The battlefield had fallen silent.
Cadoc's hand remained buried in Chad's chest.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Chad stared down at the hand piercing his body, his eyes slowly widening as the reality of what had happened settled over him.
Behind him, the enormous creatures formed from dark flames began to fade.
The serpent dissolved into wisps of black smoke. The dragon's wings crumbled into flickering embers, while the eagle's outstretched wings gradually disappeared into the air.
One by one, the flames vanished.
The power Chad had gathered for his final attack was slipping away.
Chad staggered backward.
His sword trembled in his grasp, and his knees threatened to give way beneath him. Yet somehow, he remained standing.
Cadoc watched him with an unreadable expression.
Then he spoke.
"It's over, Chad."
His voice was cold.
"You have lost."
Chad said nothing.
A few seconds passed.
Then his sword slipped from his fingers.
CLANG!
The blade struck the ground.
Chad's head lowered as his breathing became increasingly shallow. His body was giving up on him, and he could feel his strength disappearing with every passing moment.
Cadoc stared at him.
He had expected hatred.
Perhaps a final curse.
Maybe even a desperate attempt to fight back.
Instead, Chad slowly lifted his head.
"Cadoc…"
His voice was barely audible.
Cadoc froze.
There was something about the way Chad had spoken his name that made him hesitate.
Chad forced himself to continue.
"I might not know your mother personally…"
Cadoc's expression changed.
"…but I know one thing."
Chad swallowed painfully, struggling to maintain his balance.
"If she could see the man you've become today, I don't think she'd be pleased."
For a moment, Cadoc couldn't respond.
His eyes widened slightly, and his fingers twitched.
Chad continued, his voice growing weaker.
"I know you're consumed by rage. I know you've suffered, and I won't pretend to understand everything you've been through."
He paused to catch his breath.
"But this isn't you, Cadoc."
Cadoc clenched his fist.
"Shut up."
Chad barely seemed to hear him.
"You can still change."
"I said shut up!"
Chad clenched his fist
Yet Chad didn't look afraid.
"My death shouldn't become a burden you carry for the rest of your life."
"I died….. not killed"
He managed a faint smile.
"You're better than this, Cadoc."
Cadoc stared at him.
Chad's eyes were growing heavier, but he continued speaking.
"I remember seeing you at the academy. Even though we didn't speak with each other, I could tell you had a future ahead of you."
His smile weakened.
"A bright one."
Cadoc's expression remained tense.
"Don't let your life pass you by like this. Don't allow your hatred to decide who you become."
Chad slowly lifted his trembling hand.
Then he placed it against Cadoc's shoulder.
"Please…"
His voice was little more than a whisper.
"Change."
Cadoc stared at the hand resting against his shoulder.
For a moment, he seemed unable to comprehend what was happening.
This man had fought him with everything he possessed.
He had refused to surrender, even when his body was failing him.
And now, standing at the very edge of death, Chad was asking him to change.
Not cursing him.
Not begging for his own life.
Asking him to change.
Something stirred inside Cadoc.
He didn't understand it.
He didn't want to understand it.
With a sharp movement, he pulled his hand out of Chad's chest.
Chad's body lurched forward.
His legs finally gave way.
He fell to the ground.
The dust around them began to settle, revealing the devastation their battle had left behind. The earth was cracked in several places, broken rocks littered the battlefield, and the remnants of dark flames flickered weakly before disappearing.
Cadoc stood over Chad's fallen body.
He stared down at him for several seconds.
Then he slowly turned away.
He needed to leave.
He needed to get away from this place.
But before he could take another step, a small voice reached his ears.
"Dad…?"
Cadoc stopped.
Mason staggered through the battlefield, his body battered and his clothes covered in dust.
He looked around desperately.
"Dad?"
His voice trembled.
"Where are you?"
He turned toward the scattered rocks, searching the battlefield with frantic eyes.
Then he saw him.
A familiar figure lay motionless on the ground.
Mason's breathing stopped.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Then his eyes widened.
"Dad!"
He rushed forward, nearly stumbling over the uneven ground as he approached the fallen man.
His knees struck the earth beside Chad.
"Dad? Hey, Dad!"
He reached for his father's shoulder.
His body was trembling.
"What happened to you?"
Chad didn't respond.
Mason looked at his father's face, desperately searching for some sign that he was still conscious.
Then he noticed Cadoc standing nearby.
Mason slowly turned his head.
His eyes moved from Cadoc to his father.
Then back to Cadoc.
Something inside him snapped.
"What…"
His voice broke.
"What did you do?"
Cadoc stared at him.
Mason slowly rose to his feet.
"What did you do to my father?!"
He charged.
His fist tightened as he rushed toward Cadoc, all thoughts of caution disappearing beneath the overwhelming rage consuming him.
Cadoc barely moved.
The instant Mason entered striking distance, Cadoc shifted to the side and drove a punch into his face.
THUD!
Mason was sent crashing across the battlefield.
He struck the ground and rolled through the dirt.
For a moment, he lay still.
Then his fingers dug into the earth.
He pushed himself up.
His knees shook beneath him, but he forced himself to stand.
Cadoc watched him silently.
Mason wiped the blood from his mouth.
"YOU BASTARD!"
He charged again.
Cadoc dodged his attack and struck him in the stomach.
Mason doubled over.
Another punch sent him sprawling across the ground.
He struggled to rise.
His arms trembled as he pushed against the earth.
Yet he stood again.
And charged.
Cadoc moved aside, delivering another punch that sent Mason crashing down.
Mason tried to get back up.
Cadoc struck him again.
And again.
Each time Mason rose, Cadoc knocked him down.
There was no satisfaction in Cadoc's expression.
No smile.
No laughter.
He simply continued striking Mason, almost mechanically, as though his body were moving while his mind remained trapped somewhere far away.
What am I doing?
The thought passed through his mind.
He stared at Mason.
The boy was struggling to stand again.
What the hell am I doing here?
Cadoc's breathing became uneven.
He had just killed Chad.
He had heard the man's final words.
Still trying to process all this
"What am I still doing here"
He didn't have an answer.
Mason dragged himself upright once more.
His vision blurred, but he could still see Cadoc standing before him.
His father was lying somewhere behind that monster.
His father was—
Mason's jaw tightened.
He charged again.
Cadoc stepped aside and struck him with one final punch.
Mason crashed to the ground.
This time, he didn't immediately rise.
Cadoc stared down at him.
Silence settled between them.
Then Cadoc slowly turned away.
He needed to leave.
He couldn't remain here any longer.
He took a step.
Then another.
He was about to disappear into the open field when a voice stopped him.
"Hey, you…"
Cadoc halted.
The voice was weak, but it carried an unmistakable hatred.
He slowly turned his head.
Mason was sitting on the ground where he had fallen. His head hung low, and his brown hair covered most of his face.
drops of blood trickled down from his forehead slowly.
His hands were clenched tightly against his knees.
"Who are you?"
Cadoc said nothing.
Mason slowly raised his head.
His eyes were filled with tears.
"Who the hell are you?"
His voice grew louder.
"A monster?"
He let out a bitter laugh.
"I swear on the miserable lives we've both been forced to live…"
His fingers dug into his palms.
"I swear that one day, I'll kill you, Cadoc."
Cadoc's expression remained still.
Mason's eyes burned with rage.
"Do you hear me?"
He struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as he forced his battered body upright.
"Every single day you have left, you better cherish it!"
His voice cracked.
"Every moment. Every breath. Every second you spend believing you're safe!"
Tears streamed down his face.
"Because one day, I'll find you."
He pointed at Cadoc.
"I don't care where you run. I don't care where you hide. You could flee to the ends of the world, or even to hell itself!"
His voice rose into a furious shout.
"I WILL FOLLOW YOU THERE!"
The battlefield echoed with his words.
"And when I find you, I'll make you suffer beyond anything you made my father suffer!"
His fists trembled.
"Beyond what you did to my family!"
Mason's face twisted with grief.
"Beyond what you've done to my village!"
He took a shaky breath.
"You will suffer, Cadoc. I promise you."
His voice fell into a low, trembling whisper.
"And when that day comes…"
He stared directly into Cadoc's eyes.
"I will kill you."
For the first time since Mason had begun speaking, Cadoc seemed unable to respond.
He simply stared at the boy.
Mason took a step forward.
"Why are you turning away?"
His voice cracked again.
"You call yourself a demon, yet you can't even stand here and face me?"
Tears continued falling from his eyes.
"You're nothing but a coward!"
Cadoc slowly turned his back on him.
Mason's breathing became ragged.
"RUN, THEN!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"RUN, YOU COWARD!"
Cadoc didn't stop.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?"
Mason's knees trembled.
"I'LL FIND YOU!"
Cadoc continued walking.
"YOU HEAR ME?!"
Mason's voice broke into a desperate cry.
"I'LL FIND YOU, CADOC!"
But Cadoc never turned around.
He walked farther into the open field until his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
Mason remained standing for several seconds, his fists clenched and his entire body shaking.
Then his gaze shifted.
He remembered why he had come here.
His father.
Mason's expression changed.
The rage in his eyes gave way to panic.
"Dad…"
He turned and rushed toward Chad.
"Dad!"
Mason dropped beside him.
"No, no, no…"
He grabbed his father's hand.
"Dad, please. Wake up."
Chad's body was badly wounded, and his breathing was so faint that Mason could barely notice it.
Mason's eyes widened in terror.
"Wait! I'll get help!"
He started to rise.
But before he could move away, Chad's fingers weakly closed around his hand.
Mason froze.
He immediately turned back.
"Dad?"
Chad's eyelids fluttered.
Slowly, with great difficulty, he opened his eyes.
"Mason…"
His voice was barely audible.
Mason dropped back to his knees.
"Dad! I'm here!"
He grabbed his father's hand with both of his own.
"What happened? What's wrong with you? Don't worry, I'll get someone. They'll help you, Dad. They'll—"
"Mason."
Chad's voice interrupted him.
It was weak, but there was something serious in it.
"I need to tell you something."
Mason shook his head frantically.
"No. Don't talk like that, Dad. Please."
Tears filled his eyes.
"You're going to be fine. You have to be."
Chad looked at him.
His eyes were barely open, and every breath seemed to require an enormous effort.
"I'm sorry."
Mason went still.
"What?"
Chad's lips trembled.
"I'm sorry, my boy."
His eyes began to glisten with tears.
"There is something I should have told you a long time ago."
Mason stared at him, confused.
"Dad… what are you talking about?"
Chad swallowed painfully.
"Your mother…"
His voice faltered.
"She died after giving birth to you."
Mason's expression changed.
He had known his mother was gone, but the pain in his father's voice made him realize there was more.
Chad closed his eyes briefly.
"When she died, I couldn't accept it."
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"I was angry. I was grieving, and I needed someone to blame."
He opened his eyes again.
"And I blamed you."
Mason stopped breathing for a moment.
Chad's hand trembled in his grasp.
"I wanted to kill you."
The words fell between them.
Mason stared at his father.
He couldn't speak.
"I looked at you and saw the person I had lost your mother for."
Chad's voice broke.
"But whenever I looked into your face, I couldn't do it."
His tears continued falling.
"You were my son. You were innocent. You hadn't done anything wrong."
He struggled to take another breath.
"Yet I allowed my grief to turn into hatred. I blamed you for something you could never have controlled."
Chad's expression twisted with regret.
"Please forgive me, Mason."
Mason's lips trembled.
"Dad…"
His eyes filled with tears.
"It wasn't your fault, Father."
Chad stared at him.
Mason shook his head.
"You didn't cause Mom's death. You were hurting, too."
He gripped his father's hand more tightly.
"And even if you made mistakes, that doesn't mean you deserve to die!"
His voice broke.
"Please, Dad. Don't leave me."
Chad looked at his son.
For a brief moment, his expression softened.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"Mason…"
His voice was becoming weaker.
"There's something else you need to understand."
He struggled to turn his head toward the distant horizon.
"The Demon King…"
Mason leaned closer.
"What about him, Dad?"
Chad's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He is responsible for so much of the suffering in this world"
His breath faltered.
"The deaths. The destruction. The misery that follows everyone who lives under his shadow…"
He looked back at Mason.
"I allowed my grief to blind me. I blamed you when I should have been questioning the world that allowed so much suffering to continue."
A faint tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
"I'm sorry."
Mason bowed his head.
He couldn't stop crying.
Chad's fingers moved weakly against his son's hand.
"There's one more thing I want you to do for me."
Mason immediately looked up.
"Anything, Dad."
Chad managed a faint smile.
"Promise me you'll continue living."
Mason's expression trembled.
"Father…"
"Join the academy."
Chad's voice was growing quieter.
"Make friends. Learn from them. Grow stronger together."
He paused to catch his breath.
"Achieve the things you've always dreamed of achieving."
His eyes softened.
"Grow old, Mason. Find happiness. Build a family of your own."
Another tear slipped down his face.
"Live a life that belongs to you."
Mason shook his head, crying harder.
"I don't understand. Why are you telling me all this?"
Chad's smile weakened.
"Because I don't want you to spend your entire life chained to the past."
His fingers tightened faintly around Mason's hand.
"Don't allow what happened here to decide the person you become."
He looked into his son's eyes.
"Don't let hatred consume you."
Mason could barely breathe through his tears.
"But what about you?"
His voice broke.
"What am I supposed to do without you?"
Chad's eyes glistened.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he slowly reached toward the katana lying beside him.
His fingers struggled to close around its hilt.
Mason immediately helped him lift it.
Chad looked at the blade, then back at his son.
"Promise me you'll keep moving forward."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"Become the person you've always wanted to be."
He managed a faint smile.
"And whenever you feel lost…"
His eyes began to close.
"…remember that I'll always be proud of you."
Mason shook his head frantically.
"No, Dad. Please…"
Chad's lips moved once more.
"I know…"
His breathing became increasingly faint.
"That I'll see you again someday."
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"Until then…"
His eyes closed.
"…my boy."
For a brief moment, his face seemed peaceful.
Then his hand loosened around Mason's.
His chest stopped moving.
Silence.
Mason stared at him.
"Dad?"
No response.
He shook his father's shoulder.
"Dad?"
Nothing.
His lips began to tremble.
"Father?"
He pressed his hand against Chad's chest, desperately waiting for a response that never came.
Then the truth finally reached him.
His father was gone.
"DAD!"
Mason collapsed over Chad's body.
"No!"
His cries echoed across the battlefield.
"NO, NO, NO!"
He clutched his father's clothes, shaking his head as tears streamed down his face.
"DAD, PLEASE!"
His voice broke into a desperate sob.
"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"
He buried his face against his father's chest.
For the first time in his life, there was no one left to answer him.
No reassuring voice.
No familiar hand resting on his shoulder.
Only silence.
Mason continued crying.
He didn't know how long he remained there.
A minute passed.
Perhaps longer.
Eventually, the strength left his arms, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
His vision blurred.
His breathing became uneven.
What's happening to me?
He tried to lift his head, but the world around him seemed to spin.
Then, from somewhere in the distance, voices began to reach his ears.
"Search the area!"
"Look for survivors!"
"Move! We need to check every section of the battlefield!"
Footsteps approached.
"Be careful! There could still be enemies nearby!"
Mason struggled to focus.
Help…
He tried to speak, but his voice refused to come.
A group of people emerged through the settling dust.
One of them suddenly stopped.
His eyes widened at the sight before him.
"Lord Chad…?"
Another person rushed forward.
"What happened here?"
The first man knelt beside the fallen warrior.
"Lord Chad!"
Mason heard the voices, but they seemed to come from far away.
He slowly lifted his head.
His eyes found his father's face one final time.
"Dad…"
His voice was little more than a whisper.
Then his strength finally gave out.
Mason collapsed against his father's body.
The people surrounding them immediately rushed forward.
"There's another survivor!"
"Quickly! Get over here!"
But Mason could no longer hear them clearly.
His eyes closed.
And as darkness swallowed his vision, the battlefield fell silent once more.