We walked for quite a while toward the Human Kingdom.
Upon entering, the sight was devastating: every house was destroyed, engulfed in flames.
There was no sign of life.
We kept moving forward through the charred remains of the city until we reached the palace.
It was just like the rest—in ruins.
Inside, it looked as though it had been abandoned for centuries, as if no one had ever lived there.
Eventually, we reached the throne room.
There, we were met with a horrific scene.
The lifeless body of the knight lay in the center of the hall.
A sword pierced through his abdomen, and his head had been ripped off and nailed to the wall as a warning.
It was a brutal death. He fought to the end… but it was in vain.
We approached the throne.
Seated upon it was the body of the king.
His throat had been slit, his gaze empty, and his royal robes still stained with dried blood.
In his hand, he held a letter.
I took it gently and began to read it aloud:
> "If you're reading this, then I'm dead… and so is the general.
I imagine he fought until the end. He never gave up. He believed in me, and in a future era of peace.
I failed him.
The other races… and our enemies… are too powerful.
I know it's you reading this. Heroes.
You were created by the first and only hero summoned over a hundred years ago.
Before dying, he entrusted special swords to the former king of this realm.
And ever since, we've protected them.
Where are they, you ask?
You only need to destroy this throne. There you'll find the weapons.
There are twelve… one for each of you.
I'm sorry I couldn't give them to you sooner.
I hope they will be of use…"
As I finished reading, Akira didn't wait another second.
With a strong kick, he shattered the throne.
Beneath it, hidden, was a wooden compartment.
Inside, we found a sealed box containing twelve katanas, just as the king's letter had said.
Each of us took one.
Daichi silently approached and took two.
The second was Iko's.
He held it tightly… as if doing so would allow him to carry Iko's will with him.
We prepared ourselves.
Some changed clothes or reinforced their gear.
I walked into one of the side rooms and found a white suit of armor, identical to the knight's.
Without hesitation, I put it on.
It was iron armor, white with red stripes, and a crimson cape that fell from the collar down to the legs.
The helmet concealed almost the entire face, leaving only the eyes visible—though even those were barely noticeable in the shadows within.
I strapped a sword to my back and fastened the katana to my waist.
When I stepped outside, my brothers and sisters were already waiting for me outside the castle.
They told me I looked good, even though the armor covered my entire body.
Wasting no more time, we headed toward our final destination.
The final battle.
We would kill the gods.
We would end this war.
But just as we left the human city… a lone figure awaited us.
Someone who, by their posture, seemed to have been waiting for us for a long time.