VOIDBLADE: THE LAST SWORD OF THE END

Briarstead County was drowning in fear.

The fall of Ironholt had been a warning. The slaughter of Blackpine, Mournshade, and Thornwright's strongholds was an execution. And the mark of the Void, burned into the flesh of the fallen lords, spread terror far faster than any army.

No one knew where the next strike would fall.

But everyone knew one thing: the Void was coming.

---

Jin stood at the heart of Emberrest, his guild's temporary base — a sturdy fortress on the northern edge of the county. From here, the corruption hadn't yet spread, but rumors traveled faster than monsters. Soldiers trained with desperation. Messengers rode with panic. And the people prayed.

They prayed, but Jin was done waiting for miracles.

He watched the courtyard below — his officers gathered for an emergency council. Emberrest wasn't his true home, not yet, but it would serve until the county was theirs.

The door behind him creaked open. Jin didn't need to turn. He felt the presence of the one entering.

"Void God," he said softly.

The man stepped forward, his voice low and calm. "It's time."

Jin turned to face his brother. "The county's on the edge of collapse. The rival lords are in hiding. Their spies have gone quiet. We've won the first round — but they'll regroup."

"Let them," Void God said. "It won't matter."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "You're that confident?"

A shadow of a smile. "I don't need confidence. I have inevitability."

That sent a chill through Jin — but it also sparked something else. Ambition.

"Then we move fast," Jin said. "We'll need allies."

Void God nodded. "I've already begun."

With a flick of his hand, a system window opened — a list of names and details. Mercenaries, experts, rogue players — some known, some feared, and some who shouldn't even exist at their current levels. And then there were the items — artifacts of obscene power, hoarded until now.

Jin's eyes widened. "You've been… busy."

"I invest in the future," Void God said simply.

Jin's grin was sharp. "Then let's make sure it pays off."

---

By nightfall, the first of their recruits arrived.

Kaela Nightshade stepped into Emberrest's great hall like she belonged there — and maybe she did. The master assassin had already proven her worth, and she knelt before Void God without hesitation.

"You called, my lord?"

Jin's brows lifted. "She's that loyal already?"

Kaela's eyes flicked to him, cold and unreadable. "Loyalty is earned. He earned mine."

Void God's voice was quiet. "You'll lead the culling. Briarstead's spies still linger. I want them gone before we move on the remaining lords."

Kaela inclined her head. "As you wish."

She vanished without a sound.

Jin exhaled. "You really know how to pick them."

Void God didn't answer. He was already focused on the next step.

"Tomorrow," he said softly, "the county burns."

And the storm began to gather.