Black Badger

My skin split open.

The moment I scraped together what little strength I had left and knocked his sword aside, I heard Rose shout.

Without realizing it, I turned my gaze.

And I saw space opening.

The battlefield—already nothing but a barren wasteland from our fight—was suddenly cut off, and in its place, a familiar scene appeared.

A Portal Zone.

I blinked once at the place glowing white, different from dawnlight.

Who...?

CLANG!

“Confident, aren’t you.”

Kyle spoke in a low, sunken voice.

“We’re in the middle of a fight, and you look away.”

A heavy pain struck.

The sword pierced into the exact same spot as in the First War.

I coughed up blood.

Just a few seconds of distraction, and he immediately seized the opening.

Though... you’re not really in a position to talk.

“Kyle!”

A young voice tore through the air. Kyle couldn’t help but turn his head toward it. Even though he had successfully driven his sword into me, he twisted around with a desperate expression.

The triumphant smile collapsed, replaced by worry and urgency.

I saw relief settle over his face as he quickly assessed the situation of the boy summoner and the others.

That fleeting relief... the tension easing from his brow—

Thud.

My sword found the right place this time.

The sensation of striking true traveled up through my palm. I blinked, shaking off the blood that had splattered onto my lashes. As the droplets fell away, Kyle’s face, now right in front of me, came into sharper focus.

His eyes were wide as he looked down at me.

Seeing him stare blankly at the sword lodged in his own body, I let out a small laugh.

What a dumbfounded expression.

“Like... last time....”

I grabbed his right arm with my left hand.

Then slowly, we both collapsed to the ground.

“This time too....”

I’m tired.

We rolled across the ground together.

And lay there for a moment.

Just like in the First War, the situation was nearly identical. Our bodies had absorbed so much that our circuits were on the verge of breaking. I could instinctively tell that if we absorbed even a little more, we would both begin to fall apart.

Wouldn’t it be fine if it just ended like this?

For a brief moment, that thought crossed my mind.

The cold seeping in, the drowsiness crashing over me—my once unwavering will faltered in an instant.

It was what I had wanted at the beginning, too...

The moment I saw the Portal Zone earlier, I had already grasped the situation.

Cecil had awakened.

I didn’t know how.

What mattered was that she had.

She must have opened the spatial gate at Rose’s request. A Grand Mage of Healing would never interfere with our kin trying to cross dimensions. She had read my memories—she knew Kysis’s final request.

Those lined up over there would safely pass into another world.

Kyle’s plan in the Portal Zone was progressing steadily.

And on the front lines, the Badgers had essentially secured victory.

Not everything, but... we had all achieved something we wanted.

So after a duel that felt like it lasted hours, crushed under fatigue and severe injuries, I let myself wish something selfish.

Maybe... if I stopped here, I could finally rest.

Everyone would grieve, but I had done my best.

They would be devastated... but they were strong. In time, they would grow used to my absence.

Just... don’t turn to ash.

If there’s nothing left to bury, they’ll be too heartbroken.

The ground around us had already been burned so thoroughly that there was barely anything left to absorb. Absorption was slow.

For that, I was grateful.

Looking at Kyle collapsed beside me in the same state, I even thought—maybe I could be selfish just this once.

The people I loved.

Just once more... I wanted their understanding—

“Hilde.”

As I was thinking I needed to save him, Kyle called out to me.

Just like in the First War, I lay there blankly and blinked slowly.

“What?”

I cleared my throat, clogged with blood.

“Why?”

Instead of answering, Kyle suddenly grabbed my hand.

My eyes widened.

What the hell?

Last time he did this, I got dragged away by Jaeyeon alone—did that traumatize him that badly?

Is this his way of saying we should die side by side this time?

Back then, we had clung to each other, trying not to be pulled away, but neither of us could withstand Jaeyeon’s power. Honestly... that moment had become a small trauma for me too. Sometimes, in my dreams, I still saw Kyle drifting away—his hand slipping from mine no matter how tightly I held on.

But now... I thought he couldn’t even stand being near me.

Does this mean he’s finally let go of his resentment?

That thought flickered through my mind.

Until Kyle tightened his grip on my hand—and smiled.

The black-haired man, drenched in blood, smiled brightly.

“My revenge isn’t over yet.”

He pushed himself up.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled his sword out of my body.

“Ghk—!”

Agony exploded through me as I spat blood.

And in that instant—

Transfer.

Energy surged in.

My body flooded with vitality, and I gasped.

The wounds that had been spewing blood like a fountain began to close.

My vision, which had been fading, cleared, and the Portal Zone in the distance came into sharp focus again.

Pale dawnlight poured down.

The lifeless land, drained by countless absorptions, and the frantic movement of people—

I could see it clearly now.

I snapped back to my senses.

“What are you doing...?”

My voice wouldn’t come out properly.

“Kyle. What are you doing?”

“...Hilde....”

I lifted our joined hands, but Kyle only tightened his grip.

He didn’t stop transferring.

But his condition wasn’t improving nearly as fast. My sword was still lodged in his heart, and transfer didn’t remove it.

Worse—transfer came with absorption.

If he kept this up, the overload would shatter his body.

Realization hit me, draining the blood from my face—but Kyle didn’t care.

He kept forcing his energy into me, eyes closing as he murmured—

“Live....”

He coughed blood.

“You....”

Without even looking at me, he continued.

“You have to live....”

Remember.

The words, choked by blood, never fully formed—but I understood them.

You have to survive. You have to remember everything.

The way Rei died.

The way I die.

Those who survived. Those who didn’t.

The ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ child killed by human hands. The humans who led that child to death.

The kin who remained on Earth. The ones who left.

You must never forget any of them.

I knew... that’s what he meant.

And I realized—

He had always wanted this ending.

This bastard had come into this war planning for this from the very beginning.

If he couldn’t win completely, then he would at least achieve perfect revenge against me.

The dawn wind brushed past the strands of black hair I had cut earlier.

For a moment, my mind went blank again, my gaze fixed on the strands swaying against his pale cheek.

“Run! Run!”

Then—

Byung Yeong-baek’s sharp shout pierced through from the Portal Zone.

“It won’t hold much longer—the transfer array is going to collapse!”

That snapped me back.

And rage flooded in.

The same rage as when I remembered what Jaeyeon had done.

So intense I couldn’t even speak.

My whole body trembled, barely able to contain it.

Instead of speaking, I moved.

With what little strength Kyle had given me, I knocked his hand away.

Then I pulled the sword out of his heart—

And initiated transfer.

I closed only the wound in his heart, leaving him just barely alive.

Then I hoisted him onto my back.

I did all of it in one smooth motion.

“Wh—”

This time, Kyle was the one caught off guard.

“What are you—”

“You cruel bastard.”

My voice was hoarse.

I pushed against the ground.

Using his discarded sword as a cane, I forced myself up, leaning my weight on the blade slick with my own blood.

Then, carrying him on my back, I began walking toward the transfer array.

The moment Kyle’s feet left the ground, I felt his absorption cut off.

“Hildebert!”

Kyle shouted.

“Let me go!”

“Shut up.”

I clenched my teeth.

“I’m never relying on you again.”

How could you do this to me?

“I’m not listening to you anymore.”

I wasn’t asking for much.

I wasn’t making an unreasonable request.

I just... for once... wanted to lie down beside you and rest.

The moment I saw your relieved expression after confirming our kin were safe, my resolve wavered.

When you grabbed my hand, I even felt happy—like I had been forgiven.

I was going to selfishly ask for forgiveness from the humans I had come to love, and then rest peacefully with you.

But what about you?

I have to live?

So all that understanding and forgiveness I thought I had... was just my own illusion.

Only after my insides twisted with rage did I finally understand—

Why Kyle could project such pure hatred onto me.

Maybe... it’s actually easy to keep holding onto hatred.

Because right now, I could pour out something just as vivid.

“Fucking....”

Every time my knees buckled, I forced myself up using his sword.

“You fucking bastard....”

“Hildebert.”

Kyle spoke.

“I won’t transfer anymore... so let me go. I’ll give up....”

“I don’t believe you.”

Even as my body shook, I didn’t stop.

“No more....”

He struggled on my back, pulling at my hair, pushing against me.

But neither of us had the strength left to do much of anything.

If anything... I had slightly more.

Because of his transfer—and this overwhelming rage.

I wasn’t absorbing anymore. Our rampage had completely stopped.

Mine had stopped because I forced it down through sheer emotion.

Kyle’s... had stopped for a different reason.

Watching him, I realized something else—

If two Children of the World Tree remained in contact, the rampage would gradually stop.

Because we couldn’t absorb each other.

The circuits simply shut down on their own.

Kyle’s rampage slowed, like brakes being gently applied.

Though the man himself seemed furious about it...

I kept moving forward, muttering—

“I will... no matter what....”

“Cecil!”

From the Portal Zone, Shu—or maybe Rose—screamed.

“Cecil! Forget the array—save Hilde first!”

Shu.

I saw her clinging to the white walls, bracing herself, as if resisting the pull from the center of the transfer array.

Something had clearly gone wrong.

Maybe Meierbold had died.

Or someone had messed up the magic.

Either way—

I had to reach it before it collapsed.

I forced out every last bit of strength.

“Stop.”

Kyle murmured.

“It’s already... over. What are you even... trying to do?”

I need to throw you in there.

No matter what, I’m going to make sure you live.

I’ll make sure you never succeed in your revenge.

Just like in the Empire.

“Revenge....”

As I dragged myself toward the portal, I muttered—

“I’m always the one who succeeds....”

Kyle tried to slip off my back again.

But I didn’t let him.

I tightened my grip and drove his sword into the ground.

Thud!

I tried to take another step—

My knee gave out.

I couldn’t stand.

So I started crawling.

“Hilde.”

Kyle said.

“Rest. Stop trying....”

No.

Ignoring him, I crawled forward.

“Let’s just die together. Pathetically... do I really have to... watch you like this...?”

“There was nowhere lower to fall anyway.”

I whispered.

“Don’t pretend... like there’s anything left....”

And finally—

“I hate you.”

Crawling toward the transfer array to save him, I whispered.

“Kyle.”

He didn’t respond anymore.

Instead of resisting, he grabbed my shortened hair.

“Kyle.”

As I approached the chaotic Portal Zone, I murmured—

“I....”

I will save you.

And I will make sure you fail your revenge.

I kept crawling, crying without stopping.

Little by little.

Toward the destination.

To bring this long, twisted bond—

To an end.