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Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Soulrend’s Storm

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Void Admiral Kael's fleet blotted out the horizon, obsidian sails swallowing the sunlight. His scythe gleamed as he pointed it toward Weiss, the blade humming with a frequency that made the air itself recoil.

"Cut their bonds," Kael commanded.

A pulse of black energy erupted from the scythe. Weiss's Harem Sync flickered and died, the golden tether between him, Lucy, and Nami snapping like a severed nerve.

System Alert

Ding!

Soulrend Active

Harem Sync Disabled (Duration: Unknown)

Corruption Sensitivity: +15% (Current: 50%)

Weiss's dragon-clawed arm spasmed, obsidian scales crawling toward his collarbone. Lucy stumbled, her copied sword shattering. Nami's clima-tact sputtered, storm magic dissipating.

"Pathetic," Kael sneered. "*Your power was borrowed. Mine is earned.**"

Fractured but Unbroken

Nami lunged first, clima-tact whirling. "We don't need magic to kick your ass!"

Kael's scythe parried her strike effortlessly, the impact hurling her into the mast. Lucy charged, swinging a broken chain like a whip. "Stay away from them!"

Weiss forced himself upright, corruption burning through his veins. No Sync. No Dragon Overlord. Just raw will. He tackled Kael, claws screeching against void-forged armor.

"You cling to flesh," Kael hissed, slamming Weiss into the deck. "The Starved King will feast on your defiance."

A fireball exploded against Kael's helm.

"Nobody feasts on my nakama!" Natsu roared, flames engulfing his fists. Erza descended in her Sea Empress armor, trident piercing the deck beside Kael.

"Guild!" Erza barked. "Clear the ships!"

Gray's ice sealed cannons, Wendy's sky magic shielded the wounded, and Happy airlifted bombs with manic glee. But Kael's gaze stayed locked on Weiss.

"You cannot outrun destiny, Anomaly."

The Corruption's Edge

Weiss's vision blurred, the Dragonbone Seal pulsing like a second heart. 50% corruption. His claws darkened, striking faster, harder—wild. Lucy and Nami flanked him, their attacks uncoordinated but relentless.

"Weiss, snap out of it!" Lucy ducked a scythe swing, her keys glowing faintly. "You're losing control!"

Nami grappled Kael's arm, clima-tact jammed into his visor. "We need Sync!"

"Can't—" Weiss gasped, corruption searing his throat.

System Alert

Ding!

Manual Override Detected

Harem Sync Reboot (Cost: 10% Corruption)

Proceed? Y/N

Weiss didn't hesitate.

"SYNC!"

Reborn in Stormlight

Golden chains erupted from Lucy's keys, binding Kael. Nami's storm fused with Weiss's dragonfire, a vortex of lightning and embers.

"Celestial…" Lucy's voice trembled.

"…Dragon's…" Nami roared.

"…WRATH!"

The blast consumed Kael, his armor dissolving into ash. His scythe clattered to the deck, inert.

System Notification

Ding!

Void Admiral Kael Defeated

Reward: Starved King's Shard (Temporarily Halts Corruption)

Harem Sync Restored (25% Efficiency)

Corruption: 60% (Stabilized by Shard)

Aftermath: The Cost of Victory

The guild cheered as Kael's fleet retreated. Weiss collapsed, his corrupted arm now streaked with the Shard's starlight. Lucy cradled his head, her tears mingling with bloodied stardust. Nami gripped his claw, her storm-static hair frayed.

"You idiot," Nami whispered. "You could've died."

"Still… here," Weiss rasped.

Makarov approached, his face grim. "The Shard is a reprieve, not a cure. Laugh Tale awaits—and Im's throne."

Lucy's Resolve, Nami's Oath

That night, Lucy found Weiss on the forecastle, staring at the Shard. "We'll fix this. I'll summon the Celestial Spirit King himself if I have to."

Nami joined them, her mapa clutched tight. "Laugh Tale's currents are brutal. But I'll navigate them. For you."

"For us," Weiss corrected.

Harem Affection Update

Lucy: 100/100 ("Eternal Light")

Nami: 100/100 ("Unyielding Storm")

Cliffhanger: The Starved King's Gaze

As the ship neared Laugh Tale's mist-shrouded shores, the water turned black. A colossal eye opened beneath the waves, its pupil a swirling void.

System Alert

Ding!

Entity Detected: The Starved King (Im's True Form)

Warning: Corruption Vulnerability (Shard Failing)

Weiss's claws ignited. "Ready?"

Lucy and Nami nodded, their hands brushing his.

The mist parted, revealing a throne of bones—and a shadow with a crown of dead stars.

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