The tip of the *Aegis Spear* shot forward in a straight line, and time itself seemed to lose all meaning for a moment. The miniature black hole core the *Time Eater* had fired spun wildly in front of Axel, swallowing dust, fragments of concrete, and any light that drifted too close. The space around it warped violently, creating a terrifying pull that cracked the ground and tore chunks of it loose from the surface. But Axel didn't slow his pace. His gaze stayed locked on the massive creature, fixed directly on the core of destruction blocking his path."Take this!" Axel shouted.Every drop of cosmic energy inside his body surged toward the spear in his grip. Platinum gray light wrapped tightly around the blade until it looked like a falling star splitting through the darkness. The next instant, the tip of the *Aegis Spear* struck the miniature black hole core. What followed wasn't a loud collision, wasn't an explosion of fire, but a strange sound, like the very fabric of reality being

"You have evolved beyond our calculations, Rian. But no weapon, however powerful, can bring back what has already died."The voice never passed through his eardrums at all. It resonated all at once inside the hollow of his skull, sprouting directly at the center of Axel's consciousness as if it had been planted there on purpose.In the blink of an eye, the cold gust of Tanjung Priok's salty wind seemed to vanish entirely. The sharp smell of ozone from the clashing energy faded, replaced by a warm scent that felt so achingly familiar, the smell of home cooked food, wood smoke curling up slow, and the warmth of a house he once called home.Axel's fingers gripped the shaft of the *Aegis Spear* until the muscles of his arm went rigid. His chest suddenly tightened, struck by a suffocating numbness. Axel recognized this kind of illusion trick. His mind knew it was manipulation, but knowing it was a trick did nothing to make him immune to the pain it caused."You have fought so far. You have

"RENA!"Axel's scream broke through the thick darkness of the dimensional corridor, but the sound was swallowed at once by the howl of the wild chrono wind.Their fingers, only just locked tight together, were torn apart by force. The shadow chain, carved with ancient script, coiled around Rena's ankle like an iron grip of death, yanking her backward with a pull that could not be resisted. Rena's body was dragged fast across the raging currents of light, pulled toward the pitch black fissure gaping in the tunnel wall.The wind of time shrieked sharply against his ears. The corridor of light that had run so straight moments ago now shook violently, spinning and lurching under the dense energy pressure radiating from behind that crack of darkness."RENA!"Axel lunged forward without thinking. His chest went suddenly hollow, as if his heart had stopped beating the moment he saw the gap between them widen in a matter of milliseconds. His combat instincts, honed over dozens of battles, scr

The scream grew louder, echoing sharply through the underground corridor as it narrowed further. The sound of a small child, filled with unbearable pain, crept through the metal walls surrounding Axel. Every meter he crossed made his chest tighten more.Axel's steps stopped short as the corridor ended in a bitterly cold, air conditioned room.Axel froze in place.Behind the thick glass wall separating the room, a girl about seven years old sat bound tightly to a metal chair. Her small body shook violently. Golden bolts of *Oracle Lightning* crackled wildly through thick cables jammed directly into both her arms. Every time a tongue of that lightning struck, her tiny body jolted upward a few centimeters before slamming back down onto the iron seat. Thin black smoke rose from her burning skin, releasing the stench of scorched flesh mixed with ozone that seeped out through the ventilation ducts.Axel's stomach churned with nausea. His breath caught in his throat."Rena." The name slipped

The core of occult energy pulsed wildly in Axel's grasp, radiating waves of heat that scorched his palm. Before him, the final form of the Echoes flickered unstably. Its torn body struggled to piece itself back together, unwilling to vanish from this dimension."You... never..." whispered the distorted voice, raspy and echoing between the crumbling corridor walls.Axel did not let it finish the sentence. His jaw set tight, his breath rushing hot through his teeth. Without a moment's hesitation, he tightened his grip, channeling the last of his strength straight into the center of the core. Fine cracks began spreading across its dull surface.CRACK!The voice was cut short instantly. The energy core shattered into pieces, exploding into thousands of gray shards that immediately collapsed into fine ash. The final Echo rose briefly, then drifted apart and shattered, swept away by the dimensional wind like scattered smoke in the dark.A heavy silence descended upon the room. Only Axel's l