[Third Person's PoV]
"What's wrong?" Zeta wondered as her instincts flared.
She wasn't the only one on edge—Tarnak also hesitated, sensing the murderous aura swirling and spiraling around Igris.
Igris gripped his sword tightly, electricity crackling and arcing off its blade. "My Liege… he's weakened."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Tarnak laughed boisterously. "So, Antares has the upper—"
Before he could finish, Igris vanished using soru, reappearing in front of Tarnak with his sword raised diagonally.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! BOOOOM!
Igris slashed his sword with all his might, the sheer force slamming Tarnak into the ground. The earth cracked and splintered beneath him, spreading like a giant spiderweb for miles. The impact caused the ground to cave in, sending massive chunks of debris erupting into the air.
Tarnak gasped, a spray of blood and spit bursting from his mouth.
"Do not misunderstand," Igris said coldly. "My Liege has already dealt with the Dragon Monarch."
Igris pointed his sword down at Tarnak, his purple eyes glowing with a menacing chill. "I will not allow your words to taint his image or honor."
A faint white mark along Tarnak's torso grew larger and more visible as he groaned in pain.
"Is he going to be alright?" Zeta asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Our Liege is strong... worry not," Igris replied, though his narrowed eyes betrayed his unease. 'I'm his knight, sworn to stay by his side, and yet here I am when he is weakened... and not there.'
Igris closed his eyes and sighed. 'My Liege has left me a task. I shall see it through.'
Seizing the moment of distraction, Tarnak sprang to his feet and launched a counterattack. His fist blurred through the air, generating a shockwave as it collided with Igris' sword. Igris managed to block, but the force sent him sliding backward across the fractured ground.
Without hesitation, Tarnak charged at Zeta.
Zeta ducked beneath Tarnak's swift kick, planted her hands on the ground, and spun, delivering a powerful side kick to his face. Tarnak's head snapped to the side, but he caught Zeta's leg mid-motion and slammed her to the ground with such force that she bounced off the cracked earth.
Tarnak's instincts flared again. He ducked just in time as Igris' sword sliced through the air where his neck had been moments before.
But Igris was ready. The moment Tarnak ducked, Igris shot his knee upward, slamming it into Tarnak's face. Tarnak staggered backward, clutching his nose. Even with his high defenses, the pain was undeniable.
As he shook off the blow, Zeta descended from above, her long, gleaming nails aimed for his face.
Sparks erupted as her claws raked across Tarnak's skin. She landed on all fours, then lunged again, slashing at him with rapid, feral precision.
The sound of metal screeching against metal echoed like a sword dragged across a grindstone.
When Tarnak retaliated, Zeta flipped away gracefully, evading his strike. Igris took the opening and pressed the assault.
Meanwhile, Zeta darted around on all fours, circling behind Tarnak. From behind her, dark chains began to materialize, their ends sharp and pointed.
With a sharp command, the chains shot forward, slamming into Tarnak's back, distracting him just long enough for Igris to gain the upper hand.
Before Tarnak could recover, the chains coiled around his arms. With a powerful yank, Zeta locked him in place.
Igris slashed his sword once more across Tarnak's torso.
A searing pain, unlike anything Tarnak had felt before, spread through his body. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down, seeing a deep gash bleeding faintly across his armored skin—his defenses had failed him.
With a roar of defiance, a surge of magic erupted from Tarnak, radiating in all directions.
His body trembled as he struggled to move, his vision blurring. "You... bastards," he growled through gritted teeth.
Forcing his arm to obey, Tarnak twisted his hand, snaking around the chains that bound him and gripping them tightly in his palm. With a violent spin, he yanked Zeta off her feet, pulling her towards him. As she hurtled forward, caught off guard, Tarnak lifted his knee to strike.
But Zeta, quick and instinctual, released the chains mid-air and planted a hand on his knee to stop herself. In one fluid motion, she conjured a long silver dagger with her free hand, flipped it expertly, and drove it straight into Tarnak's eye.
"ARGHHHHHH!!!" Tarnak's agonized scream echoed across the battlefield.
Zeta didn't hesitate. She flipped over him, landing behind Tarnak, and unleashed razor-thin metal strings from her fingertips. As her feet touched the ground, she yanked the strings taut and shouted, "Igris!"
Igris responded immediately, sliding across the shattered earth into position. His posture was low, his fist cocked back, gathering all his strength. With a powerful step forward, he drove his fist into the hilt of the dagger protruding from Tarnak's eye.
BANG!
The impact echoed like a gunshot, the sound reverberating through the air as the dagger was driven deeper into Tarnak's skull. Blood erupted from his ruined eye, spraying out in thick spurts.
Tarnak stood still for a brief moment, his body trembling. Then, like a felled tree, he collapsed onto his back, blood running down the side of his face like crimson tears. The light faded from his remaining eye, and his mana dispersed into the atmosphere. The silver strings retracted from his lifeless form, leaving only silence in their wake.
Zeta exhaled deeply, walking over to Igris. Her expression remained clouded with worry, her thoughts on someone far more important.
"Good thinking going for the eye," Igris nodded, his hand unconsciously tracing the faint scar along his own eye—the mark left by Cid when he was still Jinwoo.
"It was the only place he wasn't protected," Zeta muttered, her gaze lingering on Tarnak's corpse.
Then, turning to Igris, her dragon eyes narrowed with determination. "Let's go to him… to make sure he's safe."
Igris nodded without hesitation. He grabbed his cloak, whipping it open to reveal a swirling purple void.
Zeta stepped through the portal, disappearing into the dark expanse. Moments later, Igris sank into his own shadow, vanishing as well.
Tarnak, the Monarch of the Iron Body, lay dead and alone in the middle of the desolate battlefield.
…
They emerged into the endless, dark void.
Both Zeta and Igris paused, scanning their surroundings. Purple lights floated in the darkness like ethereal fireflies, all moving in one direction—toward the location where they felt Cid's presence.
Without a word, they floated through the void, following the pull of their bond with their master.
Soon, they found him—Cid, resting peacefully with a serene smile on his face. The Aether in the air shimmered and swirled around him, flowing back into his body like rivers returning to the sea.
Zeta rushed to his side, tears welling in her eyes. She dropped to her knees, pulling him into a gentle embrace. Pressing her hand to his chest, she felt the steady, strong beat of his heart and exhaled a breath of relief.
Softly, she brushed his hair from his forehead and placed a tender kiss there. "Rest now, my Lord Husband… You deserve it."
As she held him, she noticed Igris approaching, his expression one of awe.
"Do you know what's happening?" Zeta asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and concern.
Igris' eyes were wide, his gaze fixed on Cid. "He's becoming one with the Aether he was producing..."
Zeta frowned. "What does that mean? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It is a good thing," Igris confirmed with a nod. "It means his domain has expanded beyond shadows and death. He is evolving… becoming the Monarch of Shadows, Death, and Aether."
Zeta's eyes widened, she remembered the lessons he had given hear about Aether, the fundamental elements that encompasses all of creation…
Her fingers gently caressing Cid's cheek. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "So, you're telling me my Lord Husband has grown even stronger than he already was?"
"That is correct," Igris replied proudly, standing tall, his chest swelling with pride.
"My Liege will also be known as The Monarch of The Aether"