The city was unrecognizable.
Collapsed streets. Twisted steel. A sky permanently darkened by solar distortion.
At the center—
Wang Wei knelt on one knee.
Celestial Dominion remained active at 100%.
But it trembled.
Above him hovered Ernos.
The black sun core in his chest burned brighter now—stable, controlled, overwhelming.
He extended his hand.
Dark solar energy spiraled around Wang, compressing from every direction.
This time it wasn't just heat—
It was counter-gravity.
Celestial Dominion cracked under the opposing force.
Ernos descended.
A solar-charged strike detonated against Wang's defense.
Explosion.
Wang was thrown backward.
Blood traced the edge of his lip for the first time.
Sebastian clenched his fists.
"He's overpowering him!"
Ernos rose again into the sky.
Above them, a massive sphere of black solar energy formed.
Larger than before.
Denser.
Heavier.
"Eclipse Ruin."
The sphere began descending.
Wang lifted his head.
There was fatigue in his eyes.
But no fear.
"I know," he said quietly.
The sphere accelerated.
Heat distorted reality itself.
Wang inhaled deeply.
"I'm not alone."
Then he shouted—
"Sebastian!"
"Lance Poll!"
"Lina Charlotte!"
They moved instantly.
Sebastian burst forward at high velocity, striking Ernos from the right flank.
Lance Poll activated his energy cannons at maximum output, synchronized blasts destabilizing the outer layer of the descending black sun.
Lina Charlotte surged ahead, releasing a wave of crystalline frost. Ice constructs spiraled through the air, creating temporary cooling barriers that slowed the thermal expansion.
For a brief second—
Ernos lost focus.
That was enough.
Wang rose to his feet.
Celestial Dominion stabilized under coordinated pressure.
"Now!" Wang commanded.
Sebastian forced Ernos downward with a high-impact strike.
Lance detonated precise bursts midair, fracturing the surrounding energy field.
Lina froze Ernos' trajectory, locking his movement within layered ice restraints that vaporized under heat—but delayed him long enough.
Wang raised his hand.
All gravitational vectors converged into a single compression point.
"Celestial Convergence."
Ernos was slammed into the ground.
A massive crater formed.
The black sun core flickered violently.
For the first time—
Ernos dropped to one knee.
His breathing heavy.
Flames unstable.
But not extinguished.
He laughed softly.
"Unity… interesting."
From the distance, Lord watched in silence.
Ernos slowly stood again.
His wings flickered but remained intact.
The black core still pulsed within his chest.
Yet this time—
He was under pressure.
Wang stepped forward, standing before his team.
Celestial Dominion was no longer perfectly stable—
But it was reinforced by coordination.
"Power isn't standing alone," Wang said calmly.
"Power is standing together."
Thunder rolled across the sky.
The battle was not over.
But Ernos was no longer fighting one opponent.
He was facing a synchronized force.
And for the first time—
He was being pushed back.