Closed his eyes.
And began gathering everything he had left.
Mana.
Stamina.
Will.
The flames around his blade intensified—
growing brighter.
Hotter.
More unstable.
Kiraya stared for a second.
"…That much power again?"
Fayzan smirked faintly.
"…Guess we're buying him time."
Hinabi turned.
Her eyes swept across the battlefield.
Then she pointed.
"Kiraya."
Kiraya raised her shield.
"Yeah?"
"Push the White Knight."
Then—
"Fayzan."
He rolled his shoulder.
"…Push the Dark Knight."
Ayame lifted her staff weakly from the rear.
"And me?"
Hinabi smiled slightly.
"…Keep them alive."
Ayame nodded.
"…Got it."
Then Hinabi's eyes sharpened.
"When I give the signal—"
She looked back at Elias.
"Move."
The White Knight moved first.
Radiant chains erupted outward.
The Dark Knight followed immediately.
Its sword vanished into black mist—
then reappeared in its hand as it charged.
Kiraya rushed forward.
Shield first.
"COME ON!"
BANG
Her shield slammed into the White Knight's blade.
Light exploded.
The impact cracked the floor beneath both of them.
The White Knight floated backward—
but Kiraya didn't let up.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Strike]
Her blade ignited.
A flaming slash struck the White Knight directly—
forcing it backward across the stone.
Exactly where they needed.
On the opposite side—
Fayzan ducked beneath the Dark Knight's massive swing.
The black blade ripped through the air above his head.
Then—
the Dark Knight suddenly hurled its sword.
Straight at him.
Too fast.
Too close.
Fayzan's eyes widened.
"…Damn—"
Before it could hit—
Ayame raised her hand.
[Tamer Skill: Crystal Raven]
A massive raven of violet crystal formed instantly—
intercepting the blade.
CRASH
The crystal raven shattered.
But the sword's path changed.
Just enough.
It missed Fayzan by inches.
He grinned.
"…Nice save."
Ayame smiled weakly.
"…Try not to die."
Fayzan answered by driving both hands forward.
[Sword Art: Crimson Flame Drive]
A concentrated blast of fire slammed into the Dark Knight's chest.
BOOM
The giant knight slid backward—
boots grinding into the stone—
until it stood beside the White Knight.
Perfect.
Hinabi's eyes flashed.
Now.
She stepped forward.
Her hand rose.
Mana condensed around her fingers.
Then she whispered—
[Mage Skill: Ember Collapse]
A ring of compressed fire exploded outward from beneath the White Knight.
BOOM
The blast struck the White Knight from the side—
sending it crashing directly beside the Dark Knight.
The two bosses staggered.
For the first time—
they stood in a perfect line.
Straight.
Centered.
And directly—
in front of Elias.
Hinabi turned.
And shouted.
"ELIAS!"
His eyes opened.
Golden flames erupted around him.
The air shook.
Everyone froze.
Because the amount of power in that single moment—
felt impossible.
Elias stepped forward.
His sword lifted.
White-gold fire wrapped around the blade.
Then expanded.
Longer.
Brighter.
Sharper.
[Sword Skill: Hellblitz Excalibur]
The entire chamber screamed.
Elias swung.
A single horizontal strike.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
Only absolute execution.
The white-gold blade of fire tore across the room.
It hit both bosses at once.
Clean.
Precise.
Unavoidable.
For a single second—
time stopped.
Then—
everything split apart.
The White Knight's body was cut in half.
The Dark Knight's armor shattered.
Both forms broke apart in a storm of light and darkness—
before dissolving into particles.
Silence.
Then—
nothing.
The bosses were gone.
Completely.
No movement.
No regeneration.
No revival.
Just empty air.
And then—
the room erupted.
"We did it!"
"They're dead!"
"No way!"
Kiraya let out a breathless laugh.
Fayzan dropped onto one knee.
Ayame nearly collapsed in relief.
Even Hinabi smirked.
"…Told you."
Elias slowly lowered his sword.
Breathing hard.
But standing.
As always.
And for the first time—
victory felt real.
Then—
the chamber turned red.
Not slowly.
Instantly.
Every wall.
Every crack.
Every shattered piece of stone.
The entire room was swallowed in crimson light.
The celebration died.
Silence returned.
Cold.
Wrong.
Then—
a voice echoed through the dungeon.
Not spoken.
System generated.
Absolute.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Hidden Boss Skill has been activated.]
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because no one understood.
Then—
the remains of the two bosses began to move.
The scattered fragments of white light.
The broken shadows.
The armor shards.
The lingering blood.
All of it began sliding across the floor—
toward the center.
Kiraya stared.
"…No…"
Fayzan slowly stood.
"…That's not possible."
The red light intensified.
The remains fused.
White armor merged with black.
Dark mist wrapped around radiant chains.
Blood-red energy flooded the seams.
Something began to rise.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
A single figure.
Taller than before.
More elegant.
More horrifying.
Its right side was clad in jagged black armor.
Its left side in pristine white steel.
Blood-red veins pulsed beneath both.
Two dark wings unfolded from its back.
And behind its head—
a fractured halo of blackened light slowly rotated.
Its face was visible.
Beautiful.
Expressionless.
And utterly inhuman.
Then the system spoke again.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
Allure, Knight of the Eclipse has resurrected.
State: Blood Release
The creature opened its eyes.
One crimson.
One silver.
And smiled.
The entire raid party froze.
Because in that moment—
everyone understood the same thing.
The real boss—
had only just begun.