"I can't die here!"
Mirabella slowly pushed herself upright, using the hilt of her glowing sword for support. Her gaze was locked on the sea of mutated monsters—zombies, goblins, and grotesque chimeras—that stood twenty meters away. Their eyes burned with a relentless killing intent, yet they held their position, waiting.
She risked a glance over her shoulder. Her four former teammates—the 'cowards'—were gone, their figures disappearing into the smog-choked horizon without a single backward look. Their betrayal, driven by self-preservation and the demon's insidious poison, was a fresh, sickening wound.
Beside her stood her final companion, Bella—the beautiful young mage with long pink hair. Bella grasped her gnarled wooden staff, her hands trembling not from fear of the monsters, but from a growing physical weakness.
"You don't have to do this, Bella," Mirabella whispered, staring at the motionless horde. "They drugged me. They used me as bait. Get out of here. Do you want to die with me?"
Bella gave a small, sad, fiercely determined smile. "Those bastards. They didn't just drug you; they poisoned the team's trust. And if there is a second life, I will hunt them across every plane of existence." Her voice hardened. "But I won't leave you. You're the heart of this squad. You're one of the reasons we survived this long."
"I would rather die beside you, Mirabella." Bella repeated, her voice surprisingly steady, "than follow those who threw away everything we built."
Mirabella stared at the mage, her chest tight. There was no time for words, only for resolution.
"Humans..."
A chilling, resonant voice cut through the tense silence. The horde parted like a black curtain.
Mirabella's eyes widened in renewed horror as a figure stepped forward: a tall, muscular man with fiery red eyes and hair that seemed to bleed light. A palpable, dense aura of demonic energy, powerful enough to wither the grass around him, emanated from his body.
"A world Boss?" Elara muttered, clutching her staff tighter, her confusion evident.
The man scoffed, fixing his red gaze on the two exhausted women in their battered, torn armor. "World Boss? I am the King of these... 'monsters.' My awakening has been long-delayed. I have slumbered for millennia, and now, finally, I am free."
He tilted his head, his eyes mocking the distant, fleeing figures. "Do you know why I didn't chase those four pathetic runners?"
The women remained silent, every muscle coiled.
"Because no matter where they run, my scent will find them," he continued, a cold amusement in his voice. "They are running directly toward your human stronghold, the so-called Bastion of Light. And by order of my true master, Lady Lamashtu, it will be destroyed."
"Lamashtu!" Mirabella screamed, the name sparking visceral rage. "You mean that bitch who brought this whole damn system—Galaxy Fall—to my world?!"
The Demon King's smirk widened, revealing sharp canines. "Galaxy Fall was not created by my master. Lady Lamashtu merely unleashed her legions onto your world for entertainment, a spectacle. Another entity, one far older, created Galaxy Fall." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper designed to break their spirits.
"You two were betrayed by your teammates. So, I shall reveal one last truth before I end you."
Mirabella felt a cold dread settle in her stomach.
"The two... the creators—my master and the other—are simply bored. And they found your little world entertaining. But like any good story, it must have an ending. A happy ending... or a very, very sad one. Yours will be the latter."
Mirabella lowered her gaze to her sword, her face filled with agonizing disbelief and simmering fury. "All this time... we thought Galaxy Fall was a second chance, an evolution! We had no idea it was all just a plot for some cosmic entertainment!"
"He must be lying, Mirabella." Bella stammered, shaking her head. "We can never trust the words of a demon!"
"The truth is always painful, little mage. You should already know that." The King's eyes slid over their bodies, lingering on their figures and curves. "It's a shame such beauties must end up dead."
"Hahahaha!!"
Mirabella suddenly erupted into maniacal laughter. The sound was wild, hollow, and utterly terrifying, stunning Bella and even giving the Demon King pause. The monsters behind him were dumbfounded.
"What is so funny?" he asked, a frown replacing his smirk.
"You know," she gasped out, fighting the urge to cry. "I entered Galaxy Fall, I fought countless life-threatening battles, and I hauled myself up to my current stage—a Level 60 Awakened Player! And now... I discover all that was useless! Why would I put myself through all that hardship, sacrifice everything, just to end up dead?! WHY?!" Her scream tore across the landscape.
"Your emotions and your petty words mean nothing to the universe," he replied, entirely unmoved. "All I know is that you will die today, and your stronghold will fall tomorrow."
Mirabella planted her feet, the laughter extinguished, leaving only a cold resolve. "You are a Level 80 Demon King. Even though I am just a Level 60 Awakened Player—a Knight—I won't go down that easily!"
"Same here!" Bella tightened her grip on her staff, her magic blazing in her eyes.
"I might only be Level 55, but I can still take most of your cannon fodder down!" As an Elemental Mage, she was ready to unleash the storm.
"I will like to see that."
The Demon King raised his hand, and with a downward gesture, the thousands of zombies and monsters shrieked and lunged forward, charging toward the two lone players.
Mirabella gripped her sword hilt. A brilliant, sapphire-blue energy—the signature output of an Awakened Knight—flowed from her hand, engulfing her blade.
"I will show you the strength of a Knight of the Sword empire!"
She roared and sprinted forward. With a single, explosive swing of her sword, a wave of pure force slammed into the front ranks, sending dozens of charging monsters flying, their broken bodies scattering. Without hesitation, she plunged into the monster lines, slashing and swinging with manic, calculated fury. She attacked, parried, and dodged like a woman who had already lost everything and feared nothing.
Behind her, Bella raised her staff. A furious blizzard materialized, creating a storm of ice that rained sharp icicles down on the ranks of monsters, instantly freezing any creature it pierced, turning them into grotesque ice sculptures.
'Impressive.' The Demon King observed, a grudging respect in his mind. 'If the knight hadn't been poisoned, she might have stood a chance. An Awakened Player fighting more than twenty Level 50 monsters simultaneously and still carving a path... truly impressive.'
His gaze sharpened on Bella.
"But she must go."
Without any indication of movement, the Level 80 Demon King vanished.
"Bella!! Watch out!!!" Mirabella screamed, trapped in the crushing press of monsters she couldn't break free from fast enough.
"....?!"
BAM!!!
The sound was sickening. Bella arched her back, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She looked down slowly, seeing a black, razor-sharp hand sticking out of her stomach.
"Die," the Demon King whispered into her ear.
With a swift, brutal horizontal slash, he tore his hand sideways, ripping her abdomen open.
"NOOO!!!"