The air tore apart—split like paper—and the Devil of Light emerged, descending in a spiral of golden luminance. His form was human now: shaggy black hair, wild around his face, piercing golden eyes, and a long black haori flowing behind him. His feet touched the ruined stone without a sound.
He stood beside Dem Oche like a shadow reuniting with its source.
"Oh…" the Devil of Light said, voice smooth and laced with timeless condescension. "You've come to end me again, son of war."
His gaze slid toward Juno. "And who's that mortal at your side?"
Chalice let out a sharp laugh. "That?" He gestured lazily. "That's the guy who's about to kill your little puppet."
Juno blinked, then looked at Dem Oche.
He pointed straight at him.
"You must be Dem Oche."
Dem Oche narrowed his eyes.
Juno turned to Chalice, a little awkward.
"Uh… what's your name again?"
"Chalice."
Juno nodded. "Cool."
Then he faced the Devil of Light, squinting.
"And you?"
The Devil of Light smirked, just a little. "If you heard my name, you'd die before you could say it."
Juno scoffed. "Right. Got it. You're definitely not the fun one."
He turned back to Dem Oche and grinned wide. "Anyway. Nice to meet you. Name's Juno."
Dem Oche's jaw tightened.
"You're a fool. You walk into a war with no purpose. No reason. No legacy."
Juno tilted his head. "Wrong. I came here to fight people stronger than me. That's all the reason I need."
Dem Oche's fingers twitched. And then—he moved.
Flash.
The light-rapier was summoned mid-stride and buried clean into Juno's arm.
But Juno only let out a manic cackle, grin splitting even wider.
"Oh hell yeah," he rasped. "Let's begin, eh?"
Chalice just sighed, amused. "Now that these extras are outta the frame…"
He stepped forward, the edge of his sword singing softly in the air.
He locked eyes with the Devil of Light.
"…Shall we begin?"
He paused, then tilted his head mockingly.
"Also—what were you doing hiding up in the sun like a rat?"
The Devil of Light didn't rise to the insult.
"I needed a makeshift one," he said smoothly. "Ever since the gods were slain, I've had to make do. The Sun God only left behind his pathetic incarnation."
Chalice's expression sharpened. "Yeah. I know."
And with that—
they moved.
Chalice and the Devil of Light collided mid-air, their clash sending shockwaves through the tower and sky. Soul against Light. War against Control.
Meanwhile—
Juno, arm still impaled, looked at Dem Oche with a lunatic grin and said,
"Round two, old man."
The air tore apart—split like paper—and the Devil of Light emerged, descending in a spiral of golden luminance. His form was human now: shaggy black hair, wild around his face, piercing golden eyes, and a long black haori flowing behind him. His feet touched the ruined stone without a sound.
He stood beside Dem Oche like a shadow reuniting with its source.
"Oh…" the Devil of Light said, voice smooth and laced with timeless condescension. "You've come to end me again, son of war."
His gaze slid toward Juno. "And who's that mortal at your side?"
Chalice let out a sharp laugh. "That?" He gestured lazily. "That's the guy who's about to kill your little puppet."
Juno blinked, then looked at Dem Oche.
He pointed straight at him.
"You must be Dem Oche."
Dem Oche narrowed his eyes.
Juno turned to Chalice, a little awkward.
"Uh… what's your name again?"
"Chalice."
Juno nodded. "Cool."
Then he faced the Devil of Light, squinting.
"And you?"
The Devil of Light smirked, just a little. "If you heard my name, you'd die before you could say it."
Juno scoffed. "Right. Got it. You're definitely not the fun one."
He turned back to Dem Oche and grinned wide. "Anyway. Nice to meet you. Name's Juno."
Dem Oche's jaw tightened.
"You're a fool. You walk into a war with no purpose. No reason. No legacy."
Juno tilted his head. "Wrong. I came here to fight people stronger than me. That's all the reason I need."
Dem Oche's fingers twitched. And then—he moved.
Flash.
The light-rapier was summoned mid-stride and buried clean into Juno's arm.
But Juno only let out a manic cackle, grin splitting even wider.
"Oh hell yeah," he rasped. "Let's begin, eh?"
Chalice just sighed, amused. "Now that these extras are outta the frame…"
He stepped forward, the edge of his sword singing softly in the air.
He locked eyes with the Devil of Light.
"…Shall we begin?"
He paused, then tilted his head mockingly.
"Also—what were you doing hiding up in the sun like a rat?"
The Devil of Light didn't rise to the insult.
"I needed a makeshift one," he said smoothly. "Ever since the gods were slain, I've had to make do. The Sun God only left behind his pathetic incarnation."
Chalice's expression sharpened. "Yeah. I know."
And with that—
they moved.
Chalice and the Devil of Light collided mid-air, their clash sending shockwaves through the tower and sky. Soul against Light. War against Control.
Meanwhile—
Juno, arm still impaled, looked at Dem Oche with a lunatic grin and said,
"Round two, old man."
The true war had begun.
…
….
…..
Niko wiped the blood and bile from his mouth with the back of his trembling hand, smearing the dried mess across his sleeve. The taste still lingered — metallic, bitter, and wrong. Whatever that presence was up there, it didn't just feel strong. It felt unnatural. Like the air itself wanted to flee.
But he didn't.
He stood in the rubble, eyes narrowed at the distant slash cut clean through the tower — the one Chalice had carved open on his way up. A faint shimmer of energy still clung to the stone, like it remembered the strike. Like it warned anyone else not to follow.
Niko took a shaky breath.
"Guess I am anyone else," he muttered.
He rolled his neck, groaned as his joints cracked, and stared up at the broken tower.
"I fought Chalice and survived," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "How bad could this be?"
His legs were still sore, his side bruised black, and he knew Mena would kill him if she could walk. But his fingers curled tight, and energy sparked faintly around his palms. Not clean. Not full. But enough.
The tower called.
No — something above it called. Something that felt older than it had any right to be.
Still, he stepped forward.
He didn't need a reason. He didn't need to know who was up there. Chalice was fighting. And that meant it mattered.
Niko bolted forward, teeth clenched, aura flickering blue behind him. The wind roared past as he launched himself into the tower's hollow gash, up the path left behind by a sword that shouldn't exist.
One thought echoed in his head as the climb began:
Don't think. Just move.