The silence…
didn’t even last a single breath.
BOOOM!!
One of the Novus Executives vanished from where he stood.
The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly.
“…!!”
Kael was the first to react.
“EVERYONE, SPREAD OUT!!”
CLAAANG!!
His sword collided head-on with the Executive’s blade.
Sparks erupted in every direction.
But…
Kael was sent flying dozens of meters backward.
Both feet carved deep trails into the ground.
The arm holding his sword trembled violently.
“…Heavy…”
Before he could even catch his breath…
the Executive vanished again.
Too fast.
DOR!!
Kael barely had time to raise his sword.
The next slash sent him crashing into the stone ruins.
“DORAN!!”
Kael’s roar echoed across the battlefield.
Doran charged forward with all his strength.
His spear came crashing in from the side.
BOOOM!!
The second Executive blocked it with a single hand.
A shockwave tore across the ruined floor.
Doran kept pushing.
His roar filled the air.
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”
He swung his spear again and again.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Dozens of attacks.
Yet…
not a single one broke through his opponent’s defense.
Instead…
with every clash, both of Doran’s arms grew more numb.
The Executive finally spoke.
“Nice explosive power, brat.”
“But…”
“…you’re way too easy to read!”
BOOOM!!
A single kick slammed into Doran’s stomach.
His massive body was sent flying.
Three stone pillars shattered beneath him.
“DORAN!!”
Mira instinctively ran forward.
Her staff immediately began glowing green.
Healing Magic.
A soft light enveloped Doran’s body.
His wounds slowly began to close.
But…
the third Executive had already moved.
His target…
was Mira.
“…!!”
Lyra immediately fired three arrows at once.
WHISS!!
WHISS!!
WHISS!!
The Executive didn’t even turn around.
His sword simply spun once.
CLANG!!
All three arrows were sliced apart in midair.
Finn appeared from the left.
Overdrive.
Ten percent.
His body turned into a blur.
His sword thrust straight into the blind spot.
Yet…
it was as if the Executive had already seen it coming.
CLAAANG!!
Finn’s sword stopped dead.
Between just two fingers.
“…What?!”
Finn’s eyes widened.
The Executive flicked his hand.
BOOOM!!
Finn was sent tumbling across the ground several times before finally managing to regain his footing.
His breathing grew ragged.
His hands trembled.
“He’s…”
“…a monster…”
Elsewhere…
Aether finally managed to retrieve the sword he’d thrown earlier.
His grip tightened around the hilt.
He watched.
He didn’t attack recklessly.
His eyes followed every movement.
Every step.
Every shift in their center of gravity.
Every swing.
His body moved.
Simple.
Efficient.
Several times…
he managed to deflect attacks that should have struck Kael or Doran.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
The Executive frowned slightly.
“Hm?”
“His swordsmanship…”
“…is strange.”
No Mana.
No Vestige.
No Authority.
And yet…
every swing of the young man’s sword was almost perfect.
As though…
the sword had become a part of his body.
Aether himself didn’t realize it.
His body moved on instinct.
Reflexes buried far deeper than his memories.
Even so…
it still wasn’t enough.
Because his body…
couldn’t keep up with everything he had once known.
He saw the opening.
But his body moved too late.
He knew where the next attack would come from.
But his speed couldn’t keep up.
As though…
his mind and body belonged to two different people.
BOOOM!!
Aether was pushed back again.
His arm went numb from the impact.
He took a slow breath.
“…I’m…”
“…too slow…”
Behind them…
the Arc Sage wasn’t fighting at all.
His transparent Barrier continued to protect the Mages.
The ritual went on uninterrupted.
The ancient runes glowed brighter and brighter.
The gate at the center of the magic circle was now nearly one-third open.
A bluish-green mist began to seep through the gap.
The Arc Sage stared at it without expression.
“Continue.”
“Just a little more.”
The Mages nodded.
Their Mana continued flowing into the magic circle.
Meanwhile…
the screams of Nareth’s citizens grew more unbearable by the second.
Their bodies continued losing Life Force.
Black cracks began spreading across their skin.
Some had already lost consciousness.
Others…
had stopped screaming altogether.
They simply stared blankly ahead.
As if…
their souls were slowly being torn away.
Mira saw the sight.
Her hands trembled.
“…No…”
“…please…”
But…
she didn’t even have the chance to approach them.
Every time she tried to move forward…
the three Novus Executives forced her back.
The hope…
that had appeared when Rowan led the assault…
was slowly fading.
Now…
the six survivors finally understood one terrible truth.
The person who had always stood at the front…
was gone.
And for the first time…
they had to face the battlefield…
without Rowan.
CLANG!!
Another arrow shot from Lyra’s bow.
One.
Two.
Three.
All of them headed straight for one of the Novus Executives.
But…
before they could even reach him—
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
All three arrows were sliced cleanly in half.
As though…
the Executive’s sword had cut them down before they were even visible.
Lyra gritted her teeth.
“Impossible…”
Her gaze immediately shifted toward the ritual circle.
Her eyes narrowed.
The Arc Sage’s transparent Barrier still stood firm.
But…
something made her freeze.
“…Wait.”
That Barrier…
wasn’t spherical.
It was…
a half-dome.
The entire front of the Mages was perfectly protected.
But…
their backs were completely exposed.
The Arc Sage had deliberately directed the Barrier toward the battlefield.
Because…
he never expected an attack to come from the other side.
Lyra’s eyes widened.
“There’s an opening…”
Without another thought…
she ran.
She leaped onto the trunk of a tree.
Then…
from branch to branch.
Higher.
Higher.
Until she finally reached the top of the tallest tree surrounding the ruins.
The evening wind swept through her hair.
From there…
the entire ritual site was visible.
And…
the backs of the Mages were completely exposed.
Lyra drew a deep breath.
She slowly pulled back her bowstring.
Mana gathered around the arrow.
Her eyes locked onto the target.
“…Sorry.”
WHISSH!!
The first arrow flew.
TUSSS!!
It pierced straight through a Mage’s chest.
His eyes widened.
His body collapsed instantly.
“They’re attacking from behind!”
WHISSH!!
WHISSH!!
WHISSH!!
Three more arrows flew.
Two Mages managed to dodge.
But…
one was still struck in the shoulder.
Their ritual immediately faltered.
The rune beneath their feet flickered.
Kael’s eyes widened.
“It worked!”
Finn smiled.
“That’s it!”
A spark of hope returned to Mira’s eyes.
But…
the Arc Sage’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
His gaze slowly shifted.
For the first time since the battle began…
he looked away from the gate.
His eyes settled on Lyra.
His voice remained calm.
Quiet.
Yet…
it made the entire ruin feel colder.
“…That marksman girl…”
“…is annoying.”
That was all.
No shouting.
No anger.
One of the Novus Executives immediately vanished.
BOOOM!!
The ground beneath his feet collapsed.
Lyra was still focused on drawing her next arrow.
Her eyes remained fixed on the Mages.
She didn’t notice…
that the figure had already appeared directly in front of her.
In midair.
His longsword was raised.
Lyra only realized it when a massive shadow fell across her body.
“…Huh?”
Her eyes widened.
Too late.
The sword came crashing down.
But…
“…LYRA!!”
BOOOM!!
A shadow shot forward far faster than before.
Finn.
With Overdrive forced beyond its limit.
He immediately wrapped his arms around Lyra.
He twisted their positions.
Using his own body as a shield.
TUSSS!!
The Executive’s sword pierced through Finn’s back.
The tip of the blade…
burst through his chest.
Straight through his heart.
The Novus Executive slowly pulled the sword free.
Warm blood spilled across Lyra’s clothes.
Finn remained in her arms.
The light had already faded from his eyes.
And yet…
that faint smile…
was still there.
Lyra could only stare blankly.
“…Finn?”
No answer.
Her hands began trembling violently.
“…Wake up…”
“…Don’t fucking joke around!”
“…Finn…”
She shook her friend’s body again.
Harder.
More desperately.
But…
there was no response.
Her tears finally broke free.
“…FINN!!”
Her scream echoed throughout the ruins.
Kael froze.
“…Finn…”
Doran’s eyes widened.
His spear nearly slipped from his hands.
“…No…”
Mira covered her mouth.
Tears immediately streamed down her face.
Meanwhile…
on the ground…
Aether had seen everything.
Long before the sword pierced Finn’s body.
The moment the Arc Sage said,
“…That marksman girl…”
“…is annoying.”
Aether’s instincts screamed.
Danger.
His eyes caught the movement of one of the Novus Executives.
His body moved instantly.
Without thinking.
He drew Rowan’s sword.
Then…
threw it with all his strength.
WHISSHHH!!
The sword tore through the air.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
But…
it was still too late.
Because…
in that very same moment…
Finn had already moved.
Overdrive.
Forced far beyond its safe limit.
He leaped.
The force of the jump cracked the ground beneath his feet.
Then…
he wrapped himself around Lyra.
Twisting their positions.
Making his own body her shield.
The next second—
TUSSS!!
The Novus Executive’s sword pierced Finn’s back.
The tip of the blade…
burst through his chest.
Straight through his heart.
WHISSH!!
Aether’s thrown sword arrived a moment later.
CLANG!!
The blade slammed into the Executive’s back.
But…
it only bounced off.
The aura of an Apex-level Vestiger surrounding the man’s body made an ordinary sword completely useless against him.
Rowan’s sword spun through the air several times.
Then…
fell to the ground.
CLANK…
Aether froze.
“…”
A few centimeters.
Only…
a few centimeters too slow.
The Novus Executive didn’t even turn around.
As though that thrown sword…
had been nothing more than a minor annoyance.
His attention remained fixed on Lyra.
Meanwhile…
Lyra was still holding Finn in her arms.
“…Finn?”
Her voice trembled.
Finn coughed softly.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
And yet…
he still smiled.
The same smile…
he wore every day.
“…Hey…”
“…Hey…”
“Don’t make that ugly face…”
Lyra’s sobs grew louder.
“…No…”
“…No…”
Finn let out a faint chuckle.
His breathing was already growing shallow.
“Wasn’t it usually…”
“…you who complained about me the most?”
Lyra shook her head again and again.
Her trembling hands clutched Finn’s body.
Finn smiled once more.
“Don’t cry like that…”
“…I promise…”
“…I won’t make you mad anymore…”
Then…
silence.
The smile…
remained.
But…
the light in his eyes slowly faded.
His arms weakened.
Slowly.
Then…
fell completely limp.
“…Finn?”
No answer.
“…Finn?”
Lyra shook him again.
Harder.
“…Finn!!”
Her sobs broke apart completely, tears falling without end.
She immediately wrapped both arms around Finn’s body as tightly as she could.
As though…
the moment she let go…
Finn would truly be gone.
Her gaze began to lose focus.
Her lips trembled uncontrollably.
“…If only…”
“…I were stronger…”
“…if only I’d realized it sooner…”
“…if only I hadn’t let my guard down…”
“…Finn wouldn’t have…”
The sentence…
was never finished.
Because…
the Novus Executive slowly pulled his sword from Finn’s body.
TUSSS…
Finn’s body no longer moved.
Without even the slightest change in expression…
the Executive raised his sword again.
Slowly.
Calmly.
As though he were simply finishing an ordinary task.
Blood splattered through the air again.
While Lyra…
still clung to Finn’s body.
Her eyes were empty.
Tears continued streaming down her face.
She no longer saw the enemy in front of her.
She no longer heard Kael shouting.
She no longer heard Mira crying.
She no longer heard Doran’s rage.
Her world…
had stopped…
with Finn’s final smile.
Meanwhile, the Novus Executive…
slowly.
Without emotion.
pointed his blade straight at Lyra’s neck.
One swing.
That was all it would take.
Lyra…
didn’t even raise her head.
She was still holding Finn’s body tightly.
Still trapped…
in the moment her friend sacrificed himself for her.
The sword began to descend.
And…
no one could reach them in time.
The sword began to descend.
And…
no one could reach them in time.
“LYRAAAAAAA!!”
Kael’s roar shook the ruins.
He forced his way through.
CLAAANG!!
His sword collided with one of the Novus Executives.
Sparks exploded.
But…
he was knocked back again.
BOOOM!!
His body crashed into the ruins.
He immediately got back to his feet.
His eyes were bloodshot.
“…MOVE!!”
His Authority flared once more.
He attacked wildly.
No rhythm.
No defense.
He no longer cared about any of it.
There was only one thing on his mind.
Save Lyra.
But…
the gap in Mastery was simply too great.
Every slash he made…
was broken apart.
Every step he took…
was stopped.
Every bit of hope he had…
was crushed.
On the other side…
Doran roared at the top of his lungs.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!”
Every muscle in his body tensed.
Veins bulged across both arms.
He spun his spear.
Once.
Twice.
Dozens of times.
One explosion after another shook the ground.
He was no longer fighting calmly.
He was completely enraged.
“YOU KILLED MR. ROWAN!!”
“YOU KILLED FINN!!”
“DIE!!”
BOOOOM!!
His spear slammed into the ground.
Rocks flew in every direction.
But…
the Executive in front of him simply dodged with half a step.
His expression remained cold.
“Too much emotion.”
“Far too easy to read.”
CLAAANG!!
The longsword struck Doran’s spear.
The impact numbed both of his arms.
Yet…
he forced himself forward again.
Again.
And again.
Even though every attack…
ended in failure.
Mira stood frozen.
Her eyes never left the tree where Lyra was.
“…Finn…”
Tears continued streaming down her face.
Every instinct inside her screamed at her to run.
To heal him.
To save him.
To do something.
But…
she knew.
She was too late already.
And…
Finn was high in the tree.
She couldn’t even reach his body.
Her trembling hands tightened around her staff.
For the first time…
she felt completely powerless now.
Meanwhile…
Aether was still standing.
His eyes never left them.
Lyra.
Finn’s body.
And…
the sword slowly descending toward the girl’s neck.
He wanted to move.
He truly wanted to move.
But…
his mind knew the truth.
Impossible.
He had no Vestige.
He didn’t know how to leap that high.
He didn’t know how to reinforce his body with Mana.
His body…
was nothing more than that of a swordsman.
Nothing more.
His hands slowly curled into fists.
So tightly…
that his nails nearly pierced his skin.
“…Move…”
His voice was barely audible.
“…Move…”
He forced himself.
But…
his body still wouldn’t respond.
Above them…
Lyra no longer saw anything.
No longer heard anything.
The only thing in her arms…
was Finn.
The boy who always laughed.
Always joked around.
Always kept their group alive.
Now…
silent.
Forever.
Her arms tightened around Finn’s body.
Tears soaked both their clothes.
Her lips kept trembling.
Her gaze was empty.
Filled with regret.
She didn’t even realize…
that the sword was now only a few centimeters from her neck.
The Novus Executive said nothing.
To him…
this was nothing more than the completion of a mission.
One swing.
Done.
His sword continued downward.
Calmly.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
Below…
Kael charged again.
“DORAN!!”
“WE HAVE TO GET UP THERE!!”
“I KNOW!!”
The two of them forced their way forward once more.
But…
the other two Executives immediately blocked them.
BOOOM!!
CLAAANG!!
Shockwaves shattered what remained of the ruins.
Kael was thrown back again.
Doran was pushed back again.
The harder they struggled…
the clearer the truth became.
They…
weren’t strong enough.
The Arc Sage remained standing before the ritual circle.
The transparent Barrier still protected the Mages.
The gate behind him continued opening little by little.
The ancient runes glowed brighter.
He didn’t even turn around.
To him…
the death of a young girl…
meant nothing compared to the ritual before him.
The evening wind blew softly.
Carrying the scent of blood.
And…
the sword…
was only a few centimeters away…
from separating Lyra’s head from her body.
Then—
BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!
An enormous wave of Mana…
a force none of them had ever felt before…
erupted from Aether’s body.
The ground beneath the ruins cracked instantly.
The air trembled.
All the Abyss Mana filling the area…
was driven away in an instant.
Everyone froze.
Kael turned.
“…What?”
Doran stopped his spear.
Mira’s eyes widened.
Even…
the three Novus Executives instinctively turned toward him.
The Arc Sage…
lifted his head.
His gaze shifted away from the gate.
Toward Aether.
…
Aether was still standing where he had been.
But…
his expression had changed.
There was no confusion left.
No hesitation.
Only anger.
Not toward Novus.
Not toward the world.
But…
toward himself.
Hatred for his own helplessness.
He hated the fact that all he could do was watch.
Watch Rowan die.
Watch Finn die.
Watch his friends get hurt.
And now…
watch Lyra die too.
No.
Not like this.
Not a world like this…
was what he wanted to see.
He wanted…
to create a world…
where children could laugh without fear.
A world…
where no one had to sacrifice their life just to save someone else.
A world…
where no one had to cry over the loss of their family.
A world…
where hope always existed.
If such a world didn’t exist yet…
then…
he would create it himself.
His fist clenched tightly.
“…Enough.”
His voice was quiet.
Yet…
it echoed throughout the ruins.
The Mana pouring from his body grew stronger.
It wasn’t wild.
It wasn’t destructive.
Instead…
it felt warm.
Like the light of dawn.
Like hope.
The air filled with Abyss Mana…
slowly settled.
Aether raised his head.
His gaze locked onto Lyra.
Then…
he spoke a single sentence.
With a conviction even he didn’t understand.
“I…”
“…will create a world…”
“…where no one ever has to cry like this again.”
Hum.
On the back of Aether’s right hand…
a Vestige Mark slowly appeared.
Not one line.
Not two.
But…
a symbol no one there had ever seen before.
Its light was white and gold.
Pure.
Brilliant.
It carried no pressure.
And yet…
the entire ruin fell silent.
The Arc Sage’s eyes widened.
For the first time…
his expression changed.
“…Impossible.”
The three Novus Executives froze as well.
Their instincts screamed.
Danger.
Extremely dangerous.
Aether stepped forward.
One step.
Then…
the ground beneath his foot shattered.
BOOOM!!
His body shot into the sky.
So fast…
it left behind a burst of compressed air.
The Executive on the tree barely had time to turn.
“…?!”
Too late.
Aether appeared directly in front of him.
His hand raised the ordinary sword Rowan had given him.
No Mana.
No technique.
Only…
one swing.
CLAAANG!!
The Novus Executive’s sword was knocked away.
For the first time…
his expression changed.
“…What?!”
Aether didn’t even look at him.
His eyes remained fixed on Lyra.
And…
Finn’s body still resting in her arms.
With an incredibly calm motion…
Aether lifted Finn’s body.
Then…
held him carefully in his arms.
After that…
he supported Lyra, who was still sitting there, clutching at empty air.
Lyra’s eyes remained blank.
Her lips trembled.
She didn’t even realize…
that she had been moved.
Aether said nothing.
He simply carried them back down.
Landing softly in front of Kael.
Doran.
And Mira.
They could only stare.
None of them had time to understand…
what had just happened.
Aether gently laid Finn’s body down.
As though…
he were simply putting someone to sleep.
Then…
he raised his right hand.
The Vestige Mark glowed once again.
White-gold Mana filled the air.
“Authority of Creation.”
The words left his mouth naturally.
As though…
they had already become a part of his soul.
Hum…
A transparent cube slowly formed.
Perfect.
Without a single gap.
The cube enveloped Finn’s body.
Then…
a second cube formed around Rowan.
A third.
Lyra.
A fourth.
Mira.
A fifth.
Kael.
A sixth.
Doran.
Perfect Cube.
An absolute barrier.
Made to protect.
No attack could penetrate it.
No Mana could break it.
No Authority.
No Mastery.
Not even…
the gods themselves…
could destroy a creation brought to perfection.
The entire ruin fell silent.
The surrounding Abyss Mana no longer dared approach.
The wind stopped blowing.
Even the light coming from the ancient gate…
seemed to dim for a moment.
Aether stood before the six transparent cubes.
White-gold light covered his entire body.
It wasn’t an aura meant to crush others.
It was an aura that made anyone…
instinctively…
unable to approach.
The empty gaze he had always carried…
was now sharp.
Cold.
Calm.
And…
no one spoke.
No one moved.
Because…
everyone in the ruins realized one thing.
Someone…
had just awakened an extraordinarily powerful Vestige.