Despair

Ayane’s POV:

I saw two boss monsters appear on this floor. Once again, they looked completely different from before. Last time, the Floor 7 boss was a dragon knight, while the Floor 8 boss was a colossal robot.

But now, they looked different—far stronger than before. We could all see their status windows.

[Draxen the Dragon Ether Lord]
[Dungeon Boss – Floor 7]
[Level 9]

He had taken the form of a humanoid dragon with eight wings, each one wreathed in a different Ether (Ignis, Umbra, Terra, Volta, Aero, Glacies, Aether, Void). That meant he could control all Ether types! Yet before, he only had Ignis.

And then came the second boss, no less terrifying.

[Omega the Machine Lord]
[Dungeon Boss – Floor 8]
[Level 10]

Omega was a towering humanoid machine forged from sleek black alloy, reinforced with glowing neon-blue energy veins that pulsed like arteries. His form was both terrifyingly mechanical and disturbingly humanlike, moving with precision and unnatural fluidity.

In the past, Omega had wielded the horrifying power to manipulate data. Now, he had surely grown even stronger.

We divided into three teams.

The first team consisted of myself, my Scarlet Sanctum faction, along with Tsukiyami, Tsukihana, and their members. We would take on Draxen.

The second team was Kurogane with his Machina Legion faction, as well as Coreas. Kurogane claimed with confidence that he could face Omega, since he was an expert in machinery. We all placed our trust in him.

The third team was Izanami Ayaka-sama and the support-type raid members.

Once the plan was agreed upon, we charged at the monsters together.

I believed I could face Draxen with the Valkyrie of the Holy Fire that still burned within me. I could scorch all of his attacks. Tsukihana and her members continuously used recovery skills to sustain my HP.

Tsukiyami and I became the main DPS against Draxen, while Tsukihana dealt mid-range damage. Akutsu stayed close, following me and Tsukiyami, while Maiko supported us with healing. Kagurazaka and Yukihana covered Tsukihana by delivering medium and long-range damage.

We were ready and pushed forward to strike Draxen. I soared toward him as he met me head-on, brandishing Ignis and Glacies claws, while I countered with my golden flame sword.

“Pathetic human… how dare you challenge me, the Lord of Dragons!” Draxen roared, his voice full of intimidation.

But I felt no fear—I struck him relentlessly. My team’s ranged attacks landed cleanly, while Tsukiyami unleashed his Umbra EtherCode to bind Draxen’s movements.

We held the advantage in the opening exchanges.

Then I turned to the other side. Kurogane and his faction unleashed thousands of bullets per minute upon Omega. He was pouring out his full strength. As Kurogane drew Omega’s attention, Coreas dashed in with his spear and pierced Omega’s body, managing to wound him.

“Coreas, you wretched traitor! You were once a Floor 6 boss, and now you turn against me and our master?!” Omega’s mechanical voice boomed with rage.

“Sorry, but I don’t recall ever serving whoever you call your master! And guess what? I’ve hated you from the very beginning! Just because you reside on deeper floors, don’t think that makes you stronger than me!” Coreas snarled as he drove his spear into Omega again and again, dealing heavy damage.

Omega tried to manipulate the machines he controlled, but Kurogane stopped him.

“I won’t allow it!” Kurogane shouted with fury, provoking him further. The strategy was proving effective.

Meanwhile, Ayaka-sama and the other Mikos of the third team tirelessly healed our raid from the damage we received. She looked exhausted, yet she never ceased casting her spells.

We truly believed victory was within our grasp.

But… when the bosses’ HP dropped to three bars, everything changed.

Draxen’s and Omega’s bodies both began to shine. Then a system notification appeared before us:

[WARNING!! GOD 404 IS INTERVENING!! A DISASTER HAS BEEN TRIGGERED!!]

We were thrown into confusion. Victory had been so close, but now an even greater obstacle loomed.

Draxen and Omega began to merge into one. Omega dismantled his own body and coiled it around Draxen, fusing into a colossal mechanical dragon with neon blue and red scales and wings coated in a dark aura.

[WARNING!! DRAXEN AND OMEGA HAVE FUSED!]
[NEW ENTITY CREATED: DRAXOMEGA THE DEVOURER LORD]

It carried the combined powers of both Draxen and Omega, plus a new skill known as Devourer—an ability capable of consuming everything.

Its HP bar was restored to a staggering 15 full bars.

“This can’t be… we already gave it everything we had.”

Kurogane, Tsukiyami, and Tsukihana were already heavily damaged. My Valkyrie of the Holy Fire mode was reaching its limit.

“What the hell is this… is this where it ends for us?!” Kurogane cursed bitterly, echoed by Tsukihana and Tsukiyami’s despair.

“I never expected they could do this… it seems GOD 404 truly is furious,” Coreas muttered, bewildered.

In that moment of hopelessness, DraxOmega unleashed its ultimate Devourer skill.

“Enough. This ends now. Die! [Devourer Skill: Armageddon!!!]”

From its maw erupted a colossal beam of dark energy, a deathly laser surging toward us.

BAM!!!

I, Tsukiyami, Tsukihana, and Kurogane stood our ground together, bracing ourselves against the onslaught.

“Even if this is the end, I have no regrets… not with comrades like you! [Ultimate Plasma Magnum: Annihilation Shot!]” Kurogane roared, firing his most powerful skill.

“I refuse to lose! We will win! [Ultimate Aether Skill: Thousand Light Laser!]” Tsukihana poured every ounce of her EP into her ultimate attack.

“You damned monster… I’ll cut you down! [Ultimate Umbra Skill: Slash of Darkness x10!]” Tsukiyami unleashed a storm of shadow slashes with all his might.

Coreas followed, conjuring a massive sphere of gravity and hurling it into DraxOmega’s assault.

And then me—my entire body ignited in holy flame. I no longer cared if my HP dropped to zero. I would strike, and I would destroy DraxOmega.

“Flame that burns all evil… consume the enemy before me! [Valkyrie of the Holy Fire: RAGNAROK!!!]”

I hurled myself into DraxOmega’s attack, my sword blazing, swelling to gigantic size as I swung it down.

Our combined strikes collided with DraxOmega’s beam, barely weakening it. Then I cleaved into it, my holy fire slicing through the Devourer skill.

BAM!!!

My flames burned away the darkness. I forced the attack back and drove my blade into DraxOmega’s body.

SLASH!

“DIEEEE!!!” I roared, hacking again and again, flames engulfing its form.

But as I continued to swing, my Valkyrie of the Holy Fire mode suddenly deactivated without warning.

I had run out of EP, ST, and CT, and my HP had dropped to critical… Blood spilled from my mouth as I collapsed to the ground.

Before I hit the floor, Coreas caught me with his gravity.

Such cruel fate. I had been so close to defeating DraxOmega, but destiny said otherwise.

My comrades rushed to my side. Ayaka-sama tried to heal me, but her strength was already gone. The others threw themselves against DraxOmega with everything they had left.

I closed my eyes, and the sounds around me filled the void. Screams. Explosions. The cries of those I knew, writhing in agony.

When I opened my eyes again… I saw the massacre.

Every member of my faction had been slaughtered.

Maiko and Tsukihana clung to each other, but their bodies dissolved into data under DraxOmega’s assault. They died weeping.

Akutsu stood tall, shielding everyone with his last breath. But then he fell, his body breaking into particles, leaving only his sword embedded in the earth.

Kagurazaka threw herself over me, shielding me with her body as the Devourer’s energy consumed her. She crouched close and whispered through trembling tears:

“Thank goodness you’re still alive, Ayane-chan… You are our hope. You mustn’t die…”

“Kagura-chan… I… I’m so sorry…” My hands reached for her, but her form was already fading.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Ayane-chan. I believe Maiko, Akutsu, Tsukihana, Ritsu, and all of us… we’re satisfied, because you fought with everything you had. It’s okay. We were simply unlucky.”

Her words shook, but her expression was unyielding.

“Even as we fade… we wanted to protect you until the very end. You are our captain… Ayane-chan, we love you so much…”

Those were her final words. Then Kagurazaka, too, vanished before my eyes.

Dead.

All of them.

I checked my status window—every member of my faction bore the tag: [Permanent Death].

I looked around. Tsukiyami was gone too. Tsukihana and Kurogane were barely clinging to life, their HP thin as paper. Ayaka-sama lay collapsed, completely powerless.

Coreas still fought, though half his body was missing.

More than 1,500 raid members had been wiped out in that last attack. Barely 500 remained, all in critical condition.

Tears streamed down my face as I screamed in despair.

Using my broken sword as a crutch, I forced myself to stand. My armor was torn, my blade cracked—but I no longer cared. I would fight until the end.

This was my duty. My responsibility as raid leader, as faction captain, as the number one player.

Above me, Earth shimmered beautifully in the void… but darkness was already gnawing away at it.

I thought of my family. If I couldn’t win here, I could never save them.

BAM!!

A thunderous blast shook the floor. Coreas fell—defeated at last by DraxOmega.

“HAHAHAHA! What a delightful sight! GOD 404-sama, is this not splendid? Despair—broadcast to that pitiful planet called Earth! Despair grows sweeter the deeper it runs. Such a feast for you, isn’t it?! HAHAHAHA!” DraxOmega bellowed in twisted glee.

Suddenly, a notification appeared:

[GOD 404 HAS TAKEN FULL CONTROL OF THE SYSTEM]
[GOD 404 ACTIVATES WORLD LIVESTREAM]

Countless massive screens appeared in the sky, projecting our crushing defeat.

And then—we saw Earth. Chaos reigned. Humanity was still fighting, fending off monsters pouring from the skies with whatever scraps of strength they had.

Worse, Earth could see us too. They watched our battle in real-time. Their voices reached us, rising in desperate chorus:

“AYANE, DON’T GIVE UP!!”

My heart froze. That voice… it was my sister.

Then another voice followed, warm yet broken.

“Ayane, you’ve fought so hard… thank you. Your father and I are proud of you, my child. Please… just come home.”

It was my father, holding my mother as she sobbed, watching me suffer.

And then my mother’s trembling voice:

“Ayane… you can do this. Please… come back to us safely.”

I could hear them all. Their hopes. Their prayers. Their love.

And with that, strength surged into me.

A crimson notification burned before my eyes:

[Blessing of the Fire God Activated!]
[You may now wield the Holy Fire without restriction!]

My strength returned in a flood. EP, ST, CT—all restored to full. My HP was still critical, but I didn’t care. I could once again unleash the Valkyrie of the Holy Fire.

I clenched my sword, flames rising anew.

But before I could activate it, DraxOmega appeared before me, seething with rage that I had risen again.

“WHY? WHY?! WHY DO YOU STILL STAND?! DIE ALREADY!! [Devourer Impact]!!!”

His fist, cloaked in Devourer energy, came crashing toward me.

I tried to trigger my skill—but it was too late.

Was this the end…?

In that instant, my vision flashed, not with my family, not with Earth. But with him.

Memories of the moment I spend my time with Kyou.