A wide field of flowers stretched beneath the bright afternoon sky.
White and blue petals swayed gently with the wind, forming waves across the meadow as far as the eye could see.
In the center of the field stood a young man, swinging his sword again and again with unwavering focus.
Slash.
Step.
Turn.
The blade cut clean arcs through the air as Johan practiced his movements. Sweat ran down his face, yet he did not stop.
This field had always been his favorite place to train.
Every day, whenever he wanted to be alone, he came here.
To practice.
To think.
To dream.
"Johan!"
A voice suddenly broke the quiet rhythm of his training.
Johan stopped mid‑swing and looked over his shoulder.
A young woman was walking toward him through the sea of flowers.
Her long golden hair flowed gently in the wind, shining softly under the sunlight like strands of spun gold.
Several braids ran along the side of her head, revealing the elegant shape of her pointed elf ears.
Her blue eyes were clear and bright, yet they carried a certain sharpness that made it clear she was not someone easily fooled.
She wore light adventurer's attire colored in shades of violet and gold, decorated with elegant patterns that resembled ancient elven designs.
A short cloak rested over her shoulders, the inner fabric shimmering faintly like a night sky scattered with tiny stars.
Despite her graceful appearance, the expression on her face was far from elegant.
She looked annoyed.
"Johan!" she complained, crossing her arms. "Why do you always skip class?"
Johan rested his sword against his shoulder and sighed lazily.
"What's the point of studying," he said, "if I'm never going to use it anyway?"
"Of course you'll use it!" the girl replied immediately.
Johan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, Violet. You're way too naggy."
"Well how can I not nag?" Violet shot back. "You skip class every single day!"
She pointed a finger at him accusingly.
"And who ends up getting scolded because of it?"
Johan grinned.
"Relax. You've got me."
"That's exactly why I can't relax!" Violet replied.
She let out a frustrated sigh before glancing at the sword in his hand.
"If you don't want to study, then what do you want to become?"
Johan didn't hesitate.
"I want to become a commander."
He lifted his sword slightly, as if imagining the future.
"A commander who leads soldiers into war."
Violet blinked.
Then she immediately shook her head.
"Impossible."
Johan smiled calmly.
"There's nothing impossible in this world."
Then he looked at her.
"What about you, Violet?"
"What do you want to become?"
Violet suddenly fell silent.
Her confident expression faded.
For a moment she simply stared down at the flowers beneath her feet.
"I…"
She hesitated.
"I want to…"
Her voice grew softer.
"…die."
"Huh?"
CLANG.
The sound of steel colliding with claws exploded through the ruined streets of Velmora.
Johan and Velmorth were already fighting.
Sparks burst into the air each time Johan's blade collided with Velmorth's claws.
Velmorth slowly raised her hand.
A twisted smile spread across her face as dark mist gathered around her fingers.
The ground beneath the ruined street trembled softly.
"Shall we continue, Johan?" Velmorth said calmly.
With a snap of her fingers, the ground cracked open.
Rotting hands burst through the stone. Pale corpses clawed their way up from the shattered earth.
Undead.
Dozens of them.
Velmorth watched with quiet amusement.
"Go."
The undead rushed forward.
Johan moved.
His sword flashed like lightning.
One swing.
A corpse split in two.
Another step.
Two heads rolled across the stone.
Slash. Turn. Step.
Within seconds, the street was filled with fallen corpses.
Velmorth sighed softly.
"You always do that," she said with a small smile.
Johan lowered his blade slightly.
"You always summon the same trick," Johan replied coldly.
Velmorth's smile widened.
"Oh, but I have this."
Dark mist gathered again.
Another corpse slowly rose from the cracked stone.
Johan stepped forward immediately, raising his sword to strike.
Then he froze.
"…Violet…"
For the first time in the battle, Johan hesitated.
And that moment was enough.
A long pale finger pierced straight through his body from behind.
Johan's body jolted violently.
Velmorth stood behind him.
Her elongated fingers were buried deep inside his body.
Blood dripped slowly onto the shattered stone.
Velmorth leaned closer, whispering softly.
"Look at her carefully."
She slowly pulled her hand free.
"See?" Velmorth said with a pleased smile. "She looks exactly like her."
"This is the result of fifty years in the capital prison."
"My masterpiece."
She gently touched the undead's cheek.
"But unfortunately… she cannot speak."
Velmorth sighed softly.
"And sadly, I can only recreate the faces of people who are already dead."
She snapped her fingers.
The undead shattered instantly.
Fragments of rotten flesh scattered into the air before dissolving into nothing.
Nothing remained.
Velmorth turned back toward Johan with a delighted smile.
"It seems age has finally made you weak."
Johan stood there silently.
Blood continued to drip from the wound in his chest.
But he did not fall.
He simply stood there — enduring the pain in silence.
—
Velmorth slowly stepped closer to Johan.
She lifted his face with the tip of her finger.
"Oh, Johan… If you were still young, I would have made you my most perfect vessel."
Johan slowly raised his eyes.
"If you wanted my body that badly… then you were simply too weak to take it."
Velmorth laughed loudly.
"You're right!"
As she laughed, her claws tore into her own body again and again.
Each wound regenerated instantly.
Finally the laughter stopped.
"That's enough playing."
Her expression turned cold.
"Let's end this."
Her claw slowly rose toward Johan's neck.
But suddenly—
"Oi!"
A trembling voice echoed from above.
Velmorth paused.
Standing on a rooftop was Vein, with Shadow beside him.
"You want me, right?! Then let that old man go!"
Velmorth turned toward him.
A grin spread across her face.
"Veeeeiiiin!" she shouted.
"I hear you!"
For a brief moment her attention shifted.
Slash.
Johan moved.
His sword cut through Velmorth's body from her arm through her torso to the side of her head.
Velmorth screamed in pain.
Her body rolled across the ground like a wounded animal.
But when she stood again —
The missing half of her body did not regenerate.
Her eye widened with rage.
"You… both of you!"
The violet glow in her remaining eye slowly changed into crimson red.
Dark energy gathered around her body.
"You will regret this!"
Velmorth slowly rose into the air.
Dark power swirled around her damaged body.
And the true battle had only just begun.
—
Johan's eyes widened.
He could feel it immediately.
The air itself had begun to tremble.
Velmorth was preparing a spell.
Not a simple one.
Not first-tier magic.
Not second-tier magic.
Third-tier magic.
The highest level of magic known in this world.
Johan's expression changed instantly.
"VEIN!" he shouted.
His voice echoed through the ruined streets of Velmora.
"Vein! Only you can save this city!"
Vein froze.
For a moment, his mind went completely blank.
Save the city?
He didn't even know how to save himself.
His hands trembled.
What was he supposed to do?
Then a deep growl sounded beside him.
"Grrrr…"
Shadow.
The Nightbound Beast stared toward Velmorth with burning crimson eyes. The growl was low, but it carried a clear meaning.
We cannot just stand here.
Vein looked at the beast.
For a moment they simply stared at each other.
Then Vein slowly clenched his fists.
"…Yeah."
His voice was quiet at first.
"You're right, Shadow."
He inhaled slowly.
"…Better to die as a hero than die without doing anything."
Below them, Velmorth began to laugh.
"You fools!"
Her voice roared across the city.
"Every single one of you will die!"
Her body suddenly began to shine.
Blinding light erupted from her chest—brighter than the sun itself. Radiant magic gathered around her like a miniature star suspended in the air.
"Third‑tier Light Magic—!"
But before she could finish the spell—
A shadow moved.
Vein.
In a single leap he was already rushing forward.
Velmorth's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
Before Vein was beside Velmorth, Vein turned slightly toward Shadow.
"Shadow," he said.
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"You're ready to become a hero, right?"
Shadow roared.
"ROOOOAR!"
The beast sprinted across the rooftops, leaping from building to building with incredible speed. Vein climbed onto Shadow's back as they rushed toward the tallest house near Velmorth.
Then—
They jumped.
Vein stood on Shadow's back for one brief second.
And Shadow threw him forward with all its strength.
Vein shot through the sky like an arrow.
Straight toward Velmorth.
He grabbed her.
"Got you!"
Velmorth's eyes widened in shock.
Vein began punching her again and again.
"Take this!"
BAM.
BAM.
BAM.
His fists slammed into her face repeatedly.
Velmorth's expression twisted with fury.
"You insolent insect!"
Her claw shot forward.
CRACK.
Her nails pierced straight through Vein's stomach.
Blood burst into the air.
Vein gasped in pain.
They were still suspended high above the city.
Then suddenly—
A new figure appeared beside them.
Johan.
Wind spiraled around his sword like a storm gathering around the blade.
His voice was calm.
"Second‑tier Wind Magic."
The wind howled.
"Wind Cleaving Slash."
Johan swung his sword.
SLASH.
The blade cut through Velmorth's body from the top of her head all the way down.
Her body split into two.
Perfectly.
From head to toe.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
Then gravity returned.
Their bodies fell from the sky.
They crashed onto the ruined street below.
Velmorth's body lay in two separate pieces.
The light surrounding her slowly faded.
The terrifying magic gathering in the sky vanished.
Silence fell across Velmora.
For a long moment, no one moved.
And it seemed…
The battle was finally over.
—
For a moment after Velmorth's body was split in two, the entire city fell silent.
Then something strange happened.
The undead stopped moving.
Across the streets of Velmora, the pale creatures froze in place. Their hollow eyes flickered weakly, as if the force controlling them had suddenly disappeared.
One by one, their bodies collapsed.
Some turned into dust.
Others simply crumbled apart.
Within seconds, the entire army of undead vanished from the city.
The guards stared in disbelief.
Then someone shouted.
"We did it!"
Cheers erupted through the streets.
"The undead are gone!"
"She's dead!"
"The monster is defeated!"
The soldiers raised their weapons into the air, shouting with relief and victory.
But not everyone was celebrating.
—
Vein lay on the broken street, blood soaking through his clothes.
Every breath felt painful.
Shadow rushed toward him immediately.
The Nightbound Beast let out a desperate roar.
"ROOOOAR!"
The beast nudged Vein with its head, whining and growling as if trying to wake him.
Vein opened his eyes slightly.
"…Shadow…"
His voice was weak.
Shadow growled again, as if saying:
Don't die.
Vein smiled faintly.
"Relax…" he whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere."
He slowly reached out and touched the beast's head.
"…I just want to sleep for a while."
His hand slipped from Shadow's fur.
And Vein lost consciousness.
—
Not far away, Velmorth's body lay on the shattered stone.
Two halves.
Completely still.
For the first time, her body did not regenerate.
The wounds remained open.
The terrifying monster who had once terrorized the capital…
Had finally been defeated.
—
Johan staggered a few steps before collapsing against a pile of broken stone.
Blood still flowed from the wound in his chest.
His sword slipped from his hand.
As he leaned back against the rubble, a memory surfaced in his mind.
The flower field.
White and blue petals swaying beneath the wind.
And Violet standing in the middle of it.
"…I want to die," she had said softly.
Johan had stared at her in shock.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Violet quickly waved her hands.
"Oh—no, no! Not like that!" she said nervously.
"That's not what I meant."
Johan frowned.
"Then what do you mean?"
Violet looked toward the endless field of flowers.
"I want to die with a smile."
Johan blinked.
"…What does that even mean?"
Violet smiled gently.
"It means I want the life I dream of to come true before my death arrives."
Johan scratched his head.
"…Well, everyone wants that."
Violet laughed softly.
Then she suddenly asked,
"Hey, Johan."
"If you become a Commander someday… but the person you want to protect is no longer beside you… would you still be happy?"
Johan froze.
He had no answer.
Seeing his silence, Violet laughed again.
"So? What about you?" Johan asked. "What would you do?"
Instead of answering, Violet ran into the middle of the flower field.
The wind carried her golden hair through the air like sunlight.
She spread her arms as petals danced around her.
"That's exactly why," Violet said, turning back toward him,
"I want to die with a smile."
Her blue eyes shone brightly.
"Because I want the person who always protects me… to be beside me."
She smiled warmly.
"And smiling too."
Johan finally understood what she meant.
The memory began to fade.
But before it disappeared completely, Violet's voice reached him one last time.
Soft.
Gentle.
"I love you, Johan."