Every empire, nation, and republic has its champions—those who stand at the pinnacle, shielding their people from annihilation. Yet these paragons are not the first called when the abyss yawns wide. Their duties bind them; their power is too vast, too unwieldy for the shadows.

Instead, the desperate turn to the unseen. The nameless. Those who walk where survival is not promised, but where hope is a flicker in the dark. They bear no titles, no glory. Only a purpose etched in blood and silence. Some are hallowed names, yes, but not for the missions administered under such gravity.

Their Designation is universal, whispered only in the halls of power: R.U.N.E.

Forged across empires, trained in disciplines unknown, they answer to no banner but the highest bidder—or the gravest cause. They are the footnote in history, the blade that strikes unseen. And when the world teeters on the edge, they are the hand that steadies it. Even if their sacrifice is the expected result.

* Classified Addendum to Praetor Sun’s Designation, Eyes of Legates and Head-Praetors Only

The planet shuddered as Praetor Sun’s Domain Collapse unfurled, a shockwave radiating out like the blast of a cannon, igniting the landscape with a spreading film of water possessed by a golden light that tore through the dense fog and mist. Every atom within reach rippled as though bending to her will.

For a fleeting second, even the monstrous Joseph faltered, a spark of surprise gleaming from under his hood. But then, as the five Caesars dug their heels into the ground, bracing for the cataclysmic wave of energy, Suaze was the first to charge as the resident Thermo.

The attacks of steam were the swiftest, beyond the visual ability of a human like Dante or Eight’s oscillating pupils. Furthermore, his reactions were the fastest, and he deduced the real threat was no longer Elize Sunwin and gave up on his Domain Collapse for the time being.

A greater danger had arrived.

Suaze’s movements were nigh-invisible, trailing afterimages of steam, his arms bursting out forcibly. He moved through the thick Domain with only a minor impairment, slicing through the air toward Joseph with lethality. A coiling cannon of steam emerged and funneled right at the newcomer. Just as Suaze closed the distance, the heat pierced through the atmosphere, aimed at Joseph’s throat.

The hooded man didn’t flinch. In a flash, a thin blade of water slithered from his hand, crackling with barely contained fury. Suaze’s eyes widened as he dodged by less than a foot, the sheer speed greater than his. However, before he could retaliate, the blade of water sizzled, and a bolt of static sapphire emerged.

Unable to dodge, the stream of lightning reached Suaze’s roiling flesh, the jolt electrifying his entire body and stunning him. He struggled, his breath caught in his throat as he fought to control his movements, but the electricity induced a paralysis. His limbs twitched involuntarily while his grip on the Lightsea waned.

The steam that circled him, obscuring his body and granting him unmatched speed, vanished. Suaze bit his teeth, forcing his hands to meet from sheer focus. At that same moment, the evaded blade of water swerved mid-air, guided by Joseph’s mind.

A sharp sound cut through the battlefield, and Suaze’s head tilted slightly as the watery blade completed its arc. His head fell, decapitated in a clean, precise stroke, his lifeless body crashing to the ground with a last spark. Dust rose from his high fall, marking it clear as day for all to see. His death echoed across the field, and the Caesars froze, shocked at the sheer ease with which he had fallen.

More than that, however. Two pairs of eyes watched with slack fear. They couldn’t run anymore. That was a long-lost chance.

At the death of a lifelong rival, Balba’s retreat shifted. He no longer retreated. Instead, he turned and faced Joseph, “You killed him. He was my prey!”

Balba’s roar stabbed the air as he launched himself forward. His entire being buzzed with humidity, a thin film of water radiating from his muscular frame. He moved with unmatched speed, his fists clenched as he dove toward Joseph’s unfazed form.

His movements tore the air around him as he moved even faster than Suaze a moment prior, a blur of motion hurtling through the battlefield. Just as his fist neared its mark, inches from Joseph’s chest, the Tianshe lifted a palm.

With the simple movement, a sudden shimmer of water surrounded Joseph like an ethereal shield.

Balba’s punch collided with the water barrier. Upon impact, however, the liquid changed states, transforming instantly into a dense, rolling vapor. The steam engulfed him, crackling with an intense azure that licked at his skin.

Within a single moment, the steam morphed, charged with countless volts of electricity that surged through Balba’s body. He let out a strangled scream as his body convulsed, his skin sizzling under the barrage of energy. His fists flailed as he tried to retreat, but the steam wrapped tighter around him, unyielding as some of it shifted back into liquid.

A laugh resounded through the air as a grand palm of crackling water condemned a Caesar to his death, “Fools. How predictable.”

The scent of burning flesh filled the air as Balba fell, his skin charred and blackened. His body hit the ground, smoke curling from his form as he lay still, defeated. Survival was unknown. Another Caesar had fallen, and the remaining warriors felt the brutal weight of realization settle over them.

The remaining Caesars, Thanaris, Geist, Wain, and Praetor Sun exchanged a quick, grim look. Their histories and rivalries meant nothing now. They would have to stand together or face obliteration.

However, they were not idle during Suaze and Balba’s strikes. Joseph may have possessed the sky, but two owned the ground.

Praetor Sun’s hands glowed, channeling her Domain’s effects into the whirlpool she had formed. The light within her eyes grew brighter and more blinding as her waters took it and magnified it, reflecting it countless times until it funneled the might of her Domain Collapse into a single, concentrated point.

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The depths of her whirlpool held the accumulated force that only continued to amount. She stepped forward, moving her concentric waves and raising her hand.

Alongside her, Thanaris summoned forth her Unnatural Tide, its thick, roiling waves gathering power, each ripple an extension of her rage. The two women stood with a line demarcated between each other. Crimson met blinding waters and stared up at the azure horror.

Less patient than the Praetor, Thanaris launched her tsunami of blood toward Joseph, the wave transforming into tendrils that spiraled around him, binding his movements. Geist followed suit, his spectral mist weaving between the coils of blood, a dark fog that clawed at Joseph’s skin like ghostly hands, siphoning away his energy.

Yet, as the three fell into unison, the fourth scoffed and turned tail. With a short wave of frost, Wain abandoned the battle, “I’m not dying today. Nor am I enraging the Church. Goodbye, Joseph.”

Elize turned her head to stare at the retreating plane of ice, accelerating Wain into the atmosphere above. The Anacrux was escaping, and no one could stop her. The Praetor let out a low hiss, “Fucking Dirge.”

Joseph’s low, mocking voice cut through the chaos. “What a team! Two dead and one running? Let’s see how long you three last.”

The spectators, Dante and Eight shared a glance, contemplating rushing for Suaze or Balba’s bodies, but both knew such was a straight path to the other shore. Instead of leaping to their dooms, they set their eyes on Geist, waiting for a moment to strike.

He was already missing his Domain Collapse, after all. Dante heard the news from Hana’s offhanded comment. With all they had seen, neither accurately anticipated the battle between monsters.

That is what they were.

Praetor Sun, the Stroke of Impossible.

Thanaris, the Sanguine Dream.

Geist, Ghost Of The Damned.

And finally, the banished Praetor, long thought dead, Joseph Cross.

The Lightning Wraith. All were monsters.

It was three-on-one, with a Domain Collapse already consuming the planet, but Joseph Cross held no fear.

With a sudden surge of power, he expanded his Tide, a storm of electrified water that pushed back against the blood, mist, and light encircling him. Thanaris’ blood torn apart, Geist’s ghostly spirits burst apart by lightning, and Praetor’s waves compressed from the collision. The energies clashed with violent intensity, the very ground cracking and buckling under the strain. Joseph’s Tide transformed, shaping into hundreds of hovering fluid spears that lashed out, striking at each of his opponents with ruthless accuracy.

Geist staggered back, his spectral mist scattering to only cover his body under the relentless barrage. Thanaris gritted her teeth as one spear struck her, her blood coagulating around the wounds to heal. Even Praetor Sun was forced to shield herself, her inflating light flickering under the force of the onslaught. But they held their ground, relentless, refusing to yield to the monstrous force before them.

Worse yet, Joseph’s hands moved toward his center, taking his sign for focus. The tips of all ten fingers held their counterparts before the shortest two folded, holding against each other with their backs.

Elize’s gaze hardened as Thanaris and Geist immediately dived again, this time working in tandem. A river of blood entangled the Arido, protecting him from the paralyzing waters.

Under the assault, the Lightning Wraith spoke with confidence as the energy built within his frame, gradually reaching a point that shook the air, “I know your Domain, Elize. I can’t let it build up. Otherwise, it would be near your mentor’s power. Allow… me to stop you.”

Geist’s visage blurred from within the bloodied current, and with Thanaris’ protection, he managed to reach a few feet from Joseph. With a twist of his hand, a hundred spirits burst from their hidden places, and a fog followed.

The devouring mist dove into the electrified gas as blood washed away the defensive fluid. Still, the currents of lightning delved through the river, thrashing toward Thanaris. However, with her adept control, she grounded the crimson, preventing it from injuring her further.

Nearby, Praetor Sun observed the scene, concentrating her all on her Fused Domain’s effect, which melded her Stigmata and Tide into one. But as her eyes followed Gesis’s attack, she realized it would not be enough.

Her gaze fell, falling to thoughts of the child that was handed to her long ago by her mentor. The old man who bestowed her wisdom and power had neglected his own family, leaving them with only his wealth, as they had minor talents.

It was such a shame that shortly after the little Seer was born, Gaius gave his life, burning it all away to match a Legate and drive away the evil his family had called. Elize shut her eyes as Joseph spoke, an aura bursting from within his clasped fingers.

She knew how dangerous it was, for she had fought it before. Automatic Domains were the fodder-killers, unable to truly counter those who had their own Domains. But right now...

Geist had none, and he escaped her protection. The arrogant bastard thought his defenses would be enough.

“Domain Collapse: Lightning Wraith.”

The border of Joseph’s Domain inched from his body at a blistering speed, battling Elize’s for dominion over the planet. As a Domain was most assertive at its origin, he effortlessly pushed her control back and consumed Geist into his reach.

A bolt of lightning arced for Geist’s glabella, seeking to eviscerate his brain. The azure leaped from the water, yet before it struck the Anacrux, a beam of light pierced through the haze.

The thunderous boom from the radiance leveled the surrounding forests, leaving the spectators teleporting for their lives. Pale light met oceanic lightning, and they exploded.

The air turned to plasma, such was the incredible heat.

Bodies flew through the air, with both Dante and Eight hurling away from the battlefield. The two struggled to regain their orientation as the winds only grew in power, such was the cataclysm.

Yet Geist, at the epicenter of the collision, had it the worst. Half of his body ripped apart from the guaranteed hit, with the light only partially defending him. Swirling mist burst from his insides as he bounced across the planet’s surface, every impact scraping more life from him. Dante’s eyes, through the constant teleportations that left Eight gasping for air and hardly able to stand, noticed the Anacrux’s lethal injuries.

He also saw his course, for it was toward the two.

Now, however, only two stood against Joseph. Praetor Sun heaved oxygen through her lungs as she scoured the hazy sky, finding Joseph through the debris.

The man’s right arm burned through his dark clothes, and his hood finally pulled back from the impact, revealing a middle-aged man with a scarred smile. He ripped his functioning arm back while the other hung limp and laughed, “Is that all, Elize!? Have you grown weaker? Or am I stronger?”

Thanaris growled beside Praetor Sun, glancing over at her. The Anacrux spoke simply, “We can’t let him have the Inferose. My... pupils are in there.”

Despite her recent detonation of power, Elize Sunwin nodded; however, she was skeptical. She returned the Sanguine Dream’s thoughts, “As are mine. How far are you willing to go, Thanaris?”

Joseph fell to the ground, lashes of water delivering him to a level plane of the ruined forest with his two opponents. Against his confidence, Thanaris hesitated for a moment. Then she remembered the runt she had raised these past few years and found her resolve.

Selfishness had been ingrained in her being since birth. She had been downright despicable. But those tiny eyes she had found a year ago brought her sanity back to the once stable back she herself looked up to. The higher minds could still control her, yet she was a puppet no longer. Those like Wain or Suaze with lesser potential weren’t as strictly manipulated. Those like Thanaris and Astraeus were different. They could rise high. Higher than those above would wish.

However, she could overpower the restrictions on one condition. She had to stake her life as she said with a brief lull, “I... I am willing to die this evening.”

Elize’s eyes widened, and Joseph guffawed, raising a hand toward Thanaris, “You are willing to die? For a Frigo? Are you ill? How stupid. I thought you were clever.”

Praetor Sun shook her head with a sigh, but her Domain suddenly regained its tempo. Both Domains held each other at a standstill, shocking all eyes.

The Tianshe’s teeth slashed against their counterparts as she took one step through her whirlpool toward Joseph, “She is not stupid. She has found something, someone worth dying for. There is no greater purpose. I am the same. I cannot allow that young man inside the Inferose to die. Furthermore, I was not sent here expecting to make it back in one piece. Shall we dance, Miss Sanguine Dream? As allies?”

Thanaris presented a nod just as Joseph stole ground, stepping right up to Praetor Sun. He glared into her eyes, finding her words to be futile, “Hmm? Do you wish to die today as well? I thought you would save your power for later, given how tumultuous the Empires are. You could live that cushy life for several more centuries like most Praetors. Or you could join me if you truly desire power. Quit these foolish death wishes.”

The depths of Elize’s eyes lost their spark for a beat. She saw through Joseph’s words. It was not mere derision. The man was scared. Of her. Of what she could do when she no longer cared for her life. After all… it was her late teacher that created the Fifth Limit within the Empire. She did not receive his bloodline talent, but she did harbor his will.

With a flash to Gaius in her mind, her light subsided, revealing her calm face as if asserting her resolve, “I’d rather live a thousand lives as a fool than breathe a single breath as a tyrant.”

Alongside Praetor Sun, the Dirge that fought with her stepped up, fingers interlacing and chanting. Once more, the planet shook as the deep crimson intertwined with the azure and the radiant alabaster, staining the continent.

In the distance, running for his life, Dante looked back, seeing a vibrant, illusory moon form above Thanaris. With a nod of thanks, he turned back to Eight just as the teen displaced them further away. Both crashed into the ground, witnessing Geist collapse a dozen feet away.

Before either could stand, the skies spoke once more as the planet divided into thirds.

“Domain Collapse: Sanguine Dream.”