In the Nexus Rift, Each step Matteo takes brings him closer to the Spirit King. He can feel the King's dark presence looming ahead, surrounded by his army and powerful generals. Matteo knows that if he can reach the King and strike him down, this war will end. But the closer he gets, the more dangerous the path becomes.
Spirits hurl themselves at him, but they are no match for his blade. He moves with lethal grace, cutting down the lesser creatures with ease. But the real challenge lies ahead. He can see the generals—Ignis, Goliath, and Valkorin—moving toward him, their combined power threatening to crush him.
Gritting his teeth, Matteo pushes through the swarm of spirits. His goal is clear, but suddenly, everything slows. His movements grow sluggish, his sword feels heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force.
Before he can react, a blast of cold energy slams into his back, sending him stumbling forward.
Valkorin.
Matteo hadn't seen him coming—hadn't even sensed him—but now he feels the effects of Valkorin's power coursing through his body. Time itself seems to warp around him, slowing his reflexes, distorting his perception. His sword, once swift, drags through the air like lead.
Valkorin's mocking voice drifts on the wind.
"You should have kept your guard up, Matteo."
His vision blurs, his body struggles to keep up with the shifting flow of time. His sword, which has felled so many, feels cumbersome. He swings at Valkorin, but the attack is too slow. Valkorin dodges effortlessly, his form flickering like a shadow, and unleashes another pulse of temporal energy, this time aimed at Matteo's legs. Matteo staggers, the weight of time pressing down on him.
Before he can recover, the ground shakes. The air ripples with heat as Ignis, the Flame Warden, charges forward, his body ablaze with fire. Flames erupt from Ignis's fists as he slams them into the ground, sending a wave of searing heat toward Matteo. He barely rolls out of the way, the flames scorching his armor as they pass. Pain sears his side, but he forces himself to move.
Goliath, the Colossus, is next. The ground trembles under his massive footsteps as he charges, his granite fists raised high. With a deafening roar, Goliath brings his fists down toward Matteo, aiming to crush him under their weight.
Matteo twists to the side, his body slowed by Valkorin's influence, but he manages to avoid being crushed. Goliath's fists slam into the ground with the force of an earthquake, sending cracks splintering across the battlefield.
Breathing heavily, Matteo growls, "I have to… finish this."
But the odds are stacked against him. Valkorin's time manipulation weakens him, and now Ignis and Goliath press the attack. Every strike is brutal, every movement pushes Matteo closer to his limit.
Ignis launches another wave of flames, while Goliath's massive fists shake the ground with every strike. Matteo fights back, his sword flashing as he parries and counters, but his movements are slower, his strikes less powerful.
Valkorin watches from the shadows, his presence constantly disrupting Matteo's balance, his laughter barely audible over the chaos.
"You're slowing down, Matteo," Valkorin taunts, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "How long can you last?"
Matteo's breath comes in ragged gasps, his strength fading. But he refuses to stop. With a roar of defiance, he pushes himself up, his sword blazing with spirit energy. He lunges at Ignis, cutting through the flames to strike the Flame Warden. His blade bites deep into Ignis's side, and the general stumbles back, his fiery form flickering in pain.
But Goliath is there, his massive fist crashing into Matteo's side. Matteo is sent sprawling across the ground, the impact rattling through his bones. He gasps for air, struggling to rise.
Valkorin appears again, smirking. "You're too weak now. You should give up."
Matteo swings at Valkorin again, but the spirit flickers away, disappearing into the mist. Matteo feels his strength draining fast, his body screaming in protest. Ignis and Goliath close in, ready to finish him.
And then, the Spirit King attacks.
Kuroshin doesn't waste time with words. He roars as he leaps toward Matteo, his massive sword descending with terrifying speed. Matteo barely raises his sword in time to block, the impact sending shockwaves through his body. His arms tremble under the weight of the blow, his strength nearly gone.
Kuroshin presses the attack, each strike heavier than the last. Matteo struggles to hold his ground, his sword battered and chipped from the relentless assault. Every swing of Kuroshin's blade threatens to break him, and Matteo, despite his best efforts, is weakening.
He fights back, parrying Kuroshin's strikes and countering where he can, but his body is exhausted. The wounds from Valkorin, Ignis, and Goliath slow him down, each one draining more of his energy. His vision blurs, blood dripping from his side, but still, he fights on.
Their swords clash, sparks flying, as Matteo pours every ounce of his remaining strength into the battle. For a brief moment, it seems like he can hold his own. He matches Kuroshin's blows, their strikes echoing through the Rift.
But Matteo is too injured. His body is failing him.
With a final, devastating blow, Kuroshin's sword crashes into Matteo's, shattering it into pieces. Matteo stumbles back, collapsing to the ground, his strength utterly spent.
Kuroshin looms over him, his dark eyes gleaming with victory.
"It ends now."
Matteo looks up, his vision darkening. He has fought with everything he has, but it's not enough.
Kuroshin steps closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over Matteo.
"It's over, Matteo. You've fought well, but now your strength is gone."
Matteo breathes heavily, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. His body aches, but his mind races. He knows Kuroshin covets the sword's power. If the Spirit King absorbs its energy, the consequences will be disastrous.
He looks down at the sword in his hand. Its spirit energy hums with a power too great for even Kuroshin to fully control. Matteo realizes what he must do—he can't allow the Spirit King to have it.
Summoning the last of his energy, Matteo presses his hand against the sword's blade. With a surge of willpower, he begins channeling his spirit energy directly into the sword, not to empower it—but to overload it.
The sword starts to glow with a bright, blinding light, the spirit energy within it becoming unstable. Kuroshin's eyes widen in realization.
"No!" Kuroshin bellows, leaping forward.
But it's too late.
With a final push of his energy, Matteo forces the sword's power to implode. In an instant, the sword vanishes, disintegrating into thousands of shimmering particles that scatter into the Rift, its spirit energy dispersed beyond Kuroshin's reach. The immense power contained within it is lost, no longer available to anyone.
Kuroshin's face twists with fury.
"You fool!"
In a rage, Kuroshin drives his sword into Matteo's chest, killing him instantly. As Matteo's body falls limp, the Spirit King doesn't wait. He extends his hand, dark energy swirling as he absorbs Matteo's remaining spirit energy. The power floods into Kuroshin, his aura growing even darker and more menacing.
He roars as Matteo's spirit energy fills him, amplifying his strength far beyond its previous limits. The Rift trembles under the weight of his new power. Spirits all around him bow in fear.
But Kuroshin's rage remains. Despite absorbing Matteo's spirit energy, the sword's power is gone, scattered beyond his reach.
Kuroshin glares at Matteo's lifeless body, his fists clenched.
"You destroyed it," he growls, fury dripping from every word. "You denied me the sword's power."
Though Kuroshin is stronger than ever, the frustration of losing the sword gnaws at him. He's more powerful now, but the ultimate power he sought has slipped through his fingers.