Chapter 5 : The Final

The moon sat high in the sky, casting its silver glow over the desolate lands of the clan. A suffocating silence engulfed the place, as if it refused to speak of what had transpired. Moryo stood firmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion, staring at the ruins before him with chilling indifference. Beside him was Hyona, while Nicola and Oda stood behind, all frozen in shock at the sheer devastation.

Hyona muttered in a trembling voice, her words laced with both awe and horror:

"Is the Raipozi Clan… truly perished?!"

Moryo responded with an icy finality:

"This is only the beginning. We will unite with Suero and the others… we will free Master Sbyam from containment, and then, we will curse the magic system of Kaisima."

Silence reigned, broken only by Nicola’s ragged breathing. His eyes remained locked onto the destruction before him as he whispered, barely audible:

"What?!... My parents?!... Everyone?!"

Moryo and Hyona turned to him. Hyona looked at him with concern, while Moryo merely cast a cold gaze his way. Oda stood nearby, watching intently. Nicola muttered again, but this time, his voice was clearer, filled with accusation:

"You… you killed them all!"

Hyona took a cautious step forward, her voice laced with worry:

"Nicola, calm down!..."

But Nicola didn’t hear her. His steps were heavy, steady, as he moved toward Moryo, his eyes locked onto Moryo’s lifeless stare.

Then, without warning, he roared in fury. A transparent spark ignited around his clenched fist. He tightened his grip and struck the air with overwhelming force.

Moryo’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could register what had happened, an invisible force hurled him backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into the ground, rolling across the barren sand.

His mind raced.

"What was that?! What just happened?!"

From where he lay, he lifted his gaze to see Nicola approaching, his steps heavy, his face twisted with rage. His voice carried both sharpness and despair:

"You destroyed my home! You killed my mother… and now you’ve erased the place where I grew up!"

Moryo slowly rose to his feet, his expression returning to its usual coldness. Raising his hand, flickering green sparks danced around his fingers. His unfeeling gaze locked onto Nicola, who muttered bitterly:

"If you want to eradicate everyone… then why did you save me?!"

Moryo replied in a flat tone:

"You fool! I didn’t care about you either… but Hyona insisted on helping you."

Nicola continued advancing, the transparent sparks of his fury flaring around his fist. Oda and Hyona stood frozen, watching in tense silence, unable to intervene.

Then, in a sudden burst, Nicola launched forward with devastating speed. The ground beneath his feet erupted, sending debris flying into the air.

Moryo remained still, his eyes carefully tracking him. Nicola’s strike surged forward, so powerful that even the space around it seemed distorted.

But before it could land—Moryo vanished.

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Nicola’s attack continued unhindered, colliding into the nearby mountain. The impact sent deep cracks running along its surface, dislodging dust and small rocks that tumbled to the ground.

Nicola roared in frustration:

"Where did you go, you bastard?!"

But before he could finish his shout, Moryo appeared beside him like a specter, his hand raised, his voice cold as ice:

"I don’t have time for you… we’re on the brink of a civil war."

With absolute indifference, he seized Nicola’s face and hurled him toward the ground with brutal force. Nicola’s body flew like a discarded puppet, crashing into the earth with an impact so violent that cracks splintered beneath him, while a cloud of dust erupted into the air.

As Moryo landed gracefully on the ground, his cold expression reflected his composure. Without looking back at Nicola, he walked toward Hyona and Oda, who had been watching the confrontation with anticipation and unease.

Moryo spoke calmly, his gaze locking onto Oda:

"Mr. Oda, what’s the next move?"

Oda, still processing what had just happened, stared at Moryo in shock, bewildered by his unnatural tranquility. Meanwhile, behind them, Nicola’s voice erupted in frustration, tinged with bitterness:

"Damn it! Why am I so weak?!"

Both Oda and Hyona turned to look at Nicola, but Moryo remained indifferent, his back still facing him. Nicola’s anger flared, his voice rising:

"Why did you destroy the clan, you traitor?!"

Without turning around, Moryo replied in a quiet, detached tone:

"Boy, we were nothing more than tools in their hands. Clearly, they were preparing you to become a sorcerer, weren’t they?"

Nicola’s breath hitched, his rage laced with pain:

"You and your father, Smart, ruined my life! Your father killed my sister, Asma, and now you… you killed my mother and father! They were supposed to see me graduate… to become a sorcerer!"

Moryo scoffed coldly:

"A sorcerer? You'll come to hate the day you become one."

A tense silence followed, thick with unresolved emotions. Then, Oda’s voice cut through the stillness, laced with gravity:

"Moryo , do you realize what you've done? After the destruction of the Raipozi Clan, you're now a direct target of the World Sages."

Moryo responded without hesitation, his tone unwavering:

"Yes, I know. But I won’t stand by and watch the cycle of death continue when I have the means to stop it."

Oda’s brows furrowed, concern evident in his voice:

"But the Mana Organization… they're still creating monsters, and the clans fully support them!"

Hyona interjected, her voice filled with confusion as she turned to her father:

"Dad, why does the Mana Organization keep creating monsters?"

Oda let out a heavy sigh, his voice calm yet firm:

"Hyona, I don’t mean they create them directly. But monsters continue to multiply through infection—the more humans they bite, the more their numbers grow. Over time, control becomes impossible."

As Oda explained, Nicola took a step forward, his movements slow and deliberate. But before he could lash out, his body froze abruptly. Green sparks crackled around him, binding him in place.

Hyona's eyes narrowed with caution as she observed Nicola’s struggling form. Meanwhile, Oda spoke in a hushed voice:

"The Mana Organization only creates these monsters to appease the World Sages."

Moryo turned to Oda, his voice tinged with skepticism:

"Appease the World Sages? Why doesn’t the world just overthrow them instead of sacrificing more human lives?"

For a moment, Oda hesitated, lowering his gaze to the ground as if lost in thought. Internally, a bitter truth weighed on his mind:

"The world? Moryo doesn’t understand… We’re the only ones suffering here. But I can’t tell him that. He has to figure it out himself."

Hyona’s voice broke through his contemplation, filled with concern:

"Dad, what’s wrong?"

Oda slowly lifted his head, his eyes clouded with sorrow. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet yet firm:

"Moryo …"

Moryo met his gaze in silence, waiting for him to continue:

"Don’t stop. Keep moving forward. You’ll find all the answers you seek on your own."

Oda’s words lingered in Moryo ’s mind, their weight settling deep within him. Yet, he remained silent, his expression unreadable as he tried to grasp the true meaning behind them.

A heavy silence settled over the battlefield. Eyes locked onto one another, tension hanging thick in the air. In the background, Nicola remained frozen, his body struggling against the paralysis that held him in place.

Breaking the silence, Oda spoke in a calm yet weighty tone:

"I don't know if I’ll live to see that day… but if you manage to destroy the Mana Organization, deep within their base, you will find a hidden chamber. Inside, there lies a book—one that holds the true history of this world."

Hyona’s eyes widened in shock. She turned to her father, confusion clear in her voice:

"The history of the world? What do you mean?"

Oda’s voice carried a deep gravity:

"Centuries ago, an ancient king founded our homeland—Kaisima. That book contains everything: the origins of magic, the truth about Kaisima itself… It is the key to understanding this world."

Moryo ’s gaze sharpened as he studied Oda, his brow furrowed in thought. Then, closing his eyes, he took a slow, measured breath before exhaling steadily. His expression gradually returned to its usual calm. Without another word, he turned his back to Oda and strode toward the immobilized Nicola.

At that moment, the green sparks surrounding Nicola’s body faded, releasing him from their grip. He stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing, only to find Moryo standing directly in front of him, eyes cold and unreadable.

Moryo's voice was steady, devoid of emotion:

"Boy… you want revenge, don’t you?"

Nicola’s fists clenched as he glared at Moryo , rage burning in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Moryo cut him off before he could utter a word:

"Listen to me first. If you truly seek revenge… then join us."

Nicola’s body tensed, his face contorted with anger and disbelief:

"Join you? Are you joking, you bastard?!"

Moryo ’s voice remained unwavering:

"Yes. Join us. Join me, Suero, and the others. Fight with us against the Mana Organization. And when it’s over… the choice will be yours. If, after learning the full truth, you still want revenge—then do as you please. But I am certain… you will change your mind. Just don’t take too long to decide… winter is coming."

Nicola remained silent, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. His brows knitted together as he wrestled with the weight of Moryo ’s words.

Without waiting for a response, Moryo turned and walked away, his steps unhurried, his posture unwavering. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver light upon the ruins of what was once the Raipozi Clan’s homeland—now reduced to nothing but remnants of the past.

The others watched him in silence as he moved forward, his back to them. His footsteps carried him through the quiet, bathed in the moon’s cold glow.

End of Arc.