Winning.

A sense of victory, an emotion they never thought the human standing before them could display.

In front of them was someone who wished to annihilate all of humanity and leave only their madness in this world—the one possibility that should never have appeared.

"Win? You think you can defeat me...?"

Crash!!

Red currents of mana surged. All of it solidified into the form of a weapon, trailing behind her as she advanced, created through the intricate control of mana.

A temporary material creation made through the delicate control of mana.

"Just a single hero dares to claim victory over me who is war itself?!"

Despite the soldiers being blown away by the torrent of magical power added to such a weapon, the enemy knight did not care.

Those who could only stand there stupidly due to her ability to forcibly imprint her presence were nothing more than lumps of meat hindering the advance in this battle.

"You, who are nothing on your own, should have submitted to me if not for these interferences!!"

The enemy knight, who drenched herself in blood, sought to press on.

But her attacks, filled with rage, lacked the cold calculation they needed.

To her, who was fixated on the memories of her childhood, there was no room for composure in a fight.

Boom!!!

And he did not miss that chance.

The enemy knight's body was pushed back by the explosion of the thrown spear.

The rotten blood flowing from her mouth indicated that she had finally been caught off guard.

Despite her inability to command her troops, she had sustained enough damage to bleed in a mere fight against a human.

"You, ugh, argh!"

The enemy knight, coughing up blood and regenerating her wounds, gripped her sword, but the man who faced her spoke in a calm voice.

"...You must have worked really hard to gain your current strength."

"Shut your mouth...."

"Thrown into the battlefield at a young age, it's only natural that someone like you, who survived to the end, would end up like this."

"What do you know about me, what do you...!!"

"I know everything. I've experienced all your memories."

Her furious voice abruptly cut off, and along with it, the flow of power halted.

It meant that she couldn't easily brush off his words, enough to momentarily suppress her wrath.

"Experienced... my memories...?"

Yes, what he had shown so far couldn't be merely due to receiving the stature of a dragon.

The weapons created and the techniques used were too exquisitely matched to what she had wielded.

"Ah, right. My memories...."

Above all, even in a situation where he held a slight advantage, he did not mock her.

Underneath his calm gaze lay an emotion that could be called sympathy.

This emotion could only be shown by someone who had directly experienced being the person in question and lived through that life.

"So, you're saying, you're like me?"

If that were truly the case, then the man before her could be said to possess two intertwined personas.

He was now Woo Hyo-sung and Tacchia Pheloi at the same time.

Someone who understood both the feelings of a child abandoned by her mother wandering the battlefield and the emotions upon meeting her mother at the end.

"If you've seen my memories... then you can understand me."

He would have realized, contrasting those memories with the present.

Although currently in the position of the weak and considering themselves victims, the human race as a species was fundamentally rotten.

"You also dislike the world, so you desired power and chose to have the same memories as me."

The powerful always despise the weak, and those in power always conceal their actions from the masses, shaping the world as they please.

It was natural that humanity, manipulated by such beings, would spiral into madness, leading to inevitable ruin.

What she intended to do was hasten the end that this race would meet, following their own demise, and preserve their ugly form forever.

As they wish, and as her mother wished.

"Because I hate humans. I want to sweep away all those who torment you...!!"

"Is that really everything?"

Despite wishing for her grievances to be understood, the pity in his eyes facing her did not disappear.

"Everything, you say..."

"I asked if every human you've met has only ever tormented you."

Sympathy was an emotion expressed by those who merely observed...

It teaches that the one considered an understanding ally does not walk the same path as oneself.

Even if they had shared their memories, they were ultimately different beings.

"...The reason I'm here now is because there was someone who took over after you."

Unlike the phantom before him, obsessed only with the past, he faced the world that moved on after her death.

The lonely master who, unable to forget the person he admired, wished to create a successor.

A veteran who wanted to create an army that could fight together, even if they couldn't become a replacement hero, and those who inherited their will created this moment.

"Even after you died, there were people who remembered you and connected your existence to me."

If anything remained after a person dies, there was meaning, even if that life was miserable and despairing.

The hero before him was no different.

Understanding that honor and cause existed at the end, he couldn't live seeing only the negative side of humanity.

"That's why I'm sorry. I owe too much to too many people to join you."

In this moment, that difference, despite sharing the same memories, became the decisive factor that divided them.

The monster born from lingering regrets remained shackled to the past, while the successor sought a future beyond what his predecessor had reached.

"...Ah, I see. So that's how it is."

The enemy knight understood it in her head but was unable to accept it in her heart. Despite her life's memories being resurrected, only the vivid recollections of the massacres she experienced as a child stood out.

For a phantom moving through memories like these, the only thing allowed was to act according to the instincts driven by those lingering regrets until they were resolved.

"If even another part of myself cannot understand me..."

The sword imbued with such determination aimed at him then slowly lowered.

It began to aim at the spot where the crumbling dragon lay amidst the fierce battle.

"Wait, what are you doing?!"

"In the end, the only one who accepts me is my mother!!"

By the time he realized it, the sword had already pierced her body.

He quickly created and threw a spear, but even as half of her upper body was blown away by the impact, she did not fall.

Instead, she lifted the sword that had impaled her body, smiling through the blood.

"Ah, Mother... Mother...! Why did you leave me and only show up now?!"

Now, with nothing left inside, her body felt endlessly light.

Yet, the concept of a supreme being still existed in that corpse-like shell.

"Yes, because you loved me... Because you loved me, you rampaged. If those disgusting humans hadn't interfered, we could have loved each other again!!!"

The heart of the dragon.

Though it was said to be so weakened that not even embers remained, the being forced into an unfulfilled oath was not allowed to die, even if its heart was stabbed.

If the vessel remained intact, it was enough to fill it with the lacking power. If the power was insufficient, it could be supplemented by taking it as one's own.

As the heart received the sinister magic responding to that will, her flesh began to swell grotesquely soon after.

"No! Tacchia..."

KWAAAHHHH!!!

By the time it was noticed, it was already too late.

The body, rapidly expanded by the magic, reached a point where the shockwave blew away everything in its vicinity.

What was created in the end was a dragon, or rather something in the shape of a dragon, rising from the ground.

"Yes... There's no need to go to war. Just like back then."

The ashes scattered on the ground began to gather, forming bones.

The new flesh gradually sprouting over it made it seem as if a dragon was being created right then and there.

"I just need to blow everything away and start over, just like back then. Isn't that right...?!"

For now, it was an unstable construction.

But if her obsession with her mother grew stronger, it would eventually lead to fully realizing the dragon form from the past.

With that belief, she plunged her sword into the dragon's spine and began to infuse her vessel with power.

Countless spirits began to gather, forming the dragon's shape, solidifying with their touch.

As the bones that formed the frame swelled and new flesh and scales began to sprout, a quiet voice echoed in his mind, watching the scene.

"Disappointing, isn't it?"

No, it was about the conversation they had before coming here.

Now that they were completely united, there was no need for conversation, but if that girl saw this scene, she would probably repeat their earlier conversation.

'I'm not a hero. I was just a coward who ran away from reality, wanting to live a new life.'

Just a human.

A girl who, despite inheriting the stature of a dragon and gaining stronger power, was still weak inside and held a deep love for her mother.

"...Still, you forgave Tacchia."

Knowing her as a weak human, he didn't spare his respect for her.

"Even though you could always turn into such a being while alive, you forgave your mother in the end."

Despite the greatest part of her life being hatred for humans, she endured and gave her mother the chance to meet him.

She spared her mother's life from possibly committing further sins and proved through her final act of forgiveness that she too could love someone.

"That's why I find it regrettable. If you had been given just a little more time, you might have become a true hero remembered by all."

'...Do you really think so?'

"Yes."

Believing that allowed him to face the enormous disaster before him, gripping his spear with courage.

"That's why I'm here, to prove that."

By succeeding her, he would accomplish what she couldn't.

That was the duty of one who admired heroes to protect himself and those who cared for him, ultimately becoming Tacchia Pheloi's successor.

KWARURUNG, KUNG!!!

The first hurdle for that was the imperfectly formed dragon sweeping the mountain range and the distorted soldiers pouring down from it.

The monstrosities created by entwined past memories presented a terrifying sight, as if this place had become a living hell.

"...Don't be scared, Woo Hyo-sung. This is a fight that ends once you take down one target."

No matter how mighty an army was, it had only one commander, and even a great dragon had a vulnerable spot.

The objective remained the same on this vast battlefield.

The key was whether he could break through to it.

Whether one could reach the commander of the legion, who served as the vital point on top of that giant dragon, which itself could be considered a living fortress.

"Hey, Woo Hyo-sung~ It seems like you've become incredibly strong without me noticing."

As he was gauging the opportunity, a familiar voice came from behind.

Turning his gaze in that direction, he saw a man with a shovel slung over his shoulder approaching, dealing with the nearby forces.

"Seeing my way here, it seems like you want to go up there. Don't you need a construction worker to open the way?"

"Ja-seong hyung? Why are you here...?"

"Save the joy of reunion and briefing for later. You know how much I hate dragging things out."

Hero Nam Ja-seong.

Always headstrong and reckless, but with quick wits that have kept him alive so far.

"If you roughly understand, get ready. I'll blow it away with maximum power."

"Wait, just a moment, hyung. Don't tell me..."

"Territory Expansion!!"

KWARRUNG!!!

The shovel swung with all his might struck the ground, and in that moment, the surrounding earth began to reverse, defying physical laws.

Terrain Inversion.

The power to invert the ground one stands on in an instant, proportional to the amount of magic used.

KWAAAAHHHH!!!

When its power was unleashed to its fullest, everything within its sphere of influence flew up to the top of the mountain, making everything around appear as mere dots.

A scene where people and phantoms alike appeared no different from insects.

The only thing clearly visible was the smoke dragon roaming the mountains, but even that was only for a moment.

KIEEEEK!

Soon, the inverted gravity would return to normal, causing everything to fall back down.

Sensing this, the crows made of ash scattered around started flying toward the fragment he held.

The memories of crows gathering to feast on corpses on the battlefield awakened their hunger for the living at this moment.

KWANG!!!

For a moment, it seemed inevitable to withstand such an attack.

But then, the trajectory of the rising rocks distorted, blocking the path of the crows and crushing them with their own speed.

A familiar phenomenon.

The power to control objects, enabling the manipulation of several tons of mass if they lacked will.

"Ga-ram!"

"Leave the cover to me!"

Hero Yi Ga-ram.

Riding together with the Terrain Inversion, she used her ability to glide on the shard, sequentially dealing with the approaching crows.

When the controlled shard landed on the dragon's bone, Ga-ram prepared to launch the shard carrying him to that spot with her ability.

"Your target is the Red Knight, right? How fast should I make it?"

"Damn, throw it as fast as you can!!"

Any help was welcome.

Immediately after he shouted, Ga-ram threw the shard he was on with all the power she could muster, as per his request.

As the speed of the throw was accelerated by gravity, the Red Knight, recognizing the intruder's presence, drew the sword embedded in the dragon's back and swung it with all her might towards him.

The burst of red sword energy at the end was a powerful attack capable of annihilating a human body in an instant.

However, the shard, now beyond Ga-ram's control, couldn't maneuver to evade the attack, and taking it head-on would mean being pushed off and falling below.

KUUNG!!

While pondering how to respond to such an attack, a third ally flew in from a shard on the side, throwing himself to block it.

Noticing him, his gaze quickly turned towards the man wearing a paper bag, who had collided with the attack and was now falling away.

RUSTLE.

Hero Im Tae-yang.

After 28 deaths, he succeeded in throwing himself to protect him, only to be thrown below the dragon.

"Mr. Tae-yang...!"

His hand reached out reflexively as soon as he recognized his presence.

But even as he fell, his fingers were pointed towards the target.

"Go."

With his ability, even falling from this height, he could attempt to land thousands or tens of thousands of times until he survived.

But after that time passes, the rest was up to him.

Time passed couldn't be reclaimed, and if parted, those who remained must move forward.

KWAAANG!!!

Accepting that will, he finally kicked off the shard, colliding with the Red Knight, who had taken a position as if replacing the dragon's vital point.

After being pushed back, he landed and deployed a weapon made of magic, embedding it in the dragon's spine, and glared at the Red Knight, who sought to confront him.

"...Woo Hyo-sung."

The Red Knight, like himself, deployed numerous weapons.

But the sword in her hand gathered a vast amount of mana, expressing a killing intent towards him.

"You should not exist in this world..."

"So, I will obliterate you from this place without leaving a trace, betting everything I have, no matter what...!!"

The opponent, despite sharing the same memories, sought to diverge onto a different path.

Moreover, he was the only one who could inscribe his existence into the eternal war, cracking her bitter desire.

"...I'm curious about that too, whether I'll be forgotten in this world after I die or not."

Receiving such hatred, he gathered mana into his spear, thinking of what he wanted to protect.

A battlefield where the living and the dead entwined, and a declining dragon revealing its presence before them.

And a hero facing the dragon's weak spot...

KWANG!!!

The two, realizing that everything was rooted in past memories, clashed their bodies with even greater force.

The tale of a hero who faced a dragon.

At this moment, surpassing half a century, that destiny shall be concluded by the hands of those who have inherited it.

----Chapter 122: Fate's End----

The beginning was the happiest of times.

Learning about the beauty of the world under the care of a loved one, believing that all of it would love them in return.

However, such innocent sentiments were permitted only under the shadow of their mother.

The moment that shadow disappeared, they had no choice but to realize.

The world was cruel, and to resist such a cruel world, they had to choose to dirty their hands.

To survive in such a world, they fought countless battles, gradually becoming adults and realizing.

If what they had seen so far was the basis of the world, how should they, suddenly thrown into this world, decide to live?

KWANG!

Rooted in such a background, the two were rushing at each other at this moment, aiming for each other's throats.

That, too, was the ultimate destination of the original sin humanity harbored.

An extension of the war that unfolded under mutually incompatible purposes.

KWARRUNG!

Despite sharing the same memories, each aimed to defeat the other for their ideals.

If this was the reality that must be accepted, then they would rather destroy the world that caused them pain and conform to that reality.

If this was the reality that must be accepted, then they would grow stronger and resist to escape from it.

No matter how harsh, no matter what frightening future awaited.

KWAGGEUNG!

The two, repelled by each other's attacks filled with determination, clashed in a series of hits.

Meanwhile, the unconscious dragon, reacting to the power within its body, advanced between the mountain ranges.

Struggling to support its weight on legs made of ash, the dragon moved as if crawling, albeit in a collapsed form.

Its aimless movement showed no regard for those above, so the footing made of bone and scales repeatedly shifted in real-time.

CHYARUREUK!

Yet, even amidst such chaotic terrain, the target remained clear.

Various cold weapons began to form one by one in the places they passed.

Among them, the two, grasping what came to hand, leaped towards each other again and again, colliding their magic.

Initially, swords.

Then, axes and hammers with mass.

Blocking the enemy's attack with shields, aiming at the enemy's blind spots with flails on chains, and then burrowing into their embrace to target vitals with daggers and concealed weapons.

KWANG!!

In the melee created by the entanglement of numerous weapons, what ended up in their hands were the swords and spears most familiar to each.

KWAGAGANG!!

The storm of magic unleashed with all their might assaulted them countless times, but even that was endured, as they devoted themselves to whittling down each other's flesh.

The storm arising from their clashing wills was not light.

But they must cut through it first to move ahead of the opponent and exploit any openings.

JJEOK!

That was the nature of the war they knew.

In a battle where life and death were decided in seconds, leisure was nothing but a luxury.

They fixed their gaze solely on those aiming for their throats, blocking the enemy's attacks and striking back.

KWAGAGANG!

The bones of the spine crumbled, unable to withstand such collisions.

Eventually, the two who fell below began to see shadows wandering inside the clumsily constructed dragon.

These were monstrosities formed from the twisted memories of their past.

The appearance of reptilian bones and clay figures in the shape of humans stirred their emotions just by facing them.

On one side, there was a sense of victory, and on the other, fear.

KIYAAAAAAAK!!

Yes, this was right in the middle of enemy territory.

It was clear whose orders they were following.

JJEOK!

So, without letting their guard down, they created weapons to thrust into their bodies.

Weapons made of pure magic were like a solid aura in themselves.

The monsters created by breaking the dragon's bones were easily cut out, and the weapons stuck in their bodies exploded, which could destroy the enemy's power.

PERPUNG, PEREUNG!

The result of these repeated efforts was a blade that, sharpened viciously with a red current, returned through the opened path.

As the blade split even the bodies of allies and the dragon's interior, a flock of crows began to swoop in through the gusts rushing in from outside.

Even at this moment, the crows keenly awaited their prey.

Though they were not difficult to handle, if their numbers accumulated, their strength would wane, and their accumulated minor injuries would eventually give the enemy an opportunity to strike unexpectedly.

KWARRUNG!

Even prepared to struggle to the end, a chunk of rock was thrown in front of him, and a shadow began to emerge, watching this place and taking the place of the swept-away flock of crows.

A young hero was riding a shard, lifting several rocks with it. And another hero below was haphazardly lifting shards from the place swept by the dragon.

There were only the two of them, but even such cover was helping to secure space to move forward to the enemy.

KWAAAAA!

Through such an opportunity, he navigated the twisted interior of the dragon.

Due to the impact at the endpoint he reached, the body of the enemy knight was greatly pushed back from her position.

Ash and fragments were spreading in all directions. And in that floundering moment, the tip of a spear had closed the distance unnoticed.

KWAAANG!!

The body pushed away by the upward strike from the blind spot was flung outside again, and the opponent followed suit, gathering mana in his legs to continue the pursuit.

Not missing this moment's opportunity, he stabbed the enemy's body on the shaking ground, and repeatedly followed the flying body to stab again.

JJEOK!

But even that didn't last long, and he soon felt his actions hindered as he stopped midway.

Despite becoming tattered from the unilateral attacks.

By the actions of the enemy knight, who was clutching the spear lodged in her shoulder and glaring at him.

KWAANG!!

As the counterattack, sparing no regard for her own body, collided with the armor, the enemy knight, who had gained the upper hand, smiled upon realizing one fact.

Yes, this was the difference between the living and the dead.

If there was enough magic, wounds could somewhat regenerate, and lacking physical pain, they had no fear of death, allowing them to rise again and again without sparing their bodies.

In contrast, the opponent was a human with a beating heart and breathing lungs. Overexertion required heavy breathing, and strain led to physical pain.

A body that must be prepared for substantial mental energy to be worn away just by enduring and bearing it.

If one couldn't press the opponent unilaterally, the senses of the body, gradually dulling, would inevitably start to feel urgency.

"Give up."

In the relationship that had once again been reversed, the enemy knight, gripping the conjured weapon, declared firmly.

"Give up already!!!!!"

KWAGAGANG, KWANG!!

A series of explosions ensued as their weapons collided.

The enemy knight's axe, charging through the gap, collided with the shield in his hand, sending a shiver through them.

"Why go to such lengths?"

The sword rising fiercely from below, enough to split even that, was ignored by her even as it stabbed her, swinging her sword several times to drive him back.

"You know better than anyone that living on only brings more pain. Giving up would be easier; you, of all people, know that!!"

The enemy knight, continuing the struggle, pressed on with a momentum to overwhelm, her gaze filled with a mixture of contempt and pity for her opponent.

The endless cruelty and despair of this world would be felt all the more clearly by the one who shared her memories.

Yet the reason for resistance—the undead who live bound to the past—could never understand.

"...Not yet."

Believing the reason he stood here was just that he wanted to pour all his strength into his body.

"It's not over yet..."

If it were only harsh, giving up might be the correct answer, but if even a little bit existed in such a world.

THUD.

Even if only a little, if something that could be called light existed.

"...What?"

Feeling that faint light standing out at this moment, he gathered his mana into the spear he had been using for defense, keeping his eyes fixed on his opponent.

The relentless onslaught, believed to continue endlessly, started to dwindle, and the sight of her knees hitting the ground.

The backlash from the reckless tactics employed since realizing she was undead began to overwhelm her at this moment.

"Because you can't feel pain, you wouldn't realize if your body became crippled."

It was an inevitable result. Even if she was an undead, her essence was still fundamentally human.

If she had strained her muscles and bones, even if she didn't feel any pain, there would inevitably be limitations to movement.

Even if regeneration was possible through mana, it would take time for the regeneration to be fully realized.

"Even that great regenerative power has its limits if..."

"Then if I keep hitting until you die, I win, don't I?!"

Seizing the opportunity, her body was pushed back by a powerful magic-infused attack with a bang!

The enemy knight, resisting this, gathered regenerative power and, grasping a sword in each hand, started charging at him again.

"You're practically dead!!!"

After all, those who were alive were bound to die someday.

So, pushing until they died was the same for both sides.

While he was gradually being exhausted despite defending himself, the enemy, who could regenerate, would continue to press forward. If the fight dragged on, the outcome would be obvious.

KWAGAGANG!!

Yet, the one being pushed back in this fight was not the opponent but herself.

She could never realize the reason for being pushed back in the ongoing confrontation.

A moment of life-and-death crisis, where stepping back was not an option, instead triggered an impulse to not break, allowing one to exert even beyond their limits.

Even if she had trembled in fear in the past, she could never understand the desperation tied only to memories of survival.

"Urgh..."

Still, not wanting to be defeated.

The thought that they couldn't afford to be pushed back allowed their bodies to straighten with even stronger determination.

"Aaaaah!!"

So, losing even their reason, they kept pushing forward.

Only to defeat the opponent.

Only with that sole thought in mind, repeatedly charging at each other.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Just the aftermath of the fierce melee that unfolded at the end was enough to turn the surroundings upside down, causing droplets of blood to splatter everywhere.

The desperately brutal exchange continued, smashing through the dragon's spine and pushing forward.

In that battle, where there was no room for the surrounding forces or even external support to intervene, the living ultimately gained the upper hand.

KWAANG!

As the body, impaled by the spear, rolled on the ground with the impact, the falling sword was instinctively grasped, halting the advance.

The moment the blade filled with aura began to split open the mana-filled grip.

The enemy knight, who received the rotten blood on her face, vomited blood, expressing denial towards reality.

"How on earth...?"

"...because I carry a lot."

"...Because I have much to bear."

The blade gradually dug deeply.

As he put more force, aiming to cut through her shoulder, the enemy knight, despite her damaged body, resisted.

"You, who decided to throw everything away and break it all, are different from me, who has much to bear..."

"...Such things are utterly useless."

"It's because you deemed it useless that I could come this far."

Because he had much to lose, because he knew that if he ended here, it wouldn't be just himself who would die.

The living could strive more desperately.

KWAANG!!

At the end, the explosion of magic blew away her left arm. And the tip of the spear lodged into her body.

The barely manifested sword couldn't reach him and was lodged in the dragon's spine, only barely preventing his body from being pushed away.

"So, I won't give up. Not until I die, never...!"

As he prepared to charge again, manifesting a weapon, his words indicated that his resolve would not be broken until his life ended.

Despite being utterly battered from the fierce battle, the remaining strength in his eyes proved it.

KIYOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

But such a resolute gaze could only be maintained when the opponent was human.

At that moment, the enemy knight intended to signal the dragon they were standing on through the sword thrust into the ground.

There wasn't much he could do.

The dragon, precariously constructed, lacked even a consciousness, and pouring power into the empty, cracked vessel would mostly result in the energy leaking out.

The only thing that could spill from such a body was the ash that would flow out as it disintegrated.

KWAAAAAA!

Yet, even such debris could be fatal to humans.

After it poured from its mouth, he felt his breath being choked by the smoke that quickly surrounded him, making his movements increasingly sluggish.

Unlike the undead, who no longer breathed, he could not remain unaffected.

"Ugh, haa...!"

Yet, he clenched his teeth and exerted strength because he was resolved to seize this opportunity, even if it meant his breath might stop.

"AAAAAAAAH!!"

He threw the spear, breathing with his gradually hardening lungs.

The enemy knight, hit by the attack, was pushed back, and the arm fixed to the sword thrust into the ground snapped off.

Yes, the enemy knight now had both arms rendered useless by the intense battle.

Though it seemed his unbalanced body would fall out of the dragon, he managed to endure with a single step, preventing his fall with one backward stagger.

"Puhahaha!! Now, it's over, truly over...!"

Meanwhile, his opponent's lungs were half-solidified by the debris.

Without recovery, he would gradually die from oxygen deprivation, but the undead was slowly regenerating even now.

The tendons of her torn arm rapidly regrew, and soon bones and muscles would sprout in a matter of moments.

Ziiiiing!

As if she couldn't even wait for that, the enemy knight drew in a spirit, creating a hand shape with magic, and the aura of a bloodstorm began to rise from her grasp.

"If you shared my memories.... you'd probably think like this. Yes, all of this is exactly the same as back then."

The imperfectly manifested dragon and the spirit of the hero who came to replace the keel on the dragon.

The cruel smile drawn on her lips at the end originated from sympathy for the poignant end of the one before her.

"And the end of that story was humans losing to the dragon. From the beginning, the outcome of this fight was predetermined...!"

In the end, history would only repeat itself.

Ultimately, humans would end in defeat against the disaster.

"This is the end of a meaningless fight. Stop hindering me... and disappear forever!!"

Believing that history was repeating itself even now, the enemy knight gathered her strength, confident in her victory at that moment, to obliterate him.

In that moment, she did not realize something was flying towards her from the sky, splitting the dark clouds.

PERUNG!!!

Yes, what suddenly intervened was the unexpected involvement of a third party.

An attack falling from the sky like a meteor struck the hand holding the sword, and the blade, charged with magic, shattered as it fell below the dragon.

"Wh-what...?"

Just when she thought it was over, what was happening now?

Why had a sudden mass of magic fallen from the sky to thwart her impending victory?

PERUNG, PERUNG!

No, it wasn't just one.

At that moment, flashes falling from the sky hit various parts of the dragon rampaging in the mountain range, causing confusion.

A technique mimicking a meteor shower.

Seeing it arrive on the scene, a face emerged in his mind, struggling to hold onto his fading consciousness.

Airi Haven.

A fortune teller who had vaguely foreseen a future like the present even before this fight began.

The star magic she wielded presupposed a time lag to achieve the intended effect when used with a foresight of the future, but it was impossible to perfectly predict and assist the actions of a transcendent.

But in terms of possibility.

Although she couldn't precisely foresee how the fight would proceed after her companion intervened, she could faintly see numerous possibilities.

'So, she decided to drop meteors on all points corresponding to those possibilities in an attempt to overturn fate.'

Of course, hastily devised the moment the future changed, this strategy, even with all her power poured into it, couldn't aim for lethality due to the dispersion of force.

But even then, if those crude attacks could hinder the opponent's actions and create even the slightest gap...

'Go, Hyo-sung.'

...she believed he would surely not miss that opportunity.

CRACK!!

Instinctively understanding her intention, his body, which he thought wouldn't move, began to move gradually.

Without breathing, his body endured even greater strain.

Yet, he exerted his will to push forward.

The living feared not pain, but a hopeless situation where no amount of desperate struggle would help

CRACK, CRUNCH!!!!

If even the faintest glimmer of hope existed, he had to move forward.

As he grasped the spear forged from his resolve, terror began to surface on the enemy knight's face, who had both hands destroyed.

"No, this can't be..."

BANG!!!

The reverse scale of the dragon was pushed away with the impact, moving away from the dragon.

Just being separated caused the overflowing power to diminish gradually.

As her regenerative power depleted, her body crumbled into dust, and without hands to grasp a weapon, her mana dispersed repeatedly.

In front of the knight, who was desperately trying to regain her composure, awaited someone who would not grant such leisure, leaping down to follow her.

"No, I can't... I'm not yet..."

In the very last moment.

As she concentrated her remaining strength into a single spear aimed precisely at her body, bitterness began to spill from her lips.

Unable to accept that the love and hatred for her mother and the revenge against humanity that had separated her would end so futilely.

SHRIEK!!!

But the cruelty of the world applied even to the apostle of the apocalypse without exception.

KWAAANG!!!!!

Eventually, the reverse scale, pierced by the final attack, crashed mercilessly below the mountain.

From that point on, the decayed body of the dragon also began to collapse.

And then...