5. The end of the battle

The remaining insects exploded one by one after being hit by the light rain attack from Elysia. Realizing that her attack had made a significant impact, Elysia quickly turned to Oberon.

"Oberon, I need time to gather more power. Protect me until I'm ready!" she called out firmly, though her breath was slightly labored from the energy she had just expended.

Oberon, who was busy slashing at the approaching insects with his black sickle, glanced at Elysia and gave a brief nod.

"Alright, do what you need to do, flower woman. I'll make sure they don't get close," he replied while summoning a swarm of insects he created to form a barrier around Elysia.

Elysia closed her eyes, gathering the pink energy flowing from her body. The energy formed a glowing circle beneath her feet, growing larger and more intense over time. The air around them began to tremble, creating pressure that forced Oberon to hold the insects back more forcefully.

Slowly, from the gathered energy, a giant avatar began to take shape. The figure resembled Elysia, complete with a bow and arrows, but it was a glowing pink color that radiated an extraordinary aura. The avatar stood tall, towering above the battlefield.

"I'm ready," Elysia said in a tone that sounded different—deeper, full of power.

The avatar lifted its massive bow, pulling the string with an energy arrow as large as a building pillar, aiming it at the remaining swarm of insects. The light from the arrow illuminated the surrounding area like a small sun. With an elegant yet deadly movement, the avatar released the shot.

The energy arrow shot forward at incredible speed, striking the remaining insects. A tremendous explosion occurred, sending shockwaves that obliterated all the insects within a wide radius. The ground shook, the flowers around them were blown away by the force of the attack, and the sound of the explosion echoed in the distance.

At the same moment the energy arrow from Elysia's avatar struck its target, the explosion surpassed all expectations. The blast not only destroyed the remaining swarm of insects but also emitted an energy wave that expanded until it reached the sky.

The blue sky that had been above them began to crack like glass. The sound of the cracking was sharp and deafening. Slowly but surely, the cracks spread wider and wider until the sky shattered, leaving pieces like shards of glass that sparkled before disappearing into the darkness. Behind the shattered sky, an extraordinary sight was revealed—an endless, dark sky adorned with millions of stars, shining like jewels on a dark canvas that stretched on forever.

Elysia, still standing amidst her energy explosion, stood motionless, her eyes wide in awe of the change that had occurred.

"What… what have I just done?"

Oberon, slightly surprised, quickly reminded Elysia to focus on the insects first. The insects, in their pitiful state, were heavily wounded and appeared very weak.

"Elysia, focus on these creatures first. Don't get distracted by the sky."

Elysia nodded, still shaken by the events with the sky. She raised her bow again, ready to launch another attack if the creatures showed signs of weakening.

Oberon furrowed his brow as he watched the giant insect begin to ooze thick black fluid from its body. The fluid flowed rapidly, wrapping around the creature like a pulsating cocoon, emitting an eerie dim light.

However, what happened next left them both stunned. The fluid suddenly exploded, spraying black droplets in every direction. When the fluid dissipated, the figure that emerged from within made their blood run cold.

The giant insect had not only regenerated its body but had also created an accomplice. The new insect creature was much larger than before, nearly double its size. Its body was covered in thick armor that gleamed darkly, and its red horns branched like the roots of an ancient tree full of primal power.

Although this newly created insect was alone, it appeared incredibly strong.

"What the hell is this?" Elysia exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief. "It made… something bigger?!"

"It evolved. Maybe… this is its final form of defense. But don't think this is the end. We still have a chance."

The newly born insect let out a low growl that resonated throughout the area, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble. The insect's mother, despite being weakened by numerous wounds, stood firmly beside it. Both creatures now focused their attention on Oberon and Elysia, their eyes gleaming with menace.

Oberon realized that not only had the sky shattered, but the ground beneath them was slowly disappearing, as if this planet had never existed in the first place.

"It feels like we're racing against time," Oberon said, tightening his grip on his sickle.

"If we don't stop them now, who knows what they could do?"

Elysia, though a bit nervous, began preparing her next attack. She took a deep breath, and the pink energy began to gather around her. "Alright, Mister Mysterious. We'll stop them, no matter how big they are."

However, before they could make a move, the new insect shot a burst of black fluid toward them, splitting the ground in its path. Oberon and Elysia jumped in opposite directions, trying to avoid the incoming attack.

The battle, which had already been difficult, was now even more perilous, and they had to give everything they had if they wanted to survive.

Oberon exhaled deeply, staring coldly at the newly formed giant insect. He knew that if they didn't stop it now, the consequences for both of them—and possibly the outside world—would be catastrophic. But with Elysia's strength beginning to wane and their time running out, he had no other choice.

"Elysia," he said in a flat, meaningful tone. "Fall back. Don't come near me, no matter what happens."

Elysia, who was drawing her bow for the next attack, paused for a moment.

"What do you mean? You can't fight them alone!"

But before she could say more, Oberon's body began to tremble. Something dark, terrifying, and unnatural began to seep out from within him. Shadows engulfed his body as dark energy surrounded the entire area. Slowly, Oberon's body disintegrated into thousands of small insects that moved like a storm.

"Elysia… this is my truth," he whispered before his body completely disappeared into the swirling mass of insects.

The insects gathered and began to form something indescribable—a giant figure resembling a dragon, but not an ordinary dragon. Its form was like a hybrid of insect and dragon, with a body that seemed hollow, like an endless abyss. Its mouth, shaped like a giant blender, roared with an ear-piercing sound. This was Vortigern, Oberon's true form as a creature created for destruction.

"What should I say… There's nothing else!

『 ！！』 Everything is a midsummer night's dream."

This Noble Phantasm is the true form of Oberon, brought into existence by the Fairy Country. He transforms into the evil dragon Vortigern, a "hollow insect" meant to destroy Britain. With its giant blender-like mouth and esophagus (hollow), it swallows the entire world, causing it to fall. Rather than killing the opponent, it is a "path to the underworld" that drops them into an abyss without a single ray of light.

"This… this isn't good," Elysia murmured, her voice trembling. She stepped back, feeling small in the face of the power now possessed by her ally.

With slow but steady movements, Vortigern opened its massive mouth. The hole emitted an absolute darkness, devoid of any light. Everything in front of it began to be sucked in—earth, air, even light itself.

The newly created giant insect tried to resist. It growled and leapt forward, attacking Vortigern with all its strength. But the attack had no effect. Vortigern couldn't be hurt because its form wasn't physical—it was the void that devoured everything.

In one swift motion, Vortigern sucked the giant insect into its mouth. There was no explosion, no resistance; only deafening silence as the creature disappeared completely into the abyss.

However, the effect of this Noble Phantasm was more than just destroying the enemy. The ground around them began to collapse, forming a massive hole, resembling a path to the underworld. The starry sky was replaced by an even deeper darkness, like a curtain covering reality.

Elysia stood frozen, watching the destruction that was even greater than the insects.

As Vortigern began to lose its form, the small insects regrouped, forming Oberon's usual human body. But he looked much weaker now, his knees almost buckling. He stared at Elysia with a flat gaze, devoid of emotion.

Elysia gazed at Oberon, who had just returned to his human form. His body appeared weakened, but his gaze remained cold. The sight from earlier still lingered in her mind—the emptiness that swallowed everything, the giant insect that disappeared without a trace, and the destruction that loomed over the world around them.

"Oberon… what was that?" Elysia asked, her voice barely above a whisper, fear and curiosity mixed on her face.

Oberon, despite his exhaustion, gave a small, sarcastic smile. "Are you scared, flower woman?"

"Of course not… or maybe a little. But I'm more curious. That wasn't normal."

Oberon slowly stood,

though his body seemed unsteady. He looked up at the still dark sky, full of stars, with a blank expression.

"That's what I truly am. The true form of my existence—not something beautiful or noble, but something that exists only to destroy."

Elysia remained silent, staring at him with questioning eyes.

"That's not a satisfying answer," she said finally. "Why do you call yourself hollow but still fight for something?"

Oberon chuckled softly, more like an ironic laugh at himself.

"Maybe because this emptiness can't just be left alone. If I was created to destroy, then I must choose what's worthy of destruction. And those insects were clearly on that list."

He turned to Elysia, his gaze sharp but not entirely cold.

"And you… you're still here, after seeing all of that. So, is that courage or foolishness?"

Elysia smiled faintly.

"Maybe both. After all, I'm not just any flower woman."

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Elysia tried to break the silence.

She stepped closer to Oberon, who was still staring at the starry sky with an empty expression. There was a pause of silence hanging between them, until Elysia finally spoke.

"By the way," she said with a deliberately casual tone. "When you transformed earlier, I heard something interesting."

"What do you mean?"

Elysia crossed her arms over her chest, giving Oberon a mischievous smile she couldn't hide.

"You called my name. Elysia, you said. Pretty dramatic, honestly."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Elysia tilted her head, her smile widening. "The problem is, I never told you my name. So, that's a little unfair, don't you think? You know my name, but I don't know yours."

Oberon paused for a moment, then sighed deeply. "Well then, forget about it. It's not important."

"Not so fast," Elysia protested, stepping closer. "That's not fair. I've shared who I am, at least tell me who you are. You know, for fairness."

Oberon finally looked directly at Elysia, his eyes conveying something hard to read—a mixture of exhaustion, boredom, and maybe a bit of unspoken warmth.

"My name is Oberon Vortigern."

Elysia stopped for a moment, staring at him with wide eyes. "Oberon? Quite an elegant name for someone so mysterious and cold."

"Are you satisfied?"

"Maybe. Alright, I'll call you Oberon from now on."