Yuri had experienced a mental breakdown.
It was likely due to the unprecedented possibilities that had spread out from the chaos.
The paths his life could take far surpassed those of others, and so, like a dam with a hole where it should have been sealed, his soul constantly tried to leak out toward new lives at every moment.
Despite enduring countless leaks, he was able to return to reality each time thanks to his willpower—one that transcended human limits.
Waking from sweet dreams and returning to harsh reality.
For Yuri, this had already become routine.
Cedric, unaware of this, couldn’t understand the situation.
“How?”
It was impossible.
The hallucination Cedric had given him was no different from reality.
There was no human who would reject a world where everything fit perfectly and happiness finally blossomed.
Even if reason refused, instinct and soul would desperately fight to enjoy this supreme happiness.
That was how it should be.
“How, you ask…”
Yuri twisted the sword embedded in Cedric’s chest and smirked.
“Because I’m human.”
“You are…?”
“Looks like the monkey here was you, Cedric.”
Cedric vanished.
The world shattered.
Everything collapsed.
Feeling the texture of the sword, Guilty, in his hand, Yuri thought.
Even if I wake from this dream, reality won’t change.
He would still be pierced through the abdomen, controlled by Cedric who had taken over Laurent’s body, and that bastard would be slaughtering the Anti-Empire Alliance’s forces with the infinite life force he had amassed.
The odds of survival were lower than those of death.
So maybe this is the last chance.
If I look back now…
Will I be able to see Yekaterina in her wedding dress?
She’d be beautiful.
Yuri chuckled softly.
Then, he stabbed his own neck with Guilty.
“No, I can’t.”
With that, the brief dreamlike trance Yuri had fallen into completely collapsed.
Waking from the dream was instantaneous.
Yuri lowered himself to the ground and let out a low laugh.
“That really hurts.”
The hallucination Cedric had injected into his mind lasted only a moment.
Returning to the life-or-death reality, a sudden, excruciating pain stabbed through his entire body.
“Your Highness!”
Jose helped him up. Yuri groaned.
“It hurts.”
“How’s your stomach…?”
“I’m not dying.”
The bleeding wasn’t severe. He had used mana to constrict the blood vessels—a feat only someone of his caliber could manage.
But fighting was still difficult.
Yuri lifted his eyes.
Cedric, having slipped out of Laurent’s body, was casting darkness over the world.
Tentacles rose, blood and flesh scattered—once again, the battlefield of carnage was recreated on the surface.
Leaning on Jose, Yuri asked,
“What about Laurent?”
“He’s not in critical condition.”
“Help me up.”
“Yes.”
Jose supported Yuri.
He breathed heavily from the pain.
Laurent and Jared had both been taken down by Cedric.
With the two who always accompanied him gone, he truly felt alone.
“No, no, that’s not it.”
Yuri shook his head.
Not yet.
“Your Highness?”
“Tell everyone to hold on a little longer.”
Cedric had succeeded in turning part of the Anti-Empire Alliance’s forces into his own army. What had been comrades until moments ago were now pointing blades at each other—a tragedy unfolding.
This was Cedric’s method.
Disgusting.
Like trying to stop leaking water with just your hands, this tragedy would only end if the root cause was killed.
Yuri gripped his sword with effort and said,
“Cedric has limits too.”
Cedric.
He had pulled many tricks so far. The reason was clear: he was running out of options.
If he truly had overwhelming power, he could have just crushed the Anti-Empire Alliance outright.
There would be no need for clumsy illusions.
Jose, understanding Yuri’s meaning, looked troubled.
“But, Your Highness…”
“It’s fine.”
Yuri forced himself upright, but pain flared in his abdomen and he sank back down.
“Your Highness.”
“Ugh…”
Yuri borrowed the power of chaos to heal his body.
But the wounds didn’t vanish immediately.
His power was specialized for destruction, not healing.
“Just a little longer.”
He focused on restoring his body enough to fight again.
At that moment, a group came running from behind.
Hernando and Marilose.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
Hernando hurried over and sat beside Yuri.
Marilose placed her hand on Yuri’s chest—right above the knife wound.
Feeling her cold touch, Yuri let out a soft groan.
“Always getting stabbed…”
Marilose’s tone was genuinely scolding, so Yuri kept quiet.
She examined his wound.
“It’s deep.”
“Ugh…”
When her touch grew firmer, he cried out in pain.
Marilose looked at Hernando.
“Is this enough here?”
“Let’s try.”
The two reached toward Yuri’s wound, and a faint light began to glow.
Jose, standing nearby, widened his eyes.
“How?”
“There’s only Cedric left now.”
Hernando answered.
Since Cedric had absorbed all his subordinate black mages, his dispel ability had weakened, and the mana suppression around him was less intense than before.
Though mana was still restricted near Cedric, this spot—far from the battle between Cedric and the Anti-Empire Alliance—was less affected.
“Let’s do whatever we can.”
The two joined their hands.
White light enveloped Yuri’s abdomen.
“Ugh…”
“Focus.”
Even so, their mana control wasn’t entirely free, so they closed their eyes and concentrated on the magic.
Though not high-level spells, the effort made them sweat.
“Phew…”
Yuri’s breathing noticeably eased.
The healing energy from the two reached him, and he amplified its effect using the power of chaos.
The two different energies created a synergy.
Jose, watching the scene, let out a breath of admiration.
“No way, the external wounds are visibly…”
Yuri spoke.
“Jose.”
“Yes?”
“I’m fine. You fight.”
“I will protect you.”
“It’s okay.”
Yuri nodded.
“I’ll be right behind you.”
Jose nodded firmly.
“Yes, understood, Your Highness. I’ll wait.”
Then he immediately left.
As he ran off, Marilose, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, opened her mouth.
“Even if the wounds heal, you can’t fight like this.”
“I can fight.”
“It’s difficult in this state.”
“I said I can.”
“No, you can’t.”
“You really are stubborn…”
Marilose lightly tapped Yuri’s shoulder.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Really…”
“Please understand.”
While the two talked, Hernando, quietly casting healing magic, opened his eyes and glanced at them.
Somehow, the distance between the two seemed closer than before.
“Hmm…”
Hernando cleared his throat, and the two fell silent.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“Marilose might say otherwise, but…”
Hernando withdrew his hand.
Yuri’s wound now looked closed on the surface, and the bleeding had stopped.
“Please. Fight just one more time.”
“To someone who’s hurt right now…”
“Marilose, don’t argue. It has to be Your Highness.”
Then Hernando smiled.
He recalled the day he met Yuri.
A boy who transcended fate.
He, who observed fate, had met one who surpassed it.
This too must have been the world’s guidance.
“So, please. Protect the world.”
Hernando spread his hands.
White light began to radiate from his body.
“E-Ernando?”
Marilose opened her mouth in surprise.
Ernando didn’t answer, gritting his teeth.
The faint remnants of dispel magic still interfered with his mana flow.
The larger the spell, the stronger the resistance from dispel.
Mana twisted as he forced his power, but Hernando paid it no mind.
“Ernando…”
He was now trying to surpass his limits.
The cost was clear.
“Please.”
Like Inariel, Hernando would lose his unique dark magic.
Perhaps the magical heights he had reached would vanish as well.
Still, without hesitation, Hernando poured all his mana into Yuri.
Like someone desperately self-harming, he poured mana until his energy channels twisted.
Recovery.
The most basic healing spell.
For a great mage to stake his fate on something so trivial might seem absurd.
But Hernando bet everything on this small magic.
He believed this little spell could change the world.
Sometimes, the smallest magic brings the greatest miracles.
Wasn’t this wonder of the world the very reason Hernando had chosen the path of magic?
He gritted his teeth and said,
“Please, save the world.”
A white radiance engulfed Yuri.
At the same time, Hernando collapsed.
“Ernando!”
Marilose shook his shoulder.
He hadn’t lost consciousness completely, but he groaned softly.
Blood trickled from his mouth.
“Ernando.”
Yuri, having gotten to his feet, grabbed Hernando’s hand.
He could tell that Hernando had just lost something important.
Hernando, blood still staining his lips, gave a faint smile and raised his thumb.
“That bastard…”
Yuri met his gesture with a thumbs-up of his own.
“I’ve received your will…”
Without hesitation, Yuri averted his gaze.
For Hernando, who had risked everything for him, he had to face Cedric immediately.
“I’m heading out.”
“Be careful.”
Exchanging a look with Marie-Rose, Yuri set off at once.
He wasn’t at his best, but the pain that had tormented him had lessened significantly.
This was enough to fight.
As Yuri hurried toward the battlefield, someone suddenly blocked his path.
Small and frail.
Limping.
Hood pulled low.
It was that guy, standing with arms spread wide, barring Yuri’s way.
“Y-Your Highness!”
“Kori?”
Yuri barely came to a stop, instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword before relaxing his hand.
“I don’t know what this is about, but I’m in a hurry.”
“Y-Your Highness…”
“Step aside. Or I’ll cut you down.”
Through Kori’s shoulder, Yuri caught sight of soldiers dying at Cedric’s hands.
Every second counted.
With each blink, someone was lost.
This tragedy had to end.
But Kori spoke again.
“I-I know a way.”
“What?”
“You probably think I betrayed you, but that’s not true. Heh…”
Yuri stared quietly at Kori.
The hood shifted, revealing a twisted, ugly face beneath.
“T-The truth is, I pretended to betray you and went under Cedric’s command to sabotage him. From the start, I was trying to help you.”
“And?”
“G-Going to Cedric now won’t help. To stop him…”
“To stop him?”
“Y-You have to attack the core he’s hiding. It’s down below. Fighting here won’t do any good. I swear.”
As Kori spoke, a group of soldiers were impaled and killed by tentacles.
Francesco, who had tried to intercept Cedric, was struck and fell to the ground.
Yuri wanted to rush into the fray immediately.
But Kori’s words unsettled him in a strange way.
For some reason, he felt like he had to trust him.
“Kori. Can I trust you?”
Laurent had said Kori was a traitor.
Yuri didn’t want to believe it, but everything Kori had done so far matched Laurent’s claims.
Yet—
“Y-Yes. Please trust me. Heh…”
Seeing Kori smile, baring his teeth, Yuri lowered the tip of his sword.
“I trust you, Kori.”