Urhuma glared at Sabre with pure anger.
"And who's going to suffer worse in the end?"
"Calm down, Urhuma. This is for Xers's own good."
"What kind of 'good' is this?"
"Urhuma! You have no right to interfere in this. Sit down and do your job as an instructor!"
"Not anymore, Sabre! I've turned a blind eye so many times, but Xers is a good man! You can't do this to him!"
"You have to understand, Urhuma. The world we live in now—only the strong survive. We have to use the foolish ones for the frontlines! I'm heading there now."
"You're not going anywhere, Sabre! Either you step over my corpse, or you leave Xers alone!"
"You're only hurting yourself, Urhuma."
"We'll see who hurts who!"
Urhuma drew his sword and pulled his mask over his face.
"Kaze!"
"You're really throwing your life away."
Without hesitation, Urhuma swung his blade, slicing the door clean in half.Sabre dodged and leapt backward.
"So that's your answer... Don't make me force your hand!"
Urhuma began gathering the air in the room into himself.Sabre dashed into the other chambers.Then Urhuma released all the compressed air at once.
"RELEASE!"
The entire palace began to tremble.Walls cracked and pillars fell apart.
"I'm holding back time-slowing so I don't collapse the whole palace—but this bastard might bring it down anyway!"
"There's no escape, Sabre! Show me your mask!"
"You really don't want to see it."
"Are you just going to keep running like a child?!"
Urhuma flash-stepped in front of Sabre.He swung his sword, but Sabre avoided the strike by diving out the window.
"Damn it..."
Sabre unsheathed his sword but still kept his mask on. He faced Urhuma head-on.
"Let's see how good you really are, S-E-N-S-E-I."
"I'll make you regret opening your mouth!"
"Still don't get it, Urhuma? Even without removing my mask, we're on the same level."
"Heh, we'll see about that!"
Urhuma gathered wind in his palms and launched it toward Sabre, sending him flying.Sabre rolled to his feet and sprinted toward the palace courtyard, hiding behind a wall to catch his breath.
"What's wrong, Sabre? Where are you? You said you could beat me without your mask—so where did you go?"
At that moment, Sabre stepped out from behind the wall, mask gleaming in the moonlight.The deep crimson mask's eyes pulsed with a pitch-black curse — and it had already started affecting Urhuma.He froze in place, unable to move.
With every step Sabre took, Urhuma's Spiritual Pressure grew heavier, pressing him down.Sabre unleashed his full power at once, crushing the ground beneath him.
Urhuma regained control just enough to swing his blade with one arm — but Sabre caught it with his bare hand.He snapped the sword in half like it was nothing.The fear in Urhuma's eyes was visible even beneath his mask.
For the first time in his life, he felt truly humiliated.
He roared in frustration, slashing wildly with the broken blade.Sabre calmly dodged every swing, then struck Urhuma across the face with the back of his hand.Urhuma flew straight into the palace walls.
"Now talk, Urhuma. Did you see my mask?"
"Y-yes... I finally did. And now I understand what kind of monster you are..."
"Enough useless words!"
Sabre grabbed Urhuma by the throat and lifted him into the air.With one motion, he hurled him across the courtyard.
Blood covered Urhuma's face. He barely managed to lift his head, dragging himself across the ground toward Sabre.He rose shakily to his knees, gasping for breath, struggling to even stand.
"Watch closely, Urhuma. I'll show you Stage 3 — G-Technic."
Urhuma stared with one good eye.
"SORA NO!"
Two black energy crosses erupted from Sabre's shoulders, colliding straight into Urhuma and sending him flying twenty meters back.He crashed through several palace walls before finally landing in the dining hall.
Urhuma was covered in blood, unable to move, barely alive.Yet he tried to speak.
"S-S-Sabre... Why did y-y-you..."
"Listen, Urhuma. We used to be a good team, didn't we? What happened to us? We trained at the same schools, fought in the same wars — yet one of us became better. Why? It's simple. You threw away every chance you had because of that soft heart of yours. While you stayed in your village to 'protect' them, I went to Grand Academia. I came back as one of Shadowia's special threats. Coincidence? I don't think so. And now... you die by my hand."
"S-Sa... Sab... You b-b-bast..."
"Don't worry. I'll ease your pain. Your duty to train Xers is over anyway. My carriage is ready. I'll resign as commander and assassinate Xers myself. Then you'll understand—nothing matters. Why do you think I evacuated the palace early? I'm leaving. Anyway... we had a good run, Urhuma. But fate brought us here. And I can't defy fate. Farewell."
With a single swing of his sword, Sabre decapitated Urhuma.
Urhuma died at the age of 45, betrayed by the friend he trusted most.All he ever wanted was to join the Ranshi and give his village a better life.And he succeeded — many children got their education thanks to him, families found peace.But in the end, no one remembered him.Not that he needed it. He only ever wanted to help humanity.No one knew he would die because of a friend's betrayal.
After the incident, Sabre resigned from his command.He sheathed his special blade, climbed onto his carriage, and set off toward the frontlines — to kill Xers.Even though memories of Urhuma flickered in his mind, his arrogance had already blinded him completely.