Unseen Saviour

The waves crashed softly against the shore, their rhythm steady, uncaring. Reio sat motionless in the sand, his mind drowning in conflict.

His fingers dug into the earth as he whispered to himself. "He was a villain. He tricked me. He—"

A voice interrupted him.

"He's not the villain. The Darklord is."

Reio's head snapped up.

A man stood before him, dressed in a merchant's robe, the fabric slightly worn from travel. His face was calm, but his eyes held something unreadable.

Reio rose to his feet, tension gripping his body. "Who… are you?"

The merchant gave a small smile. "I'm Raiden Orwellson. And you're Reio Amagrante, right?"

Reio's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"

Raiden took a step closer. "Because Richard saved me. He saved all of us."

Reio froze.

His heartbeat thundered in his chest. "What do you mean?"

Raiden sighed, his expression darkening. "You think Richard was the enemy? You think he played with lives for his own gain? No… he knew what was coming. He saw the real threat, and he acted before anyone else did."

Reio clenched his fists. "Then why didn't he say anything? Why did he make himself look like the villain?"

Raiden chuckled softly. "Because sometimes, a hero has to be hated to win."

Reio's breath caught in his throat.

"So… how do we have him?" he asked hesitantly.

Raiden's smirk grew wider.

"We already do. I rescued him before they could lay a finger on him."

Reio's eyes widened. "What?!"

Raiden nodded. "He's safe. But he's not coming back—not yet. He has unfinished business."

A gust of wind blew across the shore, carrying the scent of salt and destiny.

Reio's chest tightened. He didn't know whether to feel relief, anger, or something else entirely.

Richard Filver was alive.

And that meant… this wasn't over.

The moment hung in the air, heavy with uncertainty.

Reio's mind still reeled from Raiden's words. Richard… was alive. Rescued before the blade could touch him. But before Reio could process the weight of that revelation—

A ripple of dark energy split the air.

Reio's heart skipped a beat.

A figure emerged from the twisting shadows, stepping forward as if reality itself had bent to his will.

Richard Filver had returned.

His coat billowed slightly as he walked, golden eyes gleaming under the dim light. Calm. Smirking. Unshaken.

Reio could barely find his voice. "Richard…?"

But before Richard could respond, a shadow lunged from the trees.

A blade glinted. A figure dressed in assassin's garb shot toward Richard with killing intent.

Fast. Precise. Aimed straight for his throat.

Reio barely had time to move—

SHHK!

A single slash cut through the air.

The assassin froze mid-motion, their body trembling. A thin line of blood appeared on their neck. Their blade slipped from their grasp—

And their head fell from their shoulders.

Raiden lowered his blade, its edge still dripping with fresh crimson.

"Too slow," he muttered, kicking the lifeless body aside.

Richard barely spared the corpse a glance. Instead, he turned toward Reio, his smirk never faltering. "Miss me?"

But before anyone could respond—

A sharp pain pierced Richard's back.

His body stiffened. His smirk faltered.

Reio's eyes widened. "RICHARD!"

Behind him, Elsa stood with a dagger buried deep in his back.

Her golden eyes burned with quiet fury. "I should have never let you live."

Blood dripped from the blade. Richard's body trembled slightly, but he let out a low chuckle.

"Tch. I should've expected that."

His legs wobbled, his vision blurred—

And the world faded to black.

Darkness.

That's all Richard felt.

Pain pulsed through his body, radiating from the blade still lodged in his back. His breath was shallow, his limbs weak.

"I should have never let you live."

Elsa's voice echoed in his mind, cold and final.

His vision flickered. He could barely hear the voices around him—Reio shouting, Raiden moving—but he felt the betrayal deeper than the wound itself.

So this is how it ends?

Pathetic.

---

Reio's Rage

"What have you done?!"

Reio's voice boomed across the shore, his body trembling with disbelief. "Elsa, WHY?!"

Elsa withdrew the bloodied dagger, her expression unreadable. "Because he's dangerous."

Raiden stepped forward, his grip tightening on his blade. "He's the only reason you're all still breathing."

Elsa's gaze flickered toward Raiden. "You think that justifies his actions?"

Raiden narrowed his eyes. "It justifies his survival."

Richard coughed, his lips curling into a weak smirk despite the pain. "Heh… fighting over me already?"

Reio rushed forward, catching Richard before he collapsed completely. "Don't talk! You're bleeding too much!"

Richard chuckled weakly, golden eyes hazy. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Elsa took a step back, her blade still stained with Richard's blood. "This is exactly why he needs to be eliminated."

Reio clenched his fists. "No."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "No?"

Reio stood, shielding Richard. "You want him dead? You'll have to go through me first."

The air grew tense.

Raiden exhaled, shaking his head. "You really want a civil war, Elsa?"

Elsa hesitated.

Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

---

Richard's Survival

Blood dripped from Richard's mouth, his vision flickering.

Reio shook him gently. "Stay with me, idiot."

Richard smirked faintly. "You're calling me an idiot? You just defied your entire kingdom."

Raiden crouched beside them, already working on the wound. "He won't last long like this."

Reio took a deep breath. "Then we're leaving."

Raiden's eyes widened. "Where?"

Reio's expression darkened.

"Somewhere Elsa can't reach us."

The world was silent.

The only sound that echoed through the air was the sickening crack of bones breaking.

Richard's body crashed against the cold ground, blood spurting from his mouth as pain ripped through his entire being.

He barely had time to react before—

THWACK!

Reio's fist slammed into his face, snapping his head back.

CRACK!

Another strike—this time to his ribs. Something snapped inside him. Maybe a rib. Maybe more. It didn't matter.

Reio wasn't holding back.

His golden eyes burned with unrelenting fury, his breathing ragged. His knuckles were bruised, coated in Richard's blood, but he didn't stop.

Not yet.

Richard coughed, his body twitching from the sheer pain that tore through his existence. His once-proud smirk was long gone, replaced with a bloodied sneer.

"Hah... damn... you hit harder than Elsa."

Reio's eyes widened—then his rage exploded.

He grabbed Richard by the throat and slammed him against the stone wall.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU DO ALL OF THIS?!"

His voice was a snarl, raw with betrayal, grief, and something even deeper—something he refused to name.

Richard choked, his vision blurring. His body felt light—too light. Then he noticed.

His arm was missing.

His left arm had been completely torn off.

Blood poured from the wound, soaking the ground beneath him. His heartbeat faltered.

And yet, through all of this, he still grinned.

"Because I had to."

Reio's grip tightened. His hand trembled. His mind screamed for him to end this.

To kill him.

But his heart—

His heart hesitated.

Richard, despite everything, was still smiling. Still defying fate itself.

Even at the edge of death.

Blood dripped onto the cold stone.

Richard's breath came in short, ragged gasps. His body trembled, barely holding itself together. His left arm—gone. His ribs—shattered. His face—unrecognizable.

And yet, he was still grinning.

Reio's fingers tightened around his throat, rage boiling in his veins. His golden eyes burned with fury, grief, and something else—something dangerous.

"You had to?" Reio growled, his voice low and venomous. "You had to destroy everything? Manipulate me? Turn my entire world into a lie?!"

Richard coughed, blood trailing down his chin. "You're… finally thinking for yourself, huh?"

CRACK!

Reio slammed Richard against the stone again, his entire body shaking.

"SHUT UP!"

His vision blurred. His breathing was ragged.

He should kill him. He should end this.

Richard had done too much. Lied too much. Ruined too much.

And yet…

Something inside Reio stopped him.

The air grew heavier. The silence stretched.

Richard, even at the brink of death, looked at Reio with those same golden eyes—mocking, daring, unafraid.

Reio's grip loosened.

His hands shook.

And then—

He let go.

Richard's body collapsed onto the ground, coughing violently, his blood pooling around him.

Reio stepped back, his fists still clenched, his entire body trembling.

"I should kill you."

Richard, barely able to move, let out a weak chuckle. "But you won't."

Reio's eyes snapped toward him, filled with raw emotion. "Why not?"

Richard smirked. "Because I already lost. And yet… you still can't do it."

Silence.

The waves crashed in the distance. The wind howled.

And Reio turned away.

Richard's screams had long since faded.

At first, he had fought back—cursing, spitting, laughing. But after the hundredth death, the thousandth, the ten-thousandth, his defiance had withered.

Now, as Reio's blade tore through his chest once more, Richard barely reacted.

His body twitched, his breath shuddered—but he didn't scream.

Pain unlike anything in existence burned through his soul.

It was no longer just death. It was obliteration.

Every nerve in his body was shredded, repaired, and shredded again. Every cell screamed. His mind, his very being, should have shattered into nothingness.

Yet, he remained.

He returned.

Again.

And again.

And again.

His golden eyes, once burning with arrogance, had dimmed. His smirk—gone. His expression—empty.

Another death.

Another resurrection.

Another unimaginable agony.

Richard collapsed to his knees, coughing blood. His arms trembled, his body barely holding together.

Reio stood before him, fists clenched, his golden eyes raging with hatred.

"WHY WON'T YOU FIGHT BACK?!"

Richard slowly lifted his head, staring at Reio with dull, unfocused eyes.

His voice came out hoarse, quiet.

"What's the point?"

Reio's breath hitched.

Richard looked away, shoulders slumped, blood dripping from his lips. His body was shaking—not from fear, not from pain, but from something far worse.

Defeat.

Acceptance.

He didn't beg. He didn't resist.

He simply waited for the next death.

Reio's fist trembled. His breath came in ragged gasps, his entire body shaking with unrelenting fury.

Richard just sat there, silent.

Motionless.

Dead inside.

Reio grabbed him by the collar, lifting his bloodied body. "Say something."

Richard just stared.

His golden eyes were lifeless, his once sharp grin replaced with a hollow emptiness. Blood trailed from his lips, but he didn't wipe it away.

Another punch.

Richard's head snapped to the side, but he didn't react. No scream. No curse.

Nothing.

Reio's grip tightened. His rage burned hotter. "DON'T JUST LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!"

Silence.

The ocean waves crashed in the distance. The wind howled through the empty ruins.

Richard exhaled softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Just kill me already."

Reio froze.

His rage faltered for the first time.

Richard's body was a wreck. His left arm was still missing, his skin bruised and torn. His bones had been broken and healed too many times to count. And yet, it wasn't the wounds that made Reio's chest tighten.

It was his eyes.

The Richard Filver he knew—the arrogant manipulator, the stupid, the one who always had a plan—was gone.

Reio clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together.

"Why won't you fight back?" His voice cracked, desperate.

Richard tilted his head slightly, blinking slowly. "What's the point?"

A sharp pain twisted inside Reio's chest.

This wasn't victory. This wasn't justice.

This was something else.

Something much, much worse.

Reio's grip on Richard's collar loosened. His breathing was uneven, his rage still burning—but now, it felt hollow.

He let Richard go. The bloodied, broken body collapsed onto the cold ground, but Richard didn't even try to move. He just lay there, staring blankly at the sky.

Reio exhaled sharply, running a trembling hand through his hair. He had won.

So why did it feel like he had lost?

He turned away, his voice low and firm. "Never show your face again."

Richard didn't react.

Reio clenched his fists. "Did you hear me?"

Silence.

The wind howled through the empty land, carrying the scent of blood and death.

Still, Richard didn't respond.

Reio took a deep breath, forcing himself to walk away. This was over.

But even as he left, something inside him twisted painfully.

Richard, still lying in the dirt, watched him go. His golden eyes flickered—just for a second.

Not with defiance.

Not with hatred.

But with something that almost looked like relief.

Richard lay there, unmoving, as Reio's footsteps faded into the distance.

The sky above him stretched endlessly—gray, empty, lifeless. Just like him.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that. Minutes. Hours. Maybe days. It didn't matter. Nothing did.

His body, once torn apart again and again, had healed. But it wasn't the wounds that hurt.

It was the silence.

Reio was gone.

No more fists. No more deaths. No more burning rage keeping him anchored to the world.

Just nothing.

Richard exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. He should move. He should stand up. But where would he even go?

Nowhere.

No home. No allies. No reason.

His fingers curled slightly in the dirt. For the first time in his life, he had nothing left.

Not even himself.

Footsteps echoed through the silence.

Richard didn't react. He barely registered the presence approaching him—until a shadow loomed over his broken form.

A sigh. Then—a voice.

"You look like hell."

Richard slowly opened his dull, golden eyes. Standing above him, arms crossed, was Raiden Orwellson.

His usual confident smirk was gone. Instead, he stared at Richard with something resembling pity.

Richard didn't respond. He just stared past him, his mind numb, his body unwilling to move.

Raiden crouched beside him. "Tch. What did he do to you?"

Silence.

Richard's lips barely moved. His voice was hoarse, almost nonexistent.

"Nothing I… didn't deserve."

Raiden's jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. "Bullshit."

Richard didn't argue. He didn't have the energy to.

Raiden exhaled sharply and grabbed Richard by his tattered collar, forcing him up. Richard winced but didn't resist.

"Come on," Raiden muttered. "You're not dying here."

Richard blinked slowly. "Why?"

Raiden smirked, but there was no amusement in it. "Because I don't let idiots like you rot."

Without another word, he lifted Richard onto his back and started walking.

Richard's head rested against his shoulder, his body weak, his mind still blank.

But for the first time in what felt like eternity…

He wasn't alone.

A sharp whistle cut through the wind.

Raiden barely had time to react before a blade shot toward him.

But before it could pierce his chest—

Richard moved.

The sound of flesh tearing filled the air.

Blood splattered onto the ground.

Richard staggered, the blade buried deep in his side.

Raiden's eyes widened. "What the hell—?!"

A slow, deliberate set of footsteps approached.

Elsa.

Her cold, piercing gaze locked onto them, her expression twisted with disgust. "You really are pathetic."

Richard coughed, blood trailing from his lips, but he didn't say a word.

Elsa stepped closer, her voice sharp and venomous. "After everything, you still defend him? After all the lies, the manipulation, the destruction you caused—this is how you want to go out?"

Richard didn't respond. He simply stood there, bleeding, his golden eyes lifeless.

Elsa's lips curled into a sneer. "You're worthless. A broken little pawn with nowhere to go. Do you really think anyone cares if you live or die?"

Raiden gritted his teeth. "That's enough."

Elsa ignored him, her voice cutting deeper. "You have nothing left, Richard. No power. No future. No one to call your own."

She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping into a whisper.

"You should've stayed dead."

Silence.

Richard's fingers twitched. His breathing was ragged.

But he said nothing.

He just stood there.

Bleeding.

Empty.

Richard lifted his head slowly. His golden eyes, once dull and lifeless, now held a flicker of something—something dangerous.

He wiped the blood from his lips, staring straight at Elsa.

Then, in a voice that was calm, steady, and cold, he spoke.

"Even if you kill me millions of times, I'll never lose."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, gripping her weapon tighter, but Richard kept going.

"But if I execute you just once…"

He took a slow step forward, his bloody fingers twitching.

"There is no reality where you'll be alive."

Elsa's breath hitched for just a second.

Something was different.

The man standing before her—**the one who had just been broken beyond recognition—**was still standing. Still fighting. Still breathing.

His body was wrecked. His wounds were deep. But his will…

It refused to die.

Raiden smirked slightly. "Heh… now that's more like it."

Elsa's expression darkened. "You really don't know when to stay down, do you?"

Richard chuckled, low and hoarse. His lips curled into a faint, bloody smirk.

"I could say the same to you."

Elsa's grip on her weapon tightened. Her anger flared.

"You think this is a game, Richard?" she spat. "You think you can keep crawling back from death like some unkillable monster?"

Richard chuckled, though it was laced with exhaustion. "You should know by now… I don't die that easily."

His golden eyes glowed faintly, not with power—but with something far more terrifying. Conviction.

Elsa's expression twisted in frustration. She lunged.

Raiden moved to intercept, but—

Richard stepped forward.

Elsa's blade sliced across his shoulder.

He didn't even flinch.

Blood dripped down his arm, soaking into his already tattered clothes. Yet, Richard's smirk never wavered.

"Is that all?"

Elsa's eye twitched. She twisted the blade, aiming for his heart—

Richard caught her wrist.

His fingers dug in, stopping the blade just inches from his chest.

Their eyes locked.

For the first time, Elsa hesitated.

Richard leaned in, voice a whisper, but it cut deeper than any blade.

"You can try to kill me, over and over again. But you won't break me."

His grip tightened.

"And the moment you slip—just once—I'll be the one standing over your corpse."

Elsa's breath hitched.

For the first time, she felt it.

Not fear.

Not anger.

But a realization.

Richard Filver wasn't gone.

He had simply been waiting.

And now, he was rising again.

The wounds on Richard's body began to close.

Flesh mended. Bones snapped back into place. His missing arm regrew.

The air shuddered.

Raiden took a cautious step back. Elsa's eyes widened. Reio, watching from the distance, felt his breath hitch.

He was healing. Completely. Instantly.

Richard exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if he had just woken from a deep slumber. Then, he slowly lifted his head—

And smirked.

A wicked, confident smirk that sent a chill down everyone's spine.

His golden eyes gleamed with something far worse than hatred.

Control.

Richard took a step forward, and the world seemed to shift with him.

"As planned." His voice was smooth, mocking. "Everything… went exactly as I wanted it to."

Silence.

Elsa's fists clenched. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Richard chuckled, low and taunting. "Oh, poor, poor Elsa. You still don't get it, do you?"

His gaze swept across everyone—Reio, Raiden, the guards, the nobles.

"Everything. Every single event. Every betrayal. Every loss. Every broken bond… was all according to my plan."

The world froze.

Whispers spread like wildfire. Shocked gasps. Disbelieving stares.

Richard raised a hand, gesturing to Elsa. "You, the so-called perfect leader—your reputation? Gone."

His smirk widened. "Now everyone knows your dark side. Now, you're nothing but another corrupt figure in their eyes."

Elsa took a step back. "Lies."

Richard tilted his head. "Oh? Lies?" He turned, addressing the crowd. "Tell me, everyone—didn't she try to kill me just now? Didn't she betray someone who once stood beside her?"

People murmured. Some nodded. Others looked away, uncertain.

Richard chuckled darkly. "See? You're no longer the noble leader everyone admired. You're just another piece on my board."

Elsa's breathing was heavy, rage boiling beneath her skin.

"You—"

But Richard wasn't finished.

He spread his arms wide, looking at the kingdom before him.

"And now… I will recreate everything. Twist it. Corrupt it. And everyone will hate me."

A malicious glint flickered in his golden eyes.

"But in the end? I'll be the only one standing."

The entire kingdom stood in stunned silence.

And Richard Filver laughed.