1.
Great Mage Marin Blue.
A Hero who reached the 8th Circle, a realm considered impossible, and became one of the Heroes of Light.
Her mere presence alone was enough to overturn the tides of battle, so everyone on the battlefield simply wished never to encounter her.
Because of this, the entire world wanted to befriend her. Many tried, but she chose only a few as close friends.
Countless people asked her friends how they managed to earn her favor, but they all kept their lips sealed.
Such was the nature of a Great Mage.
A person whom all, regardless of age, gender, or race, sought to befriend.
For in times of crisis, that connection could mean the difference between life and death.
And now, that very Marin—
“What are you?”
“Me? Persona! Ah, and this one’s Doggy!”
“…What?”
—Was pouring out her fury at the one who had killed her dear friend, Viscount Richmond.
【High-Rank Magic – <Large-Scale Binding Barrier (SS+)> is activating.】
Rumble…!!
Layers upon layers of magic circles stacked on top of each other, densely covering Viscount Richmond’s manor.
“Wait, Marin…!”
“You’re too late, Vulcan. Brace for the aftermath.”
In that place, where even Vulcan Gardner and Selena could barely stand, only Marin, shining like a blue glacier, moved freely.
“Child, just to be certain, I’ll ask you one more time. Did you do this to my friend?”
Crack.
Craaaack!
With each step she took, the mana rising around her—resembling a brilliant blue glacier—bound Luna.
Sensing danger, Doggy immediately howled toward Marin.
“I saw it with my own eyes!! It was this woman who assassinated Viscount Gapelt!!”
“…You, filled with wicked energy. I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Swish!
“W-Wait a—!!!”
At that moment, the mana crystals, initially meant only for binding, twisted and aimed straight for Doggy’s heart.
【<Masquerade> is beginning.】
【Equipping <Mother>, temporarily raising rank to <SS+>.】
Shatter!
In an instant, Luna, now donning a familiar mask, smirked as she stared at Doggy.
“If you go back and forth one more time, I’ll really let you die.”
“D-Damn it! Woof woof! Bark bark!!”
“Good boy.”
The Calamity of Whispering Nightmare, trembling with relief, quickly hid behind Luna.
Then, with her usual smile back on her face, Luna turned to Marin and asked.
“You. Are you friends with this thing?”
A bloodstained hand pointed at the torn corpse.
Marin did not answer. Instead, she activated her magic.
【High-Rank Magic – <Swamp (SS+)> is activating.】
【Large-Scale High-Rank Magic – <Chilling Glacier (SS+)> is activating.】
【Large-Scale High-Rank Magic – <Flame Spears (SS+)> is activating.】
The ground beneath them instantly collapsed before freezing solid, restraining their entire bodies.
Above them, crimson spears filled the sky, blazing as they rained down toward Luna.
Thus, Luna shielded Doggy.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though she had resigned herself to death in the face of the Great Mage’s overwhelming power.
Boom!
But in the next instant, Luna broke free from the restraints without a single scratch, hoisting Doggy onto her back.
Then, she declared—
“You’re trash too.”
Behind the mask, emerald eyes flickered with intense killing intent.
Human trafficking.
And not just any trafficking, but the harvesting of organs from children.
‘Chances are high that these guys are connected to <Eclipse> too.’
She wanted nothing more than to take out the trash immediately.
But—
“…The Captain’s orders come first.”
Luna briefly glanced at the Heroes of Light, Ian Red, and Duke Halorand before issuing a warning.
“The <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps’ main enemy is <Eclipse>. If you’re even remotely involved with them, you’d best be careful from this moment forward.”
The moment you take your eyes off the darkness.
“Your head will be gone.”
A murderous smile.
“…Eclipse?”
At the sudden mention of that name, everyone except Halorand and Nahan was visibly shaken.
“Look forward to it. From tonight onward, anyone connected to <Eclipse>… will live in a never-ending nightmare.”
Smirking coldly, Luna silently turned away and activated her mental world.
【Mental World – <Vanishing> is unfolding.】
Both appearance.
Presence.
Even the words just spoken.
Everything faded like a distant dream from long ago, disappearing without a trace.
【Astral Magic of Defiance – <Mental Reversal (SS+)> is activating.】
At the last moment, Marin managed to preserve only the memories that were about to disappear.
The assassination of Viscount Richmond.
“The <Black Wolf>… I’ll kill them first.”
“Calm down, Marin. The <Black Wolf> is one thing, but we also need to investigate this <Eclipse> group.”
“…Tsk.”
Unlike the <original work>, this incident led them to discover the existence of <Eclipse>. However, their pursuit of the <Black Wolf> as their main enemy remained unchanged.
‘…This much should mean the future won’t change. No, this is actually a good thing.’
Whatever <Eclipse>’s plan was, whatever Duke Halorand’s true intentions were, both the <Black Wolf> and the Heroes of Light would now be watching them.
‘If I just return and make sure Asha doesn’t die, that’s one bad ending prevented. Next, I’ll move as the Yellow Dragon and save the Empress. Then, as Ian Red, I’ll stop the collapse of the Heroes of Light.’
That would take care of three bad endings. As a result, both Duke Halorand and <Eclipse> would be forced into retreat, meaning the remaining two bad endings would also be resolved.
‘One by one, slowly.’
Just as he had done so far, he would progress carefully and unravel everything.
With that thought, Nahan carefully moved forward and took hold of Richmond’s lifeless hand.
“…”
Internally, he cursed, thinking, Good riddance, trash.
But outwardly, he remained silent, pretending to offer a prayer.
Guided by his prayer, the Heroes of Light and Duke Halorand also observed a quiet moment of mourning.
Depending on the priest, prayers for the dead could last over ten minutes.
Feigning a mistake, Nahan pretended not to notice as he deeply pressed his fingers into his closed eyes, thinking hard.
‘Bad Ending 8, <The Hero’s Death>. What causes it?’
Asha Mirabelle was the undisputed strongest in the <Babylonia> world, the only Triple S-rank being.
If it were the original Black Wolf, perhaps. But at present, there was no one who could take her down in a one-on-one fight.
‘Then how?’
Who in this world could drive its strongest existence to death?
A betrayal from within the Heroes of Light?
A <Black Wolf> stronger than in the original work?
The Empress, who doesn’t know what she is doing?
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but only one group stood out with certainty—
‘It has to be <Eclipse>.’
In the <original work> of <Babylonia>, it seemed as though Asha had killed the Black Wolf.
But if one looked closely, something was off.
‘First, the gap in rank.’
Although the Black Wolf was exhausted in the final chapter, Asha had also suffered considerable fatigue.
The difference between SSS-rank and EX-rank might seem like just one level, but for most beings, that gap was an impassable wall.
‘A rank that cannot be reached is an absolute barrier.’
Even if the EX-rank Black Wolf had been weakened, had he truly been desperate, he could have won—or at the very least, ensured mutual destruction.
Yet he didn’t.
In his final moments, as Asha plunged a cold blade into his heart—
— Beware of <Eclipse>. They could even seal your power.
—…Eclipse?
That was all he whispered.
‘…Wait a moment. They too?’
Could it be that the reason the Black Wolf lost was because <Eclipse> had sealed his power?
Let’s think.
‘Right now, <Eclipse> has set Saint Yuria as their primary target for elimination.’
The reason? In a generation where both a Saint and a Hero coexisted, evil could not fully wield its power.
‘But if, due to this recent battle, they realized the <Black Wolf> was too dangerous and decided that targeting the Hero would be easier…’
What if they planned to use the same method that had sealed the Black Wolf’s power in the <original work> on Asha this time?
‘Even the EX-ranked Black Wolf was sealed by that something, so it would work even better on Asha, whose rank is lower.’
If all the hypotheses he had formed so far were true, then he could now begin preparing for Bad Ending 8, <The Hero’s Death>.
‘…Let’s organize this.’
While progressing through the main scenario, <The Unredeemed>, his team members had undergone additional growth.
Thus, the <Black Wolf> was now stronger than in the <original work>.
Because of this, <Eclipse>, instead of proceeding with their original plan to assassinate the Saint, had likely decided that killing the Hero was the easier option.
So they intended to use that same something that had sealed the Black Wolf’s power in the <original work> on Asha this time—before assassinating her.
‘…In this situation, what options do I have?’
First, lead the entire <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps to annihilate <Eclipse>.
‘The members have gotten stronger, but we still don’t know <Eclipse>’s full power, so that plan is rejected.’
Second, as the Yellow Dragon, gain the Empress’s support and wipe out <Eclipse>.
‘This option is also rejected for similar reasons. I must remember that the Empress is also someone who must be saved.’
Then, the final third option—
‘As the free priest, <Ian Red>, stay close to Asha and respond to any immediate threats.’
Now that a portion of the Black Wolf’s true strength had returned, if the worst-case scenario occurred, he could abandon the act of <Ian Red> and rescue her.
‘Find a reasonable excuse to step away from Asha. Once <Eclipse> assesses the situation and launches their ambush, quickly intervene and subdue them. This is the most viable approach. And to execute this plan…’
He needed to separate Asha from the Heroes of Light without raising suspicion, waiting for <Eclipse> to let their guard down.
‘To do that, I first need to build strong bonds with every member of the Heroes of Light…’
One by one, carefully.
‘Selena and Gardner are already somewhat favorable toward me. That leaves Marin as my next target.’
Having settled his thoughts, Nahan released Richmond’s lifeless hand and approached Marin.
“You must be lost in deep thought.”
“…Yeah.”
Marin, who usually wore a perpetually drowsy expression, now had deep shadows cast over her face.
Great Mage Marin Blue.
A Hero who achieved the impossible—reaching the 8th Circle—and became a member of the Heroes of Light.
Her mere presence alone could overturn the tides of battle, and for that reason, everyone on the battlefield wished never to encounter her.
The entire world wanted to befriend her. Many tried, but she only chose a rare few as true friends.
Countless people asked her friends how they had gained her favor, but they all kept silent.
A one-person army.
The ruler of the battlefield.
The victorious Great Mage.
Why would someone like her consider a piece of trash like Richmond a friend?
There was only one reason.
“The cookies from Viscount Richmond’s manor were really delicious.”
Because he gave her good desserts.
A condition for befriending the Great Mage that was almost absurdly simple—so simple that only a few people knew about it.
And Nahan was one of those few.
Which was why—
“…?! How do you…?”
Marin’s visible shock was evident.
Leaning in close, as if offering gentle consolation, Nahan whispered into her ear.
“Well, it wouldn’t exactly be a replacement, but… I’ll make you something even better.”
“…? You will?”
“Yes. Have you ever heard of…”
Tanghulu?
2.
A few days later.
“The phrase ‘Blood is the calamity that blooms’—is it true?”
“It is.”
Asha Mirabelle, the Hero of the Babylonia Empire.
“She’s been moving alone lately. If we’re going to use <that>, now’s the perfect time.”
“…What are your orders, Destruction?”
“Execute the plan.”
<Eclipse>’s Hero assassination operation has begun.
