Frey understood it.
But a searing wave of pain tore through him, yanking him out of his thoughts and back to the empty space where his right arm used to be.
Groaning in agony as blood poured from the wound, Frey channeled all his focus into his limb, trying to reattach it.
Snow rushed toward him immediately, using Vermithor to assist in the healing. Ghost, with a swift movement of his hand, began stitching the arm with incredible speed—trying to reconnect it before it was too late.
When they finished, Ghost stepped back.
"Even with all that… there's no guarantee you'll be able to use it again," he said with concern.
Frey just smiled.
"No need to worry. My body's… a little different from the average human."
He had never feared losing an arm.
It wasn't the first time he'd lost one anyway ..
and he could already start to feel his fingers again.
Ironically, the last time he lost an arm had also involved statues.
A strange coincidence.
"The Shadow Sect… and now this black castle…"
Frey wondered what exactly it was these statues were guarding this time.
It was an answer he wouldn't get ...
not unless he could get past his angry friend.
"He's way too strong…"
"Yeah ,and he hasn't even shown everything he's capable of yet."
Frey stood just outside the edge of the circle.
"But he won't attack us… unless we step inside it."
It wasn't an absolute rule, but their recent survival was enough of a clue.
"Even if he doesn't attack us outside… that doesn't help if we want to enter the castle."
The only way forward… was through the furious statue that now blocked their path entirely.
Ghost, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke ... having reached a conclusion.
"Our goal is to get inside the castle… not to defeat him."
There was no need to kill the statue.
They just needed to get past it.
"You're right," Snow said, stepping forward with a confident smile.
"Frey's faster than me when it comes to combat .. but overall, I've got the edge."
With his signature ability, Void Step, Snow was confident he could at least reach the gate.
"Wait," Frey interrupted, raising his hand.
"We don't know if he'll stop chasing you even after you enter the castle."
There was always a chance he'd follow them inside.
"You're not wrong… but standing here doing nothing won't change a thing."
"In that case…"
Frey raised the arm he had just lost moments ago.
Normally, there was no way it should be usable again so soon.
But his body was far from normal.
The holy energy of Snow's sword had already brought him close to a near-perfect recovery.
"Go. We'll support you from behind."
Snow nodded and stepped forward—Frey and Ghost flanking him.
He took a deep breath.
His golden eyes lit up.
"Void Step."
Time halted.
Everything froze in place ..
Except Snow.
Bathed in pure blue light, he surged forward, his body like a beam of energy racing across the ground.
He passed the statue.
He passed his companions.
And made it all the way to the castle gate.
For a brief moment, he exhaled in relief.
But then his golden eyes widened ...
Someone else was moving.
Someone who had ignored the frozen world completely ..
and was now right behind him.
Bathed in glowing violet aura, Angry was in pursuit ...
and he was faster.
Snow realized, too late, how naïve he had been.
The statue possessed a technique stronger than Void Step.
Their weapons clashed mid-sprint—Snow tried to push back, but Angry's scythe buried him into the ground.
"Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow: Eternal Darkness!"
Frey intervened at the last second, releasing a wave of pure shadow that swallowed Angry whole.
Using that veil of darkness, he and Snow retreated once more to the safe zone.
Angry emerged from the cloud, returning silently to his place…
His glowing violet eyes locked onto the three of them.
Snow, panting hard, let out a laugh at his miserable state.
"The gate is right in front of us… and we still can't reach it."
After everything they'd endured, they stood right at the finish line ...
yet it remained just out of reach.
"What now? Do we keep playing with this thing until it kills us?"
It was clear.
They couldn't defeat it.
"We have to find a way…" Frey muttered, racking his brain, remembering everything he had learned under Smiley and Sad.
He had never beaten them.
And now he was up against an even more advanced version.
But this time… he had to get through.
With that determination burning in them, the three of them charged toward Angry again.
And once more..
A devastating battle broke out.
Each exchange released shockwaves of aura that tore through the land.
The ground shattered beneath them, and blood splattered as they fought.
The first clash failed—
forcing them to retreat with serious wounds.
Then, after recovering—
They tried again.
And again…
BOOOOM!!
The ground shook harder than ever before .. more violently, more blood-soaked.
The three fought with everything they had, trying to breach the towering black castle…
But the statue was too fast. Too powerful.
Every attempt was shut down—crushed—until they were left with no choice but to retreat to the safe zone.
It was either that, or death.
That same scene—Angry mercilessly overwhelming them—played out over and over.
So many times, in fact, that they had lost count.
They were in shambles.
And one thing became clear: the statue wouldn't budge.
Despair began to creep in.
Angry was simply impenetrable .. without weakness.
Breaking through him felt utterly impossible.
Caked in dust, blood, and exhaustion,
Snow looked down at his battered comrades, then up at the motionless statue.
He stared for a long moment before raising his fist to his face, thinking deeply about his next move.
He released his aura.
From a distance, it might've looked bright—brilliant, even.
But in front of someone like Angry, it was faint.
Flickering.
In their current state, giving 100% wasn't enough.
They needed more.
Much more.
Snow understood that completely.
And so…
He made his decision.
"Frey ... when I give the signal, run toward the castle with everything you've got."
His tone was serious.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
"What are you planning?"
With a crooked smile, Snow answered:
"I'll hold him off while you make it inside."
It sounded insane.
They had already tried that—again and again.
And every time, they failed.
But this time… it was different.
Snow took a shaky breath as a golden aura enveloped his body—
symbols began forming, etched into his skin like ink made of molten gold.
His face.
His arms.
His legs.
Covered in divine marks.
The pressure coming off him was staggering.
Both Frey and Ghost could only watch in awe.
"That's…!"
"The War King's Form."
Snow answered with effort—barely able to contain what was building inside him.
"Ghost—I need you to support me from the shadows. But whatever happens, don't reveal yourself."
"What are you talking about?" Ghost asked.
But Snow kept going—time was short.
"Hurry! This form always comes with one thing: an uncontrollable thirst for blood!"
A thirst he would direct solely at the statue.
Once the War King's Form was activated, there was no stopping until the enemy was dead.
"I'll throw everything I have at him .. so use that chance, Frey, and get inside!"
He shouted as his aura surged with every word.
He didn't know how far this power would take him ..
but he was betting it would be enough.
Enough to create an opening.
Even if he had to face it alone ..
someone had to make it through.
"Understood," Frey replied, nodding.
He finally understood why Snow hadn't fought with everything he had in the Victoriad finals.
Because he couldn't control this terrifying power that enhanced him to unnatural levels.
Enduring the pressure that felt like it would split his skull ..
Snow slammed his foot against the ground—
And in the blink of an eye, appeared before Angry.
His speed caught the statue off guard for just a fraction of a second.
A fraction was all he needed.
Snow unleashed a devastating star-charged strike.
A massive slash tore through the earth—launching Angry backward, his scythe dragging along the ground as he struggled to regain balance.
But Snow gave him no time to breathe.
Taking full advantage of his enhanced speed and strength, he closed in for close combat ...
pressuring the statue with a relentless flurry of attacks.
Ghost, from the shadows, sealed the area in a dome of darkness—concealing both combatants from view as they tore into each other.
And in that moment ..
With everything he had ...
Frey Starlight charged toward the castle, leaving a blur of afterimages in his wake.
Angry noticed the movement and immediately tried to intercept him.
But Snow, unleashing an even stronger attack, kept him pinned down.
"COSMIC FORMATION!!!"
Snow's ultimate technique—now empowered by the War King's Form—
was like a miniature sun erupting at point-blank range.
It detonated directly in Angry's face.
And Frey Starlight ..leaving that nuclear explosion behind him ..
took his first step…
Into the heart of that dark castle.
He didn't look back.
He couldn't.
Not if he wanted his friends' sacrifice to mean something.
With that thought ...
Frey walked forward.
Into the place where everything would end.