Did We Really Win?

The doors were still locked.

The guards didn't know what to do.

As Yosukez searched for an escape, a sudden sound echoed through the chaos—

A baby's cry.

At that moment, the same turmoil resonated in everyone's mind—blood-stained bullets, fallen comrades, locked doors… And, most importantly, the monsters they had forgotten.

Was there still hope of getting out of here alive?

Some of them began to question why they were even in this hell in the first place.

The only reason they came here was because of Fauriel.

A heavy silence fell.

And then...

The creatures began to stir.

Yosukez clenched his teeth.

"Prepare yourselves," he said, his voice as cold as ice.

"They're coming."

Everyone gripped their swords tightly.

Their fate abilities activated one by one—some gained speed, some endurance, some strength.

Fear was no longer an option.

Only survival mattered now.

The ground was littered with corpses—guards who had been wounded or killed by the rain of bullets. Some were still groaning in pain, while others had already embraced the silence.

But the baby didn't care.

As it placed its hands on the ground, the corpses were dragged toward it, flesh turning into mush between its tiny fingers. The brittle crack of bones mixed with the wet, muffled squelching of flesh.

Blood dripped from its massive hands, leaving dark crimson trails.

The guards stood in rigid formation, shields raised, bracing themselves.

The baby moved forward, its enormous body swallowing their shadows.

Then, it lifted its right arm—

And swung.

The guards raised their shields, but the sheer force of the blow sent them flying. Some tumbled through the air before slamming into the ground, while others barely managed to stay on their feet.

But the baby wasn't done.

It was already preparing for another attack.

Just then—

Yosukez suddenly lunged forward. His body trembled slightly, his pupils shrinking.

He unleashed his full capacity.

His muscles tensed, swelling as raw power coursed through him.

He clenched his fist. His hands were shaking, but he ignored it.

There was no room for fear. No room for hesitation.

The only way to survive was to fight.

Losers died.

And he—

He refused to die.

BOOM!!

Yosukez's punch slammed into the baby's head.

Its massive body lifted off the ground before crashing down like a boulder.

The impact shattered stone, the earth trembling beneath them.

A low, guttural growl escaped the baby's lips.

The guards couldn't believe their eyes.

One of them stammered,

"I-It went back?!"

Another whispered, breathless,

"That means… they can be killed!"

For the first time—

Hope ignited.

Maybe they could get out of here alive.

But just then—

Yosukez's sharp gaze caught a sudden movement.

SLAASH!!

The second monster had entered the fight.

The creature known as "The Twisting Man"—

One of the flesh-covered appendages sprouting from the top of its head lashed out like a whip, striking Yosukez in the stomach.

The sheer force sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into the soldiers.

His breath caught in his throat, but he recovered instantly.

His ability had pushed his body beyond its limits.

He got up, his eyes locked forward.

Then, he turned to the five or six guards behind him and gave them a cold, commanding glare.

"You're coming with me!"

"The rest of you, protect Lord Fauriel! Move!"

The guards exchanged glances—

Then gritted their teeth and fell into formation.

And they charged.

Yosukez led the assault toward The Twisting Man, six guards following close behind.

The distance between them and the monster closed rapidly.

But just then—

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

The baby let out a piercing shriek.

Its face split open.

The skin peeled apart like torn flesh, revealing razor-sharp spiral teeth.

And then—

It dropped onto all fours and rushed toward them.

The guards momentarily forgot to breathe.

The baby plowed through everything in its path, crushing whatever stood before it.

An unstoppable force.

Yosukez analyzed the situation in an instant.

He had to use the baby's charge to his advantage.

"FORWARD!"

His shout echoed as he and a few guards rushed toward The Twisting Man.

But their enemy wasn't idle.

The fleshy tendrils hanging from its head suddenly whipped through the air.

"WATCH OUT!"

But the warning came too late.

Four guards were struck by the massive flesh whips.

Their bodies bent like paper, the sickening crunch of crushed organs echoing in the air.

One soldier coughed up dark blood before even hitting the ground.

The others slammed onto the stone floor, bones shattering on impact.

The few survivors barely managed to dodge.

Yosukez deflected the attack, leaping back

And then—

He saw it.

The Twisting Man had a weakness.

Right between its writhing appendages—

A small, vulnerable opening.

He took a deep breath.

Muscles tensed, veins bulged, his eyes gleaming with the focus of a predator.

And then—

He moved.

He launched himself into the air, his body coiling like a spring.

His fist clenched, every ounce of his power condensed into that one strike.

Then—

Impact.

Flesh tore apart.

A putrid stench filled the air as thick blood gushed from the wound.

The Twisting Man convulsed.

Its tendrils lashed out wildly, striking the stone ground and leaving deep cracks.

Its body trembled—

Then collapsed.

Motionless.

Dead.

But this was no time to celebrate

On the Other Side…

Some of the guards fell to the ground. Most of them scrambled to escape in a panic, but the baby was so fast that its massive hands sliced through the air and closed in on them.

A few managed to pull back at the last second. But two of them…

One was caught first. The man let out a desperate scream, struggling wildly. He was squeezed so tightly that he couldn't even move a finger. The other tried to run, but a massive finger pressed down on his spine. A sharp crack echoed through the air.

The baby lifted them both into the air.

The guards screamed. Their shields and swords slipped from their hands as they desperately tried to free themselves from the massive fingers. But it was futile. The baby spread its arms wide and parted its jaws.

And then—

It threw them into its mouth.

Sharp, spiraling teeth began to turn.

At first, there was a scream—short, broken, helpless. Then, it was cut off like a blade slicing through flesh.

Teeth shattered. Bones crunched. As flesh was torn apart, deep, wet sounds filled the air. Hot blood dripped from the corners of its mouth, leaving dark red stains on the stone floor.

Nothing remained of the guards. Only the blood that silently pooled on the ground…

But this did not break the others' spirit.

It enraged them.

One of them clenched his teeth. His fist trembled. He swallowed hard, forcing down the fear in his eyes. Then, he gripped his sword tighter.

"Its leg is exposed! Cut it down!"

Eight men surged forward at once. Their grips on their swords were tight, their breathing short and ragged. Fear had been replaced with cold, unwavering fury.

"NOW!"

The baby didn't even turn to look at them. Its focus was elsewhere—

As if it didn't even sense the danger approaching.

And then—

SLAAASH!

The air split like a blade. When sharp steel struck bone, a dull, heavy sound rang out.

For a moment, everything froze.

Then—two severed legs fell to the ground.

The baby, now limbless, toppled backward, and the impact shook the earth. The stone slabs beneath it cracked, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Silence.

And then—

A terrible wail erupted.

The scream was so piercing that a few guards instinctively lowered their heads. But this time, there was no fear in their eyes.

Only rage.

They had witnessed the deaths of their comrades.

They gripped their swords tighter. Their teeth clenched.

Now, all that mattered was bringing this demon down.

They climbed onto the baby's chest.

Their swords rose.

And with all their fury—

They struck.

"This is for you, Laneth! You deserved this, you bastard!"

One guard roared, swinging his sword with all his might.

Another, breathing heavily, spat out, "For our fallen brothers!"

"For us! For them! Your hell begins here!"

The blades slashed through the baby's flesh.

At first, only thin cuts appeared. But as the strikes continued, its body began to tear apart.

Blood gushed out in a thick, sticky wave. It splattered against armor, staining the ground with deep crimson streaks.

Another strike.

And then—when the baby's stomach was torn open, its insides spilled out.

Steam rose from the fresh, pooling blood as its body twitched uncontrollably.

It was still alive.

Muscles still trembled. A strange, unnatural movement flickered through its torn tissues.

But in the end—

The baby died.

For several long seconds, no one spoke.

Only the sound of heavy breathing, the quiet drip of blood slipping between armor, and the crimson droplets falling from their swords filled the air.

"Is it over…?" one of them whispered.

No one could answer.

Then, one of them raised his sword, panting.

"We won…"

And then, the others lifted their blades to the sky and roared:

"VIIIICTOOOORY!"

On the other side, Ravien watched it all unfold.

(POV RAVIEN)

I leaned back in my chair, clasping my hands in front of my stomach. As I inhaled the grim air, I watched the battlefield. Everything was going exactly as I had predicted.

The Baby and the Twisted Man were dead now. At first, the soldiers had succumbed to fear, but now… Now, their survival instincts had kicked in.

My eyes narrowed slightly. The corner of my lips curled—just a little. Exactly as expected.

I never intended to make those monsters truly powerful. I neither had the time nor the capacity. But they still served their purpose. Fear strips people down to their purest form. It drags them toward the inevitable end.

I tilted my head slightly, my gaze shifting to the most crucial point on the battlefield. The Flesh Sphere.

It was different from the Baby and the Twisted Man. Creating them had only taken a few hours, but this… This had taken me eleven.

And then… movement began.

My eyelids slowly lifted. My hands relaxed. My heartbeat was steady. I wasn't excited. That's how it should have been.

But deep inside… a faint expectation stirred.

It feels me.

At first, its skin trembled—just slightly, barely noticeable. Then… something shifted inside. Something big. A shadow slithering beneath the muscles. A moment later, the skin, unable to withstand the pressure, swelled.

And then—it tore apart.

And the eyes opened.

Not just one pair. Hundreds. Thousands.

Eyes of all different colors, all different shapes, bursting from every inch of its flesh.

Some were like human eyes. Some belonged to a predator. And some… belonged to nothing. They were unknowable. Indescribable.

But all of them were looking at the same point.

At me.

For a brief second, I took a deep breath. Then, slowly, I lifted my head. Without blinking, I met its gaze.

It understands, too.

Now, we begin.