The six demons stood at the main entrance.
Except for Dolt, all of them were in human form. Each of the other five wore a ring that concealed their appearance, aura, and presence.
Lawine clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Don't tell me..." she said through gritted teeth. "Don't tell me you had something to do with my son's death."
Dolt looked at her and smiled.
"Looks like he got an easy death. Honestly, I would've enjoyed it more if I had tortured him to death right in front of you."
The last bit of restraint inside Lawine snapped.
Before she could move, Ishita placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Lawine. Sam. Control yourselves," she said. "They're trying to provoke you. We need a plan—"
A sword suddenly burst through her chest.
Blood spilled from Ishita's mouth.
For a moment, she couldn't even process what had happened. Pain shot through her entire body. Slowly, she lowered her eyes and stared at the blade sticking through her heart.
Her breathing stopped.
She turned around, trying to see who had attacked her.
The moment she saw the person behind her, her eyes widened.
"A... Alice...?"
Alice stood there calmly, one hand gripping the sword.
Lawine's face froze.
The next second, she lunged forward and reached for Alice's throat.
But before she could touch her, Yirina grabbed Lawine's wrist and yanked her back.
"Where do you think you're going?"
A heavy punch slammed into Lawine's stomach.
The impact sent her flying across the hall.
"LAWINE!"
Sam shouted and immediately rushed toward her.
Before he could reach her, Dolt appeared in front of him.
Sam stopped.
Dolt's grin widened.
"You'll be playing with me."
At that exact moment, Butler attacked Dolt from the side.
His sword cut through the air.
But Yokzo stepped forward and caught the blade with his bare hand.
"Sorry," Yokzo said. "Looks like you're fighting me."
Nearby, Yina looked around the battlefield.
"Is there really nobody left for me to fight?"
Yeld, standing beside her, shrugged.
"Looks like we'll just watch everyone die."
Meanwhile, Alice kept her sword buried inside Ishita's chest.
"I didn't expect you to lower your guard so easily."
Ishita coughed up blood.
"Why...?" she asked weakly. "Why are you doing this?"
Alice smiled.
"You don't need to know."
She leaned closer.
"You just need to die."
"Switch."
The moment she spoke, spikes erupted all over her sword.
Large spikes.
Small spikes.
Dozens of them.
Ishita's body trembled violently.
Blood poured from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Alice pulled the sword out.
Ishita collapsed to the floor.
Because of the spikes, part of her heart came out attached to the blade.
Alice casually shook her sword.
The spikes retracted.
The heart slipped off the blade and fell to the ground.
Thud.
Alice flicked her sword to clear the blood.
Then her expression changed.
She sensed danger.
Without hesitation, she jumped into the air.
The instant she moved, dozens of sharp ice spears burst from the floor where she had been standing.
Floating above the ground, Alice looked down.
Her eyes landed on Kim.
Kim had one hand pressed against the floor.
Without wasting another second, Alice teleported.
She appeared directly in front of Kim and swung her sword.
Clang!
Someone blocked the attack.
Alice blinked.
Standing between her and Kim was King Rose.
"Oh?" Alice said with amusement. "Looks like a monster wants to fight me."
Sharp ice spikes suddenly rose beneath her again.
Alice pushed King Rose backward with brute force and escaped the attack.
She pointed her sword toward Kim.
"Your ice magic is impressive."
Her smile widened.
"But you're nowhere near my level."
A voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Looks like you're having a hard time over here."
Alice turned around.
Yina was approaching while cracking her fingers.
"Need some help?"
Alice laughed.
"Help?"
She looked Yina up and down.
"From you?"
Yina's eyebrow twitched.
"Looks like someone wants to die early."
Alice smirked.
"Then come and try."
The moment she finished speaking, Yina attacked.
Alice blocked with her sword.
The collision released a powerful shockwave.
Kim was forced to slide backward from the impact.
Elsewhere, Yeld and Yonk approached Albert.
Yeld's gaze fell on Kondo's body.
"Leave the kid here."
His voice was calm.
"Otherwise, you'll die too."
Albert looked at the two demons,He already knew one thing.
He couldn't win this fight.
Albert glared at Yeld and tightened his grip on Kondo's body.
"What are you even planning to do with a dead child?"
"You don't need to know that," Yeld replied calmly. "Just hand him over."
Before Albert could respond, Yonk suddenly appeared behind him.
A hand pierced straight through Albert's chest.
Blood spilled from Albert's mouth.
His eyes widened as he looked down. A hand had torn through his body and emerged from the other side.
At the same time, he realized Kondo was no longer beside him.
Albert collapsed to the floor.
Yeld was already holding Kondo by his shirt.
He stared at the boy's face for a moment.
"So... you're her son."
A sword suddenly shot toward Yeld's neck.
Without even looking surprised, Yeld casually caught the blade with one hand.
The attacker was King Rose.
The moment King Rose jumped back, an ice spear flew toward Yeld.
Yonk clapped his hands.
A strange sound wave spread through the air and struck the spear.
The ice shattered instantly.
"Oh?" Yeld smiled. "Looks like someone still wants to fight us."
Then his smile widened.
"But unfortunately, you're nothing compared to us."
A hand suddenly burst through King Rose's chest.
King Rose coughed up blood.
Kim froze.
For a second, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Yonk's arm was sticking straight through her father's chest.
"Dad...?"
Her voice trembled.
She quickly created several small ice spears and launched them toward Yonk.
Yonk stepped back.
Not because he was threatened.
He simply didn't want the game to end so quickly.
Kim rushed forward and caught King Rose before he fell.
"Dad... Dad! Dad!"
No answer came.
His body had already gone limp.
Tears filled Kim's eyes.
Not tears of sadness.
Tears of rage.
"You'll pay for this..."
Slowly, she stood up.
She brought both hands together and extended them forward.
A red magic circle appeared around one wrist.
A blue magic circle appeared around the other.
The magical energy around her began to surge violently.
"Now suffer for what you've done!"
But before she could release the spell—
A sword pierced straight through her stomach.
Kim's body froze.
Blood spilled from her lips.
Her eyes slowly moved downward.
The blade had gone completely through her body.
She turned around with difficulty.
Yirina stood behind her, holding the sword.
"Good thing I arrived in time," Yirina said with a smile.
"Now die."
She pulled the sword out.
Kim collapsed to the ground.
Blood quickly spread beneath her.
Her vision blurred.
In front of her, she could still see Yeld holding Kondo's body.
A weak smile appeared on her face.
"Kondo..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I'm sorry..."
"I couldn't protect you."
Tears rolled from the corners of her eyes.
"But in the another life..."
"I hope I can stay by your side again."
Her eyes slowly closed.
And then she stopped moving.
Yirina looked toward Yeld and Yonk with annoyance.
"Never underestimate an enemy."
Her voice was cold.
"Even if it's just a child."
"If I hadn't arrived when I did, I would've had to collect your remains afterward."
Her gaze shifted toward Kim's body.
"To master a spell like that at such a young age..."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You were interesting."
Then she shrugged.
"But unfortunately, you're dead."
Yeld laughed and tossed Kondo's body toward her.
Yirina caught him with one hand.
She lifted him closer to her face.
"Who is this kid?"
"Lawine's son," Yeld answered.
Yirina's eyes narrowed.
Then she laughed.
"Oh?"
She looked at Kondo carefully.
"Even after death, you might still be useful to us."
But Kondo was no longer there.
Far away from the battlefield—
He was standing in complete darkness.
There was nothing in front of him.
Nothing behind him.
Nothing anywhere.
No light.
No sound.
Just endless darkness.
Kondo looked around nervously.
"Hello?"
His voice disappeared into the void.
There wasn't even an echo.
"Is anyone there?"
No answer.
He started walking.
At first slowly.
Then faster.
But no matter how long he walked, the darkness never changed.
"Wasn't I just at my birthday party?"
He looked around again.
"So how did I end up here?"
There was no answer.
Only silence.
Then suddenly—
A small light appeared.
It floated around him in circles.
Kondo stared at it.
"Huh?"
"What is that?"
The tiny light moved forward.
As if it wanted him to follow.
Kondo hesitated for a moment before running after it.
After what felt like a long time, he finally saw a huge light in the distance.
His eyes widened.
"There!"
The small light flew toward it.
Kondo ran as fast as he could.
But the moment he reached it—
The light disappeared.
Darkness surrounded him once again.
"What?"
He looked around in frustration.
The small light returned.
Kondo frowned.
"Stop messing with me!"
"Just show me the way out already!"
The light ignored him and floated forward again.
After following it for some time, Kondo finally noticed a figure sitting in the darkness.
The small light flew toward the person.
Then vanished.
Kondo stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Wait."
Recognition flashed across his face.
"That's the same guy."
"The one who wouldn't let me touch that green energy."
Gathering his courage, Kondo slowly approached.
Step by step.
Carefully.
Until he finally stood beside him.
"Umm... hello."
The man didn't answer.
"Do you know the way out of here?"
"I need to go back."
Without looking at him, the man patted the ground beside him.
An invitation to sit.
Kondo hesitated.
The man looked dangerous.
His eyes were red.
His hair was messy.
Scars covered his face.
His clothes were torn.
Still, Kondo sat down.
For the first time, he got a proper look at him.
"Sorry," Kondo said awkwardly.
"I really don't know where I am."
"So if you know the way back, could you tell me?"
The man finally spoke.
"You're dead."
Kondo blinked.
Then laughed nervously.
"I think I heard that wrong."
"No."
The man didn't even look at him.
"You heard correctly."
"You're dead."
Silence.
Kondo lowered his head.
Surprisingly, he didn't argue.
"...Yeah."
A weak smile appeared on his face.
"That explains why this place felt familiar somehow."
Then he looked at the man.
"So who are you?"
"Are you here to take me somewhere?"
"No."
Kondo tilted his head.
"Then if you're not here to guide me..."
"Who are you?"
For the first time, the man turned and looked directly at him.
Their eyes met.
And the man answered.
"Who I'm? ,I'm you."