The battlefield was quiet.

  Molten stone hissed and cooled beneath a blood-red sky, the st echoes of divine light fading into silence.

  At the center of the scorched basin, the Heavenly Demon stood barely upright, though its cloak was in tatters, sword split nearly in half. His chest rose and fell like a man standing on the edge of death, yet his eyes still burned with the same cold, unyielding defiance.

  "Alright, you two took so long, come back here.", Lady Keter called out casually.

  A few dozen paces away, Astrelnoia nded heavily, his boots striking cooled obsidian with a hiss of steam.

  Cracks ran through his white armor, blue circuits flickering dimly under the damage. He straightened with a mechanical sigh, exhaling smoke through the vents along his shoulders.

  "Monarch", he said ftly, voice reverberating like a polished bell, "You only wanted to steal the kill."

  Lady Keter turned to face him, resting her cane lightly against one shoulder.

  Her smile was bright, unbothered, "Steal the kill? Please. If I wanted him gone, I would have erased him hours ago. You looked very dramatic while getting your ass kicked by minor mistakes."

  "That was a calcuted opening."

  "That was you getting yourself handed."

  He paused for a beat, "A tactical form of getting punched."

  A rumbling ugh rolled across the field, not mocking, but warm and thunderous.

  From the golden horizon, the Giant of Light stepped forward, his radiant body dimmed to a more humanoid glow. Each footfall solidified the molten pin beneath him.

  "Always the same with you two...", Nova said, his voice like a choir tempered by fire, "The world nearly ends, and somehow it turns into banter."

  Keter tilted her head at him, "Better than another sermon about justice and the right thing, I'd say. I got tired enough from hearing your people preach the first time around."

  Nova chuckled, resting a hand of golden fme on his hip, "You would say that."

  Despite the exchange, there was no hostility between them, only familiarity.

  Keter's smile faded as her gaze drifted back toward the Demon. He was still standing, sword trembling, eyes locked on her as though daring the world to end him.

  "What a stubborn creature, I guess that shows how hard a Lord of Annihition is to kill...", she murmured, "Even getting jumped, he refuses to yield. You don't see that kind of resolve anymore."

  Astrelnoia's visor pulsed faintly, "Stubbornness is not a virtue. He's finished. Let me end it cleanly."

  Keter lifted a hand, stopping him, "No need. I'll handle this one."

  Nova exhaled a low hum, his tone halfway between teasing and warning. "You mean you just want to finish it with style."

  Her lips curved into a knowing grin, "Style is part of the process~"

  Astrelnoia sighed, a hiss of steam escaping from his vents, "You just want the st strike for yourself."

  Keter gnced at him over her shoulder, "And you don't?"

  He hesitated for a moment, "...That's irrelevant."

  "Of course it is."

  They shared a look, equal parts irritation and amusement— before Nova's voice rumbled again, more serious this time.

  "Don't take too long, Monarch. I can feel that thing coming straight over here."

  She tapped her cane once against the ground. Golden ripples spread out, fracturing the cooled magma into radiant lines, "All the more reason to finish this now."

  Astrelnoia rolled his shoulders, energy humming through his armor again, "Fine. But if you miss your chance, I'm taking the next shot."

  "Fair.", Keter said simply.

  Nova stepped back, his fiery form dimming as he folded his arms, "Do try not to make a mess of the world while you're at it."

  Keter chuckled softly.

  "No promises."

  Then she raised her cane toward the barely standing Heavenly Demon. The golden light began to rise again, faint but absolute, bending the air around her.

  "Now then...", she said quietly, her tone somewhere between challenge and curiosity, "Let's see how much longer you can stand before the end."

  And though his body was broken, the Heavenly Demon still lifted his sword to meet her — not as an act of defiance, but of respect.

  But Lady Keter does not respect her enemy, not all all. She was the type to overpower everything with sheer might alone.

  With a snap of her finger, blue astral bdes formed from behind. Millions of them floating in the sky, glowing with power...

  "Judgement."

  All at the same time, under her command, the blue Judgement Bde unched at high speed, impaling the Heavenly Demon. He was still capable of dodging and deflecting, but with his current condition... it was impossible for him to go against the sheer volume.

  Jim, who had just gotten back and far away, saw the rain of blue swords coming down.

  All he could do was marvel at the very power of a god... the beauty, the calmness, the destructive nature...

  Yet even with all of that, bleeding from every pce possible, the Heavenly Demon still stands, even if there was only bone and flesh left.

  Just then, from the silver moon, a crimson beam of light shot down, crushing the mangled body of the Heaven Demon into the ground. Leaving nothing but a mess of blood and bones. Jim did not know what had just happened...

  "Hey, I told you to leave it to me.", Lady Keter gnced at the mechanical knight, compining.

  "You took too long, Monarch.", Astrelnoia replied, "You deal with the aftermath."

  With that, he shot up to the sky, leaving the world once more. No fanfare, no grand exit. As if it were merely a job he doesn't enjoy.

  While the towering Giant of Light walked over to Jim, who froze up and had to stare up. Yet instead of fear, by standing right in front of a god... he could only feel warmth, his eyes weren't even hurt when staring at the giant.

  "I have seen through your intention, Trailbzer.", Nova spoke as he knelt down, until his face was up to Jim, "Your desire for this world is pure, despite vengeance driving your past, your future shall be blessed with light and happiness."

  With that, The Sacred Fme vanished into the ether... but somehow, even in that featureless form, Jim could make out a smile...

  "Congratutions, you have become a Blessed of The Sacred Fme.", Lady Keter approached, her tone was calm yet also sarcastic.

  Behind her was the broken bde, the true body of the Heavenly Demon, carried by hands made of glittering blue dust.

  Jim felt his heart stop for a moment, "N-No, Lady Keter—"

  "It's fine, I don't make people my Blessed.", she shrugged, "The st time someone wanted that, I beat him to a pulp."

  "N-No, I wouldn't request that, never!", he slowly backed away.

  "It's fine.", she chuckled, "I'm a bit annoyed that they left the clean-up to me... Mashhith, bring that sword back to the library and throw it to some forgotten corner."

  At her command, the darkness and wrongness that was "Miss Mashhith" manifested from her shadow. It vibrates and morphs as if compining.

  Lady Keter used her cane to poke at the growing shadow, "Now, now. What did we talk about? Just do your job, and the next time, you can take over the world."

  Hearing that, the shadow defted and obediently consumed the sword.

  "Wait, what?!", Jim was taken aback.

  "Oh, Mashhith would some day reunite with her Divine Throne and take over the world, that's her grand pn.", she expined it casually, she coughed up a bit of blood, yet looked unconcerned, "Well, it's time for me to go back, I can only use 'Eternity' for so long."

  "Miss Mashhith" returned, enveloping Lady Keter... and they were gone.

  Jim didn't even have time to catch a break. Only with the divines gone, he could take in the destruction the battle between gods caused.

  The world was silent again.

  The basin stretched endlessly, its surface cracked and molten rivers glowing faintly beneath yers of cooling gss. Mountains had been leveled into dust. The air still shimmered from residual divine heat, every breath tasting of ash and ozone.

  The remains of the Heavenly Demon were nowhere to be found, only a crater rge enough to swallow a city, its rim lined with melted stone that still dripped like candle wax.

  The nearby forest had been reduced to skeletal bck stumps. Rivers boiled dry. Even the wind moved cautiously, as if afraid to disturb what had just ended.

  The battle of the gods was over. And all that remained was ruin, silence, and the faint hum of divine power fading from the air.

  =0=0=

  Yet in the main continent, things were not as peaceful.

  In Ryteline's royal castle, an emergency meeting was held. Even Dawn was dragged into it, with Lea closely behind.

  Both of them had felt it, the end of the battle that rang throughout the world. And just before the meeting, they had received Lady Keter's confirmation that the Heavenly Demon was defeated.

  But the aftermath, from the ripples it brought, became a topic of international debate...

  The air in the royal council chamber felt heavy, not from heat, but from unease. The faint tremors that had shaken the kingdom hours ago had stopped, yet every noble in the room knew the world had changed since that night.

  King Alberto V sat at the head of the long oval table, his crown resting on the desk beside him.

  Around him, the high nobles of Ryteline whispered among themselves, their words sharp with fear and specution.

  At his right stood Crown Prince Lindel, hands csped behind his back, expression calm but calcuting.

  And seated across from him, Dawn, her composure precise, eyes clear, yet cold with focus. Beside her stood Lea, ever the watchful shadow of the princess.

  "Our scouts and observatories confirm the same report.", he said, "The tremors originated beyond the western sea. There was light, thunder, and pressure in the air, and then nothing."

  Marquis Gravelthorn, a stern man who holds the military at his command, leaned forward, "So it came from the New World? And yet, even from this far, we felt it?"

  Duchess Frostmere, an old woman yet still holding a mature beauty, spoke next, her tone edged, "If such power exists across the ocean, we should prepare our armies. Even Renlou sent inquiries to confirm it wasn't an act of war."

  King Alberto waved her concern away, "Renlou can worry for themselves. This is Ryteline's matter."

  Dawn's voice broke the silence, "It wasn't war."

  Every gaze turned to her.

  "The observatories recorded the tremor's rhythm," she continued, her amber eyes glowing with the power of Erudition, "It pulsed in intervals not like a natural quake, but like… breath. Two forces, matching each other, until both went still."

  Prince Lindel frowned, "You're saying it was a csh?"

  Dawn nodded to her brother, "Yes, something immense, deliberate, and it ended only when one side stopped."

  Lea gnced down at the princess, knowing full well where the report came from.

  A low murmur spread through the room. Discussing what the princess just said. She was the smartest person here, after all.

  Duke Ironvale, a chubby man, scoffed, "And we're supposed to believe that? A battle across the ocean strong enough to shake the ground here?"

  King Alberto silenced him with a gre, "You would deny what your own bones felt?"

  The room fell quiet.

  Dawn looked down briefly, "Whatever it was, it's quiet now. But quiet doesn't mean gone."

  King Alberto's expression hardened, "Then we will treat it as an unknown threat. Until we understand it, this matter remains sealed within the crown."

  The nobles bowed in agreement.

  As the meeting adjourned, Lea leaned close to whisper, "You think it'll happen again?"

  Dawn gnced toward the window, where faint streaks of color lingered far to the west.

  "I do not know... it could be an eruption so great that it spreads across the world like previously theorized, or... a csh between gods."

  Duke Ironvale clenched his hand, "Gods... then it is no different from a natural disaster."

  Everyone went silent at his remark... indeed, a csh between gods is no small matter. It could very well cause a Holy War between religions, even if it doesn't involve some of them, the more radical churches, such as the Church of the Blood God and the Church of Sacrifice, might jump in to cause destruction.

  The tension in the council chamber hung thick even after the nobles began to collect their papers. The world had trembled once, and no one could shake the feeling that it might happen again.

  But Princess Dawn's mind was already elsewhere — not on fear, but on preparation.

  "If a shockwave that distant can still reach our shores...", she said, rising from her seat, "Then the real issue isn't just power. It's communication. We felt it was too te. We couldn't coordinate even if we tried."

  King Alberto turned to her, his expression firm but curious, "You've been working on something, haven't you?"

  "Yes.", Dawn replied, "Our current telegraph system is too slow. Words turned into code, sent, and then reassembled wasted precious time. My research division has developed something new. A device that can transmit the voice itself through electrical lines."

  The murmurs around the table sharpened into disbelief.

  Duke Ironvale scoffed lightly, "Voice through copper wire? That's a child's fantasy."

  Dawn didn't answer immediately. Instead, she nodded to Lea.

  The princess's aide stepped forward and set a strange object on the table, a polished wooden box, about the height of a man's chest, with a crank on its side and a brass mouthpiece jutting out the front. A small receiver hung from a cord on its left.

  "This is what I call a telephone.", Dawn said.

  Her tone was even, confident in her invention, "You speak into this end, and your words are carried as electrical signals through existing lines. On the other end, the sound is reconstructed, and the listener hears your actual voice."

  Marquis Gravelthorn leaned forward, studying the device, "And it works?"

  Dawn replied, "We tested it across the capital. From the pace to the research tower. No need for code, no waiting for transtion. Just... conversation."

  The king regarded the invention in silence, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the wooden frame, "And it connects through the same network as our telegraph?"

  "Yes.", Dawn said, "It can adapt to the existing infrastructure. The telegraph lines already stretch across the country. With minor modifications, the telephone can use them directly. It's faster, clearer, and far more human."

  Duchess Frostmere narrowed her eyes, "You're proposing to repce the old system entirely."

  "Not repce.", Dawn corrected with a shake of her head, "Integrate. The telegraph will remain for coded reports and long-distance archives. But for coordination, command, and emergency response... this will change everything."

  Prince Lindel crossed his arms, the faintest smile tugging at his lips, "You already sound like you've pnned for the next decade."

  "It wouldn't be the first time.", her eyes glinting with quiet resolve, "If what happened beyond the western sea ever happens here, we'll need a way to speak across the world in real time."

  The king looked at her for a long moment, then nodded, "Very well. Begin production after a few more tests."

  Dawn bowed slightly. "Understood, Father."

  As the meeting adjourned, Lea stepped beside her, whispering, "So this is it... the age of the telephone."

  Dawn allowed herself a faint smile. "No, Lea. The age of connection."