The sky above the landing zone was silent.
A massive rocket slowly descended from the heavens, releasing clouds of smoke as its engines shut down. The metal doors opened with a loud hiss, and from within the spacecraft, a man stepped forward calmly, his presence alone altering the atmosphere around him.
He had blond hair that reflected the faint light of the sky, golden eyes that seemed to observe everything with indifference, and white attire that looked almost divine. In his hand was a sword formed entirely from light, its blade glowing softly yet radiating overwhelming power.
Arthur — one of the Lights of Justice — had returned.
Standing several meters away from him was another man, leaning casually with his hands in his pockets, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Anthony.
Arthur looked at him and smiled faintly. "I didn't expect a Light of Justice to welcome me," he said calmly. "Especially you, Anthony."
Anthony's expression did not change. "I'm here to kill you," he replied casually, as if he were talking about the weather.
Arthur's smile vanished."…Whoa. That's unexpected," he said, his voice filled with genuine surprise. "Why would you do such a thing?"
Anthony tilted his head slightly and smirked.
"Because I get to have hot women in my room."
Arthur stared at him in disbelief for a moment before his expression turned serious."Don't you already have enough women?" he asked quietly. "How greedy can you get?"
Anthony's eyes narrowed slightly."Enough talking."
In the next instant, his body disappeared.
Before Arthur could fully react, Anthony had already appeared right in front of him, his fist moving forward with terrifying speed. Arthur raised his arms to block the punch, but the moment their bodies collided, a violent shockwave exploded outward. The ground beneath Arthur's feet shattered instantly, cracks spreading in every direction as his arms trembled from the impact.
Arthur slid backward several meters, his expression hardening.
Slowly, he unsheathed his sword.
The blade of light illuminated the entire area, reflecting in Arthur's golden eyes as he vanished using Flash Step. He reappeared beside Anthony in an instant, swinging his sword repeatedly, unleashing a storm of luminous slashes that tore through the air. Each strike was precise and deadly, yet Anthony avoided them all with minimal movement, his body swaying slightly as if he were dancing between the attacks.
Arthur's brows furrowed.
Realizing that speed alone wouldn't be enough, Anthony suddenly slammed his fist into the ground. The impact triggered a violent earthquake, shaking the entire battlefield. Buildings trembled, debris flew into the air, and Arthur momentarily lost his balance. In that brief opening, Anthony closed the distance and punched Arthur directly in the face.
The blow was brutal.
Arthur's body was launched backward like a projectile, crashing through the remains of a nearby structure as blood sprayed from his mouth. Dust and rubble filled the air as he struggled to stand, his breathing heavy.
But he did not fall.
Using Flash Step again, Arthur reappeared behind Anthony and unleashed a rapid series of slashes, his sword carving deep wounds across Anthony's body. Blood flowed freely from Anthony's injuries, staining the ground beneath him. Yet despite the damage, Anthony's expression remained calm — almost impressed.
"Not bad," Anthony said quietly, his voice devoid of pain.
He suddenly grabbed a nearby car with one hand and hurled it toward Arthur with monstrous strength. Arthur reacted instantly, slicing the vehicle into countless fragments mid-air, the pieces scattering like rain. However, the car had only been a distraction.
While Arthur was focused on cutting it down, Anthony had already moved behind him.
Before Arthur could turn around, Anthony grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground with overwhelming force. The earth cracked beneath them as Arthur's body shook violently. Again and again, Anthony drove Arthur's head into the ground, each impact echoing across the battlefield.
Barely managing to escape using Flash Step, Arthur created distance between them, his body covered in blood, his breathing uneven.
His eyes sharpened.
"Go to hell."
Gathering his remaining strength, Arthur charged forward, his sword glowing brighter than ever. With a decisive slash, he severed one of Anthony's arms, watching it fall to the ground as blood erupted from the wound. For a moment, it seemed like Arthur had finally turned the tide of the battle.
But Anthony did not scream.
He did not panic.
Instead, he smiled calmly.
"How foolish of you to assume I'll be in hell," Anthony said casually, his voice disturbingly relaxed despite his injury.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Both of them prepared to unleash their ultimate moves, their killing intent filling the air. But before Arthur could make his next move, something pierced through his body.
A sharp pain exploded in his chest.
Arthur froze.
Slowly, he looked down to see a sword protruding from his chest, blood dripping from the blade. His body trembled as he turned his head, his vision blurring.
Behind him stood Cosmic.
His sword was buried deep inside Arthur's body.
Arthur's mind went blank.
"Took you long enough," Anthony said calmly, as if this had been planned from the beginning.
Cosmic smirked faintly."You should be grateful," he said. "You would've been dead if it weren't for me."
Arthur stared at them both in disbelief, his hands shaking as blood continued to flow from his wounds."…Why?" he shouted, his voice trembling with anger and confusion. "Why did you kill me? What did I ever do to you?"
Anthony's expression turned cold."You're too loyal to the heroes," he replied without hesitation. "If we didn't kill you now, you would've become a nuisance later."
Cosmic nodded slightly in agreement.
Arthur's eyes slowly lost their brightness."I see…" he whispered.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his voice weaker than before.
"…At least let Ella live."
Cosmic looked at him quietly."We'll let her live," he said. "If she decides to join us."
Arthur gave a faint, bitter smile."She probably won't join you," he murmured. "Just… give her a painless death at least."
Cosmic did not respond immediately.
After a few seconds, he raised his sword.
In a single, clean motion, Arthur's head fell to the ground.
Silence engulfed the battlefield.
Anthony looked at the corpse calmly."The old man will probably find out about this pretty soon," he said. "Once he does, we're doomed. So It would be nice to have another ally."
Cosmic wiped the blood from his sword slowly."I know a person," he said quietly.