Far away— Another battlefield. Another monster. Larger. Heavier. Ancient. It roared— and the air shook. Ethan stood before it. Still. Calm. His sword fell. A deep gash tore across its neck. Black blood erupted. The monster roared— and struck. Ethan blocked. The impact shattered stone across the island. But he didn't step back. His smile widened. Not excitement. Something darker. Something leaking out. — Back in the warehouse— The fight reached its peak. William stepped in. His aura flared brighter. Energy surged. He struck— Once. BOOM. Twice. CRASH. Both hits slammed into the monster's chest. Cracks spread across its body. Min Ji moved instantly. She dropped low— spun— SLASH. Her dagger cut deep into the back of its knee. Clean. Precise. The monster staggered— Then dropped. One knee hitting the ground. The opening. — Jin moved. One step. Two— His body faltered. His vision fractured. His legs nearly gave out. "…Tch—" He almost collapsed. But he didn't stop. He pulled the sword back. Energy— faint— unstable— wrapped around the blade. His eyes sharpened. Focused. At the edge. — Far away— Ethan raised his sword. — Two moments. Two battles. One instant. — Jin swung. A single strike. Everything he had— and everything he didn't. The blade carved through the monster's chest. Straight through the heart. The body split. Black blood exploded outward. — At the same moment— Ethan's blade passed cleanly through the monster's neck. A precise cut. — Two worlds. One instant. — Both monsters froze. Then— Collapsed. — Silence. — Jin stood there. Breathing heavily. The sword vanished. His body swayed. Barely holding. But calm. Min Ji stared. "…What the hell was that…" William didn't answer. He was watching Jin. Carefully. Closely. "…This isn't sustainable," he said quietly. Jin didn't respond. — The air shifted. A faint sound rose from below. From the Abyss. Movement. More than one. Waiting. Watching. But nothing emerged. Not yet. The silence returned. Heavier than before. "The problem…" William muttered. "…isn't over." — Jin's vision darkened. His body gave in. And he fell. — Far away— Ethan stood in front of the corpse. His sword dripped slowly. His breathing steady. But his eyes— burned deeper. Purple. Violent. Unstable. His smile faded. Something else replaced it. Cold. Sharp. "…How annoying that," he murmured.
