Chapter 67
Amy ran with all the strength she could muster, her breath ragged and her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest. She darted past alleys and ruins until she reached the Stage—only to stop dead in her tracks, eyes wide with shock.
The Stage was destroyed—its structure in ruins, debris scattered everywhere, the remnants a silent testament to what had happened here. She clenched her fists tightly, bitterness and fury boiling in her chest. Her thoughts raced as she took in the devastation before her:
"This is where… it all started! This is where that damned Suero Rashid revealed himself!"
Her eyes scanned the area, trying to process the events. The image of Onoko Yamato bursting from beneath the ground and destroying the Stage flashed through her mind:
"The onoko of the damned Suero emerged from below..!"
Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, her eyes widened and the truth clicked in her mind:
"Then… they're in the storage chambers beneath the Stage!"
Without hesitation, she moved instantly, heading straight toward the rubble blocking the passage to the lower level. She began to pull at the stones, even though they were far heavier and larger than she was. Her fingers trembled from the strain, blood began to drip from her scraped hands, but she didn't stop. Gritting her teeth, she summoned all her strength—and finally, after a grueling effort, she opened the way.
She cast a quick glance down the stairwell, now swallowed in darkness, then started descending—her steps cautious but determined. When she reached the bottom, she found herself surrounded by wreckage. Dust choked the air, and debris covered the ground.
And amidst all that destruction…
She saw Raizo sitting on the ground, eyes closed, his clothes torn and tattered, as he cradled Ryan in his arms—Ryan, who looked completely drained. Amy froze for a moment, then called out in alarm:
"RYAN! CAPTAIN RAIZO!"
Ryan opened his eyes slowly at the sound of her voice and pulled away from Raizo's embrace. His clothes were caked in dust, and his eyes were lost and dazed. He stared at Amy in silence, while she looked around the place, whispering in astonishment:
"What happened?! What… happened to you both?!"
Ryan murmured in a weak voice:
"All of this… was because of me!"
Amy looked confused upon hearing that:
"What do you mean?"
Ryan lowered his head and stared at the floor, his voice barely audible:
"If I hadn't brought Suero Rashid here… if I hadn't let him meet Captain Raizo… none of this would've happened!"
Amy's confusion deepened, but Ryan was lost in his own thoughts, remembering Suero's earlier words:
"As for your question about why I refuse when you try to tell your friends about me... well, that's a question someone else wants to know the answer to, but you'll both find out soon."
Ryan clenched his fists, regret churning in his chest:
"So… that's what he meant!"
He then looked at Amy, his voice heavy with guilt:
"Suero Rashid was right in front of us… He unleashed his Onoko here! He planned to kill us this way!"
Amy's eyes widened in shock:
"What?! He transformed right next to you?! How… how did you survive?!"
Ryan sighed, then turned his gaze to Raizo, who lay motionless:
"He summoned Onoko Borna… She protected us from Suero's Onoko. If she hadn't, we'd be dead."
Amy fell silent, processing his words. She moved closer to Raizo, knelt beside him, and looked into his pale, frozen face. She called out seriously:
"CAPTAIN RAIZO!"
But he didn't move. He gave no response. Amy clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fury and pain.
"You have to get up!" she shouted, her voice filled with determination: "We have to fight! If we fight, we win! If we surrender, we are annihilated! This is not just a battle... this is war! We won't let that damned Suero Rashid leave our lands alive!"
But Raizo remained lying on the ground, unmoved, as if her words hadn't reached him. Ryan continued watching in silence, unable to intervene.
Still, Amy refused to back down. She looked at Raizo with fiery eyes, her voice sharp with resentment:
"We must take revenge! I know he wants vengeance too… but why must we be the tools of his revenge?!"
Then she cried out with raw emotion, a tear of anger and hatred sliding down her cheek:
"If he wants revenge, then let him take it out on those who turned his people into monsters… not us!"
She lowered her head, her eyes still ablaze. And Raizo, who hadn't moved the entire time, listened to her words in silence. Yet inside, his thoughts clashed violently:
"That stubbornness… that stubbornness you have… reminds me so much of him!"
Raizo remained lying down, eyes shut, while Amy stared at the wall with hatred in her gaze, and Ryan observed quietly. The air was thick… with hatred, with vengeance, and with the suffocating despair that engulfed them all.
—
On the Battlefield
On the rooftop, Maria stared at Suero, her face reflecting denial and disbelief. A hot tear slid down her cheek. Without realizing it, her feet felt light, as if her body was moving on its own. She slowly approached the edge of the roof, then leapt down gracefully, landing on the ground without losing her balance. Her eyes, drowned in tears, locked on Suero as she walked toward him.
As she drew near, she burst out with a trembling voice filled with sorrow and despair:
"Brown!"
The echo of her voice reached Suero's ears. His expression shifted for a moment, but his eyes remained ablaze with rage. He turned to her slowly, only to find her standing right in front of him, crying, staring at his face as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
She continued in a shaking voice:
"Are you the same Mr. Brown I once knew?!"
Suero remained silent, while she went on bitterly, struggling to comprehend the truth:
"I saw the Onoko with my own eyes... I saw the Stage turn to ash... I saw the bodies of children, slaughtered... And still, I would believe you if you told me you weren't the damned Suero Rashid!"
Suero gave no reply, simply gazing at her coldly. Her words began to stammer between her sobs:
"This can't be... There's no way the one I trusted... the one I helped... the one I was about to..."
She paused, then clenched her teeth, raising her eyes filled with betrayal and heartbreak:
"I can't believe I was fooled by you!"
Suero let out a slow sigh, then responded in a calm but deeply serious voice:
"What nonsense are you spouting? You're angry because of this deception? What about me? What about my people who were wiped out? We were deceived by the entire world!"
Maria froze in place as he continued, his voice laced with restrained fury:
"We were nothing more than lab rats to you… You tricked us into thinking our war was with monsters. But the truth? You created those monsters from our own blood! I saw my friends slaughtered before me because of what you made!"
Everyone—Sbyam, Hyona, Nicola, Leo, even Maria—stood, staring at Suero, as he continued in an icy tone:
"Kaisima's war was never with monsters... it was with you. But as for me? My war is now with the entire world."
He lifted his eyes, his voice growing darker:
"I once made a vow... to a monster you created. That creature taught me the true meaning of war. I promised it I would annihilate the monsters… and I did, to the very last one. And now, I make you a new promise... this world—nothing will remain of it!"
Maria's eyes widened. Her lips trembled as she slowly raised her arm, wiping her tears with her sleeve before looking him straight in the eyes, now filled with hatred and rage:
"Good... you've given me a reason to kill you!"
In an instant, she clenched her fist and launched herself forward, aiming a direct punch at his face.
But Suero, unfazed, raised his palm and stopped the punch effortlessly. Then, with lightning speed, he grabbed her by the shoulder and hurled her toward the wall with great force.
Maria's body shot through the air like an arrow, but at the last second, her arm transformed into two pink wings. She flapped hard and avoided the crash, soaring into the sky instead.
Below, Sbyam stood, staring deeply at Suero, as a voice echoed inside his mind:
"The entire world?! What nonsense are you saying, Suero? Our war was only against Arcadia… but after the Ronda incident… what changed you?!"
Sbyam kept his gaze on Suero, while Hyona, standing beside him, spoke with an expression both mysterious and intense, her eyes fixed on Suero:
"In these past four years..."
Sbyam listened intently as Hyona continued in a tone full of enigma:
"Suero planned all of this… Suero! He's a ticking time bomb… and the countdown has begun."
Sbyam turned his gaze back to Suero, as if trying to decipher the meaning behind those words.
Suddenly, Leo lunged at Suero, aiming a powerful punch—but Suero caught his fist with unwavering strength. All eyes stood in awe as Leo glared at Suero, whose eyes were like sharp blades, filled with rage and anticipation. Suero gripped his fist tightly, then hurled Leo to the ground with tremendous force, shattering the rocks beneath his body as blood spilled from Leo's mouth.
With sharp, intimidating eyes, Suero lifted Leo once more like a puppet, then slammed him down again with full might. His body crashed against the stones, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the air. At that moment, Leo's teeth turned from white to red, soaked in the blood filling his mouth.
Suero raised his leg and stomped down fiercely, sending Leo flying like a corpse, crashing into a nearby building and smashing through its walls.
In a split second, Maria rushed in from behind to strike Suero. But Nicola appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, catching Maria's fist before it could reach him. She stared in shock as Nicola fixed his sharp gaze on her, speaking in a calm yet severe voice:
"No one will lay a hand on Lord Suero as long as I'm here. I'll curse anyone who dares touch him!"
Maria froze for a moment, then thought to herself:
"Is Suero truly damned?! He… he controls everyone like rings on his fingers!"
Nicola swiftly raised his knee, striking Maria in the stomach. She felt intense pain and spat saliva onto the ground as he threw her aside like a worthless doll. Maria rolled across the dirt until she finally stopped, lying flat on her stomach.
Nicola paused and looked around. His eyes scanned every detail—Sbyam, Hyona, Moryo, and Oda, who were standing on the rooftop of one of the houses.
Meanwhile, Suero stood in the middle of the stage, his face expressing fierce anger. Yet, amidst the rising tension, he began to feel a sharp headache. His features tightened for a moment as he slowly raised his hands to his head, preparing to speak to the doctor.
"That's right. We discovered in the last checkups… there's an abnormal growth in your brain..."
The pain intensified, but he held himself together. Slowly, he lifted his head, his expression shifting slightly as he spoke in a firm tone:
"The symptoms of the illness… have begun to show."
Suero turned his head and began to walk forward, then said in a calm but powerful voice:
"Our work here is done. Let's move forward."
Everyone listened to his words, and silence fell over the stage in an instant.
---
At the edge of the Arena, Katya lay on the ground. Her face was covered in blood, her jaw shattered. A thought echoed in her mind:
"Is it over?! Will the war end here?!"
She tried to open her eyes, but the pain was overwhelming. She thought to herself:
"No! War and bloodshed are the life humans choose! I'm finished! But… I wanted to see what would happen in the future! I wanted to see what would become of the world once Suero Rashid gained that power!"
Blood dripped from her face, meeting the moonlight reflected on the ground, casting a dark crimson hue over the scene. As she lay in silence, Onoko Alex spoke in her mind:
"Katya?!"
She replied internally:
"What?!"
Onoko Alex's voice was calm as it echoed in her mind:
"Do you want to see the future?!"
Katya was surprised and wondered silently:
"The future?! What do you mean?!"
Onoko Alex answered:
"All Onoko possess abilities similar to their clan's inheritance, but on a higher, more refined level than human heirs who haven't yet transformed—and who choose not to."
Katya remained silent for a moment, then Alex continued:
"The Raipozi Clan's inherited ability is time, but they are humans bound and restricted by the present. They cannot see time. But the Onoko—the Clan of Time—are not bound to the present. So…"
Katya interrupted him and responded in her mind:
"Yes, Alex! I want to see the future!"
Onoko Alex replied:
"Very well. But breaking the contract is the price. I won't be able to give you a full vision of the future. What I can offer is a glimpse—limited and without any guarantee of benefit."
Katya thought for a moment, then said:
"Breaking the contract? The only way a contractor can break the bond… is through death. The Onoko lives with you until the end of your life. With my death, the Onoko vanishes too. But breaking the contract means instant death in exchange for the power the Onoko holds from their clan!"
She paused in sorrow, then added:
"My fate is sealed either way—whether I break the contract or not. So…"
Katya called out in her mind:
"Alex! Thank you for everything until now. But… I'm sorry. I'm breaking the contract. And with that, we'll die together!"
Silence followed. Onoko Alex did not reply. Katya waited for his response, but none came. The world grew quiet, and she felt as if she were lying on a warm bed. She wondered:
"Is this… paradise?"
Slowly, she opened her eyes. In front of her, the horizon expanded to reveal a vast desert of violet sand, endless and boundless.
—
The Contract Realm
The Realm of Contract, an infinite dark space, stretched endlessly like a boundless void. A vast desert of violet sand extended beyond the horizon, with howling winds stirring up sandstorms that cloaked everything in deep shades of purple. In this vast, desolate land, Katya lay upon the sand. Her face had returned to its healthy state, the traces of blood that once stained her features now gone. She was in a state of astonishment.
Standing beside her was Katya, gazing out at the desert. She spoke with a voice filled with wonder:
"This... this is the Realm of Contract?!"
Suddenly, Alex appeared before them—a striking young man with gleaming black hair and a well-built figure. His sharp features seemed to blur the line between reality and dream. His gaze was fixed on Katya with deep affection, a tender smile on his face, as if time itself had paused just to witness this moment.
"Katya?!"
Katya turned toward the voice, her eyes widening in shock. A single tear traced the edge of her eye as she spoke, her voice trembling:
"Alex?!"
Alex smiled warmly, his eyes scanning the vast space around them. He spoke with calm confidence:
"Do you remember this place?"
Katya smiled in response to his question, her words heavy with emotion:
"This is the Realm of Contract... After you died, my soul formed a contract with this place, and I became a phantom that never leaves me."
Alex nodded, as if a divine truth had just dawned on him:
"Ah... this is the place where your story with the Onoko began, and it's also the place where your story with life will end."
Katya lowered her gaze to the ground, but her smile remained, softening her expression. Her voice came weak, filled with both sorrow and acceptance:
"Ah... My time has come. Every person has a destined moment. Death awaits us all, but at the very least, I want to warn everyone about what's to come... and give them hope for the future."
Alex replied, his voice ringing with unwavering resolve:
"Very well! As you wish. We'll break the contract, and I will show you what you desire. I'll show you the future... the moments of Suero Rashid."
Katya slowly raised her head, her eyes turning to the dark sky illuminated by scattered stars, as if they were watching her from above. She gazed with deep contemplation, and suddenly, a glowing timeline began to appear before her. It flowed rapidly before her eyes—every scene surging forward at an incredible pace, as if time itself had collapsed to show her what lay ahead. Each vision flashed with the intensity of lightning, appearing and vanishing in an instant, leaving a heavy imprint on her heart.
---
Scene One:
From inside an airship soaring through the sky, Suero sat leaning against its wall. His eyes met those of Moryo—eyes brimming with bitterness, as though they carried years of pain within their gaze. His words came out with difficulty, forcing their way through a burdened throat:
"That look..."
In that moment, time stopped. Everything around them stood still. That gaze—charged with meaning and memories—existed only between the two of them.
---
Scene Two:
Inside a dark prison cell, a foggy scene unfolds—as if viewed through someone's distorted vision. Mr. Oda stands before the bars, his features stern and his eyes filled with a mix of anger and repressed despair. His voice, heavy with defeat, emerges broken, as though searching for an answer in an endless void:
"Why... why are you doing all of this?"
His words faded into the darkness, crashing against the cold walls of the cell, finding no echo. No answer... only a heavy silence looming over the place.
---
Scene Three:
Kaisima... a city devastated by time. Scattered ruins told ancient stories. Amid the wreckage stood Suero, his head held high, yet his gaze was clouded—as if recalling distant memories or confronting a bitter truth. Then, suddenly, he screamed—a cry that tore across the horizon.
His scream, born from the depths of his personal hell, was unstoppable, like a voice shaped by madness overtaking him.
---
Scene Four:
The sky, endless and boundless. Millions of people raised their heads toward the horizon, their eyes filled with awe, anticipation of something unknown. At that moment, Suero's voice echoed through the sky. He wasn't visible, but his voice filled the air:
"To all of humanity in this world... I've always only wanted to protect the ones I care about, but..."
Glances were exchanged among the crowd—filled with fear and uncertainty—while a heavy silence took over, as if the end had already begun.
---
Scene Five:
Massive monsters, blue as the night sky, rampaged through cities without mercy. Their roars shook the earth beneath human feet. Buildings trembled before collapsing under the weight of their steps. Nothing could stop them—like enormous tidal waves, infinite and overwhelming.
---
Final Scene:
The world was collapsing. People ran in all directions, tears streaming down their faces. Their eyes were filled with terror—fear of something unseen, yet they knew it was coming. In the air lingered a heavy sensation, a dark presence approaching...
As if the end had already begun.
---
Then, suddenly, the vision stopped.
The timeline retracted as if forcibly shut off, leaving Katya gasping silently, her breaths shallow and rapid, her body trembling from the shock. What she had seen wasn't just a possibility… it was the future—one that was harsh and devoid of mercy.
Then, just as suddenly, she was pulled out of the Contract Realm, returning to the real world—specifically, the battlefield.
---
The Real World – The Battlefield
Katya's body gradually began to return to its natural state, her face smeared with blood in a chaotic mess as she mumbled between breaths:
"What... what is this?! What kind of hell did I just witness?! Is this really the future?!"
Suddenly, her legs nearly gave out, but with an odd sense of resolve, she forced herself upright, standing on shaky feet. Slowly, she began to walk toward the battlefield, where the chaos still roared around her.
As she approached, Hyona looked at her in disbelief, thinking to herself:
"Wasn't that girl supposed to be dead?!"
Katya fixed her eyes on Suero, who stood with his back to the ground beside Nicola. The moment felt frozen, wrapped in a heavy silence—until it shattered with Katya's voice echoing across the battlefield, loud and defiant:
"PEOPLE…!!!"
Her voice rang out through every corner of the battlefield, reaching even a distant house where Marshal Chris and his detained soldiers heard the intensity in her tone. Even in the storage room, Ryan, Amy, and Captain Raizo could hear her scream carried across the horizon:
"I can't… I can't tell you what I saw, but… but I realized something about Suero Rashid!"
Those words exploded like a bomb in Marshal Chris's mind, and he muttered in shock and concern:
"Lady Katya?!"
As for Suero, he remained motionless, his back still turned, while Nicola turned his gaze toward Katya. But the moment her words reached everyone's ears, Hyona suddenly froze. And in that deadly stillness sweeping over the field, Katya continued, her voice stronger than before:
"Suero Rashid…He will turn life into hell! I… I beg the world to kill him before it all begins!"
But before she could finish her sentence, a bullet suddenly tore through the air at incredible speed—fired from Hyona's rifle. It pierced Katya's abdomen directly. Her expression twisted for a moment, then her body began to fall like a lifeless doll, spinning as she collapsed into a deadly silence.
Sbyam, who had been watching in stunned silence, looked down at the fallen girl, then up at Hyona, whose sharp gaze hadn't wavered. Calmly, with her rifle still aimed, she declared:
"Suero will bring us safety!"
---
On Top of a rooftop
On the rooftop of a distant house, Moryo stood in silence, his face masked with stillness while green sparks danced around his body, teasing the air around him. With calm eyes, he gazed toward the battlefield, then suddenly launched himself into the air toward one of the airships suspended in the sky.
As he flew behind Mr. Oda, they reached the airship where Coach Surechi, Laura, and Rita awaited them.
Laura, staring with confusion through the airship's portal at the battlefield below, spoke in astonishment and uncertainty:
"What did that girl mean by her words?"
Her heart seemed to flutter with fear as her eyes darted rapidly toward the battlefield, which was bracing for another confrontation.
---
On the Battlefield
A heavy silence cloaked the battlefield, an eerie calm that lingered—until it was pierced by Suero's composed and steady voice:
"Let's go."
He began walking slowly, followed by Nicola with brisk steps, while Hyona chose to make her own way forward. At the same moment, Sbyam began to move as well, but suddenly—a flash of golden thunder tore through the sky, followed by a massive bolt of lightning that struck one of the airships above.
The airship exploded into fragments that scattered through the air, while the ground trembled beneath the force of the strike as the lightning continued its descent. As the sound gradually faded, a dense cloud of smoke rose—revealing a colossal phantom behind it.
Its skin gleamed with golden brilliance, sharp fangs protruding from its mouth, dripping with saliva, while golden electricity danced wildly around its massive form.
"It's ONOKO BORNA!"
Resting in the palm of its hand were Raizo, Amy, and Ryan, their gazes filled with anxiety and anticipation. As Suero met Raizo's eyes, every gaze locked onto that crucial moment before the next battle.
Amy glared down at them with fierce, angry eyes, while Ryan still wore that anxious, watchful expression. The rest of the characters observed the dramatic scene in bitter silence, fully aware that the upcoming battle would be unlike anything before.
---
End of Chapter