I Was Not Meant To Exist-Chapter 48: (day of revenge) sixth day: afternoon

Warm sunlight pierced the hall through two large windows separated by a pair of double doors.

Beyond those doors, warm light filled the room, the sound of birds chirping could be heard, but the cold air felt far more convincing.

Four figures stood with their backs to the door as if guarding it so that not a single one could escape.

One of them spoke. She was a girl with black hair and golden eyes.

Her hand pointed at the figure in front of her, a komodo-like figure whose entire body was covered in wounds. In his left hand, he held a purple crystal as large as a human head, and inside it was a small part of a spine. He stood before a dark corridor.

"You’ve all seen that thing before, right?"

The first to answer was a girl with pink hair. Her bright clothing suited the warm light that covered her back, but it did not suit the cold atmosphere of the hall.

"Bone of Malakar, right? So that’s what they’re after. Damn..."

A white-haired boy beside her trembled slightly. He caught the scent of something rotten, and covered his nose. His voice sounded restrained.

"Isn’t there something more important? This smell..."

The three of them whispered among themselves, while someone in front of them began flapping his transparent wings, his feet slowly lifting off the ground.

That figure spoke to them without turning around, his gaze fixed only on the badly wounded komodo.

"Miss Eve, Miss Mira, Sir Arthur... you can search the mansion and look for Sir Julian."

A heavy breath came from the winged figure.

"....I will stop this monster."

Arthur, still covering his nose, spoke.

"He’s carrying the Bone of Malakar. We can’t let him escape, Sahir..."

Sahir nodded in understanding.

"Yes... I’ll kill him and secure the artifact."

Arthur, Eve, and Mira spoke briefly among themselves, and in the end they agreed.

Sahir drove energy out from within his body, and a gust of wind swept through the hall.

"Contact the human kingdom and ask for help..."

Arthur and the others nodded.

Sahir raised his rapier, preparing to stab the komodo.

His transparent wings beat faster and faster as he launched himself toward the komodo.

A yellow aura wrapped around Sahir, and his rapier was also cloaked in yellow aura.

Around the rapier, more than a dozen illusionary rapiers appeared.

The komodo’s eyes widened. He looked up from below as all those rapiers were aimed at him.

The komodo was forced to move to protect the life that was nearly extinguished.

He rolled to the right while clutching the Bone of Malakar in his left hand.

Sahir’s attack only struck the ground, and several explosions rang out.

Sahir clicked his tongue, his eyes following where the komodo ran. He raised his hand, which was flowing with yellow aura, and from his palm came knives that flew after the komodo.

One by one, those knives pierced the komodo’s back, and one knife embedded itself in his left calf.

The komodo fell face-first, a groan of pain escaping him.

Sahir flew closer, while Arthur, Eve, and Mira took advantage of the moment to enter the dark corridor.

Sahir stared closely at the komodo, whose trembling body was trying to stand.

Sahir’s cold voice echoed through the hall.

"Look at yourself.... joining the dark side only to die on human soil..."

The komodo paid no attention to what Sahir said. He only tried to crawl toward the exit.

Sahir dismissed his transparent wings, and now he walked on the ground, following the komodo slowly.

The blade of his rapier reflected the warm light.

"All of this, only to die like this?..."

Sahir let out a bitter chuckle, then aimed his rapier at the komodo’s right calf. The sound of the stab rang out.

Slash!

The komodo screamed, his voice echoing through the corridor.

He writhed in pain, his crawling body coming to a halt.

Sahir pulled his rapier back out, and the komodo’s groans came out restrained.

Sahir’s breathing became heavy, his heart pounded violently, his blood boiled.

"You killed Salma to make a contract with a demon..."

Sahir stabbed the komodo’s leg again, and the komodo groaned.

"....you killed my sister..."

Sahir pulled his rapier out, then stabbed again.

"....you killed Samir’s sister..."

The komodo’s groans echoed through the hall, his body trembling, his grip on the Bone of Malakar nearly slipping.

Sahir kept stabbing his leg over and over.

Tears flowed down his cheeks, his lips trembling.

Sahir raised his rapier high, and this time he stabbed the komodo with all his strength. The komodo’s groan turned into a scream, and the Bone of Malakar slipped from his grasp and rolled away.

"....you killed the person who cared about you."

The reptilian eyes of the komodo began to lose their life. He glanced at the Bone of Malakar rolling away from him, but even with death closing in, he still crawled to retrieve it.

Sahir only stared at him with disgust. The komodo tried to reach the Bone of Malakar with his left hand.

His claws nearly touched the purple crystal, but Sahir’s rapier knocked it away.

His rapier stabbed through the komodo’s palm and into the ground.

Sahir stared at the komodo. The komodo slowly shifted his gaze and looked up at Sahir from below. His vision was blurred as he looked at Sahir.

His tongue flicked out several times.

"Ssst you know this was all for revenge, right? Ssst."

Sahir remained silent as the komodo began to speak.

The komodo’s tongue still flicked several times.

"Ssst you won’t understand, Sahir ssst you weren’t born like me ssst."

Sahir responded with a slight laugh. After a few moments, that sound turned into laughter that echoed.

Sahir, who was usually calm, now laughed freely. But his laughter suddenly stopped, and the hall fell silent in an instant.

"Because of the natural and hybrid caste issue?..."

Sahir pressed down on the rapier still pinning the komodo’s hand.

The komodo grimaced. He was beginning to lose feeling in his left palm.

"....you can’t use that as an excuse anymore, komodo."

Sahir looked at the komodo’s face, the right side burned and peeling, his left eye wounded, blood coming from his mouth, his breath rotten.

Sahir’s gaze shifted to the komodo’s claws.

"....look at yourself, how many of your own kin have you eaten?.."

Sahir took a deep breath.

"....were all of them hybrids that you hated too?..."

Sahir shook his head in disagreement.

"....no. You killed naturals too. You’re no longer relevant enough to use that as an excuse."

Sahir sniffed the air around them. The rotten stench entered his nose.

"You even killed everyone here too, didn’t you?..."

The komodo only stared at him in silence, a growl emerging from him.

Sahir paid no attention to the growl.

"You didn’t fall into darkness because of your revenge, komodo..."

Sahir pressed down harder on his rapier, and the komodo grimaced.

"....you had already been there from the very beginning."

Sahir looked at the sunlight trying to enter the cold hall.

"Even Salma’s warmth couldn’t bring you out of it..."

Sahir let out a breath, then pulled the rapier out of the komodo’s hand.

The komodo only stared at Sahir.

Sahir aimed the tip of his rapier at the komodo, his eyes cold.

"The natural caste is living better now. Kong leads them with confidence..."

A breath escaped Sahir.

"....Saint Azara does not discriminate between beastmen based on caste..."

Sahir brought the rapier closer to the komodo’s face as he stared at him.

"...but you still didn’t stop, did you?"

Sahir raised his rapier, its sharp blade still aimed at the komodo’s face.

The komodo only looked at him in silence, listening to Sahir’s voice.

"You won’t meet Salma again, because you’re going to hell."

Sahir moved his rapier, stabbing the komodo through the head and into the ground.

No scream came out, only the sound of the stab could be heard in the silent hall.

Darkness enveloped the komodo’s blurred vision, and the darkness made him feel no more pain.

After the time the komodo had left had run out.

Something made the komodo want to open his eyes. Before him, darkness was still there.

There was no sound to hear, no smell to sense, nothing he could touch.

Within that absolute darkness, slowly a point of light appeared. Slowly, that point grew larger. Slowly, moving images could be seen flashing by.

The komodo watched the images changing in silence.

Sometimes his body trembled as he saw the images that showed the memories he had lived through.

The bitter memories that shaped him into what he was now, a beastman of the hybrid caste who always caused trouble for the natural caste, were clearly visible within the visions of the komodo’s memories.

All the pain he had suffered, he buried within his reptilian eyes.

He became restless when he saw naturals who were still licking the boots of the hybrids who looked down on them.

All his past memories were visible within that dark atmosphere. But even in the middle of that darkness, there was still a tiny point of light shining.

That point of light took the form of a girl, a cheerful girl. Her long soft black hair always swayed whenever she moved, and every movement also made the antennae on her head sway. Her smile gave a ray of hope within the dark memories of the komodo.

The komodo became calmer as he watched his memories with that girl.

Slowly, that fragment of image changed into a moving picture.

Slowly, the komodo could hear her voice, the voice of the girl who had made his life warmer.

But even with that warmth, the komodo’s dark side did not disappear. On one side, it only became darker because of the existence of the light.

Slowly, the fragment of image that had now become like a film began to turn dark again.

The komodo only stared at it in silence.

There was nothing he could say.

His body only trembled when he heard the sound of crying.

There, lying on the ground, was the girl who had made his life warm.

Her stomach had been torn open by claws, blood stained her mouth, and her body trembled from trauma.

But even with all of that, she still seemed to shine

The girl opened her mouth, her hand touching someone’s face.

Her voice was soft, but it echoed within the darkness.

"It’s okay.... it’s okay... this isn’t your fault."

The komodo did not look away even slightly.

The girl spoke for the last time.

Her face was now soaked by someone’s tears.

But the girl only gave a faint smile.

"Sahir and Samir will definitely be disappointed.... but I’ll understand..."

Slowly, life left the girl’s eyes.

Her faint smile was carved on her face for the last time. Tears fell more and more heavily onto the girl’s face, soaking it, but unable to wake her.

The komodo lowered his head. That flash of memory stopped, and the sky became dark again.

A rotten smell reached the komodo.

He lifted his head again.

His reptilian eyes trembled, and his body trembled violently as well.

There stood a giant figure with its back turned to him, a figure made of black mist.

That black figure turned around. Its giant red eyes could now be seen, and two horns protruded from its forehead.

Its mouth opened, sending a rotten odor toward the komodo. Its breath made the komodo tremble in fear.

That figure spoke, its cold and terrifying voice sounding unreal.

"Disappointing.... you disappoint me, komodo..."

The komodo stared at it with a terrified face, his body still trembling.

That figure moved its giant hands made of black mist.

Slowly, those two hands enclosed the komodo.

The komodo could only watch as his vision was slowly blocked by those black hands.

"You were supposed to be one of the ones to kill that saint...."

The komodo’s vision grew darker as the giant black hands covered him.

"....fulfill your task, bring the Bone of Malakar with your corpse..."

Those two giant black hands swallowed the komodo completely.

In the hall illuminated by warm light, the komodo’s body, its head still pierced, slowly moved. Black mist slowly came out of his body, covering his entire form.

Not far from him, Sahir walked with his back to the komodo, picking up the fallen Bone of Malakar.

He glanced at the purple crystal, and suddenly his nose caught the scent of something burning.

Sahir’s eyes widened, and the hairs on his neck stood up.

Slowly, a massive shadow covered him.

He quickly turned around, and what he saw made him grit his teeth.

There stood the komodo’s corpse, black mist covering him. His size had become much larger, his red eyes staring only at the Bone of Malakar in Sahir’s hand, drool dripping from his mouth and causing the floor it touched to melt.

Sahir exhaled and looked at the komodo that had risen from death.

"Damn demon...."

The komodo swung his arm, now much larger, his black claws aimed at Sahir.

The sound of an explosion rang through the hall, but it was not enough to reach Arthur, Eve, and Mira.

The three of them ran past the corpses lying in the corridor.

Arthur covered his nose and stepped carefully, while Eve ran ahead faster to search for Julian.

Mira let out a breath as she watched the two of them.

She glanced at the corpses they passed.

"Damn... this is truly a sin..."

The three of them circled every corridor in the mansion.

Their steps came to a halt when they saw a melted wall.

Inside it, a corridor could be seen.

They looked at each other, then decided to go in.

Their footsteps echoed as they reached a metal door, also melted, at the end of the corridor.

They passed through it, and the first sight they saw made them fall silent for a few moments.

There, all kinds of weapons were embedded in the ground, a pillar had been destroyed, and around that pillar several corpses lay. One of the walls was shattered and scorched.

Their gaze shifted.

There lay White face-down, his face no longer covered by a mask, looking at them, his blood leaving a visible trail.

White’s voice sounded broken.

"He... hei..."

Not far from him, Julian sat in silence, his body covered in wounds.

Eve, seeing Julian injured, immediately ran toward him.

Meanwhile, Arthur approached White.

Mira only looked at the two of them in confusion, not knowing where to go.

The two of them raised their hands.

"Come here quickly, Mira! Julian is hurt!"

Arthur also spoke.

"Come here first! Captain White is worse!"

Mira let out a breath, and in the end she chose to go to White first, while Eve helped Julian walk closer to Mira.

White rolled onto his back. The wound on his stomach was bleeding heavily, his body was covered in claw marks, and his left hand was bandaged, though blood had seeped through.

White looked at Arthur and Mira.

Mira began treating the wound in White’s stomach with her virus, her hand slowly turning into a claw, veins bulging across it.

White swallowed hard at the sight,

grimacing slightly as the claw touched his stomach.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

He looked at Arthur and Mira.

"Did you see the beastman komodo? He’s carrying the Bone of Malakar, damn it..."

Arthur nodded several times.

White’s eyes widened. He wanted to curse Arthur, but the curse was blocked by the pain in his stomach.

"Idiot! Then why are you all here?!"

Mira sighed, her hand still working on White’s stomach.

"One of our friends is holding him back..."

White clicked his tongue and immediately tried to rise.

"Damn... he’s carrying the Bone of Malakar and killed a lot of people. We need to get there now!"

White slowly got to his feet, his body trembling violently. Arthur and Mira could only watch him.

Meanwhile, Eve, who was helping Julian, spoke.

"Wouldn’t it be better to treat him first..."

White looked at Eve with a cold stare, his white eyes now once again filled with life.

White spread his arms.

"Can’t you see all this chaos? He made a contract with a demon and killed a lot of people...."

White exhaled, stretching his body.

"....think like an adult."

White glanced at Julian, who still sat there in silence.

"....don’t let your emotions control you."

White looked at Arthur and Mira.

"Help me and heal me on the way.... damn it, that lizard finally tripped up too..."

Arthur helped White walk while Mira continued treating him.

Eve and Julian followed them slowly.

White let out a breath, glancing slightly back at that place. He closed his eyes.

’Forgive me.... I need to leave for a while...’

White swallowed hard and endured the pain all over his body.

’I’ll come back soon.... I’ll avenge your deaths...’

White opened his eyes. They slowly left that place and headed into the corridor.

The sound of their footsteps was slow.

Their slow footsteps suddenly stopped when they heard an explosion.

Eve spoke after that.

"That.... that must be Sahir..."

White let out a quiet breath as he looked at the wound in his stomach, which had already improved.

He told Mira that he had been treated enough.

He began to stand on his own without Arthur’s help. White stretched his body, a small groan escaping him.

White looked at Julian, who was still silently staring at the floor.

He then walked toward him.

Everyone looked at him in confusion, not knowing what White was about to do.

White grabbed both of Julian’s cheeks and turned his face toward him.

Their gazes met. Julian’s empty blue eyes stared into White’s white eyes, full of life.

Eve wanted to interrupt, but Mira stopped her.

In the end, Eve released her support of Julian.

White looked at Julian in silence, then slowly slapped his cheeks several times.

The sound echoed through the corridor, followed by White’s shout.

"Wake up, damn it!"

Julian, feeling the sting, finally looked at White.

White spoke again.

"That komodo is still here! He’s the one who did all of this to you. Are you just going to stay silent?! Get up, damn it!"

Julian slowly came back to his senses. His breathing gradually quickened, his chest rose and fell faster, and his blood heated up.

White looked at him coldly, his voice now softer.

"He killed my friends too..."

White pointed at Julian’s body.

"...he framed the Overmas family, he even killed the servants...."

White took a deep breath, then looked at Julian.

"Control yourself, bastard, and follow me. You want to kill that son of a bitch too."

Julian’s body trembled, but his blue eyes were no longer empty. He gave a slight nod.

White looked at the four teenagers.

"Mira, Thomas is at the palace right now, right?"

Mira nodded.

"Contact him, tell the king to send his strike and tell Black to come here..."

White cracked his neck.

He channeled mana into his legs and dashed forward.

Julian, Arthur, Eve, and Mira followed after him.

They headed toward the source of the explosion.

That explosion came from the mansion’s garden.

There, Sahir was flying with his transparent wings, the sunlight shining on them and revealing colorful veins within them.

Sahir maneuvered through the air, though his wings were not strong enough to carry him very high.

Still, he tried to avoid the attacks of the giant black claws of the komodo. Its enlarged body caused chaos with every step it took.

It chased Sahir, who was carrying the Bone of Malakar.

The wind blew against Sahir’s antennae.

He gritted his teeth, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

After flying for some time, his wings slowly vanished.

Sahir let out an awkward laugh.

"Damn..."

He immediately fell to the ground when his wings disappeared.

The impact sounded painful, and Sahir’s body ached.

He rolled over and saw the giant black komodo blocking out the sunlight.

Its claw swung toward Sahir.

Sahir swallowed hard and rolled to the side.

The sound of earth being gouged rang out as the komodo’s claw struck the ground.

Sahir got back to his feet and ran across the mansion grounds.

His footsteps were followed by the giant komodo.

His breathing came in gasps as he continued dodging every attack aimed at him.

Sahir tried to interfere with the komodo by summoning his yellow aura again. He created several small knives and sent them toward the komodo’s legs.

The knives pierced deep, but the komodo felt no pain, and not even blood came out.

Its giant footsteps remained unchanged. It was not hindered at all.

Sahir clicked his tongue, still holding the Bone of Malakar tightly.

’He’s really troublesome, even after death...’

The komodo’s claws swung at Sahir again.

Sahir summoned his transparent wings again after spending some time only running. He lifted slightly into the air and avoided it.

Not far from him, a voice shouted.

"Over here, Sahir!"

Sahir turned toward the voice. Eve, Mira, and White were there.

The komodo’s hand tried to take advantage of Sahir’s moment of distraction, aiming to smash him.

The wind blew against Sahir’s antennae.

Sahir turned back toward the komodo, only staring at it calmly.

Just as the komodo’s giant hand was about to crush him, a loud impact rang out.

That impact came from Arthur’s red hand.

He punched the komodo’s right shoulder, making the massive creature lose some of its balance.

Sahir exhaled in relief.

After Arthur, Julian appeared with his flaming sword mixed with lightning. The wind carried him upward over the komodo, and he slashed down from above.

Sahir immediately moved away from there, flying low toward Eve, Mira, and White.

White looked at him intensely. He examined him from head to toe, especially his antennae and wings.

White spoke first.

"Beastman? What are you doing here?"

Sahir handed the Bone of Malakar to White.

"Just taking a walk...."

White chuckled as he accepted the Bone of Malakar, letting out a relieved breath when he saw the artifact returned.

"Just say you wanted revenge..."

White looked at Eve and Mira, pointing at the two of them.

"...we’ll talk about that later, okay?"

Eve shouted in her defense.

"Not me! I only brought him here! And Katarina was the one who sent him to me!"

White’s expression turned confused.

’The princess? Sending a beastman to this mansion? What the hell is that? Does she know something?’

White clicked his tongue, choosing to think about it later.

White looked at Sahir and pointed toward the komodo, which was beginning to overwhelm Arthur and Julian.

"In that case, keep going. I’ll join in..."

Sahir did not answer, but immediately flew back toward the raging komodo.

White looked at the Bone of Malakar again, thought for a moment, then handed it to Eve.

Eve accepted it in confusion.

"Hey, hey, Captain, I don’t want to hold this...."

Eve tried to pass it to Mira, who was fiddling with her smart bracelet.

Mira clicked her tongue. She did not want to take it.

White spoke to Eve.

"Just hold it..."

White pointed at the komodo trying to get to them.

"....it won’t reach here anyway..."

White stretched his body, his white hair swaying in the wind, his white eyes fixed on the komodo.

He slowly walked away from Eve and Mira.

He shouted to Mira without turning around.

"Hurry up, Mira! I really hate seeing this lizard any longer."

Mira nodded, though White did not see it.

White pulled a short sword from his smart bracelet, gripping it.

That short sword then disappeared.

Siiing.

He channeled mana through his entire body and joined the battle.

There, the shoulder of the giant black komodo was being held by Arthur’s giant red hand.

But its steps did not stop. It continued trying to break free in order to seize the Bone of Malakar.

Arthur gritted his teeth.

"Hurry up, damn it! Julian! Sahir!"

After Arthur’s shout, Julian slid across the ground.

His physical condition was now better.

This time, he could hold his sword with both hands.

Flames still ran along the blade of Julian’s sword as he slashed repeatedly at the komodo’s black legs. Wounds slowly began to appear, but they immediately closed again.

Meanwhile, at the other leg, Sahir was doing the same thing as Julian, stabbing the komodo’s leg over and over, but the wounds healed instantly.

Their fight felt like nothing but wasted effort.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion came from the komodo’s chest, and the sound drew everyone’s attention.

The komodo writhed in discomfort.

There, White had thrown his exploding metal ball toward the komodo’s heart, and he shouted.

"Attack the heart, idiots! Have you never studied or what?!"

Everyone looked toward the place where the komodo’s heart should be. There, the wound healed more slowly.

Arthur tried to do something. He pushed his mana to its maximum point, strengthening the giant red hand gripping the komodo’s shoulder.

He made a pulling gesture, and his giant red hand pulled the komodo’s body.

The komodo resisted by bracing itself, but Julian and Sahir each swept one of its legs.

The giant komodo fell onto its back.

A growl came from it, a growl that could make people tremble, but the four of them were no ordinary people. They immediately targeted the komodo’s heart.

Julian was lifted by the wind. He combined his three elements, and a tornado of fire, wind, and lightning slowly descended toward the komodo’s heart. The smell of burning filled the air.

The komodo’s body trembled in pain, a groan escaping from it, and its red eyes shook as well.

Its body tried to rise, but Arthur’s giant red hand pressed it down.

Meanwhile, Sahir also flew directly above the komodo’s body.

The sunlight revealed his transparent wings, shimmering with beautiful colors.

He stopped flapping them for a moment.

He dropped straight down onto the komodo’s heart.

A yellow aura wrapped around his rapier.

He spun his body, and slowly he began to rotate like a drill, with his rapier becoming the sharpest point.

His spinning form glowed yellow, its light rivaling the sun now standing at its highest point.

That spin pierced the black skin, and the komodo’s body convulsed violently.

Sahir’s spin came to a stop. There, his rapier was buried deep, accompanied by the giant komodo’s flesh torn open. Sahir knelt on top of the komodo’s body. Silence fell over them, everyone staring at him.

But that silence did not last long. Sahir’s brow twitched, and his eyes widened.

He quickly summoned his wings again and tried to fly.

He shouted a warning to the others.

"WATCH OUT, IT’S GOING TO EXPLODE!"

Not long after Sahir shouted, the giant komodo’s body swelled for a few moments, and once its black skin could no longer contain it, the body exploded.

A gust of wind blasted everyone, accompanied by black liquid splattering in every direction.

Everyone covered their faces with their hands, but their clothes were still stained by the black liquid.

Their noses accidentally caught its smell, and it was an intensely rotten stench.

In the middle of all that, the komodo reappeared in the body he had before he died.

His body had now returned to normal, and the wounds from the previous battle were still clearly visible all over him.

He only stood there in silence, his head lowered.

The wind blew against his body.

The sound of footsteps followed.

There, standing before the komodo, White appeared.

His white hair flowed as he ran, his white eyes focused only on one point on the komodo’s body: its heart.

White clicked his tongue as he saw the komodo standing motionless.

’This is really difficult without a holy-energy weapon or Saint Azara...’

White aimed his invisible short sword at the komodo’s heart.

’....but at the very least, we have to target the source of all this darkness.’

The sound of something sharp piercing flesh rang out. White had successfully stabbed the komodo.

But there was no expression of satisfaction on White’s face.

He lowered his head and looked at his stab.

A sigh escaped him. There, the stab of his disappearing short sword was being stopped by the komodo’s hand.

White shifted his gaze to the komodo, having to tilt his head slightly upward because of their height difference.

There, the komodo looked at him with a ruined face. The right side of his face was burned and peeling, his left eye split open, while on his forehead there was a stab wound that pierced through his head, and inside that hole something was writhing.

The komodo’s tongue flicked several times, the smell of rotting death following him.

White clicked his tongue.

A burst of wind swept over them both.

There, Arthur’s giant red hand punched both of them.

That punch broke the komodo’s grip, and the two of them were sent flying.

White rolled several times across the ground, his head aching and his left ear ringing slightly.

He tried to get back up, and the komodo began charging at him again, but Julian and Sahir intercepted it, and the two of them ended up fighting it fiercely.

Arthur also joined in to support them.

White took a breath for a moment, holding his left ear as it slowly recovered.

’Damn... the darkness in his heart has carried him this far...’

White swallowed hard.

’....he’s incredibly persistent.’

White started to move again, wanting to rejoin them, but a shout rang out.

Not far from him, Mira shouted. She stood beside Eve, who was holding the Bone of Malakar.

"Captain! Two minutes! The king’s strike will arrive in two minutes!!"

White smiled faintly and gave a slow nod in response.

"It’s time for this to end..."

White pulled a red dagger from his smart bracelet.

His smile widened as he looked at it.

"I didn’t think I’d end up using this...."

On the handle of the red dagger, an inscription was carved.

’Humanity, the pride of mankind’

Not far from White, Mira was still speaking to her father through her smart bracelet.

Her father’s voice could be heard.

"Are you alright, Mira?"

Mira let out a small laugh and answered confidently.

"Yes... Father."

Another voice was heard from there. It was Russ and Adan.

"Hey... Mira. Where’s Eve?! Is she okay?!"

Eve sighed, stepped closer to Mira, and spoke to Russ, her father.

"Hey... I’m fine, Dad. I’m healthy, I’m even guarding the Bone of Malakar."

Russ lost his mind after hearing that, but his voice disappeared and was replaced by Adan’s.

"What about Arthur?"

Mira and Eve looked at Arthur, who was still fighting.

They answered in unison.

"He’s very dirty..."

"He’s filthy this time, Uncle..."

Adan chuckled, and then the voice changed back to Thomas.

"Black is on the way. We’re also following the king to the platform. Wait two more minutes, Mira..."

Mira nodded in understanding and shut off her smart bracelet.

Once the connection was cut, Thomas, who was on the other end, let out a breath.

He, Russ, and Adan were now walking behind the king.

Their white robes looked neat, but their faces were filled with exhaustion.

Thomas looked at the king, who was walking farther ahead of them.

His red robe fluttered, and his shoulders remained firm even though he had been working for days without rest, carrying the burden of all humanity.

Thomas spoke to the king, who continued walking forward.

"What are we going to do now? The north has already confirmed the monster level..."

Russ and Adan looked at Thomas as they walked.

"....it’s likely you’ll have to go there. What are we going to do with the Bone of Malakar?..."

Thomas’s golden eyes looked at the king’s back.

"....if an attack like that happens, they’ll definitely take advantage of your absence later, won’t they?"

Thomas, Russ, and Adan looked at the king.

Slowly, the king’s steps came to a halt.

Before him stood a giant iron door, and slowly it opened.

The wind blew against the king’s red robe, and his dark red hair fluttered as well.

The sunlight illuminated him.

The king turned slightly toward them.

His voice sounded calm, even while the wind swept around him.

"For today, all of you should go home..."

Everyone looked at him, and the pressure in the air grew heavier.

"....thank you for your hard work. Go back and eat with your families..."

The king slowly walked out.

"....prepare yourselves for the hearing the day after tomorrow...."

Once the king had stepped outside, the giant iron door slowly closed.

Thomas’s golden eyes watched him without blinking until the iron door shut completely, their shadows disappearing.

But something dark writhed at Thomas’s feet.

Meanwhile, outside, a wide platform stretched out, located at one of the highest points of the human palace.

The king’s steps were steady. The wind did not disturb him in the slightest, and even the sunlight did not dazzle him.

His blue eyes now looked far colder.

He released his mana, and it evaporated out of his body.

The sky, which had been clear, slowly changed. With every step he took, black clouds gathered.

The sunlight that had been shining over the palace and the city was slowly covered by black clouds.

The king’s steps finally came to a stop, and red lightning appeared in the sky above the city. Everyone in the city who had been going about their daily lives slowly stopped what they were doing, all of them staring toward the human palace.

Magical buses stopped, ordinary vehicles halted, all activity in the city ceased, and silence spread, with only the sound of a crying baby remaining.

On the palace platform, the human king raised his right hand into the sky.

His breath came out as mist.

Slowly, the earth trembled slightly, and the black clouds opened into a hole at their center.

From that darkness, a giant red bolt of lightning struck down, its sound echoing across the entire city.

That red lightning struck the king’s body, and the king clenched his hand.

The lightning writhed, and slowly it transformed into something like a giant spear, far larger than the king’s body.

The king aimed the giant red lightning spear, his blue eyes seeming able to see his target.

’Get ready, White...’

Once the king’s sight had locked on, he made a slight motion with his hand.

The red lightning spear reacted. It flew, splitting the black sky, allowing sunlight to show through the divided heavens. A gust of wind and a tremor of the earth swept beneath it as the spear flew overhead.

All humans watched the flying spear. They felt awe and terror at the same time. This was only a fraction of their king’s power, the human king.

Not long after that, the ground began to tremble where the spear was heading.

White, who was in the Overmas mansion garden, felt that tremor.

A faint smile formed on his face. The cold wind gently blew his white hair, and the sunlight was slowly covered by the gathering black clouds.

White shouted toward Julian, Arthur, and Sahir.

"The king’s strike is coming!"

White charged toward the komodo, now using his invisible red dagger.

Julian, Arthur, and Sahir began to move away, as if they understood what White was about to do.

Now White once again faced the komodo one-on-one.

White swallowed hard. He felt that all the pain in his body had reached its peak.

The komodo also charged toward White.

Its right claw tried to rake across White.

White calmed himself. He twisted his body slightly and managed to avoid the komodo’s attack by a hair’s breadth.

He aimed his invisible red dagger at the komodo’s thigh.

White stabbed it over and over, but the komodo no longer reacted.

White pulled his dagger back and aimed it at the komodo’s heart.

Even with its body already ruined, the komodo was still able to move and grabbed White’s right hand just as the invisible dagger was about to stab its heart.

White let out a chuckle and released his grip on the dagger.

His invisible dagger fell, and the komodo did not notice.

Slowly, a red light began to shine from the garden of the Overmas mansion, and that light grew larger and larger.

White’s dagger, which had begun to fall to the ground, was immediately caught by White’s left hand, and he instantly drove it toward the komodo’s heart.

The sound of a stab rang out, and the komodo’s body trembled.

White did not stop there. He shouted loudly.

"ARTHUR!!"

In the distance, as if answering White’s cry, a giant red hand grabbed White’s body and pulled him backward.

White released his grip on the dagger.

Arthur’s red hand dragged White away.

Meanwhile, the komodo’s body continued to tremble.

A flash of red light illuminated White’s face. The flash grew brighter and brighter until White’s white eyes seemed to change color.

White looked at the komodo for the last time. He could hear nothing in his ears.

But after that, the sound of an explosion rang out. The king’s red lightning landed directly on the komodo.

The explosion was incredibly powerful, a red light shooting upward and creating a crater all around.

The komodo’s body convulsed violently, both of its arms being blown off instantly.

White, who was the closest to it, was also caught in the impact and thrown backward when Arthur’s red hand disappeared.

The others fared better.

A crater could be seen where the komodo had been struck.

The dark sky slowly faded away, and the sunlight began to peek out once more.

In the middle of that crater, a light shone upon the komodo’s body. His body was charred, both arms severed, and the red dagger was still embedded in his heart.

The komodo only looked up at the sky.

Silence enveloped everything around him.

But the sound of footsteps and the beating of wings broke that calm.

From the sky, Sahir descended swiftly with his transparent wings.

His eyes were fixed only on the komodo, who was still standing.

He aimed his rapier at the komodo’s heart, and his thrust pierced the komodo’s charred body.

Sahir’s breathing, which had been heavy, now became lighter, as if his burden had finally been lifted.

Not long after that, the sound of fast footsteps could be heard.

Following from behind, Julian came with his sword.

He stared intently at the komodo, gritting his teeth hard.

Tears began to gather in his blue eyes, and both hands gripping his sword started to tremble.

He made a slashing motion, and that slash went straight for the komodo’s neck.

A soft sound rang out, and the komodo’s head flew into the air. At times the sunlight struck it, until the sound of the severed head hitting the ground echoed in the silence.

Julian’s body trembled violently, his knees no longer strong enough to support him, and he collapsed to the ground in a kneeling bow.

The sunlight slowly shone upon them more boldly, accompanied by a cold breeze.

Silence fell for several moments, and they could only stand there in stillness.