Ard sat rigidly beside his older self, the air between them heavy with words that refused to settle.
"Five…?" Ard finally spoke, his voice tight. "What do you mean five? Even when one showed up, we couldn't move a finger."
His older self didn't look at him immediately. He stared ahead, eyes unfocused, as if watching something far older than memory.
"That's true," he said calmly. "But what if I told you… two of them are far more powerful than the one you met."
Ard's breath hitched.
"So if five really exist, then…" His brows knit together. "Which one are you talking about? I'm not—no, this doesn't make sense. Explain it properly."
The older Ard finally turned.
"My dimension," he said quietly, "was taken over by two of them. They were called One and Two."
Silence slammed down.
Ard's mind raced. One… Two…
"If they're numbered like that," he muttered, thinking aloud, "then the one we met would be—"
His eyes widened.
"…Three."
He froze. Then the weight of the next realization hit him like a hammer.
"Wait—did you just say a whole dimension?!"
"Yes," the older one replied flatly. "Technically… he did it to save this one."
Ard swallowed hard.
"Then tell me," he said. "Tell me everything."
The older Ard exhaled slowly, then raised a hand.
"I don't know what exactly happened in this dimension," he admitted. "But watching it will give you more clarity than imagination ever could."
The space around them warped.
Light folded inward.
And the world changed.
Two Hundred Years Ago
Endless sand stretched beneath a dead sky.
No wind. No sound.
Ten figures stood gathered in a loose circle, each one radiating enough presence to crush worlds on their own.
At the center stood a boy.
Short silver-and-red hair. Crimson eyes.
Still. Calm.
Unmoved.
One of the figures scoffed. "What are you doing here?"
The boy ignored him.
"I'm Leo," he said evenly. "Are you the leaders of this dimension?"
A low chuckle rippled through the group.
"We are its Monarchs," another replied proudly.
"Monarchs…" Leo repeated softly. "Then call off the war between our dimensions."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then laughter exploded.
So loud it cracked the air.
"Coming alone to stop a war?" one mocked, wiping tears from his eyes. "That's the funniest thing I've heard in centuries."
"I think we should stop," the only woman among them said with a smirk. "We'll be remembered for bullying the weak."
Another man snapped his fingers. "I have an idea. Let's let him handle it."
The woman clapped once.
Reality folded.
And Ard appeared.
Without instructions, without hesitation, Ard walked forward. He stopped roughly twenty meters from Leo, studying him with narrowed eyes.
Leo sighed.
"I didn't come to fight," he said calmly. "But if you intend to kill… things will end differently."
"You talk big for someone with such a tiny presence," Ard scoffed.
He raised his hand—and froze.
Mana refused to respond.
"…What?" Ard muttered. "I can't form a skill."
Leo walked past him.
Not through force.
Not through pressure.
Just… past.
He stopped before the Monarchs.
"I'm not here to fight," Leo repeated, his tone colder now. "I'm here to give an order."
His aura leaked.
The ground trembled.
"And if we refuse?" the first Monarch asked.
Ard's heart pounded.
My mana… it's completely shut off.
"What did you do to me?!" Ard shouted. "Why can't I use anything?!"
Leo's expression tightened.
"This is bad."
Before Ard could ask what he meant—
Everyone collapsed.
Pinned.
Crushed.
A new presence stepped forward.
Silent footsteps.
Colder gaze.
Same silver-and-red hair. Same crimson eyes.
But infinitely worse.
"He's here," Leo muttered.
The air screamed.
"Who are—"
"Shut up," the newcomer said.
The pressure increased.
They couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't exist.
"One," Leo said calmly. "You told me to handle this. Why are you here?"
"You were late," One replied, his gaze drifting toward the Monarchs. "What was their answer?"
"They haven't replied yet."
One nodded once.
"Then their reply is no longer necessary."
Terror broke through the Monarchs' arrogance.
"What… what are you planning to do with us?" one begged.
"You are irrelevant," One said indifferently. "Whether you live or die depends solely on my mood."
He turned to the woman.
"What are you?"
She swallowed and bowed. "Hilda. Monarch of Ice."
One studied her.
"She knows how to speak," Leo remarked quietly. "And she reminds us of her, doesn't she?"
One didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward Ard.
"I'll bestow you with some of my power," he said. "If you survive… you won't be useless."
His finger touched Ard's forehead.
Darkness swallowed everything.
A Hundred Years Later
Ard awoke.
The world had changed.
The once-collapsing dimension now stood stable—peaceful, united, alive.
He trained.
Relentlessly.
He unlocked limitless growth. Dimensional travel.
He trained not for pride—but to protect what remained, after hearing of Leo's disappearance.
The vision ended.
"What happened to the Monarchs?" the younger Ard asked quietly.
"They vanished," the older replied. "Only Hilda remained."
"Figures," Ard muttered. "They plotted war."
The older Ard stood.
"My time is over," he said. "There's a world where time flows differently. Follow me, take this power—or stay here and remain useless."
Ard didn't hesitate.
He stood.
And followed.