Dancing on the golden ashes

My words echo like a divine judgment, vibrating through the realm with unshakable weight. The eerie darkness bursts forth, wrapping around everything in an instant. It devours the flames. It devours her. The two forces crash like titans locked in endless war.

But my darkness—it's no longer the same.

It's heavier. Colder. More domineering.

And I see it reflected in Kaelthira's eyes. That confidence—it's cracking. Fading. The slow, suffocating cold wraps her like a cage of void. Her body trembles under the pressure. The light in her gaze shatters, piece by piece, as the true law consumes her completely.

Yet there's no sound. The explosion doesn't even cause a flicker of change in the air. It's as if I've become a phantom myself. Untouchable. Untouching. And my domain... my domain has become something else entirely. A supreme overworld. Higher. Heavier. Absolute.Perhaps... a true Sovereign, as the name always suggested.

I flick my index finger with some difficulty. The new power inside of me is harder to control than I had imagined. I allow the powerful darkness to follow my movements. It is the same energy that eerie voice lent me.

Can I use it well? I feel doubt seep in. But a soft hand presses on my back. I know it's her helping me. I hate her. She might hate me as well. But right now we need to work together.

"Haaa!" A shout leaves my throat. All of the emotions I held in are now exploding. I can do it! I shall!

This power is as heavy as the planet itself. But I let it fall on my enemy. On the traitor of all demons.

Die...

The clash feels devastating. My right arm burns—no, it screams. I can feel it cracking, splintering just beneath the skin like fractured glass. But I doubt it's any better for her. I see her—she can't see me. Her face is pale, twisted with something between shock and awe. Golden cracks spiral across her arm like a spiderweb spun by panic.

We're both falling. Both breaking. Dying.

But she smiles.

And so do I.

This fight... It's terrifying. It's lethal. But it's intoxicating. It's passion. It's desire. It's everything. The way our blows scream through the realm, the way our eyes lock in that instant before impact—this is what I live for. The pain. The thrill. The purity of it.

And slowly, deep inside, I feel the fire rise.

But it's not enough.

Not yet.

Still missing something...

"Call him."

The eerie voice breathes the words into me like smoke slipping into my lungs. Her tone carries weight. Desperation. Urgency. It makes no sense, and yet…

Why do I feel like she's right?

Call who?

I answer back in my mind, the annoyance biting into my thoughts like steel.

Who is she talking about…? I have a few people I could call here. Allies. Tools. Even friends, maybe. But no… they're all too weak. They'd only die in this place. They'd only slow me down.

Or…

No.

She can't mean him.

"That's right."

The words slip into my head like a knife. Whispered. Cold. Certain. She's inside my mind again—eerie voice, threading through my thoughts like she belongs there. Like she owns the place.

She knows who I'm thinking of.

But why him?

That fool… that clown… that arrogant, loudmouthed bastard.

That idiot.

My idiot...

Seong-hoon… I need you…

I call out to him. Not with my voice. Not with words. It's an empty call. A desperate whisper inside the void. But maybe… maybe he'll feel it. Maybe he'll hear me. After all, we're connected by more than just blood or bond—we're connected by that unspoken feeling. That silent pulse. Still… he's so far away. He's on the outside. I'm trapped here, in this twisted place, buried in the middle of the planet's rotting heart.

He won't hear me…

Right?

Shit!

The clash throws me back again. My feet skid across the collapsing realm as power explodes against power. I grit my teeth, taste blood. Even with everything—even with this world feeding me its strength, even with sins burning in my chest—I'm still being pushed back. Overpowered. Outclassed.

Even now.

I'm still not a match for her.

I never was.

Just an arrogant fool drowning in illusions of godhood.

Shit… Fuck!

"You can do it!"

No…

"If you lose your arm, then fight with the other. If you lose both, use your legs. If you lose those—bite her. Tear into her with your teeth. And if that's not enough… then explode. Burn like a dying star. But don't you dare give up. You're stronger than this."

Even my Sovereign Domain isn't enough, huh? My arm's gone. Shit… it hurts. It really fucking hurts. And it's not regenerating.

Yet her arm is still there.

My eyes lock onto her. Something is blooming inside her now—dark, twisted, unnatural. That aura… I recognize it. It's the same one I've seen in those who've lost themselves to the Creator's control. The ones who stopped being people… and became tools.

Wait…

That other me—the one buried inside her, the one who's been whispering in her ear this whole time—she couldn't still be supporting his desires, could she?

"So… you now understand the difference between my part of the soul and hers," the eerie voice speaks again, slipping into my mind like a blade sliding between ribs.

I see. I see it now. It makes sense.

Love… it's blinding, isn't it?

"I will kill you. I will absorb you. And then, I will rule this world by his side."

Kaelthira's voice echoes across the battlefield—but no, it's not quite her voice anymore. There's something wrong with it. Something deeper. Something twisted. Her tone warps, layered with distortion, as if two mouths are speaking at once. Her eyes gleam with an unnatural light. That's not her anymore.

She's possessed.

My eyes trace her as she moves closer. Her steps are slow, deliberate. Her eyes—cold. Dead. Her lips are tight, biting down with restrained fury. She looks bloodthirsty. She looks… like she truly wants me dead this time.

I gather the remnants of my power. The sins are spinning like wild stars caught in a dying orbit, flooding me with everything they have left. I don't even know what this final attack will be. But it feels overwhelming. Dangerous. Divine.

This is the last clash.

I'm sorry. I won't be able to see you again... my friends. My family... Seong-hoon. Malrang.

Today is the end of my story. Today, I will take her down with me—to the world of the dead.

Is it worth it?

No.

Is it a must?

Yes... Sadly.

He's not coming. What the fuck did I expect? Even now, in this last moment... I'm still alone. Still dying alone.

My left arm wraps itself in a brilliant multicolored light, the hues of all my sins blazing like a dying aurora. It's my final strike. One punch. That's all I have left.

"Let's end this in an honorable way," I whisper. "One last clash. The winner takes it all…"

Kaelthira laughs—low, deranged, amused.

"Haha! Fine. Fine…"