The war… ended.
Just like that.
Silence stretched across the void above Averis, broken only by the fading echoes of power that had rewritten existence itself moments ago.
Rayon turned.
"…Let's head back."
Luminous nodded quietly.
Nexus folded her wings.
Christine exhaled.
Erethon cracked his neck, grinning like he hadn't had that much fun in ages.
Nyk—
Nyk froze.
"…Tch—"
His body jerked.
A sharp pain tore through his chest.
"—Ahh—!"
He staggered.
Before he could fall—
Rayon was already there.
Catching him.
Christine's eyes widened.
"NYK!"
She rushed forward instantly.
"Babe—what's wrong?!"
Nyk was sweating.
Heavy.
Breathing uneven.
His hand clutched his chest tightly.
"…It's—…it's burning—"
Rayon placed his palm on Nyk's chest.
Closed his eyes.
Felt it.
And then—
He smiled.
"…Relax."
Christine looked at him sharply.
"Relax?! He's literally—"
Rayon opened his eyes.
Calm.
Certain.
"…He's evolving."
Silence.
Nyk gritted his teeth.
"…The hell… you mean…"
Rayon's voice lowered slightly.
"Your primordial energy…"
"It's mutating."
A pulse of energy surged from Nyk's body.
Unstable.
Violent.
Different.
Rayon continued.
"Ruin thrives in chaos."
"And you just fought in a war that pushed your limits beyond your current existence."
Another pulse.
Stronger.
More refined.
"…You didn't just grow stronger, Nyk."
Rayon smirked slightly.
"You crossed the line."
Christine blinked.
"…What line?"
Rayon looked at her.
"…The line between Primordial… and Monarch."
Silence.
Nyk's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're saying—"
Rayon nodded.
"…You're becoming something new."
A pause.
"…The first Monarch of Ruin."
Another surge exploded from Nyk.
This time—
Even space reacted.
Rayon didn't waste another second.
"Hold on."
Darkness swallowed them all.
Isola Krein — The Mansion
They reappeared instantly.
The calm contrast was almost surreal.
Inside—
Lucifer and Esdeath slept peacefully.
Nexus exhaled softly seeing them.
"…They're fine."
Outside—
Azelar sat beneath the shade.
Tea in hand.
Like always.
And beside him—
Kratos stood casually…
Trying to mess with the raven perched nearby.
"…So you're telling me this thing can erase reality?"
The raven pecked his hand.
Kratos blinked.
"…Yeah, that checks out."
Rayon appeared with Nyk.
Azelar didn't even look surprised.
He just sipped his tea.
"…So it finally happened."
Rayon set Nyk down.
Cross-legged.
"Yeah."
He stood.
"…I'll leave this to you."
Azelar smiled faintly.
"…Of course."
He stood up slowly.
Placing the cup down.
Christine hovered nearby.
Watching.
Worried.
Hopeful.
All at once.
Kratos raised a brow.
"…What's this?"
Rayon walked past him.
"…Something rare."
Azelar stepped forward.
Standing before Nyk.
"…You feel it, don't you?"
Nyk nodded slowly.
"…Like everything's… breaking and rebuilding at the same time."
Azelar chuckled.
"…Good."
The ground beneath Nyk began to change.
Grass withered.
Stone cracked.
Air distorted.
Everything around him began to move toward its final state.
Kratos' eyes sharpened.
"…He's leaking ruin."
Azelar raised his hand.
"…Not leaking."
A pulse of force spread outward.
Stabilizing the space.
"…Transforming."
"Axis Principle."
Gravity shifted.
Reality anchored itself around Nyk.
Holding him together.
Tempering him.
Azelar spoke calmly.
"Listen carefully."
"Primordial energy… is raw."
"Monarch energy…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…is absolute."
Nyk's aura exploded upward.
Piercing the sky.
A massive blue pillar—
So vast it looked like a wall stretching across the heavens.
Across all of Averis—
Everyone saw it.
Felt it.
Christine stepped forward slightly.
Her eyes soft.
Proud.
"…You got this babe…"
Azelar continued.
"Don't fight it."
"Refine it."
"Command it."
Nyk gritted his teeth.
His body trembling.
"…I—…I ain't losing control now…"
The energy condensed.
Compressed.
Refined.
Azelar pressed his hand lightly forward.
Helping guide the flow.
"…Good."
"Now… claim it."
Silence.
Then—
Everything snapped into place.
The aura vanished.
Instantly.
Cleanly.
Nyk opened his eyes.
Different.
The tip of his rope-twist hair had turned white.
His pupils—
A triangle within a square.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Damn…"
He looked at his hands.
"…This feels…"
A pause.
"…Different."
Azelar smiled.
"…It should."
"…You're no longer a vessel."
"…Or a primordial."
He stepped back slightly.
"…You're a Monarch now."
Kratos chuckled softly.
"…First time I've seen that happen naturally."
Christine walked up to Nyk.
Without hesitation—
She hugged him.
"…You did it."
Nyk smirked slightly.
"…Told you I'd do it in style."
Azelar stretched his shoulders slightly.
Then—
He removed his top.
Revealing old scars.
Deep ones.
Battle-earned.
He stepped forward.
Barefoot.
Grounded.
"…Now."
He looked directly at Nyk.
"…Let's see what you've actually gained."
Nyk rolled his shoulders.
Grinning.
"…You serious?"
Azelar's eyes sharpened.
"…Completely."
Nyk stepped forward.
His aura—controlled.
Heavy.
Refined.
"…Then enlighten me, master."
Above it all—
Rayon sat on the rooftop.
Lucifer resting on his head.
Playing with his hair.
Nexus sat beside him.
Holding Esdeath gently.
The moonlight bathed everything in silver.
Below—
Azelar and Nyk stood across from each other.
The air between them—
Heavy.
Anticipating.
Rayon smiled slightly.
"…Hey old man."
Azelar didn't look up.
"…Hmm?"
Rayon's voice carried lightly.
"…Don't go easy on him."
Azelar smirked.
"…I didn't plan to."
He shifted his stance.
Eyes locked on his student.
"…After all."
A pause.
"…He's mine to break."
The wind stilled.
The world watched.
And the next fight—
Began.