Present — Battlefield
Everything was silent.
The crimson sky had begun to fade.
But Asher was not there.
Not truly.
His body stood on the battlefield—
Yet his mind was somewhere else.
Darkness surrounded him.
Then…
Light.
He saw her.
His mother.
Standing in front of him.
Warm. Gentle. Smiling.
Asher's lips trembled.
He ran to her and hugged her tightly.
"Mom… I missed you… I missed you so much… please help me…"
He was crying like a child again.
Not a warrior.
Not a weapon.
Just a son.
His mother held him.
She stroked his red hair softly.
"My son… I missed you too."
Her voice was calm.
"But you don't need me to save you anymore."
Asher slowly lifted his head.
Tears streamed down his face.
Then he noticed something else.
Two familiar figures standing behind her.
Julian.
Vincent.
They looked at him with steady eyes.
No fear.
No doubt.
Together, they spoke:
"Asher… we believe in you."
The words echoed.
Something inside him shifted.
The red around him began to calm.
The flames in his eyes softened.
His hair slowly returned to its natural color.
His breathing stabilized.
His consciousness snapped back—
To the battlefield.
Miasma was on the ground.
Broken.
Covered in dark blood.
His wings torn apart.
His body barely holding together.
Asher blinked.
Confused.
Before he could speak—
The core shattered.
A violent explosion of black and red energy burst outward.
And from within—
Sebastian emerged.
He fell to one knee, breathing heavily.
He looked at Miasma.
Shock filled his face.
Then he looked at Asher.
"Asher… what did you do?"
Asher stared at Miasma.
His eyes widened slightly.
Then he looked at Sebastian.
"You… you did it."
Sebastian stood up.
"Asher," he said firmly—
And pulled him into a tight embrace.
Asher froze for a second.
Then hugged him back.
His eyes filled with tears.
"…Did I do this?"
Behind them—
Miasma lay on his back.
Looking up at the sky.
His vision blurred.
And then—
He saw him.
Lord.
Standing above him in silence.
Disappointed.
"You are weak," Lord said coldly.
Miasma's eyes trembled.
For the first time—
He saw himself clearly.
Not as the strongest.
Not as evolution.
But as something small.
Broken.
At the very bottom.
He exhaled slowly.
And with that final breath—
Miasma died.
Later — WHU Headquarters
They returned.
The gates of WHU opened once more.
Heroes gathered.
Bruised. Exhausted. Alive.
They embraced each other.
Some cried.
Some laughed.
Julia ran toward Asher and hugged him tightly.
"We believed in you," she whispered.
Asher smiled faintly.
Then he saw Ella.
Sebastian walked to her first.
They embraced silently.
No words were needed.
After a moment—
Sebastian turned to Asher.
"I watched your fight," he said.
Asher blinked.
Sebastian continued:
"You unlocked something."
"Push the Limit mode."
Asher's eyes widened slightly.
Sebastian looked toward the horizon.
"My grandfather activated it once."
"My father activated it once."
"And now…"
He looked directly at Asher.
"You did."
"I'm proud of you."
A small smile formed on Asher's face.
But then Sebastian's expression changed.
"…However."
He looked down.
Blood was dripping from Asher's side.
"You're losing too much blood."
Asher glanced at himself.
Only now noticing the damage.
He gave a weak laugh.
"Yeah… I figured."
Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hospital. Now."
Asher nodded.
The two of them walked forward together.
Not as mentor and student.
Not as commander and soldier.
But as survivors.
The war was over.
But the story—
Wasn't finished yet.