Amid the chaos of an A-rank portal rupture, the knight forces were split into two major divisions.
Those ranked B and below—including Frisa and her team—were stationed in the Yellow Zone to intercept any monsters that might slip through from the center of the conflict. Meanwhile, knights ranked B and above were deployed directly into the Red Zone, where waves of A-rank monsters continued to rampage without end.
"Damn it... the number of monsters is insane! This has to be one of the worst ruptures this year!" Mulandari growled as she slashed through a charging beast.
Explosions, roars, and screams filled the air. The Red Sky guild fought desperately, risking everything to hold the line against creatures from another world.
"How are our forces holding up?!" Mulandari shouted, sweat pouring down her face.
"Many are injured, but so far no fatalities!" answered Adis, the guild's vice leader.
Once on the brink of collapse, Red Sky had now become Nurisia's leading force under Mulandari's leadership. Their name came from the Red Sky incident in Rinjwne City—a symbol of chaos that had transformed into a beacon of hope.
After a grueling battle, Red Sky finally succeeded in clearing their sector.
"Commander! We've found something strange inside that building!" a knight called out.
"Strange how?" Mulandari asked sharply.
"I'm not sure myself... it's better if you see it directly."
Suspicion rising, Mulandari followed the knight into the old building. In one of the rooms, they discovered a large black object—floating in midair, pulsing faintly, its shape shifting constantly.
"What... is this?" Mulandari murmured. "Its form is... unnatural."
The object looked alien. It wasn't a monster. It wasn't magic. It resisted all classification, as if it didn't belong to this world.
She didn't know it yet, but the object—known as the PVI, or Demonic Virus Emitter—was a creation of the demons, described in Bad End. Its purpose: to infect humans and turn them into demons.
"Is this the only one?" she asked quickly.
"No, Commander. We're receiving similar reports from other areas. There are... a lot."
Mulandari didn't hesitate. "Adis, deploy a team. Secure every one of these things. No one touches them without authorization."
"Understood. I'll take care of it right away!"
— — —
Selena ran as fast as she could. Her breath was ragged, and her heart pounded—not just from exhaustion, but from fear.
On her back, Andress lay unconscious, his body drenched in blood and barely moving.
"Andress... hang in there," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Every step felt like a gamble against time. She knew he had lost far too much blood. His breathing was shallow. His body felt heavier with each moment, like a sack of stones slowly losing its warmth.
Just minutes earlier, before she began running, Selena had given hurried instructions to Leonil, who was also injured.
"Leonil, stay here. I've called for help. Someone will come for you," she said quickly.
Leonil looked up at his teacher, his face pale, but his eyes still clear. "I understand, Sensei. But please hurry... he needs help now."
Selena met her student's gaze with firm resolve. "Take my PR Sniper. Use it to guard yourself. You can still move your arms, right?"
"Barely... but enough to shoot."
"Good. Protect yourself. I'll be back as soon as I can."
With that, Selena turned and bolted, leaving Leonil behind among the wreckage.
She held her breath. Held back her fear. Held back her emotions.
There was no time to panic. If she was too late, Andress would die.
Not long after, from a distance, a group of young knights stationed in the Yellow Zone spotted a familiar figure.
"Wait... is that Sensei Selena?" Ariel muttered, squinting.
"Where?" asked Tengli.
"There—look! She's carrying someone!" Ariel pointed into the distance.
As their eyes focused, their expressions turned grim.
"Is that... Andress?" Saman stepped forward, eyes wide. "Why does he... why does he look like that?"
Brian, usually calm, panicked. He swallowed hard, his body trembling. "He's bleeding! Look at him! That's... that's really bad!"
Selena didn't say a word as she ran toward them. When she arrived, she was out of breath, her face pale, but she forced herself to stay standing.
Carefully, she lowered Andress to the ground. "Quick! Get a doctor and a knight healer! Now!"
"On it!" Tengli shouted and took off running.
Frisa stood frozen. Her eyes locked on Andress' motionless body. Blood dripped from his mouth and chest, staining his tattered uniform.
Her gaze was vacant. The noise around her faded. The world slowed to a crawl.
She couldn't bring herself to speak.
'No... not like this...' she thought. Her hand slowly reached for his cold, limp fingers.
Zelen noticed Frisa's state and quickly wrapped her in a hug.
"Frisa... stay calm... he's not dead. He's still breathing. Just a little longer... he might make it."
Soon, a team of knight healers and medics arrived in a hurry.
They checked his pulse, assessed his wounds, and started emergency procedures.
One of them examined the gaping wound in his chest and shook their head slowly.
"His heartbeat is extremely faint... he's lost too much blood..." the healer said quietly but firmly.
For ten whole minutes, they tried everything.
Healing magic was poured into him. Recovery spells were cast. But Andress's injuries were too deep. His body, too damaged.
"Healing magic won't be enough," one of the healers finally said. "We have to get him to the hospital. He needs a blood transfusion—fast."
An ambulance arrived shortly after.
Andress was carefully lifted onto the stretcher.
Frisa held his hand until the very last moment before they carried him away.
"Andress... you have to live... you're not allowed to die yet..." she whispered, her voice only heard by herself.
The rest of his team stood in silence, watching as their friend was taken away.
Brian was the first to speak.
"I don't want him to die... he's always... always been good to me..."
Winie lowered her head. Her voice was quiet, but steady.
"Not just you, Brian. I don't want him to die either. We didn't talk much, but... I always felt like he understood me. He's the only one who never judged me."
Saman turned, surprised. "I didn't think you'd be this upset, Winie... I thought you'd stay calm, as usual."
Winie shook her head. "I may be quiet, but I'm not made of stone. I have feelings too."
Moments later, a knight arrived carrying Leonil, who had been treated.
His body was still battered, but his eyes remained open.
"Guys... how's Andress?" Leonil asked weakly.
Tengli responded, his voice heavy. "He's in critical condition... The doctors said he's on the edge of death."
Leonil bowed his head, his face clouded with guilt.
"This is all my fault... If I had just listened to him from the start... he wouldn't be like this..."
No one responded. No one denied it. But no one blamed him either.
They simply stood in silence, eyes turned toward the darkening sky—
as if waiting for the heavens to decide their friend's fate.
...
The main hospital in Rinjane City was in a state of constant emergency ever since the portal rupture.
Sirens wailed, hurried footsteps echoed through the halls, and medical personnel shouted back and forth as they moved patients and supplies.
As soon as the ambulance arrived, Andress was rushed into the emergency ward.
A specialized team of doctors and knight healers had been assembled to treat his mangled body.
Outside the room, Selena stood with the rest of Andress's team.
Their expressions were all the same—drained, pale, and filled with silent dread.
Frisa sat hunched over on one of the waiting room benches, her hands tightly clenched, her body trembling ever so slightly.
"How is Andress, Doctor? Is he stabilizing?" Selena asked the moment a doctor stepped out.
The doctor—disheveled and drenched in sweat—paused before answering, his face etched with confusion and frustration.
"To be honest... we don't understand his condition."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean?" Selena asked firmly.
"Medically speaking, this boy should already be dead," the doctor said.
"His heart is severely damaged. He's lost more than eighty percent of his blood. All vital functions have stopped—no response, no movement. His body... is practically a corpse."
Silence fell. Even the usual noise in the hallway seemed to disappear.
"Then... why is he still alive?" Frisa asked softly, barely audible.
The doctor slowly shook his head. "We have no idea. We've tried every treatment we know—both medical and magical—but his body won't respond to anything. He's still hanging on... but we don't know how, or for how long."
Frisa stood and approached him.
"Is there... any chance he can be saved?"
"His chances of survival are extremely low," the doctor said carefully. "Maybe... five percent. And that's if a miracle happens."
Frisa lowered her head.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then the tears began to fall, silent and steady.
Zelen wrapped her in a comforting hug, trying to soothe her even though his own heart was just as broken.
Selena let out a deep breath.
"We understand, Doctor. Thank you. Please do everything you can."
"Of course," the doctor replied, then returned to the treatment room.
After that, no one said a word.
The hospital hallway turned eerily quiet—choked with fear, exhaustion, and helplessness.
The air felt thick, as if sorrow itself had taken form.
Time passed slowly.
At around 9 p.m., Andress was transferred to the knights' special care unit—a room equipped with advanced magical support systems to aid recovery.
But even with those facilities, the doctors and healers still couldn't do much.
All they could do... was wait.
Through the thick glass wall of the recovery room, Andress lay motionless on the bed.
His body was hooked up to magical and medical devices.
His heartbeat was faint—but still present.
Frisa remained by the window.
She refused to go home, even though the others were exhausted.
"Frisa... are you sure you want to stay here?" Ariel asked quietly.
Frisa nodded. "I can't leave. You all know... Andress doesn't have any family.
Someone has to be here for him."
No one argued.
In silence, they all understood—Frisa wasn't staying just because they were on the same team.
There was something more... and they could feel it.
Eventually, the rest of Andress's friends decided to head back to the dorms.
They promised to return in the morning to check on him.
"If anything changes... let us know," Ariel said.
"I will," Frisa replied, her gaze never leaving the glass.
As their footsteps faded down the hallway, Frisa remained alone.
In that quiet space, there was only her... and Andress, unconscious beyond the glass.
And silence.
— — —
The next morning.
The hospital remained quiet.
Andress was still lying in the special care unit. His condition hadn't changed—not even slightly.
His body barely moved, surrounded only by the low hum of magical stabilizers and medical equipment.
Frisa was still there, sitting in the waiting area.
She hadn't slept. She hadn't changed clothes. She hadn't taken her eyes off the recovery room's glass window.
Knock. Knock.
A soft knock came from the door.
Tengli walked in, carrying two wrapped buns and a pair of bottled waters.
"Morning," he greeted gently.
Frisa turned her head. Her eyes were tired, but her awareness remained sharp.
"I brought breakfast. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
She gave a small nod. "Thank you…"
Tengli sat beside her and handed her one of the buns.
"Still no change?" he asked, glancing toward Andress's room.
Frisa shook her head slightly. "No. Everything's the same."
Tengli hesitated for a second, then suggested, "Frisa... let's go outside for a bit. The air's better out there. We can eat in the garden."
Frisa looked like she was about to refuse, but eventually nodded.
They walked together toward the small garden behind the main building.
The space was quiet and empty, shaded by trees and lined with empty wooden benches.
They sat side by side.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Frisa nibbled on her bread, while Tengli stared up at the cloud-covered sky.
"There's something I've been meaning to say," Tengli said suddenly.
Frisa turned to him, waiting.
"Thank you... for being here for Andress. He... doesn't have anyone else."
Frisa didn't respond immediately.
She looked down at the half-eaten bun in her hand.
"We're on the same team. Of course I should be here," she said flatly.
Tengli let out a soft laugh. "You always answer like that."
Frisa glanced at him briefly.
"But I believe... it's more than that," Tengli added quietly.
Frisa didn't deny it.
But she didn't confirm it either.
"Back when Andress was still in the lower class, before he joined your team... he was different," Tengli said.
"Closed off. Quiet. Like he didn't care about anyone. It took me six months just to have a normal conversation with him."
Frisa listened in silence.
"I'd never even seen him smile. Not once."
Frisa gripped her water bottle a little tighter.
"But since joining your team... he's changed. He opened up. He came to life. You must've noticed, right?"
Frisa gave a slight nod. "A little."
"Why do you think he changed?" Tengli asked.
Frisa didn't answer right away.
Her eyes followed the leaves swaying gently in the wind.
"Maybe... he finally found a place to return to."
Tengli looked at her for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Maybe you're right."
They went quiet again.
Only the sound of rustling leaves filled the space between them.
Then Frisa whispered, so softly it was barely audible, "He smiled once."
Tengli turned toward her. "Oh?"
Her gaze remained forward.
"When we went to TWB Mall. At the game center... he smiled. A real smile. Not sarcastic or bitter like usual."
"Did it make you happy?" Tengli asked, playing it casual.
Frisa didn't respond.
But a faint smile tugged at her lips. Subtle. Quiet. But real.
Tengli saw it.
And he didn't ask anything more.
He already knew enough.
...
Several hours passed since the sun had risen.
Frisa and Tengli had returned from the garden and were now sitting once again in the waiting area.
Frisa's face looked a little calmer, but the emptiness in her eyes remained.
Before long, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway.
"Hey!" Zelen called out, waving as he walked toward them.
Behind him came Ariel, Saman, Winie, and Brian, each carrying a plastic bag filled with drinks and snacks.
"We came to check in," said Ariel with a small smile.
"Here, I brought you some ice cream. Picked it up on the way," Zelen added, handing a cup of ice cream to Frisa.
Frisa accepted it slowly. "Thanks..."
The mood warmed slightly.
Everyone settled into the benches around Frisa and Tengli, trying to ease the tension with light conversation.
"Any updates?" Ariel asked.
Frisa shook her head. "No. The doctor said his condition is still critical."
Silence followed.
Only the faint beeping of machines behind the glass could be heard.
"I still can't believe Andress ended up like this," Brian muttered. "He always seemed so strong…"
"No matter how strong a knight is, they're still human," Winie said quietly. "Especially when they're alone against an A-rank monster."
Saman leaned back against the wall. "I hope he wakes up soon. It's... weird not having him around."
Zelen chimed in. "I think we all feel that way. But... are you guys ready in case the worst happens?"
Everyone looked at him.
"I mentioned this to Ariel and the others," Saman said softly. "We should start preparing ourselves... just in case Andress doesn't make it."
The words hung in the air—heavy and suffocating.
Winie nodded slowly. "You're right. The doctor said the odds are low. So... we have to be strong."
"But we still have to hope, right?" Brian tried to smile, though his lips trembled. "We can't give up yet..."
Ariel patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah. As long as he's still breathing, there's still hope."
"And hopefully... he'll wake up and start bickering with Frisa again like usual," Saman added, trying to lighten the mood, though his voice was barely above a whisper.
A few of them chuckled softly.
Even Frisa turned away, trying to hide the look on her face.
But the warmth didn't last.
A nurse approached them. Her expression was tense, though she tried to remain composed.
"Are you all friends of Andress?" she asked.
"Yes. Is something wrong?" Tengli stood up immediately.
"I'm here to give an update on his condition."
Everyone stood, breath caught in their throats.
"How is he?" Saman asked quickly.
The nurse paused, then spoke quietly.
"Andress... has passed away."
Time stopped.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The sounds of footsteps, machines, and chatter in the distance all faded into nothing.
The cup of ice cream slipped from Frisa's hand and hit the floor.
Her hands trembled. Her eyes widened, then slowly filled with tears.
"N-no way..." she whispered. "Andress... is dead?"
No one responded right away.
Brian lowered his head, silent tears streaming down his face.
Ariel shut his eyes, biting his lip.
Winie covered her face with her hands.
Tengli stood frozen.
Zelen quietly walked over to Frisa and embraced her without saying a word.
And Frisa... finally cried.
But unlike the night before, her tears now had a voice.
They were open. Heavy. Raw. But still wordless.
They didn't need words.
Because the pain of losing him was enough to show that, to Frisa...
Andress was never just a teammate.
— — —
Meanwhile, far from the hospital and the battlefield, an emergency meeting was being held at the central government building of Nurisia.
President Turin sat at the end of a long table, his expression grave.
Across from him were the Head of the Knight Association and several senior officials from the ministries of defense and security.
The room was silent, save for the ticking of a clock and the quiet rustle of papers being turned.
"This is the second time this month... a portal rupture has occurred without warning," President Turin said, breaking the silence.
The Association Head nodded. "And both were high-grade ruptures. We don't have enough data to explain why."
The president's gaze hardened. "So you didn't come here with answers—just a warning. Is that right?"
The Association Head took a deep breath. "I came to talk about something that was once said by a student named Leonil. At the time, I dismissed it. But after today... I'm starting to believe he was right."
"The part about portal classifications being outdated?" the president asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes. What we've been calling 'A-rank'... is far more dangerous than we realized. That's why, as of today, I and the entire Knight Association of Nurisia have agreed: portal difficulty levels must officially be raised by one tier."
The president fell quiet, considering. Then he nodded. "It's a difficult decision—but the right one."
The Association Head handed him an official document. "It just needs your signature. After that, we'll release the announcement globally."
President Turin opened the file, scanning the lines filled with pressure, burden, and the weight of what was to come.
"Very well," he said at last. "I agree. The world needs to know—we're not dealing with ordinary ruptures anymore."
The Head of the Association gave a respectful nod.
Moments later, a government officer entered the room with a printed report from the disaster zone.
"Mr. President, this is the confirmed casualty report."
President Turin read through it quickly.
Casualty Report – A-Rank Portal Rupture:
Deaths: 70,000
Injured: 10,000
Displaced civilians: 25,000
He frowned. "Seventy thousand...? Why is it 'only' that many? This rupture was far worse than the one a few weeks ago. Back then, a B-rank rupture claimed forty thousand lives."
Berni, one of his top advisors, spoke up. "We've been wondering the same thing. There's no clear explanation. But it's obvious... something abnormal is happening."
The president looked around the room. "Are any of you starting to think this isn't just random disaster? That maybe... there's a pattern?"
No one answered. But the atmosphere shifted.
Heavier. More ominous.
Everyone could sense it now—this wasn't just one nation's problem.
It could become a global threat.
---
Later, in a different part of the city...
At the National Research Lab, scientists were still studying the mysterious objects recovered by knights—strange black orbs floating in midair, now labeled "airborne anomalies."
They didn't yet have an official name.
But those who had read Bad End knew them by another title: PVI – Demonic Virus Emitters.
The Head of the Knight Association visited one of the containment chambers.
"Are the samples from the Red Zone still active?" he asked.
"They are," one scientist replied. "They don't emit any detectable energy. No magic signature. But they keep shifting form... constantly. We don't know what they're for. But one thing's clear—they don't belong in our world."
That day's report confirmed 120 units of PVI were discovered in the Red Zone.
110 had already been destroyed.
The remaining 10 were sent here for further analysis.
The Association Head stared at one of the orbs, pulsing faintly inside a reinforced glass chamber.
"What exactly... is happenning?"