An absolute silence engulfed the scene, so profound that time itself seemed to have stopped moving.
There was no longer any trace of the life that had been pulsing through this place moments ago. Instead, a sorrowful painting of black and white had emerged, telling the story of a painful extinction.
Trees longed once more for the caress of the wind, while the grass had lost its joy and wrapped itself in a black mantle, as though mourning the ashes of the creatures that had once roamed its land.
High above, Commander Walter observed the scene with hidden sorrow and spoke in a calm voice filled with melancholy:
"It was never this easy... It's as if I still haven't had enough of hearing those screams. They've become an inseparable part of me, to the point that sleep has abandoned my eyes. But in the end... this is merely a small price to pay for loyalty."
Beside him floated the masked knight.
She said with a tone full of disgust:
"How sensitive you are! The shepherded masses are not worthy of pity. They exist only to fulfill the aspirations of their masters... Constina stands above all else."
Suddenly, another masked knight shouted sharply:
"Alexandra, do not overestimate yourself. Such arrogance will lead you to ruin. Speak respectfully to the Commander—you have already received your first warning."
Below them, the land had become a lifeless corpse.
The twin waterfalls had stopped flowing, and the bridge had lost the golden radiance that once distinguished it.
Roy slowly rose from his temporary ordeal and said in a calm, confident voice:
"So this is your true objective? You'll be cast aside the moment your usefulness ends... and you know that very well."
Leora rushed toward him in great concern.
"Roy! Are you alright? Leave them alone, you can't fight them."
The white creature trembled from the horror of the scene.
"Let's leave quickly! The current situation isn't in our favor."
A broad smile spread across Walter's face as he stood atop his crystal.
"Throughout my journey, I have witnessed nothing but surrender and acceptance of fate... but this is an unfamiliar experience for me. You don't seem like an ordinary person, boy."
Alexandra removed her hood, revealing slightly yellowish skin. Her glowing red hair blended with the blood-red moon behind her as she spoke coldly:
"Your name will be immortalized in history as someone who tried to show off... only to meet a tragic end. Isn't that right, William?"
William removed his mask as well, revealing glossy black hair and golden lines descending across his dark red face.
Then he said mockingly:
"History does not remember those who pretend to be brave... it abandons them in the depths of oblivion."
Roy stood firmly and tightened his fist.
Then he said calmly:
"Are you willing to bet on those words? Because that saying applies perfectly to arrogant people like you."
Leora grabbed his arm desperately.
"Roy, you're not their equal right now. Retreating doesn't necessarily mean submitting to them."
The white creature nodded in agreement.
"Leora is right! This will give us time to plan... the balance is currently in their favor."
But Roy seemed to be somewhere else entirely.
He could no longer hear anything except the screams of children and women slowly fading away before his eyes.
He slowly brought his hands together.
Then opened them simultaneously.
Suddenly, a sword engraved with bloody inscriptions written in a strange language materialized between his palms.
He drew it instantly and unleashed a swift shockwave that shook the ground, heading directly toward William, who floated atop his golden crystal.
Leora screamed:
"Roy! What are you doing, you idiot?!"
Walter shouted a warning:
"Watch out, William! That is no ordinary attack!"
The wave surged toward William at tremendous speed.
He raised his jewel-encrusted shield to block it and said confidently:
"Is that all you've got?"
But suddenly...
The wave changed its trajectory.
It headed directly toward the crystal carrying him.
William's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! It changed course?!"
In the next instant, his crystal shattered beneath the brilliant white sky.
He slowly fell before crashing violently into the ground, causing a powerful tremor.
Leora stared in astonishment.
"You actually hit him! You really brought him down... and this certainly won't go unpunished."
The white creature's emotions mixed between shock and fear.
"It's as if my words had no effect on you... They'll undoubtedly restore their authority."
In the very next moment, the tension in the air suddenly intensified.
Alexandra pulled a golden card from her deck, her eyes shining with murderous coldness.
"Instant Transfer."
Her body vanished in an instant.
Then suddenly...
She appeared directly in front of Leora.
Her sword had already reached Leora's chest a second before she fully materialized.
Leora screamed:
"Ah!"
But before the blade could touch her...
Roy suddenly appeared before her.
His blood-red sword collided with Alexandra's weapon, stopping the strike at the last possible moment before pushing her away.
Alexandra's eyes widened briefly.
But Roy gave her no chance to retreat.
He quickly raised his hand and unleashed a swift green wave that struck her directly, sending her flying backward with tremendous force.
Alexandra retreated through the air and landed once again atop her crystal, her gaze sharper than before.
Walter continued observing Roy calmly and with interest before saying:
"It seems you've maintained your skills as a knight, boy. That blood sword once served Contista in the past."
One of the masked knights responded sternly:
"We must take this seriously. Long ago, we suffered tremendous losses because of this very arrogance."
Alexandra frowned in anger before regaining her composure.
"It seems you've already decided your fate. Why didn't you simply wait for destiny to claim you without all this noise?"
She slowly pulled out a large deck of golden cards covered with strange symbols and illustrations.
She drew one depicting a vast fractured landscape.
Then she threw it toward the sky.
Immediately, the card began expanding at a terrifying rate until it completely covered the moonlight.
The three of them froze in place from the sheer horror of what they were witnessing.
Leora said:
"That's a card... isn't it? Why is it growing so large?"
Roy answered seriously:
"Be careful... something dangerous will happen in the next few minutes."
The white creature had nothing to say.
"..."
Alexandra spread her fingers.
At once, the card vanished.
Leora pointed toward the sky.
"Look! It disappeared... but the situation doesn't seem stable."
A faint smile formed on Alexandra's face.
Then the ground gradually began to shake.
The white creature screamed in panic:
"The ground is trembling beneath our feet!"
Leora began screaming uncontrollably while Roy struggled to maintain his balance.
Slowly, the rupture widened until it covered the entire region, while tongues of flame swirled around it as if preparing to devour everything.
And in the sky...
Walter said with complete calmness:
"The real show has finally begun..."