Chapter 262: Fallen Star Demon
The moment the Fallen Star Demon spread its wings, a shockwave rippled across the burning plaza, scattering broken cobbles and shattered glass. A chorus of screams followed as unprepared players were flung like dolls, their bodies bursting into pixelated light before hitting the ground.
But Jack stood tall, black lightning swirling around him like a living storm.
"Split its aggro!" he barked. "Don't bunch up!"
Elamenor slammed his fists together, ki bursting around his arms like a pressure bomb. "On it."
He blurred across the distance with two short steps and boom—his right fist cracked into the demon's side with a sonic boom that sent magma blood splashing across the plaza. The demon howled, its voice like grinding metal and a volcano screaming at once. It whipped its clawed hand down at him.
But Arianna was faster.
"Sky Lock Barrier!"
A glowing sigil formed mid-air—cyan crystal fractals exploding outward into a spinning cube of light that caught the claw mid-swing and held it. Just for a second.
Long enough for Jameson.
He shadow-phased from the demon's foot to its back, dagger glowing a pale white as he drove it down between molten shoulder plates.
"Pierce Protocol. Life Drain active."
The dagger sank deep. Black smoke hissed out of the wound, and Jameson's body surged with a red shimmer. His health bar ticked back up.
But then the demon roared and rolled its shoulder.
Jameson blinked—just once—and the next second, he was flying through the air.
"JAMESON!" Erren yelled, throwing her grimoire out like a lifeline. A glowing green glyph burst mid-air.
"Heal Pulse—Catch!"
Jameson landed hard on his shoulder but didn't explode. He groaned, rolled to a crouch, and nodded up at her. "Still here."
The demon dropped to all fours, body flexing like a molten panther.
Its wings folded, then snapped outward.
Boom.
Flames exploded from its core, forming a ring of hellfire that swept across the plaza like a tsunami.
"MOVE!" Jack shouted.
Kieran reacted purely on instinct. His system surged.
⟨Ability Triggered: Fold Step – Spatial Slip⟩
The world cracked for a second, and he blinked past the wave, reappearing just behind Arianna, who had braced herself with a crystal barrier dome.
He grabbed her wrist. "Behind me!"
⟨Ability Triggered: Phantom Shell – Reactive Guard⟩
A violet shimmer burst from his armor as the flames smashed into him. He skidded back, boots dragging against stone, but he held firm—face twisted with effort, violet glow thick around his body like ghost fire.
The barrier shattered. He stayed standing.
Jack raised both hands skyward. "Storm Drive—Phase Three."
The air rippled. Clouds above parted as bolts of black lightning began raining down, each one crashing into the demon's back and forcing it lower, lower.
Erren raised her hand.
"Judgement Seal!"
A glowing red circle burned into the ground beneath the demon, runes flickering like mad.
Chains of holy fire shot up from below, wrapping around its legs and arms. It thrashed, roaring—but the seal held.
"For ten seconds only!" she shouted.
Elamenor took that window.
He dashed forward, wind bursting behind him.
"Flowing Fang—Mountain Splitter!"
His right leg swung up in an arc, then came down hard, heel-first into the demon's thigh joint.
CRACK!
A deep dent formed in the molten armor. Lava sprayed. The demon screeched, eyes flaring hotter.
Arianna stepped forward beside Kieran, her voice low. "Ready?"
He nodded. "Let's combo it."
Arianna raised her staff and screamed into the storm.
"Lunar Torrent—Eclipse Rain!"
The sky split again as silver-blue light poured down like divine water, slamming into the demon from all sides, freezing some of the molten blood mid-flight.
Kieran activated his blade's trigger.
⟨Sovereign Edge – Phase 2: Echo Rift Slash⟩
He ran. Fast. Too fast.
One step. Then two.
His form blurred as he leapt high, spinning mid-air, sword glowing bright with energy that cracked through space.
And he slashed.
A massive rift exploded across the demon's back—deep, jagged, leaking purple energy. The creature arched in agony.
"NOW!" Jack shouted. "Everyone—ultimate skills!"
Erren closed her eyes, pages flipping madly in her grimoire. "I only have one…"
She raised both hands. "Godbinder Protocol – Full Burn."
Golden chains exploded from the book, wrapping around her arms and legs like divine armor. She aimed her hands forward.
Light speared out—pure holy beams slamming into the demon's chest over and over.
Jameson reappeared under its chin, his body glowing.
"Zero Frame Slash."
A single line cut upward through its jaw—clean and deep.
Arianna collapsed to one knee. "Mana at twelve… can't…"
Kieran glanced down at her. Her hands shook.
Then his screen blinked.
⟨SYSTEM QUEST COMPLETED: Damage Contribution Exceeds Threshold⟩
⟨New Ability Unlocked: Sovereign Edge – Phase 3: Void Breaker⟩
He blinked. What…?
⟨Activating… Void Breaker⟩
His body moved before he could think.
The air around him shattered as he floated upward—only a few meters off the ground, eyes glowing violet.
His sword shifted—no, evolved. The blade extended, turned weightless, formed cracks across its surface like a weapon made of shattered galaxies.
He pointed it down at the demon.
The demon growled, its wings trying to lift, legs cracking from Elamenor's blows.
Kieran slashed once.
Space tore apart.
A black rift opened across the demon's spine—and for a second, the world silenced.
Then—
BOOM.
An implosion. The demon's upper body collapsed inward, crushed by gravitational collapse.
The Fallen Star Demon screamed as its wings caught fire from the inside out, its mouth bleeding golden magma, its tail twitching violently.
And then—
It exploded.
A wave of violet-black light blasted across the plaza.
Players shielded their eyes. The screen burned white for a second.
When it faded—
The demon was gone.
Only molten fragments remained, scattered like jewels across the broken cobbles.
And above all their heads, the system chimed again.
[WORLD BOSS DEFEATED – FALLEN STAR DEMON TERMINATED]
[MVP: KIERAN – FINAL STRIKE – VOID BREAKER]
[REWARD CALCULATION BEGINNING…]
Silence.
Then players cheered. Some cried. Others collapsed in exhaustion.
Jack sheathed his sword, walking over to Kieran slowly.
He didn't say anything at first.
Then he smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Told you not to die."
Kieran chuckled under his breath, still panting, his eyes slowly dimming from violet to normal.
"I didn't."
Arianna laughed, slumping against his side. "You did good, sword boy…"
Elamenor crossed his arms, nodding quietly. "Not bad."
Jameson said nothing, just smirked slightly as he re-tightened his sheath.
Erren looked like she was about to fall over, but still managed a grin.
"You owe me like, three potions."
Kieran exhaled, looking up at the sky, the stars returning above the cracked dome of the world.
Somewhere far above, Adams leaned back in his chair, watching.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
His fingers tapped once against his desk.
"Void Breaker… huh."
His eyes narrowed.
"So you're the one."