Lounis quickly ushered Lady Lily and the children away from the battlefield. A brutal clash was inevitable.
In a blur, the two combatants charged at each other with ferocious speed.
Saros launched a knee strike aimed at Galon's face, but Galon blocked it with both hands. Saros reached out, brushing Galon's arm just as Galon threw a punch toward Saros's abdomen. With acrobatic grace, Saros twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the blow.
He leapt back several steps, just as Galon prepared to pursue. But then, Saros smirked and uttered a single word:
[Detonate ×1]
Galon's arm exploded.
He staggered backward, confusion and shock etched across his face. His arm was shattered—clearly, the blast had caused significant damage.
"What trickery is this?!"
"I don't think you should worry about that," Saros replied calmly, "but rather... watch your step."
The moment Galon moved forward, the ground beneath his feet exploded. This time, he managed to dodge. But every step he took triggered another blast—as if mines were planted all across the field.
He couldn't avoid them all. Two explosions struck him directly.
Finally, he stepped down without triggering anything. But at that exact moment, Saros lunged, delivering a sharp side kick to Galon's injured leg.
Galon lost his balance, and Saros attempted to grab his neck. Galon narrowly deflected the hand, redirecting it.
This threw Saros slightly off balance as well, and he touched the ground.
Galon planted both hands on the earth and flipped, delivering a kick aimed straight at Saros's head.
Saros blocked with his arm, but the force of the blow sent him flying back several meters.
[Detonate ×1.5]
The ground where Saros had landed exploded, more powerful than before.
The shockwave pushed Galon back several steps too.
"I think I've figured out your power," Galon said, narrowing his eyes. "You plant magical mines wherever you touch or pass over—and your control over their detonation and strength is tied to your distance from them. A formidable ability."
"You're quite the analyst—for a beast," Saros chuckled. "But knowing how my power works won't save you."
He paused, then added with a dark grin:
"You made only one mistake. You're right that distance affects my control and the power of the mines… but that distance isn't fixed. The longer the battle lasts, the greater my range, power, and area of influence becomes."
"Then all I have to do is kill you before that happens."
Saros's expression darkened.
"Try me, if you can."
[Flame Magic: Chains of Hell]
Three glowing sigils appeared around Galon, conjuring blue flaming chains that surged toward Saros.
He dodged, but the chains kept tracking him relentlessly.
Saros retreated, each step planting another mine, while moving at high speed.
Galon pursued.
[Flame Magic: Scorching Bullet]
He formed his fingers into the shape of a gun, firing bullets of flame at Saros while running.
Saros's eyes widened.
"What?! He can cast two spells simultaneously?!"
[Detonate ×3]
Forced to act, Saros triggered several mines behind him. The explosion kicked up a dense cloud of smoke.
Using the smoke as cover, he moved to ambush Galon.
But Galon burst through the smoke unexpectedly, re-engaging at close range.
He threw a punch at Saros's face, but Saros dodged and grabbed Galon's arm.
Galon didn't stop—he drove a brutal knee into Saros's side.
It was a direct hit.
Saros coughed blood but refused to let go. He pulled Galon closer and placed his hand under Galon's arm.
[Flame Magic: Burning Enclosure]
At the same time, Galon's leg ignited with blue fire, delivering a flaming kick to the same spot.
Saros blocked with his own leg but was launched backward from the impact. His leg bore burn marks, and his side was swollen.
[Detonate ×4.5]
Galon's arm exploded again—this time, his side also detonated violently. His arm was completely blown off, and his ribs were shredded by the blast.
Saros began circling him in a wide arc, dragging his hand along the ground.
He was planting more mines.
"You won't trap me again," Galon growled. "I won't fall for it twice."
[Flame Magic: Pillars of Hell]
He slammed his hand onto the ground. Fissures spread outward, erupting into fiery columns that detonated all the mines at once.
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion was massive, leveling nearby buildings like a miniature nuke. The shockwave obscured all visibility.
Galon stood, tense, in the center of the blast zone.
"Where is he coming from? Right? Left? Front? Behind?"
From above.
Saros struck from the sky.
Galon's reflexes were too slow. His injuries had taken their toll.
Saros touched Galon's head—but Galon couldn't stop him.
Saros backed away, a sinister grin on his face.
But Galon still wasn't done.
[Flame Magic: Infernal Phoenix]
A fiery phoenix burst to life beneath him. Galon mounted it, soaring high to escape Saros's explosive radius.
"Running away? Hahahahaha… A fitting end for a monster like you."
[Detonate ×8]
BOOOOOM.
Galon's head exploded mid-flight. Pieces of it scattered across the sky as the phoenix vanished beneath him.
His body plummeted.
The battle was over.
Victory belonged to Saros.
But why am I still trembling? Galon is dead—his body lying motionless on the ground.
It seemed Saros felt the same unease. He stepped forward to inspect the corpse.
He stood over it, eyes locked, unblinking.
Then, in an instant, Saros' expression shifted. Panic overtook him. He grabbed Louis and bolted, shouting from afar:
"Run!!! It's a trap!!!"
[Chaos Magic: The Great Rift]
What is this? Where is that voice coming from? His head had just exploded…
Suddenly, the earth around Galon's body began to crack and fall apart.
A violent tremor shook the ground beneath us.
I didn't have time to think. I threw Lady Lily over my shoulder and ran. I left the children behind—I couldn't save them all.
I only hoped they wouldn't wake. Let them sleep peacefully… away from the horrors about to unfold.
The earth was collapsing, the houses crumbling around it.
But there was one thought I couldn't shake. One question that haunted me.
How did Galon use Chaos Magic?
Something is wrong. Something doesn't fit.
The Abyss… is no longer whole.