Orimo's chest heaved weakly, each breath scraping his lungs like broken glass.
His vision spun, blurring at the edges. Warm blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, metallic and bitter, soaking into the dust clinging to his cracked, drying skin.
His mind screamed.
But his body refused to listen.
Panic surged.
Fear swallowed him whole.
Helplessness crushed him from within.
His wide eyes trembled—pure terror reflected in them.
The battlefield, once alive with chaos and power, now felt suffocating.
Silent.
Heavy.
As if the world itself was holding its breath.
Five minutes.
That was all he had left to live.
{Scene shifts — Revolutionary Army Hideout}
Dracule Xerox sat upon his crimson-red throne, his presence alone commanding the room.
To the world, he was known as the Red Emperor.
A long table surrounded by the leaders of the Revolutionary Army lay before him.
Ignis Varro stood up, his voice steady yet grim.
"The Kingdom of Sandy Haven is falling," he announced. "It could be the Navy… or another major power moving behind the scenes."
He sat back down.
Xerox's gaze hardened.
"Then we stand down—for now," he replied calmly. "If it is the Navy, we expose it to the world. Until then… keep a sharp eye."
The Crimson Blades Division stood at attention, saluting as their supreme leader rose from his seat.
{Navy Headquarters — Supreme Admiral's Office}
Supreme Admiral Seraphel Dawn sat quietly, pen gliding across paper.
He paused.
Picked up the phone.
"Send our troops," he said, voice calm and absolute.
"Eliminate the threat. Restore justice. We must not lose our image."
The call ended.
He leaned back, lifting his teacup.
The warm, rich aroma filled the room as he took a slow sip.
{Back to Sandy Haven — Orimo}
Two minutes remaining.
Orimo Kuzan lay motionless.
His skin pale and dry.
Veins bulging grotesquely beneath the surface.
No strength.
No movement.
One minute remaining.
His eyes dimmed, vision fading in and out.
A faint silhouette appeared before him.
Fifty seconds.
A gentle voice reached his ears—soft, almost sorrowful.
"I will help you, Orimo Kuzan."
She placed her head lightly against his chest.
Forty seconds.
"You poor thing," she whispered.
"Don't end up like this again… for me."
Orimo's vision collapsed into darkness.
Consciousness slipped away.
His body lay still.
No movement.
No breath visible.
Zero seconds remaining.