Chapter 15

  In a city drowned in darkness and mystery, nothing stood clearly defined. Buildings loomed like distant ghosts, their shapes barely holding together, while people moved as silent shadows, lost within a suffocating fog that devoured all sight. The air was heavy, oppressive, filled with eerie whispers—as if the city itself was breathing fear.

  At the heart of this gloom, Sbyam and Brylo stood face to face. Around them gathered a crowd of indistinct figures, faceless and unreal, serving as a formless backdrop to their confrontation.

  Sbyam spoke first, his anger tightly restrained. His voice was sharp, yet trembling with buried disappointment.

  “Do you really intend to leave?”

  Brylo met his gaze without warmth. His eyes were cold, frozen over.

  “Yes.”

  Sbyam’s jaw tightened. His hand trembled, fighting the urge to lash out. When he spoke again, his voice rose, cutting deeper.

  “But… you know that’s impossible.”

  Brylo let out a mocking laugh, irritation flashing across his face as he raised an eyebrow in challenge.

  “How arrogant of you. You say that—as if you aren’t the one capable of doing exactly that.”

  The words struck Sbyam like a slap.

  Disappointment flickered in his eyes, only to vanish beneath a surge of fury. His stare burned with the heat of betrayal as he locked eyes with Brylo, who remained unmoved—solid as stone, returning that same icy gaze. In that moment, they looked less like men and more like shadows locked in an ancient conflict.

  Brylo stepped forward, breaking the silence before it could swallow them whole. His voice was calm, yet heavy enough to crush the air itself.

  “Why are you the strongest?”

  He paused.

  “Are you the strongest because you were always Sbyam Brius? …Or did you become Sbyam Brius because you had no choice but to be the strongest?”

  Sbyam froze.

  The words slipped past his defenses and struck deep. His eyes widened, just slightly. For a heartbeat, shock threatened to surface—but the anger inside him refused to yield. His fists clenched, his chest rising as if searching for a response strong enough to erase the sting.

  Without waiting, Brylo turned away. His dark cloak swayed gently with a faint breeze as he began to walk off. He moved slowly, as though time itself had stalled around him, leaving behind only cold and silence.

  Sbyam remained where he stood, staring at Brylo’s retreating back—paralyzed, trapped in a storm of conflicting thoughts.

  The city seemed to react to the tension, its shadows swaying as if weighed down by the moment. Everything about the scene whispered the same truth: this was no passing clash. It was the beginning of a deep and irreversible fracture.

  Sbyam stayed there, rooted in place, haunted by the echo of Brylo’s words pounding inside his chest—along with a sense of betrayal and helplessness he had never known before.

  ---

  Present Day

  Sbyam stood motionless, like a statue carved from stone, his gaze fixed on the ground as if he were trying to gather the shattered fragments of his thoughts from the whirlpool of memories dragging him under. Brylo’s words—from long ago—still echoed in his mind, a sound that refused to fade. His face was a rigid mask, revealing nothing, yet his sunken eyes carried the crushing weight of countless, unspoken emotions.

  Moryo approached slowly, each step cautious, as though he feared disturbing the silence surrounding his master. He hesitated, then spoke in a soft whisper.

  “Master…?”

  Sbyam didn’t look up. It was as if Moryo’s voice came from a place far beyond his awareness.

  Nearby, Beth stood with a twisted, mocking expression. A cruel smirk tugged at his lips as he spoke, his tone sharp and cutting.

  “What happened to that arrogance of yours? Are you scared now?”

  Before any answer came, Beth’s phone rang. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, pulled it out, and answered. A rough, excited voice burst from the other end—it was Campeis.

  “The mission’s complete! We got the Containment Orb! We’re waiting for you in the cave beneath the castle!”

  Beth raised an eyebrow, suspicion flickering across his face.

  “We?” he asked coolly. “Is Darwin still alive?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Campeis replied at once, but tension crept into his voice.

  “Yes, but… he lost his arm.”

  Beth’s lips curved into a crooked smile. His eyes showed nothing but contempt as he answered without hesitation.

  “Then… move on.”

  A brief silence followed.

  Then Campeis shouted in disbelief, “What?!”

  Beth’s reply was firm, laced with open defiance.

  “I’ll finish things here and come back to you.”

  Campeis let out a hesitant sigh before finally agreeing.

  “Fine. Just don’t take too long.”

  The call ended.

  Moryo continued staring at Beth, unease twisting in his chest. Something about Beth’s behavior felt wrong—like everything around them was on the verge of exploding.

  Beth turned his gaze toward Sbyam. His voice grew harsher, more aggressive, sparks almost flying from his words.

  “Either I die… or you do. So let’s fight—and destroy everything in our way!”

  Sbyam didn’t move.

  He kept staring at the ground, seemingly indifferent to everything happening around him. His stillness and vacant expression made it feel as though his world was sealed shut, lost deep within himself, far removed from reality.

  Beth stepped closer, anger rising in his voice.

  “Are you even listening? Or are you just an empty shell now?!”

  Still, Sbyam remained unmoving.

  His silence was like the calm before a storm—an ominous quiet that promised imminent destruction. Moryo watched the scene unfold, eyes wide, his anxious expression reflecting a single, dreadful certainty:

  Whatever came next would bring nothing but catastrophe.

  ---

  In Another Corner of the arena

  Silence ruled this part of the arena. The air was still, heavy with death.

  Veb lay face-down on the ground, his body soaked in blood that pooled beneath him in a dark, crimson stain—an unmistakable omen of death. His breathing was labored, broken by faint, shallow gasps. Half-lidded eyes stared into nothingness, while his face reflected unbearable pain.

  A faint murmur slipped from his lips, barely audible, as if he were speaking to his fading shadow.

  “Ahh…”

  He forced in another breath, then whispered weakly, the weight of the question crushing his soul.

  “Am I… going to die?”

  A deep sense of helplessness swallowed him whole. His own thoughts echoed mercilessly inside his mind.

  “I’m exhausted… no—completely drained.”

  Slowly, his heavy eyelids began to close, surrendering to the overwhelming fatigue gnawing at both body and spirit. A strange darkness crept over his world, as though he were sinking into a bottomless abyss.

  Then—

  Running footsteps shattered the deadly silence.

  Laura burst into view, sprinting with everything she had, as if the world itself were pushing her toward Veb. The moment she reached him, she dropped to her knees at his side, her eyes wide with shock and terror.

  She froze for a heartbeat, then whispered frantically,

  “No… no… hold on, Veb! I’ll save you!”

  Her trembling hand reached out, gently touching his back. She closed her eyes, gathering every last shred of strength within her. When she spoke again, her voice shook—caught between fear and resolve.

  “Healing Technique!”

  Yellow sparks flared from her hand, dancing through the air as if daring death itself to interfere. Warmth flowed from her into Veb’s broken body. Sweat formed on her brow as her hands trembled under the immense strain.

  The sparks slowly seeped into him, cautiously tracing the wounds that had torn him apart. The process was agonizingly slow, as though time itself had paused to witness the moment.

  As the energy spread, a faint aura enveloped Veb—like a fragile shield of light. Laura leaned forward, her body shaking under the weight of her power. Her breaths grew shallow, her face pale.

  She muttered weakly, relief barely threading her voice.

  “That… should be enough.”

  She withdrew her shaking hands. The yellow glow didn’t fade—it remained wrapped around him, steady and protective, proof that the healing was still working.

  With great effort, Laura rose to her feet, her eyes never leaving Veb’s body. There was no time to waste. She drew in a deep breath, bent down, and pulled him up. Despite her exhaustion, she managed to lift him, staggering forward under his weight.

  Every step was a battle against death.

  Still, she didn’t stop.

  Her eyes burned with determination, her heart screaming a single vow:

  “I won’t let you die.”

  As she moved on, slowly and unsteadily, she had no idea what awaited her ahead. But one thought blazed clearly in her mind—

  She would save Veb at any cost.

  Even if it meant sacrificing herself.

  ---

  The scene returned to Sbyam.

  He remained frozen in place—his body still, his soul sinking deep into the labyrinth of the past. His eyes were locked on the ground, while words and images churned endlessly in his mind, as if a ghost from another time refused to let him go.

  Suddenly, a sharp scream tore through his thoughts.

  Beth lunged toward him at terrifying speed, a deranged grin carved across his face, driven by pure, unrestrained madness. The air around him twisted violently, winds roaring as they reflected the immense energy he carried.

  At the last second, Moryo leapt in front of Sbyam. His eyes burned with resolve as he shouted, fury spilling from his voice.

  “This time, I’ll kill you—bastard!”

  Yet behind him, Sbyam didn’t move. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, as though the world around him no longer existed. A heavy silence swallowed the scene, as if time itself had stopped—while Sbyam drowned in memories long buried.

  ---

  A moment from the past.

  A young Sbyam looked up at his master, Surichi, desperation etched across his face.

  “Master… am I strong?”

  Surichi burst into harsh laughter.

  “Yes! Disgustingly so!”

  ---

  Another memory.

  Brylo and Sbyam stood on a tennis court. Brylo spoke with unwavering seriousness.

  “A sorcerer is born to protect humanity.”

  Sbyam answered with a mocking smile.

  “Are those your foolish beliefs?”

  ---

  Then a third moment.

  Inside a quiet, classic restaurant, Risa sat across from him. Her warm smile seemed to light up the room.

  “I know you want to protect me,” she said gently. “But I want to be with you—even if it costs me my life.”

  ---

  The present shattered those memories like a blade.

  Beth’s roar echoed across the field.

  “Come on, monster! Face me!”

  Moryo stood firm before him, glaring at Beth with seething rage. His voice dropped into a venomous hiss.

  “You’re nothing but trash.”

  Then—

  Sbyam stepped forward.

  His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he were detached from everything around him. He placed a hand on Moryo’s shoulder, gently pushing him aside.

  “I’ll handle this,” he said coldly.

  Moryo hesitated, tension and fear battling inside him, but he had no choice but to step back.

  Now Sbyam stood alone before Beth.

  His eyes were empty. Void of emotion.

  Beth scoffed.

  “So… there you are.”

  Beth raised his right hand. A black spark formed in his palm, and the surrounding energy convulsed violently. The wind howled, spiraling around him like a raging storm. The spark expanded, compressing into a dense sphere of power—seething with fury.

  Moryo shouted in panic,

  “I’ll stop it!”

  Sbyam’s response was low, calm, and absolute.

  “Stop.”

  Moryo hesitated. “But—”

  “I said… stop.”

  Moryo froze.

  The black projectile shot forward at terrifying speed, racing straight toward Sbyam and Moryo. Everyone braced for a catastrophic explosion—

  But something unimaginable happened.

  Sbyam raised his hand slowly. Confidently.

  The moment the black spark reached him, it stopped in midair—as if it had struck an invisible wall. The energy shattered violently, exploding into countless fragments that scattered through the air and scorched the ground beneath them.

  Beth recoiled in horror. His eyes widened in sheer terror.

  Even Moryo couldn’t believe what he had witnessed. He stared at his master, stunned beyond words.

  Sbyam advanced toward Beth. His steps were steady, his expression lifeless—like death itself walking forward.

  Beth stumbled backward, sweat pouring down his face, his voice trembling.

  “You arrogant fool!”

  Sbyam stopped in front of him and slowly raised a finger.

  A small black spark formed at its tip.

  It shot forward with deliberate calm, carrying an aura of pure annihilation.

  The moment it pierced Beth’s body, a freezing pain ripped through him—instantly turning into a raging inferno that tore him apart from the inside. The agony was beyond description, as if every atom of his existence was being shredded.

  Then—

  Beth’s body exploded.

  Blood sprayed everywhere.

  The ground was drowned in crimson—no corpse, no bones, nothing left behind. Only destruction.

  Moryo stood frozen, his body locked in shock.

  Sbyam remained standing, gazing calmly at the blood-soaked ground, as if none of it mattered to him at all.

  End of Chapter.