Darkness.
Not the darkness of night.
Not the darkness between stars.
Something older.
Something that had existed before light itself.
The torn sky above Noctis widened.
Reality screamed.
Mountains crumbled into dust.
The oceans surrounding the forgotten kingdom rose into the heavens.
Even time itself began to fracture.
The gigantic hand continued descending.
Each finger was larger than an entire continent.
Every Throne Holder instinctively stepped backward.
For the first time…
Fear united them.
The Black King looked toward the heavens.
His expression remained calm.
Almost…
Disappointed.
“So you finally came.”
The First Prisoner tightened his grip on his chained sword.
“You knew they would find us.”
The Black King nodded.
“I always knew.”
The colossal hand suddenly stopped.
Not because someone blocked it.
Because someone had spoken.
A voice echoed from beyond reality.
It wasn’t loud.
Yet every living creature across the universe heard it.
“Return the Heir.”
Silence.
The words carried no anger.
No hatred.
Only absolute authority.
Even the Void fell silent.
Kael looked upward.
“Who are you?”
For several seconds…
Nothing answered.
Then—
The darkness itself moved.
A face appeared.
Not a human face.
Not a monster.
An endless silhouette made from galaxies.
Its eyes contained dying universes.
Stars were born…
And destroyed…
Every time it blinked.
Commander Kaelen slowly fell to one knee.
“The First Creator…”
Draven’s eyes widened.
“That’s impossible.”
Selene whispered,
“The beings that created the Gods…”
“They’re real.”
The colossal entity spoke again.
“The Black Lineage belongs to us.”
Kael frowned.
“The Black Lineage?”
The Black King finally stepped forward.
His cloak fluttered in the cosmic storm.
“No.”
His voice echoed across every realm.
“We were never yours.”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Black King drew his sword.
Not a normal weapon.
The blade itself looked like a fragment of the night sky.
Every star reflected across its surface. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The moment it left its sheath—
Every Throne in existence trembled.
Far away…
The Twelve Divine Thrones cracked simultaneously.
Even the Void froze.
The First Prisoner smiled.
“So…”
“You still possess it.”
Orion stared in disbelief.
“That sword…”
Selene slowly completed the sentence.
“…isn’t a Divine Weapon.”
The Black King nodded.
“It existed…”
“…before the Gods.”
Suddenly—
The colossal being extended one finger toward Kael.
Space collapsed.
Entire mountains disappeared.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
Kael couldn’t move.
The pressure alone shattered the ground beneath him.
Just before the finger reached him—
CLANG!!
The Black King’s sword intercepted it.
The collision produced no explosion.
No light.
Only silence.
Then—
Reality split in half.
The sky divided like broken glass.
The shockwave reached beyond the stars.
Far away…
Inside the Judge’s Realm…
Adam slowly opened his eyes.
He smiled.
“So the final chapter…”
“…has finally begun.”
Back in Noctis…
The Black King pushed the gigantic finger away.
For the first time…
The Creator took a step backward.
Draven whispered,
“He pushed it back…”
Even Astra looked stunned.
“The Black Throne…”
She murmured.
“…was never equal to the Twelve.”
Silence.
“It was above them.”
The Creator slowly laughed.
The sound resembled collapsing galaxies.
“Interesting.”
The endless darkness behind it began opening further.
Then—
One.
Two.
Three.
Twelve more colossal figures emerged.
Each larger than the previous one.
Each surrounded by broken universes.
The First Prisoner’s face turned pale.
“No…”
“There are thirteen…”
The Black King nodded quietly.
“Just as before.”
Kael looked toward him.
The Black King didn’t answer immediately.
Instead…
He looked toward the thirteen cosmic beings.
Then quietly confessed the greatest secret yet.
“The Twelve Gods were created to defeat them.”
Silence.
“But they lost.”
Kael felt his heartbeat stop.
“If the Gods lost…”
The King’s eyes met his.
“Then who sealed them?”
The Black King smiled.
A proud smile.
Then pointed toward Kael.
“We did.”
Every memory inside Noctis suddenly turned toward Kael.
Every knight.
Every citizen.
Every child.
They all smiled.
As if waiting for something.
The Black King slowly removed his ancient crown.
The Black Crown.
The true one.
He held it with both hands.
Then extended it toward Kael.
“It is time…”
Kael stared silently.
The King continued.
“Not for you to become me.”
He smiled warmly.
“But for me… to become your past.”
The crown floated into the air.
Slowly.
Gracefully.
Toward Kael.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The Creator watched in silence.
The Throne Holders watched in fear.
The entire universe seemed to hold its breath.
Just before the crown touched Kael’s head—
A single silver arrow pierced the sky.
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!!
The Black Crown was knocked away.
It spun across the palace courtyard.
Everyone turned.
Standing atop the broken palace wall…
Bow in hand…
Was Seraphine.
Her silver eyes burned with determination.
She slowly drew a second arrow.
Then declared in a voice that echoed across Noctis:
“He will not wear that crown.”
Silence.
The Black King looked at her.
For the first time…
His calm expression changed.
He whispered one forgotten name.
“Princess Seraphine…”
The entire kingdom froze.
Draven stared at her.
Selene dropped the Chronicle.
Even Kael couldn’t breathe.
Princess?
Seraphine…
Was a member of the Royal Family of Noctis?
End of Chapter 25