The wind carried ashes through the air, while the bodies of fallen soldiers lay scattered across the blackened earth.
Mark stood in the middle of a burning battlefield, blood running from his left side.
His face was covered in soot, and his eyes burned with flames that refused to die.
Before him stood the humanoid monster, laughing as blood dripped from its mouth.
"It's over... Kingdom Knight."
Mark did not answer.
He simply raised his burning sword...
And charged at his enemy with reckless determination.
BOOM!
The earth exploded beneath his feet.
His strikes became a torrent of fire, devouring everything they touched.
The monster fought back desperately, but it began to retreat.
Its screams grew louder as the flames consumed it.
Then—
BOOM!
Its entire body erupted in scorching fire.
Its final whisper echoed through the battlefield:
"Your downfall has begun... This is only a shadow."
The monster collapsed.
Meanwhile...
Nero, exhausted and wounded, carried Kartithia on his back as he ran through the ruins.
Blood dripped from his wounds onto the ground with every step.
Aether was still trapped inside the rubble.
He watched everything through a small opening in the debris.
His eyes held no tears.
They were simply frozen.
Filled with confusion...
And terror.
He did not scream.
He did not move.
He simply watched the world around him burn.
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOM!
Another explosion struck the ground behind Nero.
The blast sent him flying forward.
He twisted his body in midair, shielding Kartithia with his own.
He crashed into the ground and struggled to rise.
Then—
Mark came running toward them.
His breathing was ragged.
Blood covered his body.
"Nero! Take them and run!"
He looked toward the sky.
"I'll stop the next wave."
Nero could barely remain standing.
Above them, new monsters began descending from the sky.
They were larger than the creatures before them.
Far more terrifying.
Darkness continued spreading across the village.
Screams echoed from every direction.
There was no sun left in the sky.
Aether slowly looked upward.
He watched as the darkness swallowed the remaining light.
Then...
He closed his eyes.
Before the monsters could reach them...
A strange light appeared.
It resembled the pale glow of a broken moon, spreading silently through the air.
Then, in an instant—
BOOOOM!
A shadow fell from the sky and struck the ground with tremendous force.
A powerful wave of energy erupted outward, sending the surrounding monsters flying backward.
Nero's eyes widened in disbelief.
Mark froze for a brief moment.
Through the smoke...
Someone was standing there.
Their face remained hidden.
A long coat fluttered violently in the wind.
Around their body floated something resembling a strange black-and-white aura.
They said nothing.
Not a single word.
Yet their mere presence...
changed everything.