The low rumble of the soundless fire reverberated through the water, thrumming in Orion’s ears like a distant, hollow bell.

  His gaze sharpened, cold and focused, yet his face barely shifted—calm and unreadable, like still water.

  This is still within expectations, he thought. Though, I cannot for a second lower my guard, or I will pay a hefty price in exchange.

  Raising his hand, a faint star flared on its back. Sirius answered the call, releasing a howl—primordial and resonant—that seemed to pierce the very marrow of the world, shaking even the strongest soul.

  Nature granted me a power far beyond any Valkyrie… but I can’t afford to be careless.

  Below, the writhing heap of charred flesh and shattered chitin glared up at him. Malamiris’ countless eyes burned with rage and agony as the ebon flames devoured her.

  Fighting a Devourer is exhausting enough. I have to monitor her every move and shield the others from her corruptive aura.

  And with my link to the world severed, the magic I draw through “Boundaries” is barely half my normal capacity. Even that pitiful amount is already being shared with everyone. I can’t fight the way I’m used to.

  A quiet sigh slipped from Orion’s lips.

  As though sensing its master’s intent, Sirius melted into the void, merging with the ink-black wings that stretched from Orion’s back.

  Then he leaned forward.

  Gravity took hold, and Orion plummeted.

  The ocean split in his wake as he streaked downward at a speed that blurred even light.

  Malamiris stumbled, pincers scraping the tiles as she scrambled to brace herself.

  Too late.

  Orion struck the cathedral floor with devastating force. The shockwave extinguished the black flames he had conjured moments ago.

  Malamiris felt it instantly—the flow of battle had shifted.

  As if Death itself had descended to claim her.

  This man… he felt closer to an Elder One than anything she had ever known.

  Ebony spikes erupted from the fractured tiles, spearing her monstrous body and pinning her in place. Agony surged through her as her charred and splintered carapace groaned under the pressure.

  But still… she refused to yield.

  Her pincers folded inward, drawing thick, bubbling foam from deep within her abdomen. It coalesced into a massive, hissing sphere of corrosive energy between her mandibles.

  With a sharp clack, her claws snapped shut. The bubble burst, launching a tidal wave of acid toward Orion at blinding speed.

  He pivoted, wings flaring, and leapt aside—only to meet her colossal right claw swinging down upon him.

  Orion clenched his fist, boots grinding against the fractured tiles. Twisting his arm back, he gathered every ounce of strength into it.

  Time seemed to hold its breath.

  Then their limbs collided: his lean frame against her monstrous claw.

  The impact unleashed a shockwave that tore through the water, splintering stone and flesh alike. Chitin cracked and exploded from Malamiris’ limb.

  She recoiled, hissing in fury.

  Orion steadied himself and vaulted back into the water.

  Taygeta. Sirius. It’s time to end this.

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  The great wolf surged from Orion’s wings, his fur flowing like living shadow. Taygeta materialized in Orion’s grip, humming with void-born energy.

  Sirius circled him once before leaping forward—melding seamlessly into the crossbow. Together, they became something more: an instrument of absolute destruction.

  “Malamiris…”

  Orion dragged his heel across a dark platform beneath him, anchoring his stance. His voice was calm but edged with finality as he locked eyes on the immobilized Devourer.

  “Let’s finish this. You’ve been a valuable source of knowledge. For that… I thank you.”

  Confusion flickered across her countless eyes.

  In their hollow depths, she saw it—the devouring light reflected in his weapon.

  And realization dawned.

  This is the end.

  After centuries of existence, after devouring, ruling, and reshaping herself—she would perish here. Not in glory. Not in triumph.

  Erased by an entity she had not known mere hours ago.

  He had taken everything.

  The soul she had consumed.

  The beauty she had stolen.

  The peace she had clawed for herself.

  Even her history.

  Nothing remains.

  Orion’s finger tightened on the trigger.

  “Nightrive.”

  The void erupted.

  A single, colossal maw tore open above the battlefield—not an attack, but a predator descending to feed.

  A howl rumbled through the abyss—primordial and alien—as a blackened veil swallowed every trace of light.

  The maw opened—agonizingly slow—jagged teeth stretching impossibly wide. The sound of rending water and groaning stone pulsed like a heartbeat across the ocean floor.

  It was not a roar. Not a scream.

  It was the sound of something ancient forcing itself into the world.

  Within its depths there was no shadow. No light.

  Only nothingness.

  Malamiris froze. For the first time, the Master of Insanity faltered—not because she understood, but because her mind could not.

  Orion spoke softly, his voice steady as a judge delivering the final sentence.

  “This is the end.”

  The maw descended.

  It did not crush.

  It erased.

  Malamiris convulsed, her countless eyes flickering as her limbs tore apart and black ichor vanished into the void.

  The maw closed.

  And silence reclaimed the water.

  Orion exhaled, his gaze fixed on the crater below.

  “What a stubborn soul,” he murmured.

  “Agh—”

  The low, broken voice of a once-mighty being reached his ears.

  “Even now, you resist the call of death. That is…” He hesitated. “…impressive.”

  Slowly, he descended, Taygeta still brimming with power in his hands.

  The remains of Malamiris’ face stared up at him.

  “Agony…”

  That single word carried the weight of her torment.

  Orion’s expression softened—but only slightly.

  I’ll put you out of your misery. It’s the only mercy I can give.

  He pressed Taygeta against her cracked shell.

  “I can’t let you live. Your existence threatens everything. Blame yourself for what you are.”

  But just as his finger brushed the trigger, his instincts flared.

  Something’s wrong.

  His eyes darted side to side, scanning the water.

  “!”

  A colossal energy flared beneath Malamiris, spreading across the cathedral floor like a growing mirror.

  Orion launched upward, wings flaring as he distanced himself from the strange, glassy expanse.

  What is this…?

  Beneath him, the world inverted in the mirrored surface.

  “Truly, thou art of great interest, yet I shall not suffer thee to take this one.”

  “For it is the repast that hath been claimed by me.”

  The voice—refined and feminine—echoed from all directions, impossible to place.

  “Yet I am most curious how this one might fare upon my tongue.”

  “A mere portion should not be deemed excessive.”

  From the mirror, a tendril shot upward, aimed straight at Orion’s heart.

  “Shi—!”

  He vaulted onto a dark platform, wings snapping open as the glassy appendage pursued relentlessly.

  A deadly chase began.

  No matter how fast he flew, the tendril remained on his heels, cutting impossible angles to stay on target.

  I can’t shake it off!

  Even at full speed, twisting and spinning through the water, Orion couldn’t lose it.

  In a final effort, he pivoted sharply to face the attack.

  The tendril lashed toward his chest. Orion raised his elbow, gathering his strength for a counterstrike.

  “No!”

  A sorrowful scream echoed from far below. At that instant, a strange stillness gripped the world.

  Orion knew the feeling well.

  Time has stopped.

  But imperfectly. The world shuddered under the strain.

  Tetra… what are you doing?!

  His elbow smashed into the tendril, sending a shockwave rippling through its glassy length. Cracks ran from the tip all the way to its base.

  Orion warped higher into the ocean, glaring down as the frozen world began to move again.

  His eyes flicked toward Tetra, who was slumped against Libranil’s scales, coughing up blood.

  “How wondrously strange. What could have wrought this?”

  “Truly, I am ensnared in perplexity.”

  The woman’s voice floated through the water—calm, elegant, and utterly alien.

  “What strange event hath unfolded? I sense a force strong enough to rend the laws we forged, and yet… it falters, pitifully frail.”

  “Strangers from distant worlds… ever do they stir my interest.”

  A deep chill ran down Orion’s spine as his instincts screamed at him to retreat.

  Even as his wings broke the ocean’s surface, he still heard her voice—whispering in archaic tones, close as a breath against his ear.

  From the mirror beneath Malamiris, a figure emerged.

  A woman of peerless beauty, with skin as pale as moonlight and perfectly arranged princess curls framing her face.

  In one hand she held an ornate umbrella, spinning it with effortless grace as though the water itself bowed to her presence.

  Her other hand extended delicately toward the dying Devourer.

  “This being is destined for mine own grasp.”

  First of all, if you don't care, feel free to ignore this part. If you have little interest for the author himself, it is perfectly understandable.

  Alright, let me be straight. I'm exhausted.

  I've began working a seasonal job harvesting lettuces. By itself, the work is incredibly tough and taxing. While many of us harvest the product, others and I displace heavy crates of lettuces the entire time. Work began at 5am, and usually end around 1pm. To say that I am exhausted is an understatement.

  While I wish to focus on writing, my body refuses to listen. I've been stacking strains, muscle pain, and nerves pinching, so resting is necessary for me to keep going the next day. It is what it is, so unless I feel 'fine' enough to write, I won't release a chapter.

  I understand we each have a different life, and that this is my problem. You, the reader, shouldn't have to care for my story. Yet, I hope you can understand that it is also beyond challenging to do both my work and this hobby jointly. To begin with, my fingers hurt like hell just pressing keys, and my back hurts sitting on my chair. I'm dying here. (Not really)

  Anyways. What you should know is that I still work behind the scene. I'm correcting bad habits slowly, perfecting the story and creating numerous new paths, and I am thinking of commissioning an illustrator to work on the character covers. Replacing AI by actual, hard working artist was always part of my wishes, and now I can with my job.

  With that said, this will continue until at least late September, and then my seasonal contract will end.

  I hope you have a great day, and feel free to comment on anything. I also answer DMs on various questions. Be it personal questions, stuff about future chapters, what to expect, roadmap, length of volume, discussions about similar works, I take all of those. I have always, and will always one to answer a friendly reader. Even criticism is something I accept readily.