---
[Earth – The Battlefield, Live Broadcast, Global Feed]
The city held its breath.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the battlefield trembled faintly—almost like a heartbeat.
Within seconds, the trembling escalated into a violent quake.
Pavement cracked open. Buildings groaned and windows shattered, sending shards tinkling like rain.
Soldiers and police staggered, gripping their weapons, eyes wide in disbelief.
Civilians screamed, ducking for cover.
In the center of it all, standing amid the chaos, was Rover Cheon.
But he was no longer the boy who had fought alongside his friends.
His feet lifted slowly, impossibly, as if tethered by unseen chains breaking free.
From his body erupted a thick, roiling black aura, expanding outward like an ominous storm cloud swallowing the fading light.
Darkness curled and twisted in the air, tendrils spreading wide, engulfing the battlefield.
The air grew thick with power—ancient, malevolent, overwhelming.
A deep, guttural roar echoed from the void within Rover, shaking the very soul of the city.
---
The quake escalated into a cataclysmic force, buckling streets and toppling nearby buildings.
Debris flew into the sky like a storm of ash.
Soldiers and police were thrown off their feet, crashing to the ground.
Civilians screamed in terror, some dropping to their knees.
The live broadcast cameras captured every moment — the world watched in horrified silence.
And through the chaos, a voice emerged.
It was Rover's voice—yet not his own.
His eyes blazed obsidian, glowing with unnatural light, burning into the hearts of those who dared to look.
---
Demon's voice, cold and ancient, dripping with contempt:
"You humans… have done your part. Decade by decade. Era by era. Striving. Building. Breaking. Repeating."
The crowd gasped, frozen in shock.
Soldiers instinctively stepped back, trembling.
The demon's voice rolled through Rover's lips, like a curse cast upon the world:
"I watched. I endured. I waited. And now… you seek to unearth powers you do not understand. Again."
A heavy silence blanketed the city.
Rover's dark gaze swept the battlefield—the guilds, the military forces, the ruined streets.
---
Demon, venom dripping from every word:
"You think this world belongs to you. But I see nothing worth preserving. Not this generation. Not your towers. Not your gods."
His eyes flared, black flames licking the edges of his irises.
"I know you're watching. All of you."
A shudder ran through the crowd. Even those watching from screens felt the chill.
---
Demon, voice dropping to a growl:
"You built this world like a sandcastle at the edge of oblivion."
He smiled darkly.
"And now, it's time I wash it away."
---
The live feed cracked and flickered.
---
[Military Command – South Korea HQ]
General Kang slammed his fist against the console, eyes blazing with fury and fear.
"Cut the feed! NOW! That boy—he's broadcasting a psychological weapon across the world!"
His voice echoed through the command room.
---
[Silver Halo – Maria del Rosario, Philippines]
Maria gripped her staff, trembling but resolute.
"No… That aura. That presence… It's like the death of stars."
She turned sharply to her guildmates.
"We must act. The wounded are piling up, but if this continues, no hospital can hold. We need to intervene—now."
---
[Titan Eclipse – General Dmitri Volkov, Russia]
Volkov exhaled smoke from his cigar, eyes cold and calculating.
"That's not raw power. That's divine contamination."
He flicked ash into the wind.
"Prepare the forces. We're cleaning the board."
---
[Tempest Fang – Ayame Kazehana, Japan]
The wind howled violently around Ayame.
"What kind of pressure is this...?"
She gazed skyward, eyes sharp.
"Even the storms fear him."
---
[Iron Circle – Marcus Brandt, Germany]
Marcus's lab hummed with failing machinery.
"Physics are breaking down. Energy patterns I've never seen before."
He typed rapidly.
"If we don't build a countermeasure fast… it's over."
---
[Dark Triad – Hidden Lair]
Reid Stone grinned darkly.
"The monster humanity tried to bury… finally reveals himself."
Kim Hwan narrowed his eyes.
"He's close—but not ready. One more crack… and the real horror will surface."
Mae Lou smiled, mysterious.
"A reset of the world… chaos is inevitable."
Dao and Yao exchanged a glance.
Yao whispered, "Perfection through extinction."
---
[Back on the Battlefield]
Even Christoff Erickson stepped back, brow furrowed.
"That's not a demon," he murmured.
"That's something older… and furious."
Naomi Sasaki's breath caught.
"Do we engage?"
Christoff shook his head.
"This isn't a fight we choose."
---
Rover hovered, arms spread wide, black aura a maelstrom around him.
His voice echoed—not just over the city, but through the very fabric of existence.
"This masterpiece you built?" he intoned.
His smile was cold, cruel.
"I'll take it from here."
---
To be continued…