High in the towering mountains behind the Kingdom of Arcadia—where the peaks were forever buried beneath snow—there stood a small abandoned city. It looked like the forgotten ruins of a civilization that had vanished thousands of years ago. Nothing moved within its streets except the wailing of the icy wind.
Then suddenly—
A brilliant white light burst forth from the entrance of a massive structure shaped like a pyramid, illuminating a large portion of the silent city.
Inside that structure, rows of men dressed in luxurious white robes—resembling the garments of high priests—stood perfectly still in deep bows. Each of them wore a black mask specially crafted to shield their eyes from the overwhelming radiance emanating from the being seated before them.
That light was so intense it could burn the eyes of anyone who looked directly at it.
The source of that power was **Ruler Azral Sul**.
A being who stood at the very summit of the human hierarchy.
The possessor of a cosmic miracle that had appeared only twice in the entire history of the world—once for the **Moon Queen**, and the second time for **Azral Sul** himself.
Azral Sul was considered the strongest entity currently alive in the world.
His rank was known as **"Supreme Star."**
A rank that allowed him to reach an unprecedented milestone: **one billion mana points**—a feat no ruler before him had ever achieved.
This power had been measured using the **Supernova Device**, the most advanced technology ever created for detecting and analyzing mana energy.
Azral sat upon his throne.
His white body radiated blinding light from every direction, while his long white hair floated in the air, lifted by the enormous energy surrounding him. Beside him rested his legendary spear, **Sun Star**, whose design included a burning wheel shaped like a blazing star.
The throne alone was powerful enough to illuminate an entire city.
Threads of glowing light stretched from capsules embedded within the walls, connecting directly to his body to stabilize the unimaginable power flowing through him.
Those capsules prevented the neutrons within his body from merging.
Without them, the radiation produced by his power could spiral out of control—and potentially destroy half the planet.
Azral spoke in a voice so quiet it was nearly inaudible.
Yet the words still reached the ears of the **Prime Minister**, who knelt before him.
The minister—responsible for regulating the ruler's immense power and speaking in his name—immediately stood up as though he had received a command that allowed no delay.
Without hesitation, he rushed out of the throne chamber.
Moments later, he boarded a transport vessel along with an elite group of soldiers, and the convoy launched toward an urgent destination.
One of the soldiers spoke hesitantly.
"Excuse me, Prime Minister… may I ask where we're heading?"
The minister answered, his voice tense.
"Our destination is the battlefield between the **Demon Rift Empire** and the **Frost Empire**."
"We must hurry."
"A disaster is about to unfold."
Inside his mind, the minister cursed bitterly.
*Damn you, Akaria…*
*You have no idea what you've just done.*
*Your foolish decision is about to awaken a monster on an entirely different level.*
*I only hope we're not too late.*
*Even traveling at full speed… it will take us at least two hours to reach the battlefield.*
---
Meanwhile, the scene on the battlefield could not have been more different.
Akaria stood at the front lines.
Beside her were **Nico Sigmund** and **Zorua**.
To her left stood the heroes clad in their newly upgraded armor—reinforced with the latest technological enhancements.
**Elara.**
**Jaxon.**
**Melina.**
And the newest member of the team—
**Lyra Vesper.**
Their expressions were firm, reflecting complete readiness for what was about to happen.
Behind them stretched a massive army of **one hundred thousand soldiers**.
Across the battlefield stood the army of the **Frost Shadow Empire**.
Their forces numbered **one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers**, led by **Vice Ruler Melisia Zografit**, accompanied by her legendary-rank followers.
Tension saturated the air.
This day was unlike any other.
The war they had come to fight today had a single purpose:
To bring down a central figure from the **Dark Age**.
Melisia Zografit stepped forward alone.
Akaria turned toward Nico and said,
"This time, you will lead the negotiations, Nico."
"Unlike the last time… when I failed while dealing with Kaizen."
"If we succeed today, we will gain the strongest ally possible against our greatest enemy."
Nico looked at Akaria.
His gaze carried a strange mixture of coldness… and quiet despair.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"As you wish, Akaria," he said calmly.
"I'll handle it."
As Nico began walking forward, Akaria clenched her fist tightly.
A silent signal.
A signal for everyone to prepare.
While Nico walked toward the neutral zone between the armies, he closed his eyes briefly and thought to himself:
*So… I've finally reached the end of the tunnel.*
*This is the moment that will answer many of my questions.*
*And that alone is enough to determine the path my life will take from here on.*
Nico stopped a short distance in front of **Melisia Zografit**.
He looked directly into her eyes.
And in that moment—
He understood the bitter truth.
The real enemy had never been Kaizen.
The real enemy…
Was **himself**.
Nico slowly turned toward Akaria and raised his hand, as if asking for an explanation—perhaps hoping she would let him speak.
But Akaria lowered her head in silence.
She refused to meet his gaze.
She refused to listen.
For **seven seconds**, the battlefield fell into absolute silence.
Seven seconds that felt like an eternity.
Then—
Calmly and without a single word—
Melisia Zografit took **two steps backward**.
And with that simple motion…
She signaled the beginning of something that could no longer be stopped.
Suddenly—
From within the dense fog that shrouded the battlefield, a blinding light pierced through the clouds above. From that radiance, glowing chains shot downward at terrifying speed, wrapping around Nico's wrists and ankles and locking him in place.
Nico froze in shock.
He couldn't move.
Instinctively, he tried to summon his fire mana to burn the restraints—but the chains were far stronger than anything he could produce.
At that moment, **Melisia Zografit** appeared before him.
Her expression was merciless.
With a single motion, she summoned a blade of ice and drove it violently through Nico's body.
Blood burst from his mouth as the sword pierced him.
But the assault didn't end there.
From the sky above, countless spears of light descended like thunderbolts, crashing toward him.
Nico spoke in a broken whisper, still struggling to comprehend what was happening.
"Impossible…"
The spears pierced his body from every direction.
His strength finally gave out.
Nico collapsed onto his knees, shattered.
The man who had always carried an aura of mystery and overwhelming power revealed, in his final moments, a far simpler truth.
All he had ever been searching for…
Was his humanity.
Among these people.
He had tried to learn from them. To understand them. To exchange thoughts and ideas like one of them.
But none of that mattered.
Because the truth of who he once was—one of the most dangerous entities of the **Dark Age**, three thousand years ago—continued to follow him like a shadow that could never be escaped.
Across the battlefield, emotions clashed painfully.
Akaria turned her face away.
Tears streamed silently down her cheeks as she watched the man who had once stood beside the **Black Spear**, the one who had saved them from certain defeat, collapse before her eyes.
To her, Nico had been a companion—someone seeking knowledge and stability, not only for himself but for everyone around him.
And now…
She was witnessing his end.
Not far away, **Elara** covered her mouth in shock.
Tears poured down her face as she stared at the horrifying scene.
Nico had been the one who taught her that being different was not a flaw.
Sometimes…
It could even be a strength.
He was the only person who truly understood her wishes in this cruel world that rejected those who were different.
He had been the light in her life.
And now she was watching that light being torn apart before her eyes.
**Melina** felt the same crushing pain.
She remembered the strange man she had first met at the university—the one who had changed how she saw the world and pushed her to become stronger than she ever believed possible.
Now that same man knelt on the battlefield.
Nico's face was drenched in blood.
The spears impaling his body burned hotter and hotter under the light pouring from the sky, forcing him to scream in unbearable agony.
High above the battlefield, the soldiers of the **Angels** hovered on their flying mounts, watching everything unfold as they prepared to deliver the final blow.
Suddenly—
Nico stopped screaming.
For a moment it seemed as though he had lost consciousness.
But then he spoke again, his voice trembling with exhaustion.
"Why…?"
"Why did you do this?"
"I never harmed any of you…"
"I was ready to stand by your side… because you were the ones who changed the way I saw this world."
"I learned so much from all of you…"
His voice cracked.
"Why, Akaria?"
"Why did you turn against me… when I trusted you?"
Akaria answered from behind him, her voice shaking.
"I'm sorry, Nico…"
"But I had no choice."
"You are too dangerous to exist among us. Your very presence could throw the world into chaos."
"I truly am sorry… but this is the end."
"Thank you… for everything you did for us."
Nico let out a faint, bitter laugh.
"You'll regret this decision, Akaria…"
"Even if I die here… you won't be able to face the other rulers alone."
Akaria wiped away her tears and turned her back to him.
Her voice became cold.
"I'm sorry, Nico…"
"But this really is the end."
As she walked away toward her army, **Zorua** watched the scene in silence.
He slowly closed his eyes.
*I'm sorry, Lord Nico.*
*But you were always suspicious in my eyes.*
*Still… thank you for everything.*
Zorua lifted his gaze toward the sky.
And suddenly—
His expression froze.
The atmosphere had changed.
The clouds above were turning a deep crimson red.
It looked as if the heavens themselves were preparing to rain blood—despite the fact that the battle had not even begun.
Zorua's eyes widened in terror.
"Impossible…!"
"The red sky… it can't be…"
"No… that's impossible!"
He turned and ran toward Akaria, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Akaria! Run! Run now!"
Akaria couldn't understand the reason behind his panic.
But behind her—
Small bolts of crimson lightning began flickering around Nico's wounded body.
At that exact moment, the **Angels** launched their final attack.
Massive swords of blazing light descended from the sky like a flood, rushing toward the dying Nico.
[End of Chapter 57]