The wind howled across the barren land as Querry stood before the ancient blade, his hands trembling yet unwavering. For three relentless hours, he had struggled against it—pulling, straining, refusing to surrender. His body was exhausted, his breath uneven, but his eyes told a different story.
There was something burning inside them.
Determination. Obsession. A quiet madness.
"This time… I won't fail," he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip.
The sword resisted him like it had a will of its own. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly with every attempt, as though the world itself feared what lay beneath.
And then—
Something changed.
A faint pulse ran through the blade.
Querry froze.
A dark aura began to leak from its edges, slow at first… then violently. Thick black smoke spiraled upward, spreading into the air like living shadows. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating, as if the entire world was being swallowed by something ancient and malevolent.
The sword… was waking up.
The aura intensified, carrying with it a presence so overwhelming it felt like pure destruction given form.
Just as the blade began to loosen—
The scene shifted.
Far away, in a place untouched by ordinary chaos, one of the Four Rulers of the world—Wox Zee Zett—suddenly jolted to his feet.
His expression hardened instantly.
Shock… then anger.
"That presence…" he whispered.
At that same moment, elsewhere, another ruler reacted very differently.
Kuaal—the infamous criminal, feared across continents—burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. His voice echoed like a demon's delight.
"So it's finally happening…!" he shouted, eyes gleaming with excitement. "The world is about to change!"
Meanwhile, the third ruler, the Pirate King Zong, stood calmly aboard his ship. But even his composed face carried a hint of anticipation.
"Prepare the crew," he ordered. "We're heading east."
Even he could not hide his excitement.
Whatever had awakened… it had reached all of them.
And yet, the truth remained unclear.
Back on Sake Island—the place where it all began.
Memories lingered in the air.
The island where Zak and Querry grew up… where they trained, struggled, and took their first steps as warriors. The same island where Zak once saved an old man and defeated the Vice Head in his first real test.
But now—
That peaceful place was collapsing.
The ground split violently.
Massive cracks tore through the island, dividing it into four breaking fragments. Buildings crumbled. Flames rose. Screams filled the air.
People ran in every direction, desperate to survive.
Blood stained the earth.
Bodies lay scattered.
It felt less like destruction… and more like the end of the world.
At the same time, far across the sea, IceHeat Island—another powerful territory—began to crumble as well.
For the first time, it was revealed in full.
Its captain, Zarkoo, stood frozen in disbelief as the island split apart before his eyes.
"This… can't be happening," he said.
The ground shook violently beneath him. Even someone of his rank—a man above Vice Heads and commanders—struggled to remain standing.
Everywhere he looked… chaos.
Blood. Death. Ruin.
Like the beginning of an apocalypse.
Zarkoo clenched his teeth and raised his hand, revealing a glowing ring.
His Earth Creation Ring.
A rare and immensely powerful artifact.
"I won't let this island fall," he growled.
Pouring all his strength into it, he tried to stabilize the collapsing land. The earth responded… slightly.
But it wasn't enough.
The force behind this destruction was beyond him.
Moments later, he was thrown back violently, his body slamming into the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
Still, he refused to give up.
Even at the cost of everything.
Back on the Forbidden Island—
The earthquake intensified.
Querry gave one final, desperate pull—
And the blade came free.
For a fraction of a second, silence fell.
Then—
Leo appeared.
Not a second later.
Not even a full moment.
A millisecond.
Querry barely had time to react before Leo stood in front of him, a twisted smile on his face—no, not a smile.
Something far worse.
A monster's grin.
With a single finger—
He struck.
Querry's body was sent crashing to the ground. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he struggled to breathe, his vision fading in and out.
Leo laughed.
A deep, cruel laugh filled with satisfaction.
"So fragile," he said, picking up the blade. "And yet… you dared to touch this power?"
His gaze shifted toward Zak, who lay unconscious nearby.
Without hesitation, Leo raised the blade.
"You humans…" he muttered, his voice dripping with hatred. "Your time is over."
His expression twisted further.
"In this world… only beasts will rule."
He began to laugh louder.
"If I don't flood this land with rivers of blood… then don't call me Beast King Leo."
He swung the blade toward Zak.
But suddenly—
The air changed.
A massive surge of energy spread across the battlefield.
It wasn't just powerful.
It was overwhelming.
Even the beasts nearby began to collapse instantly, unable to withstand its pressure. A monstrous creature fell lifeless without even being touched.
Leo froze.
For the first time—shock appeared on his face.
"What… is this?" he whispered.
Then, narrowing his eyes—
"Who the hell is coming?"
A figure approached from the distance.
Each step carried weight.
The ground trembled.
The sky darkened.
Lightning cracked violently across the heavens.
The wind turned fierce, almost violent.
And then—
Three figures appeared.
Wox Zee Zett.
Kamoon—the world's second strongest swordsman.
And Seek—the greatest shooter alive.
Wox stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Leo.
"If that boy is harmed," he said coldly, "you won't even recognize yourself anymore."
"This is my promise."
In the next instant—
He was already in front of Leo.
Their clash erupted instantly.
The impact sent shockwaves across miles, tearing through the environment like a storm.
"Seek. Kamoon," Wox said without looking back. "Take them and leave. I'll handle this."
Before they could move—
They were surrounded.
Dozens of beasts emerged—monstrous apes, gorilla kings, giant ants, massive serpents—closing in from every direction.
Wox didn't even turn.
"Don't cause unnecessary destruction," he said calmly. "But don't leave any of them alive either."
Seek smirked.
"Don't worry, Captain," he replied. "If even one survives… I'll change my name."
He raised his weapon—
And began firing.
Each shot precise. Each shot lethal.
Kamoon moved swiftly, carrying both Querry and Zak away from the battlefield.
As they retreated, Querry's eyes flickered open for a moment.
Through blurred vision… he saw Wox.
"Bhai…" he whispered weakly.
Then darkness took him again.
Back on the battlefield—
Wox continued fighting.
Inside his mind, a single thought echoed.
No matter what… I will keep you alive.
That promise… I will fulfill it.
Lightning struck again.
The clash between Leo and Wox intensified.
And somewhere, far beyond all this chaos—
The truth behind everything… was waiting to be revealed.
To be continued.