Bethryl saw that the Supreme Leader would arrive soon. If the Soldiers had already noticed her, they would have revealed her location. Because of this, the optimal strategy was to hide for a short while and then immediately change her position at random. She felt that this would give her the highest chance of surviving until the final vision, the moment when the Supreme Leader arrived.
And yet, she hesitated.
There was so much at stake now, and yet since her enlightenment, Bethryl could think of nothing but death.
It was a curse to receive such wisdom.
She had once been fascinated by the truth that lay beyond the walls of her world. But now that she held it in her grasp, it only suffocated her.
What truth had she really found?
When she had taken her leap of faith, what had she truly discovered?
"Bethryl," a voice said. "Can you hear me? I need your help."
Now she stood with Ashar in a place that stretched into infinity. Here, everything that once divided them was gone. Around them was a vast expanse, and throughout it she could feel presences passing by, smiling as they moved.
"What do you need?" Bethryl asked.
"The Third Trial," Ashar said. "Only you can solve it. I need you to tell me the answer."
She looked at the vision of the puzzle, and her eyes guided her to the solution almost immediately.
"Thank you," Ashar said.
"I know you see me as… a valuable asset," Bethryl said. "But do you know that I can see how your life will end?"
"That doesn't matter," Ashar replied. "I am prepared to die here, or die tomorrow. None of this means anything to me."
"Yes," Bethryl said with a faint smile. "I think we are similar in that way."
Ashar watched her carefully, aware of all that remained unspoken.
"Look at this place," he said. "It has no limits, no barriers. It is freedom. Now look at the world you were born into. These two worlds cannot coexist. One of them must fall for the other to survive."
"There are many demons who wish to destroy the world of the spirit in favour of the material. I am a demon who seeks to do the opposite. That is why I exist. I have not come to save the lost and guide them to another world. I have come to destroy one world so that all may be saved."
He looked into her eyes, and their exchange of glances passed between them like a sunrise.
"I feel that you are the only one who can understand me when I say something like this."
"Yes," Bethryl said softly. "I do understand."
"And I wish we could stay here forever."
"You know that can never happen."
"I know," she said. "I just wanted to say it."
Ashar disappeared.
Now Bethryl stood alone in the dream at the edge of her consciousness, surrounded only by the presence that wandered through the infinite space.
She felt it approaching.
A woman walked toward her, someone beyond the reach of Bethryl's visions. No, it was more than that. This woman was the source of her visions.
"You are Sophia?"
Now Bethryl began to understand the despair that must have belonged to her. Bethryl had sought the truth, but when she escaped from a life of lies she had not found truth at all, but mystery.
Who was this woman who spoke through her? What was this place? Why had she been chosen to see these visions? These uncertainties now filled Bethryl's mind.
And slowly, she realised that she loved them.
Her awareness returned to the space outside the Abandoned Kingdom. Below the ground, she could see the battle between the Shadow Clan and the Faceless Soldiers. No matter how fiercely they fought, by Ashar's reasoning they were already lost. They belonged to one world that needed to be destroyed so that another might be saved.
But perhaps there was another way.
Had she been blessed, or had she been cursed? Bethryl still did not know. But in a moment of divine madness, of passion that burst with colour, she had an idea. What if she could become the union between those two worlds?
She saw Sophia standing beside her with a smile, and in that moment, Bethryl understood.
Underground, the battle resumed.
The Soldiers had divided themselves into three fronts, two in each group. The Shadow Clan members were scattered around the chamber, uncertain how to respond.
Ryo realised that everything now depended on how he divided his men against those three fronts.
With Raizo and his Hand of God, they were guaranteed victory on at least one front. But if they lost the other two, they could easily be overwhelmed.
He had nine men left. How should he divide them?
There was no perfect strategy. Even if he found the correct solution, the Soldiers could change their formation at any moment and reset everything. The battle of allocation had become one of randomness. What was he supposed to do?
Suddenly, a vision appeared before him.
He did not know where it came from. But he immediately understood that someone had shown him the only path to victory, and he gave his orders.
This was how the battle went: three men went to face the first pair of Soldiers, four men moved to confront the second pair, while Ryo and Raizo would attack the third front.
The three and four men immediately clashed with their opponents, pushing their bodies to the limit as they used the last of their strength to maintain Drunken Rhythm. They were not trying to win, but instead were trying to delay. At that moment, Ryo approached the third front alone.
This would be his final act.
He allowed the Soldier to stab through his body. In that brief opening, he wrapped his Axiom Rope around the Soldier's arm and detonated the last of his energy.
Neither Soldier had predicted such an irrational action. The explosion created the opportunity Raizo needed.
He rushed forward and reached the Soldier at the rear of the formation.
"Hand of God!"
The Soldier collapsed instantly.
Now Raizo stood behind the remaining four Soldiers.
They were completely focused on the Shadow Clan members in front of them and did not even turn around, overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attack they were facing. They were wide open.
Raizo understood then that the battle was over.
Above ground, Bethryl stared silently.
She had seen Ryo fall after following the vision she had sent him, and now she turned her eyes toward the rubble that blocked the entrance to the underground dwellings.
From beyond the stones she could hear groans and struggling.
Soon, Bethryl thought, he would arrive.