The moment Kael shattered the crushing hand of darkness, a new ripple surged across the battlefield.
Even the corrupted beasts paused, eyes twitching to the skies where streaks of silver and black energy spiraled around Kael like a celestial storm. His body glowed—half-veiled in void, half-lit in searing white flame. The Last Will was no longer hiding within him. It was fighting with him.
Raizen, barely standing after his injuries, managed a faint smirk.
"That's it, Kael… you've awakened the Flame Within the Void."
From the distance, Hana looked up, stunned. "Kael… that energy. It's like he's—"
"Becoming the Last Will itself," Tetsu whispered, stepping beside her.
Lilith tried to take advantage of their distraction, launching a Chrono Dagger between heartbeats, but Tetsu deflected it with a sonic clap mid-air. Hana unleashed a geyser of flame that finally forced Lilith back several meters. Lilith hissed, visibly injured now, the time energy on her body flickering erratically.
Meanwhile, Ryuu and Kaede's fight with Veyron was growing even more intense. Veyron summoned a second void beast—this one armored in bone—and it howled across the broken battlefield. Kaede and Ryuu were pushed back, gritting their teeth as they fought side by side.
"Veyron's not holding back anymore," Kaede muttered.
"He's scared," Ryuu said. "They all are."
Kaede nodded. "They should be."
Back in the center of the battlefield, Kaito was just recovering, coughing up blood but forcing himself back to his feet.
Kael hovered just above the cracked earth, glowing eyes locked on Kurojin.
"You've hurt so many," Kael said, voice echoing like thunder. "Tried to break everything that made this world worth fighting for."
Kurojin finally looked serious. No grin, no arrogance—just a slow exhale.
"You've awakened more than I expected," he said. "But you still don't understand. Even with your Will, you're still just a boy trying to burn down a storm."
Kael pointed his hand forward. A blade of white void-fire formed, long and jagged like a fang pulled from space itself.
"I'm not here to burn the storm," Kael said.
"I'm here to end it."
Kael launched forward, faster than before. Kurojin blocked, but the force of the strike sent tremors across the battlefield. Kaito joined, striking from behind with a cross slash. Kurojin barely parried, but the brothers began pushing him back, working in perfect unison.
Strike after strike, the air screamed.
For the first time since the war began, Kurojin retreated a step.
Then another.
From the distance, the Wielders began to rally. Magnus and Seraphine tore through hordes of beasts, pushing forward to the center. The corrupted army began to falter. Fear spread like wildfire.
And somewhere deep in the beast ranks, one of the corrupted lieutenants muttered, "He's actually doing it… he's pushing him back."
The war wasn't over.
But for the first time in ages—
Hope felt real.
And Kael wasn't done yet.