The village burned beneath a crimson sky.
Smoke rose from shattered homes while flames danced across the ruined streets.
And in the middle of that destruction—
Two figures stood facing each other.
Kentro.
And the Fire Emperor.
Neither spoke at first.
The silence between them felt heavier than the heat surrounding them.
Then Kentro slowly removed his hand from the black sword.
The blade remained sheathed.
The Fire Emperor frowned.
“You won’t use your weapon?”
Kentro’s crimson eyes remained fixed on him.
“No.”
He slowly clenched his fists.
“I’ve wanted this for too long.”
The Fire Emperor’s expression darkened.
Then both vanished.
BOOM!
Their fists collided in the center of the village.
The ground exploded beneath them.
A shockwave ripped through nearby buildings, sending debris flying into the air.
The Fire Emperor attacked relentlessly.
Flaming punches.
Burning kicks.
Waves of heat capable of melting stone.
But Kentro met every attack with his bare hands.
The battle quickly became a storm of destruction.
Every collision shattered walls.
Every exchange cracked the earth.
The surviving villagers watched from a distance in terrified silence.
Neither fighter was holding back.
Yet something felt strange.
The Fire Emperor wasn’t trying to kill immediately.
And Kentro wasn’t using his sword.
It was as though both of them needed something more than victory.
They needed answers.
The Fire Emperor launched a massive blast of flames.
Kentro burst through it.
His clothes burned.
His skin scorched.
Then healed almost instantly.
The emperor froze briefly.
“…What are you?”
Kentro ignored the question.
Instead, he spoke.
“Why?”
The Fire Emperor narrowed his eyes.
“Why what?”
Kentro pointed toward the village.
The corpses.
The burned homes.
The broken lives.
“Why did you do this?”
Silence.
Then the emperor laughed bitterly.
“You think you’re looking at evil?”
His voice grew colder.
“You know nothing.”
The Fire Emperor slammed his fist into the ground.
Flames erupted around them.
“Do you know how many villages starved during the last drought?”
No answer.
“Do you know how many children died waiting for food?”
The emperor’s voice shook.
“Do you know how many times I watched people beg for help that never came?”
Kentro remained silent.
The Fire Emperor continued.
“The kingdom grows weaker every year.”
“The wars never stop.”
“The enemies never stop.”
“The dead never stop.”
His fists trembled.
“I needed soldiers.”
“I needed power.”
“I needed something capable of protecting the future.”
His eyes burned with frustration.
“So I experimented.”
Kentro’s expression darkened.
“On your own people.”
The Fire Emperor looked away briefly.
“…Yes.”
Silence followed.
A painful silence.
For the first time since arriving—
Not sympathy.
Not forgiveness.
But understanding.
The emperor wasn’t a monster born from cruelty.
He was a man who had chosen the wrong path.
A ruler who had sacrificed others believing it was necessary.
The Fire Emperor looked directly at Kentro.
“Kings don’t have the luxury of kindness.”
His voice grew quieter.
“Sometimes we choose who lives…”
“…and who dies.”
Kentro lowered his head.
For a moment, neither attacked.
Then he remembered the crying mother.
The frightened child.
The villagers begging for help.
And his eyes hardened once more.
“You made your choice.”
The Fire Emperor nodded slowly.
“And so will you.”
Then both exploded forward again.
The second half of the battle was even more violent.
Buildings collapsed.
The village square shattered.
Flames and shockwaves tore through the air.
Until finally—
Kentro’s fist struck the emperor’s chest with overwhelming force.
CRAAASH!
The Fire Emperor flew across the village and crashed through multiple stone walls.
Silence followed.
The emperor slowly tried to stand.
Failed.
And collapsed onto one knee.
Blood dripped onto the ruined ground.
Kentro approached quietly.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The Fire Emperor laughed weakly.
“So this is how it ends.”
Kentro stopped in front of him.
The emperor waited for the final blow.
But it never came.
Instead—
Kentro turned away.
The Fire Emperor blinked.
“…Why?”
Kentro stared toward the ruined village.
Toward the survivors.
Toward the graves that would soon be dug.
Then answered.
“You’re not innocent.”
Silence.
“But you’re not just a monster either.”
The Fire Emperor froze.
Kentro continued walking.
“I’m not letting you die today.”
For the first time—
The Fire Emperor had no answer.
Only silence.
Only regret.
The battle was over.
The following hours were spent helping the survivors.
The dead were buried with dignity.
Families gathered together.
The wounded received treatment.
For the first time in many days—
Bluefall Village felt alive again.
Word of Kentro’s actions spread quickly.
Everywhere he walked, villagers thanked him.
Some bowed.
Some offered food.
Others simply smiled.
Something he wasn’t used to.
That afternoon, while walking through the marketplace—
A small boy suddenly ran toward him.
“Mister!”
Kentro stopped.
The child stared at him with shining eyes.
“I saw you fighting!”
“The monsters!”
“And the scary demon!”
The boy hesitated.
Then asked:
“How can I become strong like you?”
Several nearby adults became nervous. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
But Kentro simply crouched slightly.
Then answered honestly.
“First…”
He pointed toward the boy’s chest.
“Be honest with yourself.”
The child blinked.
“Second…”
“Accept reality.”
“Don’t lie to yourself.”
“Don’t run from your weaknesses.”
The boy listened carefully.
“And finally…”
Kentro stood up.
“Work harder than everyone else.”
The child’s eyes widened.
“That’s it?”
A faint smile appeared on Kentro’s face.
“That’s harder than it sounds.”
The boy laughed.
Then ran away excitedly.
Leaving Kentro strangely thoughtful.
Somehow…
That conversation felt more difficult than fighting emperors.
Night eventually arrived.
Kentro sat quietly near the edge of the village.
Thinking about everything that had happened.
The shadow.
The black book.
The Destroyer of Worlds.
His own identity.
Then—
A familiar voice interrupted him.
“Excuse me…”
He turned.
The woman he had saved earlier stood there holding her sleeping child.
She looked nervous.
“You saved us.”
“And everyone here owes you their lives.”
Kentro remained silent.
The woman continued.
“I own several rooms for travelers.”
“Please…”
“Allow me to thank you properly.”
“Stay there tonight.”
After a brief pause—
Kentro nodded.
“…Alright.”
The room was simple.
Warm.
Peaceful.
The woman prepared food and drinks for him.
For the first time in a long while—
Everything felt normal.
No fighting.
No monsters.
No secrets.
Just quiet.
After eating, Kentro finally lay down on the bed.
Exhaustion overwhelmed him.
His eyes slowly closed.
And for the first time in years—
He fell into a truly deep sleep.
But sometime during the night—
A cold breeze entered through the open window.
A single piece of paper drifted onto the wooden table beside his bed.
No footsteps.
No sound.
No presence.
Only the note.
Hours later—
Kentro woke up.
His eyes immediately landed on it.
Slowly, he unfolded the paper.
And read the message written in black ink:
“The page you seek was never in Bluefall Village.”
“Someone reached it before you.”
Kentro’s eyes narrowed.
Then he read the final line.
“If you want answers…”
“Come alone.”
The room fell silent.
And somewhere far away—
Someone was already waiting.
To Be Continued…