Noel stood amidst the wreckage, his breath steady and unlabored.

Roman and Dustin lay defeated at his feet, their once formidable forms now broken and lifeless.

He glanced down at them one last time, a flicker of something indiscernible crossing his face—was it pity?

Satisfaction?

Regret?

It didn’t matter.

They were done.

Lifting his gaze to the ceiling, he let out a slow breath.

'It ended more quickly than I thought,' he mused silently.

The battle, anticipated to be a glorious, drawn-out struggle, had been disappointingly brief.

He had expected Roman’s speed and precision to challenge him more, and Dustin’s spectral arms to at least give him pause.

But age had wearied them, and the other prisoners had taken their toll.

Or perhaps, deep down, they were paralyzed by their own hesitations, their moral compasses conflicting with the brutal reality they faced.

Noel shook his head.

The reasons didn’t matter now.

He had won.

And with this victory, the path to chaos lay wide open before him.

The power surged within him, amplified by the serums and his own unyielding will.

He had envisioned this moment countless times—standing triumphant, his enemies at his feet, ready to unleash a storm upon the world that had wronged him.

But then, a voice cut through the air, catching Noel off guard.

"My lord, I found him."

Noel turned sharply, two men emerging from the shadows.

They walked with a calm, composed demeanor, dressed in formal coats and pants, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding them.

"Is it him?" one of them asked, glancing at Noel with a detached curiosity.

"Yes, my lord. I'm sure," the other confirmed.

Noel narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge their threat level.

They didn't look dangerous, yet an uneasy feeling crept into his mind.

"Okay. How much time do I have left?" the man addressed as 'my lord' inquired.

"Five minutes, my lord," his companion replied.

Noel's instincts screamed at him to escape.

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He couldn't explain why, but every fiber of his being urged him to flee.

'Noel, run. You can't win against him,' Sauron's voice suddenly reverberated in his mind, filled with an urgency Noel had never heard before.

"Well, that would be enough," the man replied casually, ignoring the growing tension in the air.

'What do you mean—?' Noel began to ask, but his question was cut short.

Before he could react, a blur of movement and a searing pain erupted in his stomach.

The man's fist had connected with brutal precision, sending Noel crashing into the wall.

The impact rattled his bones, and for a moment, the world spun around him.

"Oh! You withstood it," the man noted, his voice tinged with a hint of admiration.

Noel groaned, his body enveloped in a protective blue aura.

Despite his shield, the impact had caused significant internal damage.

He looked up at his attacker, shock and confusion mingling in his gaze.

Just moments ago, the man had been ten steps away, yet he had closed the distance with lightning speed, striking before Noel could even register his movement.

'Just who is he?' Noel's thoughts raced.

'He is one of the seven guardians, Raijin, and that is his companion, Raiju,' Sauron's voice echoed in his mind, laden with urgency.

"What?" Noel's shock escaped his lips, audible to the others.

'You can't win against them. You need to escape quickly,' Sauron warned, his tone desperate.

Noel tried to process the information, but before he could act, Raijin was already in front of him, moving with a speed that seemed impossible.

"I'm sorry, kid. But this is my job," Raijin said, his voice devoid of malice as he grabbed Noel by the face.

In an instant, they were airborne, breaking through the prison walls.

The world blurred around Noel, the wind roaring in his ears.

Before he could react, Raijin hurled him back to the ground with brutal force.

Noel's telekinetic shield absorbed some of the impact, but the force was immense.

Pain radiated through his body as he struggled to stand, his vision swimming.

Gritting his teeth, Noel looked up, his eyes locking with Raijin's as the guardian floated in the sky, an imposing figure backlit by the moon.

"Stop the futile resistance," Raijin commanded, his tone almost pitying.

"Shut up!" Noel shouted, his voice raw with desperation and fury.

He gathered his remaining strength, the blue aura around him flaring wildly.

Objects around him—debris, stones, even parts of the broken prison wall—began to levitate.

With a fierce cry, Noel launched everything at Raijin, a chaotic storm of telekinetic force aimed to overwhelm.

For a brief moment, hope flickered in Noel's heart.

But then, Raijin was suddenly in front of him again, moving with impossible speed.

"Is that it?" Raijin asked, his voice calm as he delivered another crushing punch.

Noel's body crumpled, flying back into the debris.

The impact left him dazed, blood trickling from his mouth.

Pain surged through his limbs, and he realized he could barely move.

His breath came in ragged gasps, every intake of air a sharp stab of agony.

"Why? Just why? I had just started to achieve my goal. Then why?" Noel's voice echoed through the ruins, his frustration and despair piercing the night.

Raijin turned to look at him, his expression inscrutable.

"My lord, we need to finish this quickly," Raiju urged, his tone tense.

"Yes," Raijin agreed. "System, begin Command 8."

[Guardian command received. Initiating Command 8.]

Golden chains erupted from the ground, snaking around Noel's battered body.

The chains were luminous, pulsing with an otherworldly energy.

They tightened around him, seeking to subdue him completely.

"What a futile ending," Raijin said, turning to leave, convinced the fight was over.

But then, Raiju's voice cut through the silence.

"My lord?"

"What is it?" Raijin asked, glancing back.

"He is resisting the chains," Raiju said, his voice filled with astonishment.

"I won't end like this!" Noel shouted, his voice a raw declaration of defiance.

The blue aura around him flared brighter, clashing with the golden chains.

His body trembled with the effort, but he refused to yield.

The chains strained against Noel's willpower, their glow flickering as he pushed back with everything he had.

His mind was a whirlwind of determination, anger, and desperation.

Sauron's voice echoed in his head, a lifeline amidst the chaos.

'Just a little bit more, Noel. You can do this.'

Noel's muscles burned, his bones ached, and his mind felt like it was being torn apart.

But he channeled every ounce of his remaining strength, his vision narrowing to a single point of focus.

The blue aura around him intensified, becoming almost blinding.

"If he is able to resist those chains, then he is about to transcend his mortal limits," Raijin remarked, his tone tinged with grudging respect.

[Error! Error!]

"This won't do. I should finish him off myself," Raijin declared, his eyes narrowing with resolve.

"My lord! There's only ten seconds remaining," Raiju interjected, his voice urgent.

"What? Only ten seconds? Damn this system!" Raijin cursed, frustration evident.

The system had imposed a time and strength limit on beings from other worldlines, restricting their stay in weaker worldlines.

"My lord! How about Command 5? It will integrate this worldline with another, maintaining the balance," Raiju suggested.

Raijin's eyes lit up with approval. "Good idea! System, initiate Command 5."

[Initiating Command 5]

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently, as if the very fabric of the world was being torn apart.

Cracks spread like veins across the earth, and the sky seemed to ripple with the force of the command.

Noel struggled to maintain his balance as the world around him quaked.

"What... what is happening?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of destruction.

Raijin looked down at him, a mix of pity and cold determination in his gaze.

"This world will soon be integrated with another. It's beyond your comprehension, and your fight ends here."

"No... I won't let it end like this!" Noel shouted, his blue aura flaring once more, but his strength was waning.

Raijin turned to Raiju. "Let's go. We have to report to Zenith."

"Understood, my lord," Raiju replied, his tone respectful.

They both began to ascend, their forms shimmering as they prepared to leave the world behind.

As they lifted off, Noel watched them with a mixture of rage and desperation.

He could feel the world shifting around him, reality itself bending and warping.

The tremors grew more violent, and the air was thick with the sound of cracking stone and collapsing structures.

"Is this... truly the end?" Noel whispered, his voice trembling.

His body was battered, his energy nearly depleted, but his spirit refused to surrender.

Raijin and Raiju disappeared into the sky, leaving Noel behind in a world on the brink of annihilation.

The integration process intensified, the ground splitting apart and swallowing everything in its path.

And soon the world completely changed.