Asami’s words seemed to hang in the air, and the silence that followed was deafening. The weight of her speech bore down on everyone, and the gravity of the battle ahead became clearer than ever.
Sora clenched his fists, his eyes looking around to see how others fared. Richard, usually the one with a joke to lighten the mood, stood still, focused, his hands trembling betraying his real emotions and young age.
The colonels exchanged glances, some nodding slightly, encouraging each other.
Edward’s usually cocky grin was replaced with a look of deep focus. Oliver, despite his usual playful demeanor, was tense, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword too tightly.
The players in the ranks changed slightly, many taking in slow, deep breaths as if to absorb the words and prepare themselves. Some cast glances at their neighbors, to see how others reacted, or looking for comfort and encouragement. Murmurs of quiet encouragement were heard among the troops, the fear quickly giving place to courage.
Others straightened up, eyes locked on the enemy. These players who coped best were those with real battle experience—the former soldiers of Sweden, and some other soldiers from allied countries, who had become players. For them, the sudden shift from reality to this game-like world didn’t mean much. They were still soldiers, and they had sworn to protect their country, no matter what form it would take.
Sora who was seeing the clear distinction between battle-hardened players and beginners regardless of their level was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed the reaction of the person closest to him.
Sora’s eyes changed at the thought, as if slowly trying to adapt to this situation and make sure he was ready for what he was about to do.
Kara was visibly emotional, subtly wiping a tear from her eye, trying to hide it with a simple movement.
Sora placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We’ll survive this, I promise."
Kara shook her head, her voice low and strained. "It’s not about us... Don’t you see all these players? Most of them are barely over twenty, Ralph. Sure, we might survive, but how many of them will make it? You saw them earlier—some of them are here for fun, or to get stronger."
Sora flinched, realizing the weight of her words. Five thousand enemies. And with the Dark Elves holding far more points, victory—even if achieved—would mean massive losses.
His gaze changed, his mind slowly adjusting to the gravity of the situation to make sure he was ready for what he was about to do.
Kara clenched her fists, watching Sora standing before her, trembling slightly. They hadn’t prepared themselves for this—maybe they’d avoided thinking about it altogether. Sora felt her gaze and forced a reassuring smile, turning to her with quiet resolve.
"You don’t have to kill anyone today," he said softly. "Let me take on that burden for the both of us. I’ll do what needs to be done. You’re too kind, Kara, and I want to protect that part of you for as long as I can. Maybe one day you will have no choice, but today, I will give this my best so you won’t have to make that choice yet... If I don’t give it my all... We’re going to lose many ... comrades. And I’d rather feel the guilt of killing than the guilt of letting more comrades die in front of me... Again... "
Kara’s eyes softened as she took in the mix of pain, fear and resolve etched into his face. She let out a calm breath, then shook her head with a faint smile. "Ralph... thank you for worrying about me. That was not what I meant earlier. But I can’t hold back now. I need to grow too. I’m not some damsel in distress."
She laughed at her own words, the sound light in the somber atmosphere. "I might have been one back in that dungeon... but not anymore. Not after everything I’ve learned—mostly thanks to you and all the time spent ... there."
Sora was taken aback by her answer, a pang of guilt hitting him as he realized he’d been more patronizing than he’d intended.
Staring at each other, any lingering hesitation faded from their faces. They had made their decision.
Suddenly, glowing letters appeared in the sky above the coliseum:
[PVP Event: Dark Elf Kingdom vs New World Kingdom]
[Category: Tier 4 War]
The final battle was upon them, and everyone was ready.
Sora stood beside Kara and Richard, their gazes locked forward as Oliver, the other colonels, and General Asami took their positions at the front.
Sora quickly used his [Level Up Tokens] to regain the levels he’d lost to the suppression debuffs. With the tokens, he was back to his full strength—it was time to fulfill his promise.
The battlefield was vast, and each side’s army was spread out in formations optimized by the strategists based on the knowledge accumulated through the previous battles. Troops were spaced to minimize the effects of area-wide skills that some damage dealers favored, ensuring no single skill could wipe an entire section out.
Above everyone, a countdown appeared in the sky, ticking away the last few moments of calm before the storm.
When the countdown reached zero, the battle started.
Spells rained from both sides as buffers boosted their allies, healers cast shields on their tanks, and archers released their first arrows.
Lois’s voice sounded on the communication voice channels, directing the five battalions, while Sora, Aang, and Asami awaited her orders to fill their roles.
While both armies tested each other cautiously, reluctant to fully commit before understanding the other side’s strategy, the first casualties were suffered, and the tension in the air thickened.
Kara, buffed by Sora’s [Mana Cascade], relied on her powerful skills to cover her allies with protections and heals. With every enemy that fell, her power grew, feeding her abilities and reinforcing her, rendering the enemy’s debuff useless.
On the other side, Sora listened intently to Lois’s orders.
"Target the enemy Captains and Vice-Captains first," Lois instructed. "Isolate and eliminate them. If you encounter a particularly strong opponent, leave them and move to the next group. We need to disrupt their chain of command, starting from the farthest companies. Each Colonel will handle an enemy Colonel, while Asami keeps General Klunor busy. You’re the only one who’s free to roam."
Sora leaped into action, moving toward the distant edge of the battlefield, where two companies clashed. He joined the fray, instantly casting [Mana Shield] on nearby allies and buffing them with [Amplify] before swinging his staff with a fully stacked [Alternate Echo Strike].
[You have killed an enemy Captain]
[You have killed an enemy Vice-Captain]
[You have killed an enemy] x18
The power of his strike obliterated twenty enemies in one blow. He appeared behind another Vice-Captain, who stared at him in disbelief, "Aren’t you supposed to be weakened? How can—"
His words never finished as Sora’s staff connected, shattering his defenses.
[You have killed an enemy Vice-Captain]
Sora didn’t pause to let him speak; he was here to end this battle as swiftly as possible. Moving through the chaos, he continued his assault, leaving each company he struck weakened and leaderless. He only had one purpose: to minimize human casualties as much as possible.
After the eighth company, he felt a sudden, crushing pressure behind him. A chill ran through him as mana trembled in his whole body, as if announcing an inevitable catastrophe.
He knew this feeling. He had the same feeling when entering the level 80 zone to activate his prestige skill through death activation.
He was about to die.