Chapter 1
“I’m sorry… Rin.”
Something had gone terribly, irrevocably wrong.
She realized it in the most brutal way — as the blade of Theon, her long-time friend and comrade through countless battles, pierced through the flesh beneath her chest.
“For the sake of the world… you must die in my place.”
Thud.
Rin’s head drooped slowly. Warm crimson spilled from her abdomen, trailing along the steel blade and pooling onto the cold ground below.
A vast ruin, hidden deep beneath the earth.
Gray moonlight filtered through the twisted ceiling.
Under it, Theon’s sword glimmered with a cold, merciless blue.
To Rin, the entire scene felt like a dream — distant, hazy, unreal. As if she were wandering through a nightmare. But it wasn’t the pain or the setting that made it feel that way — it was the betrayal of someone she had cherished above all.
How did it come to this?
The instant she registered the throbbing pain, her legs buckled beneath her, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
“Hold on, Rin… I’ll end it quickly, for your sake.”
Theon yanked his sword free and stepped back, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes filled with guilt. As he withdrew, someone approached him.
“Theon!”
A voice called out — sharp, familiar. A woman with long silver hair rushed over, her figure etched in the moonlight. Sabrina — another of Rin’s trusted comrades.
Panic gripped Rin’s chest.
No, it’s too dangerous…
Theon had lost his mind. Who knew what he might do to Sabrina? Forcing the last of her strength into her failing body, Rin shouted a warning.
“Sabrina, don’t come any closer! Don’t look back — just run!”
“I’m sorry I burdened you with this, Theon.”
But Rin’s fear was misplaced.
“I’ll take care of the rest.”
“…Sabrina, wait—”
Sabrina gave Theon a calm, bittersweet smile. Her eyes, full of sorrow, reflected an unwavering resolve — yet also a deep, aching regret.
“Someone has to bear the role of the villain. For you… and for Rin. I’ll take that burden.”
Was this what it felt like to go numb? Or was it simply a hallucination brought on by blood loss? It had to be.
There was no way Sabrina would betray her too.
…Would she?
Could she really?
“Rin.”
That single word pierced through the fog in Rin’s mind like lightning. Her life — battered and worn — had sharpened her instincts, and those instincts screamed one truth:
They had betrayed her.
Why?
You’re going to die here.
For what reason?
No matter the reason, none of it mattered now. Surviving — that was all that mattered.
She had to escape. Somehow. But her knees, barely able to hold her weight, gave way again like a puppet with its strings cut.
Ah…
Then, a burning sensation seared through her body, as if molten lava surged through her veins.
Poison.
The blade had been laced with poison.
At that realization, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
How thoroughly did they plan this?
Seeing Rin unable to move, Sabrina inhaled slowly and spoke with a grim expression.
“Rin, you know I’ve spent the last ten years researching how to destroy the Orb of Malice.”
No sooner had she finished than a softly glowing object floated above her palm.
A glass box, shaped like a perfect octahedron.
Inside, a black orb pulsed with a sinister light, its presence heavy, oppressive. This was the object that had set everything in motion — the catalyst that had sent Rin and her four comrades on a long, arduous journey to save the world.
The Orb of Malice.
It had no official name.
People simply called it the “Orb of Malice” — a dark, otherworldly sphere.
It was said to grant its wielder their heart’s most desperate desire.
But every wish came with a price. Those who fulfilled their desires became hosts to the orb, twisted into monsters — reborn as living calamities, destined to annihilate all life on earth.
Humanity’s unrelenting greed for the Orb of Malice had sparked countless wars, drenched in blood, where innocent lives were lost without cause.
Rin and her comrades were the five heroes chosen by mankind to destroy that cursed orb.
Seven years.
It had taken seven long years to reach the end of their journey.
It was a long road…
Bonds formed, grudges born. Regret. Mistakes. Tireless effort. Countless conversations. Trust. Growth.
Through it all, they had endured, and at last, they held the orb — with a chance to destroy it. Without her comrades, it would’ve been impossible.
But betrayal was waiting at the very end — something she had never imagined in her worst nightmares.
“Destroying the orb was the most sacred duty I was given,” Sabrina continued, her voice strained. “But as the research progressed… as the secrets of the orb came to light… I found myself unable to shoulder that burden alone.”
Gazing at the orb, her voice turned heavy with despair.
“No matter what I tried, the answer was always the same — it cannot be destroyed.”
What?
What is she saying…?
Rin’s thoughts blurred. Sabrina’s words contradicted everything she’d ever told them.
Didn’t she say she had found a way to destroy it?
“But it’s not entirely impossible. There is one way to seal this terrible thing away forever. It must be bound by a powerful soul… wrapped tightly and sealed in darkness, where no light can reach it.”
A seal, forged by a soul.
And in that moment, Rin understood why she had been betrayed.
“I told Theon alone about this. And then I agonized over it. The only souls strong enough to bind the Orb of Malice… were the five of ours.”
Even though she didn’t finish the sentence, the meaning was crystal clear.
Out of the five, she had chosen Rin.
Rin had to die — to seal the Orb of Malice away.
“Why…?”
Rin couldn’t accept it. Couldn’t understand.
“Why me?”
“Why?” Sabrina repeated, her expression full of pity.
“Because… you’re an orphan.”
Those words hit like a dagger to the heart. For the first time, Rin’s burning rage cooled to a chilling stillness.
An orphan.
Even after seven years together, the orphan was deemed the most expendable.
…Is that how they’ve always seen me?
Was that all she amounted to in their eyes?
It was strange. No anger surged within her now. If anything, she almost felt relieved to finally understand — even if it was now, at the end.
“You were always the most considerate among us,” Sabrina said softly. “So don’t worry, Rin. We’ll tell everyone that it was your own decision — that you chose this sacrifice for the greater good…”
Her voice trembled.
“…That it was your will.”
Sabrina could no longer hold back her tears. Her eyes reddened, and she raised her hand, clutching the Orb of Malice, to hide her twisted expression. Theon gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t cry, Sabrina.”
Rin thought, Screw you.
“…I’m fine, Theon. I can bear this… I can endure it.”
Rin thought again, You’ve got to be kidding me.
“No one is to blame,” Theon murmured. “So don’t weep. Rin knows how much courage it took for you to make this choice.”
Rin gave a faint, bitter laugh — and coughed up blood.
Is he serious?
Does he think I’d actually understand any of this?
But her words stayed locked inside her broken body. Only dry, ragged coughs escaped her lips. Theon’s ‘comfort’ seemed to steady Sabrina; suddenly, she lifted her head, eyes shining with renewed determination.
“Right? Rin… Rin will understand, won’t she?”
“Of course,” Theon replied, his voice gentle. “No one knows Rin’s kind heart better than you, Sabrina.”
Rin couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Theon.
Why are you the one offering comfort when you betrayed me?
Sabrina.
Why are you crying when I’m the one dying?
Her teeth clenched, and she tried to move. But the poison had spread too far — her limbs only trembled violently, disobeying every desperate command from her brain.
Her vision blurred. All she could see were the two of them, standing together.
They comforted each other like the leads in some absurd tragic play, and Rin could only watch — unable to do anything but groan, as death crept closer.
Sabrina wiped away her tears and gave a determined nod.
“Whew… Thank you, Theon, for helping me come to my senses. You’re right. For Rin’s sake, I can’t break down in tears like this. I have to be strong. Rin would want that.”
“Yes. Now you’re the Sabrina I know.”
Smiling as if a weight had been lifted, the two traitors finally turned to face Rin.
Their eyes were filled with a new resolve — revolting, self-righteous, and utterly false.
“It’s time to let you go.”
Sabrina gripped Theon’s sword and pointed it at Rin. The silver blade drove into Rin’s dying heart in a single, swift motion.
Thud.
Even Rin could endure no longer. Red veiled her vision, and the rest of her senses dissolved into a blur.
“Farewell, Rin. Thank you… for everything, my dear friend.”
Friend.
…Friend.
Where did everything go wrong?
She gave her life to save the world. She sacrificed herself for her comrades. And in return, those she had cherished stabbed her in the back.
What had she done wrong?
No matter how hard she thought, no answer came.
She could feel death drawing near, step by step. Her heartbeat slowed, her thoughts clouded, as if she were alone in a never-ending fog.
A single thread of reason remained.
And just as she was about to let even that go…
[Do you wish for revenge?]
A voice — foreign, unfamiliar — echoed in her ear. She didn’t know why, but Rin recognized it immediately.
The Orb of Malice.
[Pitiful human… Do you wish to take revenge on the traitors?]
[Do you want to live?]
[Do you desire power?]
Now that her life was fading, was the orb reaching for her soul too? Even after she had devoted seven years to destroying it?
It was almost laughable.
[Then take my hand—]
Denied.
[…I see. Life, knowledge, strength, power — I can give you all you desire. You need only offe—]
Denied.
[…r me your soul. With just your dying spirit, I, Navajo, will grant your every wish.]
Was it deaf?
Denied.
[I understand your will.]
Good. Then kindly shut up — someone’s dying here.
…Wait a moment.
Did you just say “contract established”?
[…]
I didn’t agree to any contract. Stop trying to tempt me and get lost.
[…]
…Hello?
[…]
…This is null, right?
[…]
Null, right!?
[…]
Excuse me? Am I talking to myself here?!
Overwhelmed with disbelief, Rin tried to lift her head.
And then…
Something inside her snapped.
The final thread of life that held her mind together — gone. In that moment, she thought of nothing. Not the Orb of Malice, not the traitors.
Everything was silent. Even the pain had faded.
Darkness swallowed the world around her.
So this… is what it means to die.
Just as she felt everything end, a small light flickered from Rin’s chest. It hovered like a firefly, drifting gently around her, reluctant to leave.
How much time had passed?
The light lingered on the bridge of her nose, as if to bid her farewell — then rose past the fractured ceiling, beyond the misty air, vanishing into the starlit sky.
Year 202 of the Continental Calendar, April 4th.
Rin, the Hero, saved the world and closed her eyes.
At long last, the era of chaos ended.
And an age of peace began.
