Andress and Leonil stepped out of the artificial portal exactly at three in the afternoon. The air that greeted them was thick and stifling. The cloudy sky above seemed to whisper a bad omen.
Without a word, they walked straight to the bus stop and boarded a city bus headed toward NFS Academy.
They sat in the very back row. Their faces were pale, their eyes weary—not just from physical exhaustion, but from a mental fatigue that ran deep. The hum of the bus engine and the distant sound of traffic were the only things filling the silence between them.
Suddenly, a voice shattered the quiet.
"Can you two stop it already?!"
A woman's voice echoed from the middle of the bus. She was surrounded by a group of thugs who were laughing, groping, and harassing her without a care for the fear on her face.
Leonil stood up instantly. His expression turned cold. Without hesitation, he walked toward them.
"Let go of her hand," he said calmly—but there was a threatening sharpness in his tone.
One of the thugs grabbed Leonil by the collar, leaning in close.
"Who the hell are you? Trying to play hero?"
Leonil stared back without flinching. His gaze was icy—like a blade ready to strike.
Andress, meanwhile, watched from a distance. He leaned back, resting his chin on one hand, as if completely uninterested.
'That's Leonil for you... always too kind. Even to trash like them.'
'If it were me, I'd have thrown them out the window.'
Leonil grabbed the thug's wrist and twisted it slowly.
"Ah! Damn it—let go! It hurts!"
With calm precision, Leonil released him. Then, he let out a faint trace of Knight aura from his body.
The air inside the bus grew heavy in an instant. The thugs froze. Panic began to flicker in their eyes.
"D-Did you see that...?"
"H-He's a Knight?!"
"You still wanna fight?" Leonil asked coldly.
"N-No! We're sorry!" they cried, scrambling off the bus like children caught doing something wrong.
"Thank you for helping me," the woman said softly, her voice still trembling.
Leonil gave a faint nod and a slight smile. "You're welcome."
But before calm could return—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the air. The windows of the bus rattled violently. Passengers screamed in shock. The tremor was strong enough to be felt through the floor.
"What was that?!" someone shouted, panicked.
Other passengers stood up, pressing their faces against the glass, trying to see outside.
Andress sharpened his senses instantly. That sound—it wasn't random. It wasn't an accident.
He and Leonil locked eyes.
In that split second, they both knew.
"Let's go," Andress said quickly.
Leonil nodded without hesitation. "Agreed. Something's wrong."
They rushed off the bus, their steps almost breaking into a run. Around them, the other passengers remained confused, unaware of just how serious the situation truly was.
As soon as they stepped outside, the air felt different.
Hot. Thick. The usual breeze was gone—replaced by the metallic tang of blood and ash.
The sky above them looked wounded. Black clouds swirled, and in one corner of the horizon, a pulsing red light throbbed unnaturally—like a crack in the skin of the world.
The atmosphere pressed against their lungs, heavy and suffocating. Neither needed to speak. They both knew.
Something had opened.
Andress stopped walking. His face went pale, body tense.
"Leonil," he said quietly, "do you feel it?"
Leonil nodded. His eyes hardened, no longer open or kind, but sharp and wary.
"Yeah… This aura... it's not from normal monsters."
For two seconds, silence reigned.
Then, a translucent blue window appeared before them—hovering in the air. A calm, mechanical voice followed.
『Warning. A Grade-A portal breach has occurred in the western district of Rinjane. All Knights within the city and nearby regions are to report immediately. This is a state of emergency.』
『Infection assault has begun.』
Andress stared at the notification window, frozen. His breath caught in his throat. He wanted to believe it was a mistake.
『A Grade-A portal breach…』
'No… It's too soon.'
According to the Bad End book, the infection attack shouldn't happen for another three months.
'Three months early? That's impossible…'
His breathing turned shallow. The air around them was vibrating—charged with demonic energy, thick and metallic.
Leonil glanced at him. "Andress, is this…"
Andress lowered his gaze, voice sharp. "This is real. This isn't a drill. This is the real thing."
In the distance, screams echoed. Crashing. Explosions. The sky above burned red like a wound. The ground beneath them felt like it was shifting into war.
People were running. Some carried loved ones. Others cried out names in panic. The sound of sirens and chaos filled the air like a rising tide.
Leonil stepped forward. His eyes caught sight of a small child crying alone on the sidewalk.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword.
"Andress! We have to help them!"
Andress spun around, his face tight. "No!" he shouted—louder than he meant to.
Leonil froze, surprised.
"We're not ready for this," Andress said quickly. "We're still trainee Knights. That up there—" he pointed at the blood-red sky "—that's hell, Leonil."
"If we don't act now, no one will!" Leonil fired back.
Andress moved closer, voice low and cold. "If we rush in, we'll die before saving anyone."
Leonil clenched his fists. "We're Knights, Andress! Even if we're still in training, we don't just turn our backs!"
"Duty means nothing if you end up a corpse!"
Silence fell—broken only by distant screams and blasts.
Leonil stared at him, wounded. "I can't believe you'd actually say that..."
Andress held his breath.
"You're smarter than me, Andress. But all that intellect is useless without courage."
Andress growled softly under his breath, frustration rising.
'Why is he still being so stubborn…?'
"If people die because we didn't help," Leonil said, "then it's our fault."
Andress scoffed. "If they die, it's because they were too weak. This world doesn't hand out miracles, Leonil. And we're not gods. We're not saviors."
Leonil took a step back, as if struck. "I can't believe it… you're really going to let them die?"
Andress looked down, then met Leonil's eyes—cold, emotionless.
"I don't care," he said flatly. "If civilians die because we didn't act, then so be it. Their deaths won't change anything. And us? We're just two kids pretending to be heroes."
Leonil stared, shaken.
'Leonil.'
'He's too kind. So kind it blinds him. He'd die for people he doesn't even know. And the cruelest part?'
'In his own story, he still fails.'
Leonil turned away.
"If you want to run like a coward, go ahead," he said without looking back. "But I'm staying. Because I know what it means to be a Knight."
Andress stood still. His jaw tightened. His chest ached.
Then, all the emotion he had tried to bury... erupted.
"Just so you know, Leonil…" His voice trembled. "I despise you."
Leonil stopped.
"I never wanted to be your friend. From the day we met, I wished you'd leave me alone."
His tone was sharp. Cracked.
"You're not a hero. You're just a fool, obsessed with ideals you don't even understand."
"You think everyone can be saved? The world doesn't work that way. And if you keep believing it does… one day, you'll lose everything."
Andress turned away, walking off—leaving Leonil alone in the firelit ruins.
"If you want to die... then die alone."
...
A few minutes later, Andress slumped against the wall of a narrow alley—hidden between broken buildings and hanging smoke. His breathing was heavy. His chest tight. The world outside was still screaming: cries, crashes, and collapsing rubble. But to him, it all sounded distant... like echoes from a nightmare that refused to end.
He stared at the ground—wet with dust and blood. His hands trembled, though he couldn't tell whether it was fear… or fatigue.
"Haaah..."
He let out a long breath and leaned his head back against the cold wall behind him. Eyes shut. Trying to quiet the storm in his mind.
'Why did I snap like that at Leonil...?'
'I've never been that harsh to anyone before.'
'But... I've also never felt this hopeless.'
He opened his eyes and looked up through a narrow gap between buildings. The sky was no longer blue. Thick black smoke hung high above, and the red glow from the cracked portal still pulsed—like an open wound in the sky.
'Ever since I came to this world... everything has felt wrong.'
'Every step I take feels useless. Every decision I make leads nowhere.'
'I'm just being dragged through a story that was never mine.'
His hand clenched. His breath hitched.
'If I die here, I'll return to my world. That's guaranteed.'
'And if I save this world... I'll still return. But with wounds, trauma, and scars I'll never shake off.'
'So... what's the difference?'
He bit his lip. Something bitter lodged in his throat.
'What do I really want to accomplish here?'
'Save the world? But why? It's not even mine.'
'I'm not Leonil. I'm not a hero.'
'I'm not even part of the original story.'
He let out a dry, bitter laugh.
'A background character. Nameless. Forgettable.'
'And the irony? Even after knowing all that... I still tried to save this world.'
'Stupid. I'm just as naive as Leonil.'
He bowed his head lower, both hands covering his face. Silence filled the mess inside his mind.
'Truth is... this isn't the first time I've thought about ending it.'
'That idea... it's been with me since the first few weeks I got here.'
'But back then, I held on. I told myself there was still hope. Still a way to change things.'
'But the longer I stay... the more I see that hope was just an illusion.'
A distant scream tore through the silence, followed by another crash. Andress shut his eyes tight.
'Every day, I live in fear. Fear of failing. Fear of dying for nothing. Fear of watching everything fall apart and being powerless to stop it.'
'It's always the same. Death. Destruction. Mistakes. No matter how hard I try, the outcome doesn't change.'
'Even Leonil—this world's so-called hero—fails in the end.'
His teeth clenched. His shoulders trembled.
'If he can't save this world... what chance do I have?'
'If I keep living, all I'll be is a witness to a catastrophe I couldn't stop.'
'But... if I die now, I can go home.'
Stillness.
Then—he exhaled, steady.
He opened his eyes. The doubt was gone. The hesitation... erased.
'I've made up my mind.'
'I'll die here.'
— — —
Meanwhile, Leonil was still fighting alone at the front lines. He had lost track of Andress minutes ago—but there was no time to look for him.
His body was soaked in monster blood. His breathing labored. His sword hand trembled, but his gaze remained sharp. Around him lay the corpses of multiple Grade-A monsters. Fires still burned in the distance, filling the air with the scent of scorched flesh and melted metal.
"One more sector cleared..." he muttered. He glanced around. "No one else here. I should head to the next zone."
But just as he turned—
A terrifying aura erupted from the right. The air changed instantly—heavier, colder, suffocating.
From behind the rubble, a massive figure emerged.
A Grade-A demon.
Twice the height of an average man. Ash-gray skin. Glowing red eyes. A twisted grin stretched across its face, revealing long, blood-soaked fangs.
Before Leonil could react—
The demon vanished.
BOOM!
A fist slammed into Leonil's stomach. He was sent flying, crashing through a concrete wall. The impact left cracks spidering across the surface. His body hit the ground hard and stayed there.
He couldn't move.
'Shit… I didn't even see the attack coming.'
The demon approached, slow and steady. Each footstep pounded like a hammer in Leonil's skull. Once close enough, it stared down at him—grinning. Then it opened its mouth and spat fresh blood into its hand.
The blood shifted, solidifying into a jagged black sword.
Leonil struggled to lift himself. Nothing responded. His muscles were frozen. His vision blurred.
'Is this… where I die?'
The demon raised the blade slowly, aiming straight for Leonil's heart.
And just before the sword could strike—
Slash!
Someone dropped from above—landing right in front of Leonil.
A living shield.
Stab!
The blade pierced the newcomer's chest.
Blood gushed.
Leonil's eyes widened. "A-Andress?!"
Andress stood there, impaled. Blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. But his eyes never left the demon in front of him.
"Why… why are you here?" Leonil's voice was barely a whisper.
Andress didn't answer. With a shaking hand, he pulled the bow from his back.
Even while skewered, he lifted it.
He aimed.
"Goodbye, Leonil."
He smiled faintly. A fragile smile—somewhere between pain and peace.
"Sorry about what I said earlier. I meant it… but I never wanted to hurt you."
Leonil wanted to stop him—but he couldn't move.
"Andress, no! Don't—!"
But Andress had already made his choice.
He activated every skill he had. Five glowing arrows rose into the air. Explosive bolts gathered behind him. Every last drop of IPR—he poured into this one moment.
His aim was steady.
'If I die, I want it to mean something.'
'Not weakness. Not escape.'
'A choice.'
BOOM!
The explosion shattered the ground.
A blinding flash swallowed everything. The shockwave roared outward like a hurricane. Leonil was blasted backward, hurled over two hundred meters across cracked asphalt.
The earth split. Debris rained down. Thick smoke curled into the sky.
And in the center of it all—
Andress was gone.
— — —
Two minutes before the explosion.
On the other side of the city, Selena was still on the move—slipping through the ruins like a shadow. Her PR sniper was in her right hand, combat knife strapped to her thigh. Her gaze was sharp. Focused. Controlled.
A single Grade-A monster stood before her—massive, armored, breathing heavily.
But Selena didn't flinch.
"One more left," she muttered. "Let's finish this."
Bang!
A shot rang out. The bullet pierced the monster's head. Its body staggered. But before it could even fall—
Slash!
Selena was already there, blade flashing through its throat in one clean strike. The creature collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.
She barely had time to breathe when—
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the city from the north. The ground shook violently half a second later. A blinding flash lit up the dark sky.
Selena turned toward the blast. Her eyes widened.
'That kind of explosion… Who did that?'
Without hesitation, she dashed toward the source. Her footsteps were swift and precise, weaving through fractured roads and broken walls. Her face tensed. Something felt wrong.
Minutes later, she arrived.
The place was devastated.
Cracked earth. Scattered rubble. The air was thick with smoke, blood, and scorched metal.
Amid the destruction, she spotted a body.
"Leonil!"
She ran to his side and dropped to her knees. Leonil was drenched in blood. Pale. Barely breathing.
"Are you okay?!" she asked, already checking his pulse and wounds.
Leonil's eyes fluttered open. He coughed—blood spilling from his mouth. "T-Teacher..."
"I'm here," Selena said, voice steady as she tried to assess the damage. But before she could begin treatment, Leonil raised a trembling hand and pointed.
"Andress… help him… not me… he needs it more..."
Selena turned.
Through the haze, she saw another body lying still—unmoving amid the debris and scattered flame.
'That's... Andress?'
She stood and sprinted toward him.
But just as she approached—
Zzt!
The demon from earlier—the one Andress had struck—was still alive. Burned and mangled, but its eyes gleamed more vicious than ever. It lunged toward Selena at inhuman speed, sword arm raised high.
Clang!
She blocked it with her blade, but the force of the blow sent tremors through her arm. It was strong. Too strong.
'Damn it… This one's different.'
She jumped back, eyes scanning for an opening. The demon didn't wait. It came at her again—fast and brutal.
Selena narrowed her eyes.
"Didn't think I'd need this again."
A burst of violet-blue aura erupted from her body. Wind coiled around her. Her eyes began to glow.
"Assassin Mode—engaged."
The moment the skill activated, her speed and power skyrocketed. She vanished from sight.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Her strikes came from every angle. The demon couldn't keep up. In mere seconds, it was torn apart—limb by limb. Black blood sprayed across the rubble.
Thud.
The demon collapsed—dead for real this time.
Selena stood over its remains, breathing hard. Her aura slowly faded.
As soon as the coast was clear, she ran to Andress.
He was unconscious, body limp. Half his clothes were scorched. Blood was flowing freely from multiple wounds.
Selena dropped to her knees, already working to stop the bleeding.
"Andress, can you hear me...? Please, hang in there."
Her hands were shaking. She knew from just one look—
He was in critical condition.
'Over fifty percent blood loss… If I don't move now—'
She bit her lip, wasting no time. She lifted Andress onto her back, securing him tightly.
Then, without a second thought, she ran—toward the nearest medical zone.
Fast.
Focused.
And desperate.
— — —
Elsewhere in the city, the battle had finally ended.
Frisa, Ariel, Tengli, and Zelen sat among the rubble and pools of monster blood, panting for breath. Their bodies were bruised and bloodied, faces streaked with ash. None of them could stand properly.
They had just defeated five Grade-A monsters—a feat nearly impossible for academy students.
But no one felt proud. No one cheered.
Only silence. And exhaustion.
"Damn... fighting five of those things really is hell," Ariel muttered, leaning back against a half-collapsed wall.
"Yeah," Tengli added, wiping blood from his brow. "We gave it everything we had."
Zelen scanned the area. Everyone was either sitting or lying down—except for one person.
Frisa.
She stood a few steps away, eyes locked on the sky. The red glow from the portal breach still lingered faintly, staining the clouds.
Her left hand was clenched tightly at her side.
Zelen frowned. Why is she still standing like that...?
He stood up slowly and approached her.
"You look worried," he said. "What's wrong?"
Frisa turned quickly. "W-What? No, I'm fine."
Zelen raised an eyebrow. "Fris, come on. We've known each other too long. I can tell when something's eating at you."
Frisa went quiet for a moment—then slowly nodded.
"Yeah... I'm worried about him."
"Andress?" Zelen guessed.
She nodded again, this time more heavily.
"Ever since the breach appeared… I've been trying to reach him."
"And?"
"No answer," she whispered. "Messages unread. Calls ignored."
She tightened her grip on a small communicator in her hand. The device was cold. Silent.
Zelen started to speak, but Frisa continued, her voice low.
"Raon told me something earlier… He said Leonil contacted him right before the signal went out."
Zelen's eyes narrowed. "Leonil?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he was near the epicenter of the breach. And Andress was with him."
Zelen slowly nodded. "So if Leonil was there… and Andress too…"
Frisa exhaled shakily. "Then it's very likely they were both caught in that massive explosion."
She looked up at the sky—now shifting from crimson to grey. But for her, the world hadn't settled at all.
"I can feel it... something's wrong."
Zelen watched her quietly, then sat beside her.
"Frisa… we don't know anything for sure. But if there's one person who could survive something like that…"
He smiled faintly.
"It's him."
Frisa didn't answer.
But her grip on the communicator grew tighter.
And so she stayed there—sitting in the wreckage.
Waiting.
For news that might never come.