The wind's echo calmed between the columns of the Palace of Shadows, as if the earth itself was preparing for an event yet to be written.
Sajibro stood at the edge of the throne, gazing into the horizon from the upper watch balcony. Behind him, the five commanders stood in silence, their eyes fixed on the sky — which began to crackle with glimmers… and then it came.
A gate of dark light opened in the sky.
It was unlike Raizen's twisted portals — it was balanced, sharp as a blade's edge.
From within, a woman walked forward with unwavering confidence. Her face was partially covered with a silver mask, and her features radiated a resolve that knew no mercy.
Melis — the Lady of Deception — had finally appeared.
But she was not alone.
Behind her came a young man with an athletic build, eyes black as pitch, his stare brimming with savagery.
This was Daemon, the Seventh Commander — fearless, untamed, a warrior who relished combat as if it were a drug.
He didn't follow Melis out of submission.
He advanced like a beast in an arena — waiting for the moment to strike.
Amid the surprise, Musayuki stepped forward nervously and asked:
> "Igris? Zou-Ken?"
But Melis interrupted coldly:
> "They are no longer commanders, Musayuki…
They're just soldiers deceived — just as you were."
The commanders exchanged stunned glances.
As for Sajibro, he turned his back with mocking disdain and said:
> "I won't waste my effort on failures like them."
He gestured with his hand, without even turning around:
> "Arthur… clean up the mess."
The Purifier stepped forward with steady steps.
Behind him, a long sword was drawn from a sheath of shadow — untouched by hand.
Its name was etched in an ancient tongue:
> "Oria Lux" – Shadows of Purity.
Arthur spoke calmly:
> "I shall grant you the gift of forgetting… or the curse of remaining."
Daemon struck first — swift, deadly, smiling in the bliss of battle.
His sword shimmered in the dark light, his expression intoxicated by combat's thrill.
Melis tried to deceive Arthur from behind with iron claws — but he had been watching them both, with sharp vigilance.
Yet Arthur did not step back.
The duel flowed like a liquid dance.
Each strike from Oria Lux dissolved traces of corrupted light, every motion carrying the wisdom of a thousand duels.
Two against one?
It wasn't a test for him.
It was a test of mercy — for one who fought with purity.
As the battle raged, shadows rose around Arthur, and his form became shrouded in a majestic aura.
And the only whisper heard within the great hall:
> "Purification… begins from within."
In the next chapter...
Will Arthur be able to return them to their true selves?
Or are some shadows not meant to be purified…
…but erased?
End of Chapter Twenty-Two