SHIIIIIIIIIIIIING.
The skies split apart.
A gigantic black fracture crossed the night sky as Nocturne descended.
For a brief second—
everything became silent.
Then—
one of the Hydra's colossal wings slowly separated from its body.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The severed wing spiraled downward through the clouds before crashing far below the kingdom like a collapsing mountain.
The Hydra screamed violently.
Its gigantic body lost balance instantly.
Purple blood scattered across the fractured heavens.
And unlike before—
the wound did not regenerate.
My dragon eyes widened slightly.
"…It didn't heal."
The flesh around the severed wing twisted violently trying to regenerate—
but space itself around the wound remained cut apart.
Every attempt at regeneration collapsed immediately.
Astarax's golden eyes gleamed.
[Interesting.]
[Its regeneration cannot recover parts erased through spatial distortion.]
The Hydra screeched furiously afterward.
For the first time since the battle began—
panic entered its movements.
It immediately began retreating backward through the sky.
But Astarax didn't allow it.
BOOOOOOOOM.
The Chaos Dragon exploded forward through the heavens before slamming directly into the Hydra's body.
The collision shattered clouds for miles.
One of the Hydra's heads tried retaliating with a beam—
but Astarax crushed it beneath her claws before the attack could fully form.
Chaos flames exploded throughout the skies.
Meanwhile—
I floated above them breathing heavily.
Blood dripped from my arm endlessly.
My mana circuits burned in agony.
Using Spatial Severance was tearing my body apart.
Yet despite the pain—
a grin slowly formed on my face.
Because now—
I finally had a way to kill it.
Below me—
the wounded Hydra roared toward the heavens furiously.
Its remaining wings beat violently through the sky trying to stabilize itself.
But this time—
its eyes no longer looked untouchable.
Now—
The monster looked afraid.
I smirked seeing the gigantic Hydra recoil through the heavens.
"Afraid, huh?"
Purple blood rained across the skies while the colossal creature screamed violently.
Victory.
For the first time since this battle began—
I could actually see it.
I slowly narrowed my eyes.
Then suddenly—
something felt wrong.
The Hydra continued roaring in terror.
But…
…it wasn't looking at us.
Not me.
Not Astarax.
Its three heads weren't even focused on the battle anymore.
They were staring somewhere else entirely.
North.
My expression slowly changed.
"…What…"
Then—
Astarax screamed.
[N-NO—!]
For the first time—
fear appeared in the Chaos Dragon's voice.
My pupils shrank instantly.
I turned northward.
And there—
far beyond the fractured skies—
stood a single swordsman.
Blonde hair swayed through the storm.
Crimson eyes colder than death itself.
A gigantic crimson sword rested within his hand.
And surrounding him—
was a terrifying golden aura that drowned the entire heavens.
The skies themselves bent around his existence.
My breathing stopped.
Because both souls inside me—
Rio from Earth.
And Rio Valen from Aetheria—
shook violently.
Lucivar Valen.
The Sword Master.
Rio's father.
But that wasn't the worst part.
No.
The worst part—
was the expression on Astarax's face.
Then—
my vision blurred.
Lucivar moved.
No.
There wasn't even movement.
Just—
a slash.
A single crimson slash crossed the heavens.
Silent.
Beautiful.
Absolute.
And everything in its path—
was cut apart.
The Hydra.
The skies.
The clouds.
Even Astarax.
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.
...
I gazed at the crimson slash crossing the skies.
It was beautiful.
That was the first thought that entered my mind.
Not terrifying.
Not overwhelming.
Beautiful.
The skies themselves had been divided by a single swing.
Clouds split apart endlessly into the horizon.
The golden aura radiating from Lucivar drowned the entire battlefield.
Even the violent storm surrounding the Hydra disappeared before that slash.
Silence followed afterward.
Complete silence.
The colossal Hydra—
the creature that moments ago felt invincible—
slowly separated apart across the heavens.
No regeneration.
No resistance.
It simply…
died.
My breathing became uneven.
Then suddenly—
I felt the synchronization violently collapse.
The dragon wings behind me shattered into particles of black light.
The horns on my head disappeared.
Pain surged through my body instantly.
"Agh—!"
Inside my soul—
Astarax clicked her tongue.
[Tch.]
[That damn monster…]
I could feel her presence rapidly weakening.
The Chaos Dragon immediately retreated back into my spirit space before another slash could even approach.
Yet before disappearing completely—
her voice echoed one final time.
[Do not provoke that swordsman.]
For once—
even Astarax sounded serious.
Meanwhile—
far in the distance—
Lucivar Valen slowly lowered his crimson blade.
Blonde hair drifted through the fractured skies.
Crimson eyes colder than death itself remained emotionless.
The Sword Master of House Valen.
Rio's father.
And the moment I looked at him—
both souls inside me shook violently.
Rio from Earth.
And Rio Valen from Aetheria.
Countless thoughts passed through my mind.
Does Lucivar recognize me?
Does he know?
Does he realize who i am?
Or perhaps—
did he simply not care?
Then slowly—
Lucivar raised his gaze.
And looked directly at me.
My entire body froze instantly.
The pressure alone nearly forced me from the sky.
Even after fighting the Hydra—
even after synchronization—
the difference between us still felt absolute.
Like standing before a natural disaster wearing human skin.
Silence filled the divided skies.
Father and son—
staring at one another across a ruined sky.
...
Didn't I say I was going to eradicate the Valen family?
Didn't I swear to destroy them?
And yet—
here I was.
Frozen.
Unable to even move before the man standing across the heavens.
Lucivar Valen.
My father.
No—
Rio's father.
The Sword Master slowly stood amidst the divided skies with his crimson blade lowered calmly at his side.
As if cutting apart a calamity capable of destroying kingdoms was nothing more than routine to him.
My breathing slowly became uneven.
What… should I even say?
Hatred burned inside me.
The memories.
The abuse.
The cold eyes filled with disappointment.
Everything Rio suffered came rushing back the moment I looked at him.
And yet—
standing before that overwhelming existence—
all those emotions became strangely distant.
Because right now—
the only thing I could truly feel…
was pressure.
Absolute pressure.
Lucivar's crimson eyes remained fixed on me silently.
Then—
his gaze slowly moved downward.
Toward Nocturne in my hands.
Toward the remnants of dragon mana fading from my body.
And finally—
toward my face.
For a brief second—
something flickered across his eyes.
Recognition?
No.
It vanished too quickly.
Then finally—
Lucivar spoke.
His voice calm.
Cold.
"...You survived."
That single sentence made my entire body tense instantly.
He knew.
Or at least—
he suspected something.
The winds howled between us while the fractured heavens slowly repaired themselves overhead.
Far below—
Valorheim still burned.
Yet neither of us moved.
Then slowly—
I tightened my grip around Nocturne.
My golden eyes narrowed toward the man before me.
"…What?"
Lucivar remained expressionless.
But his next words made my blood boil.
"You've changed, Rio."