On the following morning,
An armored vehicle advanced steadily along the winding mountain road, the morning sun reflecting off its reinforced glass.
Inside the vehicle, LOUVNA sat composed, wearing an elegant royal outfit for the first time since the beginning of the story.
Beside her, MONA held her concealed weapon tightly, her eyes never resting as they scanned the windows.
In the front seat, SOLIMON spoke through the intercom:
"We're fifty minutes away from the capital of the kingdom, VERIDOR. Everything is calm so far."
From the back seat, MESNAS replied,
"Too calm. That's what worries me."
ZARIOUH spun his daggers anxiously.
"I hate waiting."
Suddenly—
An explosion!
A massive rock blocked the road, followed by the sound of tires bursting.
The vehicle swerved violently as shock filled the faces of those inside.
From between the rocks, THE WILD DOG emerged, wearing his terrifying mask, his eyes glowing with savagery. He growled:
"Your journey ends here!"
From the opposite side, THE BLACK TIGER descended from a rocky slope with lethal elegance, his sword gleaming.
In a cold tone, said:
"Leave the princess and withdraw. We'll allow you to live."
ZARIOUH laughed mockingly as he stepped out of the vehicle.
"Looks like they understand the situation very differently."
Behind him, MESNAS smiled calmly.
ZARIOUH charged toward THE WILD DOG, his daggers moving like lightning,
while MESNAS' fibers spread outward, encircling THE BLACK TIGER like a deadly spiderweb.
SOLIMON stayed beside the vehicle, shielding LOUVNA as his eyes searched the surrounding mountains.
"SHOUTNA, it looks like the ambush has begun," SOLIMON said into the radio.
"SHOUTNA… do you read me?"
No response.
"Damn it… They've jammed the signal."
Atop a towering mountain peak stood THE DEMON MONKEY, watching the scene with glowing red eyes.
He didn't move—he just observed… waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
He whispered to himself,
"Be patient… let the game reach its climax."
THE WILD DOG snarled like a predator, his bulging muscles tightening beneath his black suit. His crimson eyes burned with madness and violence.
He lunged like a storm, iron claws slicing through the air with a terrifying sound—
But ZARIOUH was ready.
With a defiant grin, ZARIOUH shouted:
"Finally! Real fun!"
The dog attacked with wild, destructive blows, each strike shattering the rocks around them.
ZARIOUH dodged gracefully, studying his opponent's pattern, his daggers gleaming like serpent fangs.
"Stop running like a coward!" the dog roared.
Glowing veins spread across his body as his strength multiplied terrifyingly.
ZARIOUH's eyes burned brighter.
He vanished in a burst of speed, leaving afterimages behind him.
From afar, MONA watched in shock while LOUVNA struggled to maintain her composure.
THE WILD DOG spun violently, trying to crush ZARIOUH,
but ZARIOUH leapt high, diving down like a falcon.
His daggers carved a crimson arc through the air.
They collided with a thunderous impact.
Both staggered back, wounds scattered across their bodies as they struggled to catch their breath.
After ZARIOUH charged toward THE WILD DOG,
MESNAS advanced calmly toward THE BLACK TIGER. Their cold gazes exchanged a silent message:
this battle would be one of intellect before brute force.
In his calm voice, tinged with faint sarcasm, MESNAS said:
"I hear you prefer silence… today, I'll grant you its eternity."
THE BLACK TIGER answered not with words, but by charging like lightning, his sword flashing beneath the sunlight.
Yet MESNAS was faster—his fibers spread instantly, transforming the space between them into a lethal labyrinth.
"Your threads won't stop me!" THE BLACK TIGER growled.
He unleashed a sweeping sword strike, slicing through several fibers—but for every strand cut, two more were woven.
It became a terrifying dance between THE BLACK TIGER's speed and MESNAS' precision.
Dodging fluidly, MESNAS said:
"Everyone tries cutting first… then they realize they've fallen into the trap."
The fibers began forming a tightening cage around THE BLACK TIGER.
With every movement, thin scratches appeared on his clothes as the wires brushed dangerously close.
"These tricks won't work on me!" THE BLACK TIGER snarled.
With an acrobatic leap, he avoided the web and struck from above, sword aimed straight for MESNAS' head—
But MESNAS tugged a hidden fiber, dislodging a massive rock from the cliff wall and forcing THE BLACK TIGER to change course.
"In these mountains," MESNAS said coldly,
"Everything is a weapon in my hands."
THE BLACK TIGER's movements grew cautious as he studied the fibers, but MESNAS tightened the noose with chilling composure, weaving fate as spiders do their prey.
For the first time, He whispered nervously to himself:
"No… it can't end like this."
He launched a desperate assault, sword flashing wildly, cutting everything in its path.
In the decisive moment, MESNAS noticed a tiny gap in his defense and lifted a finger slightly.
Fibers struck from multiple directions, binding THE TIGER in place.
Approaching the restrained foe, MESNAS said quietly:
"Sometimes, the strongest weapons are the ones you can't see."
Inside the vehicle, LOUVNA sat frozen, her fingers clenched tightly around the edge of her royal dress. Her heart pounded like war drums in her chest.
She whispered to herself, her voice trembling:
"I must be strong… I must…"
Meanwhile, MONA pressed against the window, eyes unblinking, fingers gripping her concealed weapon until her knuckles turned white. The faint sound of metal echoed as she nervously opened and closed it.
Turning to LOUVNA, MONA tried to reassure her:
"Don't be afraid… SOLIMON is with us."
"I'm not afraid," LOUVNA replied softly.
"I'm afraid someone will get hurt because of me."
She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath.
"They're fighting for me… I have to be worthy of these sacrifices."
Elsewhere, ZARIOUH and THE WILD DOG stood breathing heavily, their breath visible in the cold air.
"I'll tear you apart!" THE WILD DOG roared, charging like a missile, iron claws ripping through the air.
ZARIOUH laughed with battle ecstasy.
"Come on—show me your real strength!"
His daggers spun into a defensive vortex, ringing sharply with every impact.
Sparks flew as claws clashed with blades, their feet sinking into the rocky ground from the sheer force.
They both recoiled—then ZARIOUH hurled one dagger.
It cut through air and dust, leaving a blue glow behind it like an arrow.
The dog blocked with both claws.
In the same instant, ZARIOUH surged forward, unleashing all his power, his eyes glowing blue.
His speed surpassed natural limits—the dog realized it too late.
"This is your end!" ZARIOUH roared.
He broke through the distance between them, his remaining dagger drawing a red line through the air.
"Impossible!" THE WILD DOG howled.
Too slow—
The blade pierced his defenses, striking his right shoulder.
Black blood sprayed as the dog screamed in pain.
Yet he didn't yield—using his closeness, he counterattacked with iron claws toward ZARIOUH's chest.
"You still lack speed," ZARIOUH said coolly.
He spun, using the momentum to wrench his dagger free, tearing deeper wounds, then leapt back, smiling confidently as he twirled his blades.
"Now… do you understand the difference between us?"
The dog trembled with pain and rage, his crimson eyes blazing brighter.
From behind, SOLIMON watched his comrades' overwhelming victory—yet doubt shadowed his face.
At that moment, THE BLACK TIGER smiled ominously at MESNAS.
"You're right… sometimes, the strongest weapons are the ones you can't see."
Then a Flash!
A scorching laser shot burst from between the rocks on the opposite slope, aimed straight at the armored vehicle's heart.
SOLIMON rushed forward, deflecting it with his scythe and sending it crashing into the rocks.
MESNAS and ZARIOUH turned simultaneously, their surprise halting the battle for a split second.
Behind ZARIOUH, THE WILD DOG snarled:
"Don't take your eyes off me!"
With his last strength, he slammed ZARIOUH, hurling him down the cliff.
"ZARIOUH!"
MESNAS launched a nano-fiber to save his friend—but in that decisive instant, THE BLACK TIGER struck from behind, his sword piercing MESNAS' body.
MESNAS turned his head with difficulty, his eyes wide—not from pain, but shock—as he noticed a small hidden dagger the tiger had used to free himself.
"Didn't you just tell me…" THE BLACK TIGER said, pressing the blade deeper, his voice dripping with savage delight,
"…that the strongest weapons are the ones you can't see?"
MESNAS fell to his knees, his strength collapsing.
And suddenly—
Like a flash of lightning, THE DEMON MONKEY descended from above, cleaving the armored vehicle in two as if it were nothing more than a cake.
The screech of tearing metal deafened the air, armored glass shattering in all directions.
The battlefield fell silent—
for death itself had arrived.
LOUVNA lay on the ground, her elegant royal dress torn, her terrified eyes locking with THE DEMON MONKEY's glowing red gaze, radiating evil and triumph.
Standing atop the wreckage, his voice thundered:
"You're mine."