--
The battlefield of Vulcanus was no longer just land—it was alive… and it was dying.
The ground split beneath their feet, jagged fractures glowing with molten veins that pulsed like the heartbeat of a dying world. Lava crawled across the shattered the ground, devouring everything in its path, while the air itself burned with suffocating heat. Every breath felt like inhaling fire.
Amid that hell—
Yaman stood.
His body trembled from exhaustion, his muscles screaming, his lungs burning… yet he did not kneel.
Before him stood Kur.
Still.
Calm.
Terrifying.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
Then—
💥
Kur vanished.
And appeared.
A strike.
Yaman didn't see it.
He only felt it.
His body was launched across the battlefield, smashing through rock and ground alike, leaving behind a trail of blood and ash. The impact shattered the ground beneath him.
He coughed.
Tried to rise.
And barely managed.
"…Slow," Kur said coldly.
Yaman steadied himself, his breathing uneven, his vision shaking.
But he smiled.
"I'm just getting started."
---
Kur moved again.
One step—
And he was already in front of him.
A punch—💥
A kick—💥
A crushing blow to the stomach—
The air was ripped from Yaman's chest as he dropped to his knees, his body refusing to respond.
Kur didn't stop.
He grabbed him by his clothes and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
"Listen carefully…" his voice was cold as death.
Behind them, a volcano erupted violently, its roar echoing like an ancient beast awakening.
"Your father… will lose."
Yaman's eyes froze.
"Zeldaris will crush him… and we will rule this island."
Kur leaned closer, his presence suffocating.
"And we will crucify you both."
He released him.
Yaman's body hit the ground hard.
"You… and your father… will be nothing more than a warning."
---
Silence.
Then—
A laugh.
Weak.
Broken.
But real.
"…Delusions."
Kur paused.
Yaman slowly lifted his head, his crimson eyes burning through the ash-filled air.
"Even if you crucify me… even if you tear my body apart…"
He smiled.
A sharp, defiant smile.
"That just means… I was enough to leave a mark."
---
Kur let out a quiet laugh.
"…What a waste."
He stepped forward, slow… deliberate.
"A soul like yours could have been great."
Flames of annihilation swirled in his palm, silent… but suffocating.
"If you had joined us… you could have stood above all."
Then his voice turned cold.
"But instead…"
He stepped closer.
"You followed your father."
A pause.
"The dog of the Magic Council… and the guilds of light."
---
💥
Something snapped.
Yaman's aura erupted violently.
Magma surged around him, the ground trembling in response to his rage.
"Don't…"
His voice was low.
Shaking.
But filled with killing intent.
"…mock my father."
---
He moved.
Faster than before.
Desperate.
Sharp.
A blur—
He vanished—
And reappeared behind Kur.
"DRAGON'S CLAW!!"
💥
The attack struck.
Direct.
Explosive.
Magma erupted outward—
But—
Kur didn't move.
His hand rose calmly.
And caught it.
With one hand.
"…Weak."
💥
A kick.
Yaman's body was sent flying again, crashing violently into the shattered ground. This time… he didn't get up immediately.
The volcano behind them roared, magma bursting into the sky as if the world itself acknowledged the difference between them.
---
Yaman lay there…
Breathing heavily.
Broken.
His body screamed in pain.
His vision blurred.
> …I can't win.
> The gap… is too big.
Kur approached slowly.
No rush.
No tension.
Like a predator walking toward dying prey.
"Finally," he said. "You understand."
---
Yaman's fingers twitched.
His gaze shifted.
Not toward Kur—
But beyond him.
Toward the volcano.
It roared louder now.
Violent.
Unstable.
Alive.
And then—
Yaman smiled.
---
He stood.
Staggering.
Barely.
Then—
He ran.
---
Kur stopped.
"…Running?"
A moment of silence.
Then a faint chuckle.
"As expected."
He vanished—
And reappeared behind him instantly.
"You won't get far—"
But Yaman didn't stop.
Didn't turn.
Didn't hesitate.
He ran straight toward the heart of the volcano.
---
Kur's eyes narrowed.
"…That's not escape."
The ground trembled harder.
The heat intensified.
The magma surged violently.
Something was wrong.
---
Yaman slowed.
Then stopped.
At the edge of the eruption.
He turned.
His face covered in ash and blood.
But he was smiling.
Not with desperation.
But with intent.
"Yeah…"
His voice was quiet.
Steady.
"This isn't running."
His eyes glowed like molten cores.
"It's a trap."
Yaman ran.
Not away—
Forward.
Toward the volcano.
Each step burned the ground beneath his feet cracked and glowed the heat intensifying with every second. The air grew heavier, sharper, harder to breathe.
The roar of the volcano grew louder.
Closer.
Alive.
Behind him—
Kur followed.
Unhurried.
Unconcerned.
Like a shadow that could not be escaped.
Yaman pushed himself harder.
Faster.
His vision blurred, sweat and blood mixing across his face as the heat climbed to unbearable levels.
The crater… was right there.
Just a few more steps—
💥
A sudden force slammed into his back.
Pain exploded through his body.
Yaman was sent crashing forward, his body rolling violently across the jagged ground until he reached the edge of a steep slope overlooking a raging valley of lava.
He stopped—
Barely.
His fingers digging into the scorched .
Kur stood behind him.
"…I'm getting tired of this chase."
Yaman groaned, pain tearing through his muscles as he forced himself up. His breathing was uneven, his body shaking—
And then he froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
Behind him—
The slope.
Below—
A vast valley where rivers of lava collided, surged, and devoured everything. The heat there was far worse… suffocating, overwhelming.
His position…
Had changed.
…No.
My plan—
It failed.
Slow steps approached.
Kur.
He stopped a few paces away.
"…Did you really think a mage like me would fall for something that simple?"
Yaman's eyes snapped toward him.
Kur tilted his head slightly, a faint smile hidden beneath the mask.
"You were trying to enter the volcano… to make the battlefield yours."
Silence.
Shock crossed Yaman's face.
"…How did you—"
Kur let out a quiet chuckle.
"Do you remember?"
A step forward.
"When you were thrown into the Dragon Volcano… when we thought Zeldaris had killed you…"
Another step.
"And yet… you came back."
His gaze sharpened.
"You walked out of erupting magma."
The air grew heavier.
"I could feel it."
A pause.
"The change in you."
His voice lowered.
"I don't know what happened to you… and I don't care."
A faint, chilling smile formed beneath the mask.
"What I do know… is that you've chosen your grave."
Kur reached for his leather jacket.
And removed it.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The fabric fell to the ground.
Revealing a body covered in dark, intricate tattoos—markings that pulsed faintly, as if alive.
He exhaled.
A low, quiet breath.
"…This heat is annoying."
His hand moved toward his right side—
Then stopped.
"…Not yet."
A whisper.
Barely audible.
Then—
His magic surged.
💥
Yaman's eyes widened.
The aura around Kur exploded outward, suffocating, overwhelming—
And then—
It changed.
The crimson flames…
Shifted.
Darkened.
Condensed—
Until they turned into something else entirely.
Blue.
A deep, unnatural blue.
"…Blue Hell."
The world ignited.
Flames erupted outward—not like fire…
But like destruction given form.
The rocks around them began to burn—no, to disintegrate.
The ground cracked further as the blue flames spread, consuming everything in their path.
Even the rivers of lava below—
Were devoured.
Swallowed.
Erased.
The valley transformed.
What once was molten red became an ocean of devouring blue fire.
The air screamed.
The heat twisted into something unnatural.
Something wrong.
Yaman stood frozen.
For the first time—
He felt it.
Not just power.
But inevitability.
Kur smiled.
"…You wanted to make the battlefield yours."
He stepped forward slowly, blue flames coiling around him like a living nightmare.
"But I've already done that."
Another step.
Closer.
"You're not fighting anymore."
His voice dropped—
Cold.
Final.
"You're trapped."
The blue flames rose higher.
Closing in.
Sealing every path.
Turning the volcanic valley into a prison of annihilation.
Kur stopped.
Just a few steps away.
"…Prepare yourself."
A pause.
"For your end."
Far from them—
Another battle raged.
Fernando and Zeldaris clashed not with overwhelming magic… but with raw, brutal physical force.
Each strike was calculated.
Each movement precise.
This was no longer a battle of power—
It was a battle of endurance.
Both were exhausted.
Both were waiting.
Saving their final trump card.
Steel met claw.
💥
Shockwaves tore through the ground, cracking stone and shaking the volcano beneath them.
Their breathing was heavy.
Their bodies strained.
Yet neither stepped back.
Then—
A glow.
Blue.
From afar.
Even the volcano seemed to tremble.
Fernando's eyes narrowed.
"…What is that?"
Zeldaris smirked arrogantly, flames flickering behind him.
"It seems Kur has finally decided to take things seriously."
A low chuckle escaped him.
"It's been a long time since I've seen him unleash that power."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You should pray for your son, Dark King."
Fernando's expression hardened.
…Yaman.
Please… be safe.
Back at the volcanic slope—
Yaman stood frozen.
Kur approached him.
Slowly.
Inevitably.
Like death itself.
Yaman's body trembled.
His magic was nearly gone.
The ten minutes of Gehenom had already passed.
His body… couldn't endure more.
He had nothing left—
Except a dagger.
What can a dagger even do…?
A pressure fell over him.
Heavy.
Crushing.
He raised his head—
Kur stood before him.
Tall.
Unshaken.
For the first time—
Yaman felt fear.
💥
Kur's foot slammed into his stomach.
The impact folded his body, pain exploding through him.
He collapsed.
Coughing.
Choking.
Kur smiled.
And struck again.
💥
"You ruined our show."
💥
"You destroyed our plans."
💥
"You shattered our image."
Each word—
A blow.
Stronger.
Heavier.
"You… and your father…"
💥
"…killed many of us."
💥
"…and destroyed our base."
Yaman screamed.
Each hit tore through him.
Pain stacked upon pain—
Until his body couldn't take it.
He vomited.
Blood spilling from his mouth, covering his face.
Kur stepped forward.
Placed his foot on Yaman's right arm.
And pressed.
Crack.
A scream tore from Yaman's throat.
Raw.
Broken.
Kur pressed harder.
"Still alive?"
Another scream.
Louder.
More desperate.
Then—
Kur grabbed him by the left side of his face.
Brutally.
Blue flames ignited.
Yaman screamed.
The fire burned into his skin, leaving a scorched mark across his face.
A scar.
Permanent.
Kur lifted him.
Walked to the edge.
And threw him onto the slope.
"I'll finish what Zeldaris started."
His voice was cold.
"But this time… I'll make sure you die."
He looked down at the valley of blue flames below.
"You'll fall… and be devoured alive."
A pause.
"I'll take your scarf."
A faint smile.
"And show it to your father."
His voice dropped.
"So he knows… you died screaming."
Yaman didn't respond.
He couldn't.
His body was broken.
His magic depleted.
He couldn't even move.
…This was a mistake.
Fighting them… was a mistake.
I thought I was strong…
I was wrong.
Tears formed in his eyes.
But they evaporated instantly in the heat.
Father… I'm sorry.
Mother… I won't come back.
He looked at Kur.
And smiled.
If I'm going to die…
I'll die smiling.
His father's words echoed in his mind—
"Victory loses its meaning… if the defeated smiles."
Kur smiled.
"…A fitting end."
He lifted Yaman.
"You've earned the right… to be proud in the next world."
And threw him—
Yaman closed his eyes.
He didn't resist.
…This is enough.
I lived… my way.
Even if I survived… I would only become a vessel.
Gehenom would take my body someday…
I would never be free.
And freedom…
…is everything.
💥
The world shook.
Both of them froze.
A tremor.
Then another.
Stronger.
Yaman's eyes opened.
"…What?"
Kur looked down.
His eyes widened.
For the first time—
Shock.
Below them—
The lava surged.
Not normally.
Not naturally.
But violently.
Endlessly.
Like something had been awakened.
"…Impossible."
Kur's voice dropped.
"…A volcanic eruption."
His jaw tightened.
"These happen every fifty years…"
His gaze sharpened.
"…Zeldaris and the Dark King… they triggered it."
The tremors intensified.
The ground cracked further.
The heat spiked.
Kur growled.
"…I need to end this quickly."
He glanced at Yaman.
Then away.
"I have to warn Zeldaris."
A pause.
"This island will become uninhabitable within three hours."
The ground shook violently.
Kur lost balance for a split second—
💥
A burning rock slammed into his right side.
He grunted in pain.
His stance broke.
Yaman's eyes widened.
He saw it.
An opening.
Without thinking—
He moved.
He pulled out his dagger.
And rushed forward.
Kur's eyes snapped toward him.
Shock flashed across them.
"…You—"
Too late.
Yaman drove the dagger straight into Kur's side—
Right into the scar.
"AAAGH—!"
Kur screamed.
Again—
Yaman stabbed.
Deeper.
Again—
Kur tried to kick him—
But the ground shook violently.
His balance failed.
He staggered.
Then fell.
"YOU DAMN BRAT!!" Kur roared.
"I'LL KILL YOU—!"
But the tremors intensified—
CRACK.
The slope beneath Kur broke.
He fell—
But caught the edge.
Hanging.
Barely.
Below him—
Blue flames waited.
Devouring.
Yaman stepped forward.
Slowly.
Breathing heavily.
Looking down at him.
Kur glared.
Struggling.
"YOU'VE CAUSED ENOUGH TROUBLE!"
"I'LL KILL YOU—!"
Yaman looked at him.
Cold.
Small.
But above him.
He raised the dagger.
Still covered in blood.
Stepped closer.
Knelt.
And—
Stabbed his hand.
"AAAGH—!!"
"Go to hell."
The ground shook violently—
Kur lost his grip.
He fell.
Screaming.
Cursing.
"…DAMN YOU—!!"
The blue flames swallowed him.
Consumed him.
Erased him.
Silence.
Yaman stood.
Barely.
His right arm broken.
His left aching from overuse.
His body trembling.
Then—
He remembered.
Kur's words.
Volcanic eruption.
His eyes sharpened.
Determined.
"…I have to tell Father."
And he ran
Toward the final battle
—To Be Continued—