The smoke slowly drifted away from the battlefield.
Asher stood there, breathing heavily.
He looked around.
Everything was destroyed.
Burned ground.
Broken rocks.
Collapsed buildings.
But the worst thing…
Was the bodies.
They were everywhere.
Wounded fighters lay across the battlefield.
Some were barely moving.
Some were taking their last breaths.
Some were crying out in pain.
Asher's eyes slowly moved across the scene.
His chest tightened.
Thousands of people.
Then a thought appeared in his mind.
"This isn't their fault."
"It's mine."
If he wasn't here…
If this battle had never happened…
All of these people would still be alive.
That thought spread inside him like darkness.
Asher's eyes slowly lost their focus.
His hands relaxed.
He didn't want to fight anymore.
At that moment…
A shadow stopped in front of him.
Lord.
Asher slowly raised his head.
Lord looked down at him calmly.
Then he raised his hand.
The air began to shimmer.
Lights appeared in the air.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Dozens.
Daggers.
Sharp energy daggers formed in the air.
All of them were pointing in one direction.
At Asher.
Asher looked at them.
But he didn't move.
His eyes were empty.
He had already accepted defeat.
In the distance, Wang saw it.
His eyes widened in horror.
"ASHER!!"
Lord lowered his hand.
The daggers shot forward.
Dozens of blades rushed toward Asher like lightning.
Wang screamed with everything he had.
"NOOOOO!!"
At the last moment—
Asher lifted his head.
But the daggers didn't hit him.
They struck someone else.
Asher's eyes widened.
A figure stood in front of him.
Myron.
Every dagger had pierced his body.
Blood slowly dripped onto the ground.
Asher froze.
"…Myron?"
Myron staggered slightly.
Asher immediately ran forward and caught him.
"MYRON! What are you doing?!"
Myron smiled weakly.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
He struggled to speak.
"Asher…"
He took a shaky breath.
Then he said quietly,
"At least… I was useful in the end."
Asher's eyes filled with tears.
Myron's body grew heavier in his arms.
Asher held him tightly.
And in that moment…
The darkness inside Asher grew deeper.
In the distance, Wang clenched his teeth.
Then he suddenly rushed toward Lord.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Wang attacked with everything he had.
His strikes were incredibly fast.
Punch.
Kick.
Energy strike.
The battlefield shook again.
BOOM!
One of Wang's punches pushed Lord slightly back.
But Lord still looked calm.
"You are only buying time."
Wang shouted,
"YES!"
He attacked again.
Strike after strike came toward Lord.
Wang's only goal was one thing.
To buy time for Asher to recover.
Lord blocked the attacks.
Some he deflected.
Others he simply endured.
Then suddenly—
He moved.
His speed was almost impossible to see.
Wang threw another punch.
But Lord grabbed his arm.
For one second…
Then—
CRACK.
Energy flashed.
And in the next moment—
Wang's arm was cut off.
Blood burst into the air.
Wang was thrown backward and crashed into the ground.
The battlefield became silent again.
Meanwhile…
Asher was still kneeling beside Myron.
Tears fell from his eyes.
The world around him felt distant.
Asher was sinking deeper into his thoughts.
Darkness.
More darkness.
It felt like he was drowning in it.
Then—
Within the darkness…
A figure appeared.
Asher slowly looked up.
Someone was standing in front of him.
A familiar face.
Sebastian.