"I AM THE STRONGEST, SO MAKE ME BOW! YOU... YOU—INSOLENT TRAITORS!"
A bloodied man with long golden hair stood tall, his golden-plated armor—once regal with lion engravings—now soaked in blood and cracked from battle.
"My liege... though you are the strongest, you were never worthy enough to earn our unyielding trust."
A man clad in similar armor stepped forward, though his was different—corrupted. Veins of molten fire cracked across the gold like a curse
"My love..."
A scarlet-haired woman whispered, her eyes filled with something between sorrow and resolve. Her armor bore twisted mouths, whispering, gnashing, and hungering across its surface.
"You were once my everything. My world. The strongest... but all of that meant nothing when you chose to pursue the Tower."
"Father!" a blond boy shouted, sneering. He wore matching armor, but his face was unsettling—half of it mirrored his father's bloodied expression, reflecting back every ounce of his pain.
"Just die already, and hand me the throne! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"I, Leontes Gravemarch, WILL NEVER YIELD TO TRAITORS. PREPARE YOURSELVES... FOR DEATH!"
Leontes roared, gripping two radiant swords—blades humming with divine energy.
"Come then, strongest," said a dark-robed man with long black hair, summoning a legion of undead from the earth at his feet.
"Let's see what you're truly made of."
"IF THIS IS MY LAST STAND, THEN I'M DRAGGING ALL OF YOU WITH ME!"
Leontes charged.
His Twin blades swung with the ferocity of a reaper's scythe, slicing through undead like wheat. With a snap of his fingers, he hurled the blades into the air. They hovered, then spun rapidly beside him like luminous buzzsaws, clearing a path through the swarm.
The roar of spinning steel echoed like a helicopter preparing for liftoff.
Leontes walked forward, undeterred, slicing through the throng of undead as if they were mere illusions.
Now standing face-to-face with his betrayers—his wife, his son, his best friend, and his mortal enemy—he whispered:
"I summon, in the name of Pride, a soldier worthy of standing by my side. A being capable of anything. A warrior with no remorse. I summon... ME."
A golden light exploded from his body, forcing the four enemies to shield their eyes.
When the light faded, another Leontes stood beside him. The original now wore a splendid crown, while his clone bore a radiant halo.
Without hesitation, both Leontes charged.
The scarlet-haired woman conjured a monstrous beast with a gaping maw to devour them—but within moments, it stopped moving. Chunks of its body fell apart in perfect cubes, disintegrating.
The two Leontes barely blinked.
The crowned Leontes lifted his haloed clone and hurled him into the sky. Midair, the clone summoned a storm of swords—lances of golden light rained down like divine judgment.
The son, frantic, conjured a mirror realm to reflect the attack. But while he focused upward, the real Leontes dashed toward him like a thunderbolt.
The fire-cracked friend spat molten magma to intercept him—but it was too late. The crowned Leontes blurred forward at light-speed, slicing his own son cleanly in half.
The boy, now in several pieces, tried to speak.
"You... were... the strongest... for... a reason... Dad..."
The haloed Leontes unleashed a wave of radiant destruction, annihilating undead and pinning down the three remaining enemies.
The crowned Leontes muttered coldly:
"You knew I was the strongest. And yet you betrayed your own father... What a pity."
The scarlet-haired woman tried to flee, but the crowned Leontes appeared behind her in a flash, restraining her.
"Darling, I'm sorry! Please, forgive me!"
She cried, looking into her husband's hollow gaze.
"My love... I trusted you," Leontes said, tightening his grip.
"But now, it's time to die."
She tried to devour him with one of the mouths on her armor—enlarged grotesquely—but a sword of light pierced her heart before she could act.
The haloed Leontes landed, conjuring two more swords of light.
His target: the best friend.
The crowned Leontes vanished in a flash, appearing beside him. Before the friend could speak, four swords pierced his body—two from the front, two from behind.
Now only one enemy remained.
The two Leontes vanished into radiant light and reappeared above the necromancer.
But this time, the enemy reacted. With a single swing of his dark scythe, he parried all four blades.
"Leontes... Leontes... Leontes."
The necromancer laughed, wiping a tear.
"You really used the 'Mirror of Me' technique... on this pathetic occasion?"
"Duluvan," both Leontes said in unison,
"why resort to these petty tricks controlling those closest to me?"
"Because facing you head-on is suicide."
Duluvan grinned, tossing aside his robes to reveal a rotting, diseased body.
"You're the strongest. That's why you had to be tricked. This floor the 99th, this battle... all orchestrated by the alliance.
But that alliance? Every one of them belonged to 'The Rule'."
Leontes froze.
Memories rushed through his mind—memories of easy victories, too-convenient allies, subtle manipulations he never questioned. Because he was strong, he never suspected betrayal. It was all a lie.
"DULUVAN!"
Both Leontes charged.
"COME THEN, LET US DIE TOGETHER!"
A blinding clash of radiant light and soul-consuming darkness shook the world.
When the dust settled, a massive crater
was left in their wake. The sky above was torn open—a rift in space itself.
Standing atop the broken Duluvan were the two Leontes, their swords buried deep into his chest.
"Die quietly, Duluvan," the original said, as the clone vanished into golden dust.
Now alone, Leontes knelt, clutching his chest.
"HAHAHAHA! Betrayed... to the end. I, the strongest—killed like this? What a joke..."
His bloodied armor shimmered in the fading light as he collapsed beside Duluvan.
"Pride... if you can hear me—give me a
second chance. Not only will I remain the strongest... I will become a god. I will serve you... for all eternity..."
He died with a grin on his face.
Silence followed.
Then, a voice echoed through the void.
[Oh yeah? Leontes? You'll become a god and serve me? I like it.]
Then existence itself bended , the ground was the sky , the sky was the ground. Every people disappearing in thin air. The Oceans dried up. Space itself collapsed.
[IN MY NAME—"PRIDE ITSELF"—I SACRIFICE MYSELF TO TURN BACK TIME THIRTY YEARS. IN EXCHANGE FOR THE LIFE OF LEONTES GRAVEMARCH, HE SHALL AWAKE IN THE PAST... WITH THE MEMORIES OF HIS CURRENT SELF.]
As if he didn't experience death and was just awoken from a nightmare.
Leontes gasped awake.
The first thing he saw—was a floating window.
// Name: Leontes Gravemarch
Age: 15 (Mental Age: 45)
Awakened Power: 'Herald of Pride', 'Pride Himself', 'Returner's Memoir'
Title: Arrogant Noble
Year: 1567 //
Leontes stared at it, then smiled.
"Looks like my desperate prayer was heard. That damned god Pride... always doing whatever it takes to one-up the others."
He clenched his fist.
"A new life, huh? One year before the Tower emerges... Perfect."
Leontes stood, eyes burning with resolve.
"Pride, your sacrifice won't be in vain. I'll become the strongest in your name."
He stepped forward, facing the dawn.
"To be strong is to stand alone. To be the strongest... is to be betrayed by all."
"I LEONTES GRAVEMARCH WILL NEVER YIELD TO PETY TRICKS AGAIN!"