Chapter 5. The Hidden Ending of the Original Story

Amidst the chaos of sharp blood splatters flying through the air and people fleeing for their lives.

“Find the Emperor!”

At Leon’s shout, the Hunt Knights charged forward fiercely.

The Imperial Army, encountering the powerful aura of the Hunt Knights and Hector’s overwhelming ability for the first time, scattered in panic.

“P-please spare…”

“Aaaaargh–!”

Screams and pleas for mercy filled the Imperial Palace.

The majesty of the Graham Imperial family, which had ruled the continent for 700 years by subjugating each kingdom through false oracles and alliances with temples, was nowhere to be found.

The statue symbolizing the heart of God and the sun was shattered beyond recognition, and the white marble, once a symbol of purity, was splattered with blood of unknown origin.

The flames of vengeance that engulfed the Graham Imperial family were too horrific to witness, and cruel enough to induce nausea.

Amidst all this, a black cloak casually strode through the corpses of the Imperial Army, as if mocking it all.

Thus, Hector conquered the Sun Palace with unstoppable force.

But it wasn’t Kaisis sitting on the throne, but someone else.

“Not even close.”

Hector scraped the inside of his cheek as he saw Cedric waiting for him on the imperial throne, the holy relic of the Graham Imperial family, with Liliana collapsed in his arms.

“The throne was made by Espenon, not by God.”

Espenon was a human granted with divine power.

In other words, his power was similar to an ability.

Therefore, it couldn’t stop Hector.

Of course, Cedric didn’t seem to know this fact.

Hector clicked his tongue briefly and raised his fingertips, causing a black darkness to swirl into the Sun Palace.

In response, Cedric’s defensive magic circle unfolded.

“Stop this meaningless fight, Hector. The Miracle has already chosen me.”

“Chosen?!”

“Lia would never choose a beast like you who has lost his mind, consumed by the price of your ability.”

Ha–

Unable to hold back his laughter, Hector let out a sneer.

Then, between his faintly opened eyelids, Hector’s gaze met with the purple eyes resembling the goddess Areis, and he fell silent.

‘It seems the poison has already seeped into her body.’

As if confirming Hector’s suspicion, Liliana’s lips had turned blue.

Liliana had suffered internal injuries from a magic attack after removing Hector’s mana stone.

If only Cedric hadn’t used his magic power to heal her…

‘No, it doesn’t matter since I was going to kill her anyway.’

Hector shook off his thoughts and shifted his gaze from Liliana.

“Yes, I am a beast.”

Crunch–

Hector’s head twisted with a vicious sound.

“But aren’t you the same, now that you’ve lost your mind?”

Rumble–

Dark red clouds gathered in the sky above the Imperial Palace, and the earth began to crack.

“Consumed by your desires.”

“!”

As though he suddenly realized something, Cedric’s pupils, filled with shock, stared at Liliana.

Hector coldly turned away from the shocked Cedric and the dying Liliana.

At that moment.

Bang–!

With a tremendous roar, stars, darkness, and light intertwined, swallowing up the Sun Palace.

Cedric’s scream could be heard, but Hector’s steps didn’t falter as he walked away.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Sun Palace.

“Where is the Emperor?”

Leon’s sharp sword tip pointed at Miller’s chin, who had been hiding.

“In, in the Imperial Garden…”

Miller answered, trembling violently.

“Kill him.”

Having gotten the answer he needed, Leon turned away without hesitation.

Miller grabbed the leg of Leon’s trousers and begged.

“P-please spare me. Please, just my life…”

Leon, covered in blood, looked down at him impassively.

The Emperor’s puppet.

Like traces of a hasty escape, Miller had only one shoe on his foot.

His appearance, smeared with tears and sweat, was utterly pitiful, and the sight of him crawling on the floor begging for his life seemed incredibly ugly.

“A dog that betrays its master…”

Leon shook off Miller’s hand.

“Doesn’t even deserve to beg.”

Following this, long shadows descended upon Miller.

* * *

In the distant beginning of time.

Unable to exist everywhere by Himself, God divided His power among humans before the Guardian Tree, helping Graham to maintain order and peace in the world.

This was the legend known to people.

However, the truth was slightly different.

It wasn’t just Graham who received the power of light from God, but also Hunt who received the power of darkness, Edwards who received the power of earth, and Wilkins who received the power of wind. There were also Biltern who received the power of water, Lüken who received the power of fire, and Espenon who was called God’s messenger.

They received God’s will to protect humans from demonic beasts and guard the continent.

But as time passed, the desire for greater power grew, and the original intention faded.

Angered by humans who misused their powers, God inflicted pain like death on those who couldn’t use their abilities, and took away the power from the messenger who didn’t listen to His voice.

Yet human greed couldn’t be stopped.

In the end, they went against God’s will, pointing swords at each other, leading to Graham absorbing Biltern’s power and Hunt absorbing Lüken’s.

“Kaisis Graham.”

Hector looked down at Kaisis, who was leaning against the Guardian Tree, breathing heavily.

Kaisis had already consumed considerable magic power when dealing with Cedric, who tried to take Liliana away, and Richard’s army that arrived first.

“Now you call my name.”

Kaisis wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand and gave a bitter smile.

“You know what? We first met in front of this Guardian Tree.”

“……”

“This feels like proper revenge. The beginning and the end… should be in front of this Guardian Tree.”

It was unclear whether he was referring to the beginning of time or to Hector and himself.

Kaisis finished speaking and raised his palm.

Brilliant golden light poured down, embroidering the sky.

Hector too was enveloped in pitch-black darkness.

The earth shook from the powerful magical collision, and a deafening sound of air being torn apart echoed through the heavens.

How long did this tense confrontation continue?

“Chess…”

Suddenly, Kaisis wore a sorrowful smile.

“Let’s play one game.”

Before Hector could finish his thought of disbelief,

The darkness that hadn’t been fully withdrawn swallowed the light and spread out.

“No!!”

* * *

Kaisis, who had turned to ashes along with the Guardian Tree, left no trace behind.

“Ha…”

Why hadn’t he realized it sooner?

That what Kaisis wanted was the same death as his own.

Kaisis was excellent at handling others, and if there was something he wanted, he would do anything to get it.

And he knew Hector better than anyone else.

“Was this your intention from the start?”

Left alone, Hector looked up at the sky.

The once blue sky had turned red.

The sounds of chaos surrounding the Imperial Palace reached him like white noise from afar.

What had he been living for?

For what, exactly?

An indescribable emptiness washed over his cold heart.

“Chess.”

Hector muttered softly, as if spitting out the word.

“…Shouldn’t you have asked if I knew how to play first?”

A bitter smile lingered on his lips.

Finally, his pent-up sorrow burst forth.

“If it was going to be like this, You shouldn’t have let me be born.”

God hadn’t abandoned him.

It would be incorrect to say She abandoned what She never had in the first place.

Because he was never embraced from the beginning, he didn’t think he was abandoned, and tried not to blame Her.

Since he was destined to turn to dust and disappear anyway, he tried not to hold anything in his heart.

But a strand of unresolved resentment remained, making his heart ache.

“Now that all have perished, are you satisfied?”

Hector closed his eyes tightly while looking up at the sky, feeling his breath become lighter.

A wry smile escaped him as he realized the last scent that entered his nostrils was the smell of blood, which made him unbearably sad.

In truth, he had wanted to live.

This truth, which he had swallowed without ever uttering, scattered in the wind.

{My child…}

At that moment, a beautiful voice embraced Hector.

Then, with a flash of light, Hector fell into a long tunnel of darkness.