VOIDBLADE: THE LAST SWORD OF THE END

The fires of Blackthorn Keep still smoldered behind them, sending plumes of black smoke into the evening sky. Jin stood at the edge of the battlements, his eyes sweeping across Briarstead County. The land stretched far and wide — fertile fields, dense forests, and distant towns unaware that their rulers had just fallen.

But soon, they would know.

Void God stood beside him, silent as always. The air around him remained heavy — a quiet gravity that pressed against reality itself. It wasn't just his power. It was the inevitability of what he had become.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Jin asked without turning.

"The vision?" Void God's voice was low. "Yes."

Jin exhaled slowly. The things he'd seen when he'd touched that ring… the endless abyss, the realms beyond even the gods — it had changed something inside him.

And the war that was coming… they had so little time to prepare.

"We'll need more than soldiers and spies," Jin said at last. "We'll need infrastructure. Supply lines. Strongholds." His fingers drummed against the hilt of his staff. "I can manage the politics, but we'll need force to back it up."

"I'll handle the force," Void God replied.

Jin's lips curled into a grin. "I was counting on that."

They stood in silence for a moment, the wind tugging at their cloaks. The county looked peaceful from here, but they both knew it was an illusion. The rival lords would strike soon.

And when they did…

"Let's start with the spies," Jin said. "We know they're embedded in every corner of Briarstead. I want them rooted out — cleanly and quietly. No grand displays. Just silence."

Void God inclined his head. "I'll handle it."

Jin nodded, already making mental calculations. "Next, we move on the outlying towns. We'll need their resources and their loyalty. A few demonstrations of power should make that easier."

"I'll provide those, too."

The simplicity of the statement made Jin laugh. "Of course you will."

But his humor faded as his thoughts turned to what lay ahead. "We'll need experts. Crafters, strategists, assassins. I've already started recruiting, but we'll need more."

"I'll fund it."

"Naturally."

It was strange, Jin thought, how easily they fell into this rhythm. He handled the logistics, the planning, the maneuvering — and Void God…

Void God was the hammer.

And soon, the hammer would fall.

"One more thing," Jin said after a long pause. "The rival lords won't wait. We need to hit them first — and hard."

Void God's eyes gleamed. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Jin smiled. "Then let's get to work."