Thea gripped her massive sword with only her right hand — and drove it straight into her own heart.Her neck, meanwhile, was clasped in Kael's grip.
The blue light in Thea's mask flickered weakly; her antlers were half-broken.
Then she collapsed.Just as Kael was about to kick her body, a great bell rang out.A split second later, he felt something in his head...What was that— metal shards?
A few tears dropped from Renas's eyes.He had hit Kael square in the head — his bullets found their mark.He'd broken free from Kael's manipulation, and his aim had returned.
Still, Kael could manipulate not only metal, but even the metal lodged in his body — and his own cells — to heal himself rapidly.Though, to do that, he seemed to need to stay still; last time, he'd either stopped moving or slowed down while recovering.At least he seemed to have a weakness.
Or so Renas thought.Because the next instant, Kael grabbed Thea's sword — and, with frightening speed, swung it toward him.
Renas turned to run, but not fast enough.A deep gash opened from his right shoulder down his back, and he screamed in pain.
Then, slowly, the scream twisted into a grim laugh — not out of joy, but fury.
He'd found Kael's weakness.
"Sorry, Cuhlun," Renas whispered.
To erase this bastard from the world, his own life was a small price.He would sacrifice himself if that's what it took.
He drew his blade — and just as the bell rang again, time itself froze for Renas.For Kael, a violent gust ripped through the battlefield, scattering the mountain of corpses in every direction.
By the time Kael noticed, Renas was already right beside him.
Kael's lips curled into that same mocking grin as he reached out, trying to touch Renas.He'd already dropped Thea's vampiric sword to the ground.
Renas thought back — to the old days, to all the fights, all the lessons.He could still do this.
With a leap, he vaulted over Kael's head — and before Kael could even process what happened, Renas slammed his left fist into Kael's chin and threw his knife with his right.
The punch sent Kael flying backward — the blade followed, striking his head and sending him crashing to the ground.Blood ran down his face.He yanked the knife free, tossed it aside, and staggered to his feet, limping.He looked awful — and he loved it.
That idiot Renas had come in close combat.Perfect.He'd let him attack.
He hadn't been focused earlier, hadn't noticed Renas's move, which was why he hadn't managed to seize Renas's mind during that brief strike.
This time, he'd be ready.
Kael spread his arms, smiling though his eyes stayed shut.The moment Renas swung, he'd take control.
Seconds passed.Nothing happened.
Kael opened his eyes slightly — and realized his mistake.
Maybe he'd underestimated the "idiot."
Because Renas now held Thea's vampiric sword — perfectly poised to strike.There was no escaping that swing.
Kael jumped backward with all his strength — and then the bell rang again.
A sudden, powerful wind roared — just like before.And then Kael found himself… looking at his own body.
His body twitched, leapt, and — just barely — caught his decapitated head before it hit the ground, pressing it back into place.Close one.No one had ever come that close to killing him.
And now, he was right beside Renas.Renas probably thought that was Kael's final moment — but Kael was still alive.
He lunged with what strength he had left — and yes.He caught Renas's right arm.
Renas tried to resist, but failed.
Kael had taken control.
Since Renas was the last survivor, Kael decided to dig through his mind a bit.That was the real reason he'd been searching for him in the forest.
Through indirect manipulation, he'd sensed that Renas's mind held vital information about the "wish."
"Ah, perfect timing," Kael said with a pleased grin. He'd found the source of the clue.
He entered the memory.
Now he stood inside Renas's body.Before him stretched the corpse of a dragon — vast enough to reach the horizon.Kael could tell immediately: there was no way he could have handled such a creature.If Renas had survived this… that was surprising.
Renas turned his head.Beside him stood a young man in a black robe — about his age, unfamiliar to Kael.
The two were speaking with a divine voice — and it seemed Kael had entered the memory halfway through.
As Kael's thoughts flickered, the divine voice spoke again:
"...You will have three chances to guess. If either of the two players dies before discovering their keyword, no one will earn the wish. I now present your keywords..."
Keyword? Kael thought. What does that even mean?He'd never heard of anything like it.
Curious, he stayed silent and listened. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on his hearing.
But… he heard nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, everything was blue.Time had frozen within the memory.
Then, the divine voice returned — the same one Renas had once heard in another world.
"Did you use manipulation to uncover the keyword?"
Kael answered calmly. "Yes?"His tone carried no fear, no regret.Why would it? No one punished him before, and he'd entered plenty of minds without consequence.
But this time, things went differently.
The moment he spoke, he was thrown out of the memory — trapped in blue flames within Renas's mind.
The voice had done its duty: the theft of a keyword could never be allowed.
Kael burned.Until nothing remained but ash.And because those ashes fell within Renas's mind, they left behind a faint blessing.
Thus, Kael died.
When Renas awoke, he found Kael collapsed on the ground, clutching his own arm.Just one look at his eyes was enough to know — he was gone.
Renas shoved the body aside and muttered quietly,
"What the hell just happened to me...? I leave the temple for one day, and I'm in the middle of a war? Damn it!"
He kicked Kael's corpse a few times, then walked toward Thea.
The light in her eyes had dimmed — but hadn't vanished.
Renas knelt beside her. Tears welled up, but didn't fall. He was used to this.
He leaned closer."Such a shame... she was a good person," he said softly.
Then he wiped his eyes and stood.He still had two months left.Would he really spend them alone now?
"Damn it!"
He shouted into the silence, then walked away.Since Zurvan's bell ability had finally stopped ringing, Kael must've touched him quite a while ago. Whatever had happened in between, Renas didn't know — and didn't care much.
He'd won. That was enough.
As he turned and walked away from the field of corpses toward one of the few houses still standing, a voice called from behind.
Kael's voice.
Wait — hadn't he died?
Renas turned, startled.
Behind him stood a young man with purple hair — Kael's body, unmistakably.But… he didn't seem threatening.
Both hands were raised. He wore a white mask — cracked in countless places, yet somehow still intact — with two pairs of horns.
Renas stared in disbelief.
"Thea?"
The figure smiled gently.
"Yes, yes — it's me. By the way, who are you?"
Renas blinked. How does she not remember me? he thought. We talked just a few days ago.
"Renas," he said quietly.
Thea looked puzzled."A few days ago? I've been fighting Kael for over a week. Talking to me a few days ago wouldn't have been possible."
Renas frowned. "Wait… what day of the event is it?"
Thea gave him a baffled look — that question alone revealed his confusion.
"This morning's sunrise marked the final night. It's just us now. The last vote has already been cast."