"Shit." Zachary muttered.

He backed away from the carnage at the land bridge as well as the giant black wolf that was stalking him. The smell of blood filled the air. There was death everywhere he turned. The sounds of merciless slaughter filled his ears and fear gripped his heart, making it pound like war drums.

"Sable, pack bond! Arrow, fire at will!"

His voice seemed far away even as he commanded his summons in a last-ditch effort.

“Awoo!” Sable howled, providing its pack with its power.

Pu! Pu! Pu!

Arrow let out a furious barrage of poison.

“Woo!” The giant wolf let out a sharp exhale even as it dodged the attack.

A burst of air shot out like a cannonball, slamming into Arrow as well as its perch which happened to be Oakley's head. The little frog flew off and landed on the ground with a wet plop. Oakley's head bent backward along with its torso from the force of the blow until there was a loud crack as something broke. The treant collapsed where it stood, its limbs twitching, a mask of confusion and pain on its normally expressionless face.

Zachary’s vision blurred as pain struck him. His head felt like it was going to split apart. In a few breaths, he had lost two summons.

“Hammer, Onkie, retreat! Come back to me.”

He knew it was useless to fight on. This alpha wolf was so strong it was abnormal. It knew so many powerful abilities; wind blast, sky steps, air cannon... He couldn't fight against that.

Truth be told, he always knew he would die in this treacherous land. He had been a dead man walking since the trial and conviction. He didn't have high hopes to begin with, even with the mention of presidential pardons.

“Woo!” The giant wolf attacked again.

Its air cannon attack was aimed at Zachary but Hammer rose into its path. The burst of air slammed into the crab, causing it to whine in pain as it struggled to stay upright. Just one hit had caused several cracks on its tough shell.

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“Woo!”

Another attack came.

Pa!

The cracks grew alarmingly in size.

“Kaki…” Hammer groaned.

It was barely holding on. Its protective shell was ruined and it blew out bubbles that were stained with blue blood. Another hit soon arrived and this time, it fell and didn’t get back up.

Zachary bore the pain, stumbling backward several steps. Hammer was dead. But he didn't have time to mourn.

His journey until now still felt like a sick joke. Meeting Katherine, Jean-Pierre, and now Aaron, these people gave him different hints of hope which were all ruthlessly crushed in the end. Jean-Pierre left them far too soon. That guy was a killer at heart but a good friend in the end.

Katherine, he had grown to trust her and rely on her. Yet she was the one who wanted to explore these ruins. Although he was attracted by the pinecitta tree, she was the one who came up with the plan. She was the one who convinced him to stay and fight here. Even now, he still didn't know what to make of her.

Then there was Aaron, that lying bastard. He always had a way to save everyone but he only used it in the end to save himself. How did he catch a mature jungle elephant and how did he hide it from his group? Was he really a member of the White Clan? Zachary had heard of them before, a prominent family that produced many powerful summoners. The republic's president before the previous one was named Eric Lawrence White...

“Awo!” Sable howled and rushed forward.

It attacked bravely and without orders, spurred by his wavering emotions and driven by the soul bond to protect its summoner. It lunged at its former pack leader even though it was so much smaller and weaker.

Tears welled in Zachary’s eyes. Sable was a good wolf. He wished they could have had more time together.

Another burst of pain struck him like lightning, forcing him a few more steps backward. The back of his heel landed on empty air. He glanced down and found that had reached the edge. Behind him was a dark chasm filled with mist.

Only Onkie remained by his side. They were now surrounded, by the giant black wolf and its pack. There were no more survivors, only him.

"Onk! Onk!" Onkie snorted loudly, displaying its bravery even now, its desire to fight it out until the end.

It reminded him of Yaoyao, plucky and adventurous. He didn't have Yaoyao anymore but he still had Onkie, his first summon of the New World.

“Onkie…”

“Zach! Zach!” A faraway voice called out to him, Katherine's voice.

He raised his head weakly but his eyes were wet and unfocused. He could hardly see anything, even the wolves stalking towards him. The monolith was a dark blur that overshadowed everything.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Zach, I never meant for this to happen. Zach…”

He had heard these words before. He laughed, mostly at himself. All paths led to death in the end. There was no way to change that. However, his soul was still free and he could choose to die the way he wanted. With this thought, he suddenly felt refreshed. There was no more sadness or pain in that moment, only clarity.

He picked up Onkie and held the squirming pig in his arms, "Onkie, how can I be afraid when you're not afraid?"

"Onk?"

He turned to face the bottomless abyss, laughing as he cried. He sensed the wolves lunge towards him but he didn’t care. He jumped without hesitation, into the mists and the unknown.