The battlefield remained silent.
Nobody dared move.
Nobody dared breathe.
The pressure released by the Cult Leader crushed everything beneath it.
Thousands of civilians had already collapsed unconscious.
Even powerful Ascendants struggled to remain standing.
Then—
The Cult Leader moved.
No warning.
No sound.
No distortion.
One moment he stood hundreds of meters away.
The next—
He was standing directly in front of Lyra.
Her eyes widened.
For the first time since entering the Rift—
Shock appeared on her face.
SLAP.
BOOOOOOOM.
The air exploded.
Several nearby buildings collapsed instantly.
The ground shattered beneath her feet.
Lyra's body became a blur.
She crashed through one building.
Then another.
Then another.
Before finally disappearing beneath a mountain of rubble.
Silence.
The Cult Leader slowly lowered his hand.
"That was for making my work difficult."
His voice remained calm.
Almost polite.
Riven's eyes widened.
His body still couldn't move.
The pressure was crushing every bone in his body.
Yet somehow—
He managed to raise his head.
"You know..."
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The Cult Leader looked toward him.
Riven forced a grin.
"For a guy talking about salvation..."
A cough escaped him.
"Your manners are terrible."
Silence.
The battlefield froze.
Even the Association members stared.
Riven continued.
"Didn't anyone teach you?"
Another cough.
"You shouldn't slap women."
Absolute silence.
The Cult Leader looked at him.
Not angry.
Not offended.
Simply curious.
Then he laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"Interesting."
His gaze remained fixed on Riven.
"Then perhaps..."
A faint smile appeared.
"You should teach me."
The pressure vanished.
Instantly.
Everyone stumbled.
Several people nearly fell forward.
The crushing weight disappeared so suddenly that nobody could react.
Riven blinked.
"...What?"
Before anybody could process what happened—
A figure appeared behind the Cult Leader.
BOOOOOOM.
A fist tore through the air.
Violent.
Fast.
Merciless.
The Team Leader.
His body burned with crimson life-force flames.
His skin was cracking.
Blood covered his arms.
Years of life vanished with every passing second.
For a brief moment—
The punch was about to connect.
Then the Cult Leader disappeared.
Gone.
The Team Leader's eyes widened.
A split second later—
The Cult Leader appeared above him.
Looking down.
Almost disappointed.
Then he placed one hand on the Team Leader's back.
And pushed.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The earth exploded.
Buildings collapsed.
A gigantic crater formed in the center of the village.
Shockwaves tore through everything nearby.
When the dust settled—
The Team Leader lay at the bottom.
Covered in blood.
Silence.
The remaining Association members stared.
Because they all understood.
The strongest among them.
The man burning away decades of his life.
The man who had unleashed everything he possessed.
Had been crushed effortlessly.
The Cult Leader simply stood there.
Untouched.
"Continue."
The words were calm.
Almost courteous.
And somehow—
That made them far more terrifying.
Mira slowly walked toward Riven.
Another Association member followed.
Then another.
Then another.
One by one—
They placed Emergency Evacuation Beacons into his hands.
Riven stared.
Confused.
"Mira..."
She smiled.
A gentle smile.
"Please."
"Rescue as many civilians as you can."
Another member laughed weakly.
"You and Lyra are talented."
"Far more talented than us."
Darius grinned despite the blood pouring from his mouth.
"Honestly..."
"That's a little annoying."
A few tired chuckles escaped the others.
Then Mira looked directly at him.
"Leave this place."
Silence.
For the first time in his life—
Riven felt helpless.
Utterly helpless.
When the Vaelcrest Family cornered him—
Ivan appeared.
When danger exceeded his strength—
Aarion appeared.
Every time.
Every single time.
Someone stronger had always been there.
Someone capable.
Someone reliable.
But now?
Riven looked around.
Searching.
Almost unconsciously.
For Ivan.
For Aarion.
For anyone.
Nothing.
Nobody was coming.
The realization struck harder than any attack.
Then he saw Lyra.
Without another word—
He ran.
Behind him—
The four remaining Association members stepped forward.
Life-force flames burning brighter than ever.
Ready to die.
Riven reached the rubble.
"Lyra!"
A groan answered him.
"Would you stop shouting?"
Relief washed over him instantly.
Moments later—
Lyra pushed herself out from beneath the debris.
Blood covered the side of her face.
Her spear was cracked.
Her uniform torn.
Yet somehow—
She was alive.
"You can move?"
Lyra rolled her eyes.
"Unfortunately."
Then she noticed the beacons.
Her expression changed.
"...What happened?"
Riven glanced toward the battlefield.
Toward the Association members.
Toward the people preparing to sacrifice everything.
"They gave them to me."
Silence.
Lyra immediately understood.
Then she sighed.
"Idiots."
Her voice was softer than usual.
Riven looked at her.
"What do I do?"
Lyra looked back.
Then asked:
"What do you think you should do?"
Riven froze.
Then his eyes widened.
"The array."
Lyra nodded.
Riven continued thinking.
"If we use a beacon with an array..."
"Everyone inside teleports."
"Correct."
"Then if I activate one directly?"
Lyra thought for a moment.
"Enough range to teleport around thirty normal civilians."
Silence.
Then—
Riven smiled.
The first genuine smile since the battle began.
Lyra immediately knew.
"You thought of something."
Riven started attaching beacons around his waist.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Then he stood.
"Riven."
He looked back.
"Try not to die."
Riven grinned.
"No promises."
Then he ran.
Straight into the crowd.
FLASH.
Thirty civilians vanished.
FLASH.
Thirty more disappeared.
FLASH.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Throughout the battlefield—
Groups of civilians began disappearing.
The Association members noticed first.
Then the cultists.
Then—
The Cult Leader.
For the first time since the battle began—
His eyes locked onto Riven.
The final beacon activated.
Another group vanished.
Thousands of civilians had escaped.
Riven stood alone amidst the crowd.
Breathing heavily.
Exhausted.
Then he looked toward the Cult Leader.
And slowly raised his hand.
His middle finger.
A wide grin stretched across his face.
The battlefield became silent.
Even Darius stopped moving.
The Cult Leader stared.
Then vanished.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"No!"
She moved instantly.
Appearing between Riven and empty space.
The Cult Leader emerged.
His hand already moving.
Lyra's spear rose.
CLANG.
For a fraction of a second—
She actually blocked him.
Then reality caught up.
BOOOOOOOM.
Lyra was launched across the battlefield once more.
Riven's eyes widened.
Without thinking—
He attacked.
A kick aimed directly at the Cult Leader's face.
The Cult Leader casually caught his leg.
"You are very enthusiastic."
Then he swung.
Riven became a projectile.
BOOOOM.
His body slammed directly into the Association members.
Everyone crashed into the ground.
Pain exploded through his body.
As Riven struggled to stand—
He noticed something.
Mira's hair.
Gray.
Another member's face.
Older.
Wrinkles had appeared around Darius' eyes.
Even the Team Leader looked years older than before.
The life-force flames continued burning.
And suddenly—
Riven understood.
This wasn't a technique.
It was a countdown.
Every attack.
Every movement.
Every second.
They were spending pieces of their lives.
Right in front of him.
Something inside Riven broke.
He charged.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Punches.
Kicks.
Elbows.
Anything.
Everything.
All useless.
The Cult Leader effortlessly redirected every attack.
Not even fighting back properly.
Simply moving him aside.
Like a child throwing a tantrum.
Riven's vision blurred.
Blood covered his body.
His muscles screamed.
Yet he kept charging.
If he could just hit him.
Just once.
Just once.
Then—
A final desperate punch.
The Team Leader suddenly appeared between them.
Trying to buy one more second.
Trying to buy one more chance.
Riven's fist barely touched his shoulder.
The Team Leader glanced at him.
And smiled.
A tired.
Proud smile.
Then the Cult Leader sighed.
"Courage and strength are not the same thing."
A casual backhand.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Riven disappeared.
Through buildings.
Through trees.
Across the village.
And finally—
Into the river.
The cold water swallowed him whole.
Darkness.
Silence.
His body sank deeper.
And deeper.
And deeper.
The sounds of battle faded.
His vision blurred.
For the first time since entering the Rift—
Riven stopped fighting.
And continued sinking into the darkness.
End