Mitsuki collapsed. His destroyed torso hung like a piece of cloth in the darkness. His heart, ribs, spine, and muscles—grotesquely exposed beneath the rain and its discordant lightning—glimmered faintly in shades of red. Each visible heartbeat was weak and irregular, as if it might stop at any moment, while the water washed away the blood in thin streams that ran down his body.

For a second, Marco and Azel were shaken by the horrifying sight of Mitsuki’s decaying form—but they didn’t have time to even worry, as Cinderella’s body regenerated instantly. The separated halves of her body dragged themselves toward each other as if pulled by an invisible force, fusing ash and crystal flesh with a viscous, unnatural sound.

Looking at the princess lying on the ground with her torso split in half, Mitsuki frowned.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to regain control of his body, but it wasn’t enough. His vision trembled, distorted by pain he could no longer feel—though his body clearly still suffered it. He needed something to hold his broken form together, or this would be his end.

Unconsciously, he extended his hand toward her. His fingers trembled, barely responding to his will.

[ The skill "Ash Manipulation Lv. 1" has been activated. ]

Part of the ash that had healed Cinderella’s wounds dragged itself like black sludge toward Mitsuki, crawling across the ground slowly, as if reluctant to obey. In the end, it did—filling his wounds once more to sustain his body. The ash seeped into his exposed flesh, partially sealing the gaps, hardening like a grotesque, improvised armor.

Azel didn’t waste time and took advantage of the princess’s weakened state, firing—with his last strength—all the arrows of light and blood he had left. Each arrow whistled through the damp air, leaving uneven trails in the rain.

Like viscous mud, the flames on the princess’s body began to fade, and her ash skin melted like tar over the rooftop after the arrows struck her. Her movements slowed for a brief moment, as if her form couldn’t fully stabilize.

Marco was there to stop her from moving again. With a swift motion, he drove his sword into her head, leaving her disoriented for a few seconds. The impact sent vibrations up the blade and into his arms, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep hold of it.

At the same time, Mitsuki rose onto his knees, his palms pressed against the ground. His hands sank slightly into the mixture of water and ash. His body returned to a single piece—but his consciousness lagged behind. As the rain slid down his long black and purple hair, his lifeless eyes stared into a story hidden in the darkness.

Confused, he stood. He staggered and looked up at the stormy sky. Lightning illuminated his figure for an instant, revealing the unstable silhouette of a body that shouldn’t still be standing.

Cinderella, lying at his feet, raised her hand and grabbed Mitsuki by the leg. Her grip was firm—but not aggressive.

This time, instead of attacking, she looked at him as if trying to understand something—but her head was still pinned to the roof, preventing her from fully grasping what was happening.

The rain dragged pieces of ash from her corrupted body, forming black sludge that stained the tiles near the tower. The mass slid slowly, dripping over the edges into the void below.

"Who are you, impostor?" the princess asked. There was genuine curiosity in her voice—almost human.

Mitsuki paid her no mind. He closed his eyes and breathed, though the air didn’t truly seem to fill his lungs.

Marco looked at him, confused. Even though it was the moment to kill the princess, Mitsuki didn’t move. Something was wrong. Of course, he could guess—when you see a man with his torso destroyed, the most obvious thought comes to mind.

"Mitsuki... Are you still alive?"

It wasn’t a joke, nor a casual question. Marco spoke seriously, fearing Mitsuki had died right there—standing, staring at the sky as if that were the last thing he wanted to do before departing.

But Mitsuki answered.

"I’m not sure..."

He summoned his shotgun, calling it back from the rooftop where it had fallen earlier. The weapon appeared wrapped in ash particles that quickly dispersed in the rain. He aimed at the princess’s head, prompting Marco to jump back.

Immediately after, just as she was about to free herself, Mitsuki fired—disintegrating the remains of her body with a massive pale-blue blaze that illuminated the darkness of the realm with a grim, divine light. The impact released a wave of heat that momentarily evaporated the rain around them.

A second later, the beam vanished—and nothing remained of her.

Azel and Marco sighed in relief.

But Mitsuki frowned.

’This is strange. What’s happening to me?’

The system displayed a message.

[ Warning: Due to prolonged use of the skill "Limit Break," parts of your soul, mind, and body have begun to deteriorate at a rapid rate. ]

[ Deactivate the skill before the damage becomes irreversible. ]

’Huh... So that’s why my mind...’

It was still strange—he no longer felt pain. In fact, he couldn’t feel any emotion at all. And worst of all... that wasn’t everything.

[ The skill "Premonition Lv. 1" has been activated. ]

’Makes sense... The notification for Cinder’s defeat never came...’

He turned his attention to Marco, who, for some reason, was looking at him with a pained expression. With lifeless golden eyes, Mitsuki said:

"This isn’t over yet, Marco."

"I know."

The ground began to tremble. Tiles shook beneath their feet, and fragments of stone fell from the castle’s edges.

The interior of the ruined castle suddenly lit up—and from its depths, Cinderella emerged once more. Her body glowed with red-hot cracks, but her eyes had gone completely black, devoid of all emotion.

She looked upward, where the broken ceiling let droplets of water fall—only for them to evaporate upon touching the damp ash.

How had she done it?

The answer lay in the mounds of wet ash scattered among the castle’s ruined chambers—and in her decaying ash body merging with the rain. When the remnants of her form fell through the broken roof—through gaps in the tiles and leaks formed over time—her essence seeped into the piles of wet ash, allowing her to be reborn from them. A body of black sludge formed first, then dried into ash under the heat generated within her.

The process was grotesque—yet strangely mesmerizing.

In a decisive second, she leapt back to the rooftop. She shattered it and landed before the group. The impact kicked up a cloud of ash and dust that was immediately crushed by the rain.

She looked at Mitsuki in particular and asked again:

"Tell me... who are you, impostor?"

Mitsuki sighed.

"To be honest... I have no idea."

Summoning Viktor and Igor, Mitsuki took on a rigid, almost unnatural combat stance—his movements lacking the fluidity he once had. Even so, his presence exerted overwhelming pressure.

Marco and Azel joined at his side, ready to fight three against one in close combat. Marco tightened his grip on his sword, while Azel—his hands trembling—prepared what little he had left.

The wind howled through the towers, making their soaked clothes ripple.

And then, the three of them advanced at once.

***

In the village destroyed by the battle against the dragon, ethereal rays of Arcane Magic spread across the combat arena with their unmistakable crystalline light of shifting colors and pale purple particles. The runes of the magic circle floated and slowly rearranged themselves, emitting a constant hum.

Ellegaard opened her eyes after concentrating for a long time.

"It’s ready," she said to herself with a tone of confidence.

She looked at her companions, expecting them to understand it was time to go wherever the spell would take them.

Aslan nodded, while Jeanne stepped forward in silence until she stood beside her friend. The wind lifted her hair slightly as she stared at the circle with determination.

"So, we go—and come back once we’re sure no one’s dead," Jeanne said, crossing her arms casually, though tension lingered in her gaze.

"Yes. It’ll be quick, and we’ll finally know for certain whether the Herald has arrived."

Aslan joined in.

"The sooner we arrive, the sooner we return. Please proceed, Miss Ellegaard."

The elf nodded and led them to the center of the magic circle. There, the teleportation process began. The light intensified, slowly enveloping them as the air vibrated with arcane energy, distorting the space around them as if the world itself were about to fold inward.