VOIDBLADE: THE LAST SWORD OF THE END

The throne room of Blackthorn Keep lay in ruins. Flames still flickered along the shattered walls, casting long shadows over the bloodstained stone. The bodies of Greth and Malyce sprawled at Jin's feet — their eyes wide with shock even in death.

But Jin's attention wasn't on them.

It was on Void God.

His brother stood at the far end of the chamber, still and silent as the abyss itself. The darkness clung to him like a living thing — a presence so vast and suffocating that even the flames seemed afraid to reach too close.

"You didn't hold back," Jin noted, his voice carefully even.

Void God tilted his head slightly. "Neither did they."

There was no argument there. The massacre outside had been swift and absolute — the enemy never stood a chance. But there was a weight to the air now, something more than the aftermath of battle.

A sense of change.

Jin stepped forward, his boots echoing against the cracked stone. "Briarstead is ours. But it won't be long before the rival lords move against us. They won't take this loss quietly."

"They're welcome to try," Void God replied, his voice like distant thunder.

Jin's lips curled into a sharp smile. "I was hoping you'd say that."

He turned toward the throne — or what was left of it. The once-grand seat of Blackthorn's power lay half-collapsed, splintered by the battle's aftermath. Still, there was something symbolic about it. Jin ran a hand along the jagged armrest, his eyes thoughtful.

"We need more than power," he said after a moment. "We need control. Influence. Spies are already embedded in every corner of Briarstead. The rival lords will move their pieces soon — if they haven't already."

Void God nodded. "Then we move first."

Jin glanced back at him. "I've already started laying the groundwork. Emberrest's forces are loyal, but we'll need more than soldiers. I want experts — tacticians, assassins, crafters. And we'll need information."

Void God stepped closer, his presence sending ripples through the air. "I have resources. Unused equipment. Artifacts. I'll give you what you need."

Jin's brows lifted. "Generous."

"Necessary."

Void God opened his inventory with a gesture — and the room darkened as the abyss responded. Items began materializing around him, one by one. Weapons gleaming with impossible power, armor humming with ancient enchantments, crystals pulsing with stored energy.

It was a treasure hoard unlike anything Jin had ever seen.

And it was only a fraction of what his brother possessed.

"Take what you need," Void God said simply.

Jin didn't hesitate. His eyes scanned the collection, already picking out what would best serve their cause. A lightning-forged spear for Kaela. Reinforced armor for his vanguard. Runes of concealment for his spies. The resources they'd need to reshape Briarstead from the inside out.

But one item drew his attention more than the rest.

A black ring, simple and unadorned — but the void pulsed around it like a heartbeat.

Jin reached for it without thinking. The moment his fingers closed around the band, a surge of cold power shot up his arm — and his vision shifted.

He saw the realms beyond realms. The endless abyss. The waiting presence of something vast and unknowable. And for a heartbeat — he saw Void God's path.

The destruction he would bring.

The war that awaited them.

When the vision faded, Jin's breath came faster — but his grip on the ring tightened. "You're planning something big," he said quietly.

Void God's expression didn't change. "I'm preparing."

Jin slipped the ring onto his finger. "Then so am I."

The room fell silent, the weight of their shared purpose settling between them. The rival lords wouldn't know what was coming.

But soon enough… they would.

Briarstead belonged to the abyss now.