Ethan flipped through the air, twisting hard to regain control. He barely managed to steady himself, arms numb and tingling, the skin of his palms scorched raw and red.

"What the hell was that thing…" he muttered, breath ragged.

Then the light pillar began to tremble.

A low, thunderous rumble echoed from within—like hundreds of war drums pounding in unison.

—Thoom.

—Thoom… Thoom…

The sand cracked open beneath it.

Scorching wind burst from the fissures, searing and dry.

And then they emerged.

One after another, towering figures stepped out of the light.

Their bodies were forged from stone and raw energy, clad in armor etched with glowing, jagged runes. Their eyes burned with a dim, eerie blue—cold and ancient.

"Our energy-harvesting swarm… it's gone!"

"Was it these outsiders?!"

"They're not native to the desert!"

The air vibrated with a low, angry hum—like a hive of hornets murmuring in fury.

Ethan hovered midair, eyes narrowed to slits, voice sharp as a blade.

"What are you?"

His presence cracked like thunder.

The stone giants paused, taken aback for a heartbeat.

Then one of them let out a harsh laugh. Energy surged from his body in waves, crashing outward like a landslide aimed straight at Ethan.

"Insolent insect. You dare question your masters—"

He didn't finish.

A piercing shriek tore through the air.

Elira was already there, a blur of motion, stepping between Ethan and the oncoming force.

Behind her, the shadow of the Skytear Demon Moth unfurled like a curtain of night. Its wings shimmered with runes, and the air around it roared with pressure.

Boom!

The moth's phantom collided with the giant.

The shockwave ripped across the battlefield, flattening dunes in every direction.

Space buckled. The air itself shredded.

The giant roared, raising a hand—and from behind him, a new shape surged forth: a Behemoth, massive and spectral, formed entirely of energy. It slammed into the Demon Moth with a thunderous crash.

Light and shadow. Wind and stone. Energy and blood.

They clashed above the desert in a storm of chaos.

And then the others joined in.

The remaining giants stepped from the light, bellowing as their runes flared to life. Waves of power rippled outward, forming a battle array.

"All forces—engage!"

Ethan's jaw clenched as he gave the order.

A heartbeat later, the roar of the Emerald Castle army split the sky.

Hundreds of warriors surged forward, their energy flaring in unison. Crimson armor gleamed under the sun as they slammed into the enemy like a tidal wave of steel and fury.

The desert became a warzone.

"Father, look out!"

Idra's voice cut through the wind—sharp, urgent.

The next instant, she dissolved into a stream of soul-light and slammed straight into Ethan's chest.

—BOOM!!!

Light and blood exploded at once.

Their auras fused in a blinding flash, and the energy of the world surged toward them like an invisible flood, drawn from every direction.

Ethan's chest seized tight.

Then—power. Immense, indescribable, ancient. It roared awake inside him like a sleeping god.

His eyes flared, molten gold and abyssal black colliding like twin stars on the verge of collapse.

"Idra… what did you do?"

His voice was barely a whisper, lost beneath the roar of the desert itself.

The ground trembled. Winds howled. Blood-red sand spiraled into the sky.

Waves of energy pulsed outward from Ethan in concentric rings, tearing through the air. Even the sky split open, thin cracks spidering across the heavens.

Then—silence.

The air froze.

The stone giants stood motionless, staring at him. In their eyes: fear. Not caution. Not wariness. Something older. Primal.

One of them dropped to one knee.

"My lord…"

The words rasped from his throat, carried on the wind like a prayer.

"At last… you've returned to us."

And then, as one, the giants knelt.

Their voices rose like a tide:

"All hail! All hail—!"

Ethan stood frozen.

He could feel it—energy pouring from the light pillar, flooding into him, wrapping around his body like a second skin, trying to consume him whole.

Too much.

Too pure. Too violent.

It felt like a divine gift from another dimension—if the god in question had a cruel sense of humor.

And buried in that power… was poison.

"This isn't right."

His brow furrowed, muscles straining as if his own body were trying to tear itself apart.

The energy rampaged through his veins, scorching him from the inside out. If not for Idra sharing the burden within him, he would've already burst apart.

"Father! You have to offload some of it—now! Or it'll kill you!"

Her voice rang in his mind, urgent and fierce.

Ethan gritted his teeth.

Then threw his arms wide.

Streams of energy burst from him, splitting off in radiant arcs and shooting down toward the Emerald Castle army below.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh—

The soldiers were engulfed in light.

Their armor gleamed like fresh-forged steel, their auras flaring as power surged through them. Gasps rippled through the ranks as they felt their strength spike, climbing higher by the second.

But even that wasn't enough.

The light pillar kept pouring energy into him, relentless as a tide that refused to recede.

"Damn it… still not enough!"

Ethan raised one hand, fingers snapping into a seal.

Summoning Art—Goblin Legion!

Vmmm—

Thousands of green portals bloomed around him like glowing spores.

From each one, a goblin leapt out—massive, blank-eyed, their bodies humming with potential.

These weren't ordinary summons.

They were vessels.

The pillar's energy rushed into them, and the goblins began to glow—skin turning red-hot, runes blazing across their bodies like molten brands.

BOOM—

BOOM—

BOOM—

One by one, the goblins detonated in bursts of light, releasing the energy they'd absorbed.

And finally, the light pillar dimmed.

It cracked.

Collapsed.

Then shattered into drifting fragments, dissolving into the desert wind like a dream that had overstayed its welcome.

Ethan stood hunched, chest heaving, sweat and blood mingling as they dripped down his brow.

The light-pillar giants remained kneeling, unmoving.

"Your Majesty," said the one at the front, bowing his head. His voice was respectful, but cold—like steel wrapped in silk.

"You have borne the Primordial Force of this realm. That makes you our sovereign. Come with us—let us rebuild the Sandsea Dynasty together."

Ethan said nothing.

His gaze drifted over the kneeling figures, slow and steady.

This wasn't loyalty.

It was hunger.

He could feel it—beneath their reverence, a gnawing intent. They weren't here to serve. They were here to feed.

The moment he accepted the title of "Emperor," they'd turn on him. Drain him dry. Then move on to the next vessel.

"You're not looking for a king," he said quietly, lifting his hand.

His voice was low, flat, and final.

"You're looking for a sacrifice."

Steel flashed.

—Shhk!

A burst of light tore across the desert, blinding and absolute.

The kneeling giants screamed—raw, guttural terror—before they were ripped apart, shredded by the very force they had tried to claim.

Then silence.

The wind returned, soft and dry.

Ethan lowered to the ground, slow and steady.

Behind him, the Emerald Castle warriors gathered, forming a loose circle. Their faces were a mix of awe and unease.

He didn't turn to face them.

Just spoke, voice calm but edged:

"The 'giants of the light pillar' didn't worship me. They worshiped power. And the moment they find something stronger than me, they'll kneel to that instead."

Elira stepped closer, nodding slightly. "So… what now?"

Ethan looked up.

The barrier in the distance had vanished completely. The sky was open again, sunlight pouring through like a promise.

He smiled.

"We go."

"We leave this place."

No one argued.

Without another word, the Emerald Castle army turned as one, following their commander.

...