From the sky, the final strike, into which the Grand Duke had poured all her power, descended, guided by Simon. Determination blazed in both their eyes.

’Move!’

’Move!’

Simon meticulously controlled Pier’s Bone Armor, pressing his and Zairos’s bodies even more tightly together. Zairos tried to push Simon away, but the armor restricted his movements.

’He shoved bones even inside my exoskeleton!’

’RUUUUUUUMBLE!’

Finally, one side of the Abyss’s wall collapsed entirely, and the Grand Duke’s black arrow revealed its ferocious form. The target was the back of Simon’s hand, which was touching Zairos’s core. If the arrow flew as it was, it would pierce his hand and his core simultaneously.

Left with no choice, Zairos quickly raised both arms.

He barely managed to catch the black arrow.

[’Krrgh!’]

The sheer power of the arrow was tearing the skin from Zairos’s hands. His feet, planted on the ground, were gradually being pushed back.

With a series of clicks and clacks, Simon moved the Bone Armor, trying to lift the fallen Greatsword of Ruin. Zairos’s cold blue eyes noticed immediately.

’Block it!’

’Gurgle!’

A tentacle of the Northern God rose from the floor and firmly gripped the Greatsword of Ruin, preventing it from being taken. At the same time, other tentacles made contact with Zairos’s own back. With a sickening crack and crunch, Zairos’s back, shoulders, and arms swelled, reinforced by the power of the Northern God. Still other tentacles wrapped around his body, bracing him as he was pushed back.

[’Krrruuugh!’ Just you wait!] Zairos screamed, still holding the Grand Duke’s arrow that sought to pierce his core. [The moment this arrow’s power is spent, I will finish you all!]

’RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!’

The arrow shook violently as it tried to advance, and Zairos’s arms, holding it, repeatedly shattered and regenerated.

[Zairos. I have something to say.]

Just then, Pier’s skull appeared over Zairos’s shoulder. Zairos’s eyes shifted.

[Pier...!]

[Yona never abandoned you. The legion was disbanded due to certain circumstances, and the contracts with all the Ancient Undead were severed, not just yours. You should have known.]

He had intended to ignore him, but as soon as Yona’s name was mentioned, Zairos’s eyes blazed.

[Contracts don’t matter! Lord Yona gave me an order, and I followed it to the end! But what about Lord Yona? To me...!]

[Zairos,] Pier said calmly. [Yona came to the North.]

Zairos’s expression froze.

[What... did you say?]

---

’Two weeks ago. The night Simon decided to go to the Kalos North, persuaded by Nephthys.’

’Nephthys had quietly called Pier outside the ruins.’

"Well, well. Calling me out here all alone."

"Is there more to discuss beyond what we spoke of yesterday?" Pier asked.’

"Of course. You remember going to the North with Richard back in the day, don’t you?"

"I do."

’Pier thought Nephthys was being quite hasty. She was an unreadable woman. He wanted to clarify her intentions for sending Simon to the North. And he had one guess.’

"I’ll ask you directly, woman."

’Pier didn’t beat around the bush.’

"Is Zairos alive?"

’At those words, Nephthys tilted her head.’

"Huh?"

"I suspected your scheme was to send the boy to the Kalos North to retrieve Zairos."

’She blinked her large eyes.’

"Zairos? You mean that Ancient Undead from the 7th Legion, right? Didn’t he die fighting the Northern God? I honestly don’t know."

"We cannot rule out the possibility that he remains in the North."

’Pier crossed his arms and continued.’

"That stubborn fool might still be protecting the North, just to uphold his orders."

"Wow."

’Nephthys’s mouth fell open in amusement.’

"Richard said something similar back then!"

’Pier’s eyes widened.’

"A few years after the legion was disbanded, Richard went to the North."

’That’s right. Richard had gone to the North. And at the most dangerous time, when all necromancers were desperately tracking his whereabouts.’

"Richard thought Zairos might be waiting for him in the North. Of course, I tried to stop him! There’s no way an Ancient Undead freed from his contract would keep following a Legion Commander’s orders, right? But even after I said all that, Richard took the risk and left."

’Nephthys swept back her silver hair with a regretful expression.’

"He only reported the results to me years later."

’Richard went to the North disguised as a wandering traveler, but the North was at war at the time. The Northern God was still active, attacking Vilkenos more fiercely than before. Richard went beyond Vilkenos to the Frost Field, but he couldn’t find any trace of Zairos there either. The base of the Snow Demon Unit he had used was also empty. Richard had no choice but to turn back, thinking Zairos was dead.’

---

[Listen, Zairos!] Pier’s eyes flashed. [Richard, no. Yona did not forget you even after the legion was disbanded!]

Zairos’s eyes shook uncontrollably.

’Crack!’

For a moment, the strength in the arm holding the Grand Duke’s arrow faltered. The arrow stopped just short of Simon’s hand.

[’Keuk!’ Do you think I would believe such an obvious lie!]

[Khahaha! The one telling lies is the Northern God whispering in your head! It must have conveniently hidden the fact that Yona came to the North!]

As if on cue, a dark voice echoed from Zairos’s thoughts.

’Do not listen to the enemy’s words, Zairos. Yona abandoned you.’

Zairos’s eyes grew cloudy.

’The easiest way to bring Yona back is right before your eyes. Kill his son!’

Zairos slowly lowered his gaze to the black-haired boy who was desperately clinging to him.

"You said earlier that I couldn’t replace my father, right?" The boy was smiling defiantly. "I’ll prove it to you."

Smiling like Yona, the boy closed his eyes and drew up his Jet-Black. He wasn’t holding this difficult position and placing his hand on the core just to guide the arrow.

’Kiiiiiiiiing!’

Simon’s Jet-Black began to pour into Zairos’s core like a flood.

[You! In a situation like this, you’re attempting Legion Assimilation...!]

Zairos, who had almost lost his strength, desperately held onto the Grand Duke’s arrow. The moment his concentration wavered, this cursed arrow would pass through Simon’s hand and embed itself in his core.

’Ruuuuuuuumble!’

Inside Zairos’s core, Simon’s Jet-Black and the Northern God’s Jet-Black tangled and fought. At that moment, Zairos thought that this dark blue Jet-Black entering his body felt incredibly familiar. He felt no sense of rejection at all.

’This should be enough.’

Simon briefly paused the Legion Assimilation and shouted.

[Obey me! My father’s Ancient Undead!]

[!]

Simon’s Absolute Command. For a moment, Zairos felt his knees about to buckle. A tremendous authority seemed to press down on his shoulders.

’This is... Yona’s son.’

A new command, overwriting the order to protect the North that had now become a curse binding him. Zairos’s clouded eyes slowly began to clear. The dark voice faded into a faint echo, and life returned to his red-tinted vision.

’Grip.’

Strength returned to Zairos’s arms. He could feel the power of the Grand Duke’s arrow slowly weakening as time passed. Zairos released one of the hands holding the arrow and grabbed the back of Simon’s neck.

’Ah!’

Simon’s pupils wavered. ’He could hold it with just one hand...!’

Then, he threw Simon aside. As Simon was flung away from Zairos, the tip of the Grand Duke’s arrow trembled, trying to follow him. But.

’Thwack!’

Zairos deliberately slammed his own body into the arrow.

’WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!’

A blinding flash of light accompanied a massive explosion. Simon’s body was sent tumbling. Feeling his entire body ache, he lifted his head.

He stared in shock.

Through the smoke, he could see a giant hole had been blown through Zairos’s body. The arrow was disappearing after shattering the wall.

[I could not allow Lord Yona’s son to be harmed.]

Zairos smiled, bleeding black blood.

"Zairos!" Simon scrambled to his feet in alarm.

[And Lord Yona’s final command.] He closed his eyes. [I must protect the North. And the greatest harm to the North is the Northern God. Therefore, according to my orders, I must destroy—] His body swayed. [—myself.]

’Thud!’

Zairos, with a huge hole in his body, collapsed to the floor.

"Zairos!" Simon rushed over. He could feel his Jet-Black fading rapidly.

Zairos weakly lifted his head. [My apologies, son of Lord Yona. And.] His arm moved toward the sky. [Lord Yona. I am sorry for failing to complete your orders....]

’Thud.’

His words were cut short as his arm fell to the floor. The color of Zairos’s body was fading to white.

"Stay with me! Zairos!"

[Boy!] Just then, Pier approached. [Calm down! It’s not too late!]

Pier laid Zairos down, then swung the Greatsword of Ruin to cut open his body. He then quickly thrust his arm into the opening.

’Crrrack!’

He pulled something out from inside. It was Zairos’s ’core’. The core was slightly damaged by the Grand Duke’s arrow, but black energy was still flowing through it.

"What are you going to do with that?"

[Under these circumstances, this is the last resort!] Pier strode forward and pointed ahead. At the end of the Northern God’s chamber. There, smaller than what he had seen in the old Abyss but still alive and moving, was the real Northern God. The Northern God’s eye gurgled and turned to look at Simon and Pier.

[Zairos believed he had eliminated the Northern God and become the new one.] Pier’s lips curled up. [But he was played by that thing from beginning to end.]

His laugh held a note of fury.

’Swish!’

As if in a final struggle, the Northern God raised tentacles from the floor on all sides. But Pier simply swung the Greatsword of Ruin once to eliminate them.

[Now is the moment for the true Northern God to be born, boy!] Pier turned to Simon, his eyes glowing, and handed him Zairos’s core. [Place this ’new Northern God’ who obeys you on this throne, and become the king of the North!]

Simon, who had been staring blankly at Zairos’s core, took it as if he had made up his mind and approached the Northern God.

"I’d be glad to."

[Human! Human! A mere human!] Just then, a bizarrely modulated continental language erupted from the Northern God’s flesh. [We are the dead! We have finally become complete beings through death! The incomplete and wavering living can never understand or accept us!]

The Northern God thrashed its flesh as if in a frenzy.

[You there, Ancient Undead! Pier, was it! Why does a perfect being like you obey a living child! Take my power! You and I, let us join forces and turn this world to death... ’Guheok!’]

’Crrrrunch!’

The pure white Greatsword of Ruin sliced through the Northern God’s body.

"Shut up," Simon muttered with cold eyes. In the hand not holding the sword, Zairos’s core was glinting. "This won’t be enough to pay for your sins, but it will probably hurt a lot."

Simon put strength into the hilt. Black blood splattered everywhere.