At that moment, the world before Edgar's eyes transformed once more, and there he saw the familiar yellow road, with the System screen glowing in the humid air. The air around him vibrated like a transparent sheet, then the words formed as if inscribed on water:
[System Activated]
[Door Level: E]
[Cleaner Rank: E]
[Mission Skill: Destructive Leap]
[Mission: Break the Sword]
Edgar read the instructions with tired eyes, then drew out the red Resurrection Blade, which gleamed the color of blood under the faint light. He looked around for Duncan and Alexander, but Alexander wasn't there. Edgar said to Duncan in a hoarse voice: "Where did Alexander go?"
Duncan replied, shaking his head with feigned wisdom: "And how should I know? That man appears and disappears like the wind, or like a mad thought flashing in a madman's mind!"
Edgar advanced along the yellow road, which twisted like a giant serpent, saying: "Whatever, let's just follow the road's direction leading to the house in the world of Doors."
Edgar was incessantly lost in thought, his head crowded with questions about Alexander, the Organization, these strange worlds. He finally burst out, saying: "Damn it! Do you know anything about that person called Alexander?"
Duncan paused for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Yes, I know... and I know well. I am his biggest admirer."
Edgar laughed mockingly: "Admirer? Why?"
Duncan said, his eyes widening as if remembering something majestic: "Because he is different. To possess power like his and frame it as he has... it's something worthy of respect."
Edgar asked, trying to understand the mystery: "What is his power again?"
Duncan said with clear tension: "It's the strongest power the human mind can conceive, which is Illogic. Simply put, he is capable of doing and defeating anything... but he doesn't, because in his view, that would be logical, and he is the opposite of that concept!"
Edgar asked, trying to determine Alexander's standing: "Is he the strongest in the Organization?"
Duncan answered, swallowing hard: "No... the King of Keys is the strongest according to the official ranking, but Alexander is above everything. He simply doesn't acknowledge power, ranking, system, heroism, or evil. He is different, and that alone makes one shudder just by his presence. To know that someone beside you is capable of erasing existence entirely... it stops the mind. Few know about his true power, and even I, who was his companion... but he was different, that's why I'm not anymore!"
And for no apparent reason, Edgar's legs began to tremble until he couldn't stand. He stopped suddenly and sat on the ground, his heart racing like a war drum, and said in a trembling voice: "I don't know... my body suddenly started shaking and feeling tense."
Duncan said with a mix of sympathy and understanding: "I know. It's no problem. Because we are humans who walk by logic, hearing about the existence of someone without logic makes your limbs betray you."
Edgar said, trying to get up: "Alright... I'll try to stand up. Help me."
Edgar rose with difficulty, leaning on his heavy red sword, then continued his walk on the yellow road, which began to narrow bit by bit. With every step, he felt the weight of the mystery surrounding Alexander pressing on his shoulders.
Finally, they reached the door that sucked them inside. The scene was different this time: a long green plain stretching to the horizon, with a towering mountain at its end, and behind the mountain, a blood-red sunset. But what truly stunned him was the sound of clashing swords filling the air like continuous thunder.
Edgar and Duncan walked across the plain, each step bringing them closer to the source of the sound. When they reached the mountain peak, the horrifying scene unfolded below them: hundreds of thousands of humans fighting with swords, wearing armor and white robes with a red cross. It was a war from the Middle Ages, but an eternal one.
Edgar looked on, astonished: anyone who died at the front would be revived from the back, and the cycle continued without stop. A war without meaning, just screams, blood, and aimless souls.
Duncan said in an evasive tone: "Well, I think the view is good enough for me here. I can watch the sunset and the fighting. Good luck, you'll continue alone."
Edgar looked at his glowing sword and said: "Alright." Then he advanced forward.
The closer he got to the battlefield, the rougher the terrain became, the grass disappearing under the weight of war. The air was cold but charged with a strange energy. When Edgar reached the edge of the battle, he saw something that made him freeze in place: all the fighters had the same face! A broad chin, black hair, brown eyes, and a scar on the mouth.
Edgar approached, holding his sword, and said loudly: "Hey! Look at me... I'm talking to you!"
Suddenly... everything stopped. Hundreds of thousands of fighters stopped fighting and turned towards Edgar. They looked at him coldly, their hollow eyes staring at him as if he were something unfamiliar.
From atop the mountain, Duncan commented faintly: "Ooh... damn."
Edgar stood before an army of identical copies, all looking at him with the same expressionless gaze. His red sword glowed in his trembling hands as he tried to understand what he should do facing this vast number of identical enemies.
The wind blew, carrying the smell of blood and soil, the blood-red sunset casting its shadows on the surreal scene. Edgar felt lost in a sea of identical faces, each bearing the same scar, the same gaze, and the same absence of soul. The eternal war had stopped for the first time, and everyone awaited the next move.