Chrono did not hesitate.
The moment he left the church grounds, he forced himself onto Gran's back despite the sharp pain ripping through his injured leg. The bandages were already soaked dark with blood, but he ignored it.
"Move."
Gran launched forward instantly.
Trees blurred past them as wind struck Chrono's face. Glask moved like a silent shadow along their flank. The forest trembled under Gran's powerful strides.
But Chrono's thoughts were louder than the wind.
The throne.
The ticking sound.
The Unknown Man sitting in darkness, watching as if everything were a game.
'Why does he observe me?'
'Why interfere only slightly?'
'And why… does he feel connected to all of this?'
Chrono clenched the vial of cure tightly in his hand.
He couldn't afford distraction.
If he was late—
He refused to finish the thought.
They reached the hidden cave quickly. Chrono slid down from Gran and nearly collapsed. Glask caught him before he hit the ground.
The magician stood inside, already prepared.
"You look half-dead," the mage observed calmly.
"Make it," Chrono said, handing over the holy water and prepared materials. "Now."
The mage nodded and began immediately.
He crushed rare herbs into fine powder, mixed purified ash with crystalline dust, and poured the holy water into a rune-carved stone bowl. The cave filled with vibrating light as he chanted.
Blue spiritual essence rose.
Golden threads of holy energy wrapped around it.
The mixture reacted violently before stabilizing into glowing silver liquid.
The mage poured it carefully into a reinforced vial.
"This will purge the corruption," he said. "But the reaction will be unstable. Be ready."
Chrono took it without hesitation.
"I will."
He mounted Gran again.
They rushed toward the mountain peak.
The air grew heavier the higher they climbed.
Cold wind.
Then unnatural heat.
Smoke drifting downward.
The sky above glowed faint red.
Chrono's heart pounded violently in his chest.
When they reached the summit—
He froze.
White fur scattered across shattered stone.
Blood soaked deep into cracks.
Nine massive tails—
Severed.
Burned.
Torn apart.
At the center—
The Nine-Tailed Guardian.
Its once radiant white hair now dull and aged, as if centuries had passed in minutes.
Its body was shredded.
Yet—
Its chest moved faintly.
Still alive.
A calm voice echoed.
"Oh?"
The Strange Man stood nearby, dark mana coiling around him like smoke.
He glanced down at the Nine-Tail.
"Still breathing, eh?"
Chrono stepped forward, limping.
Gran positioned himself instantly in front of him. Glask materialized at his side.
The Strange Man's eyes shifted to Chrono.
"You came back."
"You did this," Chrono said.
"They resisted."
The Strange Man lifted his hand. A thin blade formed from condensed dark mana.
Without warning—
He moved.
Gran roared and blocked the strike. The impact shattered the ground beneath them.
Glask lunged from the side—
The Strange Man barely shifted.
Gran was thrown across the battlefield.
Glask's blade shattered instantly.
The Phoenix behind the Strange Man suddenly burst into violent flame.
Heat surged outward.
So hot—
Even the cold mountain air felt like it was burning.
The Strange Man stepped through the inferno untouched.
He appeared in front of Chrono in an instant.
Blade raised.
Chrono's body refused to move.
Fear.
Weakness.
The memory of failure.
'I'm still the same.'
'Still pathetic.'
The blade descended—
Tick.
A faint mechanical sound echoed.
The Strange Man stopped mid-swing.
A stone device near his wrist flickered.
He looked at it briefly.
"…Time's up."
He looked down at Chrono.
"Pathetic."
He stepped back—
And vanished.
No explosion.
No portal.
Just gone.
Chrono collapsed to his knees.
Gran groaned in the distance.
Glask struggled to reform.
Then—
The Phoenix screamed.
Its flames were unstable, thrashing wildly.
It fired a massive blast toward Chrono.
He couldn't dodge.
A white blur flashed forward.
The Nine-Tail.
With the last of its strength—
It leapt.
The blast pierced through its remaining tails.
Through its body.
But not Chrono.
The Phoenix's flames flickered violently.
The Nine-Tail fell.
This time—
It did not rise.
Chrono's breath shattered.
"No…"
Blood leaked through his bandages as he forced himself up.
The Phoenix trembled.
Its flames shifting from corrupted red-black to unstable gold.
It looked at the fallen Nine-Tail.
Then at Chrono.
It cried.
Soft.
Broken.
"It… died because of me…"
Chrono clenched the vial.
"Now."
He limped forward.
Dodged unstable bursts of flame.
Waited.
Calculated.
There—
An opening.
He threw the vial.
It shattered against the Phoenix's chest.
Silver light exploded outward.
The mountain trembled.
Dark mana evaporated like smoke under sunlight.
The Phoenix shrieked in agony as corruption burned away.
Chrono shielded his eyes.
Seconds stretched painfully long.
Finally—
The flames stabilized.
Golden.
Pure.
But weak.
Chrono approached slowly.
The Phoenix lowered its head.
Tears formed in its glowing eyes.
"Thank you… human."
Golden tears fell.
[System Notification]
[Phoenix Tear obtained.]
[Nine-Tail Guardian Blood obtained.]
Several radiant feathers drifted down before Chrono.
[Phoenix Feather x7 obtained.]
The severed white tails floated toward him gently.
"Take them… as gratitude."
Chrono gathered them carefully.
He buried the Nine-Tail himself.
Gran pushed heavy stones into place.
Glask stood silently.
Chrono knelt.
Tears fell freely.
"I'll kill him."
His voice shook with rage.
"I swear."
The wind blew softly over the grave.
The Phoenix watched silently.
Chrono stood.
Not weak.
Not confused.
Angry.
Focused.
They descended the mountain.
At the village, the people immediately sensed something was wrong.
"The guardians…" an elder whispered.
Chrono nodded.
"They're gone."
Cries erupted.
Villagers fell to their knees before the statue of the guardians.
Prayers filled the air.
Children sobbed.
Chrono didn't stay.
He turned.
And walked back toward the cave.
The magician was waiting.
"It is done," the mage said quietly.
Chrono stepped forward, trembling from blood loss and exhaustion.
"I want to be stronger."
The mage studied him.
"Strength is not granted lightly."
"I don't care."
Silence filled the cave.
"Then you will train," the mage said.
Chrono clenched his fists.
Somewhere—
Beyond time—
On a throne hidden in darkness—
The Unknown Man watched.
The ticking echoed once more.
Chrono lifted his head.
"Next time," he whispered.
"I won't be pathetic."