Liliya and Scry stood at the far end of the room, watching in silence. Expecting to witness something unbelievable, the death of a god.

  Kai gripped his Noxblade tightly, his voice low. “You sure about this?”

  Viridya nodded, her expression calm despite the moment. “Absolutely. Use everything you have to break through my body. Even now, on death’s door, I am still a fallen god. If I were at full strength, you wouldn’t even be able to approach me. Now do it. Don’t be afraid.”

  Kai inhaled deeply, then let his power surge.

  A thin, deadly purple aura bloomed around his blade, flowing like an unstoppable river.

  His draconic body released its full strength, the pressure cracking the stone floor beneath him.

  His eyes turned fully draconic, allowing him to see the flaws in the mana of the tank and the weak points in Viridya’s broken form.

  “Soul Sword. Soul Slaughter,” he whispered solemnly.

  The white soul blade merged into the Noxblade, turning it pure white, surrounded by a liquid aura of violet.

  ?His Winged Serpent manifested, growing to match the blade’s size, coiling around it, ready to strike.

  “Moonlit Dance – Dual Thread,” Kai murmured, invoking his strongest technique.

  Two threads of moonlight wrapped around the blade, intertwining in a spiral of divine precision.

  “Haste. Strengthen – arm,” he added, enhancing his body further. Lightning mana surged through him, and he dashed forward.

  Viridya smiled softly. “Thank you… truly. To be released by the skills my brother created for our kind… I welcome it.”

  Scry and Liliya watched in awe as Kai’s blade glowed like the brightest day.

  The sword thrust shattered the glass tank instantly. Deep blue healing water spilled across the floor in a massive wave.

  Kai pushed forward, guided by his draconic sight, aiming for the weakest point in Viridya’s chest.

  The blade struck.

  Aura flowed like a river of stars.

  His will to end her suffering surged through the blade, breaking through godly flesh.

  Green blood spilled over the blade and Kai’s arm as the white sword sliced deeper, allowing the dual threads of moonlight to enter her body and burn it from within.

  The Winged Serpent followed, diving into the wound, guided by the stream of white light.

  Inside Viridya’s inner world, the serpent found a massive viridian oak tree, its branches dead, its leaves fallen. Only the trunk showed faint signs of life.

  The world was dry, lifeless. A crater marked the place where her divine spark had once burned.

  The serpent grew until the tree was but a speck beneath it.

  It opened its maw and swallowed the tree whole.

  After scanning the area and confirming nothing remained, the serpent returned to Kai’s inner world, diving into his mana lake.

  There, grey and green energies swirled around it, forming a vibrant cocoon.

  Kai returned to his senses, watching as Viridya’s body crumbled.

  She smiled one last time. “Thank you…”

  Then her form dissolved into green specks of light and vanished.

  Kai stored the Noxblade into his inner world and took a long breath, his mind still conflicted.

  “It was for the best,” Scry said, floating to his side, smiling warmly.

  Liliya stepped forward and gently tapped Kai’s back. “You did a good thing. She deserved peace.”

  Kai smiled softly at both of them.

  ***

  “We should find a way out now,” Kai said, shifting the topic as he pulled out spare clothing.

  His Shadow Armor was completely destroyed; only the pants remained, barely holding together.

  “Liliya, please close your eyes. I need to change,” he asked politely.

  She blushed and turned away, eyes shut tight.

  Kai removed the broken armor and stored it, then slipped into his sleeveless martial clothes, one of the last few sets he had left.

  “All done. Let’s go,” he said.

  Scry floated nearby, his voice low and tense. “Guys… I think we’re in trouble.”

  He pointed at the walls. The green pipes, once filled with Viridya’s divine blood, were turning black. With her gone, no one knew what that meant.

  Then came the humming.

  Low. Deep. Growing louder.

  The light crystals flickered red. The walls began to crack and collapse.

  “Liliya, any ideas?” Kai asked, hopeful.

  “Unfortunately, teleportation magic isn’t something I can do yet,” she replied. “But… we could try breaking through the ceiling. I have just enough mana for one last spell. Can you get us up there?”

  Kai turned to Scry. “If we cast an enhanced Blood Moon beneath us, could we ride the explosion upward?”

  Scry blinked. “Did your mind break? That’s insane. But… given the situation, it might work.”

  He sighed and entered Kai’s inner world, now glowing green from the absorbed godly soul.

  Scry began channeling fire mana into Kai’s right arm.

  The draconic wolf tattoo stirred, absorbing the mana. The wolf spirit still slumbered, but its power remained to assist Kai with fire control.

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  “Liliya, let’s go,” Kai said, grabbing her arm.

  He cast Water Barrier around them.

  She activated her Diamond Barrier, extending it to cover Kai as well.

  “Sigh… alright, here goes,” she muttered, focusing her mana into a massive yellow magic circle above them.

  “Rays of the Emperor Sun, Solar Judgment!” she roared, feeding all her mana into the spell.

  A pillar of light erupted, stabbing through the ceiling and disintegrating everything in its path.

  The hum intensified. The pipes burst, spraying black blood across the ruins. Then it began to rise, flooding the chamber.

  “Scry, any moment now!” Kai urged.

  “Let’s go. This time, you cast with me!” Scry shouted, syncing their minds.

  “Thunderfire – Blood Moon!” They chanted together.

  Scry’s red stripes and horn glowed bright crimson. Kai’s arm flared with fire and lightning.

  A massive Blood Moon formed beneath them, disintegrating the ground as it exploded with double the usual force.

  Liliya grabbed Kai tightly. He coiled his lower body and launched upward, the fiery explosion streaked with lightning, propelling them through the tunnel.

  Kai pushed moonlight mana around them, shielding their ascent.

  Behind them, the black blood continued to rise, millions of years of stored divine essence now unleashed.

  ***

  Umbra and Nerva stood guard as the others slept.

  ?Nerva spoke of battles, past wars, duels, sieges, and Umbra listened with genuine interest, occasionally adding her own experiences from the jungle and her time with Kai.

  The night was quiet, peaceful… until the ground trembled.

  They jumped to their feet, instincts sharp.

  “What was that?” Zara burst from her tent, weapon ready.

  The rest of the group followed, alert and prepared, except for Kran, who looked dazed and confused.

  Another tremor shook the earth. The castle's ruins collapsed completely, raising a cloud of dust.

  Before anyone could react, a pillar of light shot from the ground, piercing the sky.

  ?It brought a moment of false dawn, bathing the valley in golden light, then faded, returning the world to moonlit darkness.

  “That was Liliya’s spell,” Xarion exclaimed.

  Nerva nodded, but then the ground shook again.

  A massive silver and crimson explosion erupted from the ruins, shooting out what looked like a human pair, melting the earth, and blasting a crater into the valley.

  Moments later, a figure descended, Kai, holding Liliya in his arms, surrounded by crimson moonlight.

  Umbra dashed through the shadows, appearing before him. “Are you okay? Who attacked you?” she growled, scanning him for injuries.

  “Hey, Umbra. I’m fine. That was my spell,” Kai chuckled, gently setting Liliya down.

  Umbra stared at him, then at her. They were… suspiciously close.

  Scry floated out of Kai’s body, ethereal and barely conscious. “Hey Umbra… I’m very tired,” he mumbled, collapsing onto her back and snoring instantly.

  Kai and Liliya laughed.

  ?Umbra sighed, shaking her head. “You owe me an explanation. What happened?”

  “I’ll explain everything,” Kai said, his tone serious. “But first, we need to move. Something’s coming.”

  He grabbed Liliya and ran.

  Umbra surged ahead, clearing the path.

  Nerva watched Kai sprinting with Liliya and chuckled. Looks like something interesting happened down there, between the two.

  ?Zara winked at Xarion, who simply stared, unreadable.

  Eira, Lucius, and Kran stood nearby, waiting for answers, when a dark geyser exploded before them.

  It pulsed with corrupted energy, eerie under the moonlight.

  “What is that?” Nerva shouted.

  “It’s the blood of a dead god,” Kai yelled back. “Probably corrupted!”

  Nerva shivered, summoning his silver armor and aura.

  ?The rest of the group drew their weapons, activating defensive spells and abilities.

  They didn’t know what was coming next, but they felt that it was nothing good.

  ***

  The group was finally reunited, though once again, in dire straits. Black blood continued to erupt from the ground, falling like rain across the shattered remains of the castle.

  With a final, resonant hum, a silver orb, half a meter wide, shot through the tunnel as the underground collapsed with a loud sound of countless explosions.

  The orb hovered ominously in the air as the black blood began to vibrate violently, then surged toward the orb at astonishing speed. It congealed around it, forming a towering golem nearly ten meters tall, forged from the dead blood of a fallen goddess.

  The silver orb embedded itself in the center of the golem’s face, and its body rippled like liquid.

  “Well, that looks fun,” Zara chuckled.

  “What did you do down there to summon this thing?” Nerva sighed.

  “It’s a long story, we’ll talk later. Can you help? We’re out of mana,” Liliya replied, exhausted.

  “This day is never going to end,” Kai muttered, his blade flickering into existence, a faint aura surrounding it.

  “Oho, you awakened true aura. Congratulations,” Xarion said with a smile.

  Kai shivered. Xarion’s gaze always carried a strange mix of admiration and intensity.

  “Thanks… By the way, who’s the werewolf behind you?” Kai asked, noticing a tall, grey figure lurking nearby.

  Eura sighed and shouted, “It’s Kran. I’ll explain later.” She unleashed her icy mana, readying herself for battle.

  Kai and Liliya glanced at Kran, confused, then turned their attention to the slowly advancing golem.

  Each of its steps crushed the ground beneath it as if it were made of brittle leaves.

  Nerva summoned his shields and stepped forward. “Everyone, it’s a liquid-type monster. Physical attacks won’t work. Eira, Xarion, we’ll need your ice and fire mana. Aura should also work. The rest of you, do whatever you can to slow it down.”

  “Don’t forget about me,” Umbra said, her eyes locked on Nerva. “I’ve got fire too.”

  “Haha, yes, yes. You’ve got plenty of strong skills,” Nerva replied. He’d come to understand the prideful beast well during their many conversations.

  “I’ll leave this to you. My core is empty,” Liliya said, sitting cross-legged to begin absorbing mana.

  Umbra lay Scry gently beside her, still sound asleep, then soared into the sky. Zara summoned her Wasp and flew up behind her.

  Xarion and Eira unleashed their elemental mana, charging their attacks.

  Nerva and Kai dashed toward the golem, their weapons glowing with aura.

  Lucius summoned radiant barriers to shield Liliya, Scry, and Kran, then followed the others, his mace glowing as he prepared to strike mid-dash.?

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