The gate pulsed black and gold
Kyren stood with both arms raised blood trailing from his fingers
The mana in the chamber bent to him now but barely
Behind him something stepped through
Not fast not loud just steady
Its presence crushed the air
Sera couldn't breathe
Echo dropped to one knee again shadow curling tighter
Azel stood still
The figure crossed the gate its body wrapped in chains that slithered like serpents its face hidden by a mirror mask
Its voice rang without echo
Kael'Naros you failed once
You scattered your soul into fools
Now you stand reborn and blind
But I remember
Azel's hand trembled
He knew the voice
Not from dreams
From before dreams existed
You're the Null King
The thing I locked outside the cycle
The figure nodded once
Then raised a single chain
You broke the system
Now I will unmake the world
Kyren stepped aside eyes shining like he'd seen god
He serves nothing now
No school no rule no limit
Azel moved forward slowly each step burning with memory and pain
The Sovereign flame lit in his chest for real now
A full fragment returned
His blade changed
Not longer
Older
A piece of the past reforged by choice not fate
Echo stood too
His eyes silver and black swirling
Two voices came from his mouth
Then let's test if you still remember fear
The Null King moved
No spell no chant
Just stepped
And reality bent around him
Sera raised her hand and threw a time-freeze seal
It shattered midcast
She gasped blood dripping from her nose
I can't touch him
Echo launched a dual shadow strike
The chains caught both in midair crushed them like paper
Azel didn't wait
He moved in
The Sovereign blade met chain
Clash
The sound broke light itself
Sparks became floating runes
The tombs around them shook
One burst open
Then another
Not dead
Not gone
The other Sovereigns began to wake
They rose from their graves not to fight
To watch
Each one glowing with ancient pride
Kael'Naros
Said one
Remember what you sacrificed
Another whispered
And what you swore never to become
Azel pushed forward blade spinning magic roaring
You wanted my name
Here it is
He shouted not with voice but with will
KAEL'NAROS ASCENDS
The chamber shook
The chains recoiled
And the Null King finally stopped smiling