The Dream Realm was collapsing. The deafening rumble of the cracking ground drew closer and closer. Black fragments continued to spread, devouring everything in their path.
Long had already lost consciousness; his hollow black eyes stared blankly at everyone. Around him, the earth was blasted apart, releasing a terrifying surge of energy.
Mai tried to look at Long. Forcing a reassuring smile to calm him, she said,
"Long, the enemy has already been defeated. Please calm down…"
She stepped forward slowly, with caution, though fear lingered in her heart.
Suddenly, Long gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the staff of Ten Thousand Gods. He tensed violently as a wave of black energy burst from his body, knocking Mai to the ground.
As the Dream Realm tore itself apart and Long fell deeper into darkness, the panicked screams of the villagers and children echoed through the chaos.
Dreamy flew in circles around Mai.
"It seems the time has finally come for me to truly step in!"
He shouted toward the sky, ensuring his voice carried to who needed to hear it:
"Nguyen, hold on a little longer!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Dreamy radiated a brilliant, dazzling light that blinded everyone nearby. The radiance swallowed the streams of black energy pouring from Long.
The Dream Realm shook violently once more. Because of Dreamy's huge power, Nguyen suffered a severe backlash and coughed up blood, yet he stubbornly maintained the hand seal to sustain the spell.
Before Mai stood a completely transformed Dreamy.
He had grown far larger. His snow-white fur emitted a sacred aura, drifting gracefully within the currents of energy. A brilliant blue halo floated above his head, and his feathered wings spread so wide they seemed to block out the sky. Golden armor gleamed across his body, his glowing eyes radiating overwhelming authority.
Mai stared in absolute shock at the divine sight.
Without hesitation, Dreamy lunged directly into Long's body, vanishing before everyone's astonished eyes.
Long instantly became motionless.
Still, the darkness continued to consume the Dream Realm.
Suddenly, a crimson portal ripped open, and Nguyen's voice echoed from within.
"Mai, my life force is almost depleted. I can only keep this portal open for about ten minutes. If everyone fails to escape by then, they'll be trapped here and completely destroyed…"
Nguyen then added firmly, "I don't care whether the others live or die, but at the very least, get Long and the AI King Witch out of there!"
Mai nodded in agreement before spinning toward the villagers of Asarina.
"Everyone, hurry and jump through this portal immediately! We only have ten minutes!"
Nguyen's furious voice echoed directly into her mind.
"What are you doing?! I told you I don't care about them!"
"Don't worry," Mai replied. "I'll save Long and Dreamy!"
The Dream Realm shook violently. The villagers began throwing themselves through the portal Nguyen had opened.
But the earthquake had already caught up to them. The ground split apart. One villager lost their footing, falling and desperately clinging to the edge of the chasm. The gap was far too wide for anyone to jump across to save him, and panic spread as they raced against time.
Suddenly, a graceful figure leaped effortlessly across the chasm. She reached out, caught the falling person's hand, lifted them into the air, and landed safely back on solid ground.
It was Mary.
Gripping her greatsword tightly, she shouted, "Everyone, hurry! Be extremely careful and do not stay here any longer!"
Mary looked upon the Dream Realm she had spent so much time helping to build as it was gradually obliterated. Her heart overflowed with pain and nostalgia.
Nearly four minutes had passed, yet almost half of the villagers still had not crossed, held back by the widening chasm.
Empress Mary watched them in silence, deep in thought.
Then, she turned toward the black masses steadily advancing toward the villagers.
She remained silent.
Tightening her grip on her greatsword, she drove it forcefully into the ground.
The moment the steel pierced the earth, a strange phenomenon occurred. Dozens of concentric rings of light rippled outward from the point of impact. The radiance collided with the black masses, forcing them to falter. The deafening rumbling gradually weakened, as though the rings of light were fighting against the invading darkness itself.
A violent storm erupted from the greatsword, whipping her hair and white dress behind her. She looked like a goddess of war struggling against a devastating tempest, both hands gripping the hilt with all her strength.
Claire shouted, "Mary, what are you doing?!"
Alice cried out in panic, "Mary, what are you doing?! Hurry and escape with us!"
Mary looked back at Claire and Alice. Amid the raging storm unleashed by her embedded blade, she shouted, "Everyone, run! Let me hold this destruction back for as long as I can!"
Claire and Alice were pushed backward by the powerful gales, yet they still struggled forward, step by step, toward Mary.
"We won't leave without you! You're saving everyone—we can't abandon you!"
Mary looked at them and smiled softly. "Don't misunderstand. I'm only doing what I can to protect the dream world I intended to build."
Mary turned her eyes back to the greatsword. Memories of the children who had joined the Dream Realm surfaced in her mind like fragments of an old film. Tears streamed down her face.
"But for a dream world to exist… everyone has to survive first…"
Slowly, her legs began to turn transparent. Her smile remained faint.
"Oh right… I was also created by Bakky and Jacob. If that's the case, then I'll disappear soon anyway… and I suppose I inherited a little of Bakky's power too…"
She turned to look at everyone one last time. While one hand continued pressing the greatsword firmly into the ground, she slowly raised the other, pointing toward the villagers.
Suddenly, all the remaining villagers were lifted into the air, encased within a strange bubble that rapidly carried them into the spatial portal—including Long, who remained motionless after merging with Dreamy.
Alice and Mai shouted desperately for Mary to follow, while Claire sobbed uncontrollably.
"Mary, hurry and come through the portal! My daughter…!"
Mary looked at Claire with pure tenderness. The entire lower half of her body had already vanished; she could no longer feel anything below her waist. Seeing such a horrifying sight, Claire and Alice broke down completely.
Mary shouted through the raging storm, "Farewell, Mother. Farewell, Alice. You really were the best things in my life. Please always stay true to yourself, Alice! There were times when I was jealous of you…"
Mary turned forward once more, gazing one final time upon the world she had created. Houses were swept away by black streaks, forests were torn into particles, the earth split open, and destruction reigned. Everything touched by the darkness was completely devoured.
Through trembling tears, she whispered softly,
"Farewell… my dream…"
Everyone had escaped from the Dream Realm.
Mary vanished.
The Dream Realm was completely destroyed.