Time passed. Queen Marine came—the daughter of King David. When she ruled, the empire felt alive again. She stopped the whispers, silenced those who spat on Ezo father's name. Her soft golden hair that flowed like silk, gentle brown eyes that carried nothing but kindness. And she once call Ezo in castle alone when came to main hall where multiple knights were standing behind her thrown there was big painting in which she was drawn.

  The torches and candles were glowing and the curtains were opened the sun light was coming through windows in the hall. Making the shadows of knights.

  Ezo asked her gently "My queen you call me here. How can this weak human can help you?"

  She smiled and replied "You don't need to be this much formal after all your father gave his life to protect this empire. You don't need to be on guard." Her voice was gentle like a flower.

  Ezo replied with a faint smile "My queen it was my father not me all the credits goes to him. I have no right on them because unlike him. I am just a coward cafe owner. Who is just a disgrace on his father."

  She chuckled a little and replied back "....Anyways I don't want to waste neither my time nor yours. I just call you here because many people who were blaming you for not being like your father. I silence them for eternity. And—"

  Before she could complete her words. Ezo interrupted and said "Sorry for my rudeness my queen but I have a question why are you doing this—"

  This time before he complete his sentence. Marine interrupted and said with a loud voice "Mr Ezo... Don't be in such delusions"

  Ezo eyes widened. She continued "You're not the only one who I am helping. There are many people in the empire who need my help and as a queen I am doing what I should do..... Anyways the only reason today I called you here is because I want to tell you that from now on no one is gonna talk shit about your father."

  Ezo bowed down generously and said "Thanks Queen Marine.. Now if you don't mind I'll be taking my leave.

  "As he turned around to take his leave by going towards the doors of main hall suddenly Queen Marine said something. "You have every right to choose your own path and... And no one... No one can stop you."

  Ezo heard those words but he didn't turn back he walks and leave the castle with a smile on his face. But her reign did not last. Her brother, King Agrest, took her place. A man young in years, yet old in cruelty. His unkempt black hair framed piercing brown eyes that held no warmth—only judgment. From the moment he sat on the throne, corruption spread like fire.

  And one day Ezo father stood before him, pointing to a bloated officer.

  "My lord, this man has been kidnapping children, selling them beyond our borders. We should finish him. It's against our religion and our laws."

  Agrest leaned back, lips curling in a smile. "As you wish."

  And then—Ezo father's head rolled.

  The guards panicked. "My lord, he was important! What do we tell the people?"

  Agrest's reply was simple, cruel. "He has a son. Make him a knight. Tell the people his father died fighting assassins and for evidence they can ask his own child as he was saving the king Agrest and his child Ezo simple."

  I stood there, frozen, as blood stained the floor. My father's lifeless eyes staring at nothing. Agrest came close, his voice sharp as a blade. "Become my knight and also.....Forget your family."

  And I obeyed. Eyes empty, voice hollow. "As you wish."

  From that day, Ezo was no longer his father's son—He was a soldier without mercy. A shadow of what he was. He laughed at himself in bitterness. They told me I could choose my own path, but when fear gripped him, He bowed. Unlike my father. He was afraid too—Ezo see that now—but his father carried it alone, hidden beneath his duty. He had courage. But Ezo had none.

  'I lost everything. My family. My goal. Even my pride. When I saw that boy, Leo, living freely, I grew jealous. I raised my sword against him, knowing deep down I was wrong. How pathetic I must have looked—hating a life I never had the strength to fight for.'

  But then I remembered my father's words "You can choose whatever you want. Your dreams, your goals—no one can take them from you. Live for them and do your best, and enjoy every moment of life. Even if it's only for a limited time."

  'I asked myself—was there ever a moment I was truly happy?'

  'And the interesting part is... Yes. There was moments where I was happy. I remembered my wife's laughter, my children's small hands reaching for mine. My father's proud smile. When I opened the cafe for the first time. Even if brief, I was happy. That means my goal was never wrong. What followed was my weakness, my cowardice. But in truth… I did have happiness.'

  And so, Ezo smiled.

  The ground cracked beneath Ezo's feet, stone splintering under the crushing weight of gravity. Blood streaked down his chin, soaking into the earth, yet his hands gripped the sword tighter.

  With a roar, he swung upward. The suffocating pressure shattered, the air splitting as he cut through the invisible weight pressing him down.

  Ezo lunged forward. His blade came crashing toward Lili.

  But her form blazed with light—an ethereal shimmer. The steel passed harmlessly aside, cutting nothing.

  Tears welled in his eyes for the first time in years, yet a faint smile curved his bloodied lips.

  "Hey... Can you win this duel for me?"

  Lili didn't understand so without a second. Her strike fell swift and clean. Steel tore through flesh. Cutting Ezo body in half and then his body collapsed to the ground, broken and still divided in two parts.

  Above him, Lili lingered in the air. Lili's blade dripped with silence. "Phew!"

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  "It's finished finally."

  Her thoughts steadied. 'I have to go back to the village.'

  With a flash, she surged through the skies, her speed cutting across the horizon. As things finally finished from her side doesn't means things are solved. Arvaris's hand closed tightly around Sara's throat. Her legs kicked weakly, her tears streaming as she clawed at his grip. Zack lay sprawled in the dirt, unconscious. Sheron was pinned to the ground, an enormous ice crystal jutting from his back, blood staining the frozen spike. The chief lay motionless, breaths shallow. Around them, Grok and the goblins were scattered across the field, their bodies slumped in defeat.

  Arvaris's eyes narrowed. "Where is Leo? Where is that witch?" He shouted.

  Sara only choked, silent, her lips trembling but refusing to speak.

  Arvaris sighed, his fingers tightening. "Tch. I didn't want this… but I have no other choice but to kill you."

  Her vision blurred, the world fading as his hand clenched harder.

  Then—

  Arvaris froze. His eyes widened as the air rippled with power. Above, countless dark magic circles ignited at once, forming a storm of shadows.

  "...What?" he muttered.

  The sky rained with shadow spheres, hundreds of them crashing down. Arvaris hurled Sara aside and twisted through the air, his body weaving between explosions of black fire. The ground split, smoke rising.

  As the storm faded, he landed on one knee, breathing low. His gaze flicked to the spot where Sara should have fallen.

  "Hmph… maybe she's dead by now."

  But his words died.

  Sara wasn't there.

  Instead, a voice cut through the smoke, sharp and furious.

  "So you were looking for me… bastard."

  Arvaris's head snapped upward.

  High above, Lili floated against the burning sky, her form blazing with spiritual light. In her arms, Sara trembled, alive but held tightly.

  Lili slowly descended, her feet touching the ground with grace. She gently laid Sara down and spoke firmly, her tone carrying both command and comfort.

  "Sara, leave everything to me."

  Sara coughed, her hand trembling as it pressed against her bruised throat. Her voice was weak, but her spirit hadn't broken.

  "...Okay. I'll do it. But… what about the others?"

  Lili's sharp gaze swept across the battlefield. Grok and his goblins lay scattered, unconscious. Zack had fallen with them, his chest rising faintly with shallow breaths. Sheron, however, was pinned to the ground by a massive spear of ice lodged deep into his back, and the old chief Balzock lay unmoving, his face pale.

  "Grok and Zack are only unconscious," Lili said grimly. "But Sheron and Balzock… their injuries are far too deep. I can't save them."

  Sara clenched her teeth, frustration swelling inside her. Then a thought struck her.

  "Wait… what about Leo? You already defeated those Holy Empire knights. Weren't they the ones who blocked our link with him?"

  At that, Lili's expression soured. Her voice lowered, edged with irritation.

  "I thought the same. But when I tried to reach Leo, the connection was still blocked. That means someone else was hiding all along… and that person is still here."

  She turned her gaze back to Arvaris, whose eyes narrowed with a mocking grin.

  "You'll be the one to find him," Lili continued. "Search for that hidden bastard. I'll keep this dumb shit busy. If I manage to wake Zack or Grok, I'll send them to help you."

  Sara's legs shook beneath her, her body crying out for rest. Yet she forced herself upright, her fists clenching at her side. With a hoarse voice, she answered:

  "Alright then… best of luck. I'll find him."

  Sara turned and broke into a sprint, her boots splashing against the mud as she vanished into the shadows of the forest. Her breathing was ragged, but her determination drove her.

  'I can't stop right now because If i did then I would only be burden on others.'

  Sara ran into the forest, her figure swallowed by the trees until only the sound of her footsteps faded into silence.

  Lili's gaze shifted back toward Arvaris. He tilted his head slightly, his voice carrying a cold curiosity.

  "So… are you finally taking interest in me?"

  A small laugh slipped from Lili's lips, sharp and mocking. "Interest? Don't flatter yourself. You damn narcissist." She stepped forward, her eyes glinting. "If this was your grand plan, then it's pathetic. Almost everyone in your alliance is already dead. And soon enough, Sara will track down the coward still hiding and blocking our link with Leo. Once Leo learns the truth…"

  She stopped, letting her words hang in the air before closing the distance by a step, her voice colder than steel.

  "You're as good as dead."Arvaris's jaw tightened, his expression twisting with anger. The mocking calm in her tone disgust him.

  He tired to replied "You—"

  But Lili didn't stop here. She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "And I'm certain the attack on Leo's village wasn't your only objective. There's something more important hidden behind all this, isn't there?"

  Her words struck him harder than he expected. His teeth ground together, fury darkening his face. "Hmph… just as I thought." His voice grew heavier, dripping with killing intent. "You really are dangerous. That's why… I'll kill you here and now."

  The ground trembled as a thick, brown aura erupted from his body, raw and violent.

  Lili only smirked. From her body poured a deep purple aura, swirling and crackling, filling the air with an oppressive pressure that made the forest itself groan. As their auras roared against each other, the battlefield trembled, the air splitting with pressure. Purple flames swirled around Lili, wild and untamed, while the ground itself cracked beneath Arvaris's brown aura. Both were moments away from colliding, the forest holding its breath. But even as Arvaris raised his hand to strike, his thoughts stuck on her words. 'She's right… absolutely right…'His jaw tightened, anger mixing with grim resolve. With a sudden burst, he shot into the air, his aura blasting the ground apart in a violent shockwave. Lili didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, eyes glowing with cold amusement, as purple magic spiraled around her fingers like serpents ready to strike. Arvaris roared down at her, voice echoing through the battlefield.

  "And that's why I have to kill you! Only then… can we trap Leo!"

  Their powers hit each other in the air. Lili stayed far away. She aimed and threw many ice shards and fireballs at Arvaris.

  Arvaris moved his body to avoid them.

  Suddenly, many hands made of shadow grew out of the ground. They grabbed Arvaris by his legs. At the same time, many sharp spikes made of shadow fell from the sky toward him. Arvaris did not pull away. Instead, he used his strength to run forward. The shadow hands stayed wrapped around his legs, but they were not strong enough to stop his movement.

  As he ran toward the falling spikes, he pulled out his sword. He swung his blade and cut all the shadow spikes. This caused a large explosion. Thick smoke covered the area. Lili was confused because she could not see him.

  Arvaris ran through the smoke and appeared right in front of Lili. He swung his sword at her. Lili moved her body and dodged the blade. Arvaris immediately started to swing his sword back for a second hit.

  Before he could finish the move, the ground broke apart. Large, pointed pillars of rock shot up from the earth and slammed into him. The force of the rocks hurt him and pushed him back. He jumped away to create distance.

  For a moment, nothing but light and thunder remained.

  Then silence.The battlefield blurred, the destruction fading into shadows. Arvaris's mind was being pulled elsewhere—backward, into memory.

  The forest was gone. In its place rose towering marble pillars, walls draped with golden banners, and a throne room that gleamed with divine grandeur.

  At the center, a throne of white and gold, its presence overwhelming.From it descended a king clad in regal robes, his crown catching the light. His eyes burned with authority, calm but unshakably commanding."So… you're here at last, Arvaris," the king's voice cut through the vast main hall, each word deliberate. "I was waiting for you.

  "Arvaris stood firm in the middle of the hall, his usual smirk tugging at his lips, but his tone remained steady.

  "Yeah… I'm here, Agrest."