"Hey, bodyguard."
A voice, almost like William's but younger, echoed through the room.
"You called for me, young master William?" A man in his late middle age bowed respectfully.
"Yes. My friends and I were studying, and we came across an interesting topic." At his words, the kids around William giggled.
"You used to be a soldier, fighting on the frontlines, right?"
Still bowing, the bodyguard answered, "Yes, young master."
"Then… you must have seen a close friend dying in front of you, right?
"…" The bodyguard paused, then spoke quietly. "Yes."
"So… which hurts more? Dying yourself, or knowing your brothers didn't make it back because of you?"
"…" The bodyguard stayed silent, unable to answer.
"My friend says living with guilt is worse than dying. I think that's nonsense." William leaned closer. "So, which is it? Death or guilt?"
The bodyguard hesitated, still bowed. "Young master… this is a painful subject. May I ask not to answer?"
"Why not? You joined the army on purpose, didn't you? Surely you weren't dumb enough to think nobody dies out there."
The bodyguard kept silent, head still lowered.
"Tch." William sneered. "Some bodyguard you are—boasting about years on the battlefield, but too scared to answer a simple question."
***
Back in the present—
William sat alone in the middle of the battlefield. Explosions shook the ground in the distance, but he didn't care.
He only stared at Tonto's lifeless body.
Memories and regrets filled his mind. With every memory, every disregard he had given, William's nails dug into his palms, and his teeth bit his lips until blood dripped.
It wasn't sadness. It wasn't guilt. What grew inside him was something far more violent, an uncontrollable rage.
But the rage wasn't for the enemy. It was for himself.
His breathing grew faster, harsher, until it turned into gasps. Any rational thought drowned in the flood of emotion.
Then, an explosion went off nearby. The shockwave threw William across the ground.
Even then, he stayed in his trance, head lowered, never looking up.
Until—
"EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE TODAY! NONE OF YOU WILL GET THROUGH ME!!"
Isaac's voice thundered across the battlefield.
A massive explosion followed.
The sound jolted William back to reality. He looked up for the first time since Tonto's death—his eyes locking onto Isaac.
Through the thick fog, Isaac's blue armor glowed like a sun, cutting through the mist.
He hovered over the battlefield, with hundreds of Mountain-Eaters gathered beneath him.
With a swing of his fist, a huge wave of blue force erupted, exploding across the area.
The Mountain-Eaters struck back.
Chunks of earth and stone flew skyward.
Colossal dirt spikes, tall as skyscrapers, shot upward, all converging on one spot.
Some Mountain-Eaters even hurled their entire bodies upward, straight toward Isaac.
But unfazed, Isaac dove straight down, smashing through the monster's head-on.
When he hit the ground, another blue shockwave blasted outward, pushing back enemies for hundreds of yards.
Without pause, he lunged at the nearest Mountain-Eater. Blue energy wrapped his fist, and with one punch, he tore a hole through its stomach, killing it instantly.
A blood-red beam shot at him—but Isaac waved his hand, easily deflecting it.
Then he countered.
Blue energy surged around his fist, and he punched the air at the monster's direction.
"Air Cannon!!" Isaac shouted
The air bent violently, compressed into a sphere, then fired forward.
The blast slammed into a six-legged monster in the distance, launching it into the air and smashing it into others.
Chaos swallowed the battlefield.
Every time the Mountain-Eaters thrust up pillars of stone, Isaac's blue blasts tore them apart. The ground shattered. The air shook. Nothing could stand in his way.
William watched, in a trance—not by Isaac's strength, but by how easily he crushed the elites.
A thought whispered in his mind. 'If I can be that strong.'
Pillars rose. Explosions answered. Again and again, Isaac swept the monsters aside.
However, out of nowhere the blue light that was Isaac slammed into the ground. His aura flickered once—then died.
From every side, stone pillars erupted, crashing together at the spot where Isaac had fallen.
William's eyes widened. He tried to stand, but with only one leg, he collapsed.
Panic rushed in. He didn't know what was happening—or what to do.
Then, a blue streak of light zipped past William, cutting across the sky and dived down on the swarm of elite Mountain-Eaters.
At the same time, someone appeared beside him.
"This place isn't safe. You should leave." A woman's voice.
William flinched, spinning to see a soldier in full blue armor.
The soldier grabbed him by the torso, ready to run.
"Wait. Wait!" William cried. "Please—at least take my friend's body."
The soldier glanced around and saw Tonto's corpse nearby, his lower half missing.
Her voice softened. "…I understand."
She lifted Tonto's body carefully, then dashed away, leaving a streak of blue light.
***
Back where Isaac raged among the elites—
A blur shot toward him while his focus was elsewhere.
Sensing it, Isaac turned with a snarl. "Cunning bastard—"
But he's too late. A strike slammed into his torso, smashing him into the ground.
Worse, his magic armor flickered and failed shortly after the strike.
Now, only his physical armor protects him. Isaac was swarmed.
Stone spikes, towering walls, and massive limbs came from every side.
All are aiming to kill him.
Isaac tried to summon his magic armor again, but nothing answered. His magic refused to respond.
With no other option, he curled into a ball and braced himself.
[THOOOM!]
The collision shook the battlefield with a massive impact.
As the dust swirled, the Mountain-Eater Prince finally revealed itself, landing heavily on the ground.
It had been behind the sneak attack. Now, crouched low, it prepared to strike again.
When the rubble settled, the Prince spotted a faint human outline in the haze—and charged.
Its bladed fingers—four arms aligned like swords—stabbed straight at Isaac's neck.
They pierced. Blood splattered.
But then—the strike stopped.
The dust cleared.
Isaac had caught the Prince's stab with his bare hand—his palm pierced through.
His armor was cracked and full of holes, but Isaac glared at the Prince with madness in his eyes.
"Like I said… If I'm going to hell today, then all of you are going with me!"
With his free hand, he grabbed the Prince's arm. Muscles straining, he slammed it into the ground, leaving a crater.
But the Prince was unfazed. It sprang back up and instantly retreated, leaving Isaac exposed.
The elites seized the chance, attacking all at once—
—but a blue streak dove from the sky, colliding with Isaac and yanking him away from danger.
The Prince saw the intruder, but it was too fast. Before it could react, the figure was already airborne with Isaac in tow.
"General Isaac, sir, are you okay?" the soldier asked, holding him tight as they flew upward.
Isaac scoffed. "I'm not dead yet, am I? Stop talking nonsense. Where are the others?"
"Some soldiers are waiting. More are still on the way, sir!"
"I see. Then take me to the first group. We'll plan from there."
"Yes, sir!"
Blue wings of light flared from the soldier's back as he sped into the sky.
A distance away, a squad of soldiers in blue armor hid, watching the elites.
"Did Bell rescue the General?" one whispered.
Before anyone could answer, Bell landed carrying Isaac.
"General!"
"No time for greetings," Isaac snapped. "We don't have long before the Mountain-Eaters act again. I'll explain the plan against the elites. Thor, you'll relay it to the others still coming."
He laid out the main strategy, leaving the details to his men.
Then, the elites moved.
They spread out. Some dove underground. Others sprinted away.
All vanished—except one.
The Mountain-Eater Prince.
Standing alone by itself.
Seeing this, Isaac understood right away.
"Change of plans," he ordered. "I'll face the Prince alone. The rest of you—go after the others."
He turned to Bell. "You're with me. Drop me above it. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
Bell pick up Isaac and flew upward, climbing higher and higher.
After reaching as high as the cloud Bell warned.
"General, this is as high as I can go." Sweat ran down his face.
"Good enough. Dive down now."
Wings of light manifested as Bell accelerated downwards, carrying Isaac at extreme speed.
Wind roared past Isaac's face. He grinned faintly, raising his fist as blue energy gathered around him.
The glow grew brighter with every second.
"Now!!"
Bell released him and pulled away.
Like a falling meteor, Isaac plummeted, fist blazing with light.
"Super Charged: Meteor Fall!!"
[DOOOOM!!]
The impact was massive. A small nuke exploded, shockwaves blasting for miles.
Dust clouds rose thick and heavy.
Then, blue light cut through the haze.
One streak. Then another. Then a burst of air cleared the field.
Revealing Isaac, standing in his gleaming magic armour.
But the Prince was nowhere to be seen.
Then—a blur.
It shot from the ground, aiming for Isaac's head.
Isaac tilted aside, dodging, then leapt back.
"So, you finally show yourself. I thought you'd just keep hiding behind your lackeys."
The Prince didn't react, only stood ready.
"So that's how it'll be…" Isaac turned serious.
Without another word, both charged.
Isaac with his fists.
The Prince with its four arms.