Editor : Amethyst00



Dweno let out a bitter sigh and gently pushed Drianna's back with his hand.

Slam—!

"Calm down, Drianna."

"Does it look like I can calm down right now?!"

Drianna clenched her teeth with force.

"With your young strength, no amount of struggling will help."

"I know! I know, but! How can I just sit still?!"

Drianna raised her voice.

"Do you even realize that the current Dweno is not like the Dweno I know?!"

She screamed.

"Sorry to disappoint. But this is who I am. How much do you even know about me to say such things?"

"You're right! I don't know you! I've only heard about you through stories passed down over the years! The first time I met you in person was in the hero's realm! Claiming to know you from just that would be ridiculous! But still!"

Tears welled up in Drianna's eyes.

"This isn't right! The current you is completely wrong! You're mistaken!"

"Calm yourself."

"It's you who needs to calm down, Dweno! Don't you understand?!"

Drianna shouted.

"The people of Ivaldi you're supposed to be protecting are the ones in danger now!"

"What?"

"You said you wanted to bring them into the future, didn't you?! You said you had to protect them! But they're out there right now, risking their lives on the frontlines! Right now, those people need you!"

"But if you destroy the Record… we're finished…"

"Yes! But if everyone dies, what's the point?!"

Drianna didn't understand Dweno's emotions.

But she knew he was neglecting the people of Ivaldi.

Crack—crack—

Ominous sounds came from Drianna's body.

"Stop this. You'll die at this rate."

"Uuugh!"

Press—

Dweno held Drianna down as she struggled to shake him off.

'What do I… what do I even want?'

His thoughts were a mess.

'All I want is to show the people of Ivaldi… to Enniha… a future. Is that such a huge wish?'

Is it such a crime to give the people who were stripped of their future without ever seeing hope, a chance to dream?

'The reason I'm stopping them… is because they're trying to steal Ivaldi's future.'

His mind was in turmoil.

'Yes. It's selfish. But is it wrong to be selfish?'

Whoosh—

Golden flames erupted from Dweno's eyes.

'You say my choice leads them to death? I just… I just… want to show them the sun. Let them taste even a little of what you've enjoyed.'

Fwoooosh—

The golden flames suddenly turned black.

"I… I'm not wrong. The peace you enjoy… even just a little… even just a little…!"

Crack—!

"Guh!"

Dweno pressed down harder.

Tremendous pressure bore down on Drianna.

She coughed up blood in an instant.

But she gritted her teeth and, using all her strength, pushed away Dweno's arm.

Whoooosh!

The black flames blazed even fiercer.

At that moment—

Boom—!

A Wind Wyvern slammed into Dweno.

"Dweno's condition isn't normal!"

"I can tell just by looking! But he won't budge!"

Eliza raised her spiritual power and drew out the Wind Wyvern's full strength.

"I… I…!"

The black flames in his eyes spread across his entire body.

"Kyah?!"

"Eliza!"

Screeeeech—!

The black fire leapt onto the Wind Wyvern.

It vanished immediately, its summoning canceled.

As the flames surged, Carl instinctively grabbed Eliza and leapt away.

The shock from the summoning's collapse knocked Eliza unconscious.

At that moment—

'What should I…!'

Carl turned pale.

"Get… a hold of yourself…"

He saw Artienne, who had been unconscious behind Dweno, slowly rise.

"P-Professor Artienne! Drianna needs help…!"

Carl suddenly noticed that Artienne's pupils had turned black.

"Snap out of it, you perverted dwarf!"

BAM—!

Artienne's fist smashed into Dweno.

Dweno was thrown across the floor.

Carl stared in shock.

That wasn't Artienne.

Sure, she often let spirits possess her, but there was only one spirit who would dare speak that way to the Divine Blacksmith.

And with black magic, too…

"…Lysi…nas?"

Carl muttered the name.

Thud—!

But Artienne collapsed again.

Seeing that, Carl snapped out of it.

"Drianna! Are you okay?"

"I'm… okay…"

Blurt—

Drianna coughed up more blood and sat up.

Carl quickly pulled out a potion from his pocket.

Just then…

Dweno rose to his feet.

"You… you deny my choice?!"

He roared at the unconscious Artienne.

"Kyle understood me! But why won't you?! We were comrades!"

The black flames burned even fiercer.

Watching him, Carl felt a chill down his spine.

'Dweno's not in his right mind.'

He had lost his reason.

Leo had said Dweno had the strongest mental fortitude among all the great heroes—he was their pillar.

But that Dweno was gone.

'Those black flames.'

Instead of his usual golden flame, Dweno now burned with a flame of calamity.

'Why…?'

One thought passed through Carl's horrified mind.

'Dweno must've been the original owner of this world.'

Though he became a Record of the Legion, the original Record belonged to Dweno.

Erebos's power must've overwritten it with Giath's Record.

'If that influence reached Dweno too…'

Then his madness.

The black flames.

It all made sense.

"Why can't you understand me?! Was I asking for too much?! Answer me, Lysinas!"

Just as the flames grew more chaotic—

"Dweno."

A voice called from behind.

He turned his head.

"Enniha."

"…I came to take you back."

At her words, the black flames began to fade.

"No, that's not necessary."

Dweno smiled gently and shook his head.

"Trust me. I'll take the people of Ivaldi… I'll take you into the future."

"…If we don't defeat Giath, there's no future."

"If that's what you're worried about, don't be! Kyle's there! He'll defeat Erebos someday! Giath is nothing!"

Dweno grinned.

"So don't worry about the Giant King's Legion. You said you wanted to draw the sun, right? I'll show you the sky where the sun rises again…"

"Dweno."

"Yes?"

"We really are just burdens to you, aren't we?"

Dweno's face twisted.

"What do you take me for?! You think I'd see you that way?! Snap out of it, Enniha!"

"Oh, really?"

Enniha smiled sweetly.

Then she swung her arm back.

WHAM—!

Her punch landed square on Dweno's face.

His head snapped to the side.

"Gaaahhh!"

Enniha cradled her now broken hand, rolling on the ground.

"Damn, you're hard!"

Her mangled fingers were visibly shattered.

"E-Enniha! Your hand!"

Knowing how much she cherished her hands for drawing, Dweno rushed to her in a panic.

Enniha, rolling on the ground, kicked him.

CRACK—!

Dweno flew, and her shin cracked loudly.

"This really hurts!"

Enniha groaned, dragging herself toward the dazed Dweno.

"You're the one who needs to get it together, damn dwarf."

"What?"

"You're treating us like nothing more than dead weight!"

"That's not true. I…"

"Bringing us into the future without even asking? That's not treating us like baggage?!"

"What's so wrong about bringing you into the future? You all deserve it."

"Sure. We probably do."

Enniha's voice turned cold.

"But if we have to risk that very future for a fleeting moment—no one in Ivaldi would welcome that. Except you."

"…"

"Dweno. Our time ended long ago. And mine ended even further back than yours."

Dweno bit his lip.

"The people of Ivaldi… we all knew how it would end. So we gave up on going to the future. But… we all thought you were different."

Enniha smiled.

"When you were finally free of us burdens, we believed you could reach a far future. So in the end…"

She knelt down, looked him in the eyes.

"We believed you'd bring peace back to this world. That's why we never gave up."

"You're not… burdens."

"Of course not. We're your comrades. You were just the one who carried our wishes."

They gave up on life, but never on hope.

They simply hadn't found it yet.

Watching the back of the one who protected them, they believed that back would someday become a shield for others dreaming of hope.

That was Ivaldi's wish, and Dweno fulfilled it.

Now, it may not seem like much.

But back then, it was the greatest dream they could dare to have.

"Just as we were your comrades, you have other comrades now, don't you?"

"…"

"You said we weren't burdens. So don't become one yourself."

Dweno closed his eyes.

"Just like we believed in you—"

Whoosh—

The black flames slowly turned to brilliant gold.

"There are comrades now who believe in you."

Dweno clenched his fist.

"Our wishes entrusted to you have now been passed on to him, haven't they?"

"Yes."

"Then Leo must be carrying more than we can imagine. So…"

Enniha said firmly:

"Don't push it onto him anymore."

At her words, Dweno turned.

Step—step—step—

"Ugh…"

"Dweno?"

"How…?"

The hero candidates began to regain consciousness.

Leaving them behind, Dweno went inside the forge and returned with a huge box.

Thud—!

He placed it in front of the candidates.

"A gift."

He said calmly, then slung Brave on his back and approached Drianna.

"Sorry to have disappointed you."

"N-No! I wasn't disappointed at all."

"I see."

Dweno patted her head gently and took a deep breath.

"I showed quite the disgrace. I don't know if I have the right to say this, but… head to the center of the Legion's world."

"You're more than qualified to say that."

Artienne, now fully conscious, spoke solemnly.

Looking at her, Dweno opened his mouth.

"Thank you."

He gave thanks even to someone who couldn't hear it and walked away.

Step—step—

When he reached Enniha's side, he stopped.

"Enniha. I have a favour."

"What is it?"

"If we defeat Giath… be my model."

"That's easy."

"I look forward to it. When you see the work of a far superior artist, you'll be in despair."

"You damned dwarf!"

Enniha snapped, then sighed deeply.

"Fine. I'll be your model or whatever. Just hurry up and deal with that damn Giant King."

At her words, Dweno laughed.

Whoooosh—!

The flame on his body turned completely golden.

And at that moment, the world changed.

"Huh?"

Carl opened his eyes wide.

[Objective updated.]

[New Objective: Ensure Dweno survives.]

[Hidden Objective: Save Ivaldi.]

[Hidden Objective: Defeat Giant King Giath.]