Once he heard Legris’ words, Kuzon finally recognized his mistake.

No… was it truly fair to call it one?

Kuzon had thought that Legris had only appeared in Z’ark’s training dimension, killing the Dragon King in the process.

His entire plan had relied on that as its foundation.

He used his Marionette Flies to scour the single dimension, and everything he considered was confined to that single location.

And that happened to be why his plan failed.𝔬𝚟𝓛xt.𝚌𝒪𝗆

“In the end, you did what I wanted you to do. You exerted yourselves while expending so much time chasing after silhouttes.” Legris smiled at all three of them.

No matter how they sliced it, all they had done thus far had been a waste of time.

They weren’t containing Legris’ attacks in the slightest. If he was right, then the chances of him atttacking other areas, and even absorbing the Aether there was high.

If that was the case, then…

“Hahaha! I like this. The expressions on your faces when you realize the despair that awaits… the futility of your efforts.”

Legris opened up his arms, as if welcoming an embrace. His carefree attitude could only stem from justified confidence, and the trio knew this too.

Even if they killed the Legris before, he could respawn endlessly.

They were still trapped!

“I suppose it’s time to end this charade.” Legris’ lips widened.

Suddenly, his eyes blackened, and his entire skin followed suit. Everything about him turned completely dark, giving him an entirely different look.

Before long, he was a walking blot of darkness in the blank plane that seemed to stretched indefinitely.

“Right now, I intend to absorb all of you in one fell swoop. Struggle all you want, but…”

The broadened smile of Legris revealed his black teeth, his darkened gums, and his entire insides already occupied with it.

Everything filled with pith black darkness.

Aloe realized instantly that her Original Magic was never going to work on him. Plus, Edward and Kuzon were smart enough to know they were outclassed.

Now that things had come to this, the best thing to do was escape.

“… It is too late for anything else.”

As Legris’ voice rang with finality, an ominous warble echoed around the space, and dark particles filled the air almost instantly.

“I win.”

As he said that, Legris exploded, releasing his darkness throughout the entire space.

~BWUUUUUUSSSSHHHHH!!!~

The speed, power… the overall veracity of the black explosion submerged everything in its darkness like a flood that had cut loose.

Nothing was spared.

… Not even the trio who stood frozen amidst the deep murk.

Edward, Kuzon, and Aloe instantly knew it within themselves… that they were not going to survive!

*********

Moments Earlier

It was freezing.

The unforgiving and harsh weather of this world… this entire plane of existence… was brutally cold.

The chill filled literally everything that existed—even the invisible particles in air, down to their smallest levels.

Glaciers danced all around, and the world was painted in a hue of white and fluid colors of blue decorated the tips and the deeper frozen layers.

Snow and ice decorated the landscape, and it was practically all anyone could see for as long as this world stretched.

However, despite the state of this place—as well as the cool colors that pervaded it—there was one exception.

In a world of absolute frost, the flickering flames of someone shone brightly. Warm colors danced around the crimson-haired woman as she sat in meditation.

She sat at the peak of the highest mountain, her legs crossed in a form of meditation while her two palms were flatly joined together.

Her flames were by no means massive, and they hardly covered her immediate vicinity. Instead, the crimson fires were centered around her body, protecting her from the harsh reality that awaited her if she let up for even a second.

Any slight miscalculation on her part would lead to her instant petrification.

As a result, Serah Crimson maintained her steady flames, unfazed by the storm that surrounded her.

Until…

“What are you doing here…” Serah’s lips parted, releasing a deep fog of steam as words filled the air.

She slowly opened her eyes, shifting it to her far left.

Behind her, there was someone present, and while he was by no means too close to her, he wasn’t too far off either.

“… Legris Damien?”

The embers of darkness that clung to his cloak felt like flickering flames of their own, though not as bright as Serah’s burning ones, it seemed they protected him enough from the unforgiving world around him.

As his dark brown hair fluttered with the harsh winds, he too opened his lips to speak.

“As expected. You spotted me in no time.”

“You could have tried to take me out by surprise… instead of simply standing there.”

Legris shrugged at Serah’s words, both his hands comfortably embedded in the pockets of his dark trenchcoat.

“Ambush was never going to work on you. Even I know that.”

The corners of his lips widened even further as he stared at her back. Her hair, unlike his, remained stable. Nothing about the violent winds, or the terrible frost seemed to affect her in any way.

Like a single candle stuck in a never-ending blizzard, yet unbothered by the storm, so was Serah Crimson in her meditative state.

“There’s simply no surprising you, after a—”

“I am surprised.” Serah interrupted Legris, her voice so firm that they could almost make anyone jump in fright.

“I am surprised that you were able to make it here, the Realm of the Constellations.” As she said this, Serah ceased her meditation, finally moving her body.

“If you are here, it means something has gone wrong and the Constellations are unable to interfere.”

She slowly rose to her feet, her expression calmer than ever.

“I suppose it then falls on me to complete the task…” As Serah turned to Legris, watching him make the same calm smile he always gave, she did not falter in the slightest.

No. Nothing but resolve oozed from her depths.

“… And eradicate you.”

*

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A

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