Global Descent: Heaven's Executioner-Chapter 65 - 64:

A small, pitch-black sphere tearing through the air toward him.

It was silent. But the aura it carried... was terrifying.

The man’s pupils shrank. For the first time since the battle began, a trace of genuine fear surfaced in his eyes. He could feel it clearly—if that attack hit him directly, even if it didn’t kill him... he would be severely injured.

There was no time to dodge. The speed of the pitch-black sphere was terrifyingly too fast.

Gritting his teeth, the man reacted instantly. Both axes snapped up in front of him, crossing tightly as he poured all his strength into them. Muscles tensed, veins bulged, and his aura surged violently as he prepared to take the attack head-on.

The dark energy sphere struck the crossed axes.

BOOM—!!!

A terrifying force erupted on impact. The black sphere didn’t explode outward like a normal attack; instead, it collapsed inward for a split second before releasing an overwhelming burst of compressed energy.

The man’s arms trembled violently.

Crack—!

The force blasted straight through his guard, sending him flying backward like a broken projectile. His axes were nearly torn from his grip as his body was hurled across the battlefield, crashing through shattered ground and debris.

"Gah—!"

Blood sprayed from his mouth midair.

Lev’s eyes flashed.

He didn’t hesitate. Using that single opening, he shot forward, flames bursting beneath his feet as he closed the distance in an instant.

His fist ignited once more, blazing with condensed fire as he drove it forward with everything he had left.

"Take this—!"

Bang—!

The punch landed squarely against the man’s body, detonating in a burst of flames that sent him flying even farther back. His figure slammed violently into the ground, skidding across the battlefield before finally coming to a halt in the distance.

Lev exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as the flames around him flickered unsteadily. Without wasting another second, he turned and moved back to Seth’s side.

Seth stood there; at this moment, his breathing was noticeably heavier than before. The hand he had used to launch the attack was also trembling slightly; the aftereffects of the dark energy were still lingering. His face had now grown pale—clearly, that strike had cost him a significant amount of energy.

"Time to go," Seth said quietly, his voice steady despite his weakened state.

Lev glanced at him, then nodded without hesitation. "Yeah... let’s move."

They both shifted, preparing to leave, but in the next instant

Crack—!

A bolt of lightning tore down from the sky.

It split the air apart as it descended, rushing straight toward them with terrifying speed, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding flash.

Seth’s pupils shrank.

"Again—?!"

Lev reacted instantly. Grabbing Seth by the shoulder, he pulled him aside just as the bolt of lightning struck where they had been standing.

Boom—!

The ground exploded, electricity spreading wildly across the shattered terrain, leaving behind a smoking crater. Sparks crackled in the air, the lingering energy making the atmosphere even more oppressive.

Seth steadied himself with Lev’s support, his breathing still uneven from the earlier attack.

But there was no time to recover.

From the distance a figure shot forward.

The young man, his body once again wrapped in surging lightning, rushed toward them at high speed.

The unstable aura from before had noticeably improved. The energy around him was more controlled now, more stable... stronger.

Lev’s expression darkened slightly as he noticed it.

"...He recovered?"

It wasn’t complete, but it was enough. It looked like he had taken some kind of healing potion or consumed a spirit herb during that brief window, allowing him to regain a portion of his strength.

And now he was coming back for them.

At the same time a furious roar erupted from the other side of the battlefield.

"YOU—!!!"

The tall man forced himself up from the rubble, his body still smoking from the earlier attacks. His eyes burned with rage, veins bulging as he gripped his twin axes tightly in his hands.

Despite his injuries, his killing intent only grew stronger.

Without hesitation, he charged forward as well.

The ground cracked beneath his feet as he accelerated, his massive frame tearing across the battlefield with explosive force.

In just a few breaths.

Both enemies were now closing in at a very fast speed. from two different directions.

Lev clicked his tongue, his grip tightening slightly as flames began to flicker weakly around his body again.

"...Great."

Seth’s eyes narrowed, his mind already racing. Their window to escape was now gone.

Seth’s gaze flicked between the two approaching figures in an instant. The young man, wrapped in unstable lightning, was coming from the front with renewed momentum. The axe-wielding man, still furious and bloodied, was charging from the side like a beast that refused to fall.

At this moment, Seth was already in a weakened state. The backlash from his earlier dark energy attack had drained him far more than he had expected. Even at his peak, he was never suited for close-range combat—his talent lay elsewhere, in control, calculation, and precision from a distance rather than direct confrontation.

And right now this was the worst possible situation for him to be forced into.

His breathing remained steady, but his mind worked faster than ever. Every instinct told him that standing here and trading blows would only lead to defeat.

Against an opponent, Lev could still manage. Against two, especially with both closing in from different angles, it was a dead end.

"...Tch." Lev clicked his tongue, flames flickering weakly around his fists as he shifted his stance. Even he could feel it now—the pressure was different. Heavily stacked.

Seth exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to stay calm despite the pressure bearing down on them.

"We can’t keep on fighting like this," he said quietly.

Lev frowned immediately, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean we can’t keep fighting like this? Do you want us to just wait for death?"

Seth didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed locked on the two incoming figures, already analyzing their speed, intent, and timing.

"They both want the Primordial Star Core Fragment. So why don’t we give them what they want?"

Lev’s expression changed instantly. "What?"

But Seth continued before he could interrupt.

"If we want to survive, then we have to give up the fragment. Or do you have the confidence to take on both of them at once?"

Lev fell silent.

The words hit harder than any attack so far.

For a brief moment, he still wanted to fight, to push through regardless. But reality quickly crushed that impulse. He knew it too well. If it was only one of them, he still had a chance. He could even carve out an escape route with Seth if everything went perfectly.

But against both at the same time, it was a different story entirely. And right now, he was injured. Not at his full peak.

Continuing this fight would not be bravery. It would be suicide.

After a brief silence, Lev exhaled slowly and nodded.

"...Okay. We’ll do as you say."

The moment Seth heard that, his expression didn’t change—but something shifted in his eyes. A cold, decisive light.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand.

A faint ripple of energy twisted in the air—and then, a crystal appeared in his grasp.

Seth’s gaze lingered on it for only a brief moment. For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed his usually controlled expression. Not fear—but something closer to reluctant respect.

Because this crystal...

It was the reason everything had turned into chaos.

Without saying another word, Seth shifted his stance and threw it forward.

The blue crystal shot through the air like a streak of light—directly toward the young man crackling with lightning.

The blue crystal cut through the air like a streak of condensed light, spinning as it traveled—calm, almost deceptively slow compared to the chaos of the battlefield.

The lightning-wrapped young man’s eyes snapped toward it instantly.

"...Huh?"

For a fraction of a second, a look of confusion flickered across his face. He did not understand why Seth and Lev suddenly gave up on the fragment.

At the same time, the axe-wielding man also froze mid-charge.

The moment his gaze locked onto the crystal.

Greed.

Pure, instinctive greed appears in his eyes.

The young man was the first to move.

Lightning erupted beneath his feet as he shot forward, abandoning his previous trajectory entirely. The air cracked violently as he accelerated, arm reaching out toward the crystal.

At the exact same moment, the axe-wielder roared.

"Mine!"

Twin axes crossed, then exploded outward as he launched himself like a cannonball, aiming to intercept in midair.

Just as the two of them were about to grab the crystal—

A streak of crimson light suddenly tore down from the sky.

It descended without warning, faster than either of them could react.

The moment they sensed it, both their expressions changed drastically.

Danger.

Without hesitation, they abandoned the crystal at the same time, their bodies pulling back as they forced themselves to dodge.

BOOM—!!!

The red beam slammed into the space between them.

A violent explosion erupted instantly, blasting the ground apart as a pillar of scorching energy surged upward. The shockwave ripped through the battlefield, forcing both men even farther back as dust, debris, and burning fragments were thrown into the air.