The night before their mission began, the city held a celebration. Laughter echoed through the streets, and for a while the tension of the coming days faded away. On one side of the square, people gathered around Dave as he animatedly told stories of his battles, exaggerating his gestures to the crowd's amusement. Nearby, Vanessa and Liane practiced sword movements together, their blades flashing under the lights as others watched in admiration. Not far from them, Orane entertained children by creating small firework-like spells that burst into harmless sparks of color.
The sound of mugs clinking, music playing, and people dancing filled the air. For that single night, everyone chose to set aside their worries and responsibilities, holding on to the warmth of shared joy before the path ahead called them back to duty.
…
In a realm filled with void and endless darkness, the Mad God sat on an ordinary chair, his posture relaxed as he looked down upon his Maze. He had always enjoyed watching mortals struggle within it, watching them claw for survival, betray one another, and break under pressure. But now the Maze lay in ruins. Cracked pathways slowly rebuilt themselves as his power seeped through the domain, repairing the damage piece by piece.
It had taken effort to expel that beast, far more than he liked to admit. And all of it traced back to one man.
He already knew who was responsible, but that man remained beyond his reach, hidden within Lilith's shadowland. As long as he stayed there, the Mad God could not touch him directly.
Anger rose within him, sharp and hot, before twisting into laughter.
"Victor Black… or should I say Leo Mantine," he said, his voice echoing through the empty dark. "Sitting upon Selvanna's throne suited you, it seems."
When he had observed him closely, he had felt it clearly, the lingering power of Selvanna clinging to the man's soul. Leo was the one who had taken her fragments. While the Mad God did not track every mortal, within his own domain, free of Lilith's protection or Selvanna's influence, nothing could be hidden from him. Every thread of Leo's past had been laid bare.
"You will join the madness soon enough," he said, his laughter returning.
He rose from the chair and began to walk. With each step, the space around him shifted, the darkness folding inward as reality reshaped itself. A portal opened before him, wide and silent, and he passed through without hesitation.
A moment later, he stood upon a vast expanse of gray earth. The ground beneath his feet was dry and powdery, stretching endlessly in all directions beneath a lifeless sky.
"How long do you plan to rest?" he asked, speaking to the empty air before him, his expression twisted with anticipation.
The world responded.
The ground trembled, and the gray earth split apart as something massive forced its way upward. Stone towers emerged first, followed by walls carved with ancient sigils. A colossal castle rose from the barren land, its structure forming layer by layer as if answering a long-forgotten command. Spires climbed skyward, sharp and imposing, while thick walls anchored the fortress firmly into the lifeless ground.
The castle stood complete, dominating the empty world around it, a monument of power, waiting for what was yet to come.
Every tower and arch carried intent, shaped not by hands but by pure will. This was more than a fortress. It was a nexus, a place where magic gathered, bent, and obeyed.
Above it stretched an immense sky, heavy with power. Stars burned brighter than they ever could over a living world, scattered across a deep violet-black void. A nebulae drifted like luminous smoke, and a massive celestial body, neither fully planet nor scar, hung close, washing the castle in cold, distant light. The heavens themselves seemed arranged around the structure, as if the universe acknowledged its authority.
There was no wind, yet the air vibrated. Magic saturated everything, visible as faint currents of light coiling around spires and balconies. This was the domain of the God of Magic. Any mortal who stood here would feel insignificant, not because of size, but because this place existed on a higher plane of meaning.
The castle did not rely on walls or armies. It endured through divinity and knowledge older than time, standing eternal on dead soil beneath a living sky, an altar to magic itself.
Suddenly, a massive eye filled with stars opened in the space above the castle. As it did, forests spread outward from the stone, roots tearing through the gray earth, while rivers carved their paths across the land.
"What do you want, Mad One?" The voice came from everywhere at once, heavy with authority, powerful enough to shatter the minds of any below A rank.
"The other side is moving," the Mad God replied, his twisted smile widening. "It's time for our next battle."
…
While preparing above in his domain, Leo's thoughts drifted toward the gods. He had altered too many pieces on the board for them to remain still. Sooner or later, they would act, and among them, the Mad God posed the greatest threat.
Another question followed, one that had troubled him for some time.
If the gods were truly so powerful, why didn't they simply act themselves? Any one of them could erase a city in moments and force the world into the shape they desired.
Seeking clarity, Leo appeared beside Ilandra and asked the question directly.
She remained silent for a few seconds, gathering her thoughts before answering.
"There are two main reasons," she said at last. "First, once a being reaches godhood, they become bound by the rules of their primary path. Those rules exist to protect the world. A god's presence alone can destroy mortals, so the world itself resists their descent."
She continued, her voice calm but firm. "There are ways around those limits, summoning through followers, sacrifices, or forcibly breaking through using divine power, but all of them come at a cost, and none can be sustained for long."
Leo frowned. "Then why not accept the cost?"
"Because that leads to the second reason," Ilandra replied. "The moment a god descends, every other god will feel it. While one exposes themselves to act directly, their enemies gain an opening. A single mistake could mean death."
She paused, then added, "There is only one exception."
Leo looked at her. "The Void?"
Ilandra nodded. "Yes. The Void answers to no rule that governs this world. Nothing restrains it from entering the mortal realm, which is why its power is so dangerous."
Leo fell silent, his thoughts deepening rather than settling.
After a moment, he spoke again. "Then why didn't the Mad God act directly when Lilith was asleep? What was he afraid of?"
Ilandra's answer came without hesitation.
"The three guardians," she said.
"Then when I'm fighting the God of Light with the three guardians, who will protect the people?" Leo asked. His voice stayed calm, but the concern beneath it was real. "Even if Lilith can stop the Mad God, what happens if the God of Magic descends as well? And if the Beast joins them?"
Ilandra fell silent. For the first time, she had no immediate answer. Even Lilith could not stand against all three at once, not without risking everything. The balance that held the world together would collapse the moment too many gods moved at the same time.
This was another problem Leo had to solve. Another piece of a future that refused to stay simple.
As he sank into thought, a sharp pain suddenly struck his head. His vision blurred, and an image forced its way into his mind.
His sister.
She was walking home from the Paladin Association, her steps steady, unaware of the danger closing in around her. The street looked ordinary, but something felt wrong. The air carried pressure, the kind that came only when someone powerful had already taken notice.
Leo's eyes widened.
Someone knew about him.
Before another thought could form, he vanished without a word.
…
Liam was sitting in a chair in his room when a sharp pain suddenly struck his head.
"Liam."
The voice echoed directly inside his mind.
Before he could react, an image forced itself into his vision. A girl he knew well was walking alone toward her house, the familiar streets stretching ahead of her.
"Go. Now."
The ethereal command rang again, heavier this time.
"Rosie…" Liam gasped, clutching his head as pain surged through him.
He was no longer living in his old home. The small house in the narrow alley was quieter, safer. Only a servant girl and Steve were inside at the moment.
Steve was the only member of his family who was still alive and not in jail. Although he hated his family just like Liam, he spent the first few days in shock and silence before he finally started speaking again. He understood that the evil sins his family had done needed to be stopped, and he eventually accepted what Liam did.
When they saw Liam stagger to his feet, his expression twisted with pain and fear, both of them froze.
"Liam, what is it?" Steve asked, stepping forward.
Liam didn't answer.
Golden light burst from his body, flooding the room with blinding radiance. He rushed to the window and leapt through it without even opening it, glass and air parting as if they weren't there.
A moment later, he vanished into the sky.
…
Rosie was walking home when dizziness struck her without warning. The street bent and twisted, colors smearing as if reality itself had lost its balance. Her breath caught.
Then laughter rolled through the air. It did not come from one direction. It came from everywhere.
A man appeared in front of her as though he had always been there. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, untouched by the warped world around him. The night seemed to dim in his presence.
"Rosie Mantine," he said, his voice smooth and vast, layered with something far older than sound. "At last, you stand before me."
Rosie frowned, forcing herself not to freeze. Instinct moved her body before fear could. Water gathered in her palm, shaping itself into a dense, rotating orb as she took a defensive stance.
The man laughed again, slow and amused. "Ah… how familiar," he said. "You carry his will in your posture. You truly are siblings."
Her eyes widened. 'He knows Leo.'
Before she could speak, white and red mist poured into the street, swallowing the lamps, the buildings, even the sky. The air grew heavy, pressing against her chest.
A man stepped out of the fog and stopped in front of her.
Rosie did not need to see his face. Even from behind, she knew him.
"Leo…" Her voice broke, tears spilling down her cheeks.
The man in the suit stared, surprise flickering across his expression before melting into delight.
"So soon?" he said softly. "You sensed me already?"
Suddenly, a light ignited behind him, brilliant, overwhelming. Night shattered into day as something massive descended.
A colossal lion landed on the street, its mane blazing with divine radiance, eyes burning like twin suns.
The man in black chuckled. "I should have known," he said casually. "You never stay quiet for long, kitty."
"Mad God," Alad growled, every word carrying ancient authority.
Leo raised his hand. The sound of his fingers snapping echoed like a verdict.
The world folded.
In the same instant, Leo, the Mad God, and Alad vanished, erased from the street as if they had never existed.
Liam appeared beside Rosie, grabbing her before her knees could give way.
…
Far above the city, Leo, Alad, and the Mad God reappeared. The air shimmered with residual mana, lightning dancing faintly across the clouds around them.
"Oh, you teleported me too," the Mad God said, a smirk twisting his features. "That must have cost you quite a bit of mana."
"Mad God," Leo said, his voice low and full of intent. His eyes burned with resolve. "I will end you myself."
Behind him, the clouds swirled and convulsed, coalescing into the upper body of a colossal figure. Its arms stretched skyward, drawing lightning from the heavens themselves, crackling with the raw will of the storm.
"Oho, that is… impressive," the Mad God said, mocking fear in his tone, before his laughter cracked the air. In the next heartbeat, his expression hardened, eyes narrowing. "You must have forgotten who you are speaking to."
"I know exactly who you are," Leo replied, his voice steady, unwavering. "You are not at your full strength."
"And if I were?" the Mad God asked, his tone sharp, laced with both amusement and warning.
"Then do you wish to test it?" Leo's eyes blazed. The lightning around the colossal figure behind him flared as if answering his will.
The Mad God's gaze shifted from Leo to Alad standing behind him. The air thickened with tension. "Hear my words, Creator," he said, his voice reverberating across the void. "You toy with forces beyond your understanding. Soon, you will join the madness." He laughed again, a sound that made the very clouds tremble.
Leo's expression hardened, an angry smile forming. "Is that the mad part of you… or the god of wisdom speaking?"
For a moment, the Mad God paused, uncertainty flickering across his features. Then his form began to fade, dissolving like smoke in the wind. "We will meet again," he said, his voice echoing as he vanished from sight.
Leo remained in the air, seething, his fists clenched. He turned to Alad, recognition and frustration warring in his chest. It was because of his venture into the Maze of Madness, that the Mad God had discovered him and threatened everyone. The responsibility weighed heavily on Leo.
He bowed deeply to Alad. "Thank you."
Alad's voice carried with calm authority, distant yet grounding. "Do not worry for your family or your friends. I will protect them for now. But you must find a way to confront this fully, or all of us will fall."
"I will," Leo said, still bowed, his resolve unbroken.
Alad gave a solemn nod, then slowly vanished, leaving only the hum of residual power and the crackle of distant lightning in his wake.