Viola capitalized on the distraction. She slid under a chaotic tail swipe, driving her dagger upward toward the creature’s underbelly. The blade sparked against a secondary layer of hidden bone armor, completely failing to penetrate. The beast kicked out, catching Viola in the chest and sending her flying across the room.

Kylus charged straight into the path of the monster. He ignored his fractured ribs and the draining effect of the domain. He ducked under a massive, descending fist and swung the thermal cutter in a vicious, upward arc.

The superheated blade struck the monster’s left knee. The extreme heat seared through the protective scales, biting deep into the joint.

The beast shrieked and slammed both fists down onto Kylus’s back. The mercenary collapsed to the deck, his thermal cutter skittering away into the shadows. The monster raised its heavy foot, preparing to crush his skull.

Reva dropped from the creature’s back. She landed perfectly between Kylus and the descending foot, crossing her arms to block the strike. The immense weight drove her to her knees, as the metal deck cracked under the sheer force of the downward blow.

"Get up, Kylus," Eleanor commanded, her crimson eyes locked on the monster above them. "

Kylus spat blood onto the monster’s foot and pushed the thermal blade deeper into the burning wound. His muscles tore under the immense physical strain, and his vision blurred at the edges.

Kylus grabbed a piece of shrapnel from a destroyed chair. "This thing dies today. Right here."

The reptile caught Kylus’ wrist mid-strike and crushed it. The horrific crack of bone echoed through the mess hall.

"I have entertained this pathetic struggle long enough," the beast snarled, kicking Kylus across the deck.

He hit the wall and did not get back up.

The monster slammed both its massive fists into the metal floor. Violet energy erupted from the point of impact, expanding outward in a violent shockwave. The magic slammed into Reva, Arlen, and Rin, dropping them instantly.

The invisible weight pinned them to the deck plates, crushing the breath from their lungs. Arlen tried to raise her sidearm, but the pressure snapped her wrist backward.

"You will all die here," the reptile hissed, its slit pupils narrowing. "But first, you will watch the divine beast burn. I will rip the Lykaios apart while you bleed out on this floor."

The monster turned its massive bulk away from the defeated crew and stomped toward the medical bay. The metal deck groaned under its weight.

The blast doors hissed open before the beast could reach them.

Requiem stood in the doorway. He held a massive, mechanical greatsword that scraped against the floor plating. The weapon was scarred and battered, covered in the dried blood of a hundred different species.

He stepped forward, dragging the heavy blade with one hand.

"I retired from the mercenary life a long time ago," Requiem said, his voice grating like metal on stone. He hoisted the greatsword onto his shoulder. "I have slain Leviathans in the deep craters of Titan and butchered Cultists on the rim. I suppose adding a Demonic Society lapdog to the list will make for a decent final Chapter." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"You will only add your corpse to the pile," the reptile mocked, lunging forward with its claws outstretched.

Before the beast could strike, a violent surge of silver light erupted from the center of the room. Rin pushed himself up from the floor, his entire body trembling violently.

The violet suppression magic fractured around him.

"I never wanted to use this," Rin muttered, blood dripping from his nose. He gripped his blade tightly, the metal vibrating in his hand. "I hate losing my mind to the technique. But right now, I really don’t care."

Rin exhaled sharply. The silver light condensed around his weapon, igniting into the blinding, razor-sharp aura of a Sword master. The ambient energy sliced into the nearby consoles, leaving deep, smoldering gashes in the metal.

Rin vanished from his spot. He reappeared directly above the reptile, bringing the glowing blade down with catastrophic force. The beast raised its arm to block, but the swordmaster’s aura sheared right through the outer layer of demonic scales.

Black blood sprayed across the corridor.

Requiem charged at the exact same moment. He swung the massive greatsword in a devastating horizontal arc, catching the monster in its wounded side. The combined assault forced the beast backward. For the first time, the reptile staggered.

Rin and Requiem attacked in perfect synchronization. Silver arcs of sword aura cut through the violet domain, while the crushing weight of the greatsword battered the monster’s defenses. The reptile shrieked in pain, its movements turning sluggish as deep, bleeding wounds opened across its torso and limbs.

However, the demonic vitality of the creature was absolute. The beast absorbed a direct stab to the chest from Rin and grabbed him by the throat. It slammed Rin into the ceiling and threw him down into Requiem. Both men collapsed in a tangle of broken armor and shattered weapons.

The reptile loomed over them, its jaw unhinging to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth dripping with venom. It prepared to bite Rin’s head clean off.

Suddenly, a single golden butterfly fluttered past the monster’s snout.

The beast froze. It blinked its yellow eyes, momentarily confused by the fragile, glowing insect.

Then, another butterfly appeared. And another. Within seconds, hundreds of golden butterflies materialized from thin air, flooding the corridor in a blinding storm of light. They swarmed over the bulkheads, covered the medical bay doors, and settled onto the ruined deck plates. The violet domain shattered like fragile glass under the sheer weight of the golden presence.

The butterflies parted.

Xavier walked through the swarm. His boots made no sound on the metal deck. His hair was completely black again, and his eyes red. He wore the black Covenant jacket, the dark fabric absorbing the golden light around him.

He looked at the dying crew, the destroyed mess hall, and finally, the towering reptilian monster.

"Who gave you permission to touch my people?" Xavier asked.