Zach's voice tore through the battlefield like thunder, the anger and anguish in his roar halting both ally and foe alike, if only for a fleeting moment. 

His blade moved like a storm, slashing through grotesque limbs and torsos. 

Blood and black ichor sprayed across the clearing, his strikes becoming more vicious as the horde pressed in, dragging him down with their sheer numbers. 

A clawed hand raked his shoulder, and a jagged maw snapped inches from his throat. 

Despite his unmatched skill, the creatures seemed endless, each one more relentless than the last.

Further down the battlefield, Evelori limped toward the villagers, her body grotesquely swaying with every uneven step. 

Her ruined leg dragged behind her like a broken branch, her once-lethal toxins reduced to faint, sputtering clouds. 

The light of the sun bore down on her, weakening her with every step, yet she pressed on, feeding on the terror of the villagers.

She muttered, her voice soft yet venomous, barely audible above the chaos of the battlefield. 

"This fear... this delicious fear."

Her lips curled into a grotesque smile as her sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight. 

"Their terror will give me strength... enough strength to end this little pest for good."

Haerak, Aina, and Seraphina watched helplessly. The villagers screamed and huddled closer together, some clutching farming tools and makeshift weapons, though none dared approach her. 

Children cried, their voices high-pitched and trembling, while the older villagers stood frozen in dread. 

Evelori reached out a clawed hand toward them, savoring their panic as though it were a fine meal. 

Her grin widened.

The group skidded to a stop near the edge of the battlefield, a chaotic mess of shouts and panic breaking out between them. 

Ruby clutched her chest, her breaths ragged. 

"Zach's surrounded! We need to help him now before those things overwhelm him!"

Jiighual nodded, his gaze darting to Zach in the distance. 

The leader of the Renaissance Band was barely holding his ground, the enchanted sword slicing through creatures, but the endless tide of grotesque forms was closing in. 

"He's the only one who can wield that sword! If we lose him, we lose everything!"

But Lyra stepped forward, her voice cutting through the din. 

"No. The villagers are defenseless!" 

Her eyes darted to the forest's edge, where Evelori's disfigured, menacing form was limping ever closer to the terrified townsfolk. 

"Haerak—Aina and Seraphina—they're there! We cannot leave them to her!"

Yzavynne countered, stepping forward. 

"They won't have a chance if Zach dies!" 

Her voice cracked, but there was fire in her eyes. 

"He's the only one who can stop Evelori!"

"And if she reaches those people first, none of this will matter!" Lyra snapped. Her tone was sharp, but her eyes glistened with desperation. 

"You can fight another day without Zach, but those innocent people... they'll die today!"

The argument raged, each side pulling the group in opposite directions. 

Qarek growled in frustration, his head snapping between Zach's battered form and the distant villagers. 

Gargeal, silent and grim, stood in hesitation, his fists clenched.

Nert's eyes darted between three focal points: the horde overwhelming Zach, the creatures still chasing his group, and Evelori nearing the terrified villagers.

It was a trifecta of hopelessness, and yet... he saw something.

An opening.

A chance.

Then, a voice broke through, quieter but commanding in its resolve.

"I'll go."

All heads turned toward Nert. 

He stood a few paces away, his usual slouched posture replaced by something foreign—something determined. 

His sharp blue eyes were fixed on Evelori.

"What?" Jiighual's brow furrowed. 

"What are you talking about, Nert?"

Nert said simply.

"I'll delay her."

He could hear Jiighual panting heavily behind him, the massive warrior struggling to keep pace after carrying his broken shield through the chaos.

Qarek was close, his face pale and grim, the weight of the battle dragging his steps.

The others, too—Ruby, Lyra, Yzavynne, Gargeal, Leeani—all were battered, bloodied, and barely keeping ahead of the pursuing creatures.

The group stared at him in stunned silence. 

Even Lyra, who had been so forceful moments before, seemed caught off guard.

"You?" Leeani said incredulously. 

"You don't even have a weapon!"

"I don't need one," Nert replied, his tone oddly calm. 

"I just need to buy you enough time to get to Captain or the villagers. Either way, she won't make it past me."

Ruby stepped forward, her hands trembling. 

"Nert, this... this doesn't make sense. You don't have to do this. Let's all go together—"

"No," Nert interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. He turned to face the group fully, his gaze sweeping over their faces. 

"This is my choice. My fight. You're always the ones running ahead, carrying the weight. I've always been the one lagging behind, dragging my feet. I thought if I stayed quiet, stayed slow, the world wouldn't ask anything of me."

His lips curved into a sad, bittersweet smile. 

"But the truth is... I was afraid. Afraid of failing. Of letting all of you down. So I hid behind 'sloth,' behind my own cowardice." 

He clenched his fists, his knuckles white. 

"Not anymore. I won't let her reach them. I won't let her win."

Jiighual grabbed Nert's arm, his eyes wide with desperation. 

"Nert, you don't have to prove anything to us. You're one of us! You always have been!"

Nert placed a hand on Jiighual's shoulder, his grip steady. 

"I know. But this isn't about proving anything anymore. This is about doing what's right. And I can do this, Jiighual. I will do this."

Qarek opened his mouth to protest, but Nert silenced him with a glance. 

"Take care of each other, okay? You've got a lot of miles left to go. Me? I think... this is where my road ends."

Ruby's voice broke as she called out. 

"Nert, wait—!"

But Nert didn't wait. 

He turned and sprinted toward Evelori, his figure growing smaller against the backdrop of chaos.

Jiighual hesitated, his fists clenching tightly, but he saw the determination in Nert's eyes and knew better than to argue. 

With a growl of frustration, he turned and kept running toward the villagers, urging the others to follow.

Nert turned sharply, his boots digging into the dirt as he sprinted directly toward Evelori. 

The sudden change in direction caught the attention of the creatures pursuing the group. 

One by one, their heads snapped toward Nert, their wide, soulless eyes locking onto him. With a guttural hiss, they abandoned their chase and surged after him in a frenzied mass.

△▼△▼△▼△

Evelori turned her head as the sound of pounding footsteps reached her ears. 

Her grin faltered when she saw Nert charging toward her, unarmed, his expression a mask of pure determination.

"What is this?" Evelori sneered, her voice dripping with derision. 

"You? You? The laziest of them all? What do you think you're going to do, little man? Stop me with your bare hands?"

Nert slowed his steps, deliberately allowing Evelori to see him clearly. 

His posture was upright, no longer weighed down by the heavy lethargy that had defined him for so long. 

For once, he didn't slouch, didn't hesitate. 

He looked her straight in the eyes, his expression calm but resolute.

"No," he said softly, his voice carrying more weight than any shout. 

"I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to finish what I've been running from my whole life."

Evelori's grin disappeared entirely. 

Something about the way he moved—the sheer resolve in his every step—sent an unfamiliar chill down her spine. 

She raised her remaining arm, her claws elongating into vicious, spiked weapons.

She spat, swinging her arm in a wide arc as he closed the distance.

"You're no hero!" 

Nert ducked at the last second, the deadly claws missing him by inches. 

He slid across the dirt and came up directly in front of her, his fingers closing around a broken spear discarded on the battlefield. 

The jagged weapon was splintered and bent, but it would have to do.

"You're right," Nert said as he straightened, gripping the spear tightly. 

"I'm not a hero. I never wanted to be. Heroes fight for glory, for their names to be etched into the world. I've spent my whole life avoiding that... avoiding everything."

He took a step closer, his voice steady. 

"Do you know what that's like? To carry the weight of a title you never wanted? To feel like you're not enough for anyone—not your comrades, not yourself!?"

Evelori hissed, her body rippling unnaturally as she swayed backward. 

"Pathetic," she snapped. 

"And yet, here you are, pretending you've found purpose at the end of your miserable life."

Nert laughed quietly, the sound bitter but not unkind. 

"Pretending? No. This isn't pretending. For the first time, I'm not running away. I've always been called the Warrior of Sloth, like it was a curse. But now I understand—sloth wasn't just about laziness or apathy. It was fear. Fear of failing. Fear of not living up to what others expected of me. But right now..."

He pointed the jagged spear toward her chest. 

"...right now, I don't care about failing. I care about doing. I don't need to be perfect. I just need to stop you."

Evelori snarled, swinging her claws in a brutal arc. 

Nert stepped forward, his movements deliberate, and drove the jagged spear into her torso before she could react. 

The strike was not elegant or precise, but it was devastating. 

The broken spear splintered further as it tore into her corrupted flesh, black liquid pouring from the wound.

Her scream was otherworldly, a high-pitched wail that seemed to shake the ground itself. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her body convulsed, flickering between her humanoid and grotesque forms. 

The villagers stared in stunned silence, their terror momentarily replaced by awe.

Evelori shrieked, her voice trembling with rage and pain. In her desperation, she lashed out instinctively. 

"You insolent worm!" 

A long, spear-like appendage erupted from her back, stabbing through Nert's abdomen and lifting him off the ground. 

Blood spilled from his mouth as he let out a strangled gasp, but he didn't release his grip on the spear embedded in her chest.

Despite the searing pain coursing through his body, Nert's face twisted into a smile—not one of triumph, but of peace. 

His grip on the spear tightened as he locked eyes with Evelori.

"You don't get it, do you?" he rasped, blood staining his lips. 

"You think strength is about fear... about power. But you're wrong. It's about making a choice. Even if it scares you. Even if it kills you."

His vision blurred, but he forced himself to keep speaking. 

"For so long, I thought I was weak because I couldn't keep up with them—Captain, Jiighual, Master. But now I see... strength isn't just about swinging a sword or carrying a shield. It's about standing where no one else can. And right now..."

He twisted the spear with all his remaining strength, driving it deeper into her chest. 

Evelori howled, her form collapsing into a pool of liquid before reforming several feet away. 

The appendage retracted, and Nert fell to the ground with a sickening thud, blood pooling beneath him.

"...right now, I'm strong enough."

△▼△▼△▼△

The landscape echoed with the sickening sound of combat as Lyra nocked her enchanted arrow, her fingers trembling but her focus unwavering. 

The others—Ruby, Gargeal, Jiighual, Qarek, Yzavynne, and Leeani—were battered and bloodied but unbroken as they stood in formation, their eyes fixed on Zach, still surrounded by Evelori's monstrous horde.

"Leeani!" Lyra shouted, tossing her a small bundle of arrows she had kept hidden. 

"Take these! Make them count!"

Leeani nodded, her fingers moving deftly to reload her crossbow. 

"I'll make every shot hurt."

Leeani unhooked the enchanted knife from her belt, her eyes narrowing as she gauged the situation. 

With a sharp flick of her wrist, she threw it to Qarek, who caught it mid-air. 

"Take this," she said, her voice commanding. 

"You're not going into this unarmed."

Qarek stared at the knife, then back at Leeani. For a moment, his expression softened. 

"Thanks."

Yzavynne replied, her whipblade snapping to life.

"Don't thank me. Just kill them."

Ruby remained at the back, her armless figure trembling as she watched the others prepare. 

"I... I can't fight," she muttered, her voice cracking. 

"I can't do anything—"

"Stay behind us," Gargeal said firmly, stepping forward with his greatsword gleaming in the dim light. His voice was calm, but his grip on the hilt was iron-tight. 

"You don't need to fight. Just stay safe."

Jiighual cracked his knuckles, armless but unyielding. 

"Don't worry about her. We'll handle this."

The group charged, their movements a chaotic but determined wave of fury and resilience.

One by one, the creatures fell. 

Leeani's crossbow bolts pierced skulls with precision, the enchanted arrows leaving trails of light that seared through the air before finding their marks.

Qarek wielded the enchanted knife with a fury born of desperation, slashing at the beasts that lunged at him, the blade glowing faintly as it cut through their twisted forms.

Lyra's arrows flew true, striking down the creatures that swarmed Zach. 

Her focus was unbreakable, her movements fluid as she dodged incoming attacks, firing without hesitation.

Gargeal cleaved through the horde with brute strength, his greatsword carving wide arcs through the air. 

Each swing left a trail of viscera and blood, the sheer force of his strikes a testament to his unyielding determination.

Jiighual fought without a weapon, his fists slamming into creatures with a bone-crushing impact. 

Despite his lack of armor and weapons, he refused to back down, his roars echoing through the battlefield.

Zach, bleeding and staggering, finally found an opening as the group broke through the swarm. 

With a mighty swing of the enchanted sword, he decimated the last of the creatures surrounding him, their forms crumbling into dust.

The battlefield fell silent for a brief moment, the group panting and bloodied but alive.

Then—

They saw him.

Nert's body lay crumpled on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. 

His back was slick with crimson, his chest barely rising and falling.

Ruby whispered, her voice trembling.

"Gods..." 

But before anyone could rush to him, a piercing shriek tore through the air. 

Evelori, though slower now, was still moving toward the villagers. 

Her form was grotesque and unstable, her body pulsating with rage.

Lyra stepped forward, her bow raised. 

"Go to him," she said firmly. 

"I'll slow her down."

"Lyra—" Gargeal began, but she cut him off.

"Don't argue with me! Just go!"

Without another word, Lyra sprinted after Evelori, firing enchanted arrows that slowed the creature's advance.

The group ran to Nert, their hearts heavy with dread. 

As they approached, his eyes fluttered open, and he gave them a weak, lopsided smile.

"Hey," he rasped, his voice barely audible. 

"Took you long enough."

Leeani dropped to her knees beside him, her trembling hands hovering over his bloodied chest, afraid to touch him, as if one wrong move would break him further. 

"Nert... we're here. We're here now," she said, her voice cracking. 

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, her sobs threatening to drown out her words. 

"I—I'm so sorry..."

Nert's eyes softened as he looked at her, his bloody lips curving into a faint smile. 

"Don't cry, Lea," he murmured, his tone almost teasing. 

"You'll... you'll make me feel important."

"Because you are important!" Leeani cried, her hands clutching his. 

"You're family, Nert. You're ours. You can't leave us... not like this."

Jiighual knelt beside him, his massive frame trembling. 

"You idiot... why'd you do this?"

Hemuttered, his voice trembling. 

"You didn't have to..."

"Because someone had to," Nert replied, his tone light despite the blood pooling in his mouth. He coughed, his chest heaving. 

"And you know me... never one to take the easy way out."

Jiighual clenched his jaw, his tears falling silently. 

"You... you could've told me. We could've faced it together, like always."

"You'll always have my back, huh?" Nert chuckled weakly, his smile flickering for a moment. 

"This time... I had yours."

Zach approached slowly, his face a storm of grief and fury, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white. 

He knelt down beside Nert, his voice breaking as he spoke. 

"Nert... you—you didn't have to go this far. I should've stopped you—"

Nert turned his gaze to Zach, who stood silently, his face a mask of grief and fury. 

"Captain... remember what I said? About finding a new path?"

Zach knelt down, his voice breaking. 

"Yeah. I remember."

"It's a strange thing... fighting for so long," Nert said, his voice growing weaker. 

"Makes you wonder if it's worth all it's taken. But I think... I think I finally found my path. I didn't die a warrior. I died..." 

He coughed again, his breath hitching. 

"...a savior. For EmberWind Village."

Tears streamed down Yzavynne's face, and Leeani bit her lip to stifle a sob.

"And hey," Nert added, his tone turning playful. 

"Guess I finally get my solo cabin, huh?"

Jiighual let out a choked laugh, wiping his eyes. 

"Yeah, you do, you stubborn bastard."

Nert turned his gaze to Jiighual, his expression softening. 

"Jiighual... brother, promise me something."

Jiighual said quickly, his hands tightening on Nert's shoulder.

"Anything."

Jiighual said quickly, his hands tightening on Nert's shoulder.

"Retire," Nert said, his tone serious for the first time. 

"Stop being a warrior. Be a cook. You'd be... you'd be amazing at it."

Jiighual's head dipped as his tears fell harder. 

"I will," he choked out. 

"I promise, Nert. I promise."

Nert's gaze shifted to Gargeal. 

"Master... I hope... I hope I did you proud."

Gargeal's stoic mask cracked just slightly, his voice low and steady. 

"You did, Nert. More than you'll ever know. You were the best student I could've asked for."

Nert's lips curved into a faint smile, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment before forcing themselves open again. 

His gaze swept over the rest of the group—Ruby, Qarek, Yzavynne, Leeani—each of them frozen in their own grief. 

Nert's trembling hand grazed the grass beneath him, his fingers curling weakly into the soil. 

His breaths were shallow, but his lips curled into the faintest of smiles. 

His voice was soft, almost lost in the chaos around them, but it carried an unexpected warmth.

"This... right here..." Nert murmured, his gaze drifting upwards to the golden light of the sun filtering through the canopy of trees. 

The warmth of the rays bathed his bloodied skin, and the faint breeze brushed his face as though nature itself was cradling him. 

"It's... beautiful, isn't it? The sun, the grass, the soil... I've spent so much of my life fighting, running... I don't think I ever really noticed how beautiful it all is. Not like this."

His voice faltered, and he coughed, blood flecking his lips. 

Ruby gripped his hand tightly, her tears falling freely. 

She whispered.

"Don't talk like that, Nert."

But Nert gave her a lopsided grin, even through the pain. 

"Come on, Ruby. Don't ruin the moment for me. I'm trying to appreciate the scenery here." 

He let out a weak laugh that quickly turned into a pained gasp.

His gaze found Jiighual, and a faint glimmer of mischief sparked in his eyes, even now. 

"Jiighual... you should try lying on some grass for once instead of on a kitchen stool. Might inspire your cooking... or at least your seasoning."

Jiighual choked back a sob, biting his lip hard to steady himself, but he nodded, his hand pressing to Nert's shoulder. 

"I'll do it. I promise, Nert."

"Take care of each other, okay?" he murmured. 

"And... rescue Kazaks and Andhur. Tell them..."

His voice broke, and he took a shuddering breath. 

"Tell them I love you all. You're my family. Thank you... for making me feel..." 

His lips parted in a final whisper. 

"...special."

His body stilled, his eyes closing for the final time.

In an instant, the tattoo on his forehead vanished.

Ruby let out a heart-wrenching sob, clutching Nert's lifeless form as her tears soaked his bloodied clothes. 

"No... no, no, no!" she cried, shaking her head violently. 

"Nert, please... please don't go. Please..."

Qarek turned away, his hands pressed to his face as his body shook with silent sobs. 

Yzavynne knelt beside Leeani, her own tears falling as she placed a trembling hand on Leeani's shoulder.

Jiighual bowed his head, his massive frame hunched over as he gripped Nert's shoulder tightly. 

"Rest easy, Nert," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. 

"You earned it. You earned it."

Gargeal stood over them, his head bowed in silent reverence.

"You couldn't have made it out alive," Qarek murmured, his voice cracking under the strain of holding back tears. 

He gestured faintly toward the bloodied bite marks riddling Nert's body, the gruesome evidence of the creatures' relentless attack. 

"Not with all those... those bite marks. They tore into you like they wanted to rip you apart... and gods, you still got back up. You still chose to..."

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he forced himself to continue. 

"You still chose to die a hero, huh?" Qarek's lips quivered, his eyes glistening with tears he could no longer contain. 

"Even when you had every reason to give up... you didn't. You gave us a chance. You gave them—" 

His voice broke entirely.

"...a future."

"I hope he gives you a place in there," Qarek murmured, his voice almost a whisper, as though he feared mention him too loudly. 

His eyes didn't move from Nert, but his words seemed aimed somewhere beyond the moment, to some place none of them could truly see or understand. 

"A place where you can finally rest."

Zach rose to his feet, his face pale and hollow, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly it trembled. 

His voice was low and dangerous as he spoke, his grief transforming into a cold, burning rage. 

"Evelori," he growled, his eyes narrowing. 

"She's not leaving here alive."

═════ ◆ TO BE CONTINUED ◆ ═════