Celestina's blade clanged violently against the Dark King's obsidian armor, the sound of metal on metal ringing in her ears.
The impact sent a shockwave through her arms, reverberating down to her bones.
Her muscles screamed in protest as the sword barely scratched the surface, sliding off with a high-pitched whine.
A thin fracture appeared, but it was nowhere near enough.
She gritted her teeth, stumbling back as the Dark King's arm shot out, extending with unnatural speed.
The wind from his sweeping strike brushed her face, but she narrowly evaded it, rolling to her feet.
"This armor… It's like trying to carve through a mountain."
"I need to use more power. My whole body has to be in every strike."
Her legs coiled beneath her, ready to spring again, but before she could act, the ground in front of her exploded.
Dust and debris flew in all directions as the Dark King surged forward, a massive fist tearing through the air toward her face.
Her eyes widened, breath caught in her throat.
The fist loomed closer, its speed deafening as the air wailed under its force.
In the split second before impact, she twisted her body to the left, feeling the wind of his punch brush past her cheek.
With a sharp cry, she thrust her sword toward his chest.
Sparks erupted as her blade met the Dark King's forearm, blocking the attack with chilling ease.
Shards of his armor scattered like broken glass, yet the king remained unphased.
His crimson eyes, glowing with malice, locked onto hers, unblinking and cold.
Celestina retreated once more, heart pounding, as three glowing white orbs like the suns formed around her, humming with raw energy.
Without hesitation, they shot toward the Dark King, tearing through the air like falling stars.
The Dark King lunged, his massive frame a blur of shadow and speed.
The ground beneath him erupted as two of the orbs missed, crashing into the ground and detonating in blinding white fire.
But the third—he couldn't avoid it.
It shot toward his face, a bullet of pure energy.
The onlooking cadets gasped, hearts in their throats as they watched.
The orb neared, mere inches from the Dark King's helm…
But then, impossibly, the Dark King vanished, the ground swallowing him in a swirling black vortex.
Every instinct screamed at her.
Celestina spun just as another black hole opened behind her, the Dark King emerging with deadly precision.
His fist, blackened and monstrous, shot toward her again.
In a flash of light, she stepped forward, disappearing an instant before the fist could connect.
She reappeared several meters away, glowing orbs whirling around her once more.
Her breath came in ragged bursts, but her eyes remained locked on her enemy.
Feathered wings of pure white light unfurled from her back, lifting her from the ground.
She ascended, glowing like a celestial being.
"I knew it. It has the power of shadows… A rare affinity."
Below her, the Dark King's own wings burst forth—great, leathery bat-like appendages that unfurled in blackness.
He rose to meet her, his crimson gaze burning with cold fury.
She clenched her fists around her sword's hilt.
She didn't need Lumine, Azriel or anyone else.
This was hers to win.
No leader would let someone else take down the first-floor boss for them.
She had to show them.
With a powerful flap of her wings, Celestina surged toward the Dark King, her eyes locked onto her target.
He moved to meet her, wings of shadow cutting through the air with an ominous rush.
Their forms blurred as they hurtled toward each other.
She swung her sword in a wide arc, expecting to meet his armor—but the instant her blade made contact, her body jolted. It wasn't the unyielding metal of his armor.
No, this was something else.
Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced down.
Before her, an onyx halberd, darker than the void itself, had intercepted her strike.
The black blade gleamed like a void that devoured light, its surface impossibly smooth, as if it had been painted with the night itself.
It was the Dark King's weapon.
With a fluid motion that belied his size, the Dark King twirled the halberd, the weapon slicing through the air with a deafening howl.
The force of his spin seemed to warp the space around them, the air trembling.
Celestina's heart raced, but she refused to falter.
Her grip tightened on her sword, and in the blink of an eye, she raised it in defense.
The Dark King's strike came down with terrifying precision, aiming to cleave her in two.
Steel met steel with a resounding crash.
The impact tore through her body, sending a violent shockwave from her arms down to her core.
Her muscles screamed under the strain as the force rattled her bones, but she held.
Gritting her teeth, she locked her gaze with his, refusing to give an inch.
The air around them trembled as they hung in the air.
Celestina swayed, her wings beating rhythmically as she steadied herself.
Her movements were graceful, almost delicate, despite the battle raging around her.
The weightless feeling of floating in the air contrasted with the raw violence of their clash.
Then, with a burst of speed, she spun, her sword cutting through the air like a silver streak.
Her body moved with the elegance of a dancer, twirling through the void with a deadly beauty.
She retaliated, her blade striking with precision, each movement fluid, controlled.
Their weapons clashed again, the sound ringing out like the toll of a great bell, reverberating through the vast floor.
Every cadet watching below held their breath, eyes wide, hearts pounding, as the air between the two seemed to crackle with tension.
Celestina fell back, using three glowing orbs that orbited her.
With a decisive gesture, she sent them hurtling toward the Dark King.
They streaked through the air with blinding speed, their paths converging on their target.
The Dark King remained eerily calm as the orbs approached.
The air crackled with raw energy, and the orbs seemed to blur the space around them.
Just before impact, a surge of shadow erupted around the Dark King, forming an impenetrable shell that absorbed the explosive force of the orbs.
The white-hot blasts and searing heat were absorbed by the darkness, leaving the Dark King unharmed.
When the protective shell dissipated, Celestina was no longer in sight.
For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in the Dark King's eyes as it spun around, searching the empty air.
Panic—however slight—betrayed its otherwise unshakable demeanor.
But Celestina was already upon it.
Suddenly with a thunderous clash, her sword collided with the Dark King's halberd.
The force of the impact caught the Dark King off-guard, sending it sprawling to the ground.
Dust exploded outward, enveloping the battlefield in a choking cloud.
Celestina landed lightly, her wings vanishing as she touched down.
The weight of the battle was beginning to take its toll—her mana reserves were dangerously low.
The battle with the clones had drained her considerably.
Though she had recovered more than half of her mana, the recent fight had exhausted almost everything she had left.
As the dust settled, the Dark King was revealed, kneeling and staring at Celestina amidst the shattered ground and debris.
Its eyes were unreadable, but that didn't matter to her. All she needed to do now was finish this.
With her sword firmly in hand, Celestina approached the Dark King cautiously.
It made no move to defend itself, simply watching her.
Its halberd lay a few meters away, lodged in the ground.
A sudden thought sent a shiver down Celestina's spine.
What if the Dark King was stronger?
A more powerful void creature—perhaps a demon, abyssal, or even a monarch.
Such a being would undoubtedly bring devastation.
Yet, another question gnawed at her—why was this creature only classified as a grade 2 monster, or even a grade 1 beast before that?
Why was it here in this void dungeon?
What was this void dungeon, anyway?
How did it keep creating these void creatures, and how real were they?
As she stood before the Dark King, she pushed these thoughts aside.
Now was not the time for doubts.
The Dark King looked up at her, its expression unreadable.
It did not resist, did not fight back.
The battle had felt simultaneously grueling and strangely effortless.
Her skin bore only a few scratches, despite the intensity of the fight.
"Enough thinking. Not now."
Celestina's teeth clenched, and she shook off the lingering doubts.
She raised her sword high, her grip steady.
"...a king in knight's armor."
She couldn't understand why it was called the Dark King.
Was it because of the throne?
The Obsidian Throne, which, ironically, had remained unscathed.
It sat untouched in the center, not a single scratch marring its surface.
Celestina swung her sword down.
With a silent slash, the head of the Dark King fell, the metal clattering as it hit the ground.
The entire body then disintegrated into white dust particles.
The entire floor was silent.
A single, beautifully shining mana core was in front of her feet.
Yet she didn't feel any joy.
She was frozen—paralyzed by the final look the Dark King had given her.