Rain fell.
Not a storm. Not divine judgment. Just… rain.
Raven stood at the edge of the cliff behind the new guild headquarters, staring at the city below — distant, almost peaceful. It was hard to believe that war had raged for over two decades now. Hard to believe they had survived this long. Harder still to believe that the final chapter was approaching.
Ava stood behind him, holding two cups of steaming tea. She said nothing, simply offering one.
"Still tastes like data," Raven said after a sip.
She smiled. "You still make that joke."
They both laughed — not because it was funny, but because it was familiar. And right now, familiarity was more precious than strength.
---
Inside the guild's war room, the holographic globe spun slowly. Regions marked in red represented corrupted zones. Black ones were fully erased territories. White — neutralized by divine intervention.
Only a few green zones remained.
Sol pointed at a blinking red dot hovering over the Indian subcontinent. "The unknown entity is accelerating its takeover rate again. Estimated full collapse in four days if no divine shield is reapplied."
"And the gods?" Raven asked.
Sol shook his head. "Gone quiet. Ever since the Flame-Smith stopped answering prayers."
"Even Hephaestus?"
"He's sealed himself off. Whatever you did with the fusion, Raven… you're the last voice Nihilos listens to now."
---
Later that night, Raven found himself staring at the sky again. Stars that weren't stars anymore. Just holes in reality waiting to be rewritten.
A voice echoed behind him.
"You realize you're still holding back."
Raven turned. A man stood there. The same man who once called himself Lee Kang-Woo. The vessel of a demon god. Or perhaps something older.
"Yeah," Raven said. "I do."
"Why?"
"Because once I stop holding back… I won't be me anymore."
Kang-Woo nodded. "Fair answer."
He stepped closer, gaze sharp. "Then prepare. Because soon, someone — or something — will force your hand. And when that happens, there won't be a war."
Raven's eyes narrowed. "What then?"
"There will be erasure."
---
Back inside:
Ava was asleep on the couch, half-covered in a blanket. Sol sat beside her, reading old player logs, compiling skills lost to time.
The guild hall was quiet.
Too quiet.
And then — the rain stopped.
Not faded.
Stopped.
Mid-drop. Frozen.
Raven stood. His status window opened on its own. A message blinked:
> [Nihilos System: Awakening Event Queued] [Warning: You are being observed] [Estimated Time Remaining: 07:14:55:03]
Seven days. Fourteen hours. Fifty-five minutes. Three seconds.
The countdown to the final reality rewrite had begun.