Kieth gritted his teeth, glaring at Julius as he threw him off with a desperate kick, sending the man staggering away.
Julius straightened, his expression twisting with pure hate. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO FUCKING FIGHT!" he roared, his voice reverberating through the room.
Kieth didn't respond. He simply stood upright, his blood-soaked form trembling but unbroken. Determination burned in his eyes as he lunged forward, aiming for a clean slash at Julius's head.
Julius backed away, locking eyes with Kieth, his voice trembling with rage. "What is wrong with you? Don't you see? WE ARE DONE! HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SURVIVE? THE TRUTH IS, WE CAN'T! THE WORLD IS UNFAIR—UNFAIR TO ME, TO YOU, TO EVERYONE HERE!"
Kieth stood firm, his gaze unyielding. He understood Julius's pain better than anyone. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Even I know that… Even I feel it. On Earth, we were treated like outcasts—forced to follow society's norms, labeled as mistakes if we didn't conform. Of course I know how unfair it is. Just when I thought death was an escape, this world showed me something worse. Unfairness isn't limited to our home. Existence itself is cruel and unjust to everyone."
Julius's fists clenched, his eyes narrowing as he listened.
"But…" Kieth's voice grew stronger, his determination blazing. "Even through all the pain, I'll keep moving forward. I won't sit back just because the world is unfair. If it means Serel doesn't have to see this cruelty, I'll twist this world into a place she can accept."
Julius's anger erupted, his face contorting in fury. "THEN DIE TRYING THAT!" he roared, lunging at Kieth with ferocious speed.
Julius's spear slashed through the air, each strike faster than the last. Kieth parried every blow, his movements precise but strained.
The onslaught drove Kieth backward until Julius leapt onto the wall, using it as a springboard to launch himself like a meteor. He crashed down, his spear aimed with deadly force. Kieth barely raised his sword in time to block, the sheer impact shaking the ground.
Kieth was forced to dash away as Julius pressed the attack, the two locked in a relentless frenzy. Julius's spear sliced through the air, one strike grazing Kieth's chest. Blood spattered as Kieth staggered, spitting out blood.
Seeing debris scattering around him, Kieth's mind raced. Julius went for a piercing strike, his spear tearing through the ground as Kieth dodged at the last second. The weapon lodged into the floor, leaving Julius momentarily open.
Seizing the chance, Kieth spun and delivered a powerful kick to Julius's jaw. The force sent Julius stumbling, his jaw aching as he growled in pain and fury.
Julius wiped the blood from his mouth, glaring at Kieth with renewed rage. "You think this changes anything?"
Kieth didn't reply. His grip on his sword tightened, as he dashed forward clashing weapons.
---
The child stirred, its thoughts clouded by pain and confusion.
Where am I? Who... am I?
Its skin burned, its eyes remained sealed, and breathing felt like inhaling fire. It could hear screaming—agonizing and loud. It hurt its ears, the cold biting deep into its fragile form.
Why was I brought here if this world is nothing but pain? It hurts...
Desperation surged. I need to open my eyes. I will open them...
The child forced its sealed eyes open, only for blood to fill them instantly. Despite the blindness, it saw everything.
The vision wasn't physical; it was a revelation, a torrent of truths overwhelming its mind.
This world... humans kill each other. Am I a human? How can I be the same as these filthy creatures? They kill for petty reasons. How disgusting. How vile.
It trembled, not from fear, but from loathing.
They call upon a god after committing sins, seeking forgiveness to accept their own filth. They treat their kind unfairly, judging others while steeped in hypocrisy. Filthy creatures, filled by fleeting pleasures... How cruel, how painful, how disgusting. I wish to rip my skin off! But... I cannot. My skin is still forming.
The child's gaze shifted, despite its blood-filled eyes. A man stood before it—Veilern—moving faster than sight itself. His attacks rained down with strength capable of leveling cities, yet none struck true. The blood spilling from the child's body blocked every strike, shielding it.
The child's thoughts turned cold.
I am not even born, yet they see me as a threat. How pathetic. How disgusting.
Its gaze turned briefly to the woman at the edge of the battlefield—its mother. She was struck by shards of glass moving at lightspeed.
Is that... my mother? She brought me into this wretched world. Yet, I won't intervene. She is shallow-minded, seeking only power, her ambitions centered on the throne. How ugly. My father? Dead already? Pathetic. My parents are pathetic. To think I was born from such cowards... It sickens me.
Komain joined Veilern, her movements sharp and deadly.
"Don't go easy on it!" she shouted. "That child is the end of the world!"
Veilern didn't spare her a glance, his focus razor-sharp. "I know," he muttered. "It's blocking all my attacks. We'll need to finish this in one strike."
The pressure from Veilern's presence alone was suffocating, blanketing the kingdom in a crushing weight. His resolve burned as he gathered his strength.
"I'll end this," he declared.
The child's blood rippled, responding instinctively to the looming threat.
I'll die at this rate...
Its gaze flicked back to its mother, her battered form clinging desperately to life.
Still alive, even now. Still chasing after shallow ambitions... Clinging to life for a throne. How pathetic. But what's this...? Worlds different from this one...?
The child's thoughts were interrupted as Veilern moved. He tore the sky apart, his attack rending space itself in an instant. The fabric of existence buckled, his blow erasing everything within its reach.
---
Kieth stood over Julius, his breath ragged, his body trembling from exhaustion. The remnants of their brutal clash surrounded them—cracked ground, shattered debris, and the echoes of their battle fading into silence. Julius lay on the floor, his spear knocked far from his reach, his strength drained.
Kieth's sword was heavy in his hand, not just from fatigue but from the weight of what he was about to do. He walked toward Julius, his eyes cold, resolute. Each step felt heavier than the last, but his resolve was unwavering.
Just as the blade neared its mark, Kieth's wounds burst open. He let out a guttural grunt of pain as blood poured from him like a fountain. His body screamed for him to stop, but his mind was relentless.
KEEP MOVING. MAKE SURE SHE DIES. DON'T GIVE UP NOW. KEEP MOVING!
Julius sidestepped the attack, momentarily shocked by Kieth's resilience. Then, he grinned, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Ah, that's right. You must've used a Boilsphere… but you haven't replenished it recently, have you?"
Before Kieth could react, Julius delivered a brutal punch to his head, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood clouded Kieth's vision, and his body refused to obey. Julius, laughing, drove his spear into Kieth's side.
"Please stop…"
The small, trembling voice made Julius pause. He turned his head to see Serel standing nearby, hands clasped tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please don't hurt Papa…"
Julius chuckled darkly and began walking toward her. "Don't worry," he said mockingly. "It'll be quick."
But before he could take another step, Kieth's bloodied hand latched onto his leg.
Julius's smile twisted into a scowl. "Still fighting?" he growled, his anger flaring.
He stomped on Kieth's back with full force. The sickening sound of breaking bone filled the room, but Kieth didn't let go. Julius kicked him in the head repeatedly, blood splattering with each brutal impact.
"No… I won't," Kieth whispered, his voice barely audible through his pain. His eyes were shut tight, but his grip was unwavering.
Julius's fury peaked. He grabbed the spear embedded in Kieth's body and ripped it out, stabbing his arm with savage force. Kieth's grip finally faltered, and Julius shook him off with a grunt.
"Finally," Julius muttered, turning back to Serel. His expression softened into a mockery of a kind smile. "Don't worry, little one. I won't hurt your Papa."
Kieth's desperate, broken voice echoed from behind him. "Stop… please… don't…"
Hearing this, Julius's grin widened. He relished every moment of Kieth's suffering, the desperation in his voice like music to his ears.
Kieth summoned every ounce of strength left in his body and screamed, "SEREL, RUN! RUN, SEREL!"
But Serel froze, her small frame trembling in fear. She couldn't bring herself to move, paralyzed by terror.
Julius chuckled, picking up the sword as he advanced toward her. "This is it," Kieth thought, his heart sinking. But even now, he refused to accept it.
Through his haze of pain and blood loss, Kieth's eyes darted around the room. His gaze locked onto the chandelier hanging precariously at the far end of the chamber. It was damaged, barely holding on.
One hit… One hit will bring it down…
Ignoring his screaming body, Kieth wrenched the spear from his arm. His hand trembled as he aimed it at the chandelier. His vision blurred, and his arm felt like lead, but he steadied his grip.
If I miss… she'll die. I can't miss. I CAN'T FUCKING MISS!
With a final, guttural roar, Kieth hurled the spear with all his might. It tore through the air, steady and unyielding, before slamming into the chandelier's weakened chain.
The massive structure groaned and creaked before plummeting toward the ground. Julius turned at the sound, his expression shifting to confusion and then shock as he saw the chandelier falling directly above him.
"What is he—?" Julius's thoughts stopped as Kieth darted under the falling mass, his body a blur of determination and agony.
Standing beneath the chandelier, Kieth locked eyes with Julius and bellowed, "SWAP PLACES!"
In an instant, their bodies swapped places. Before Julius could utter a word, the chandelier came crashing down, its massive weight obliterating his head with a sickening crunch.
Kieth now stood in front of Serel, his body drained of every last drop of strength and life. His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, unable to move a single muscle.
Serel ran to him, her tears falling freely as she cried out, "Papa!" Her small hands shook as she reached for him, desperate to comfort him.
Kieth's heart ached at the sight of her tears. He wanted to wipe them away, but his body was broken, unresponsive. His breaths came shallow and uneven, each one a battle.
Through the haze of pain, he managed to look into her tear-filled eyes. Summoning the last remnants of his strength, he whispered, "Serel... go... go to the vortex."
She shook her head furiously, her sobs growing louder. "No! I don't want to leave you!"
He could barely hear her words now; everything was muffled, distant. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision. But his resolve remained firm.
"Serel…" he murmured, his trembling hand reaching to grasp hers. Despite the agony, he forced a faint smile. "It's all right... don't cry. If you stay here… I'll be angry. You don't want that, right?"
Her tiny voice broke between hiccups. "B-But... you're hurt…"
Kieth said weakly. "If you can reach the vortex… then I'll be all right. But… if you stay… it'll keep hurting me. So please... go."
She wiped her tears, still crying as she struggled to speak.
Her lips trembled, but she finally stood, still crying, and took a shaky step forward. Kieth watched her, his vision blurring.
"Don't look back..." he tried to say, but his voice barely escaped his lips.
Serel kept walking, her small figure growing distant. Kieth's chest heaved as his strength left him entirely.
I'm glad… I'm really, really glad, he thought. A tear rolled down his cheek, his final emotion etched into his face as his body went limp. The world around him faded to black.
---------------------------------------------------