At the capital gates, a 35-year-old soldier stood beside his comrade, chatting casually about all sorts of things.
From afar, a horse-drawn carriage approached, carrying seven passengers.
"Stop! We'll need to inspect you! Identification and reason for visit."
He hadn't realized who we were yet…
"Ron? Malik? I haven't seen you in—how are you?" Mary jumped out of the carriage with her usual radiant smile.
The soldiers saluted with hands over their chests.
"We salute Vice-Captain Mary!"
"There's no need for that—I'm not the Vice-Captain anymore."
"Another pretender, huh?"
Mary glared at Lucy but said nothing in my presence.
Khaled lost his patience. "Can we enter? We have a lot to do."
"Right, of course. You may enter."
We passed through the city on our way to the castle. People stared at us—some in awe, some with respect… others with unreadable expressions.
Suddenly, we spotted a crowd of people—young and old—gathered in front of what looked like a circus cart. The host was a single person.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first show of the Puppet Maker!" Silence fell over the place, but the puppet maker continued with a cheerful tone, "I hope you enjoy my performance."
He stepped behind a wooden table with a roof overhead, disappearing from view. Then, with incredible finesse, he began manipulating dozens of strings. It was like a full-blown play: countless puppets—divided into red and blue teams—moved as if they were truly alive.
The puppets fought, shattered, and destroyed one another… some even leapt off the stage. From the blue team, dragon-like puppets descended and decimated many of the red ones.
A particularly sturdy puppet leapt onto one of the dragons, smashing everything beneath it. And though the chaos was focused there, every undamaged puppet continued to move smoothly—as if with a will of its own.
A hidden trapdoor opened at the top of the platform, and all the puppets froze. Robotic arms descended, grabbing most of the blue puppets and vanishing just as suddenly.
But the battle wasn't over. The fight between the remaining puppets resumed.
As a finale, two star-shaped wooden blocks dropped—one from each side—and clashed, releasing a blinding light that burned our eyes.
When the light faded, the puppet maker was bowing before us.
The performance felt more like a show of force than a puppet act… but it was entertaining nonetheless.
Cheers and applause filled the air.
"Thank you all! I hope you enjoyed the show. I'm announcing now that I'll be performing across the world—from the Human Kingdoms to the Dragon Lands—all the way to the world's end!"
The world's end? That meant we'd be seeing him again.
"Hero!"
A familiar voice called out—a voice I missed.
"Ronald. It's been a while."
"Yeah, about a year."
His eyes drifted past me, scanning the others. "Are these the chosen ones?"
"These are my companions—Khaled, Noah, Nier, Lucy, and Libby."
"Pleasure to meet you all."
I asked, "How are the King, Lysia, and Raphael?"
"They're well. Not much has changed since you left."
"What about Arcanthia's movements?"
"Our spy will be back soon, no need to rush. But the other kingdoms have abandoned us. They don't want to get involved."
Anger twisted Ronald's face.
As everyone walked toward the castle, I reassured him,
"It's fine. They were never part of my plans anyway."
"We even requested international support, and they only sent 1,000 players."
"International support?"
"A coalition Ryoma founded 7,000 years ago to defend against external threats—organizations, calamities, you name it. It includes all lands, strong or weak."
Noah chimed in, "I didn't get any of that."
"Neither did I—and I'm the Crown Prince. But that's the gist."
"Hero!"
Another voice—this time Lysia—rang out as we reached the castle gates.
"You still haven't changed. Still ugly."
"And you still have the world's longest tongu—"
From Lysia's shadow lying on the ground, an assassin leapt out. Cloaked in black, he covered her mouth and tried to abduct her.
I activated my Lightning Form and drew my sword, slicing off both of the attacker's arms before he vanished back into the shadow. Nier created a ring around his neck and launched him 20 meters into the air with a connected pillar to prevent escape.
But he forgot to make a foothold for the assassin, leaving him hanging like a noose.
"Nier! Give him a foothold or he'll die—hurry!" Khaled shouted, startling Nier into creating an unstable, jagged platform.
The problem wasn't the shape… it was the speed.
As the man flailed to stabilize himself, the platform severed his left foot. His scream echoed through the castle.
"I-I didn't mean to… I was just nervous…"
I patted Nier's head gently.
"Mistakes happen. The important thing is, you stopped him from escaping."
"But I… I cut off his foot."
"Huh? That's not the issue. The problem is he almost died before we could interrogate him."
Just as I finished, the severed foot dropped beside us, along with the man's arms—bones exposed, blood pouring everywhere.
I turned to check on Lysia…
Her body trembled. Her eyes wide, face blue, mouth open in terror.
Ronald stepped forward, embracing her and shielding her view. He gently patted her head.
"It's okay, sister. Everything's fine now."
She clung to him tightly as her body slowly calmed down.
Raphael arrived with guards, alerted by the scream. One glance was enough to understand the scene.
"Take him to the hospital. Once he's stable, move him to the prison for questioning."
Nier lowered him slowly to avoid another mishap.
Mary added, "He emerged from the shadows. Make sure to keep him in a well-lit place."
The guards nodded, and Raphael turned to me again.
"It's good to see you again, Hero. I'll prepare rooms for you all to rest. I hope to get to know the chosen ones better later."
"Of course. Thank you, Raphael."
"No need to thank me. You're my friend… and our ally." He turned to Ronald, who had stepped away from Lysia.
"Didn't you have something urgent to say to the Hero?"
"Yeah, but things escalated quickly."
"I'll take care of Lysia."
"I'm okay now, Raphael. Don't worry."
With sarcasm, "Yeah, sure… Alright, everyone, follow me. I'll show you your rooms."
"I already know mine. I'll walk with Ronald a bit."
"As you wish, Hero."
"Oh, and… Khaled—I need a word."
Khaled looked confused, but I pulled him aside.
"Do you still not trust us?"
He paused. "…I trust you."
"What about the rest?"
"…"
"Khaled… You're the most qualified person to lead after me. You have to— I mean… I won't always be here."
Sadness filled Khaled's eyes, though he tried to hide it.
"I understand… But it's hard."
I scratched my head. "I know you understand even when I say nothing. Just… give them a chance."
"Huh?"
I put my hands on his tense shoulders.
"I'm begging you. Please give them a chance to prove themselves… to prove they're different."
Khaled's breathing grew heavier.
"Even if I do… Will I be worthy to lead them? Will I be able to sacrifice for them… like you do?"
"I don't want you to copy me. Lead your way. I told you—I trust you and your decisions."
"But… how? Please, just tell me what I need to do as a leader."
I thought for a moment.
"First, stay calm. I know that's tough, but a leader's role is to reduce panic. Our presence should make them feel safe."
"Calm, huh… I'll try."
I smiled. "Second, make your own way. You don't need to be a copy of me. Even I make mistakes, and that's why I need people who think differently. That's how great plans are born. That's all."
Khaled sighed.
"Your words are simple, but you're still so hard to understand… Still, the more I talk to you, the more I get it. I'll do my best to ease your burden."
"That's what I want to hear. Alright then… I'll head out for a bit. Take care of the team."
"Sure, Hero."
"Oh, and don't forget—if you ever need anything, tell me. I'm here as a brother before a leader."
A soft smile crept onto Khaled's face.
"Brother, huh? Yeah… I guess you are."
I watched him return to the others, then turned to Ronald.
"You've trained your team well."
"What do you mean?"
"They operate like a special ops squad, even if they look weak at first glance."
"I just gave them a path… But how do you know their level?"
"You don't know? Your battle with the Rabbit spread like wildfire on VoxView."
"Oh right… I forgot this world has that streaming app."
"There's a video of it."
"Of course… the one where we got humiliated by the Rabbit…"
"You were doomed to lose. But surviving against one of the Embodiments of Evil? That's an achievement."
"The Rabbit is an Embodiment of Evil? Like the Crimson King?"
"Yeah… Except the Crimson King earned his name not from his armor, but from the fact that every place he steps in turns crimson. Compared to the Rabbit? He's a rookie."
I was shocked. My eyes widened.
"How brutal is that Rabbit, exactly?"
Ronald clutched his mouth as if recalling a nightmare.
"Let's change the subject…"
"…Your brother Raphael is sharp."
"Yeah… He got that from our father."
I hesitated. "No offense, but… the King seems overly kind. Naively so."
"…You're not wrong. That's because of the path he chose… the Path of Light."
"What do you mean by path?"
"My father's ability is the Sun. It grants him two paths that reflect aspects of it: Fire and Light."
Ronald sat on the edge of the castle wall.
"The Path of Fire turns you ruthless—Solarin is a clear example. The Path of Light, on the other hand, forces you to open your heart to everyone… even those who would betray or hurt you."
"I don't get why these paths exist at all."
"To evolve your ability, you must follow the path you choose. The more you progress, the more it engrains itself into you—until it becomes law."
"So you're saying Alexander chose to be naive over becoming a monster."
"Exactly."
The more I learned about Alexander, the more I respected him… But I wondered: is his kindness truly his own, or a mask his power forced him to wear?
"So why didn't Sinister just tell me this instead of being vague about 'requirements'?"
"Because he was worried… Calamity is a single-path ability—called the Path of Calamity. To develop it, you have to commit massive destruction without remorse… That's the problem."
I said coldly, "Then the solution is simple."
Ronald looked puzzled. "What?"
"I just won't evolve it."
"Huh? Well… I guess that works. But you'll be weak."
"I'm fine with that."
Ronald thought.
"…Actually, there might be a way to get stronger without relying on abilities. Reinhard told me he's going to train me in the Origin."
"The Origin?"
"It's the root of all power systems—mana, chakra, ki, everything. Mana only works in this land, and every world has its own system. But the Origin works everywhere."
The source of all power systems… That meant End Writers wouldn't need to learn each world's system anymore. Once I learned it, I'd share it with the Great Writer.
"But that just means I won't have to re-learn power systems everywhere… not that I'll be stronger."
Ronald replied, "I said maybe, so I'm not sure yet." He hesitated, about to say something more.
"You know… At first, I was jealous of you. I want to apologize for that."
I smirked. "Is that why you were such a pain back then?"
He laughed. "Yeah… I used to wonder why my father would trust some random guy he just met. We're not weak—we could handle any outside threat ourselves."
"What changed your mind?"
"…After my father yelled at me, I remembered I'm a prince. That's not how I should act. So I gave you a chance—and you didn't disappoint."
We both stared at the sunset from the castle wall.
"Of course I didn't disappoint. I'm me, after all. But if your reason was jealousy, what about Lysia's?"
"She doesn't need a reason. She's like that with everyone. You could say… that's how she shows love."
"That's a weird way of showing it."
"She loves everyone. And that's why… she's weak. She can't hurt anyone or bear to see others hurt."
"You mean what happened earlier?"
"…Yeah. I failed as her older brother."
"There was nothing you could've done. It happened so fast."
"It's not just that… Even Ryan. I barely know anything about him, even though he's my brother. Raphael's smarter than me, more reliable in our father's eyes. I'm just strong, and that's it."
"…Being the eldest doesn't mean doing everything alone. You're supposed to work with your siblings, to complement each other. Raphael may be smart, but he's weak—he depends on you for protection. So depend on him too."
"But… what about Ryan? I don't even know where he goes or what he does."
"Does anyone?"
"…I don't think so. He rarely talks."
"Then that's on him, not you. But maybe… try starting the conversation yourself."
"I'll try. Thanks for the advice."
"No need to thank me. We're friends."
I added, "Come on, it's getting late."
******
The next day, at the same training grounds I had destroyed months ago, we stood before the Knight Commander, Reinhard.
The grounds were empty, except for me, my comrades, and Ronald.
"I will train you in preparation for the war, but first, I must see your level."
Nir replied, "Didn't you see our fight with the rabbit?"
"I did... but all I saw was your defeat... and besides, there were people who weren't present in that battle."
"Can we skip the introductions? We have a meeting in two hours."
"Of course, Hero."
Noah put on his gloves while everyone prepared their weapons for a one-versus-eight battle — all of us against Reinhard.
Reinhard was the first to move, given how unfair the odds were against him.
Noah stepped forward, trying to block the first strike, but the sheer momentum of Reinhard's charge was terrifying.
Just as the punch was about to land, Noah activated his accessory, allowing the blow to pass through him. He dashed away from Reinhard and fired the bladed chains from his gloves to trap Reinhard's arms.
Previously, Noah had wanted to upgrade his gloves, so he removed the blades and added chains, making them a hybrid between armor and a close- and long-range weapon.
Back in the fight, me, Ronald, and Khaled launched ourselves at Reinhard, whose arms were bound.
From Reinhard's perspective — thanks to one of Libby's illusions — there appeared to be nine of us instead of eight.
He closed his eyes, trying to focus his senses, but it was useless — all of his senses had been dulled. Ronald's stab struck his chest but didn't penetrate deeply due to the hardness of his body.
Reinhard bit his lip until it bled, managing to break the illusion... and with a roar, lifted Noah's body — still clinging to his arms — and swung him like a weapon to repel our attacks.
He almost hit us, but Noah, using his intangible body, passed through us and escaped Reinhard's grip. From behind, a green paralyzing gas spread. Reinhard covered his nose with his cloak and punched the ground, creating a shockwave that cleared the smoke — but—
As soon as the smoke vanished, Mary appeared before him, her flaming sword descending toward his neck. For the first time, Reinhard drew his own sword and parried Mary's blow expertly, redirecting her attack.
Behind him, Lucy stabbed his side with a dagger laced with the same paralyzing poison.
Before he could counter, the illusion returned — this time with Nir's strikes raining down unpredictably.
"Khaled, Ronald, get ready to jump in soon."
I activated lightning form and unleashed a storm of attacks, breaking through his defense and giving Mary an opening to strike his chest.
Reinhard caught Mary's sword with his teeth, using his powerful jaw to break the blade.
"Mary, catch!" I threw my sword to her and wrapped my legs around Reinhard's neck, landing punch after punch on his face.
He grabbed the back of my shirt and flung me like a ball into the wall.
Wasting no time, Reinhard's gaze turned toward Libby, who was preparing another illusion.
Ignoring all attacks from Mary and Nir, he closed the distance to Libby in one dash and attempted a punch — but Libby blocked it with her sword, absorbing his energy into her body and returning it with a punch to his jaw.
Reinhard didn't back down. At that moment, Noah joined again, launching savage, rapid attacks from afar. Reinhard could barely keep up when Nir intervened, freezing his lower half.
Then Ronald and Khaled stepped in, trying to finish the battle.
"That's enough!" a voice rang from the training hall's entrance, stopping all movement. It was King Alexander.
"Your Majesty, we were just training," Reinhard said with a smile.
"Yes, I see that... but it seems you've overdone it." He paused, then added, "Change your clothes and prepare for the meeting."
We all responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."
*******
After changing, we gathered around a large table — me, my comrades, the two princes Ronald and Raphael, and Knight Commander Reinhard.
"Who are we waiting for?" Nir asked.
I answered, "The spy we sent to Arkanthia."
Suddenly, the door opened, and in came the one man who truly terrified me — Ryan.
"Hello, Father, and esteemed gentlemen," he said politely, placing his hat on his chest and bowing.
Mary was shocked at his entrance. "Is this the spy? I thought you said the third prince was just a failure."
"Ah, Lady Mary, that's just a rumor I spread myself — to lower our enemies' guard."
The king added, "That was a secret, but Ryan asked us to keep it hidden. Only I and his brothers know the truth."
Ryan continued, "In truth, this world is full of lies that people mistake for reality... don't you agree, Hero?"
I hid my unease and replied with fake composure, "Indeed."
Ryan sat beside me and whispered, "No need to worry, Endwriter... I'm on your side today."
"Glad to hear that."
Ronald asked, "So how did your mission go, Ryan?"
"I didn't gain much new intel, unfortunately... but I did form a resistance and several rebel forces that will weaken Arkanthia from within."
Noah was stunned. "You did all that on your own?"
"It was a bit difficult... Oh right, the kingdom of Zerven has allied with Arkanthia."
Ronald replied, "What? That's bad — we haven't even solved the issue of Arkanthia's secret weapon yet."
"That's why the plan is to bring down Arkanthia as fast as possible — and Ryan's embedded factions will help a lot."
"Wait, Raphael, but—" Khaled began, but was cut off by a low, unsettling laugh... it came from Reinhard.
"The Skeletal Wings will descend upon this land," Reinhard said — that cursed phrase, a harbinger of catastrophe that would claim thousands of lives.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to," Reinhard quickly regained his composure.
I turned to Ryan and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
"He has the power of the Two-Faced Jester."
"The Two-Faced Jester?"
"It grants him two personalities — one kind with his allies, and in that state, he has immense physical strength."
"Yes, I noticed... we already got beat up by him."
"His other, monstrous side multiplies that strength and gives him additional brutal powers."
Wait... that means what we saw is only part of his full power... That makes him one of the strongest people in this war — second only to the king.
At that moment, an idea struck me. "Can we request help from the international community?"
"We already did. They sent a thousand players."
"No, I won't contact the Dragon Lands."
Everyone looked at me in confusion, but I continued, "I want to contact Asgard."