The impact erased the clouds above them instantly.

Lilith’s arms screamed from the force.

Yamui hummed unnaturally against the replica blade while the surrounding air distorted around its black edge itself.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

“…What IS that thing?!”

“…A calamity,” Black answered quietly from below.

Celeste pushed harder.

The replica Dahu cracked.

Lilith kicked outward desperately, forcing separation before Celeste could split both her and the blade apart simultaneously.

She skidded backward across collapsing earth breathing heavily.

Then Celeste vanished again.

Lilith swung instinctively—

too late.

WHAM.

Celeste’s fist slammed into Lilith’s ribs and launched her violently into the heavens.

Cloud layers exploded apart around Lilith’s ascent.

Pain ripped through her side.

Below—

Celeste appeared beneath her instantly.

Already catching up.

Yamui disappeared from Celeste’s hand for only a fraction of a second as she reached barehanded toward the incoming Dahu.

Lilith’s instincts reacted immediately.

“…Got you.”

THUNK.

The replica blade punched clean through Celeste’s palm.

For the first time—

Celeste visibly paused.

Blood streamed down her wrist.

The galaxies within her eyes destabilized violently for half a second.

Lilith took the opening instantly.

BOOOOOOOOM.

Her fist slammed directly into Celeste’s jaw hard enough to crack the surrounding heavens.

Celeste blasted upward through the sky while shockwaves erupted across the clouds.

Lilith floated there breathing heavily.

Blood dripping from her arms.

The replica Dahu trembling violently in her grasp.

Then she felt it.

The pressure changing.

Above her—

Celeste stopped.

Floating silently within fractured heavens while blood streamed continuously from the wound Kael left behind.

The galaxies within her eyes spun faster.

Much faster.

Unstable.

Violent.

Then mana erupted around her catastrophically.

Not gathering.

Collapsing inward.

The heavens distorted as violet-black mana spiraled toward both Yamui and Celeste's wounded body.

Black’s expression sharpened below.

Aethra slowly smiled.

Celeste slowly lowered Yamui beside herself.

The wound near her shoulder tore open further from the strain.

Blood streamed heavily down the black blade.

Then—

“…For if my foe is unmovable…”

The heavens trembled.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

Kael’s technique.

She was copying it.

“…then taking a cut should be impossible…”

Violet-black energy spiraled faster and faster around Yamui until the sky itself began bending toward the blade.

The pressure became unbearable instantly.

Reality fractured around Celeste’s body.

Black’s darkness spread rapidly outward below.

Containing.

Suppressing.

Preparing.

Because the copied technique was still growing.

“…No being…”

The galaxies within Celeste’s eyes destabilized violently.

The wound near her shoulder burst open further.

Yet she continued gathering power anyway.

Still trying to complete the directive.

“…can resist a cut from the heavens…”

The entire heavens screamed.

The attack compressed around Yamui until it resembled a collapsing star held within Celeste’s grasp.

Lilith’s breathing stopped.

Because unlike Kael—

Celeste could actually finish it.

Then Celeste looked directly at her.

And for the first time since Refraction began—

there was emotion within her eyes.

Pain.

Exhaustion.

And something buried deep beneath obedience itself.

Then—

“…Fifth Circle Sword Assimilation…”

The heavens cracked wider.

“…Fall of Nocthyr.”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—

Celeste descended.

The collapsing star wrapped around Yamui tore through the heavens behind her as she descended toward Lilith like a divine execution.

Lilith’s instincts detonated.

She raised the replica Dahu with both hands—

—and the world split apart.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

Yamui collided against Dahu.

The impact shattered the heavens outward across Caelrith while catastrophic starlight exploded through the sky in violent spirals.

Lilith screamed.

The copied Fifth Circle technique crashed through her guard like reality itself had turned against her.

The replica Dahu cracked.

Celeste’s wound burst open again.

Blood streamed endlessly down Yamui’s black edge while unstable Refraction spiraled catastrophically around her body.

Yet she kept pushing.

She continued forward.

Still reaching for Elysia.

Lilith’s arms folded inward beneath the pressure.

“…NO—!”

The plains below them collapsed beneath the leaking force of the attack.

Black’s darkness surged upward immediately, containing the surrounding destruction before the entire region broke apart.

Even then—

the heavens still fractured wider.

Lilith forced more power into Dahu desperately.

The replica blade screamed.

Then– shattered.

CRACK.

Lilith’s eyes widened violently.

And Celeste drove Yamui downward.

WHAM.

The black blade slammed directly into Lilith’s torso and the world disappeared in violet-black light.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—

Celeste rocketed downward carrying Lilith with her.

The copied Fifth Circle strike dragged both of them through the heavens like a collapsing star falling to earth.

Cloud layers exploded apart around their descent.

Lilith screamed as the catastrophic force continued tearing through her body while Yamui remained buried into her.

The pressure alone shattered the atmosphere around them.

Then—

impact.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

Celeste drove Yamui and Lilith directly into the plains below.

The battlefield disappeared beneath light.

The earth folded inward violently as a colossal crater detonated across the region while mountains in the distance split apart from the shockwave alone.

Forests flattened instantly.

The sky itself distorted above the impact site.

Black’s darkness surged across the surrounding region desperately containing the remaining force leaking from the copied Fifth Circle strike.

Inside the crater—

Yamui remained buried through Lilith while catastrophic starlight spiraled around the impact zone.

Lilith’s body twitched violently beneath the blade.

Most of her body no longer responded.

Her breathing barely worked.

Above her—

Celeste stood silently with one hand still gripping Yamui’s handle.

Blood was soaking down her body while unstable Refraction flickered violently around her like a dying constellation.

Yet she still looked down at Lilith.

Lilith weakly forced one eye open.

The galaxies within Celeste’s eyes spun unevenly above her.

Broken.

Unstable.

Exhausted.

Yet still horrifyingly untouchable.

Lilith coughed weakly through blood.

“…monster…”

Inside the crater—

Blood spread rapidly beneath her broken body.

Most of her limbs no longer responded.

Her breathing came in weak, uneven fragments.

Above her—

Celeste stood silently with one hand still gripping Yamui’s handle.

Blood streamed continuously from the wound near her shoulder, soaking down her side while unstable Refraction flickered violently around her body like a dying constellation.

The galaxies within her eyes spun unevenly now.

Unstable.

Exhausted.

Yet still terrifying.

Lilith stared upward through blurred vision.

Then—

she laughed weakly.

Not mockingly.

Not bitterly.

Just honestly.

“…You genuinely are amazing…”

Celeste remained silent.

The fractured heavens groaned softly overhead.

Lilith coughed blood weakly beside the blade buried through her.

“…Celeste…”

For the first time—

Celeste visibly reacted.

Tiny.

But real.

The galaxies within her eyes slowed faintly.

Like the name reached something buried deep beneath Refraction itself.

Silence settled across the crater.

Then Celeste spoke quietly.

“…What…”

Her voice sounded unstable now.

Like two different selves overlapping imperfectly.

“…is your name…”

Lilith blinked weakly.

Almost surprised she asked.

Blood pooled beneath her while Yamui continued humming violently through her body.

Still—

she smiled faintly anyway.

“…Lilith…”

A weak breath escaped her.

“…Lilith Vael…”

The galaxies within Celeste’s eyes trembled faintly again.

And for the first time since Refraction began—

Celeste simply stood there looking at her.

Inside the crater—

Celeste stood silently above Lilith.

Blood streamed steadily from the wound near her shoulder while unstable Refraction flickered violently around her body in fading spirals.

The galaxies within her eyes trembled faintly.

“…Lilith Vael…”

The name lingered strangely on her tongue.

Like something old was trying to remember itself.

Then—

for the first time—

a faint expression crossed her face.

Not a smile.

Something softer.

"...Vael..."

Silence.

The galaxies within her eyes slowed.

"...It makes sense now."

Lilith weakly frowned beneath her.

Celeste slowly pulled Yamui free from Lilith’s ruined body.

Blood sprayed across the crater floor.

Lilith gasped violently from the pain.

Yet Celeste simply held the blade silently while looking down at her.

“…You Vaels…”

Her voice sounded quieter now.

More human.

“…are the best people I’ve ever fought.”

Lilith stared upward weakly.

Confused.

Because for a moment—

this no longer sounded like the thing that destroyed the battlefield.

It sounded like a girl.

Then Celeste shifted her grip.

Both hands closed around Yamui.

The black blade pointed downward toward herself.

Black immediately looked up sharply from outside the crater.

Aethra’s expression changed instantly.

“…Celeste.”

The galaxies within Celeste’s eyes trembled harder now.

Unstable.

Fighting.

Lilith’s eyes widened weakly.

“…What are you doing…”

Celeste looked down at her one last time.

And this time—

she actually smiled.

Small.

Exhausted.

Real.

“…Tell Lily I said hey.”

Lilith blinked weakly.Celeste smiles.

Lilith relaxes.

Silence.

“…Lily?”

Confusion crossed her face.

“…How do you know my—”

SHNK.

Yamui pierced completely through Celeste’s chest.

For one impossible second—

everything became silent.

Then Aethra screamed.

“CELESTE—!”