(Why am I alive?)

  Rain poured down, mirroring the misery of the city streets. A thin boy, covered in rags, shivered, the cold seeping into his skin. He leaned against a damp brick wall, ignored. He watched the crowds passing by, envying their shelter, their protection, their money, and the simple kindness they showed one another. The boy clenched his hand, a sharp knot of anger and jealously tightening in his heart.

  (Why does this world let me exist?)

  Then, someone appeared, blocking his view of the streetlights.

  "You. What's your name?" the figure asked.

  "Rein. That's all I remember."

  "Your name only, huh." he knelt down, their gazes locking. "Say, Rein, do you want to follow me?" he offered a clean, steady hand.

  "Follow...you?"

  "If you accept it, that is."

  (If only... I hadn't taken your hand...)

  Despite young Rein's hesitation, he gave in and reached out, accepting the offer.

  "That's more like it! Oh, forgot to say. I'm Luke, Luke Azerin!"

  (If only... You hadn't given me a purpose...)

  (This chaos might had avoided...and no one will suffer from it now.)

  The cold around the manor didn't just rise but it surged, promising an upcoming catastrophic. Then, several corrupted ice spears dropped from the dense, dark Ender cloud above, targetting the unconscious Rein.

  They hurtled toward him, ready to strike, but Carol slipped in, a blur of motion. With swift, precise swings of her sword, she destroyed every spear, placing herself between the danger and Rein.

  She watched the churning mass of Dark Ender above, concerned. In a flash, Luke burst out and charged. Their weapons clashed instantly, Carol feeling the sheer, murderous threat emanating from him.

  He was unrecognizable. A mask of corrupted ice covered his eyes, his body bristled with deadly spikes. His spear, however, was the most chilling sight. It was a cracked, broken, and littered with sharp ice needles. The chaotic reflection of a soul utterly lost.

  Their physical strength was evenly matched, but Luke was superior. The impact of their next clash sent Carol hurtling deep into the surrounding forest, with Luke following close behind.

  (Damn it! What the hell just happened to Luke?!) Carol thought, dodging the explosive Azure spears shredding the air where she’d been.

  With no options left, she dropped back into the dense trees, using the heavy trunks for cover and setting up an ambush.

  Luke scanned the forest, his corrupted form wary. He could sense Carol’s power, a flicker of life against the growing chill.

  Carol struck, but Luke reacted instantly. He raised his spear, and as her sword connected, its body froze solid. The force of the corrupted ice immediately began eating into Carol’s weapon, crackling with infectious power.

  With a harsh, calculated move, Luke shoved his spear forward, following through with a brutal, sharp kick. The blow sent Carol hurtling backward, her body skipping off the rough ground until she crashed painfully into the manor area. She coughed up blood, realizing she hadn't escaped the fight but she'd just been harshly exiled back to the battlefield.

  Luke didn't hesitate. He instantly conjured a volley of Azure ice spears, which shot toward Carol like it was a cannon rounds.

  She was shocked by the sudden, overwhelming speed, desperately contorting her body to dodge each one. She managed to cast her Windcutter spell, but the moment it made contact with Luke’s corrupted ice, the energy instantly froze solid, nullified in a chilling blast.

  Feeling truly hopeless against this infectious power, Carol made her final choice. She retreated toward the manor, racing to find an opportunity and form a desperate new plan.

  Revir, Aria, and Mira immediately attacked, but Luke instantly conjured a massive spike of infectious ice as a barrier. The ice began consuming their weapons, forcing them to back down in desperation. Recognizing the arrival of a third party, Luke casually created several Ice Golems to `entertain' them.

  Meanwhile, Noire, Saria, and Lily focused on waking Rein. Their efforts paid off as his eyes slowly flickered open.

  "Lily...?" Rein stood up, groggy and unstable. "W-where am I? What's going on?"

  His eyes widened in horror as he finally registered the monstrous state of his older brother.

  "What... happened to Brother Luke?"

  "It's Corrude. A state where someone that completely exposed to the Dark Ender giving in to their darkest Desire." Noire explained, a nervous sweat beading on his temple. "Usually, the Dark Ender influences the host's deepest trauma and uses it as their ultimate weapon."

  Rein slowly reached for his wand and morphed it into his familiar spear. "Can the host go back to their form?"

  "I... I don't know."

  Rein only gripped his spear tighter, frustration hardening his eyes as he accepted the grim reality of the situation.

  Mira and Revir were hurled violently into the base of a tree, feeling only crushing pain and exhaustion.

  Aria tried to initiate her signature spell, but the ambient cold was too much for her. In fact, she was already spent from the day's brutal fighting. First the village, and now the manor grounds.

  The Ice Golems seized the opportunity. They smashed their fists against the earth, the infectious cold freezing the ground instantly. Aria dodged the initial impact but couldn't keep her pace. Her Vergus Spell cancelled out entirely as her mental state finally collapsed from fatigue.

  Worse, the corrupted minions reappeared, surrounding the exhausted group from behind and cutting off any chance of retreat.

  "This is the worst case scenario." Noire muttered, his concern evident.

  Despite the insurmountable odds, Rein moved. He walked straight toward the nearest golem, ready to fight back.

  "Rein?" Lily looked at him, confused by his reckless action.

  He didn't respond. His eyes were not fixed on the golem, but on the raging Dark Ender that had consumed his brother, lingering with a dangerous fury. He had too many questions burning in his heart-about the chaos, the curse, and the reason Luke was doing this.

  Mira watched him, sighing. She understood. Rein had made a decision, a dangerous one, willing to risk his life for the sake of the answers he desperately sought.

  As Luke closed in on Carol’s hiding spot, she instantly cast a magic circle beneath her, teleporting and appearing directly in front of him. She swung her sword, connecting with his corrupted mask, but the damage was shallow. He dodged the follow up with ease. He was clearly reading every move she tried to make.

  Frustrated, Carol began using repeated teleportation, becoming a blurring, accelerating target as she tried to disorient him. Luke stopped, calculating her next landing spot. To his surprise, she was already above him.

  "Wind Agnis!" Carol roared, casting her enhanced spell. She swung the empowered sword down against Luke's spear, and this time, the blow made his weapon visibly crack.

  He instantly backed down, letting Carol's attack hit the ground instead.

  The effort exhausted her. She breathed uncontrollably, her mental state reeling. Frustration fueled her grip on the sword, fighting to keep her spell from cancelling out.

  "Priestess, wasn't it?" Luke said, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

  "Wha...What are you trying to say?" Carol stammered, waiting to regain her energy.

  "The voice... it’s been talking to me. It knows your existence. The abomination of destruction, trying to be a creation."

  (Just what does he mean by that? The voice, talking to him?) Carol's mind reeled with confusion.

  "Holding back, aren't you?" Luke pressed.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "Huh? What do you-"

  Luke cut her off. "Afraid of killing me? Rein's older brother?"

  "Luke, is that you? Is the one who spoke to me earlier really you?"

  He ignored the question, offering only riddles. "It hurts... It hurts so much..."

  Carol pressed her teeth together, consumed by a mixture of anger and sympathy. She was cornered. She had no choice, yet she couldn't bring herself to deliver the final blow. It would be the first death she caused that wasn't part of her cold, vengeance plan.

  Before she could react, Luke vanished from her sight. A spike of dread hit her, immediately confirmed as Luke’s hand gripped her neck, lifting her high into the air.

  "Use your Leviathan's power. Destroy me, Carol!"

  "How... How do you know my name? Did that voice tell you...?"

  He harshly threw Carol away. She rolled painfully across the ground, coughing, fighting to pull air back into her lungs.

  "What in the world...?" Carol murmured, her shock absolute as she looked slowly up at the sky.

  Luke stood casually, conjuring several magic circles around him, with a massive one dominating the space directly above. The circles slowly pulled forth a torrent of corrupted ice spears, which he commanded to fire immediately at Carol.

  With no chance to regain her breath or energy, she scrambled to her feet and fled the manor grounds. She succeeded, but the manor immediately became a smoking, giant pile of corrupted ice—a hideous monument to Luke’s annihilation strategy.

  For his final act, Luke cast a colossal ice spear, soaring high into the night sky. He then mumbled the chilling incantation.

  "Haven,"

  Everyone, including the terrified, evacuating villagers, gasped at the sight above them.

  "Froziah." Luke's voice was utterly devoid of human emotion. The enormous spear plunged downward at incomprehensible speed, giving the group zero time to react.

  The moment it struck the earth, the explosion began. It was a massive, blinding blast that instantly froze everything from the Azerin territory all the way to the canyon. The action annihilated the landscape. The villagers were frozen. The entire fighting group was frozen, including Mira, Lily, and Carol.

  But Rein remained untouched. He was flabbergasted, while covering his face with his arms against the tsunami of icy dust.

  However, for Carol, the ice that held her shattered.

  A wave of dark Ender exploded outward, instantly coalescing into a corrupted version of Wind Rush that launched against Luke. He dodged immediately, but the attack slammed into the frozen canyon wall, leaving a massive, heavy crack.

  Carol broke free, landing gracefully on her feet. She slowly lifted her head, opening her eyes to reveal a fierce red iris, now enveloped by the same dark Ender energy. Her sword had also been corrupted by the surge. Her appearance was inhuman, as It's not the controlled corruption of Corrude, but the sudden emergence of her other persona.

  The other persona remained silent, focused only on death and destruction between herself and Luke. She enhanced her sword with the dark Ender and elegantly swung it back, then suddenly warped, appearing instantly in front of him.

  She swung her sword heavily. Luke barely raised his spear in defense. He was surprised not by the force, but by her utter lack of malice. He couldn't sense any feeling or threat—only a raw, single purpose of vengeance that she had suppressed for so long.

  Struggling against his block, Carol poured an enormous torrent of dark Ender into her weapon, easily staggering Luke to the ground.

  As he hit, a gust of icy dust flew up, and a crack appeared beneath his boot. He looked up, but Carol was gone. A moment later, she was behind him, swinging again. Though he still managed to defend, the blow knocked him again, his spear nearly breaking.

  In frustration, he unleashed waves of ice spears at Carol. She responded by releasing a pulse of dark Ender beneath her boot, effortlessly destroying the projectiles. As she planted her boot, readying her next attack with a look of pure contempt, Luke reacted instantly.

  He cast a shimmering barrier shield of pure ice. Carol struck it with such force that it sent him soaring into the sky. She followed, repeatedly hitting the shield mid flight, hammering it with blunt force in different directions, showcasing her pure destructive strength as the barrier began to crack with every attack.

  As she delivered the final blow high in the air, she flowed a devastating amount of Dark Ender from her weapon. Luke was staggered yet again as the barrier shattered completely, forcing a cry of pain and a stream of blood from his mouth.

  Carol landed silently on the ground.

  Luke scrambled up, gripping his weapon, eyes burning with frustration. He stomped the ground, casting a wave of deadly ice spikes at Carol, but she destroyed the attack with a single swing.

  However, as she poised her weapon for the killing strike, the dark Ender surrounding her red iris slowly faded. The human persona had reawakened, stopping her from killing Luke. She knew it was not her job.

  Luke immediately seized the opening, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he shot a projectile directly at Carol. The attack hit her square in the stomach. The other persona vanished completely, leaving the human Carol to receive the full, horrifying impact. Her eyes widened in terror, unable to scream or protest as the pain became too intense. Inside her body, the infectious ice slowly began to freeze her vital organs.

  Carol knelt, unable to comprehend the crushing damage she'd sustained.

  Rein, desperately trying to reach Carol, felt only futility. He was pinned down by the golems and the minions, his teeth clenched in frustration. The more he fought, the more pain he received. He felt utterly useless. Every failed parry and deflected blow drove the wounds deeper. In one last surge of effort, he tried to enhance his spear to clash with a golem’s punch, but his Vergus spell shattered, resulting in a painful defeat. He was knocked backward into a tree, sinking exhausted to the ground.

  "No use, huh," Rein rasped, clenching his fists. Crimson blood dripped from his mouth, pooling beneath his head.

  A voice, the echo of the Dark Ender’s influence, seeped into his mind.

  (It's futile for you to do this, Rein. Why do you keep going despite knowing the result?)

  Rein gave a tired shrug. "Honestly, I... don't know why."

  (Then why wasting your time? If it fails, then it fails. No matter how much you try, it will only result in failure.)

  Rein closed his eyes, recalling a conversation from his past.

  Mr. Lousilks was teaching young Rein, who watched his work with curiosity. They had decided to take a break.

  "Why the sudden break, Mr. Lousilks?" Young Rein asked.

  "You remind me of my daughter," Lousilks said, smiling softly. "Always curious on everything around her."

  "Really? What was she like?"

  "That's... hard to say. You'll see... she's...not here in this world anymore."

  "I-I see. I'm sorry for asking." Rein felt a sudden guilt.

  "It's alright, Rein. It's just the past. For now, I must focus on the future and prepare for the worst."

  "You sound quite sentimental about 'poetic like future' things, Mr. Lousilks."

  Lousilks chuckled. "Do I? Well, you see, I have this motto from my family. It was called Unbroken Will, Unbroken Wings, Unbroken Ambition."

  "What does it mean?"

  "Unbroken Will represents the human spirit's drive to live. Unbroken Wings represents how far they can fly to their destination. And Unbroken Ambition represents their purpose to become a better version of themselves."

  "What's the use of that for a butler?"

  "Oh, Rein. Didn't I tell you my family were Margias before?"

  "Sorry, I forgot."

  Lousilks laughed, affectionately rubbing Rein's head. "Seems like you have a lot of work to do."

  A blinding light snapped Rein back to the present.

  (It was futile, Rein. Even if you try to recall those happy memories, I know that deep inside, you wish to finally open up your feelings.) The dark figure appeared in his inner world, trying to drag him into the abyss. (You want to be emotional again. It won't hurt to release all that, hmm?)

  (You're right. I truly hope I can open up my feelings. I would do everything if I had to.)

  (Exactly. That’s the truth coming from you.)

  (But, that's not the path I'll take.) Rein slowly raised his wand, his demeanor shifting entirely. (I won't let his motto go to waste. Everything he did for me... I can’t let it all be tarnished.) A crack of light appeared in the pitch dark abyss.

  (What are you...?)

  (He gave me a will, wings, and an ambition to live. Despite everything I try to hide, it’s still here, waiting for me to fly.) The crack widened violently.

  (Stop! Stop doing that, Rein!)

  (This time,) He drove his wand through the dark figure. The light surged, destroying the entity. (I shall free you from the abyss.)

  Flickers of Lousilks and other victims of the calamity appeared. They vanished into the light, leaving a relieved smile on Rein's face.

  (Now, you’re on your own, Rein.)

  (Yeah.) A genuine smile, impossible moments ago, crossed his face, even as tears streamed from his eyes. (Wish me luck, Father.)

  Lousilks nodded gently, integrating with the light as they all disappeared.

  Rein slowly stood up, gripping his wand with newfound emotion and determination.

  "May the light guide you all, as my Azure shall freeze the dark," He swung his wand, which began morphing into something new. "Vergus,"

  The minions leaped at him, but before they could connect, they were obliterated alongside the golems by massive Azure spikes erupting beneath them.

  "Larkin." The final incantation left his lips. His wand was now a gleaming pure Azure Lance.

  Luke noticed the surge of Ender and looked straight at Rein. With a powerful slash, Rein broke the barrier that had separated them.

  After everything that's happening around them, they finally faced against each other.