At the center of that frozen ruin stood two monsters from different eras.
Toki moved first.
The instant his foot crushed the ground beneath him, the plaza detonated behind his body. Stone burst upward in chunks as he launched himself toward Rindal with terrifying speed, golden eyes burning beneath strands of blood-soaked hair.
Rindal immediately raised his guard.
His stance remained calm. Even now, he looked less like a warrior preparing for battle and more like a king receiving an honored guest.
But the moment Toki entered striking distance—
He suddenly dropped low.
Rindal's eyes narrowed slightly.
Toki's body twisted beneath the king's guard as one leg swept violently across the frozen ground.
CRACK.
The sweep connected directly with Rindal's ankle.
For the first time since awakening, the ancient king was caught completely off balance.
The world tilted upside down around him as his body rotated through the air.
A faint grin appeared across Toki's face.
Got you.
Rindal instinctively extended one hand toward the ground, fingers spreading apart to stabilize himself before impact—
—but Toki was already moving again.
His body spun violently.
Every muscle in his torso contracted at once as he rotated completely through the motion and drove a brutal back kick straight into Rindal's chest.
BOOOOOOM.
The impact erupted through the plaza like artillery fire.
Rindal's ribs caved inward slightly as his body was launched downward hard enough to crater the stone beneath him. The shockwave scattered snow, blood, and rubble across the battlefield while nearby captains instinctively shielded their faces from the force.
Yet even then—
Rindal reacted instantly.
His back slammed against the ruined pavement, but instead of collapsing fully, he planted both palms against the ground and pushed downward with monstrous force.
The stone beneath him exploded apart.
His body rebounded upright almost unnaturally fast, boots sliding backward through the snow before finally stabilizing.
Silence followed for half a second.
Then Rindal slowly wiped a thin line of blood from the corner of his mouth.
His golden eyes stared at Toki with growing amusement.
"…You're far more flexible than you pretend to be," he murmured softly.
A smile tugged faintly at the edge of his lips.
"To use attacks like that in a real battle… truly fearless."
Snow drifted quietly between them.
"For a moment," Rindal continued, "it almost felt like I was fighting beside my old companions again."
The words carried something dangerous inside them.
Nostalgia.
Behind the others, Smith's tired eyes narrowed sharply.
"…His style changed completely," the old captain muttered quietly.
Bernard glanced toward him without taking his eyes off the battlefield.
"What do you mean?"
Smith exhaled slowly through his nose.
"Those techniques Toki just used…" His gaze hardened slightly. "They disappeared from military training centuries ago."
Harold frowned.
"…Why?"
"Because they're reckless."
Smith folded his arms slowly beneath his torn coat while snow gathered across his shoulders.
"They're unpredictable and efficient, yes. But they leave your body wide open. Against an experienced opponent, one mistake means death."
His eyes remained locked onto Toki.
"And yet…"
A faint smile appeared across the old man's face.
"He's learning during the fight itself."
The realization settled heavily over the group.
Toki wasn't simply adapting.
He was evolving.
Every near-death moment pushed him further.
And somehow—that was exactly what made him terrifying.
Unfortunately…
their opponent was not human either.
Toki slowly rolled his shoulder while staring toward Rindal.
"Don't underestimate me," he said calmly.
A faint grin crossed his bloodied face.
"I'm not much younger than you."
The snowfall thickened around them.
"You can learn a lot about fighting after living that long."
For the first time since appearing—
Rindal's expression shifted.
A strange look entered his golden eyes as he stared directly at Toki's face.
"…I have the odd feeling," he murmured slowly, "that we've met somewhere before."
Toki smiled faintly.
"For a legendary hero...you're surprisingly nostalgic ."
Rindal laughed quietly.
The sound almost felt human.
"What a shame," he sighed.
His gaze softened briefly.
"I truly wished I could speak longer with someone from the same era."
Then—
he vanished.
The air exploded.
Rindal's body crossed the battlefield . One instant he stood several meters away beneath the snow.
The next—
his fist was already inches from Toki's skull.
Toki's instincts screamed.
He bent backward immediately.
The punch tore through the air centimeters above his face, the pressure alone slicing several strands of hair free while the force shattered broken stone behind him.
Rindal's eyes sharpened.
"Never use the same movement twice in a battle."
His arm suddenly contracted inward.
Toki's pupils shrank.
The elbow strike crashed downward like a falling executioner's axe.
CRAAAAASH.
The impact buried Toki's face directly into the ruined pavement.
The entire plaza shook violently.
Stone erupted upward as cracks spread outward beneath his skull while blood exploded across the snow in a crimson spray.
Utsuki covered her mouth instantly.
"TOKI—!"
Rindal stood over him calmly.
"Allow me to teach you something…"
His gaze lowered toward the motionless body beneath him.
"A lesson I myself learned only today."
Snowflakes melted against the blood staining Toki s hair.
"An enemy is never truly defeated…"
The ground beneath Toki trembled slightly.
"…until you see the corpse with your own eyes."
CRACK.
Rindal's eyes widened slightly.
Toki's hand had wrapped around his pelvis.
The grip tightened violently.
Bone began cracking apart beneath the pressure of his fingers.
Rindal's body shifted slightly from the force alone.
He surged upward with terrifying violence while still half-buried in rubble, lifting the king completely off the ground with one arm.
Blood streamed down Toki's ruined face while one golden eye glowed through the fractures in the stone.
"…Funny," he rasped.
His muscles swelled violently.
"You were giving advice…"
Then he slammed Rindal downward headfirst.
BOOOOOOM.
The king's skull disappeared into the pavement as the impact cratered the plaza beneath him.
Rubble exploded upward like shrapnel.
Even Bernard grimaced.
Rindal remained buried for half a second.
Then laughter echoed quietly from the crater.
"…You're remarkably durable."
His voice sounded muffled beneath the rubble.
"But when it comes to stubbornness…"
The ground exploded.
Rindal's legs wrapped violently around Toki's neck.
"…I am a true king."
Using the momentum, he propelled himself upward and smashed his forehead directly into Toki's nose.
CRACK.
Blood exploded across the snow.
Toki staggered backward while clutching his shattered nose, but before he could stabilize himself, Rindal twisted through the air and landed gracefully several meters away.
Toki spat blood onto the ground.
Fragments of teeth rolled across the frozen stone.
Rindal stared at him quietly.
"…You truly weren't lying."
His expression darkened slightly.
"This is not power someone acquires in a few decades."
Snow gathered slowly across his crimson hair.
"I am enjoying this battle greatly."
"But I dislike mutilating people unnecessarily."
The pressure surrounding him deepened.
"So…"
He stepped forward.
"…I'll end this quickly."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Thank you for allowing me to fight once more like in the old days."
BOOM.
The ground behind him exploded apart.
Rindal closed the distance instantly.
His fist slammed into Toki's face before anyone nearby could even process the movement.
CRAAAAASH.
Toki's head snapped violently to the side.
Several teeth flew from his mouth alongside a spray of blood as the impact sent his body staggering across the ruined ground. The force behind the punch rippled outward through the plaza, kicking up snow and loose rubble while nearby cracks spread across the broken stone beneath their feet.
Rindal didn't give him time to recover.
He stepped forward immediately, his movements calm and precise, and drove another punch straight into Toki's stomach.
The breath vanished from Toki's lungs.
His body folded slightly around the blow as a rough choking sound escaped his throat. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth onto the snow while pain twisted visibly across his face.
"A king is an example."
Rindal's hand shot forward and wrapped around Toki's throat, the fingers nearly closing completely around his neck before lifting him slightly off the ground.
Then the first knee came.
The impact slammed directly into Toki's abdomen hard enough to make his entire body fold inward around it. A violent tearing sensation exploded beneath his ribs as blood spilled from between his lips in thick streams.
Rindal did not stop moving.
"A king carries the hopes of his people on his back," he said calmly, driving another knee upward before Toki could even breathe properly again.
Toki's body jerked violently.
Fresh blood sprayed across the snow while something wet ruptured deep inside his stomach.
"And because of that…"
A muffled choking sound escaped Toki's throat. His vision flickered violently as numbness spread through the lower half of his body.
"…a king cannot allow himself to kneel."
Rindal's golden eyes burned beneath the snowfall with terrifying conviction.
There was no rage in his expression.
Rindal stepped forward smoothly, rotating his body while the sharpened edge of his hand sliced through the air with terrifying precision.
"There are moments," he murmured quietly, "when a ruler must stain his own hands for the sake of what he protects."
The knife hand disappeared completely into Toki's stomach.
For one horrible second, the world seemed to freeze.
Toki's eyes widened faintly.
Rindal's arm had pierced through flesh, muscle, and organs with horrifying ease before burying itself deep inside his abdomen up to the wrist.
A broken gasp escaped his throat as dark blood poured downward across Rindal's arm and the frozen ground beneath them. Torn flesh quivered around the embedded hand while steam rose from exposed organs meeting the winter air.
Rindal stared directly into Toki's eyes while his hand remained buried inside him.
"If a king hesitates," he said softly, "then everyone standing behind him dies first."
Toki fell to the ground, trembling from shock.
"This…"
he murmured quietly,
"…is my gift to you, my friend."
He lowered his hand slightly.
"Do not stand again."
Snowflakes landed softly across his shoulders.
"I offer you an honorable death."
His voice became gentler.
"Do not struggle like a dying dog."
Toki moved.
His fingers dug weakly into broken stone as he attempted to rise.
His body trembled violently.
Then collapsed again.
Utsuki's eyes widened as Toki collapsed into the snow.
"No…"
Her voice trembled weakly.
Tears blurred her vision while her hands shook helplessly against her chest.
"…Please get up…"
Blood poured continuously from the hole visible between his shattered ribs. Parts of his lungs could be seen spasming desperately inside his chest while his heart struggled to continue beating beneath torn flesh.
Rindal watched him quietly.
"…Your perseverance is admirable."
sadness entered his voice.
"But the battle is already lost."
Rindal slowly raised one foot.
Then—
The air between him and Toki split apart.
A sword slash carved through the battlefield so violently that even the snow drifting between them was torn away. The pressure forced Rindal to step backward instinctively as the cracked ground between him and Toki exploded open.
Bernard stood there breathing heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion while blood dripped from his injured arms. The hatred in his eyes unsettled everyone watching far more than the wounds covering his body.
"…Why?"
His voice cracked.
"Why does Toki always have to suffer alone?"
The grip around his sword tightened hard enough to make blood run from between his fingers.
"Why can't I ever do anything…?"
His breathing became sharper.
"And why the hell...can none of you just leave him alone?!"
Rindal's expression darkened immediately.
"I warned you not to interfere!"
Bernard ignored him completely.
His gaze shifted downward toward the sword lying near the rubble beside Ozvold.
Without hesitation, he grabbed it.
Ozvold's eyes widened slightly.
Bernard slowly raised both blades.
The moment Smith saw the stance, terror appeared across the captain's face.
"Bernard…!" he shouted.
His voice shook violently.
"Don't do this! It's too dangerous!"
Harold's expression paled instantly.
"You promised you'd never fight with two swords again!"
Lorelay stared in confusion.
"…What's happening with him?"
Beside her, Elizabeth's eyes remained fixed on Bernard's stance.
"…I don't know," she whispered quietly.
"I've never seen him fight like this before."
Rindal narrowed his eyes.
"Stop pretending to be a hero."
His voice carried clear irritation now.
"That boy is a monster."
Bernard's head slowly lifted.
"You don't have the right to talk about my friend like that!"
Then he vanished.
Even Rindal's eyes widened slightly.
Bernard crossed the distance so quickly that the snow beneath his feet exploded a heartbeat after he already arrived. Both swords flashed through the air toward Rindal's neck.
Rindal barely managed to lean backward in time.
The blades missed his throat by centimeters.
Several strands of crimson hair drifted into the snow.
Rindal immediately jumped backward and touched his neck instinctively.
Two thin cuts had appeared across his skin.
A small line of blood rolled downward.
Sweat formed lightly across his forehead.
"…What?"
His pupils narrowed faintly.
"What was that…?"
Bernard didn't answer.
He attacked again instantly.
Both blades moved with terrifying aggression, one aimed high while the other curved toward Rindal's ribs. Rindal caught one sword with his forearm at the last second but the second blade still carved across his cheek.
Blood sprayed lightly through the air.
Rindal retaliated immediately with a punch toward Bernard's ribs.
Bernard crossed both swords together in front of himself.
The impact still launched him backward several meters.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Slowly, Bernard dragged the two blades against each other.
SKRRRRK.
Jagged teeth formed across the edges of both swords from the friction.
Bernard raised his head again.
" I REFUSE!"
His voice exploded across the battlefield.
"I REFUSE TO STAND BACK ANYMORE!"
He pointed both broken blades toward Rindal.
"IF I CAN'T DEFEAT YOU…"
His body leaned forward.
"…THEN I'LL RIP YOU APART UNTIL YOU CAN'T MOVE ANYMORE!"
He rushed forward again.
Rindal's eyes widened.
"YOU'RE INSANE!"
He raised his forearm to block instinctively but Bernard never intended to cut deeply.
The jagged blades pierced only slightly into the flesh before ripping sideways.
Chunks of flesh tore free from Rindal's arm.
Then Bernard accelerated.
The swords began thrusting forward and backward so quickly they blurred together completely. From a distance, it looked less like two blades and more like dozens striking simultaneously from every angle.
Bernard's body screamed under the strain.
Tendons inside his arms began tearing apart one after another.
Blood ran continuously down both wrists.
Still he continued attacking.
Rindal avoided most strikes with precise movements, but even he recognized the danger now.
He could not lower his guard for even an instant.
One mistake and Bernard would gladly destroy both of them together.
Rindal finally lashed out with a brutal kick.
One of Bernard's swords flew from his hand and spun across the battlefield.
At the same time, Rindal drove a punch into Bernard's side hard enough to crack several ribs.
Blood burst from Bernard's mouth.
Yet instead of retreating he grabbed Rindal's knee and pulled himself closer.
Their bodies collided together violently.
Bernard's back slammed directly against Rindal's chest.
Rindal's eyes widened slightly.
"…What are you doing?"
Bernard grinned through the blood pouring from his mouth.
"Get ready."
His remaining sword slowly rose.
"This is going to hurt like hell."
Then he drove the blade backward through his own abdomen.
The sword pierced through Bernard completely and continued directly into Rindal's stomach behind him.
Both men coughed blood instantly.
Rindal's expression finally distorted in pain.
Bernard twisted the sword sideways.
The wound widened violently inside both their bodies.
Rindal gritted his teeth hard enough to crack them.
"…You truly deserve the title of First Division Captain…"
Blood spilled from his lips.
"…but you're far more injured than I am."
Bernard laughed weakly.
"I just needed…"
His grip tightened around the sword.
"…to buy him time to stand back up."
Then Bernard ripped the blade free and threw it aside.
Before Rindal could react, Bernard slipped behind him and locked both arms around his torso.
At the same moment—
Harold grabbed one arm.
Ozvold seized the other.
Smith locked himself around Rindal's legs .
Rindal struggled once.
The ground beneath them cracked.
"…What are you doing?"
Bernard rested his head weakly against Rindal's back.
Blood ran continuously from the hole through his stomach.
"We're making room…"
His tired eyes slowly lifted toward Toki.
"…for the strongest knight in the kingdom."
Toki slowly pushed one trembling hand against the broken ground.
His vision swayed violently.
The world around him no longer felt real.
Everything seemed distant, muffled, as though he were sinking somewhere deep beneath the battlefield.
Am I dying…?
His fingers twitched weakly against the stone.
His breathing caught for a moment.
No…
Not again.
Please…
not now…
We're so close…
His gaze slowly lowered toward his trembling hand.
A torn piece of fabric remained wrapped around his wrist.
Toki stared at the fabric silently while blood dripped from his chin onto the snow.
I can't stop now.
Not here.
Not after coming this far.
His fingers slowly closed into a fist.
Just one more strike.
Across from him, Rindal noticed the movement.
The ancient king's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You are too injured to throw a proper punch anymore."
His voice remained calm.
Almost regretful.
"Let go."
Snow drifted between them.
"Die with dignity."
Toki slowly rose to one knee.
Every movement looked painful.
His body trembled violently beneath the weight of his injuries, yet he still forced himself upward little by little until his fist finally lifted weakly toward Rindal.
Then he punched.
Rindal allowed the fist to hit him.
Something deep inside Rindal's chest trembled unexpectedly.
A memory surfaced like shattered fragments buried beneath centuries of bloodshed.
Rindal saw a tiny hand reaching toward him, too small to even wrap properly around his finger. Warm sunlight spilled across wooden floors somewhere far away while the faint sound of laughter echoed in the distance.
A child crying.
No face.
No voice.
Only a painful feeling buried deep inside his chest—
the regret of never being able to hold him again.
The memories slipped apart before he could fully grasp them, dissolving like dreams the moment someone awakens.
…I know this warmth.
Toki slowly pulled his arm backward.
Further.
Further.
The golden light inside his eyes deepened.
Wind began spiraling around his fist in slow circles, pulling snow and dust upward into the air around him.
High above the battlefield, the Dragon King suddenly stopped moving.
Its enormous eyes widened.
The entire capital seemed to grow silent.
Even the wind disappeared.
Something ancient had awakened.
A transparent figure slowly appeared behind Toki.
Rindal's pupils shrank violently.
The silhouette stood tall and calm beneath the snowfall.
"…That…"
Rindal's voice cracked slightly for the first time.
The spectral figure slowly pulled Toki's arm further backward.
"…that's…"
His breathing stopped.
"…me?"
The pressure exploding from Toki's body suddenly changed.
Veins burst beneath Toki's skin.
Muscles tore apart from the strain one after another.
His arm began breaking before the punch was even thrown.
Toki's voice trembled softly.
"Everything I've done until now…"
His fingers tightened.
"…everything…"
The ground beneath his feet shattered apart.
"…was because I wanted to protect the people I love."
The spectral figure behind him moved together with him.
Rindal stared silently.
Toki stepped forward.
Stone exploded beneath his foot.
Tears mixed together with blood across his face as he smiled weakly.
"So…"
His hips rotated.
The entire battlefield trembled.
"…this punch…"
The air screamed.
"…contains all of my love!"
Then he unleashed it.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The sound eclipsed everything.
The sonic blast erupted across the capital like the roar of a collapsing world. The shockwave alone threw everyone nearby off their feet while the clouds above split apart instantly.
Toki's arm shattered.
Bone tore through flesh.
Muscles ruptured apart instantly under the force.
Blood scattered into the air like crimson rain.
Yet the fist never stopped moving.
It continued forward.
Carrying every memory.
Every bond.
Rindal's eyes widened.
The punch connected.....
Rindal's torso collapsed inward violently as the force tore completely through him. The shockwave erupted from his back and carved a path across the ruined capital for hundreds of meters, splitting streets and frozen buildings apart in its wake.
Blood burst from his mouth.
His lungs failed instantly.
His spine cracked.
Yet even as his body broke apart—
Rindal could no longer see the battlefield.
He saw sunlight.
A tiny hand gripping his finger.
A woman laughing softly beside him.
The sound of his son crying for the first time.
Memories he had forgotten.
Tears of blood slowly rolled down his face.
The king stared at Toki through trembling eyes.
His lips trembled weakly.
His eyes widened like a man awakening from a long nightmare.
"…Nozomu…?"