The contract had completed.
The moment Zeo and Razya's fingers touched, the ancient bond between Creator and Fairy fully formed, and the violent surge of energy that followed swept across the battlefield like a divine storm. Countless glowing symbols floated around them while mana flooded through their broken bodies, repairing part of their wounds almost instantly. The blood soaking Zeo's clothes slowly stopped spreading, and Razya's pale face regained a small trace of color. Though neither of them had recovered completely, the difference was enough for them to stand once more.
Slowly, the two descended from the air and landed between Akidna and Death.
The ruined streets trembled beneath their feet while embers floated through the crimson night sky. Zeo stared directly at the cloaked man before him without blinking. For a few silent seconds, neither side moved. The battlefield itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then Zeo finally spoke.
"Who are you?"
His voice was calm, but hidden beneath it was rage.
"Why are you doing all this?"
Razya floated silently beside him, Death looked at both of them quietly for a moment before letting out an irritated sigh.
"Tch… looks like the water already passed beneath the bridge."
A twisted smile slowly spread across his face.
"But it changes nothing. I can still kill both of you whenever I want."
Then, slowly, he removed the large cloak covering his body and tossed it aside carelessly.
For the first time, his true appearance became visible.
Zeo narrowed his eyes immediately.
He expected something monstrous.
Something terrifying.
Yet the man standing before him looked strangely ordinary. Pale skin. Long dark hair. Sharp crimson eyes filled with endless coldness. If not for the overwhelming pressure surrounding him, he could have passed as a normal human.
Zeo frowned.
He did not recognize him at all.
Then suddenly, he glanced toward Razya and noticed her trembling expression.
A grin appeared on Zeo's face despite the tension.
"You know him?"
Razya remained silent for a moment, her widened eyes fixed entirely on Death.
Then she whispered slowly,
"…I saw his face before."
Zeo's brows furrowed.
"Where?"
Razya swallowed heavily before answering.
"In the Log Histories."
Zeo blinked.
"Log Histories? You mean… records from the past eras?"
Razya nodded without taking her eyes off Death.
"He's from the Second Era."
The battlefield suddenly felt colder.
Razya's voice became tense.
"He was one of the Creators… and according to every record we have…"
Her eyes trembled slightly.
"…he was supposed to be dead."
Zeo's eyes widened immediately.
"A Creator from the Second Era?"
His gaze snapped back toward Death.
"Then how the hell are you alive?"
Razya clenched her fists.
"I don't know. I only read fragments about him before. I never thought he still existed…"
Her voice lowered.
"And I definitely never thought he would appear here."
Zeo slowly tightened his grip around his sword before taking a step forward.
"Then let's ask him ourselves."
His sharp gaze pierced directly into Death.
"If you're really a Creator… then why couldn't I sense you?"
For a brief second, Death remained silent.
Then suddenly—
He smiled.
A dark, twisted smile.
"Are you stupid?"
The crimson glow in his eyes deepened.
"It's because…"
The pressure around him exploded violently.
"I am Death."
His smile widened unnaturally.
"And no one senses death until it reaches them."
Zeo's jaw tightened instantly.
That answer only made him angrier.
Behind him, Akidna listened to everything with complete confusion. Creators. Eras. Log Histories. None of it made sense to her. Every word felt like something beyond the limits of this world, and strangely enough, that ignorance irritated her deeply.
Then suddenly—
Several prisoners charged toward Akidna from the side while screaming wildly.
But before they could even come close—
SHHHK.
Metallic tendrils pierced through their bodies instantly.
No…
Pierced was the wrong word.
The moment the tendrils touched them, the prisoners simply vanished.
Erased.
Their bodies crumbled apart into nothingness as if their existence itself had been deleted.
Zeo's eyes widened.
Death slowly lowered his hand.
"Don't ruin my meal."
His voice became colder.
"They are mine now."
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"And I prefer killing my information holders personally."
Then he began walking toward them once more.
Each step felt merciless.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Zeo stared at him carefully before asking again,
"Why are you doing this?"
Death tilted his head slightly.
"Doing what exactly?"
Zeo suddenly pointed his sword directly at him.
"Stop pretending!"
His voice echoed across the ruined streets.
"Why are you trying to kill Akidna?!"
Silence fell.
The wind itself seemed to freeze.
Then Death answered quietly,
"…And why do you care?"
His crimson eyes stared directly into Zeo's soul.
"I thought you only wanted to feel superior."
The air around him darkened.
"That's why you weakened this world, right?"
Zeo froze.
Death continued calmly,
"You made reality fragile. Weak. Incomplete. If someone uses too much power, the world itself begins breaking apart."
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"Wasn't that because you wanted to stand above everyone else?"
Zeo's pupils trembled.
"No… that's not…"
But before he could finish, Razya immediately interrupted.
"Don't listen to him!"
She floated closer toward Zeo.
"Let me explain it simply."
Her voice softened slightly.
"It's like lowering the graphics settings of a game. The world became unstable because too much power exists while the structure supporting it is weak."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"If the world is repaired properly, everything will stabilize again. So don't let him manipulate you."
Slowly, Zeo began understanding what had happened.
The world's fragility…
The glitches…
The instability…
All of it was connected to him.
But Death continued advancing regardless.
Cold.
Steady.
Merciless.
For the first time in a while, Zeo's hands trembled slightly.
Should we run?
That thought crossed his mind instantly.
Death felt overwhelming.
Dangerous beyond reason.
Yet the moment Zeo considered retreating…
He suddenly felt a small tug behind him.
Zeo looked back slightly.
And froze.
Akidna was standing behind him quietly while lightly holding a small part of his clothes.
Her blue eyes were closed.
But the expression on her face…
Was peaceful.
Safe.
She had entrusted everything to him.
Her life.
Her hope.
Her reasoning.
Even her pride.
And because of that—
Zeo could no longer step backward.
He simply couldn't.
Because now someone was trying desperately to survive.
Someone believed he could save them.
Slowly, Zeo tightened his grip around his sword until his fingers turned pale.
Then he raised it once more toward Death.
This time, his hands no longer trembled.
His feet no longer moved back.
A fierce light burned inside his eyes.
Behind him, Akidna slowly opened her eyes and looked at Zeo's back.
Wide.
Steady.
Unmoving.
Like a wall standing against destruction itself.
A small smile appeared on her lips before she leaned lightly against him for a brief second.
"Please…"
Her voice trembled softly.
"Save them, Zeo the Adventurer."
For the first time since the battle began, a genuine smile appeared on Zeo's face.
Then Akidna stepped back and gave him space.
The next moment—
Death disappeared.
BOOM.
The ground beneath Zeo exploded apart as metallic veins erupted upward and wrapped around his legs instantly. Before Zeo could react, Razya's voice echoed directly inside his mind.
We need distance! His element is Metal Creation and Control!
Zeo's eyes widened in surprise.
…We can talk through our minds now?
But there was no time to process it.
Death appeared directly before him and thrust a broken sword toward his neck.
At the last second, Zeo took a deep breath.
Then his eyes glowed white and purple.
I can control all elements… but there are three that suit me the most.
Suddenly—
BOOOOM.
A violent explosion of fire erupted beneath Zeo's feet. The ground shattered apart as the flames launched him into the sky like a cannon. Death instantly jumped backward to avoid the blast while the surrounding buildings collapsed beneath the heat.
From below, Death slowly looked upward.
But instead of chasing Zeo—
His gaze shifted toward Akidna.
And instantly—
He dashed toward her.
Akidna's eyes widened.
This time, however, she reacted immediately and jumped backward just before his attack reached her.
At that exact moment—
A burst of flames exploded through the sky.
Zeo descended between them while using fire to accelerate himself, landing directly before Akidna.
Death did not retreat this time.
He pointed the broken sword directly toward Zeo while continuing to walk forward.
Then—
BOOM.
An arrow shot from behind Zeo and exploded directly against Death's body, forcing him several steps backward.
As the smoke spread, Zeo immediately switched elements.
Death noticed it instantly.
His eyes narrowed toward Zeo's hand.
A seed rested quietly within his palm.
Then suddenly—
Massive wooden veins exploded outward from the seed and spread across the battlefield like living serpents. Zeo lunged forward alongside them while countless wooden roots rushed toward Death from every direction.
Death responded instantly.
Metallic tendrils erupted outward and collided violently against the wooden vines.
The battlefield shook beneath the clash.
Razya's tense voice echoed inside Zeo's mind.
We can't defeat him like this!
Zeo thought quickly.
Then suddenly, a memory surfaced.
Shin standing before him during training.
"I get tired too quickly," Zeo had complained while breathing heavily. "And I feel weak afterward."
Shin had simply looked at him calmly before replying,
"That problem disappears once you enter Creator State."
Zeo frowned at the memory.
"Creator State?"
Back in the present battle, realization struck him instantly.
At his current level, he could not defeat Death.
But if he entered Creator State fully…
There was still a chance.
Yet before Zeo could activate it—
CRACK.
The ground beneath him suddenly split apart.
Metallic tendrils pierced directly into his legs.
Zeo's control over the wooden roots weakened instantly, creating an opening.
Death moved immediately.
A metallic arrow formed in the air before being grabbed by his hand.
Zeo cut apart the tendrils binding him just in time—
But Death already threw the arrow with full force.
The projectile screamed through the air toward Zeo.
At the final moment, Zeo jumped backward and narrowly avoided it.
For a split second, he thought he succeeded.
Then suddenly—
The arrow twisted unnaturally.
Sharp metallic veins exploded outward from the projectile before it even touched the ground.
Several pierced directly into Zeo's body.
Warm blood burst from Zeo's mouth and stained his chin while the metallic veins crawled beneath his skin like living parasites
Controlling it from the inside .
Zeo tried to move—
But the metal kept spreading deeper into his flesh.
Then suddenly—
"Several Lights!"
Akidna's voice rang out behind him.
A massive sparkling arrow shot into the sky before exploding into countless beams of light that destroyed the metallic tendrils restraining Zeo.
Though some metal still remained inside his body, the attack freed him enough to move again.
Zeo fell onto one knee while breathing heavily.
Then suddenly—
A horrifying realization struck him.
Where is Death?
The moment he looked around—
A voice echoed behind him.
Too late.
Death had already pierced Akidna's body using a long metallic tendril from afar.
Blood spilled from her lips instantly.
Her body trembled violently while the metal continued trying to spread through her veins.
Zeo forced himself upward desperately—
But his injured body failed him.
Rage exploded inside him.
The surrounding air cracked violently.
Then suddenly—
Lightning erupted around Zeo's body.
In a flash of blinding speed, he appeared beside Akidna instantly and grabbed the metallic tendril before ripping it out of her body forcefully.
Akidna screamed in pain.
Zeo immediately pressed his hand against the wound to stop the bleeding.
But Akidna suddenly grabbed his wrist weakly.
"H… don't worry about me…"
Blood dripped from her lips.
"Kill him."
Zeo's eyes burned fiercely.
"I swear…"
His voice trembled with rage.
"This bastard dies today."
Relief slowly appeared in Akidna's eyes.
Then Zeo stood once more and stared directly toward Death.
Behind him, Akidna whispered weakly,
"I know… only you can stop this monster."
At that moment, Razya appeared beside Zeo again.
Both of them prepared themselves.
Creator State.
Death narrowed his eyes coldly while looking at them.
"Why struggle so desperately?"
His voice echoed softly across the battlefield.
"Death is the greatest gift heroes like you can receive."
Then—
Light exploded around Zeo and Razya as their hands touched once more.
Mana surged violently.
Zeo's hair and clothes began glowing with overwhelming energy while his eyes transformed into three mixed colors—
White.
Silver.
Golden.
Razya's voice echoed directly into his mind.
"All his attacks are meant to kill instantly. He isn't fighting to overpower us… he's fighting purely for execution."
Zeo stared directly at Death.
Then answered her calmly through their shared thoughts.
"Then we'll crush him before he gets the chance."
A dangerous smile slowly appeared on his face.
"But with his experience… brute force won't work."
Lightning crackled violently around him.
"We'll have to trick him."
And beneath the burning crimson night…
The second phase of the battle finally began.