The battlefield simmered with an invisible tension that pressed down like a storm. Wisps of smoke curled from the scorched, cracked ground. At the heart of it all, Kozmo floated slowly before the swaying figure of Zeo—his eyes dim, yet unwavering as they locked on the enemy.
Elsewhere, Erik stood clutching his short sword, drenched in sweat—not just from the heat, but from the fear he tried to mask beneath a furious glare.
In another corner of the arena, battle still raged fiercely.
Miza moved with elegance, dominating Takk and frustrating him to the point of distraction. Brug, massive and muscled, struggled only to defend himself against Guillard—the young dwarf dancing through the clash of raw force. The two who once mocked Zeo's group could now only stay silent, humbled. Monsters… they're all monsters!
Erik grit his teeth. Deep down, he already knew—he couldn't win this. Even Zeo, clearly injured, still held back power. And Kozmo's presence had twisted the entire battlefield into a living hell for his side.
Still, Erik didn't retreat.
With a roar fueled by rage and shattered pride, he charged. "Die!!"
Kozmo didn't move. He simply raised both hands, releasing a wave of scorching energy from his palms.
Skill: Nova Cage
Flames spiraled from the ground, forming curved pillars that arched upward and connected, shaping a blazing, semi-transparent cage around Erik. The heat radiated outward—even Ravyn, seated far from the center, raised her arm to shield her face.
"W-What is this…?" Erik stumbled back, eyes wide. The fire seemed alive—lashing at anything that neared its walls. He tried to escape—only for the flames to whip across his skin, sending him sprawling in pain.
Zeo walked calmly through the fire toward Alice, who still lay unconscious. He gently lifted her in his arms.
"Don't touch her!!!" Erik screamed, trying to stand though his knees trembled. "Don't go near her! Don't touch Alice!!"
He tried again to force his way out—but the fire lashed him once more, blistering his skin.
Zeo glanced at him and said flatly, "You're the possessive type. But also a coward."
Erik froze.
"Instead of being honest with her… you chose to push everyone else away. You want to possess, but you don't know how to love."
"I…" Erik's voice caught in his throat. "You don't know what I've been through. Since the day I met Alice, I've never stopped admiring her. I know I'm weak… but I was always there. When she smiled, when she cried—I was there, even if I couldn't say what I felt. That was enough for me…"
From afar, Ravyn let out a cold laugh, her voice sharp as a blade.
"Then why did you lose it the moment she smiled at someone else? Pathetic. You 'admired' her but never dared to claim her—and now you rage when someone else does. Scared to fail, scared to be rejected. That's not love. That's a prison—for her… and for yourself."
Zeo was silent. He looked down at Alice. Ravyn's words struck something deep inside him.
He remembered—he too had once been like Erik.
---
Flashback
Back in Kurua Village, Zeo had admired Kaira, the gentle and exceptional village healer. But he had never dared confess his feelings.
One day, as she treated his wounds, Kaira smiled and said:
"There's nothing wrong with admiring from afar. But if you're a man, say it before it's too late. Rejection, acceptance—it's part of life. But staying silent, hoping, doing nothing… only tortures yourself. That's not love. That's a delusion that will slowly destroy you."
Those words had shaken him—and opened the path for their relationship. They gave him the courage to chase Kaira.
---
Back to the present.
Erik clenched his jaw, breathing hard.
"My love isn't a delusion!" he shouted. "When I thought she was dead, I was broken. I screamed inside. The world felt empty. But when she returned—I was grateful! I was happy! But… then you were with her…"
His voice grew quieter, more fragile. "You stole that happiness from me… Zeo. You don't understand how I feel. That's why… you have to disappear."
Zeo shook his head. "Listen to how hypocritical you sound."
But Erik no longer cared.
His eyes were bloodshot, his expression twisted by heartbreak. Beneath his hatred… was a love left to rot into obsession.
Zeo looked at Alice, then back at Erik.
"But I do understand how that feels," he said softly. "Still… those feelings don't give you the right to hurt someone. Even if you want to kill me, I won't kill you for now—once Alice wakes up, I'll let her decide what to do. Until then… enjoy your punishment inside that cage."
Erik couldn't reply, nor could he beg his romantic rival for mercy. He simply clenched his teeth, trembling with fury.
Zeo turned his gaze away, looking toward the other battle—Miza and Guillard pressing their enemies hard. Though weak and battered, Zeo smiled.
"Heh… I picked the right ones," he whispered proudly.
Brug and Takk—once fearsome fighters—were no longer predators. They were prey.
Brug staggered, Takk couldn't read the movements.
While Guillard crushed Brug with sheer brutality and precision, Miza hunted Takk like a shadow, graceful and relentless. The combination of dwarven strength and elven cunning stripped Brug and Takk of their arrogance. Their faces turned pale. They realized… they'd made a grave mistake.
But true enemies don't fall easily.
As Guillard charged with his wooden beam, Brug spotted an opening—just a sliver between attack and defense. Vita energy surged from his body to his arms. Entra cloaked his axe in a glowing yellow aura. His massive weapon gleamed, air cracking with power.
Skill: Thunder Cleave
He struck.
The impact shook the forest. Guillard was thrown back into the trees and lay still for a moment. But it wasn't enough.
Despite blood on his lip and pain in his body, the dwarf chuckled.
"Heh. Not bad."
He stood, picked up a hefty boulder from the ground, and hurled it into the air. Then, gripping his wooden beam tightly, he waited. As the rock fell—
Skill: Dwarf Cannonball
With a deafening swing, he smashed the rock, turning it into a cannonball that curved through the air and slammed into Brug. Brug tried to block with his axe—
BRAGHHHH!
The axe cracked, then shattered. Brug was sent flying, crashing through a tree so hard it split in two. Blood sprayed from his mouth. His breathing turned ragged. His eyes trembled.
"This… can't be…"
Guillard leapt high into the air, his weapon shifting—its tip sharpening, wrapped in pulsing energy.
"Time's up!"
Skill: Dwarven Drill
The wooden beam morphed into a massive lance, descending straight for Brug's chest with lethal intent—
But before it struck—
CRASSSHHH!!!
Guillard was launched aside. A blur had crashed into him with overwhelming force, sending him flying through several trees.
"M-My leg…!" Guillard cried. His leg was broken, pain etched across his face.
Elsewhere—
Takk had finally found an opening. He lunged at Miza, his dagger gleaming toward his neck. But what he struck—
"Leaves?"
Skill: Nature Illusion
It was only an illusion of Miza formed by swirling leaves.
The real Miza appeared behind him. He smiled—elegant, confident—his golden dagger spinning toward his throat.
But then—
Cling!
An ice blade deflected the strike. Miza was pushed back, and the same ice blade slashed his arm.
"Argh!" He leapt away, blood dripping from his wound.
Then—
Tap… Tap… Tap…
Heavy footsteps echoed through the shattered forest. From the mist, two figures emerged.
A tall man clad in black armor, his presence sharp and cold like a predator.
Beside him—a woman with silver-blue hair, her floating black cloak rippling with arcane power. Shards of ice hovered behind her, circling ominously.
---