The air trembled with the fury of their attacks. The earth quaked beneath the force of their strikes. It was more than a battle—it was a clash of destinies. Light against shadow. Protection against annihilation. A war that seemed to have no end.

  Far in the distance, a group of humans clad in ceremonial kimonos watched the chaos unfold. Each bore a weapon that marked their role as Blinders, the guardians of humanity. Some held swords, others spears, scythes, bows, or ornate staves—every armament reflecting a distinct combat discipline and spiritual specialty.

  They stood on a high ridge, peering through binoculars made of manifested spiritual energy, allowing them to witness events occurring hundreds of kilometers away.

  But even with enhanced vision, the battle between Hollow and Liliane blurred into a storm of divine chaos. Blinding flashes of white and crashing waves of darkness exploded across the horizon. The shockwaves alone could be felt from their observation point, rattling the stones beneath their feet.

  “This is bad. At this rate, they’ll completely destroy the entire Whispering Sector… and I was finally getting used to the peace,” one of the Blinders muttered, lowering his hands from his face, the spiritual binoculars fading from his fingers.

  “We had two years and six months of peace…” another said, his voice steady but weary. “That’s the longest we've ever gone without chaos.”

  A younger recruit sighed and slumped down onto the grass. “Just don’t let this one last as long as the last time. They fought nonstop for over three hundred years…”

  A third Blinder, older and more composed, kept his eyes on the flashing sky. His tone was grave. “These are the two strongest beings ever to walk this land. Even the Grand Martial Emperor said it himself. What we’re witnessing now… is exactly the scale of power he warned us about.”

  “Someone needs to alert him,” another voice chimed in—a girl with sharp eyes and restless energy.

  Without waiting for approval, she stood up in a flash.

  “I’ll go!”

  With a swift motion, her body shimmered—and in the next heartbeat, she vanished from view, soaring across the land toward the heart of humanity’s stronghold.

  Mitzy, the messenger, darted across rolling hills and glowing landscapes. The trees lining the path sparkled with iridescent leaves, shifting from blue to violet beneath the sunlight. Ethereal creatures with transparent wings and luminous bodies fluttered around her, singing soft, surreal songs that echoed through the wind.

  But Mitzy had no time to admire the beauty.

  At the top of a distant hill, the human settlement came into view—Jin Kyoten, the last great city.

  A massive fortress rose into the sky, enclosed by towering wooden walls and adorned with curved rooftops and intricate carvings. At its center stood an enormous sakura tree, towering far above the hills—between eight and ten kilometers high. Its petals shimmered in gentle pink hues, fluttering through the wind like falling stars, a breathtaking contrast to the distant battle raging beyond the horizon.

  As she approached the city gates, the guards recognized her and opened the colossal doors without question. Inside, life went on undisturbed. Merchants bartered, citizens bustled through their daily routines—oblivious to the cataclysm looming outside the city’s protective walls.

  Mitzy moved quickly, ascending the wide stone stairways that led toward the fortress core. Each level grew more elegant and less crowded, signs that she was nearing her destination: the residence of the Grand Martial Emperor.

  Along the way, walls were adorned with murals of ancient heroes and epic battles—silent reminders of the blood and courage that had kept humanity alive.

  At last, she reached the final gate.

  The guards stepped aside without a word. They knew her face. They knew her mission.

  Mitzy entered the grand hall and knelt, bowing deeply before the throne where a lone figure awaited her.

  “I bring news, Your Majesty,” she said clearly. “Hollow and Liliane have begun their battle… once again.”

  The Grand Martial Emperor watched Mitzy with calm intensity.

  His gaze, ancient and unreadable, carried the weight of centuries—wisdom earned through countless wars and impossible decisions. He understood exactly what it meant for Hollow and Liliane to clash once again. In their current forms, they were no longer people. They were forces of nature—uncontainable storms of divine violence. Their battles could stretch across years… even centuries.

  "I understand," he said firmly, rising from his throne.

  "Inform the Blinders to evacuate all extraction posts and nearby resource zones. We cannot allow a single civilian to remain within that battlefield."

  Mitzy nodded without hesitation. She knew what was at stake.

  The resource zones were scattered across the far reaches of the Spiritual World—used for mining rare minerals and harvesting spiritual materials. They weren’t homes, but many people worked there… and any delay could cost lives.

  "Messenger Mitzy," the Emperor continued, his voice as steady as stone, "I want continuous surveillance on the battle. If their trajectory shifts even slightly, report to me immediately. We cannot let them approach another sector."

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll do whatever it takes," she replied, her voice filled with resolve. Then, without wasting a second, she turned and vanished, racing to return to her observation post.

  Across the distant hills, the Blinders were already in motion.

  They couldn’t stop the battle. But they could protect the innocent.

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  Moving in organized squads, they weaved through hidden paths carved into the terrain—traversing hills, valleys, and narrow canyons with practiced precision. Each team was assigned to a different outpost, their goal clear: evacuate the workers, safeguard the supplies, and move before the destruction spread.

  “Move fast. We need this mine cleared before the battle draws any closer,” one Blinder commanded, helping a group of workers pack their tools and spiritual gear.

  “Do you really think they’ll come this far?” asked a young worker, his voice trembling with unease.

  “We’re not waiting to find out,” the Blinder replied, lifting a heavy container of spirit-mineral ore. “We get everyone out—now.”

  Elsewhere, in the hills overlooking the chaos, Blinders stood in strategic formation. They watched the swirling storm of light and shadow in the distance—two titans battling beyond the comprehension of most.

  “They shake the whole world every time they clash,” one muttered, his voice a low breath of awe and fear. “No matter how many times I see it… it’s hard to believe two beings can unleash that much destruction.”

  The Blinder beside him remained focused, his eyes locked on the horizon. “I know. It’s like the very balance of the world starts to unravel. But we can’t afford to be overwhelmed by their power.”

  He tightened his grip on his weapon. “Our duty is to protect humanity—no matter how small our role feels compared to theirs.”

  They exchanged a brief look of understanding before turning back to their posts.

  They knew the truth: their vigilance could mean the difference between safety and annihilation. If Hollow and Liliane drifted even slightly from their current trajectory, countless settlements and extraction posts would be at risk.

  “We stay sharp,” another Blinder ordered, his voice firm and clear. “If their path shifts, we notify the evacuation patrols immediately. No delays.”

  The others nodded, refocusing their attention.

  Back in the heart of the human fortress, the Grand Martial Emperor remained seated—unmoving, unshaken.

  He stared toward the distant sky, where light and darkness danced like gods at war. His face betrayed no emotion, but behind those eyes, calculations churned endlessly. Every variable, every possibility. The survival of his people depended on it.

  And he would not let them fall.

  "Mitzy," the Grand Martial Emperor said, his voice calm yet unwavering.

  She turned back to him instantly.

  "Stay in close contact with the advance teams. If there’s even the slightest indication that the battle shifts toward another sector, we need immediate readiness for evacuation."

  Mitzy nodded sharply. Her eyes held no hesitation now—only clarity.

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll make sure all teams stay alert and ready to act."

  The Emperor’s gaze shifted toward the window once more, his expression sharpening.

  "Have all Blinders hold their positions. We cannot allow this battle to destroy more than it already has," he murmured. Then, more to himself than to her, his voice dropped lower—like steel being drawn from a scabbard.

  "This is only the beginning."

  Far away, the battle between Hollow and Liliane raged on—a storm of divine violence.

  Every strike shattered the land. Shockwaves tore apart the earth, splitting mountains and gouging massive craters into the terrain. The very fabric of the world trembled beneath them.

  Across the Spiritual World, Blinders remained stationed at key locations, watching with growing tension as the distant sky flickered with catastrophic bursts of light and darkness.

  Evacuations were still underway in nearby settlements, with squads ushering out miners, scouts, and support crews. Chaos unfolded like a tide—but not without preparation.

  "Every time they fight… it’s the same," muttered one of the Blinders, his eyes never leaving the horizon. His voice was lined with weariness and quiet frustration. "They treat the world like it’s their own personal battlefield. Everything in their path just… ceases to exist."

  "And to think there was a time we believed we could stop them," another added softly, gazing at what had once been a forest—now a smoldering wasteland.

  "No matter how often we witness it… the destruction always feels unreal."

  "The worst part is knowing that, when it ends, all that remains is rubble," said a third, his voice grim. "We're lucky we evacuated as fast as we did."

  The sky above them darkened further—not just from the time of day, but from the battle’s magnitude itself.

  Even nature seemed to recoil.

  The horizon darkened.

  What began as a deep twilight blue had shifted—slowly, then suddenly—into a suffocating black. The skies churned as if reality itself had been turned inside out. Clouds twisted into a swirling vortex, stretching across the entire firmament like a veil of doom.

  Then the light died.

  A darkness deeper than night fell upon the world. Not shadow. Not absence. A void so absolute it made time itself feel frozen—like existence had been caught in a moment of eternal pause.

  And in that moment, something began to take form.

  High above, the darkness shifted—etched with the first lines of something vast. Glowing runes began to carve themselves into the sky, spiraling outward in brilliant complexity. Lines, arcs, and ancient symbols wove together in a massive celestial array, forming a shape that resembled... an eye.

  Its center glowed with a sinister radiance, like the pupil of a god staring down from the heavens.

  Hollow and Liliane halted their battle instantly, gazes locked skyward as the impossible unfolded above them.

  "...What is that?" a Blinder whispered, his voice lost in the void.

  The eye-shaped circle pulsed with lights of shifting color. Beams of crimson, sapphire, emerald, and gold arced through the black sky, cutting through the darkness with unnatural clarity. Around the edges of the circle, shapes began to emerge—vast silhouettes with no clear form. Gigantic. Amorphous. Unfathomable.

  The Superior Spirits had arrived.

  Each was cloaked in an aura tied to a fundamental element—fire, water, wood, wind, earth, light, and darkness. They did not resemble anything human, beast, or god. Their bodies were chaotic, ever-shifting, impossible to comprehend fully. Just looking at them made the sky vibrate, made thought feel slow.

  “I thought... they were only legends,” muttered a Blinder, his voice trembling.

  Hollow, still gripping his sword, stared at the sky with a rare look of confusion. "What the hell… are those things?"

  Liliane stood silently, her blade lowered, her body bathed in the flickering glow of the runes. She looked so small beneath the looming presence of the circle.

  “They're… something beyond us,” she whispered.

  The spirits didn’t speak to them. Their voices echoed across the entire Spiritual World, vibrating through the soul rather than the ears. Their language was ancient, unintelligible—but its meaning was undeniable. Power. Judgment. Command.

  The entire sky lit up as the symbols aligned—forming a design so immense it seemed to embrace the heavens themselves.

  Panic surged through the Blinders.

  “They’re... they’re banishing them!” one of them shouted. “They’re trying to exile them!”

  At the edge of the hills, Mitzy stood frozen, eyes wide, heart hammering.

  Her gaze locked on Liliane—the radiant warrior who had been a symbol of hope for so many. Something in her chest twisted. She didn’t think. She just ran.

  “No—Mitzy! Stop!” a Blinder cried out, lunging to catch her.

  Too late.

  Mitzy slipped through his grasp, sprinting toward the battlefield, her voice breaking through the silence.

  “LIL—!!”

  The runic circle began to rotate.

  Its lines burned brighter, its center collapsing into a single point of blinding white. Hollow and Liliane, caught within the very heart of the array, looked to one another—eyes wide, breaths held.

  The air grew so dense it felt impossible to breathe.

  “We… can’t escape this…” Liliane said quietly.

  “What is going on…?” Hollow’s voice wavered—not with fear, but with genuine disbelief.

  The sky exploded.

  A radiant surge of energy erupted from the circle, enveloping them—Hollow, Liliane... and Mitzy, mid-run, arms outstretched, eyes glowing with fear and desperation.

  There was no time.

  There was only light.

  A silence so deafening it erased all sound swallowed the world. In a heartbeat, the three figures vanished—consumed by the blinding burst. The rune faded. The energy dispersed. And then…

  Nothing.

  The sky cleared.

  The runes, the spirits, the chaos—all gone. Only a quiet, open sky remained, as if none of it had ever happened.

  The Blinders stood motionless.

  Not one of them dared speak. Not one of them moved.

  Peace had returned to the Spiritual World… but the price had been beyond comprehension.

  it’s time to see what kind of life—if any—awaits them.