The world had gone silent after the fall of Han Jae-sung.
News outlets showed nothing but burning cities and shattered landscapes — the remnants of a single battle between two men whose power dwarfed entire armies. But beneath that silence, fear spread like a disease.
Governments trembled. Soldiers deserted. Priests prayed to gods who no longer answered.
And in the heart of the global alliance, two of the top ten heroes prepared to face what no army could — Adrian, the Rejected Hero.
The Meeting in Geneva
The war room was buried deep beneath the old European Parliament building, its walls reinforced with runic steel and divine wards. The air was heavy, thick with tension and exhaustion.
Arthur Leclair stood at the head of the circular table, his once-bright eyes now shadowed with guilt and resolve. The lights flickered slightly as a storm raged outside.
"Han lasted less than three minutes," Arthur said grimly, tapping his gloved fingers on the table. "His wounds were… unlike anything I've seen. Corruption energy. Adrian's power is evolving."
Across from him, Li Wenlong sat with arms crossed, his posture as unshakable as a mountain. "Then we must stop him before that power spreads further. Every moment we wait, he grows stronger."
Next to him, Aisha Volkov adjusted her silver gauntlets, her icy blue hair tied back. Her expression was cold — colder than the frost that formed around her hands whenever her emotions stirred."Charging in blindly is suicide. Han underestimated him, and now he's lucky to still breathe."
Li Wenlong's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "I do not underestimate him. I merely acknowledge the risk of inaction."
Arthur looked between them. "Then it's decided. You two will engage him next — together. I'll provide support from headquarters. The moment you find his location, strike with precision. Don't let him recover."
Aisha frowned. "You're sending two of the top five heroes into battle, and you're staying here?"
Arthur met her gaze evenly. "If I fall, humanity loses its symbol of hope. Someone must remain to coordinate what's left."
Li Wenlong rose, his long dark coat flowing behind him like the tail of a dragon. "Then we'll bring you his head."
Aisha scoffed softly but followed him. "If you don't freeze it first."
The Hunt Begins
Three days later, the two heroes stood amid the ruins of a once-great city — Budapest, reduced to ash and silence. Lightning streaked across a crimson sky as storms gathered unnaturally.
Li Wenlong closed his eyes, sensing the residual energy in the air. "He's here. The ground remembers his steps."
Aisha summoned a shard of ice that hovered beside her like a glowing orb. "Good. Then let's make him remember ours."
The wind shifted. For a moment, the entire world seemed to hold its breath.
Then a voice, deep and calm, echoed from the shadows.
"So… they've sent the dragon and the frost queen."
From the mist, Adrian appeared — his armor darker than before, pulsing faintly with veins of crimson light. His hair, once silver, had turned almost black, and his eyes burned like dying embers.
"Two of the world's finest," he continued, his voice a mixture of mockery and regret. "Tell me, did they send you here to die, or to prove that humanity still has courage?"
Aisha's eyes narrowed. "We came to end your madness."
Li Wenlong's aura flared — a golden dragon's silhouette coiling behind him. "And to restore balance."
Adrian smirked faintly. "Balance? You talk of balance when your world was built on lies?"
Lightning struck as the ground cracked open, energy spilling from beneath their feet.
The battle began.
The Battle of Budapest
Li Wenlong moved first — fast as thunder. His sword gleamed with Qi energy, each swing creating shockwaves that shattered stone. Adrian countered effortlessly, blocking with his cursed blade, Erebus, the impact sending ripples through the air.
Aisha joined the assault, summoning a blizzard that engulfed the battlefield. Ice spears rained down like divine punishment, freezing entire buildings in seconds.
Adrian vanished into the storm, only to reappear behind her, swinging his sword with lethal precision. She blocked it with an ice barrier that cracked under the pressure.
"Impressive," Adrian said, his tone sincere. "But you're wasting your strength on a ghost."
Li Wenlong appeared behind him, his aura blazing. "Then I'll strike your soul instead!"
He unleashed his ultimate technique — Dragon's Fang: Heaven Breaker. The ground erupted as a spectral dragon roared from his blade, swallowing Adrian in a beam of golden Qi.
For a moment, silence.
Then the explosion.
The shockwave tore through the city, leveling everything for miles. Aisha shielded herself behind layers of ice as debris rained from the sky.
When the dust cleared, Adrian stood — wounded, yes, but smiling.
"You're strong," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Stronger than the others. But strength won't save you."
The shadows around him twisted violently, forming wings made of pure darkness. His sword pulsed with energy that bent reality itself.
He raised it — and the world screamed.
A wave of crimson energy burst forth, devouring Li's golden aura like ink spilling across parchment. The dragon dissolved, its roar turning into a dying whisper.
Li fell to one knee, blood dripping from his mouth. "This… this isn't power. It's corruption."
Adrian walked toward him slowly. "And yet it's the only truth left."
Before he could finish him, Aisha launched her ultimate attack — Frozen Heaven's Requiem. A dome of ice spread outward, freezing the city, the air, even the light itself.
Adrian stopped, his movements slowing as frost crept up his armor.
She shouted through the blizzard, "Now, Wenlong!"
With the last of his strength, Li Wenlong charged, his blade glowing white-hot. He plunged it into Adrian's chest — through armor, through flesh.
A burst of light engulfed them.
Silence After the Storm
When the light faded, Li Wenlong collapsed beside Aisha. The entire city was gone — only a frozen wasteland remained.
For a brief, impossible moment, they thought it was over.
Then a voice echoed through the storm, cold and broken.
"…That's the best you could do?"
Adrian rose from the ice, his armor cracked but his body radiating dark energy. The wound in his chest sealed before their eyes.
He looked down at them — two of the strongest warriors alive — and shook his head."You fought well. Better than most. But mercy died the day they called me a monster."
A single motion — his blade slashed through the air.
Aisha screamed as Li was thrown back, blood splattering the snow. Adrian turned toward her, eyes dimly sad.
"You should've stayed home, Ice Valkyrie."
She raised her hands to cast another spell, but before she could, his shadow enveloped her. The ground beneath her feet turned black.
The last thing she saw was his expression — not anger, not joy, but something far worse.Pity.
The Aftermath
Three hours later, the alliance received the signal. The heartbeat monitors of two heroes flatlined.
Arthur stared at the screens in disbelief. "No…" he whispered. "Not them too…"
In that moment, something inside him broke. The hero who once symbolized hope felt his heart fill with despair.
"Adrian," he whispered, gripping his sword until his knuckles bled. "I don't know if you're a monster or a man anymore… but I will end this."
He looked up at the stars through the broken ceiling of the war room.
"Even if it kills me."
Meanwhile…
Adrian stood atop the frozen ruins, snow falling softly over his bloodstained armor.He gazed at the night sky, remembering old faces — friends, laughter, promises.
"Arthur…" he murmured. "I can almost hear your voice."
He turned away, stepping into the storm.Each step left behind a mark of darkness spreading through the snow.
"The end is near," he said. "And I'll make sure you're there to witness it."