"Wait, are you sure the last Chosen One is in this place?" Nuh asked me as we stood near a dense forest whose end couldn't be seen.
A forest far from all the kingdoms, uninhabited by humans.
"Yes. The Hero's Sword never fails."
"But this isn't a place for humans. This is where the Winged Ones live."
Nier's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"The Winged Ones? I've always wanted to see one! What do they look like?"
Mary replied,
"Like humans, but with large wings."
Khaled suddenly asked,
"Wait, where are we going to leave our carriage?"
…He had a point.
Mary interrupted my thoughts,
"Do you think they're savage or isolated people? They have villages, schools, even armies. They're just not declared as a kingdom."
Mary's words sparked Lucy's curiosity.
"You seem to know a lot about the Winged Ones."
"Of course. I came here with my father when I was young."
"Can you tell me about that trip?"
We got down from the carriage and started walking through the forest, listening to Mary's story.
"There was a predatory bird at the time tha–"
Mary was interrupted.
"Where are you going? The path is this way."
"What? But that's a mountain in front of you!"
I was shocked by her words, but instead of backing off, I walked forward. To them, it looked as if I'd passed through the mountain.
"How is this possible?" Nier said, reaching out to touch the mountain, only for his hand to pass through it.
"Is this some kind of illusion?"
Khaled responded,
"Yes… but why didn't it affect the Hero?"
I tried to change the topic by releasing a weak electric bolt—enough to dispel the illusion without harming anyone—and continued,
"Keep your guard up. The enemy is still here."
Since I obtained the Hero's Sword, the Chosen Ones always came to me on their own. It was strange when I thought about it… The Great Writer must have tampered with the probabilities.
I drew the Hero's Sword and began locating the Chosen One.
"Here," I said and started running. But suddenly, a bunch of fruits fell on me, releasing a strong and foul scent.
I triggered the Hurricane Calamity to disperse the smell, but then a winged girl emerged from the bushes, with green eyes and long lashes, and held a sword to my neck.
"Who are you and why are you here?" the girl asked.
I ignored her question and said,
"It would've been better if you had just cut off my head."
I tried to retreat using my Lightning Form, thinking I had escaped the strike, but suddenly Nier's ice froze my feet.
"Nier, it's me!" I shouted.
I looked to the other side and saw Mary and Nuh fighting Khaled. That's when I realized… the illusion wasn't only visual—it affected all the senses and the mind.
The girl slashed my shoulder, trying to keep me alive for questioning. For the first time since my last encounter with Ryan… I felt true danger. This girl was not to be underestimated.
I activated the Hurricane Calamity, unleashing blades in all directions, creating space between me and the girl. That gave me enough time to awaken my companions.
I pointed at her and tried to launch lightning in her direction. She quickly took cover behind some trees, staying out of range, giving me the opportunity to strike my comrades instead—and I did.
Everyone awoke from the illusion, but before they could understand what was happening, several carnivorous crows, drawn by the stench of the fruits, appeared.
I didn't pay attention to the crows—my target was the girl. I advanced at such speed that it hurt my legs, but I didn't care.
When she turned toward me, it was already too late—my punch was the first thing she received, knocking her out.
I glanced at my companions and saw that Nier had frozen the crows, putting me at ease.
But it wasn't over yet. Three more winged individuals appeared in the sky and quickly descended before us.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" they repeated the girl's question, but this time politely, without threats or tricks. So I decided to answer.
"I'm the Hero, and these are my companions. We came here because the Hero's Sword led us to this place."
"The Hero, you say... Very well. This place is off-limits to visitors, so please accompany us to the village."
"Alright."
"And we apologize for the trouble caused by Libby. She's always like that."
Mary replied,
"It's fine. No need to apologize."
After Libby woke up, the other three guided us to the village, occasionally chatting along the way.
"Libby, right?" I fell back to speak to her.
"What do you want?" she replied with a scowl.
"I just wanted to talk, and I hope you're not mad about my punch."
"And I hope you're not mad about stabbing you."
"Well, I guess we're even."
There was a brief silence before I said, trying to keep the conversation going,
"Did you design those traps?"
She sighed and replied sarcastically,
"Sorry for being overly cautious and for wanting to protect my home."
"That's not what I meant. If I were in your shoes, I'd have done the same."
"Are you trying to comfort me now?"
"No… I mean the others are careless to a dangerous degree, so what you do is actually correcting things."
"How do you know they're careless?" Libby looked at me suspiciously.
"That area was restricted, yet you were the only one to stop us… Well, we didn't know it was restricted. The sword led us here."
"You mean that blunt sword?"
"It's a sword in name only. Its real purpose is to guide me to the Chosen Ones."
Moments later, she realized,
"Wait, am I one of the Chosen Ones?"
"You're the first to realize it on your own."
Before we could continue, we had already arrived at the village and stood in front of the elder's house.
"Please, come in," one of the winged ones said, opening the door.
The room had an old village style, and lanterns on the walls gave the place a solemn aura.
Before us were six winged individuals gathered around the elder—a one-winged, one-eyed old woman with a powerful presence. Yet I didn't feel fear. Maybe because I had seen worse… Alexander… and I had faced the Rabbit, who was stronger than her.
"So, you're the human Hero?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then tell me… What makes you special? Why are you the only one who can save our world? Why can't we save it ourselves?"
Her words surprised me—but I had expected them. I had heard from Sinister that only the human kingdoms accepted the Hero as necessary. The rest believed they were strong enough to face any threat.
"I don't know. But I'm trying to do the mission… I'm not special."
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow any of my people to go with—"
Libby suddenly interrupted the elder.
"I'm the Chosen One."
The elder fell silent, then said…
"If that's the case, you may take this troublemaker with you."
We all had strange expressions.
"Ah… thank you."
She replied,
"But I never said I would go. Not until I reclaim my mother's legacy."
The elder looked angry but quickly calmed down.
"You can have it—if you win the Distribution Event."
I asked Mary,
"What's the Distribution Event?"
"It's a competition where twelve teams fight. Each team has a leader. At the end, the leaders choose their swords in order—from the winner to the first team that lost."
The elder continued,
"You have one day to gather four people to form a team… and I doubt you'll succeed. So, what do you say if I assemble a team for you?"
Libby smirked and looked at us.
"This is my team," she pointed at us.
One of the men around the elder interjected,
"You're bringing humans into this?"
"What, is that against the rules? Didn't the leader of the Third Village once include a dragon in her team?"
"I'll allow it."
"But Elder—"
"This is our chance to prove that the so-called Hero can't save anything—and that we can defeat any evil ourselves."
After we left, Libby looked at us apologetically.
"I'm sorry for what I did before… but I really need your help now."
"It's alright. Our first meeting wasn't the best either. You did try to assassinate the Hero."
I asked,
"Can I know more about your mother's legacy?"
A sorrowful look crossed her face.
"I was just a child when she died. But before she passed, she crafted a sword for me—not the strongest, not the weakest, but one made just for me."
She sighed and continued,
"When she died, she stated in her will that the sword should be given to me. But stupid laws say that swords must be earned, not inherited. So… the last thing she left me was taken away."
"I'm sorry for bringing it up. I promise I'll get it back for you."
From her perspective—and ours—the sword was rightfully hers, but from another point of view, the law made sense.
"Thank you… So, who's joining?"
"I am. And you, Khaled, Nier, and Nuh."
"What about us?"
Mary responded,
"Let it go. Finally, we get a break."
"Alright, here's the info about the participating teams."
*******
The Next Day
As we entered the event area—which was part of the same forest but surrounded by a metallic fence—the rules were displayed before us:
– If the leader is defeated, the whole team is disqualified. But losing a team member doesn't mean the team is out.
– Severe bodily injury to a member results in that member's elimination.
These rules were simple and few.
The event supervisor handed us a sash symbolizing the team leader—Libby wore it.
None of the other teams were in sight, as each team started in a different location.
As soon as the bell rang, all the teams took off with their wings, causing a burst of wind to hit us—and just as I expected, we were their prey.
We pushed deeper into the forest through gusts of wind, when suddenly, out of nowhere, five arrows struck the trees beside us.
But they didn't miss the trees due to bad aim—they had simply forgotten who Libby was.
This gave me the opportunity to slice the enemy leader's wing with a wind blade.
< First Elimination >
More attacks followed from the other teams—of all kinds—but they were all aimed in the wrong direction. Still, due to the density of the trees, we couldn't see the enemies.
So Khaled unleashed one powerful strike that destroyed all the trees around us, turning the area into an open arena.
Our enemies revealed themselves, and five of them launched a direct attack on us—but this time with proper coordination, as someone among them was clearly directing them.
"Your left!" someone shouted.
A volley of arrows flew at us. Libby couldn't keep up—her illusions couldn't affect all those minds at once.
Noah stepped forward and blocked the arrows while I flew up, using the Hurricane Calamity at full force.
The scene was overwhelming: 55 winged fighters targeting only us… but we've faced worse.
There was no time for such thoughts. As soon as we were airborne, close-combat fighters surrounded us—four in front, six behind.
I focused on the six behind me and landed on Libby's back, using her as a launch point. I activated Lightning Form and dashed like a flash of light, slicing through the chest of the first enemy and using him as another foothold to cut down the others behind him—one by one.
Before they could even blink, they had all fallen.
I turned my gaze to the other four and saw that Nier had frozen their wings, allowing Libby to easily take them down.
I glanced at our allies on the ground—Khaled was performing excellently, and he and Nier had eliminated the archers.
< Second Elimination >
< Third Elimination >
Suddenly, I felt something strange—like someone was trying to take control of me. But they failed.
It didn't take long to find the source.
I stared at him—it was one of the team leaders. In fact, the same one who had broken through Libby's illusion before. His nose was bleeding, and he looked horrified by what he saw in me, but quickly regained his composure and shouted:
"The human Hero has mental defense—target him first!"
All eyes turned toward me. I tried to distance myself from my companions as much as possible.
But between the remaining trees—those Khaled hadn't destroyed—there was a hidden threat.
One of the team leaders had the ability to create machines out of any material in front of him.
And unfortunately for me… I found myself face-to-face with a cannon of his making.
Before I could react, I was hit by the shot and thrown far, crashing into a bush.
"The human Hero has been eliminated!" the man shouted.
The news struck my companions like a bolt of lightning.
And from afar… the elder's smile surfaced. That old crone looked the happiest at my defeat.
Suddenly, Khaled began attacking Nier—no, it wasn't Khaled anymore, but the leader who had taken control of him.
Noah stepped in, protecting Nier and fighting Khaled, who was now holding nothing back.
Libby tried to salvage the situation.
Only 35 participants remained, but the battle had become hellish.
Another shot was fired from the cannon—but Noah blocked it with his back while still fighting Khaled.
There was no time to keep watching—it was time for me to intervene again.
From the bush I had crashed into, an arrow flew—striking directly at the one controlling Khaled.
< Fourth Elimination >
In that moment, the elder's smile vanished and turned into shock.
How could someone stand without a scratch after being hit by a cannon blast?
But I wasn't unharmed—truthfully, I should have been seriously injured.
However… for someone who witnesses time reversing, would cannon fire really be a problem?
I wasn't done yet.
Five more arrows launched, each hitting its mark as if shot by a master archer.
Five more team leaders were eliminated—including the cannon-user.
That was when I realized the real reason the elder didn't allow any of her people to join—except for Libby.
Because no one else among them could survive outside this forest.
Only five remained—two of them leaders.
Terrified by the situation, before they could surrender, Nier summoned a spike from the earth and impaled the first, while Lucy cut off the shoulder of the second.
< Libby's Team Wins >
With that announcement, a storm of conflicting emotions washed over the elder—joy that Libby had won and could reclaim her mother's sword… and rage at my victory, which disproved her bet.
*******
An Hour Later – When Libby Received Her Sword
We were standing in the elder's building when a black box bearing the symbol of wings on its lid was brought before us.
Slowly, Libby opened it—her hands were trembling. This was the moment she had waited for… for years.
Inside the box lay the sword: medium in length, with a curved, twisted hilt and a black blade that shimmered with a violet glow.
"I'm sorry, Libby, for having taken the sword away—but those were the rules. A restriction I couldn't break," said the elder with a sorrowful tone, staring at Libby.
I watched Libby's unreadable expression—a blend of joy, sadness, and nostalgia.
"Thank you, ma'am… on behalf of Libby," I said.
The elder replied,
"You've won… but that doesn't mean I've changed my mind. I still believe we can defeat any threat that comes our way."
After those words, we left the elder's building. Night had fallen, and the moonlight illuminated our faces.
"W-Wait… There's somewhere I want to see first," Libby said, her voice trembling.
I watched as she flew off toward some unknown place, clutching the sword as if it were the most precious thing she owned.
I used the Hurricane Calamity to take flight behind her, without her noticing, and followed her as she ascended a hilltop.
She sat quietly in front of something that looked like a gravestone—and I knew instantly whose it was.
Libby's body began to tremble, and the sound of her sobs filled the air.
I didn't know what to do… should I watch from a distance, or try to comfort her?
After some thought, I decided to approach.
"Libby."
She turned at the sound of my voice. Her green eyes were red from crying. She quickly wiped her tears and shouted,
"What are you doing here?!"
I sat beside her in silence. There wasn't anger in her voice—just a desire not to show her feelings.
Silence lingered between us—only our breaths could be heard.
"My mother died when I was twelve… She died protecting the village."
Libby broke the silence, her fingers gently tracing the gravestone.
"She was the one I loved most… the only one I had in my life… but she left."
I listened in complete silence, then asked,
"May I ask… who killed her?"
"…It was the Crimson King. One of the embodiments of evil.
Because of my mother, this village lived to see another day… but the price was her life."
Her tears returned. Emotions she had tried to suppress now overwhelmed her.
I thought about what to say—every possible sentence ended in a dead end.
So I took a chance on a few simple words.
"I don't think she regretted it… Most likely, she was happy—because she knew you would live one more day.
In the end… she truly loved you."
That was all I could offer. But the flow of her tears didn't stop.
Libby looked again at the sword and wiped the blade clean of her tears.
"My body's always been weak… fragile. That's why she made this for me."
"What does it do?"
"Use one of your abilities."
I fired a small electric charge at Libby. She turned—and the sword absorbed it completely.
She then pointed her finger at me—and the electricity was redirected right back at me.
I was stunned.
"This is unbelievable."
"…Yeah. My mom always did the impossible for me.
Is your mother like that too?"
I was embarrassed by the question, but I answered,
"It's complicated… I didn't really have anyone in my life except someone I consider a father, another like a brother, one friend… and a pet."
"So, how do you feel about the one you consider your father?"
"…I try to make him proud. But… sometimes, I feel like I'm just a cog in a machine to him."
"And here I thought I was the weird one?"
There it was… my usual tactic for changing topics.
But honestly, even I needed the change this time.
I looked from the hilltop at our companions, gathered around the campfire, waiting for our return.
Suddenly, Libby said,
"Wanna do a challenge?"
"A challenge?"
"Whoever gets there first wins," she said with a laugh—maybe to hide or forget her sadness. At that moment, I couldn't tell anymore.
"If you ever want to talk about anything… I'm here. Not as a leader, but as a brother."
Her green eyes sparkled, and something unreadable passed across her face. But it didn't last long—soon, she returned to her usual expression.
"You're flattering me so I'll let you win. That's not happening," she said, flapping her wings and flying toward the others.
"No way you're winning," I said, activating the Hurricane Calamity and soaring through the air after her.
Suddenly, Libby changed direction—I followed immediately.
We soared above the clouds, reshaping the sky itself, spiraling under the moonlight—
laughing together, though those laughs hid emotions neither of us could name.