Raegar's Aether exploded when sensing a horde of Tier Five monsters heading straight for the palace walls, but something was hiding behind it. He used Flash Step to appear on the top of the ramparts, where he finally spotted the actual enemy. A human stood there, a smirk crossing his face as he moved between Tier Ten creatures.

He sent Fire and Thunder Aether into his blades as Dahlia appeared beside him, a confident expression crossing her face. ''Are you ready to fight together? Let's show the Old Ones they can't bulldoze through us.''

''Stick by me and use our energies to fall in sync,'' he said, bracing himself for a tough fight as he summoned every Fusion Warrior.

Arthur and Shadow appeared behind him as the Blue Knight declared. ''We shall show you what we can do, my lord. These fiends are the things that destroyed our homes, and now, thanks to you, we have our shot at revenge.''

''Take out the bodyguards,'' he replied, readying to fight. ''We'll take the leader, he's too strong for you two.''

Without waiting, Raegar then activated Fusion Overdrive, his power skyrocketing to new heights, prompting him to ignore the effects. He burst forward, slicing through the monsters until coming into range of the Old One. He swung the fire blade at the humanoid's neck, but something happened that shocked him.

The enemy suddenly caught the blade, a sly smirk curling their lips as they drew back a fist, poised to strike. Before the blow could land, Dahlia materialized beside the creature, her fists wreathed in blazing flames. She unleashed a devastating combo, each strike punctuated by resounding booms that shook the air.

Raegar, releasing his weapon and using Flash-Step to clear space between them, creating distance from the Old One as he summoned it back to his hand. He steadied himself, his breath sharp as he locked eyes with Dahlia. The air crackled with heat from her fiery fists, making the ground tremble beneath the enemy.

The creature masquerading as a human began to transform into an ancient monstrosity of shadow and jagged bone, loomed over them, its eyes glowing like twin voids ready to devour them whole. Undeterred, he nodded to the brunette, and they moved as one, Aether ready to fight this being.

Dahlia surged forward, flames roaring around her as she unleashed a barrage of searing punches, stronger than the previous ones. Each strike exploded against the Old One's hide, sending embers scattering, but the creature barely flinched. Raegar darted in, Flash-Stepping to its flank, his blade singing as he slashed at its sinewy limbs.

The weapon bit deep, yet the wounds closed almost instantly, knitting themselves shut. Moments later, the Old One let out a roar, its arm sweeping through the air. Raegar barely dodged, the force of the swing cratering the ground where he'd stood. Dahlia leaped into the fight, her kicks hammering the creature's chest, but the Old One swatted her aside like an insect.

She hit the ground hard, rolling to her feet with a grimace, flames flickering but undimmed.

''Keep it distracted!'' he shouted, Flash-Stepping again to circle behind.

He channeled his energy, his blade glowing with a faint silver light as he aimed for the creature's heart. The strike landed true, but the Old One's laughter, deep and mocking, rumbled through the battlefield. It swung its claw, forcing him to back away. Dahlia's flames flared brighter, her fury mounting. She launched herself skyward, raining down a torrent of fireballs.

The enemy raised a hand, and the flames dissipated into smoke, swallowed by its dark aura. ''It's too strong!'' the older woman yelled, landing beside him.

Its power surged, and chaos erupted, the earth fractured, spikes of stone bursting upward. The sky darkened as tendrils of shadow lashed out, tearing through the palace walls and shattering defences. They fought back-to-back, yet each blow seemed to fuel the humanoid's strength.

Its laughter grew louder, a sound that clawed at their resolve. ''We can't keep this up!'' Raegar grunted, parrying a tendril that nearly impaled him.

Dahlia's amber eyes blazed, but even her flames were starting to wane thanks to it not doing any damage. The Old One advanced, its every step a harbinger of destruction, and the battlefield became a storm of chaos, earth, fire, and shadow colliding in a clash against an unstoppable force.

Just then, Raegar noticed several airships taking off behind the palace, signalling that the nobles had fled and the girls were heading their way. Moments later, several powerfil Aether Blasts slammed into the creature, sending it stumbling back when several Death Knights appeared and hacked into it.

Their blades bounced off its hide, but when he saw this, he pushed his power even further. The world's Aether rushed into his body like a deluge, rushing through his veins like a drug as he burst forward. His red eyes were glowing as the Old One finally paid attention to him and let out a heart-stopping growl.

Raegar ignored the fear welling up inside him and dodged an arm swing, stabbing into the limb before the energy exploded. The arm was torn right off, and thanks to his Aether burning through it, the creature couldn't heal itself.

***

Dahlia jumped back as Selene, Dominque, Yuki, and Alice appeared next to her as the Vampress spoke, amazed. ''What's happened to Rae?''

''It's the world answering his call,'' she muttered, pointing at the ongoing battle. ''This is the true power of the Fusion King, look at his soldiers.''

Raegar's Fusion Soldiers butchered the monsters, and when they were destroyed, two more appeared. Swarming over the Old One's horde, their blades tearing apart the enemies with ease. While this happened, Arthur the Blue Knight sprinted through the battlefield, slaughtering any of the humanoid bodyguards he could find.

Dahlia watched as the knight moved with a lifetime worth of skill as he sliced the creatures into chunks. Her gaze was drawn to the Black Knight named Shadow, who was vanishing into the darkness, only when one of the bodyguards was cut into pieces. The battle was intense, but she was aware of something happening.

Her amber eyes found Raegar, who was standing opposite the Old One, their auras blazing just before the main battle started. Dahlia's eyes filled with dread as she watched the Old One twisting and mutating yet again under the crimson sky. The air crackled with raw power, their auras colliding in bursts of blinding light and shadow.

The fight was brutal, neither giving an inch. Raegar's blades sang, slicing through the monster, drawing blood that hissed when hitting the earth. But the enemy retaliated with terrifying ferocity, its newly sprouted limbs lashing out, each blow shaking the ground. They were evenly matched, both bearing wounds.

Raegar's body was covered in cuts, blood streaking his face, yet his resolve never wavered. The Old One, its body a writhing mass of flesh, bore gashes that sealed almost as quickly as they appeared. Dahlia's heart pounded, her hands clenched, nails biting into her palms as she stood frozen, unable to tear her gaze away.

Then, in a heartbeat, the tide shifted. The creature roared, its arm swelling into a monstrous club of bone and sinew. It struck Raegar, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed into the palace with a thunderous boom, shattering marble walls, splintering columns, and tearing through chamber after chamber.

Debris rained down, and the palace groaned as it partially collapsed, burying him beneath a mountain of rubble. Dahlia and the others' screams caught in their throat, her eyes wide with horror. Dust clouded the air, obscuring the wreckage. The Old One loomed, its grotesque form pulsing, as if savoring its triumph.

But her gaze remained fixed on the fight, her heart refusing to believe Raegar was gone. Somewhere beneath the rubble, she felt the faint pulse of his aura, stubborn, a spark in the darkness.

***

Raegar's head was spinning thanks to the pain shooting through his body like an electric shock. He sat up but was covered in stone and wood, confusing him even more as the memories of the fight flowed back into his mind. His eyes narrowed when he felt the Old One's aura slowly approaching.

Before it could get to him, Arthur and Shadow appeared with twenty Fusion Soldiers who charged at the enemy. Without any effort, the creature waved its arm, destroying the warriors as the knights readied to fight, but something else happened, shocking everyone who heard.

''So the Fusion King has arrived?'' the creature's creepy voice echoed out. ''Good, now I can eat him to grow stronger.''

Raegar was stunned into silence as he used Flash Step to escape the rubble. The sky above turned black, covering the world in darkness, as the Old One looked at him. ''But doing that so soon is boring, I'll let you fatten up and return when the time is right.''

Following those words, the creature stepped into a portal, an amused smile crossing its face.