The clash of blades and magic echoed through the broken cathedral like thunder in a hollow grave. Damien stood at the edge of chaos, his body trembling, muscles torn and aching from the battle with Sierra. The air was thick with smoke and magic residue, glowing embers swirling around him like fireflies in a storm.
But he couldn't stop now.
Not when everything hung on a thread.
Across the ruined hall, Sierra and Valeria were locked in a deadly dance—light versus shadow, steel versus sorcery. Sierra floated just inches above the ground, her body glowing with the Crown's dark energy, her movements graceful yet unrelenting. Valeria, with her mechanical precision, struck with robotic finesse, her crimson blade a blur of calculated strikes.
Damien knew he should retreat, regroup. But he also knew something neither of them did.
The Crown was still awakening.
And it was growing unstable.
---
He glanced at the system.
[System Notification: Crown of Sins Energy Surge Detected]
Radiation level: 79%. Estimated catastrophic rupture in 18 minutes.
"Shit," Damien muttered under his breath.
He ran toward the nearest pillar, using it for cover as the two women continued their battle. Every time Valeria's blade clashed with Sierra's magic, shockwaves shattered stone and sent fissures through the earth. This wasn't just a fight—it was a countdown to disaster.
And Damien was the only one who could stop it.
---
Flashback – Two Years Ago
The training grounds were quiet under the pale sky. Damien, younger and not yet scarred, was sparring with Sierra. She moved like poetry, her laughter light as her blade danced.
"Don't hold back, Damien," she said, flipping over his shoulder and tapping the back of his neck with her sword.
"I'm not," he grunted, swinging again.
"Yes, you are," she smirked. "You always do when it comes to me."
He had paused then, lowering his sword. "Because if I hurt you…"
She stepped close. "You won't."
He never forgot the look in her eyes that day. A mixture of trust, mischief, and something deeper.
Love.
---
Now, as he watched her rain darkness onto the world, that memory stabbed deeper than any wound.
The Sierra he loved… was fading.
And if he didn't act soon, she'd be gone forever.
---
Valeria roared, activating her final strike protocol. Her eye blazed with energy, and mechanical arms split from her back, each holding a different weapon—a plasma blade, a chain scythe, a high-frequency dagger.
Damien's system pinged again.
[Emergency Alert – Fatality Imminent. Crown Host at 92% Sync.]
He had to interrupt the battle.
Not to save one or the other.
But to stop the world from ending.
He sprinted forward, activating his last mana core.
[Skill Unleashed – Veil Step (Lv. Max)]
Phase through reality for 2.5 seconds. Next attack gains +150% speed.
Damien blinked from one end of the cathedral to the other in the time it took to draw a breath.
He appeared between them—just as Valeria's plasma blade came down.
CLANG!
His blade caught hers mid-strike. Sparks exploded. Sierra's tendrils lashed forward but froze an inch from his chest.
Both women stared at him in disbelief.
"Move!" Valeria barked. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
Damien turned to her, voice cold. "You can't kill her."
"And why not?" she snapped.
"Because if you do… you'll break the Crown's binding seal. And this entire continent will vanish into a void."
Valeria's eye scanned him. "You're bluffing."
"I'm not."
[System Notification: Crown Seal Status – Fractured]
Stabilization only possible via Host's emotional tether. Recommended action: Emotional anchor.
Target: Sierra.
Damien stepped toward Sierra slowly, heart pounding. "I know you're still in there. I know the Crown is screaming in your head. I know the pain feels endless."
She flinched.
"I know… because I feel it too."
Sierra's lips trembled. The shadows pulsing around her began to slow.
"You betrayed me," she whispered.
"I never left you. I never lied. I bled for you."
A tear escaped her eye. The first in days.
"Then why didn't you save me?" she asked.
His voice cracked. "Because I didn't know how."
Silence.
Then… her arms dropped.
The shadows around her stilled.
But the Crown, sensing resistance, unleashed its fury.
A blast of pure dark magic erupted from her body, flinging Damien and Valeria back. Damien crashed into a shattered statue. His vision blurred.
[System Warning: Life Force at 23%. Internal bleeding detected.]
The world was spinning. He tasted blood.
But then, he heard her voice.
"S-Stop… stop… I don't want this…"
And then—
A scream.
Agonizing. Raw. Human.
Sierra collapsed to her knees, clawing at the Crown. "Make it stop… Damien… please…"
He dragged himself up. Every bone screamed. Every heartbeat was pain.
But he kept walking.
He knelt in front of her, pressing his forehead against hers.
"I'm here."
---
The Crown cracked.
A jagged fracture split through its center, light bleeding out.
Damien took a deep breath. "Let me share the burden."
[System Triggered: Dual Core Synchronization – Damien + Sierra]
Bond established. Power stabilized.
Crown Level Decreased to 68% Corruption.
The tremors stopped. The shadows withdrew.
And the Crown… dimmed.
For now.
---
Valeria stood, stunned. "What the hell did you do?"
Damien didn't answer. He wrapped his arms around Sierra and whispered, "We've still got a war to win."
---