“Is this how it ends?”

Karlstein’s tongue-clicking sound broke the silence of the battlefield.

Golden cracks spread across his entire body.

“Is this my limit?”

Hmm.

Karlstein looked around.

The battlefield was silent.

The mysterious giant mace-like illusion that had been falling from the sky disappeared without a trace.

The blurry figure, wielding the huge mace and striking down, vanished without form when hit by Karlstein’s strike.

It was a moment where everyone, unable to believe the sight before them, lost their words.

*Step, step—*

Even the Sephiroth clan trembled, unable to move recklessly.

Shock, fear, dread, anxiety.

All kinds of emotions were swirling inside them.

*Step, step—*

As he walked, his body slowly began turning into golden ash, scattering with each step.

Even as his body was collapsing in real-time, he headed toward the spot where the martial artists of the Galactic Sect had gathered.

The martial artists were already gathered there, standing at attention.

Without needing to be told, they knelt on one knee, bowing their heads in two rows, awaiting his arrival.

*Crackle— Crackle—*

Watching them stand still, immobile and silent, Karlstein felt a strange sense of exhilaration.

The place he arrived at was where the air was rippling, with cracks in the sky.

*Tsuzut- crackle-*

The crack, which had initially been less than 10 meters, had expanded to a towering 100 meters in height.

*Step—*

*Step—*

*Step—*

The moment he arrived.

A massive metal structure began to emerge from the crack.

*Crunch-*

*Crackle-*

The metal structure slowly tipped over as the crack seemed to be just barely wide enough to accommodate it.

A round metal ring?

It appeared to be a complex collection of mechanical rings.

Inside the large ring, smaller rings appeared.

Within those smaller rings, even smaller rings.

These rings combined to form a gigantic metallic apparatus that emerged from the crack.

It was the Galactic Empire’s newly developed, perfected creation.

The Empire’s ultimate automatic monster-slaying turret.

‘KAI.’

*Whooom—*

The machines forming the metal rings began to glow in blue, powering up.

*Whooom—*

Shortly after, a figure emerged from the crack.

The leader of the Galactic Sect.

The sub-administrator of the Dimensional Integration Community.

It was Virdel.

For some reason, her entire hair had turned white.

She tried to hide her exhaustion as she crossed the crack and touched the ground.

*Tsapat-*

The crack disappeared right after.

When she looked up and met his gaze, she froze in place.

“!!”

“Did you come?”

Karlstein, with golden cracks across his face, welcomed her.

---

**Inside Virdel’s Mind**

What would it feel like to face him directly?

Would the feelings she was experiencing change?

She wouldn't know until they met.

“...”

She was nervous.

What if, when she met him, the overwhelming hatred for humans didn’t disappear?

That’s why it was scary.

What if, when they met, he felt just like every other human?

Wouldn’t that be... sad? No, incredibly sad?

There wouldn’t be a human left in this world that she could like, including herself.

Humans were still disgusting.

Even though the memories of the past felt like ancient history, thanks to her transformation, that was an unchanging truth.

The gray emotions that came with it.

Loneliness? Despair?

It came from the realization that there was no human she could like left in this world, and that she was truly alone.

The emptiness of being the last one left in this world.

But, if there were someone in this world that she could like...

Maybe.

But she didn’t know. Emotions were far more complex than she realized, and no matter how much she thought about it, no answers came.

‘I’ll know once I meet him.’

She definitely wanted to meet him.

The one who saved her.

*Wha—*

Her entire head began to turn white.

As the dimensional gate activated, martial artists from the Galactic Sect began crossing over.

*Tsuzut—*

She had to focus all her energy on maintaining the dimensional gate.

“Phew...”

She felt the energy drain from her body.

But she couldn’t stop here.

To meet him, she had to complete the task he had asked of her.

As the martial artists crossed over, Virdel gripped her sword tightly.

“This still isn’t enough.”

She had to surpass her limits.

He said that if she couldn’t do it, she could just cross over, but she couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to show any carelessness in meeting him.

The Hydra, which had only covered her lower body, was now fully activated, enveloping her entire body.

‘It’s been a while.’

Once she reached a certain level, she had reduced her reliance on armor and avoided using the upper body as much as possible.

It was made possible by her familiarity with handling Ether.

[Ether Output - 105%]

[Ether Output - 110%]

[Ether Output - 120%]

...

[Ether Output - 148%]

The Ether that had been dormant in her body began circulating inside and outside, powered by the armor's energy source.

*Tsuzut—*

Behind her, a massive metal structure was supported by hundreds of martial artists.

It was over 30 meters tall.

To pass through that, it couldn’t be just a small crack.

“Phew...”

The atmosphere around her grew heavier, and small rocks began to rise into the air.

Then, with one swift strike, the dimensional boundary cracked, and the tear expanded.

*Boom— crack—*

The world seemed to go dark as dizziness overwhelmed her.

“Ugh.”

She did it.

“What are you doing?! Move quickly! The leader is waiting!”

“Be careful there!”

“Hurry up! Pull the line!”

After sending the structure as he had asked, she barely regained her composure and stepped forward, calming her trembling heart.

*Whooom—*

‘He must be beyond this.’

And the moment she met him, she smiled widely.

Thank goodness.

---

**Battlefield:**

*Crackle— Snap—*

Her body shattered, and golden ash scattered.

There wasn’t much time left.

Currently, the enemies were in a brief lull, but they wouldn’t stay like this forever.

“Virdel. We don’t have much time.”

“T-That’s right...!”

“Yeah. I don’t think we can last much longer.”

“...”

The smile that had been on her face hardened as she noticed the faint golden cracks on his face.

“...H-How?”

“I’ll activate ‘KAI.’ The defense should hold. You can handle it, right?”

“...!”

“I trust you.”

His body had already turned into ash, half of it disintegrating.

Virdel’s eyes trembled uncontrollably.

Karlstein smiled and gazed at the sky. The massive metal structure floating above Virdel began to move.

The numerous rings that made up the disc began rotating, gathering red energy in the center.

*Whooom— Whooom—*

*Beeep—*

Karlstein set up ‘KAI’ with the master code that only the Emperor of the Galactic Empire could access.

Although the main body couldn’t be brought in, this should be enough for it to function as an automatic turret.

*Beeep— Beep—*

He set the enemies, allies, attack range, and adjusted the power settings and Virdel’s permissions.

Activating ‘KAI,’ Karlstein smiled at her.

“Look around the battlefield, you’ll find a silver mace. Make sure to take it with you.”

With those words, he began to dissolve into golden ash.

Virdel, witnessing what could be his final moments, felt a surge of intense emotion.

She felt it in every cell of her being.

Filled with anger, Virdel glanced around the battlefield at the enemies.

With the one who had instilled shock and fear now gone, they began to move, one by one.

But faster than them, from ‘KAI,’ beams of destruction rained down like a shower.

*Tsuzutsutsut— Snap—*

*KAI* unleashed thick red lightning, as if it had eyes, striking the enemies.

[**Ahhh!**]

[**Cough!**]

[**What— What is that?!**]

[**Insane!**]

[**What the hell is that?!**]

The martial artists of the Galactic Sect, now moving quickly, started reacting.

Virdel too gripped her sword and began to move.

She swung her sword, reaching beyond the natural realm, slicing through space.

[**Ahhh!**]

[**Retreat!**]

[**Get back!**]

[**Request reinforcements!**]

[**Report to the higher-ups first!**]

[**Damn!**]

[**Khaaa!**]

A silver storm began to pour down.

---

**Galactic Empire's Barrier Vicinity:**

*Boom— Boom—*

*Ka-aaang—*

*Flash—*

*Boom—*

[**Repeating: This is Delta B-7125 Colony. Crackle- No more... Crackle- Crackle- cannot hold... Crackle- Crackle-**]

*Crackle—*

The communication was spotty.

“Why...!”

How did they get here?!

The colony’s head, staring out into space from the window, could not hide his despair.

A gigantic eye, covered in dark red skin and wings like a membrane, was watching the colony.

Known as **M-Sight**.

A named entity capable of disabling all electronic communications. Even emergency signals through Astral waves were useless within a close range.

What was more hopeless?

“Why...?”

A 15-meter-tall, smooth armored monster.

A creature with human-like limbs, crowned with a starlit mane running from its head to its tail.

**Prohiden**.

A double-numbered beast that had nearly destroyed the powerful Asteria race with just a brief appearance.

Ah... Why?

They didn’t even follow collective behavior, he had heard.

Behind it, three massive beasts and countless monsters appeared within his sight.

Shudder.

Despair.

Death.

Resignation.

Why?

How could they appear at the barrier, avoiding the Empire’s gaze, at a time when the Empire’s heroes were advancing beyond the barrier for territorial expansion?!

But his questions would never be answered.

No. 17 **Prohiden** moved, and the one he was meant to ask disappeared.

The **Chaos** faction began to move.