Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1589: Forbidden Nexus (Part 2)

The awaited instant finally arrived for Liliane, the Old Horn, Farko, and the remaining fifth team members, though not for the hammer wielder, whose conflict had already concluded.

Right from the battle's start, they had called forth their Arcs, anticipating their foe would follow suit by summoning his Nexus. Such scenarios were commonplace in clashes between mighty monsters and Phantoms of comparable strength.

Liliane came to see that she had misjudged Goen gravely. As a result, one of her comrades perished after sharing countless skirmishes with the group.

All that remained for her was to ensure Goen faced nothing but a agonizing demise from here on.

Yet... even their ultimate move, Farko’s power, failed to finish Goen, despite him absorbing the full brunt of the assault.

A swirl of emotions churned within Liliane. She couldn't decide which stunned her more: Goen's endurance against Farko’s blow, or the severe damage Farko had inflicted on him?

In typical circumstances, neither puzzle should have arisen. Farko’s skill, backed by the team forging the perfect chance, served as their ace, leaving no rival standing afterward.

Plus, the Old Horn stood among them, yet victory felt distant—instead, dread gripped everyone.

"W-What?" Liliane whispered hoarsely. "What’s happening? Why can’t I move?"

She poured every ounce of effort in, yet her legs refused to budge. Her teammates faced the same plight, including Farko, positioned somewhat distantly.

Just the Old Horn, Adam, and Alexia managed partial bodily command, though their thoughts remained ensnared.

Powerless to act, they found themselves fixated on Goen regardless. They yearned to witness his next move. How would he escape this bind?

Terror stemmed from their partial grasp of the truth: Goen would invoke his Nexus.

‘What makes his Nexus so unique?’ Adam pondered, eyeing the warped void. ‘Will Silvana and I face anything akin someday?’

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the air, akin to shattered glass in a fractured pane. Goen’s hold warped reality to claim his armament.

"It arrived sooner than I anticipated, by a few years..." Goen murmured, utterly at ease and composed, like a fighter unbound from suppressing his battle lust, his drive for conflict.

An object materialized in Goen’s grasp—a pommel or similar item—yet strangely, focus shifted away from it.

Step. Step. Step.

Soft treads echoed from naked soles pressing into the snow-dusted earth beside Goen.

Adam’s gaze bulged in shock.

Beside Goen emerged a maiden in flowing dark attire, her lengthy ebony locks and matching irises framing a faint grin, delight sparkling in her stare.

What rendered it so startling?

Adam and Alexia might replicate this with Silvana and Louis, or perhaps not?

"Hold on, is that...?" Adam swallowed hard, fixating on the young woman.

Differing from Silvana and Louis’s spectral manifestations that materialized mid-fight to aid, no luminous traces outlined her form.

She appeared utterly corporeal, a living being in the flesh, beyond mere ethereal projection.

"She..." Alexia quivered. "Is she truly present? But... How could that be?"

The maiden stayed silent. She brushed her mouth, glanced at Goen’s arm, and shook her head.

"This simply won’t suffice. You can’t battle bearing such an injury, my knight."

Her palm swept over his arm, leaving only a thin crimson trace where the gash had been. Full recovery eluded him, but his limb no longer dangled as mangled meat.

"Much improved, right?"

Goen inhaled deeply.

"Yes, thank you, Arika."

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

Another quake split the void into shard-like reflections, unveiling his Nexus—his blade—from the emptiness into Goen’s hold.

The massive blade, rivaling Goen’s stature, settled firmly in his unyielding clasp.

Broad and weighty, the sword featured five serrated protrusions per edge, evoking a predatory shark’s maw that terrorized the seas.

Its cutting rims gleamed in pale steel tones, while the core stayed obsidian and textured, forged from relic ore.

Faint etchings traced the sword’s length, currently stripped of glow or hue. Lacking a crossguard, its grip consisted of plain metal bound in dark wrappings.

Arika inclined her head, shifted aside with a touch to Goen’s arm, and halted. Her eyes settled on his weapon.

"You sought to witness this firsthand." Arika spoke to the beasts. "This sight will etch into your memories until your fleeting ends."

Arika shut her lids, fading into dark vapor that flowed into Goen’s sword.

Adam observed intently. He discerned this wasn’t mere technique or illusion.

Shine!

The sword’s hidden patterns flared brilliant white as Goen’s presence transformed utterly.

A torrent of pale energy erupted from him, his gaze shedding emerald hues for pure, icy clarity. His silver tresses lengthened subtly, turning raven-black.

His posture shifted too, from casual brawler’s poise to that of a destroyer bent on shattering legions.

Liliane swallowed heavily. Dread plummeted in her chest, every sense howling for her to flee this monstrosity far away.

"Behold."

Arika’s tone emanated straight from the blade, as she embodied his tool.

"Only demise and swift closure lie ahead, for you face Goen, First Knight of the World End."