Chapter 79
Darkness.
Cold.
Heavy.
The Commander's body collapsed hard against shattered stone.
THUD—Blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.
His breathing turned uneven.
Weak.
Far away—the battlefield still raged.Steel clashed.
The sanctuary trembled endlessly.
Purple destruction swallowed the battlefield.
But it all felt distant now.
Like sound itself no longer reached him.
Monessa's giant stone body stood ahead.
Blurred.
Unreachable.
Commander (thinking): …No…
His fingers twitched weakly.
Commander (thinking): …Not yet…
But his body refused to move.
The pain faded.
The war faded.
And slowly—the darkness swallowed him whole.---
—Years Ago—
Warm sunlight.
Soft wind.
Laughter.
A small village rested peacefully between endless green fields.Children ran through dirt roads.
Villagers worked quietly.Smoke rose gently from homes.Simple.
A six-year-old boy sprinted through the fields with a wooden sword.
Messy hair.
Bright eyes.
Far too much energy.-
Tayo: "Justice slash!"
SWOOSH—He swung wildly at absolutely nothing.
Then—THUD—He tripped face-first into the grass
.---A familiar laugh echoed nearby.
---Mother: "That monster defeated you quickly."
--Tayo instantly sat up.Tayo: "No!"
He pointed dramatically.
Tayo: "I let him win!"-
--His mother laughed softly.
Strong posture.
Gentle eyes.
The silver emblem of the Justice Worshippers rested against her clothes.
A sword hung calmly at her waist.
But despite looking strong—her smile always felt warm.
Safe.-
--Mother: "Ah."
She nodded seriously.
Mother: "A tactical defeat."-
--Suddenly—two strong arms lifted him into the air.
---Father: "Should I be scared of this mighty warrior?"
---Tayo laughed instantly.Tayo: "Very scared!"-
--Father gasped dramatically.
Father: "Please spare me!"---
His mother sighed.
Trying not to smile.
Mother: "Both of you are impossible."
-Father grinned.
Father: "That's why you love us."
She rolled her eyes.
But smiled anyway.
That night—
they ate dinner together.
A tiny home.
Simple food.
Warm laughter.
Tayo talked endlessly.
As usual.
---Tayo: "When I grow up—"
He puffed his chest proudly.
Tayo: "I'll protect everyone!"
---Father nearly laughed into his drink.
Father: "Everyone?"
Tayo nodded aggressively.
Tayo: "Everyone!"
---Mother smiled faintly.
Mother: "Then you'll need strength."
Father leaned toward him dramatically.
Father: "And patience."
Tayo frowned.
Tayo: "I already have patience."
-His parents looked at each other.
Then burst into laughter.
Tayo crossed his arms.
Tayo: "What?!
For a moment—everything felt whole.
That night—Tayo fell asleep peacefully.
The soft sound of wind outside.
The warmth of home.
The certainty—that tomorrow would be normal.
Then—SCREEEEEEEEECH—
The village alarm screamed through the darkness.---BAaaahhh
—The house shook violently.
-Tayo's eyes snapped open.
Half asleep.
Confused.
Tayo: "…Mom?"
Silence.---
The room felt wrong.Empty.
Tayo sat up slowly.
Tayo: "…Dad?"
Nothing.
Another scream echoed outside.
Then another.
People shouting.
Running.
Crying.
The ground trembled violently again.CRAAAAACK—Hard enough to nearly knock him over.
Fear settled into his chest.
Small.
Heavy.
Wrong.
---Slowly—he stepped outside.
And froze.
Chaos.
Pure chaos.-
--Homes shattered.
People screaming.
Smoke rising endlessly.
The earth itself split apart.-
--"RUN!""MOVE!""HELP SOMEBODY!"
---Then—
he saw her.-
--His mother.
In the middle of the chaos.
Kneeling beside wounded villagers.
Golden healing light glowed around her trembling hands.
Blood stained her sleeves.
Sweat covered her face.
Mother: "Stay awake!"
She healed another injured villager.
Mother: "You'll survive!"
Tayo blinked rapidly.
Terrified.Confused.
Then—his eyes moved farther ahead.
---And his body froze.--
-Something stood there.
Massive.Impossible.
---A giant tree.
But wrong.
Terribly wrong.
---Its bark twisted unnaturally
—like flesh trapped beneath dead wood.
Roots moved beneath the earth like giant serpents.
Alive.
Searching.
Branches stretched like crooked arms.
Sharp.
Predatory.
And where its face should have been—the trunk split apart.
Opening slowly.
Like a mouth.
Far too wide.
Darkness moved inside it.
Wet sounds echoed from within.
Like something chewing.
---A scream rang out.-
--CRACK—A root burst upward—wrapping around someone instantly.
Dragging them beneath the earth.-
--Tayo couldn't move.Couldn't breathe.-
--Then—he saw him.
---His father.
Standing before the monster.
Farming axe in hand.
Bleeding.
Still fighting.-
--SLASH—He struck one of the roots.
---CRACK—Another slammed into him.
Throwing him backward.-
--Tayo: "DAD!"
---His father forced himself up.
Breathing hard.Shaking.
---He attacked again
.Again.
Again.
Desperate.
Trying.
Refusing to stop.
---But slowly—the truth became obvious.
---His father looked toward Tayo.
Toward his wife.
Breathing hard.
Shaking.
Blood slowly slipped down his arm.
Another root slammed across the ground beside him—
CRAAAAACK—
Stone shattered.
He barely avoided it.
Father: "…Tch—"
His grip tightened around the farming axe.
For a second—
just a second—
Tayo saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
On his father's face.
But he still stepped forward.
Again.
Standing between them and the monster.
The giant tree twisted violently.
Its roots moved beneath the earth like living things.
Waiting.
Watching.
The trunk split open wider—
that impossible mouth stretching farther than before.
Wet sounds echoed from somewhere deep inside.
Father's breathing turned heavier.
His axe trembled slightly.
He knew.
He couldn't win.
Slowly—
his eyes moved toward Tayo.
Then toward his wife.
And something inside him broke.
Father: "…Take him."
Mother froze.
Mother: "…No."
Another root burst from the ground—
CRACK—
His father cut through it instantly.
But another wrapped around his ankle.
Then another.
He tore free—
barely.
Father: "NOW!"
His voice cracked.
Louder than before.
mother :I said no!!you are coming with us...
Desperate.
Terrified.
Father: "PLEASE!"
Silence.
Painful silence.
Tayo had never heard his father sound afraid before.
Never.
His mother's lips trembled.
Tears already forming.
Mother: "…Please come with us…"
His father smiled.
Small.
Weak.
Heartbreaking.
Father: "…You know I can't."
The monster shifted again.
Roots rising higher.
Closer.
The earth itself trembled.
His father looked toward Tayo again.
And suddenly—
he crouched slightly.
Trying to smile properly.
Like this was normal.
Like he wasn't terrified.
Father: "…Hey."
Tayo shook his head instantly.
Tayo: "…No."
Father: "…Listen to your mom, okay?"
Tayo's eyes burned.
Tayo: "…No!"
Father gave a small laugh.
Broken.
Tired.
Father: "…You said you wanted to protect everyone, right?"
Tayo froze.
Father: "…Then live long enough to do it."
CRAAAAACK—
Massive roots exploded from beneath him.
This time—
too many.
Too fast.
They wrapped around his arms.
His chest.
His legs.
Dragging him backward.
Father struggled instantly.
Axe swinging wildly.
Trying to break free.
Trying—
Father: "…RUN!"
Mother moved.
Finally moved.
She grabbed Tayo tightly.
Tayo fought immediately.
Screaming.
Kicking.
Crying.
Tayo: "DAD!"
His father looked at him one last time.
And smiled.
Not brave.
Not fearless.
Just a father—
trying to make his son less scared.
Then—
his lips moved silently.
"Live."
The tree-monster opened wider.
Darkness stretching impossibly deep.
And slowly—
it swallowed him whole.
Silence.
The axe hit the ground last.
CLANG.
Something inside Tayo shattered.
Tayo: "DAD!!!!!"
He screamed until his voice hurt.
Hit his mother weakly.
Tried to break free.
Tayo: "GO BACK!"
His mother cried too.
Actually cried.
Holding him tighter while running.
Mother: "I'm sorry…"
Her voice broke violently.
Mother: "I'm so sorry…"
Behind them—
the village burned.
Screams echoed endlessly.
But Tayo only looked back.
Eyes wide.
Unblinking.
Broken.
At the place—
where his father disappeared.
...CHAPTER 79 ENDS...