– Matias’ POV –

  She doesn't have a choice but to face me.

  Not with that slave collar.

  Not with those monsters behind me.

  Not with the three masked nightmares standing behind her.

  Her body trembles, but she steps forward.

  I checked her status and it’s still the same as eight years ago.

  The same as when she betrayed me.

  Looks like she abandoned adventuring the moment she left me.

  Pathetic.

  I should be able to end this fight quickly.

  But—

  “Oh, right,” Anxi hums. “I’m worried this will be too one-sided, so…”

  She stretches out her hand at Sofia’s back.

  Sofia’s entire body glows.

  And suddenly, her status doubles.

  It surpasses mine.

  “What…?”

  I glare at Anxi, but she flinches, pressing her fingers together. “H-Hey, don’t look at me like that! I just made it fair!”

  Fair?

  Bullshit.

  But it doesn’t matter.

  I was planning to kill Sofia either way.

  I glanced at the surroundings that soon will be my battlefield.

  This is inside the cave, a path fitting only five people standing side by side. It’s not wide enough to move freely.

  Behind me is a spacious area filled with monsters, while behind her are three formidable individuals.

  I can't escape anywhere.

  However, she doesn’t have a weapon. No, she’s wearing literally nothing.

  But she’s a mage.

  This battle might be over quickly if I could close our distance.

  But if I'm not careful, I might be the one who dies from her magic.

  “Matias! You will save me, right?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Please die for me!”

  I let out a cold chuckle.

  “What a selfish woman. I’m glad you’re still the same.”

  She flinches, her hands twitching as she raises them toward me.

  “W-Wait! No! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for cheating on you! So please! Please die for me! I don’t want to die!”

  She never changes.

  Even when her life is on the line, she still thinks only of herself.

  Why does she think she can escape from this place?

  She wears a slave collar. Does she really believe they will release her?

  I’m the one who has a higher chance to escape.

  But I'm sure they won’t let me escape either.

  So—

  It would be better to fulfill a wish that couldn’t be fulfilled for eight years.

  I never thought my revenge would be a battle of life and death like this.

  But looking at her selfish demand like that—I’m glad.

  She’s still the woman who betrayed me.

  She made the first move as I tightened my grip on my greatsword.

  "Go die!"

  Flames twisted in her palm, swirling into a massive fireball. No—more than a fireball. A burning inferno, twisting, writhing, as if alive. A blazing mass, larger and more volatile than anything I’d ever seen her conjure. The heat distorted the air, making the cavern tremble under its sheer presence.

  The battle had begun.

  I reacted swiftly, employing Blazing Steps. A burst of fire erupted beneath my feet, launching me sideways.

  *BOOM!*

  The searing projectile crashed into the ground where I had been standing, sending shockwaves through the cavern. Jagged rocks shattered from the force, spraying embers and dust into the air.

  I didn’t waste a second. My foot slammed down, propelling me toward her with relentless speed.

  She’s a mage—she can’t handle close combat.

  My blade carved through the heated air, its edge seeking flesh. If she misstepped—this would end now.

  But she was faster than before. Too fast.

  She mirrored my footwork, stepping aside with uncanny grace, evading the lethal arc. My blade cut through empty air, slicing through the heat but finding no flesh.

  Before I could recover, another fireball materialized in her palm—this one smaller, more concentrated. A precision strike.

  She hurled it at my landing point, forcing me to twist mid-air. I barely managed to roll backward as the explosion tore through the cavern.

  *BOOM!*

  The blast sent a shower of molten rock scattering across the battlefield. I raised my blade instinctively, using it as a shield. The intense heat licked at my skin, the scent of burnt fabric filling the air.

  She’s faster than before.

  No, not just faster—her magics are stronger, sharper, more refined.

  As I landed, I barely had time to lift my gaze before a flaming blade hurtled toward my face.

  I ducked, feeling the scorching blade of the construct slicing past my cheek.

  Damn it.

  She wasn’t just relying on fireballs anymore.

  She was adapting, molding her flames into weapons.

  *BOOM!*

  Another explosion roared behind me. She wasn’t just trying to hit me—she was controlling the battlefield, manipulating every step I took.

  She’s trying to keep me at a distance.

  I wouldn’t let her do as she pleases.

  I channeled fire aura into my greatsword and swung forward. A wave of blazing energy roared toward her, carving through the air like a wildfire given form.

  She responded instantly, raising a hand, twisting her fingers in a complex motion. A shield.

  *BOOM!*

  The firewave crashed against her fire shield, dispersing into embers. But before she could counter, I leaped forward, blade poised to strike.

  This time, she didn’t evade.

  She lunged at me.

  Our movements mirrored one another. A game of prediction, of reading the faintest shifts in muscle and intent.

  I swung. She twisted. My blade carved through the air where she had been a fraction of a second ago.

  She lashed out—a spear of fire streaking toward me. I twisted, heat licking my skin, barely escaping incineration.

  Then she was gone.

  No—above.

  I barely had time to raise my sword before she crashed down from above, her hands engulfed in blazing energy. A direct clash.

  Our attacks met.

  *BOOM!*

  The shockwave sent us both skidding backward. I dug my boots into the rocky ground, grinding to a halt, my chest heaving. Sweat dripped from my brow, not just from exertion—but from the unbearable heat radiating from her.

  She was panting too, but her eyes remained fierce, unwavering.

  She raised both hands. Flames swirled around her like a living storm, coalescing into countless fire lances.

  I gritted my teeth. Shit.

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  The lances fired all at once.

  I had no time to think—only to react.

  I spun my greatsword in a defensive arc, deflecting what I could. The impact of each collision sent violent tremors through my arms.

  One got past. Then another. A searing pain erupted in my side as a lance grazed my ribs, the scent of burnt flesh filling the air.

  I growled, enduring the pain. I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

  “HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

  With a battle cry, I lunged through the storm.

  I tore through the fire, feeling the heat claw at my skin, but I didn’t stop.

  She was ready.

  She met me mid-charge, flames coalescing in her hands once more. Another fireball. But this time, she didn't throw it—she pressed it against my abdomen.

  The searing pain was instant, but I didn’t let go of my momentum.

  Her movement was like she wanted to dodge my blade, but I was faster.

  At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

  Her lips parted. Her eyes widened, flickering with something unreadable.

  Regret? Sorrow? Or was it too late for either?

  Because my blade found her chest.

  A heartbeat later, it sank deep—piercing her heart.

  At the same time—Her fireball detonated.

  Fire and agony consumed me. Armor melted, flesh seared, tearing through my abdomen before the wall behind me turning to ash.

  *BOOM!*

  My greatsword was still buried in her chest. Her fingers still pressed against my burned, broken body.

  Neither of us could move.

  *Cough!*

  I stagger, coughing, blood staining my lips.

  She does the same.

  Our bodies slumped against one another, her breath ragged, mine barely there. Blood pooled beneath us, mixing with the embers still flickering in the air.

  I looked at her. Her eyes—once fierce—were soft now, distant.

  She tried to speak, but only a whisper escaped.

  “I… am… sorry.”

  I finally could feel it.

  A genuine apology from her.

  But it was too late.

  We had fought to kill.

  We had died together.

  Her fingers weakly grasped my burned tunic. My trembling hand covered hers.

  Then, as the cavern grew silent, as the embers dimmed—her eyes finally closed.

  Lying there, my body broken, my breath shallow, I felt the heat of her fading away against me.

  The battle had ended, our fates sealed, yet my mind refused to let go.

  Memories surged through the haze of pain, unbidden yet relentless—memories of the life we once shared, before blades and fire became our language.

  We had fought together once, side by side, not as enemies but as comrades.

  I could still hear the laughter echoing in taverns after hard-won victories, the clinking of mugs as we toasted to another day of survival. She always drank too fast, always challenging me to keep up, though she barely held her liquor. "You're supposed to be the strong one, remember?" she would tease, smirking as she nursed a headache the next morning.

  I remembered the first time we had fought back to back, blades and fire weaving a deadly dance. Monsters had ambushed them in the forest. She had stood her ground beside me, hurling firebolts with unwavering precision as I deflected the monster’s strikes. "I’ll cover you—just don’t die on me!" She had shouted, sweat glistening on her brow.

  That was the first time I truly realized how much I trusted her, how much I depended on the warmth of her presence—not just in battle, but in the quiet moments in between.

  There were nights by the campfire and it was just the two of us beneath the stars. She would poke at the embers with a stick, lost in thought, and I would sit beside her in silence. "Do you ever wonder what we'll do after all this?" she had asked once, her voice unusually soft. I had no answer back then, just a vague idea of endless battles, more quests, more coin—but she had wanted more. A future beyond the fight.

  But things changed. Our paths diverged. The laughter became strained, the fire in her eyes no longer warm but cold, burning with something else—a conviction that led her away from me, down a road I couldn't follow. I had chased after her anyway, not with outstretched hands but with a sword drawn, as if cutting her down could sever the past we once shared.

  And now, as our bodies lay entwined in death, I wished—just once—that we could have spoken before the end.

  Not as enemies, not as warriors locked in mortal struggle.

  But as the people we had been before the world turned us against each other.

  Unfortunately…

  I never knew why she betrayed me.

  Above us, the three masked figures watch in silence.

  "Oh wow! What an unexpected outcome!” Joy’s voice is cheerful, playful, and cruel. "Too bad! That’s a draw! No one wins! So no one can escape this place!”

  Their laughter fades into static in my ears.

  My eyes half-closed and vision blurred.

  My body is numb.

  But my heart…

  My heart feels light.

  The revenge is done.

  Eight years of anger.

  Eight years of hate.

  Gone.

  Her life was extinguished by my hands.

  And I…

  I finally let go.

  <”Ah... Hazel, Esta…”>

  <“I won’t see your faces again.>”

  <”I hope both of you will be free from your dark past.”>

  <“I failed you… Not as a master—but as a man.”>

  <“I’m sorry I couldn’t make you happy.”>

  <“I wish you could find the happiness you desire without me on your side.”>

  …

  <”Who was him again…?”>

  <“Ah, right. Freed…”>

  <“Please… extend your kindness to them.”>

  <“Help them.”>

  <“Rescue them from the depths of their traumas.”>

  <“Let them know the world is not as cruel as they think.”>

  <“Please… teach them the meaning of true love.”>

  <“They are strong, so you don’t have to protect them. But… if they were in danger, please, protect and save them.”>

  <”Esta… Please stand by Hazel, forge bonds of friendship with her, live happily together with her.”>

  <“It’s my sole wish for you since the first time I met you.”>

  As these words resonated in my mind, I closed my eyes.

  I feel myself falling.

  They threw me into the abyss below.

  Ah, that’s right…

  Beneath me, thousands of monsters await.

  Perhaps this is the karmic retribution for bringing them to the brink of death in almost every battle against monsters.

  A fitting end for me.

  The same way I threw Hazel and Esta into battle.

  <“Hazel… Esta… please… be happy… without me.”>

  These parting sentiments echoed through my consciousness.

  And a sincere, serene smile that had been lost a long time ago finally adorned my face once again as my body succumbed to the relentless onslaught of the monsters.

  <”Hazel…”>

  <“If I could have lived longer… would I have deserved to say this…?”>

  <“Hazel… I… love… you…”>

  The pain faded.

  The weight of my body, the heat of my burning wounds, the sickening crunch of teeth sinking into my flesh—all of it vanished.

  There was no sound. No light.

  Only a strange sense of peace.

  My mind drifted, unshackled by pain, by regret, by hatred. For the first time in years, I felt free.

  And then—

  A sound.

  A distant clank, echoing from somewhere far beyond the abyss that swallowed me.

  The final link of my existence breaking.

  – Freed’s POV –

  “You did it, Freed!”

  “Amazing, nya!”

  “Haa… Haa.. Haa..” I gasped for breath.

  Finally,

  I finally succeeded.

  I could absorb mana and release it with my entire body.

  Soon, the acquisition of a water element loomed on the horizon.

  Yesterday, I successfully enveloped my body in an aura.

  If I could seamlessly integrate both processes, a wind element would be within reach.

  But then—

  *Clank* *Clank*

  “Huh…?”

  A sound like broken chains hitting the ground echoed through the training hall.

  Everyone froze, halted their exercises.

  We turned to the source.

  Sis Esta’s and Sis Hazel’s slave collars had fallen off.

  And to add another surprise–

  【Master, you have just acquired the Light element.】

  <”... Huh?”>

  Aza’s voice echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t process her words.

  I can’t focus on 2 significant events that happened simultaneously. But I decided to focus on their case first.

  I turned back to Sis Esta and Sis Hazel.

  “Sis… those collars… does that mean…?”

  “He’s dead.” Sis Esta spoke calmly.

  “Does that mean… you two are free now?”

  She nodded.

  The children cheered.

  “Wow.. Congratulations, sis!”

  ““Congratulations, sis!””

  “Congrats, sis!”

  Their jubilation struck an odd chord considering the somber undertone of someone's demise.

  But perhaps it’s the norm of this world.

  Sis Esta wore a smile too, yet…

  Only one had a different expression.

  “Sis Hazel..?”

  I observed tears streaming down her face.

  She is crying.

  Other kids noticed it too and asked,

  “Sis Hazel? Why are you crying?”

  “You should be happy that you are finally free!”

  “Hazel? Why do you look so sad?” Sis Esta expressed surprise at her sorrowful demeanor.

  Sis Hazel trembled.

  “I-I don’t know, nya… Hicc… I feel… heavy, nya… Hicc… Like something is missing, nya…”

  Her voice cracked.

  “Hicc… That master was trash, nya… Hicc… He always had such complicated expressions, nya… Hicc… But he always forced me, nya… Hicc… So I hate him, nya…”

  She gripped her chest.

  Her sobs grew louder.

  “Hicc… S-So why, nya…? Hicc… Why am I crying, nya…? Hicc… Hwaaaaaaa… Hwaaaa…!”

  Her words intermingled with sobs before she burst into loud crying.

  She broke down.

  Collapsed to the ground.

  Crying like a child.

  A lament, as if mourning someone she really cares about, even though she should despise him.

  Sis Esta knelt beside her, wrapping her in a warm embrace, patting her head softly.

  But it did nothing to stop the cries.

  She cried—for the man she had hated.

  The man she thought she hated.

  The man who had forced her into battle.

  The man who had hurt her.

  The man who had saved her from a worse fate.

  The man who was dead.

  “Hwaaaaa….!!! Hwaaaaaa….!!!”

  And this time—

  No one could stop her tears.