(World "#100721 – Earth" has been demoted from Silver League to Bronze League.
World has failed to meet the final required League criteria.
Termination will begin.
Assigned Entity: Undead-Type Threat
Maximum Participants Allowed: 10)
As the cruel words of the Records descended upon humanity like the judgment of fate itself, panic spread across the world like a silent plague.
New York — 17/12/3017
A group of Fifty-six people stood upon a towering platform, preparing for the battle that would decide the very survival of humanity.
At the forefront stood a middle-aged man with rough blond hair touched by gray, his body shaped more by countless battles than by comfort. His ember-colored eyes burned with a quiet but relentless fierceness — the kind that never truly faded, even in silence. Every scar, every movement, spoke of a warrior who had survived more wars than he cared to remember.
Baron Howard (Rank – 1) — the strongest fighter of humanity — stared at the massive countdown burning in the sky above, its presence a bitter reminder of failure and helplessness.
"Everyone, get ready," he commanded in a firm voice. "This is a fight with the destiny of our world on the line."
Yet before the tension could settle, a melodious voice cut through the air.
"But Baron… Records only allows ten participants. Who are we sending?"
Baron turned toward the familiar voice and met the gaze of a woman whose presence carried both calm authority and quiet allure. Her long, silky black hair flowed down her back like polished obsidian, catching the light with every slow movement. Her oval face was refined and striking, her thin, luscious lips curved into an unreadable frown that hinted at restrained concern.
She wore black flowing priestess robes — deep violet and ivory fabrics that moved with her body as if alive. The robes concealed more than they revealed, yet somehow made her silhouette impossible to ignore. There was elegance in her curves, not loud or provocative, but undeniably graceful. Her amber eyes mirrored Baron's own.
Sophia Howard (Rank – 6) — Baron's elder sister, and the greatest healer known to humanity.
""All of the top ten rankers will participate," Baron stated, "but Kaiser will sit this one out.".
Sophia's brows furrowed. "But why isn't Kaiser included? Isn't he Rank 7 as well? He's the only one capable of facing undead monsters efficiently."
"You know the reason," Baron said quietly, irritation flickering across his face. "He was capable. But after losing his arm, his efficiency dropped by at least forty percent. We don't have the luxury of mistakes."
At the same time, two other Rankers stepped forward, lending weight to Baron's decision.
"He's right," said a tall man with dark brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, wearing long flowing robes adorned with runes. Lucien Falkenrath (Rank 5) — the strongest mage of humanity, calm and analytical — met Sophia's gaze. "Kaiser's condition would slow us down. We can't risk it. Not now."
"I agree," added a woman with short silver hair, her piercing green eyes sharp as daggers. Light armor hugged her form, twin daggers strapped at her hips, her stance predatory yet controlled. Selene Veyra (Rank 9) — a deadly assassin, agile and precise — said, "Baron isn't being cruel. He's making the only logical choice. We need efficiency over sentiment."
Sophia opened her mouth to object, but her words were halted by the calm voice of a man standing nearby.
Jet-black hair fell naturally over his forehead, smooth yet untamed, giving him an air of quiet mystery. His most striking feature was his eyes — deep purple irises glowing faintly like amethysts hiding secrets within. They were sharp, observant, as though he saw more than he ever spoke.
His presence was composed yet dangerous, the kind that didn't demand attention yet claimed it effortlessly.
Kaiser Ashborne (Rank – 7)
"It's fine," Kaiser said evenly. "In my current condition, I would only drag you down."
Sophia turned toward him sharply. "Kaiser, you don't actually believe that."
Kaiser met her gaze without flinching. "Belief has nothing to do with it. This is reality."
There was a brief silence.
Sophia's expression softened, but her eyes trembled with something deeper. "You carried humanity on your back against the undead for years. You lost your arm protecting people… and now you're just supposed to stand aside?"
A faint smile touched Kaiser's lips — bitter, restrained.
"That's how wars end," he replied calmly. "Not with heroes standing tall… but with the ones who can still stand, walking forward."
She took a step closer to him. "And what about you? Are you truly fine watching us go while you stay behind?"
Kaiser hesitated — only for a heartbeat.
"…No," he admitted softly. "But this isn't about what I want."
Sophia looked at him for a long moment, then sighed slowly. "I hate how calm you are about this," she said quietly. "You make it impossible to argue."
"Then don't argue," Kaiser replied. "Just come back alive."
Her eyes wavered. "I'll try," she whispered as she joined the others, leaving Kaiser standing alone, his face emotionless.
But beneath his composed exterior, something burned violently.
Damn it… Damn it. If I had been more cautious against that War-Skull, it wouldn't have infected my arm.
He buried that resentment deep within, allowing none of it to surface.
He watched as Baron, Sophia, and the remaining eight were enveloped in light and teleported away.
A moment later, the Records echoed once more:
(World #100721 has failed and will face Entity #10061 — Lich — in Fallen Plane #1000005.
The battle will now commence.)
A massive screen appeared across the sky, revealing a lone figure standing amidst endless darkness.
Its body was nothing but a grotesque mockery of life — shriveled flesh clinging unnaturally to ancient bones. Its eyes burned with a hollow, freezing light, devoid of mercy or rest. To meet its gaze was to feel one's soul being silently measured… and found wanting.
The air around it turned heavy and cold, as though the world itself had begun to fear. Shadows bent toward it like obedient servants, and each step it took carried the silent authority of extinction. It did not rage or roar — it simply waited, knowing time itself was its ally.
The moment the announcement faded, Kaiser's emotionless mask cracked.
As his eyes locked onto the Lich, his body trembled with something primal. A terrifying realization dawned upon him.
He lowered his gaze and exhaled slowly, his heart heavy with unwillingness and quiet despair.
"So… there was never any hope for us humans to begin with. Those ten… they're just walking to their deaths. Even if all 105 rankers fought that monstrosity, we would still lose miserably."
In the Fallen Plane, the ten rankers appeared — and instantly, an overwhelming fear tore through their mental defenses.
"Calm down, everyone!" Baron roared. "We can do this — no, we must!"
Yet even as he spoke, his hands trembled.
They charged forward for one final stand…
but fate had already passed its judgment.
Within a single minute, all of them fell — their bodies corroded by the deathly aura surrounding the Lich before they could even come close.
Kaiser watched silently as they fell one after another.
Baron disappeared beneath the tide of deathly mist.
Then another.
And another.
But when Sophia fell —
It felt as if something inside Kaiser shattered.
His breath caught in his throat, a sudden tightness crushing his chest as though an invisible hand had clenched around his heart. For a brief moment, the world around him faded, replaced by a hollow ringing in his ears. His vision blurred, not from tears, but from the violent surge of emotion he refused to release.
His fingers curled tightly at his side, nails digging into his palm, yet he felt nothing there — all sensation had gathered in his chest, burning, tearing, refusing to be ignored.
He turned his face away slowly, as if the simple act of looking any longer would break whatever restraint he had left.
"…So this is how it ends," he whispered, his voice barely audible even to himself.
But he didn't need to look anymore, for the Records' judgment followed swiftly:
(All representatives of World #100721 have been eliminated.
World has failed to change the outcome.
Termination will commence.)
As the announcement rang through existence itself, the world began to distort. Buildings, land, and sky alike crumbled slowly into dust.
"alas… in the end, it was all an illusion," Kaiser murmured quietly. "And yet… there are still so many regrets."
He closed his eyes in resignation as everything around him dissolved.
Just then —
A black-red light flared violently before him.
A panel from the Records appeared, its words written in blood-red upon black:
(Error! Failed to terminate.
Error! The ability of the user is resisting termination.)