Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1589: Forbidden Nexus (Part 2)

The awaited moment finally arrived for Liliane, the Old Horn, Farko, and the remaining members of the fifth team, though not for the hammer man, whose fight had already ended.

Right from the battle's start, they had called forth their Arcs, anticipating that their foe would likewise summon his Nexus. This setup was typical in clashes between mighty monsters and Phantoms of roughly equal strength.

Liliane came to see that she had misjudged Goen. As a result, one of her comrades perished after sharing countless battles with the group.

All she managed now was to ensure Goen faced nothing but a agonizing death ahead.

Yet... even her ultimate move, Farko’s power, failed to finish Goen off, despite him absorbing the full impact alone.

Liliane felt a swirl of emotions. She wasn't sure which shocked her more: Goen enduring Farko’s strike, or Farko managing to injure Goen so severely?

In ordinary cases, neither thought should have crossed her mind. When Farko unleashed his ability while the team opened a path for him, it served as their ace, leaving no enemy alive afterward.

On top of that, the Old Horn stood among them, yet victory felt distant, replaced by waves of dread shaking them all.

"W-What?" Liliane whispered hoarsely. "What’s happening? Why can’t I move?"

She poured every bit of effort in, but her legs refused to budge. The rest faced the same issue, including Farko, who stayed somewhat distant.

Just the Old Horn, Adam, and Alexia held partial command over their forms, though their thoughts remained trapped.

Powerless to act, they found themselves locked on Goen alone. They yearned to witness his next move. How would he escape this bind?

What truly terrified them was a partial grasp of the truth: Goen would call upon his Nexus.

’What makes his Nexus so unique?’ Adam wondered, eyeing the warped void. ’Will Silvana and I face anything like this someday?

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the space, akin to shattered glass in a broken mirror. Goen's hold warped reality itself, all in pursuit of his weapon.

"It came sooner than I thought, by a few years..." Goen murmured, utterly at ease and composed, like a fighter finally free to unleash his battle lust, his drive for conflict.

An object materialized in Goen’s grasp—a hilt or similar item—but oddly, no one's focus lingered there.

Step. Step. Step.

Soft footfalls echoed from bare soles pressing into the snow beside Goen.

Adam's eyes bulged in shock.

A young woman in flowing dark attire emerged by Goen's side, her lengthy ebony locks and matching gaze striking. A faint grin played on her lips, delight sparkling in her eyes.

Why did it stun them so?

Adam and Alexia might pull off something similar with Silvana and Louis, or perhaps not?

"Hold on, is that...?" Adam swallowed hard, fixated on the girl.

Unlike Silvana and Louis manifesting in spectral shapes to aid mid-fight, no luminous traces outlined her figure.

She appeared utterly real, solidly there in the flesh, not merely a shell of energy.

"She..." Alexia shivered. "Is she actually present? But... How could that be?"

The girl stayed silent. She brushed her lips, glanced at Goen’s shoulder, and gave a small shake of her head.

"This simply won’t work. You can’t battle with an injury like that, my knight."

Her fingers trailed over his shoulder, leaving only a thin red trace where the gash had been. She hadn’t restored him fully, but his shoulder no longer dangled like torn meat.

"Much improved, right?"

Goen drew in a steadying breath.

"Yes, thank you, Arika."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Another quake split the space into shards like a fractured mirror, as his weapon—his Nexus—emerged from the emptiness into Goen’s hold.

The massive blade, matching Goen’s height, settled firmly in his powerful grasp.

The sword loomed broad and weighty, featuring five jagged edges per side, evoking the terrifying maw of a shark that dominated the seas.

Its cutting rims gleamed in pale metal hues, while the core stayed dark and rugged, forged from relic steel.

Faint patterns traced the full length of the blade, which currently lacked any glow or hue. Without a crossguard, its handle consisted of plain metal bound in dark wrappings.

Arika gave a nod, shifted aside with a touch to Goen’s shoulder, and halted. Her eyes settled on his blade.

"You wished to witness this for yourselves." Arika spoke to the monsters. "This sight will haunt your memories until your ends, which draw perilously near."

Arika shut her eyes, fading into dark vapor that flowed toward Goen’s sword.

Adam observed intently. He recognized this as no mere skill or illusion.

Shine!

The once-hidden etchings on the sword flared with intense white light, as Goen’s aura transformed wildly.

A surge of white energy erupted from him, his eyes shedding their emerald sheen for a pure, crystalline clarity. His silver locks lengthened slightly, turning to deep black.

His posture shifted too, from casual readiness for melee to the poised fury of one set to shatter legions.

Liliane swallowed heavily. Dread gripped her chest, every instinct urging flight from the being before her.

"Behold."

Arika’s voice echoed straight from the sword, now her true form as his armament.

"Death and swift demise await you alone, for you face Goen, First Knight of the World End."