At a far corner of the battlefield, away from all the chaos and noise, Kailith and Alice were still locked in a fierce fight. The place they were in now was close to the forest at the very back of the academy. They had come all the way from near the academy garden, but neither of them noticed… or cared.
Their focus was only on each other.
Sparks flew as their blows clashed again and again. Kailith's strength was clearly higher, and every time they collided, Alice was pushed back a little more. But Alice didn't give up—her speed kept her in the fight.
"Who are you to interfere in our matters?" Alice hissed as she jumped back, her eyes narrowing like a wildcat ready to pounce.
"You don't need to know!" Kailith shouted, her face filled with anger and frustration. "All I know is that I'm going to teach you a lesson. You'll regret ever laying your eyes on her!"
With a loud yell, Kailith charged forward, her fist tightened, aiming right at Alice's face.
But Alice reacted quickly. In the blink of an eye, she jumped up and dashed between the trees. Her body moved so fast that it left behind blurry afterimages. She circled around Kailith like a phantom, her laughter echoing in the wind.
"I don't need to know?" Alice's teasing voice came from all directions. "Of course I do! We're couples now, you know? She even wrote me a love letter! But the weaker me couldn't read it!"
Kailith stopped for a moment, her eyes wide in shock.
"What...?" she whispered, her expression full of doubt.
The truth was more complicated than Alice knew.
When Alice first met Maruti, the girl had a letter in her hand. And when Maruti accidentally fell into a large hole, she said she was looking for Alice. That moment stayed deep in Alice's heart.
But what Alice didn't know was that the letter wasn't a love letter at all. It was a target list, and Alice's name was on it. Maruti was supposed to kill her.
Still, from Alice's point of view, everything felt real. She believed in what she saw. And that belief gave her confidence. Too much confidence.
Kailith's fists slowly lowered as her face twisted in confusion.
"This can't be true… She would never do that…" she muttered to herself, trying to hold onto the Maruti she knew in her heart.
Then, she shouted louder, as if trying to convince herself more than Alice.
"I don't believe it! She told me herself—she doesn't want to be in any relationship!"
"Poor thing… of course she would say that, because she wants to be in a relationship with ME!" Alice shouted loudly, her voice full of pride and confidence.
Right after saying that, she leaped forward like a bullet. One of her legs stretched out, ready to land a powerful kick straight at Kailith.
But Kailith's anger was rising too fast. In that moment, she wasn't thinking clearly anymore. She started forgetting that Alice was a fellow student… not an enemy on a battlefield.
"You… you're lying!" Kailith growled, her eyes burning with rage.
Just before Alice's kick could reach her, Kailith moved with incredible speed, faster than most eyes could follow. She grabbed Alice's face with one hand—
And BAM!
She slammed Alice's head hard into the ground.
"Gah…!" Alice gasped as the air rushed out of her lungs. She coughed and spat, dazed from the sudden impact.
Kailith didn't stop. She got on her knees, pinning Alice down under her. Her legs pressed on both sides of Alice's body. Alice was lying flat, unable to move.
"You're lying… You're lying… You're lying!!" Kailith screamed, her voice breaking.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
She punched Alice's face again and again. Each punch was filled with rage, pain, and confusion.
"She's mine! She's mine! She has to be mine! She's meant for me!" Kailith shouted like someone losing control.
Her silver eyes began to glow with a strange, wild light. Her mind was spinning. Dark thoughts whispered inside her head.
"Just kill her… kill her, and there won't be anyone left to take her away…No competition, Nothing..."
That cruel voice inside her kept repeating it.
But then—
A memory.
Maruti's smiling face appeared in Kailith's mind, clear as day. Maruti giving her a thumbs up, full of innocence and warmth.
Everything suddenly stopped.
Kailith's fists froze in the air. She looked down at Alice, who was now unconscious and bleeding, her face bruised and still.
Kailith's hands began to shake.
"Pant… pant…" she breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling as if she'd just run for miles.
She slowly moved off Alice's body and lay down beside her on the cold ground. Her body trembled.
She hugged her head with both arms and closed her eyes tightly.
"Damn it… I'm losing my mind," she whispered. Her voice was low and broken. "I'm really going insane…"
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she kept breathing hard.
"She's not just something I want anymore…" she muttered. "She feels like something I need to survive…"
Kailith didn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knew. It was already too late.
She couldn't imagine a life without Maruti. The thought alone made her heart ache. The idea of a future without her… it was terrifying. Like stepping into a world of endless darkness.
A world where she couldn't stay sane anymore.
After taking a few deep breaths, Kailith slowly calmed herself down. Her heartbeat was still fast, and her hands were slightly shaking, but she managed to sit up.
She looked around the battlefield.
The broken trees… the crushed ground… the distant smoke… everything was quiet now. Too quiet.
"It's so silent… Did everything really end?" she wondered in her mind, her eyes scanning the scene around her.
Then, her gaze shifted to Alice, who was still lying there unconscious, her face bruised and bleeding.
"I should heal her… before her wounds get worse," Kailith whispered softly, her voice filled with guilt. She knew it was her punches that caused those injuries. She was the one who hurt Alice—yet now she wanted to be the one to save her.
She moved closer, her hand glowing faintly as she prepared to cast a healing spell.
But just then, something strange caught her eye.
A tiny red dot… floating in the air far away.
"What… is that?" she mumbled, squinting at it.
Before she could even react—
BOOM!
A massive burst of red energy exploded from that dot. It was like blood had turned into a wave—a giant, unstoppable wave. It spread out with terrifying force, like a tsunami made of raw power crashing through the sky.
The pressure hit Kailith like a storm. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
She felt the ground tremble beneath her.
"What… the hell… is that?" she muttered, her mouth slightly open, completely stunned by the overwhelming power.
The red energy wasn't just big—it was terrifying. And whoever had released it… wasn't normal.
Kailith's heart pounded again, this time not from anger, but fear.
---------------
A Few Moments Ago...
On the other side of the battlefield, near the place where Arthur's massive silver dragon body had crashed into the ground, everything was still and broken. Trees were uprooted. The earth was torn apart. And right there in the middle of it all, Arthur was lying on one knee, gasping for air.
His dragon form faded, glowing gently with silver light, and he returned to his human body. He looked tired… completely worn out. His breathing was heavy. His clothes were torn and soaked in sweat.
"I can't fight anymore," he whispered.
Just then, a voice filled with anger echoed from nearby.
"I'll kill you! You killed my twin!" shouted a girl who looked just like Elara—but slightly younger, with a more emotional face.
She was one of the ten different versions of Elara. Among them, two had been twins. Arthur had killed her twin in the middle of the battle… and left this one with deep wounds.
Now that Arthur was finally defeated, her eyes were burning with the fire of revenge.
She slowly raised her bow and aimed directly at Arthur's head.
But before she could let the arrow fly—
A calm, cold voice interrupted.
"Did you miss me, Father?"
It was Lortell.
She was walking toward Arthur, her steps slow but graceful. Her long silver-white hair swayed behind her. Her eyes held no fear, only pride and power. Every step she took made it feel like a queen was entering her throne room.
Arthur heard her voice and turned his head slightly. A weak smile spread on his face.
"…Damn… I want to retire already," he said with a dry laugh.
Lortell chuckled.
"You should. You've gotten too old anyway. It's time you rest."
She flicked her finger.
In a second, Arthur disappeared in a flash of white light—teleported safely back to his mansion.
Lortell then turned her sharp gaze toward the remaining versions of Elara. Four of them were already dead. Six were still alive and standing—barely.
She slowly ran her fingers through her hair and asked in a cold tone, "Where's the real Elara?"
The strongest one among them—tall, muscular, and confident—stepped forward.
"You're too late," she said. "He's probably already far away. And we won't let you chase him."
Lortell narrowed her eyes but smiled.
"Oh? Is that so?"
She then reached behind her and pulled out her sword.
It was no ordinary weapon. Blood dripped from its blade as if it were alive. Its surface was carved with ancient symbols. The color was a dark, deep red. Anyone could tell—this sword was made by someone who only appears once in ten thousand years.
Lortell gripped it tightly and whispered, "Killer Move… Reincarnation Battlefield."
Suddenly—Blood.
Blood poured from the ground like rivers, dark and endless. The battlefield turned red.
Even though the morning sunlight had started to rise, the area felt like midnight again—cold, shadowy, and full of death.
And then—it happened.
All around her, monsters, demons, students, teachers—everyone who had died in the battle—began to rise from the ground.
One by one.
They moved slowly at first… like zombies.
Their eyes were empty. Their bodies looked half-broken, but they stood tall.
It was terrifying. The air became heavy. A strange silence covered everything.
But Lortell felt nothing. Her face stayed calm.
She raised her sword and pointed it toward the six Elaras.
"Attack, my soldiers."
The silence broke.
"GRAAHHHH!!"
"WAAARRGGHHHH!!"
The dead roared and charged forward like a sea of rage and madness. There were so many. Too many. It looked like ants rushing toward just a few bugs.
The Elaras panicked. Their faces turned pale.
"Where do we start?"
"Which one do we attack first?"
"Do they even die?! What if they just come back again?!"
The fear in their voices said it all. They had lost hope.
Lortell stood calmly, watching everything with her cold eyes.
"Now… only the cockroach remains," she muttered.
She placed her sword in front of her, then pressed her hand to her chest.
"Battle Mode Killer Move… Blood Deity."
Blood began to pour over her body like a wave.
Her nails grew longer. Her body got taller and stronger.
She was already very tall—around 215cm—but now she grew beyond 250cm. Her figure was even more majestic, more terrifying, more… divine.
As the blood faded from her skin, her clothes had changed too—black and red with beautiful, sharp patterns. They fit her like armor made for a goddess.
And above her head… a glowing red halo. Blood dripped from it like falling rain.
She didn't look human anymore.
She looked like a goddess of destruction.
Her sword glowed in red light. Her whole body gave off a red aura full of death and danger.
She shot up into the sky like a streak of red light.
Far above the ground, she stopped—hovering high in the air, her eyes glowing with power.
A wicked grin spread across her lips.
"There you are," she whispered.
The real Elara had already escaped far away, running as fast as he could. He had covered tens of kilometers by now. But no matter how far he ran, he couldn't escape from her eyes.
Lortell stood high in the sky, her silver-white hair flowing in the wind. Her blood-red aura made the sky around her look darker. She narrowed her eyes, and even from so far away, she could see him clearly—Elara.
Far in the distance, Elara suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Something was watching him.
He looked up.
And there she was.
High above the clouds.
Lortell.
"No… no no no!" Elara shouted in panic. "Shit… shit… SHIT!"
He immediately ran even faster, his heart beating wildly. His legs felt heavy, but fear gave him strength. He spotted a town ahead.
"She won't attack a town… right?" he mumbled to himself. "There are innocent people… she wouldn't…"
But no one was there to answer him.
No one could tell him the truth.
Lortell didn't care about the town.
She didn't care about the people.
She never cared about anyone other than Esdeath.
Lortell lifted her glowing red sword high into the sky. The blood halo above her head spun faster, dripping with blood like falling rain.
She took a deep breath, then spoke in a calm, chilling voice:
"All Devouring—Blood Tsunami."
She slashed her sword down with great force.
And then—BOOM!
A massive wave of red energy shot out from her sword. It wasn't just a wave—it looked like a giant tsunami made of pure blood. It was huge, tall as a mountain, wide as the sky. It roared through the air at lightning speed, tearing through everything in its path.
Elara looked back—and his face turned white.
There was no time to run.
There was no place to hide.
He couldn't dodge it. He couldn't block it. It was the end.
The blood wave hit the town in seconds.
CRAAASHHH!!
The whole place exploded in red. Houses, trees, roads—everything was destroyed. The wave hit Elara and split his body into two halves like a piece of paper.
But the attack didn't stop there.
Lortell had poured too much power into it.
The wave kept going… and going.
It destroyed more towns. More forests. It crashed through rocky hills and broke entire mountains like toys. The blood wave became faster and stronger as it swallowed the blood of everyone it killed.
It was unstoppable.
It kept moving until it reached the capital of Anastasia Kingdom—Celsius.
The royal palace stood tall and proud…
Until it wasn't.
The barrier around the palace tried to Defend but The wave tore through it like slicing cake. One clean cut, right through the center.
Only then… did it stop.
Far above, Lortell stared at the destruction and blinked.
"…Oops," she whispered with a small laugh. "I got carried away."
She sighed, a little annoyed. "Now I have to explain this to the royal family… great."
But deep down, she didn't really care.
She only cared about one thing.
Esdeath.
She had to make sure Elara was truly dead.
That was what Esdeath had told her to do.
With the job done, Lortell let out a long breath and released her power. Her blood aura disappeared. Her tall, goddess-like battle form shrank down to her usual self—elegant, deadly, and calm.
Her long silver-white hair flowed behind her as she sheathed her blood-covered sword with a soft click and floated gently back to the ground.
The battlefield became quiet again.
She cancelled her "Reincarnation Battlefield" skill. All the dead soldiers, monsters, and demons who had been brought back to life… fell to the ground again.
This time, they looked worse.
Their bodies were more rotten. Some even melted into dark puddles.
The six versions of Elara that had survived earlier started to vanish into thin air—fading like dust.
The real Elara was dead.
So, the fake ones disappeared too.
Lortell stood there alone, looking around the battlefield for a moment. Then, she smiled softly to herself.
"I should go and meet Esdeath," she whispered.
And with that, she turned and walked away.
--------------------------
In the academy garden, the atmosphere was heavy and quiet. The survivors—students and teachers—had gathered into small groups, sitting or standing close together. Their faces were pale, eyes dull. Many of them were still in shock, too lost in their own thoughts to speak.
The royal army had also arrived. Soldiers were moving around with serious expressions, lifting the bodies of the dead and checking to see if anyone was still alive. A medical team was working in the garden, treating the wounded. Cries of pain and soft voices of comfort filled the air.
But then…
Lortell entered the garden.
She walked in slowly, her expression completely blank. Her silver-white hair swayed behind her, and her clothes still carried the scent of blood and power. Her presence made the garden fall even more silent.
As soon as Esdeath saw her, her dull eyes brightened up. She jumped to her feet and rushed toward Lortell.
"Did you kill him?" Esdeath asked quickly, her voice filled with hope.
Lortell didn't speak. She just smiled and nodded gently.
"You're the best!" Esdeath said with joy, her face lighting up. Her pupils slowly turned into heart shapes as she looked at Lortell, love filling her eyes.
The others in the garden just stared.
They didn't say anything.
Some of them didn't even react.
They were too broken… too lost in trauma to care about anything anymore.
Maruti saw everything too, but she didn't interfere. She just turned her head and looked away, pretending not to notice the two girls in front of her.
Lortell suddenly coughed softly, trying to clear the awkward silence. She took a small step away from Esdeath and looked off into the distance.
"You must be getting bored here, right?" she asked, her voice soft. She looked up at the rising sun. "How about we go to my palace? Or maybe… we can visit your home. I think your mother would love to see yo—"
But before she could finish her sentence…
It was soft. Childish. Innocent but the timing couldn't be more bad.
A small, sweet voice rang out from behind.
"Yay! Mother, we won!"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Selene.
She appeared out of nowhere, smiling brightly as she hugged Esdeath tightly from behind. Her tiny arms wrapped around Esdeath's waist, and her face rubbed against her back with joy.
Shock.
Surprise.
Confusion.
Lortell's eyes widened. Her body froze. Her heartbeat felt louder than ever before.
Everything slowed down around her.
Slowly, she turned her head to look at Esdeath.
"Mother?" she asked in a cold, trembling voice.
Esdeath's face turned white as snow. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hands shook, her legs felt weak, and her eyes were wide in pure terror. She looked like she might collapse any second.
Lortell took a step forward, her voice filled with anger and disappointment.
"What is the meaning of this, Esdeath?"
Suddenly, the air grew heavy.
Lortell's aura exploded.
It was an S-rank aura.
It spread everywhere like a giant wave.
Everyone in the garden dropped to their knees. Some couldn't even breathe. It felt like a huge mountain was pressing down on their chests. Sweat rolled down their faces. The sky above seemed to darken.
Esdeath was trembling nonstop.
Her lips moved, trying to say something.
"I… I… ummm…"
Her voice was weak. Her breath hitched. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain.
Then, suddenly…
"A-Actually… you know how we kissed…?"
Esdeath forced a small, awkward smile.
"I got pregnant."