BOOM!

The gauntlet clashed with the blood blade, releasing a devouring bolt of lightning. The impact detonated in a violent explosion, blasting a wall of wind outward.

Red and blue energy tore through the air, spiraling wildly from the point of impact.

The ground shattered beneath them, collapsing meters deep as boulders were hurled aside like debris caught in a storm.

"Die, you brat!" Samxon roared, forcing more power into the gauntlet. Lightning surged harder, snapping and screaming through the air.

Akhil didn't say a word, but the blood array beneath his feet grew slightly larger.

Samxon felt it—a violent pull, as if an invisible hand had seized the battlefield.

The air reversed. Shards, dust, and broken earth slid backward toward the array like they were being reeled in.

The bolt of lightning twitched.

Then it curved.

Dragged downward.

The lightning snapped and warped violently, its shape collapsing as it spiraled into the glowing circle.

Samxon's eyes widened as the attack was torn apart and dragged under, strand by strand, its thunder dying in his ears.

"What—!?"

He poured even more power into the gauntlet. The lightning flared for a heartbeat—

Then shrank.

Then dimmed.

Then vanished.

Samxon stared at his arm… then at Akhil. Anger contorted his face.

'No matter what he does, he'll die here today! So far as the crystals in the gauntlets don't run out of power, I can keep this up for as long as I want to!' Samxon thought, a cold grin cutting across his face.

"Just die!" He roared with a hysterical laughter, pumping more power into the attack. But no matter how much he poured, it disappeared, as though it never came.

Just then—Crack.

It was faint, but he quickly caught the sound. Samxon glanced down at his gauntlets; the bright orbs had dimmed out, slowly fading out.

A red mist whisked out of them, sinking into the strange array beneath his feet. Samxon stared in confusion as the energy seeped out of his gauntlet.

Instantly, the lights dimmed out, and the crystals shattered. Samxon reacted quickly, moving back away from Akhil.

'How did the energy within the crystals finish so fast? This is not possible! What's this?!'

"What's up? You can't keep your lightning up anymore?" Akhil asked with a dark mocking tone.

Samxon shot him a glare, tightening his fist. He moved forward fearlessly. 'Even without my weapon, we're both weak now! I'll defeat him!' He thought confidently, but as he took a step forward, he felt something strange.

His energy. Seeping away. Slowly.

The lightning had completely died out, and his weapon was now destroyed...

But it still wasn't over; the circle beneath them didn't disappear like he'd thought. It burned brighter.

Samxon instantly felt it, the energy within his body fading out. A red mist seeped out from his body, entering into the array.

He stumbled back, looking at Akhil in confusion, "What's this?!"

"You were right… only one of us is walking away from here..."

"It's not you."

Akhil's voice was cold as the blood array beneath his feet expanded.

It unfolded like a living sigil, its lines glowing brighter as they ripped through stone, spreading in a perfect circle of scarlet light.

Samxon's pupils shrank as he saw red mist leaking from his body. As it sank into the array, the circle glowed even brighter—like a beast savoring its first taste of prey.

The array pulsed as though alive. Tendrils of blood-like strings crept upward and latched onto him.

"Get off me!" Samxon shouted in panic, trying to tear his legs free—but his strength vanished instantly. His body gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

He was left kneeling, his muscles locked in place.

The crimson mist began pouring from every orifice of his body.

"Arrrghh!" Agony tore through him. "P-Please… stop it!"

"Stop it!" The pain crushed his sanity in seconds. This wasn't just power leaving him.

He could feel it.

His soul being devoured.

His bones being chewed apart.

His blood being drained—every last drop. All while he was still alive.

"Arrrghh! Please!" he cried, forcing his head up with trembling effort.

Then his breath hitched.

Crimson eyes stared back at him.

Akhil barely looked human anymore. A wide smile carved across his face, twisted and wrong.

There was no warmth in his eyes.

Only killing intent.

Akhil walked toward him with slow, steady steps.

Samxon trembled where he knelt, unable to move. When Akhil reached him, he looked down into his eyes, cold and endless.

"I told you… I would enjoy every second of it."

Samxon's body aged decades in mere moments. His skin withered. His frame shriveled. His life drained away—yet his gaze remained locked with Akhil's.

Even as his eyes pleaded…

Akhil did not look away.

And as Samxon stared into those lifeless crimson eyes, one thought echoed in his fading mind:

'How could someone who was once so kind… be this heartless?'

Akhil leaned closer to him, as the red light from the array glowed even brighter, draining every last bit of life from him.

He muttered with a low, cold voice, "Die knowing that I felt nothing other than pure excitement from your death."

The bright light slowly dimmed out, and nothing was left of Samxon. The entire administrative building entered into a chilling silence as the field became quiet.

Akhil stood amidst the chaos, his long hair sprawled over his shoulders as he stared up into the sky, as though in thoughts of his own.

This battle had ended, but he knew it wasn't the last.

It was just the start.

But now, he was prepared. Akhil looked down to where Samxon's body once was. "It'll be rude if I don't thank you for teaching me... So thank you, for teaching me that not everyone deserves kindness," he muttered in a low voice.

He shifted his gaze to Larry, who was shivering behind the pillar of the Administrative block, and then to the last soldier that he had left. Akhil didn't say a thing to the two. With a solemn expression, he flew into the air, moving back to the settlement.

Meanwhile, the city was in panic.

Their clash from earlier had been seen from all directions of the coast city. People paused in their tracks, staring in panic at the sight.

And now, the blinding red light that came from that direction as well, left all the people in confusion.

"What happened there?"

"No idea, but I heard an orc infiltrated the building. Could this have something to do with them? Did the system make them attack us?!"

It was widespread panic for the people.

And watching from the top of a building, a witness to the ground-shattering battle that occurred. The figure stood tall with an orc hanging over his shoulders.

His gaze fixed on the direction of the administrative building.

He let out a low chuckle, "I warned the idiot. Oh well... Now that he's dealt with my little pawn, I'll have to find a new subject," he said as he blurred from his spot, disappearing from sight.

----

Norclin City*

In a large, sterile facility center, the abducted orcs lay on their beds, their eyes fixed on the unblemished white ceilings. They were spaced out across the room, each one a silent, imposing figure on a cot.

A young human woman, a nurse, rolled a food cart down the aisle. As she paused, offering a tray to the nearest orc, a wave of palpable hesitation swept through the group.

They watched her with distrust. It was only when Nibo stepped forward, gently taking the tray from the woman and handing it to the individual orc himself, that the others broke their stillness. With a collective, hungry urgency, they rushed to take the food from Nibo's hands.

In the far corner of the room, Seth stood, his gaze fixed intently on the orcs' wary, defensive movements.

Just then, one of the heavy doors slid open with a quiet hiss. Langdon entered, his movements direct and purposeful as he headed straight for Seth.

Seth watched him approach, a clear look of displeasure tightening his features. As Langdon neared, Seth scoffed, decisively turning his gaze toward the wall.

'There's no way I'm talking to this boomer,' Seth thought, bracing himself to ignore the man completely.

"A concerning report just reached me," Langdon stated, his expression serious, not reacting to the obvious slight.

Seth remained pointedly uninterested, keeping his attention on the distant orcs.

"Nexus just killed Samxon."

At the name, Seth's posture instantly changed. He snapped his head back, eyes gleaming with sudden, fierce pride. "Way to go, boss! He's still strong! You should've seen him in the game! When he took down the fifth titan! Or wait—the third!" Seth exploded into effusive praise, gesturing wildly.

Langdon let out a long, tired sigh, cutting through the enthusiasm. "This is serious, Seth. That means the coast city now has no ruling authority."

"Uh-huh? What does that have to do with me?" Seth spat, fixing Langdon with an annoyed look that didn't quite hide his underlying curiosity.

Langdon leaned closer, his voice dropping slightly. "The orc settlement was, in fact, attacked, and it was Samxon who ordered it. That was the reason Akhil took his actions..." He paused, running a hand over his face. "I completely understand his reason, but I'm afraid his actions might have triggered something far worse."

Seth maintained his feigned annoyance, though his interest was clearly piqued now. He kept his tone flat. "And what might that be?"

"Well, it's the..."

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