The Heavenly Demon mockingly chuckled at the armies of beastkin and dragonkin that had appeared with Riarc. “Hm. I didn’t see this coming.”

He wondered why they weren’t around, but never guessed that Riarc would bring reinforcements directly from the Demonic District. Even for him, this was completely unexpected. Rather, he didn’t need to consider it anyway.

“You’re going to try and stop me with dragonkin and beastkin? Do you really think that’s possible?”

The demonkin, who were disposable creatures he had created, once crushed the weak dragonkin and beastkin. Trying to block his path with them was like trying to stop a dump truck with a speed bump made of styrofoam.

Riarc growled. “You’re just as arrogant as that kid.” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He snorted derisively and began to transform, swelling and twisting until he turned into a werewolf. Explosive muscles rippled beneath his fur like living armor.

“Don’t underestimate the strength of warriors who’ve survived hundreds of years in the barren Demonic District. Grrrr.”

Riarc strode forward. When he passed beside Kwon Oh-Jin, he whispered, “We won’t last long. Get to the Sanctum quickly.”

“Riarc...”

He had just boasted in front of the Heavenly Demon. Not to underestimate their own might, but Riarc knew full well that fighting with only the beastkin and dragonkin was utter madness.

“But...”

If Kwon Oh-Jin fled now, an obvious fate awaited those warriors.

“Hmph. Why are you making that face? Since when did you start caring for others like that?” Riarc laughed. “Don’t get sentimental, and get lost.”

“Riarc...”

“Don’t look at me with those eyes. It pisses me off.”

“You stubborn bastard... To the very end—”

“I’m a wolf, not a bastard.” Riarc grinned and smacked Kwon Oh-Jin hard on the back. “Go, kid.”

Those were his last words before he roared, flashing into a streak of silver lightning toward the Heavenly Demon.

“Waaaaaahhh!”

“Forward, warriors! Show him how strong we beastkin are!”

“The Dragon God and the Maiden’s blessings will protect us, dragonkin!”

Their battle cries shook the heavens as the combined armies of beastkin and dragonkin charged at the Heavenly Demon.

A deafening roar thundered through the ruined city.

Boom!

“Mr. Oh-Jin.”

Kwon Oh-Jin could only remain silent.

Isabella grabbed his hand and pulled him away as he hesitated. “We have to go. No one but you can defeat the Heavenly Demon.”

I know.

Kwon Oh-Jin knew that he had to survive even if it meant sacrificing others. He knew that only the Heaven-Defying Star could change fate.

And yet, despite knowing that—

Kwon Oh-Jin bit his lip and turned away. “Damn it.”

“This way, Lord Oh-Jin!”

Cassia, Isabella, and Song Ha-Eun sprinted with him toward the Sanctum’s entrance.

The streets were clear with no demonic beasts in sight. The dragonkin and beastkin kept the Heavenly Demon occupied. It seemed they would make it without a problem until a wave of black clouds from a wrecked building nearby headed straight for Kwon Oh-Jin.

Rumble!

Isabella thrust out her hand. “Mr. Oh-Jin!”

Blood shot out from her palm and struck the black clouds head-on.

Whoosh.

The dark clouds dispersed like mist.

“This is...”

“The Black Heaven’s clouds.”

“I thought Mr. Riarc was holding the Heavenly Demon off?”

“He is, but the Heavenly Demon is spreading the Black Heaven’s clouds at the same time.”

Of course, the Heavenly Demon already realized that they were fleeing to the Sanctum. He covered their path with black clouds.

Damn it.

The Black Heaven’s clouds weren’t just after Kwon Oh-Jin’s group.

“Ahhh! W-What the hell is this?!”

“Help! Somebody help!”

The clouds even mercilessly swallowed the Awakeners who were still fighting the demonic beasts.

In the distance, Alina barked out orders. “Hold your formation! Don’t panic!”

Spotting Kwon Oh-Jin’s group fleeing, she ran toward them with her silver hair whipping in the air.

“Did you fail to kill Mobius?”

“No. We succeeded.”

“Then what in the world—”

“There’s no time to explain. Alina, lead your troops back to the Sanctum.”

“Ugh... Alright.”

The Black Heaven’s clouds spread across Rome like ink spilling into water.

“Retreat slowly while maintaining formation!”

At Alina’s command, the Awakeners began turning toward the Sanctum’s entrance.

Rummmmbbble!

“Aaaaahh!”

“How the hell are we supposed to stop this?!”

“I-It’s eating us alive!”

This couldn’t be compared to the clouds Mobius had released. A storm stretching thousands of meters swept across the battlefield like a tsunami, engulfing everyone.

“Ugh!”

Kwon Oh-Jin desperately tried to drive the clouds away with lightning, but he was too exhausted to even stay upright, let alone repel this storm of darkness.

“Haa, haa!”

The spear in his hands felt impossibly heavy, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

His legs dragged like they were mired in mud, and his torn mana circuits screamed in agony. His chest burned where his Stigma painfully pulsed as if a knife were digging straight into his heart.

I can’t any longer...

He couldn’t even take another step toward the Sanctum’s entrance. Each breath grew ragged as he swung his spear, slashing through the clouds that pressed closer.

Just then, Song Ha-Eun stepped closer. “Oh-Jin, hold still for a second.”

She stepped up beside him and tightly wrapped her arms around him. Suddenly, the savage, raging clouds stopped moving.

Her eyes gleamed as she nodded. “Just as I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“The clouds haven’t been coming near me from the start.”

The Black Heaven’s clouds avoided only her and showed no signs of danger or threat. The reason was obvious.

He would never harm her.

Even if their fates had diverged long ago, the Heavenly Demon and Kwon Oh-Jin’s story had begun at that same old orphanage rooftop. When she stepped onto that shabby secret base, his life truly began.

Even if she’s completely forgotten our first time meeting on the rooftop...

The Heavenly Demon never could.

Because you were me.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s grip around her tightened.

Even if the clouds spared Song Ha-Eun, that protection didn’t extend to anyone else. The screams of those being swallowed still echoed all around them. They had to get inside the Sanctum as quickly as possible.

“Oh-Jin, get on my back.”

“You want me to do what?”

“You got a better idea?”

“But...”

The thought of riding on the back of the very person he should be protecting made him hesitate.

“Quit being stubborn and get on.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

With time already running out, he couldn’t delay any longer by stubbornly holding on to his pride.

“Thanks.”

Song Ha-Eun chuckled and patted his thigh as she hoisted him up. “Hehe. Since when did you grow so big?”

“Ha-Eun.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll stop joking around. Hold on tight.”

With Kwon Oh-Jin on her back, Song Ha-Eun kicked off the ground toward the Sanctum’s entrance.

Cassia’s shadows tore through the black clouds blocking the way. “We’re almost there!”

Isabella’s blood scythe cleaved apart the debris from the collapsed buildings. “Unnie, hurry!”

“I’m coming!”

Finally, they reached the entrance. A shimmering blue rift glowed brilliantly amid the gray ashes and smoke of the ruined city.

They sprinted toward it with everything they had left. Just before Kwon Oh-Jin’s group could step inside—

Boom!

A surge of black clouds shot up and tightly wrapped around the Sanctum’s entrance as if trying to crush it. A deafening roar followed, and a terrifying shockwave shook everything nearby.

“Kyyyaaa!”

“W-What the hell?!”

When the tremor subsided, the Sanctum’s entrance had crumpled like a crushed piece of paper.

Isabella rushed to the entrance and thrust her hand inside. “N-No!”

Her arm passed through the warped rift, only to reemerge on the other side.

Her pale face turned toward the others in horror. “T-The Sanctum’s entrance... It’s broken.”

The only way out, their sole escape route, had disappeared.

“B-Broken? Then, what do we do now? This was the only entrance to the Sanctum in Rome!” Song Ha-Eun said.

“That’s...”

A cold silence fell over the group.

This was indeed the only entrance to the Sanctum in Rome. Of course, a few more existed across Italy. However, even the next closest one was over a hundred kilometers away.

In other words, they no longer had an escape route.

“Damn it...”

“W-What about escaping the city?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

Isabella shook her head, her face shadowed with despair. “It won’t work.”

The Black Heaven’s clouds had already spread not only around the Sanctum entrance, but across all of Rome. With their mana nearly depleted, they couldn’t break through that storm and leave the city.

“If I’m with you, maybe we can make it through?”

With Song Ha-Eun, who was safe from the black clouds, it could be possible to leave the city.

“Even if we escape the city, the Heavenly Demon will catch up to us.”

Unless they were in the Sanctum, the Heavenly Demon would keep chasing them.

“T-Then, what do we do now...?”

“Shit...”

Despair began to cast over Kwon Oh-Jin and Song Ha-Eun’s faces.

With dark and steady eyes, Cassia stared at the broken rift. “I... might have a way.”