Arou walked through the raging snowstorm.
Suddenly, standing before him was a magnificent and beautiful snow castle.
Its walls shimmered brilliantly, while towering ice spires rose high into the sky.
Without hesitation, Arou entered.
BANG!
The castle doors flew open after he kicked them down.
Several snow creatures turned toward him in shock.
"Who are you?!" one of them shouted.
"How dare you enter this place!"
Arou walked forward calmly.
"Don't waste my time," he said coldly.
"Tell me where Vowl is."
The snow creature sneered.
"I won't tell you."
Arou's gaze hardened.
"Then," he said flatly,
"I'll bring your end here."
The snow creatures laughed mockingly.
"Go ahead, if you can."
"There are too many of us."
Arou raised his sword slightly.
"Having numbers," he said quietly,
"doesn't necessarily mean you can defeat a King."
The snow creatures burst into loud laughter.
"The King? Hahaha!"
"Are you dreaming?"
"What kind of King doesn't even wear a shirt?" another one mocked.
"And only wears pants?"
Arou wasn't offended.
"I am a King," he said firmly.
"A King who will save my people from you."
"Hah! Enough talking!" the snow creature shouted.
Then it roared,
"ATTACK!!!"
---
The snow creatures moved simultaneously.
But—
in an instant—
Arou shot forward.
His body moved like a flash of light.
The blue sword gleamed as it swept through the air.
One after another, the snow creatures fell—
their forms breaking apart and returning to ordinary snow, as though they had never been alive.
The castle hall fell silent again.
Arou stood alone.
"…Anyone else?" he asked calmly.
There was no answer.
He immediately ran toward the upper floors of the castle.
---
In the highest chamber stood an ice throne.
Upon it stood the Snow King, wearing a crystal crown.
Arou approached him.
"Hey," he said.
"Do you know where Vowl is?"
The Snow King snorted.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"
Arou stared straight at him.
"Me?"
"I am a King."
The Snow King laughed mockingly.
"What kind of King are you?"
Arou raised his head.
"I am Zao," he said in a low, heavy voice.
"King of the Writers."
The Snow King's smile disappeared.
Without warning, he shot forward and formed a gigantic snowball before throwing it toward Arou.
BOOM!
The massive snowball struck Arou directly.
The castle walls trembled.
Snow filled the air.
But when everything settled—
Arou was still standing.
He hadn't moved.
He wasn't injured.
The Snow King was stunned.
"What…?!"
Arou slowly stepped forward.
"Your attack means nothing," he said coldly.
"I want to be quick."
"Tell me where Vowl is," he continued,
"or this battle ends right now."
The Snow King clenched his fists.
"I will never tell you."
Arou sighed softly.
"…Then."
He moved in an instant.
The blue sword, coated in purple light, swept across the throne room.
The Snow King's defenses collapsed.
His body cracked and began losing its form—
until finally, it shattered into snow, falling slowly onto the castle floor.
The throne room became silent once again.
Arou stood alone.
"…Now," he muttered,
"only you remain, Vowl."
---
Arou stepped outside the snow castle.
The moment his foot touched the ground—
something changed.
The air began to tremble.
The snow beneath his feet cracked like thin glass.
Arou stopped for a moment.
"…Hm?"
A massive cracking sound came from behind the castle.
KRAAAAK—
The ice towers began collapsing one after another.
The castle walls lost their brilliance, turning dull before shattering into countless snow fragments.
The island itself—
was losing its foundation.
The ground split apart.
Layers of ice collapsed downward, falling into a white void.
The snowstorm spun violently, as if it had lost its center.
Arou looked back.
"So the Snow King was its core…" he muttered.
"Once he fell, everything followed."
The island shook violently.
Distant ice mountains collapsed.
The frozen river cracked and sank.
Yet Arou remained standing.
He didn't panic.
He didn't rush.
Purple flames pulsed steadily within his body, resisting the pressure of the environment.
The snowy wind struck him from every direction—
but it couldn't knock him down.
"Then," he said quietly,
"this place is finished."
He stepped forward.
Before him, space began to distort.
The air folded.
Light trembled.
A path opened—
not a portal created by Zata.
But a passage formed by his own will.
The snow island behind him completely collapsed, sinking into the white void.
Arou didn't look back.
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
"…Vowl," he muttered coldly.
"I'm coming."
And with a single step—
Arou left the ruins of the snow island behind,
heading toward the stage of the true battle.
---
Elsewhere—
far from the collapsing snow island—
a battlefield suddenly came to a halt.
The air trembled.
Not because of an explosion.
Not because of an attack.
But because something had returned.
Airi stopped moving.
Her hand clenched unconsciously.
"…This," she muttered softly.
"This feeling…"
She looked around.
"Is it… him?"
Nora, who had been blocking an attack, suddenly froze.
The pressure in her chest had changed.
"No way," she whispered.
"But… I can feel it."
Fire, light, and energy across the battlefield fluctuated.
Lin raised his head.
"This isn't an illusion," he said confidently.
"This presence… is too clear."
Nova, standing on the front line, gave a faint grin.
"Heh."
"Finally."
"He's back."
Behind the smoke and destruction, they all felt it—
not a voice,
not a light,
but a presence.
Calm.
Steady.
Unshakable.
Like a pillar returning to its rightful place.
Airi closed her eyes for a moment.
"Don't be late," she whispered.
"Arou…"
At the same time—
far between layers of space—
Arou continued walking forward.
Purple flames pulsed steadily around him.
He wasn't running.
He wasn't rushing.
Yet every step he took—
made the world adjust to him.
And without realizing it—
those he protected
finally knew one thing for certain:
They were no longer alone.
Arou had returned to the stage.
And this story—
was finally moving toward its point of convergence.
---
The battlefield trembled.
The dark sky split apart under an invisible pressure.
Amid the clash of energy and the remnants of destruction—
space suddenly cracked.
Not an explosion.
Not an ordinary portal.
It was as though the world itself… was making way.
CRAAK—
A rift opened in the air.
And from within it—
Arou stepped out.
Calm.
His gaze was fixed forward.
Purple flames pulsed steadily around his body.
His footsteps were light, yet every step caused the ground to tremble faintly.
---
Lin was the first to notice him.
His eyes widened.
"…Is that…"
Nora stopped mid-motion.
Her breath caught.
"No way…"
Airi slowly turned around.
The moment their eyes met—
time seemed to slow.
Airi fell silent.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"…Arou?"
Arou stood right in the middle of the battlefield.
Among the ruins.
Among them.
No longer behind them.
No longer hiding.
He slowly raised his head.
"I'm back."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet it was enough to make the three of them feel one thing—
safe.
Nora lowered her head for a moment, holding back the emotions in her chest.
"Heh… took you long enough," she said, trying to sound casual.
Lin smiled faintly.
"Welcome back."
Airi took one step forward.
There were so many things she wanted to say.
Anger.
Relief.
Fear of losing him again.
But only one sentence came out softly—
"Don't leave again."
Arou looked at each of them.
His gaze was different.
Deeper.
Calmer.
"I won't stay behind anymore," he said firmly.
---
The energy around the battlefield changed.
The pressure increased.
The enemies in the distance began to realize that something had changed.
Arou raised his hand.
Purple flames pulsed—
then changed color.
They were no longer purple.
They became pure, blazing fire.
With a single motion—
he formed a long blade from the flames.
A flaming sword appeared directly from his hand.
It wasn't forged.
It wasn't summoned.
It was written into existence by the power of his divinity.
The blade shone brightly, yet remained perfectly stable.
The flames were not wild.
They obeyed Arou's will.
Lin stared at him in awe.
"He's… different."
Nora gave a crooked smile.
"No."
"He's always been like this."
Airi looked at Arou, her eyes now filled with confidence.
"Now," she said softly,
"we fight together."
Arou raised his flaming sword.
The fire reflected in their eyes.
"I didn't come here to catch up," he said calmly.
"I came to lead."
And the battlefield—
finally truly began.