Nearby, inside an old abandoned cathedral beside a massive pile of ash statues forming a wall, a magic circle painted in the colors of the World of the Ethereals manifested near the altar.

The air within the structure was cold and dense, heavy with the dry scent of ash accumulated over the years. The cracked walls, covered with the blackened remains of ancient stained glass, allowed thin strands of light to slip through, barely piercing the gloom. The ash figures, piled on top of one another as if carelessly shoved there, seemed to watch in silence, frozen in expressions of eternal horror.

A soft current of wind pushed the ash remnants as three figures began to form over the light, rapidly constructing themselves before materializing in a large greenish flash.

The circle’s energy pulsed like a restrained heartbeat, lifting fine particles that spiraled before slowly settling. The flash briefly illuminated the entire cathedral, revealing twisted columns, shattered pews, and sacred symbols worn down by time.

There, Ellegaard opened her eyes and carefully surveyed her surroundings.

"A... church," Jeanne said.

Aslan stepped out of the glowing circle and adjusted the sleeves of his suit.

"The architecture strongly reminds me of the churches of the Goddess of Light of Axorhibis."

Ellegaard frowned.

"We might actually be in Axorhibis—the sealed kingdom on the other side of that massive tornado made of pure ash curse."

Her voice was firm, but her eyes moved cautiously, analyzing every detail as if expecting something to leap from the shadows at any moment.

She walked past the nearly nonexistent pews toward the exit. Aslan and Jeanne followed her to the large, broken doors.

Outside, they were met with a torrential downpour. Nearby, a large opening in the clouds was almost closing, where rays of sunlight struggled to break through. There, aligned with the gap in the sky, an immense ring of ash—its supporting pillars breaking apart into massive segments—was descending along with everything that embodied the tragedy of this kingdom.

The sound of rain pounding against the ruins was deafening. Water flowed over broken surfaces, forming streams that dragged ash like black tears. The ring in the sky emitted a deep hum as it collapsed, as if the world itself were releasing pressure built up over centuries.

"This is... Something bad is happening, right?" Jeanne asked.

Ellegaard shook her head.

Aslan answered firmly.

"That ’something’ has already ended. Even so, I can feel that the danger hasn’t disappeared."

Desperate creatures ran toward the castle, smashing through the ruins of houses and ancient buildings that once shaped the history of Axorhibis. They crawled like starving beasts, digging their claws into the castle towers.

Their movements were erratic, driven by an external will. Some stumbled, others climbed walls violently, their bodies crumbling and reforming in the same instant. The sound of their steps was a mixture of wet impacts and dry cracks.

In the arena, Mitsuki let his weapons fall and looked up at the sky.

The magic previously cast by Monar faded. The dark elf laughed in pain.

"I’m sorry... This is all I could do... I..."

Exhausted, he collapsed face-first onto the shattered crystals around the magic circle, which went dark as his eyes closed.

The crystal fragments crunched beneath his weight, lightly piercing his skin without any reaction from him. The crimson glow faded like a dying candle.

Marco tightened his grip on his sword, but then fell to his knees. He placed his palms on the ground and shut his eyes tightly. His breathing was uneven and ragged. Every inhale felt like it tore through his chest, and every muscle in his body burned with pain. His vision blurred as the exhaustion from the brutal battle took its toll.

And enhancement magic always comes with consequences. Extreme fatigue was one of them—and since this power had been granted by a god and a demon, those consequences were infinitely worse.

Meanwhile, Azel fell onto his back. He struggled to breathe; although his physical effort had been less, mana exhaustion overwhelmed him.

His fingers still twitched weakly, as if trying to draw a nonexistent bowstring. His bow rested beside him, soaked by the rain—a rain that had not ceased, even though the dramatic battle had ended.

Mitsuki turned his gaze forward. With his companions losing consciousness from exhaustion, he focused on the broken edge of the arena where the princess had been defeated by Azel minutes earlier.

Azel closed his eyes and fainted.

Marco tried to crawl toward Mitsuki, but one of the muscle fibers in his forearm burst, forcing him to curl up on the ground in pain. He breathed heavily, clenched his fist—and in the end, he couldn’t move anymore.

The three adventurers lay unconscious, leaving only Mitsuki standing as he looked over the destroyed landscape from above, where the ash structure created by Princess Cinderella finally collapsed.

Beasts climbed from all directions. Armored knights of various humanoid sizes arrived. Shadowy ash dogs appeared, their bodies melting into the ground; cats, demonic horses, and even crows whose eyes burned like white flames in the storm’s darkness.

It seemed as though they would slaughter the three adventurers—but when they saw Mitsuki, they stopped.

[ Your title "Master of Cinder" is in effect. ]

[ All ash beasts present are inferior to you. ]

Monsters trembled in silence, fearful before the presence of the Master of Cinder.

Some instinctively stepped back, others lowered their heads. Even the most grotesque creatures hesitated, caught between the instinct to attack and absolute fear.

His decaying body in the rain was far from its best state. It was the kind of moment that would make anyone feel pity for him—but the ash beasts feared him, respected him, perhaps even worshiped him.

Mitsuki Kirishima raised his hand and pointed at them.

His eyes, once golden in the deep darkness, turned black once more.

[ The skill "Limit Break" has been deactivated. ]

"Get lost," he told them.

The beasts obeyed, retreating back into the ruins they had come from. Mitsuki returned his gaze to the void. He looked at the sky as if lost and let out a long, weary sigh.

[ Your body is in critical condition. ]

[ The skill "Progression Healing" cannot be activated. ]

[ You are dying. ]

[ You need help. ]

There were no thoughts in Mitsuki’s mind as he read those messages. No regret, no pain. There was nothing.

Limit Break had damaged his existence so deeply that he now remained as a hollow body, his soul unable to produce that "spark" that made someone alive.

But...

Mitsuki raised his hand toward the sky, yearning for whatever lay beyond it.

The system had a message for him...

[ Claim your power. ]

He clenched his fist. The clouds twisted into a sudden vortex.

The wind began to spin violently, dragging the rain into chaotic spirals. The sky darkened further, as if responding to his will.

Figures ran through the streets as the monsters retreated. Jeanne cut some in half, Ellegaard pulverized others with magic, while Aslan ignored those near him.

They looked at the vortex forming in the sky and quickened their pace to arrive in time.

They reached the stairs leading to the castle and the arena embedded along its side.

They didn’t hesitate to climb.

Meanwhile, countless tattoos in an unknown language spread across Mitsuki’s skin, emerging from the mark on his left forearm.

The markings glowed faintly purple, like embers beneath the skin. They moved slowly, as if alive.

Purple flames formed beneath his feet, and the distant whisper of an ancient being spoke words no one could understand.

The group’s footsteps echoed as they ran through the castle ruins.

Mitsuki sighed. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

A kind of black miasma began to seep from the air, rushing toward his body at great speed. It did not come only from the capital, but from the entire kingdom. It gathered around him in an instant and climbed up his arm, staining his body with the curse.

The tornado surrounding the kingdom faded, along with the tattoos that began to disappear, returning to the original mark as if time itself had reversed.

Ellegaard and the others crossed the ash bridge until they reached the crystal and stopped just before entering.

Before them stood the being that had brought countless nightmares to humanity and all other races. It had just absorbed the entire kingdom’s curse in an instant—and that was undeniable proof that it was the Herald of the Unnameable.

Ellegaard stepped forward without fear. She raised her staff, coming face to face with Marco’s unconscious group.

Aslan moved to aid the adventurers, while Jeanne stood beside Ellegaard with her sword in hand.

"It’s you... We finally meet," Ellegaard said. "You’ve finally arrived in our world."

"Herald of the Unnameable..."

Mitsuki lowered his head. He looked at his hand, then slowly turned around.

Jeanne’s eyes widened in shock—confusion, fear... two emotions perfectly reflected on the beautiful face of that princess.

Ellegaard was just as confused. Unconsciously, she lowered her staff.

"Mitsuki..."

The boy looked down, staggered weakly—and collapsed face-first. The ash that held his body together scattered across the ground, releasing his decaying form.

The sound of the rain marked the end of this tragedy...

And the beginning of a new one.