The smell of ancient sulfur struck Axel's nose the moment he stepped further down the corridor. The air in this place felt older and thicker, as if trapped for hundreds of years beneath layers of heavy stone, only to be released all at once when his presence disturbed the forbidden balance.Axel paused for a moment. Breathing suddenly felt agonizingly heavy. An invisible surge of energy filled every corner of the room, pressing against his chest from all sides until his lungs constricted.A low-frequency vibration echoed through the stone floor beneath his feet.Thump... thump...The sound traveled up his spine and slammed into his chest cavity like a giant hammer. Deep nausea welled up in his throat. Axel closed his eyes briefly, swallowing hard to force it back down. When he looked back up and swept his gaze forward, his entire body froze.At the far end of the vast room stood a giant black stone stele. Its surface was completely covered in carved characters he had never seen before

The crystal claw of the Ancient Shadow Guardian pierced the right side of Axel's abdomen.Squelch!The wet sound was horrifying amidst the silence of the underground chamber. Warm blood immediately spurted heavily, soaking his waist down to his thigh. An excruciating wave of pain struck instantly, causing Axel's vision to briefly flash white.Yet instead of retreating or trying to break free, Axel took a step forward. He intentionally allowed the crystal claw to sink deeper, forcing its way through his flesh. His abdominal muscles flexed with all his strength to trap the living blade in place. His breath caught severely, but both of his hands rose up, gripping the monster's giant neck tightly."You bastard..." he hissed hoarsely, thick blood dripping rapidly from the corner of his mouth. "You won't stop me!"Axel spat directly into the creature's face. The spit mixed with blood landed harshly on the layer of black crystal covering its face.A low, deep-pitched roar immediately echoed,

Rena's fingers, still trembling, moved slowly, and then with what little strength she had left, locked tightly around Axel's palm.That contact lasted for only a fraction of a second. Instantly, it was as if the entire universe held its breath.From the point where their fingers met, a tremendous wave exploded in all directions.BOOM!A grey light merged with pitch black, bursting forth and splitting the collapsing air. A sharp hum filled the room until their ears rang painfully. Axel's chest vibrated from within, as though a giant grip were squeezing the entire space around them."Rena!" Axel gripped her hand with all his strength.The remaining Void energy in his body instantly clashed with Rena's pure power. The two forces collided, binding together, then exploded into a giant dome of light that pushed the stone debris back. The cracked floor shattered into pieces, old pillars collapsed one by one, and a shockwave mercilessly swept through the entire underground space."Hold on tig

The giant sword in Grandmaster Henderson's hand cleaved through the air with a terrifying roar. Axel could feel the rush of scorching wind sweep across his face even before the golden blade had fully descended. Too fast. Too close. His battered body barely had any room to dodge.Right as death was about to claim them, the sky above detonated violently.BOOM!The first explosion hit Henderson square in the face. It was immediately followed by a second, third, and fourth explosion, arriving without a single pause. A barrage of anti-tank missiles rained down mercilessly on the Archon Vanguard. Fire spouted wildly in all directions, black smoke billowed high, and shockwaves shook the cracked asphalt, sending concrete fragments flying like a hail of stones. The relentless explosions were deafening, briefly drowning out the apocalyptic roars engulfing the entire city.The swing of the giant sword went wildly off course.The massive blade slammed into the street a few meters beside Axel's po

Three pillars of red light rose from the holographic map in the center of the room, piercing through the simulated clouds of Jakarta hovering in the air and slicing across the strategy room with flashes that turned everyone's face pale and tense. A low-frequency hum vibrated continuously from the projector—subtle, barely perceptible, yet enough to make the metal cups on the table rattle softly. Every eye was locked on the three red dots that now dominated the entire city map.Axel stood in front of the steel table, both hands leaning heavily on its edge. His body was still covered in injuries, rough bandages wrapped around his arms, and dried bloodstains clinging to his collar. Yet when he spoke, there was not a shred of hesitation in his voice."Those are the Stake Generators," Axel said, pointing at the first pillar. His finger shifted quickly to the next point, then stopped at the last one. "All three keep the sky distortion stable. And all three are continuously draining the life