As Kaiser’s crimson eyes adjusted to the oppressive darkness, the realization struck him cold that the only sources of illumination piercing this overwhelming shadow were Regulus himself, ablaze with defiant flames, and the wounded woman’s blood and hair, whose very presence seemed to defy the darkness itself.

  Yet, above all, the brightest beacon in the cave was neither human nor flame but a sword—an impossible, mesmerizing weapon forged from pure, radiant light, shining silently beside the girl’s trembling hand, its circular blade pulsing steadily like a heartbeat that refused to fade.

  His gaze lingered upon the woman’s hair, golden threads gleaming softly as though woven from sunlight itself, spreading light across the cold stone around her, bathing everything nearby in a pale, comforting glow. Beside him, the emerald serpent that was Elsie tightened her hold, her tongue flickering anxiously, uncertain and wary of what was happening right now, yet refusing to voice it—trusting him fully even as the silence thickened dangerously between heartbeats.

  Kaiser’s contemplation was abruptly shattered by Regulus, who turned sharply toward him, the flaming knight’s voice booming across the cavern like a thunderclap, commanding urgency wrapped in a barely restrained panic. “Kaiser, move now! Lady Celestine needs you, stop standing there like a damn statue!”

  Jolted from his momentary stupor by Regulus’s raw urgency, Kaiser launched forward with a speed born of disciplined instinct, the frost beneath his feet crackling violently as he surged across the cavern floor, Elsie still coiled tightly around his chest. He landed beside the radiant young woman and the frozen knight, the momentum scattering sand in all directions, the grains glittering briefly like sparks in the sword’s pulsing light.

  He swiftly knelt and carefully released Elsie, who slithered quickly onto the woman’s armored shoulder, her emerald scales shimmering strangely under the light coming from the sword and the wounded girl herself.

  The young woman’s eyes—beautiful, bright pools of liquid gold rimmed with pain yet impossibly gentle—met Kaiser’s briefly, her lips curling faintly upward into a strained, grateful smile, even as her body quivered beneath the weight of countless wounds. But the moment Elsie sank her delicate fangs gently into her pale neck, the woman’s body tensed sharply, a gasp escaping her lips, the sound soft yet piercing, filled with both pain and relief.

  Her gaze never left Kaiser’s, though, gratitude and curiosity mingling within those eyes, reflecting a trust so immediate and profound that it seemed impossible in such bleak circumstances. Kaiser watched in quiet approval as her wounds began to knit slowly, rainbow-laced blood slowing its flow, her breathing steadying gradually under Elsie’s gentle care.

  Kaiser’s attention quickly shifted, taking note of the other knight nearby, frozen solid some kind of ice that encased him down to the ground itself, shackling his proud form immovably in place. The knight’s breaths came slow and labored, each exhale fogging visibly in the frigid air, ice crystals accumulating steadily upon the armor bearing the cracked and faded cobalt scale.

  Kaiser began to rise again, intending to help or at least understand better, but then paused, his instincts screaming in alarm. “Why had Regulus sounded so desperate, why had his voice carried such panic?” He spun sharply, trying to find Regulus, trying to locate the source of his urgency, only to see him sprinting frantically towards him, arm outstretched, eyes blazing beneath the shadow of his helm, voice tearing from his throat in raw desperation: “Kaiser, behind you—move now!”

  Kaiser barely registered Regulus’s frantic shout before a sound unlike anything he had heard erupted behind him, a metallic snarl that split the air, and before he could even think to move or brace himself, something cold, vicious, and impossibly strong tore across his body, striking him with the force of a god’s contempt.

  His world spun violently as the chain, the same dreadful instrument that had butchered the knights at the cavern’s entrance, slammed into him and launched him backward through the cavern with such devastating speed that the air howled angrily in his ears.

  The impact shattered the stone wall instantly, rock fragments exploding outward in a deadly hail, and Kaiser’s body twisted grotesquely, limbs snapping and folding at unnatural angles. His mangled form crashed to the sand, blood gushing freely from his mouth, ears, and eyes, pooling beneath him in a growing lake of red.

  His vision blurred, rapidly darkening as his consciousness fought desperately to hold on. "No..." was all he managed to think, a fading echo as his eyes glazed over, becoming lifeless and hollow, staring emptily into the encroaching darkness. "What even happened…?"

  A trembling, raspy voice broke through the stunned silence, the cry soft but filled with pure agony. "No...!" Celestine’s golden eyes widened in despair, tears streaking through the blood that marred her once radiant face. She struggled to rise, hands shaking uncontrollably as grief and horror took hold of her, choking the breath from her lungs.

  Elsie, still coiled near Celestine, twisted around in frantic confusion, her emerald scales glinting in the fading glow. "Kaiser?!" she hissed desperately, eyes wide and filled with panic. "Where—where did he go?"

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  But then Elsie froze, her heart seizing in her chest, as her gaze finally landed on a monstrous figure standing silently where Kaiser had stood only moments before. Darkness seemed to cling to it like a second skin, robes swirling gently around its tall, sinister frame, flames blazing in the place of eyes, crimson and malevolent.

  From the shadow’s long, ragged sleeves hung two deadly chains, identical to the one that had struck Kaiser. Its teeth gleamed sharp and wicked, a mouth curled in a permanent sneer of cruelty. Elsie’s blood ran colder than ice, recognition tearing through her mind with devastating clarity.

  Celestine’s voice shattered the tense stillness, her tone thick with anguish, rage, and disbelief as she forced herself upright, wobbling unsteadily. "Chaos... how dare you?! You traitorous monster!"

  Elsie felt her mind spiral with questions, confusion overwhelming her as her trembling voice hissed urgently, desperately, at Celestine. "Chaos?! The Titan-class Liberator? But—he’s one of ours! He's supposed to serve the throne! Why is he here? Why would he attack us?!"

  Chaos tilted his head slightly, those horrible burning eyes turning slowly towards Celestine and Elsie. His voice rasped, like rusted iron scraping across stone, heavy with a dark resignation.

  "Serve? I still serve the royal family, Lady Celestine, though not by choice," he murmured bitterly. His gaze drifted briefly to the frozen knight beside her, sorrow flickering subtly through the burning embers of his eyes. "I take no pleasure in the deaths I've been forced to deliver."

  He paused, chains twisting ominously around his limbs, his voice hardening into cold resolve. "But orders are orders, and today, they demand the lives of your allies."

  Behind Celestine, Regulus exploded with fury, flames erupting violently around him as he raised his sword defiantly, his roar echoing through the darkness.

  "Over my dead body, you bastard!"

  Chaos chuckled, low and guttural, the dreadful sound reverberating through the shadows. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he whispered darkly, "That can be easily arranged."

  As Regulus’s furious roar echoed through the cavern, he surged forward in a breathtaking burst of fire, his armored form becoming a streaking comet of molten fury, his sword raised in a blazing arc as he collided violently with Chaos, their clash detonating like the birth of a star, bathing every surface in searing golden-white flames.

  For a brief, blinding instant, the entire cavern became visible in brilliant clarity, only to plunge once more into absolute darkness the very moment Chaos landed gracefully, chains ringing softly as his feet touched gently upon the cavern floor.

  The shadows seemed to coil lovingly around Chaos’s tall, ominous figure as his monstrous, rasping voice echoed mockingly through the oppressive gloom, dripping with cruel amusement, "Regulus, oh proud phoenix of the North, do not throw away your life for these foolish followers of Celestine — your worth surpasses theirs a thousandfold, and I bear you no personal malice. Step aside and live, or continue your resistance and perish in vain."

  Regulus stood perfectly still for a moment, his flame-lit helm slowly turning toward Celestine and the frozen knight by her side, the flickering orange glow revealing a momentary softening in his stern gaze, a barely audible thought whispered only in the sanctuary of his own mind, "Good job, brother...you kept her alive. Now, leave the rest to me."

  Then, to the surprise of all, Regulus deliberately released his grip, letting his thin, flaming sword fall from his gauntleted fingers to clatter upon the scorched earth, its fire flickering briefly before sputtering out. Chaos tilted his head slightly, the infernal flames of his eyes narrowing with cautious satisfaction, interpreting the gesture as surrender, his voice curling darkly through the cavern like poison-laced velvet, "Ah, the wisdom of survival—perhaps you do deserve your fearsome reputation after all, Regulus. I’m pleased to see you choosing reason over pride."

  Yet scarcely had the words settled upon the stifling air when a sudden, brilliant surge of heat and light erupted violently around Regulus’s armored form, the air itself shrieking in protest, sand beneath his boots melting instantly into glass, shimmering reflections rippling outward like water disturbed by the drop of a stone. Flames wrapped around Regulus, brighter and hotter than ever before, casting long, twisting shadows dancing madly across the cavern walls, evaporating every shred of moisture until breathing felt akin to inhaling fire, scorching throats and lungs with merciless intensity.

  Awakened from his unconsciousness by the sheer intensity of the heat, the frozen knight shifted slightly, a faint groan escaping him as icy mist coiled around his body, and with a laborious, determined motion he cast forth a barrier of crystal-clear ice, sealing Lady Celestine protectively behind its icy sheen. Celestine’s yellow eyes widened in frustrated desperation, her radiant form trembling as she summoned what strength remained, shouting insistently to her protector, "Release this barrier, now! I refuse to let anyone else perish for my sake today! I must aid Sir Regulus this moment!"

  But the frozen knight, despite his battered state and labored breath, turned his head ever so slightly, revealing a weary but dignified smile beneath his frost-covered helm, his voice resonating deeply, noble and calm, tinged with a respect only an admiring younger sibling could hold for his older brother, "Lady Celestine, please rest assured. You have done more than enough today; your courage inspires us all. Trust my elder brother to handle this—after all, who better to rescue us from utter Chaos?"

  Celestine's lips parted briefly, words poised on the brink of argument, but the resolute, unwavering trust in the knight’s tone silenced her protests, leaving only a quiet determination flickering in her eyes as she watched helplessly from behind the shimmering wall of ice.

  Chaos, visibly taken aback by the defiant display of blazing strength from Regulus, paused momentarily, the shadows seeming to recoil around him, chains trembling slightly in his grasp. He stared across the seething furnace of the cave toward the phoenix-clad warrior, and despite his fearsome demeanor, a hint of unease entered his monstrous voice, masked quickly by biting scorn, "Such pointless defiance, Regulus. You have made your choice, and now, all you can do is prepare to die."

  Regulus did not flinch nor hesitate, his figure outlined in molten brilliance, standing like an eternal flame against overwhelming darkness, his voice echoing fiercely through the blistering cavern, ringing with absolute confidence, "I’d rather burn alive a thousand times than surrender to a traitor. Chaos, you’ve chosen your end—now allow me the honor of delivering it."

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