The air felt thicker here.
Hot, dry, heavy with dust and iron. Every breath stung Noel's lungs.
The Fourth Pillar stood across from him on the broken platform — calm, unhurried. His sword rested against his shoulder, veins of red light crawling through the blade like living things.
Behind him, the fissures glowed faintly, veins of molten mana cutting through the rock.
Neither moved. The silence pressed against the ears, louder than the battle still echoing somewhere above.
A spark fell from the ceiling. Both reacted at once.
Steel met steel with a sharp crack that split the air. The impact sent ripples across the ground, scattering dust and ash in waves. Noel slid one foot back, the vibration running up his arm, Revenant Fang burning against his grip.
They broke apart, circled once more. The Pillar's gaze was steady.
"You could just walk away," he said finally, voice almost casual. "Leave the crystal. Let us take it, and this ends clean."
