The sky above western Tokyo was black.
Not night.
Not clouds.
It was something else. A layer of corrupted mana had spread across the district, warping light itself. Buildings stood frozen in half-collapsed states, suspended by unstable dimensional pressure. The air hummed with a low, constant vibration, like the world itself was in pain.
Gold Prasso walked alone through the ruins.
No students.
No backup.
No Radiances.
Just him.
His golden aura flickered softly around his body, illuminating broken streets and abandoned vehicles. His expression was calm, but there was something wrong in his eyes. Not fear.
Hesitation.
He had felt the presence minutes ago.
A familiar one.
And another that felt… wrong.
Gold stopped in the middle of an empty intersection.
The ground ahead of him began to darken.
Black mist rose from the asphalt, thick and heavy, swallowing light. From within it, two figures emerged.
The first one made Gold's breath catch.
"Mira…"
She floated a few inches above the ground.
Her hair, once silver-white, was now stained with dark purple streaks. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural abyssal light. Black veins spread across her face like cracks in porcelain. Light magic still surrounded her, but it was twisted, distorted, mixed with something deep and wrong.
She smiled faintly.
"Gold… you came."
Gold took a step forward without thinking.
"Mira. You're alive. I knew it. I knew you were—"
"Alive?" she repeated softly.
Her voice echoed strangely, layered with another tone beneath it.
Behind her, the second figure stepped forward.
A tall man, dressed in black armor that looked more like living shadow than metal. His face was covered by a mask shaped like a distorted smile, with glowing abyssal eyes behind it.
The Abysmal Man.
Tengen's soldier.
One of his strongest.
The air pressure around him was suffocating. His presence alone caused cracks to form in the surrounding space.
The Abysmal Man tilted his head.
"So this is the famous Gold Prasso."
His voice was smooth.
Amused.
"Disappointing."
Gold ignored him.
He was staring only at Mira.
"What did he do to you?"
Mira's smile widened slightly.
"He saved me."
Gold froze.
The Abysmal Man laughed.
"Saved? No, no. I simply showed her the truth."
He raised one hand.
The black mist behind him shifted, forming massive abyssal structures that looked like broken wings.
"Light is just another form of darkness when you strip away illusion."
Mira's aura flared.
Her light magic warped into something deeper, mixed with void-like energy.
Gold's heart sank.
"This isn't you."
Mira looked at him.
"Isn't it?"
She extended her hand.
Black light gathered around her fingers.
"You left me to die, Gold."
His eyes widened.
"I didn't— I tried—"
"You chose the mission," she said calmly. "You chose the world. I chose to survive."
The Abysmal Man stepped forward, hands behind his back.
"She is no longer Mira Lune."
"She is Abyssal Mira."
Gold slowly raised his hands.
Golden magic spread around him, forming intricate radiant patterns. His power alone caused the street to glow like molten gold.
He could feel it.
He could end this.
One attack.
One decisive strike.
He could erase the Abysmal Man.
He could purify Mira.
He was strong enough.
But his hands trembled.
"Mira… come back. We can fix this."
The Abysmal Man smiled wider.
"There it is."
Gold launched forward.
Golden constructs formed around his arms as he attacked the Abysmal Man directly. A massive golden spear of mana tore through the air.
The Abysmal Man didn't dodge.
He caught it.
With one hand.
The gold shattered into fragments of light.
"Too slow."
He vanished.
Reappeared behind Gold.
Abyssal pressure slammed into Gold's back, sending him crashing through three buildings.
Gold rolled to his feet instantly, golden aura flaring violently now.
"So you're strong," Gold said, eyes sharp. "Good."
He raised both hands.
The entire district lit up.
Gold magic erupted in every direction, forming massive radiant structures that pinned the Abysmal Man in place.
Chains of pure gold wrapped around his body.
The Abysmal Man laughed.
"Impressive."
Mira raised her hand.
A beam of corrupted light pierced through the chains.
They shattered.
Gold turned toward her.
"Mira stop—!"
Too late.
Her attack struck his shoulder.
Not lethal.
But it burned.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Abyssal corruption spread through his golden aura, destabilizing it.
Gold stumbled back.
"Mira… why…"
Her expression didn't change.
The Abysmal Man appeared in front of Gold again, moving faster now.
Their fists collided.
Gold's strength was greater.
But the Abysmal Man's control was perfect.
Every exchange pushed Gold back.
Every strike was calculated.
Efficient.
Cold.
Gold's mind was divided.
Half focused on the enemy.
Half focused on Mira.
That was the mistake.
The Abysmal Man noticed.
He vanished again.
Gold sensed it too late.
Abyssal energy pierced through his chest.
Not blood.
Not gore.
Just a sudden absence.
A hole in his golden aura.
Gold's eyes widened.
He looked down.
The Abysmal Man's hand was inside his mana core.
Crushing it.
"Radiances are powerful," the Abysmal Man said calmly.
"But they hesitate."
Gold fell to his knees.
His golden light flickered wildly.
Mira floated closer.
Her eyes met his.
Gold smiled weakly.
"You still look… beautiful."
For a moment, something flickered in her expression.
Just for a second.
Then it vanished.
The Abysmal Man closed his hand.
Gold's aura shattered.
The light that once illuminated battlefields faded into nothing.
Gold Prasso collapsed.
The strongest defender of Class 1-C.
Gone.
The Abysmal Man stepped back, laughing softly.
"Pathetic."
Mira stared at Gold's body.
Silent.
The Abysmal Man placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Do not feel guilt. You were necessary."
He looked up at the corrupted sky.
"Tengen will be pleased."
Behind them, the golden light that once symbolized hope finally disappeared from Tokyo's ruins.
And somewhere far away…
Rougen felt it.
A sudden emptiness.
A Radiance had fallen.