Dozens of ink-born monsters tore through the streets, claws scraping, forms rippling like nightmares barely holding shape. They moved with impossible speed, all racing straight toward a single figure standing in the fractured daylight—Celestine.

She didn't look the same as when she'd left for the Liberatorium. There was more Sol swirling in her than ever before—twice what she'd had, at least. And even in the heart of chaos, she stood with that eerie, weightless poise that always set her apart.

Ivan was the first to notice it. He'd seen her serious before, but this was different. Aria felt it too, unease flickering in her quick glances, voice pitched a little higher than usual. She fumbled with her bowstring, hands tight on her weapon, watching Celestine with something close to awe and something closer to fear.

A flashback sliced into the moment.

Earlier that day, when they'd returned to the guildhall with the rescued hostages, everything had felt off. Two odd Liberators hustled the survivors away, whispering, never letting them touch their Albuses. Ivan and Aria exchanged worried looks. Why such secrecy? Why no help allowed? It all felt wrong.

The man who'd met them at the threshold only made things worse. He was tall, bones sharp beneath paper-thin skin, eyes sunk so deep it was hard to know if he saw you or only saw through you. His armor was the color of old blood, with a cloak that moved even when the air was still.

Afterward, Aria had tried to describe him to Celestine as they were forced back out to the Tale. "He looked like he'd kill someone just for breathing wrong," she'd whispered. "Like if you told him you lost your shoe, he'd stab your foot, and then yell at you for bleeding on the carpet. And his smile, by the Hopes, it looked like he was imagining your bones." She'd shivered, and even Ivan didn't make a joke.

Back in the street, Ivan had almost tripped over his own feet, fumbling to hand Celestine a neatly folded red cape. The second her fingers brushed the fabric, she froze. For a fraction of a second, all expression left her face. The cape... She knew it. One of hers, one she wore a few years ago ago. It wasn't just a keepsake, but a weapon: forged for one purpose alone, to let her carve deeper wounds in Unborn flesh, and not get corrupted. She said nothing, but Ivan caught the glimmer of recognition and worry in her eyes.

But then, no time for questions. By the time they made it back to camp, it was under siege.

It was chaos... Screaming, burning, ink monsters pouring from every direction, villagers cowering wherever they could. And through it all, one name echoed: Kaiser. The story had already spread—he'd defended them, saved lives, and now he was fighting something even worse. Some said he faced a Unborn.

Celestine boiled with anger, not at the monsters, but at the thought of Kaiser out there, alone, facing the Unborn. She knew enough about their corruption to worry. If he killed too many, if the taint took root, would he be lost? Was he resilient enough? She didn't know. And she didn't want to find out.

She forced her focus back to the present. Ivan's voice cracked through the roar: "Celestine! They're coming! They're everywhere!"

Aria had already loosed a dozen arrows, each one sinking into the inky beasts, only to see their wounds close instantly, the creatures barely slowing. Ivan was everywhere at once, cloning himself into a ragged line of defenders, each version of him yelling orders or shielding villagers. It all wasn't enough.

Celestine stood unmoving, cape fluttering around her shoulders, golden hair shining like a beacon. The monsters surged toward her, jaws wide, claws raking the air. An ink cat, larger than a horse, sprang for her face.

Her hand blurred.

The cat froze in midair, suspended, then split apart in a shower of blinding golden light. The explosion was so bright it painted every surface in searing white. Ivan and Aria cried out, stumbling back, hands over their eyes.

When the afterimage faded, the street was silent. The monsters, all of them, were gone. In their place were shadows, scorched onto the walls and ground, as if they'd been burned out of reality by the force of her Sol. And down the street, Celestine walked away, light trailing in her wake.

For a moment, Ivan and Aria could only stare.

Aria found her breath first, lowering her bow with trembling hands. "Did you see that?" she whispered, voice thin. "She didn't even move."

Ivan, shaking off his shock, managed a crooked smile. "Guess we picked the right person to team up with, huh?"

Celestine's own thoughts were far from triumphant. Every time she used this much power, she felt a strange emptiness inside, like the Sol was eating away at something vital. She knew she was supposed to be a beacon, a symbol, a leader. But right now, all she felt was exhaustion and fury.

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She walked past the burned shadows, boots crunching on glass and blackened stone. In her mind, memories tumbled, sharp and clear:

'You can't save them all.'

How many times had she heard those words? From teachers, from generals, from her father. Each time, it stung. She'd never believed it, not really. She was supposed to be different.

But watching the villagers clutch their children, watching Aria's eyes flicker with fear and relief, she wondered, just for a heartbeat, if maybe they'd been right. Was it enough to destroy the monsters? Or did the real evil always hide behind another face?

She shook her head. Doubt was a luxury not meant for her.

Up ahead, a villager, a young boy, ran to her, tears streaking his filthy cheeks. "Are you an angel?" he stammered, gazing at her with something between terror and worship.

Celestine knelt, resting a hand gently on his shoulder. Her voice was soft. "No. I'm just someone who won't let them win. Now run—find your family."

The boy bolted, hope lighting his face.

Behind her, Aria watched, heart twisting. She couldn't help it. Every time she saw Celestine in battle, it unknowingly reminded her of someone else—a man with cold eyes and a sharper will. She shook herself, hating how much she missed him already, hating how much she wanted to see Kaiser stride through the chaos, sword in hand, unbreakable as ever.

But he was gone. Off chasing shadows, off fighting the Unborn. This was something she could not allow any further.

Celestine's eyes closed, her breathing deepening into something steady. A flare began in her chest, and then it burst outward in a blinding circular pulse of Sol. The wave tore across the street in all directions, sweeping through buildings, up walls, and over rooftops. Ink-things that still lingered in alleyways hissed as the light touched them, their shapes warping before dissolving entirely.

One heartbeat later, her eyes snapped open.

"Enough," she whispered, not to anyone else, but to herself.

In the same breath, she launched forward, the ground cracking under her first step. "Ivan, Aria—come with me!" Her voice rang with such authority that it felt less like an order and more like a law of nature.

"Wait, Celestine!" Aria called, already sprinting. "You're—!"

Ivan cut in, already multiplying into half a dozen versions of himself, each trying to keep pace. "She's not waiting for us. Great. Wonderful."

They ran, but they might as well have been chasing the wind. Celestine's speed was a blur, her form barely visible as she cut through the streets. She didn't look back, didn't slow, didn't even acknowledge the thundering footsteps behind her.

"Damn it," Aria hissed, pushing herself harder. "If you're charging in to find Kaiser, you'd better not leave me behind!"

Far ahead, Celestine's thoughts were sharp and vicious.

'Good. The pulse had done its job, as no more monsters were within reach of the camp. That meant the villagers were safe, at least for the next few minutes.' Now she could get to Kaiser.

She knew where he was. She could feel it, the faint hum of his Sol through the noise of the village. A Liberator recognizes another Liberator, even without sight. He was in a house just ahead, and her fury sharpened the closer she got.

She skidded to a stop in front of the building, golden hair settling around her shoulders like the feathers of an angel poised for judgment. Behind her, Ivan and Aria were still far down the street, their silhouettes just breaking into view. She didn't care.

Two cores pulsed from inside. One weak and barely more than a candle in the dark. The other burned like a forge, powerful and controlled. There was no question in her mind which one was Kaiser.

She raised her arm, Sol already gathering into her palm. It poured into her like water into a pot, and she did so in amounts that were more than she usually dared to summon at once. The air shimmered, the ground trembling beneath her boots. Every thread of her body ached from the strain, but she didn't stop.

She had to admit it to herself: Kaiser was more skilled than she was. She'd seen his technique, the precision of every strike, the way he dismantled her attacks like a craftsman pulling apart a clock. If they dueled, she knew he'd win... Every time.

But Sol was another matter.

Right now, she had more of it than him. A lot more. Once his Sol Core evolved, she had no doubt he'd be the strongest Saint alive, perhaps the strongest in history. But today, in this moment, in the raw, unrestrained force of Sol, she outmatched him. And that was all that mattered.

The Sol swelled higher, the air vibrating with its pressure. The windows of nearby buildings rattled in their frames. Even from half a street away, Ivan and Aria skidded to a halt, eyes wide.

"Whoa," Ivan muttered, half to himself, half to the clone beside him. "That's… a lot."

"That's not 'a lot,'" Aria said sharply. "That's more Sol than an average Saint should have… And she's using all that in a single attack. She's going to blow the village down!"

"Then we'd better hope she's aiming at the right thing," Ivan replied.

Celestine exhaled slowly, steadying her aim. In her mind, the world narrowed to a single point, the house where Kaiser was. She felt her jaw tighten. 'I am stronger than you right now. Strong enough to end whatever you're facing. And I will.'

With a final flex of her fingers, she released it.

A colossal beam of pure light erupted from her palm, cutting the air with a sound like tearing metal. The force was so great that the cobblestones at her feet cracked outward in a circle, dust exploding into the air. The beam tore through the building's wall, washing the street in gold so bright it turned every shadow into white. The heat of it burned the air, a cleansing fire meant to scour away anything in its path.

Behind her, Aria threw up an arm to shield her eyes. "Celestine!" she shouted, voice raw. "Kaiser's still in there!"

Celestine didn't flinch. "If he's still him, he'll survive," she said, voice cold.

Ivan muttered something under his breath, too low for Aria to catch, but his clones all looked grim.

The beam finally cut off, leaving a glowing afterimage burned into the vision of everyone who'd seen it. Smoke rose from the impact point, curling lazily into the air. Celestine stood with her arm still outstretched, breathing hard but refusing to lower her guard.

Her voice, when she spoke again, was quiet but iron-hard. "If you're still yourself, Kaiser… step out now."

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