Void Evolution System

Serena and Claire left the palace at the same time.

They took different paths for one reason only.

Serena felt something odd in the folds of time.

She was someone far more connected to time itself than anyone else in the world. To her, time was an extension of her own body.

Every single instance when someone in this world manipulated the law of time, she sensed it. That included when Damien used it.

However, what she sensed this time was not merely someone using time laws.

She felt the presence of an "existence" who bent the spacetime itself.

There weren't many people who could do so without trying. Whether it was a friend or a foe, Serena had to find out what they were up to.

As such, she planned to briefly observe the target before meeting back with Claire and fighting Malefice.

That, of course, didn't end up happening.

Half of it was because Malefice drew Claire into the Heavenly God Plane before she could wait for Serena to arrive.

And the other half…

As Serena approached the area where that being was, she immediately felt danger.

The general area was empty of all other people. No, it was empty of all life in general. The environment was so quiet that no sane person could ever believe it was safe.

There was only a single man standing there. He was familiar to some, but to those of the Heavenly World, he was a stranger.

But, he was not someone Serena had never seen before.

'Famas.'

With ashen-grey skin proudly displayed and an aura unmistakable for anyone else, Grand Duke Famas was standing there as if he was waiting for her.

How, when he was currently supposed to be with Damien…?

How, when he was supposed to be transmitting the scene of Claire and Malefice's battle…?

How was he here?

Damien had yet to realize it. It would hardly matter if he did, considering that all of the other Foreign Nobles were surrounding him.

The Grand Duke Famas who existed in the hidden Principality was only a clone.

His real body was here, happily awaiting the moment when he could completely ruin the family that Dante Void left in this world.

"Famas," Serena said, not hiding her approach.

It didn't matter even if she tried, since she wouldn't be able to escape his perception.

"I didn't think you would come back here after what happened last time. Your face looks…different from before. I guess that's what it takes to hide those scars."

Grand Duke Famas' eyes flickered in her direction.

"Scars…they are signs of battle, medals of honor. However, that is only for barbarians. I may have hidden those scars, but you must remember, girl…"

VOOOOOOOOM!

His aura boomed to life.

"...you are not the one who gave them to me."

Serena's eyes narrowed.

'This attitude…he wants war.'

Damien had been saying it, but now that Famas was here, it was unequivocally true.

The Foreign Races were once again trying to conquer this plane.

"I assume you're here for me?" Serena asked.

"If not you, then who?" Famas responded coldly.

"I see…and your overall plan?"

"Funny."

"Tch."

Serena wasn't stupid enough to think she would gain any information through the question, but she was at least certain of one thing.

'If the Grand Dukes are moving, then Artemis has shut down.'

Artemis, the name for the worldwide barrier magic cast by Dante Void to keep the Sacred Abyss Universe and True Void Universe apart. It was an extremely complex spatial mechanism that morphed Existence itself to achieve its purpose, but it seemed it had lost its function.

Grand Duke Famas finally turned to face Serena directly.

"The debt between me and that man cannot be solved with the death of a mere woman like you," he said, sneering slightly.

"And it is a shame that he will not be able to see what has happened to his clan in the time he was gone."

Despite his words, he already had malakh in his hands. He clearly didn't come here just to chat.

"Do not fret. Before I send him to meet you in the next life, I will make sure he can see your remains with his own eyes. Though, I cannot say if he will recognize you after this."

He immediately attacked.

Malakh went flying through the air, enclosing the two of them within a space of his own creation.

And after making sure Serena could not escape, he centered his body in the world, creating a connection with the Heavenly God Plane.

"Come," he said, his voice colder than ice.

"Fight valiantly before you die."

Serena said nothing.

This situation was already set. She could escape, but if she let Grand Duke Famas roam free, a far greater disaster would befall the Heavenly World.

She had to fight.

And compared to when she was younger, she didn't think she was as disadvantaged against this man anymore.

Grand Dukes were dangerous, but one had to remember Serena's current position.

Dante Void and Malevalon Straea were outliers.

Aside from them…

She and Claire were the most powerful people in this world.

That was true without a doubt.

Serena took a deep breath and released her mana, following Grand Duke Famas in connecting herself with the world.

Her mana and his malakh clashed in the space between them, and a connection with the Heavenly God Plane was formed.

The souls of the two Gods were transported to a new place.

As it was, it didn't look much different from the outside world.

That was because the Heavenly God Plane would replicate the surrounding environment to support the battles taking place within.

As for the true face of this plane…

None had ever seen it.

Nevertheless, a battle between two great forces began, one far away from the battle where Serena was originally meant to be.

***

Originally, it seemed like the entire plot the Foreign Races created was meant to target Damien himself.

That was partially true. Damien was their primary target and the only one they truly had a mission to eliminate.

However, he was not their only target.

In fact, the feud between the Foreign Races and Void Palace began long, long ago. Back then, it was Dante Void and his party who fought against them and pushed them back.

Claire, Serena, Hugo, and Persia were all hated by the Foreign Nobility. At least one powerful noble had a vendetta against each of them.

Currently, it wasn't just Claire and Serena being targeted.

The Straea Clan acted as a proxy for the Foreign Nobles who had to focus on Damien. Both Hugo and Persia were currently stuck in troublesome predicaments of their own as well.

This was a plot to eliminate Damien Void just as much as it was a plot to destroy Void Palace entirely.

And as more projections appeared before Damien to show him exactly what his family was going through, this fact became abundantly clear to him.

The answers to the questions he'd asked himself; he already knew them.

It had been a very, very long time since the last time he'd been this cornered, if ever at all.

And he wasn't going to just sit back and let it happen.

The rage in his body was growing unbearable.

It was getting harder to stop himself from making reckless decisions.

There was really only one straw left. The second it snapped…

Damien would truly lose all regard for rationality.