Night had fallen upon a world already lost.
The skies, once blue and vast, were now a chaotic ocean of storm clouds churning with hatred. Crimson lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the world below in flashes of violent red. Beneath that cursed sky, every kingdom that had once stood proud and tall now lay in ruin—burned, broken, and buried beneath the monstrous tide.
Floating high above the ground, an enormous obsidian tower loomed, its twisted spires stretching endlessly upward into the heavens. From its base, portals shimmered like open wounds, bleeding monsters into the world in a never-ending cascade. The creatures poured out in endless numbers, grotesque abominations each more horrifying than the last. Some crawled on all fours with jagged bone-like armor; others flew with wings stitched from shadows and flame.
The armies of men, elves, dwarves, and even gods had tried to resist. They failed.
Now, only four living beings remained. All of them bore the golden crest of the Lion Family, once hailed as the rising star of the continent, protectors of balance and pride. But tonight, that legacy would end.
Three of them lay broken, bloodied, and breathing their last. They were slumped against a shattered statue of their ancestor, the First Lion King, whose stone eyes now stared down upon them with silent sorrow.
The fourth one stood.
Jun Lion.
His chest heaved, his eyes bloodshot, and his hands were soaked in blood—his own, and that of countless monsters. His long dark hair clung to his face, matted with sweat and crimson. He was the last hope, the final sword of humanity.
His legs trembled, but he remained on his feet.
"How... dare you," he growled, teeth clenched so tightly they bled.
The monsters had no fear. No hesitation. They swarmed.
And Jun screamed.
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH THEM IN FRONT OF ME!!"
A wave of golden energy erupted from him, blasting the nearest creatures into dust. The entire battlefield stilled for a second, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Jun raised his hand high. His aura surged.
"I'LL ERASE YOUR VERY EXISTENCE FROM THIS WORLD!"
With that, he charged.
The battlefield exploded.
Monsters fell like wheat before the scythe. His blade sang a dirge for the fallen, slicing through flesh, bone, and magic with terrifying ease. These creatures were boss-level abominations—each one capable of wiping out cities. Normally, it took five S-rank experts just to kill one.
Jun Lion slaughtered them by the dozens.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
A hundred.
Five hundred.
A thousand.
Still he fought, his muscles tearing, his magic overloading.
Two thousand.
Three thousand.
His vision blurred. His left arm dangled, dislocated and useless.
Four thousand.
Five.
His lungs burned. His legs moved on instinct alone.
Seven thousand.
Nine thousand.
TEN THOUSAND.
And then—
the sword slipped.
Jun fell to one knee, gasping, vision darkening.
But the monsters still came. A black tide without end.
He forced himself to his feet, every bone in his body screaming in protest.
His voice, hoarse and ragged, cut through the chaos.
"Even if I die... I'll... TAKE YOU ALL WITH ME!!"
He raised his sword once more. It hummed with ancient power.
"LION FAMILY SWORD ART..."
His voice echoed like thunder.
"FINAL FORM... LIGHTNING STORM!!"
The sky obeyed.
The storm above churned into a vortex of divine fury. Bolts of radiant lightning crashed down from the heavens, each one as thick as a mountain pillar. The ground shattered. The air sizzled. The sky split in two.
Thousands of monsters were vaporized in the blink of an eye.
But the cost was unbearable.
Jun's body began to fracture like broken glass. Glowing cracks ran up his arms, his chest, his face. His soul, pushed beyond its mortal limits, began to unravel.
He stood for a moment in the burning light, sword pointed to the heavens.
Then he fell.
Darkness.
"In the end," Jun thought bitterly as the light faded from his eyes, "I couldn't even save a single one of my people."
Tears welled up as the last image he saw was of his family—the three proud lions, now broken.
And then—
Silence.
[DING]
A sound. Soft. Mechanical.
Something foreign.
Then, in the infinite dark, lines of glowing symbols began to appear. They spiraled into place, forming a screen before his fading consciousness.
[MONARCH SYSTEM ACTIVATING]
Jun's soul flickered like a candle in the wind.
[ACTIVATION FAILED]
[ERROR DETECTED WITH THE HOST]
[THE ERROR WILL BE FIXED]
[ACTIVATING SYSTEM AGAIN]
[ACTIVATION FAILED]
[ACTIVATING SYSTEM AGAIN]
[FAILED]
[ACTIVATING SYSTEM AGAIN]
[ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL]
[YOU WILL BE SENT TO ANOTHER WORLD]
5...
Jun's fragmented soul blinked.
4...
Somewhere, deep within the darkness, warmth began to bloom.
3...
Memories flashed by. His family. Their laughter. Their pride.
2...
The taste of blood. The sting of failure.
1...
A flash of white light.
And Jun Lion vanished from the ruined world.
To be continue...