Chapter 425

The world was burning.

"...Ah."

Standing atop the walls of the Imperial Capital New Terra, Fernandez gazed down in dismay.

The entire world – every horizon within sight was death and flames.

A horrific wave of monsters surged endlessly from the south. The monster legion, having penetrated the southern front, swept north, engulfing the entire world.

Humanity struggled to resist. United under the command of the Emperor, they fought with their lives on the line.

But they were defeated.

The fortresses fell, and massacres occurred in the cities. Mountains and rivers were dyed with blood, and monsters devoured human corpses.

The endlessly multiplying Greenskins trampled over human cities.

In the fields and valleys, werewolves hunted people.

Those who fled to the sea met ghost pirates and were left stranded in the vast ocean.

Those enchanted by Succubi were hung alive and drained of their vitality.

On top of the high piles of corpses, the black spider queen laid her new eggs.

The bloodkin freely drank human blood and craved human flesh.

Above this hell on earth, the plague spread endlessly.

Under the sky flickering endlessly with ominous and bright magical lights,

The humanity's last stand, composed of the strongest knights and wizards, was defeated by the demonkin legion,

And the retreating last stand was burned by the black dragons that swooped down with their black flames.

"Ah..."

Watching the end of the world, Fernandez could only let out a hollow moan.

There were four foretold downfalls of the Empire.

Despite victories on the Dragon's Blood Front, the Shadow Front, and the Foreign Gods Front, the final Monster Front was insurmountable.

The overwhelming monsters that flooded from beneath the Black Lake were too strong and numerous, utterly beyond human resistance.

Now, the last remaining stronghold of humanity was here in New Terra.

However, the final defense line spread across the walls of New Terra crumbled all too easily under the wave of monsters from all sides.

"Fight! Resist to the end! Let them know we were here-!"

The Emperor was fighting.

In front of the southern gate of the Imperial Capital, leading the remnants of his personal guard. He fought to the last, swinging his sword tirelessly, as befits a transcendent who had long surpassed human limits, the last prince to rule the world.

But – the defeat was clear.

The countless monsters devoured the imperial guards one by one and ultimately led them to their death. At one point, no living person remained around the Emperor.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

Thud –

Before the blood-soaked Emperor, three monsters landed.

A magician wearing a wide-sleeved robe, a ceremonial hat decorated with small beads and his face covered with a large amulet attached to the hat.

The Grand Sorceress, White Night.

Horns like a deer's, protruding amidst cream-colored hair.

A woman in a splendid dress, wearing a mask suitable for a masquerade, hiding her eyes.

The demon guard commander, Cromwell.

Dressed in a neat black and white suit, with long black hair hanging loosely, and shining golden dragon eyes.

A being in human form, but in essence, a dragon.

The Black Dragon, Night Bringer.

The three monsters each raised their powers, staring at the Emperor who resisted to the last.

"..."

The Emperor's sword, which had been swinging tirelessly, suddenly fell to the ground.

The Emperor looked at his dead subordinates, the destroyed walls of the city, and the torn flags of the Empire in turn.

"So it is."

He muttered bitterly.

"...It seems this is the end."

Flash-!

The three monster commanders simultaneously launched at the Emperor.

Countless magical bullets fired by the Grand Sorceress rained down on the Emperor.

The Emperor, fending them off with his sword, faced a direct charge from the demon legion commander.

The woman with red skin saw her muscles swell rapidly, then, using the membranous wings spread on her back, flew in at a terrifying speed.

The demon's fist and foot, along with her tail that whipped like a lash, fiercely battered the Emperor's sword.

Pressured by two monsters attacking from close and long range, the Emperor kept getting pushed back and eventually revealed an opening.

And the Black Dragon did not miss that gap.

Snap!

With a flick of the Black Dragon's finger, an invisible formless force poured out – penetrating the parts the Emperor couldn't defend with his sword.

Puff...!

"..."

The Emperor blankly stared down at his chest.

Blood was spurting out like a fountain from the hole in his chest.

The formless force had made a small hole in the center of his chest, but as it passed through his back, it tore the Emperor's flesh into shreds, like a cannonball.

The Emperor, bleeding from his chest and back, slowly collapsed. The knees of the human who had never known subjugation finally touched the ground.

The Emperor, coughing blood from his nose and mouth, suddenly raised his head.

Thud... Thud... Thud...

To the south, beyond the horizon.

A massive, grotesque monster appeared.

The Grand Sorceress, the demon legion commander, and the Black Dragon, all kneeled in respect before the newly appeared creature.

-It was a woman with her face covered by a Mourning Veil, charred at the edges.

Her dress too had its hem and sleeves burned, and the tall crown on her head was scorched and blackened.

Even her long white hair trailing to the ground. The ends were blackened by fire.

In her hand, a longsword made of pitch-black darkness.

Facing the approaching most powerful and worst monster, the Emperor muttered the opponent's name with blood-filled lips.

"...'The Sleepless Princess of the Lake'."

The walking nightmare that single-handedly annihilated the Southern Front.

The worst monster, embodying all the curses of the Lake Kingdom, had finally descended upon humanity's last land.

'The Sleepless Princess of the Lake,' reaching the Emperor, indifferently stared at him and then, raising the sword in her hand-

Clang...

She swiftly beheaded the Emperor.

The Emperor's body, now without a head, lifelessly fell to the side.

The last leader of humanity died thus.

"Father...!"

Watching this scene from the walls, Fernandez wept tears of blood.

"Ah, ahhhh...!"

He was powerless.

Too powerless.

Despite being the Empire's guardian, the last wizard in this world.

There was nothing he could do.

'The Sleepless Princess of the Lake,' having slain the Emperor, raised her free hand towards the southern gate of New Terra and then clenched it.

Crack!

With that, the gate was twisted and torn away in an instant by black magic.

"Cough!"

Fernandez, spreading a defensive spell on the wall, couldn't resist the immense power and spat out blood, falling backwards.

With a casual flick of her hand, 'The Sleepless Princess of the Lake' made the torn gate roll pathetically on the ground.

The last defense line of humanity collapsed in vain.

"...Is it my turn now."

And inside the gate, Lark, missing an arm and a leg, waited and then, using his longsword as a cane, struggled to his feet.

Fernandez shouted from atop the wall towards Lark.

"Brother! No, it's impossible! Retreat! We can't stop that monster!"

"Fernandez... I'm sorry. It's my fault for letting things come to this."

Despite Fernandez's desperate cries, Lark just faintly smiled towards the wall.

"Let's meet again in the afterlife."

And Lark, with a battle cry, charged towards the monsters,

Boom-!

In the next moment, with a mere gesture from 'The Sleepless Princess of the Lake', he shattered into pieces. Blood droplets scattered like rain in all directions.

"Brother! Aaaaaah! Brother!"

Fernandez screamed, shedding blood tears.

Then, in his ear,

"It seems we're the only ones left now."

He heard his younger brother's voice.

Turning around, the youngest of the Imperial Guardians, the Third Prince, was climbing the wall with a haggard expression. Fernandez dumbly called out his brother's name.

"Ash..."

"..."

Ash, with eyes as settled as dust, glared at the monsters passing through the gate.

"Ash, listen."

Fernandez wiped the blood from his mouth and gathered his magic power.

"I'll use my last strength to hide you. You must survive and plan for the future."

"...The world is doomed, brother. There's nowhere to hide or run."

"But you must survive!"

Though they had different mothers, they were brothers.

In the final battle to save the world, the guardians had become true comrades, and ultimately a family.

That's why Fernandez wanted to use his last strength for his brother.

But.

"Sorry, brother. But in the next cycle."

Click!

Ash had already drawn a pistol-like magic gun, aiming it at his temple.

"In the next 'game', I will definitely... save this world."

"What?"

"This world is endlessly repeating. And it always ends the same."

Saying so, Ash silently looked down at New Terra being devoured by monsters.

"I've only played this 'game' a few times as a player, but no matter what I do... I can't change the ending of the monsters destroying the world."

"Stop talking nonsense and put the gun down! It's dangerous!"

Fernandez desperately reached out his hand. But Ash just smiled faintly, paying no heed.

"But, I'll try to change it. If the world repeats infinitely, then we have just as many chances."

Click.

The safety of the gun was released, and Ash's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Don't do this, Ash."

Trembling, Fernandez shook his head. Tears were even welling up in his eyes.

"Don't leave me alone here."

"..."

"Please, Ash! If you die too, that can't happen. We brothers, the guardians, must fight together...!"

"You know, brother?"

Ash chuckled.

"Even though you were an annoying, pompous freeloader... fighting together was somewhat fun."

"Ash! No-"

"See you again, brother."

As Fernandez ran towards Ash, Ash gently closed his eyes.

"I'll definitely protect you next time."

Bang-!

Blood splattered in all directions.

Ash's body, having committed suicide with the gun, fell forward.

Fernandez stumbled a few steps, then fell to his knees and covered his mouth.

In the end.

All the fighting. All the struggle. All the sacrifice. It was all in vain.

The guardians had fallen, and the world would end.

This was such an ending.

Then-

"Oh dear."

Suddenly, a voice came from the side.

"I'm too late."

Startled, Fernandez looked over to see a man with grey hair in a worn robe, flying through the sky and landing on the wall.

The Empire's Prophet - Aider.

He looked over Ash's body and sighed deeply.

"Player Ash has accepted defeat and ended his own life... It seems this cycle's battle is decided."

Then,

"If that's the case, we too."

A malevolent voice echoed through the air, and black shadows gathered in the empty sky, eventually taking human form.

The malevolent lord who created and ruled all monsters.

The Demon King, with a sneer, formed white cracks on his dark face as he smiled.

"Shall we move on to the next cycle's game?"

And.

All this scene.

"..."

Fernandez watched in a daze, nothing else he could do.