As Sora’s [Ruyi Jingu Bang] descended upon Sarsha, his heart was in turmoil. She wasn’t the first player he’d killed, but never before had he encountered such an expression on an enemy’s face.
Despite her status as an opponent, the tears in her eyes and the look she was giving her allies beyond the walls were heartbreaking.
Isn’t this too much? The thought tightened his chest even as his staff met its target.
The familiar, cold notification jolted him back to reality:
[You have killed an enemy Colonel]
The battlefield seemed to shift the moment Sarsha fell. There were no cheers, just a deep, quiet resolve among his allies—a shared realization that victory in this war might actually be within reach.
Lois's voice cut through the silence. “Ralph, drop the dome! This is our chance to take their leader. Focus on Klunor. Oliver and I will deal with Captone. Kara, block everyone else with the battalion's help”
Lois had noted Kara’s immense potential and trusted her with such a task. Even before the battle, she had considered plans that could make the most of her exceptional abilities, including trapping Sarsha or trapping groups of ambushers.
As Sora released the domes, he swiftly guided his allies out of Klunor’s range, clearing a wide-open space for a duel.
Summoning new [Earth Domes] to trap his enemy with him, he began heating the entire area, raising the temperature inside.
Dark clouds formed above, releasing a steady rain that turned into mist on contact with the scorching ground. Trapped in the enclosed space, each raindrop landed with a soft pssht, which gradually turned into explosive bursts, increasing the pressure inside.
He summoned more [Earth Domes].
Now at level 75, Sora could handle most opponents with ease, his refined body, powerful skills, and solid foundation making him an unstoppable force. But even with Klunor’s level reduced from 127 to 80, the dual swordsman exuded a pressure that surpassed his own.
Sora raised his hands, summoning hundreds of [Ice Orbs] that began to float around him in unpredictable patterns, their size growing larger by the second. Lightning also crackled around him, extending to cover the entire enclosed space.
Klunor’s gaze remained fixed, his expression hardening as a dark red mist started seeping from his body. His eyes glowed red, and two sharp horns began to protrude between his pointed ears, amplifying the already overwhelming aura. The presence he released intensified, pushing the pressure under the dome to a higher level.
“This is costly, but you left me no choice,” Klunor said, his tone heavy with resignation and hesitation. He swung his twin blades, releasing a surge of energy that crackled through the air, thick with imminent danger.
He swung his blades, and Sora felt a surge of danger.
In an instant, Sora transformed into lightning, dodging the strike to reappear hundreds of meters behind Klunor. But the threat wasn’t gone—two energy beams shot from Klunor’s swords, tracking Sora’s movements. He was forced to keep evading, using lightning to move around.
Klunor’s eyes locked onto Sora, tracking his movements as he moved in and out of sight. Anticipating his reappearance, Klunor dashed forward, only to be hit by a shockingly fast [Ice Orb] smashing into him from above.
The [Ice Orbs], ricocheting off the dome’s surfaces with each explosion, accelerating unpredictably with each impact. Each collision sent them flying in unpredictable directions, and Klunor found himself struck repeatedly, their impacts distracting him as more of them appeared, bouncing violently throughout the dome.
Sora was not satisfied, continuously summoning more [Ice Orbs].
The dome became a chaotic space where extreme heat, explosive Ice Orbs, and extreme pressure met. The oppressive atmosphere grew more intense with each passing moment, transforming the battlefield into a living hell.
Sora who had pushed his elemental resistance to the limit, and refined his body to an extreme level could manage under such condition. Klunor however rapidly felt his endurance declining, having no choice but fly after Sora in hope of catching him.
Sora, however, was doing his best to avoid a direct confrontation, wanting to tire his opponent out and break his resistance.
Klunor gritted his teeth at such a strategy and focused on slicing through the [Ice Orbs] to minimize the damage he took, but they were unending. His blade beams, which had pursued Sora for over ten seconds, dissipated, and he turned back to find his opponent standing unfazed.
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Klunor glanced at his panel and flinched at the grim notifications. Reality hit hard—Captone was dead, and Sarsha was gone. His hand trembled, a defeated sigh escaping as he thought, "Is this the end? Can we truly conquer [Earth]?"
He raised his head and looked at Sora, lost in thought for a moment before saying "Little Human, you were amazing in this war. To be honest, if we had a few individuals like you on this serv- planet we may have a chance. But our race's focus is somewhere it shouldn't be. I envy your people. You're fighting as one in the face of enemies. Don't blame us [Invaders] too much, as maybe someday we will not face as enemies anymore. I'm not allowed to say too much to you, but I can only tell you something, that maybe you can consider a favor from this old one. Death may not be the end. In this [World]... Maybe you should just play ?"
"I will remember your name"
Resolute, he pulled a small item from his pocket, raising it high above his head.
[General Klunor is forfeiting the battle. Please stop fighting. Your enemies have 3 days to retreat from the territory.]
[Congratulations to the [New World Kingdom] for the victory in the PVP Event!]
[Reward: Sweden Territory Ownership]
[Level up !]
[Level up !]
[Level up !]
Suddenly, powerful shields appeared around everyone on the battlefield as the notification registered.
On the dark elves side, a ripple of despair washed over their ranks, and tears streamed down the faces of soldiers. To many, this defeat—bringing dishonor to their families and tribes—was a fate worse than death.
On the human side, the reactions were mixed. Some stood stunned, others cheered, elated to have defended their homeland. Kara felt a wave of relief, letting out a deep breath as she took in the realization that the war was finally over.
All the spells had ceased and the factions regrouped to count their casualties, Sora flew forward, halting Klunor in his tracks.
"Wait. Thank you for putting an end to this,” he said, meeting Klunor’s eyes with a solemn gaze. “If we meet again and I understood what you meant, I’ll return the favor. I will not forget this."
Klunor regarded him for a moment, his face unreadable, before he gave a single, simple nod.
Without a word, he turned to rejoin his remaining colonels and troops. In heavy silence, they walked out of the coliseum, their steps echoing through the emptying battlefield as they departed, leaving only memories of weeks of hard-fought battles.
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Sora soon landed beside Lois, Kara, and the others, feeling the toll from expending so much mana so quickly. He’d experienced this before during Areva’s test in Paris, where he was pushed to the edge, relying heavily on his mana regeneration just to survive the test.
He could feel a headache spreading through his head, making it difficult to focus on everything happening around the coliseum. His mental strength lagged behind his physical capabilities, as he fought his weakness, trying to stand tall despite the mounting fatigue.
Just as General Asami Hito turned to address the troops and congratulate the incredible recruit who had turned the tides, she noticed him suddenly falter, his body falling forward.
She moved to catch him, but Kara was faster, reaching him just in time to stop his face from hitting the ground.
Kneeling beside him, Kara channeled her life force, scanning his body for injuries. To her relief, she realized his body was perfectly fine. Instead, it seemed he had reached the limits of his mental endurance.
Asami surveyed the battlefield, her eyes falling on the tired expressions of her troops. The exhaustion was palpable, etched into the faces of many players. She knew they needed rest.
Kara carried Sora on her back and took in the scene around her, her gaze falling on survivors scattered across the battlefield. Many were kneeling beside dropped items—the last remnants of their fallen friends. Some of them had only known each other a short while; others had shared countless battles together, forming friendships that had now been abruptly severed.
Her eyes landed on a familiar figure. ‘That’s… Suraj, isn’t it?’ she thought, recognizing the squad or team leader from earlier. He was on his knees, fists pressed into the dirt, his entire body trembling as silent tears traced paths down his face.
A pang of sorrow hit her as she remembered him speaking to a young woman before the battle. They had exchanged words about their fears of permanent death, but while he seemed anxious, his friend was more optimistic, reassuring him. ‘Where is she? What was her name…?’ Kara thought, her heart beating faster as she scanned the faces around her.
She remembered the woman’s plate armor and tall frame, which should have made her easy to spot. But she was nowhere to be seen. An uneasy feeling settled in her chest. 'Is she…?'
Kara moved closer to Suraj, stopping a few meters away. His voice was barely audible, but she could make out the broken words. “Mirai… why did you have to die… I wanted to propose. Fo... for us to leave this life and start fresh… together. Why was I safe when you fought in the front lines?”
His words sent a chill through her. The battle was over, but the echoes of loss were just appearing. She glanced down at Sora, unconscious but breathing steadily. His current state weighed on her heart, a reminder that he was not invincible.
She knew this was only the beginning, as the reality of their sacrifices would soon hit everyone with painful clarity.