1.
A deep blue status window floated before his eyes.
Before he could even grasp what was going on, the content written there changed.
【Bad Ending 11 – <The Hidden Mastermind – Duke Halorand> begins with the Savior.】
【Bad Ending 12 – <The Rise of Eclipse> begins with the Savior.】
【Warning.】
【Rescue Target – <Reina Babylonia (SS-)> has less than 50% remaining HP.】
Bad endings suddenly surged in, as if to mock Nahan, who had been progressing steadily, one step at a time.
‘I don’t know the details, but… it’s Halorand.’
Having barely figured out the cause, Nahan turned to Peter and asked.
“Do you still want to kill the Empress?”
“…To be honest, yes.”
“I meant to explain, but time is short. You’ll have to see and realize it for yourself.”
In the urgent situation, Nahan turned toward the Imperial Palace and added.
“Follow me, Peter. You’ll know the entire truth before the day is over.”
“…”
“If, even after learning everything, your heart remains unchanged—then this time, I truly won’t stop you. Fine, I’ll even erase all your past crimes and welcome you back into the <Black Wolf>.”
A promise not to interfere anymore, and a pardon for the grave sin committed against the Black Wolf.
“There’s no time. Decide now.”
Seeing the urgency in the Black Wolf’s demeanor—unlike ever before—Peter finally nodded.
“I’ll follow.”
“…Yes, my Lord.”
Seeing Peter’s attitude return to that of a former member, Nahan immediately unleashed his power.
【<Veil of Shadows (EX)> – 50% is being released.】
The energy contained in the skill “Veil of Shadows” was something akin to others’ Aura or Mana.
Crack.
In an instant, Nahan drew forth Triple-S rank power and launched himself off the ground.
Boom!!
With no attempt to conceal his movement, he blasted forward.
The tall man who had been standing right next to Peter became a dot in the distance, heading toward the Imperial Palace.
Only then did Peter come to his senses and hastily chase after him, mumbling unconsciously.
“Even with such strength… why me…”
A string of incomprehensible events.
While absorbing the power of an evil man, and forcibly awakening with it—accumulated fatigue weighed heavily on Peter’s mind.
He was so exhausted he could fall asleep at any moment, but he did not stop following the Black Wolf.
Soon, when the sun set and midnight passed…
“…I’ll be able to kill the Empress.”
It wasn’t out of revenge.
It was the kind of act that someone like him could commit without a hint of guilt, just because he wanted to.
【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】
Because he was something different from a human, Peter’s desire to kill the Empress was only natural for someone twisted like him.
At least, that’s what he wanted to believe right now.
Otherwise…
–It’s okay, Peter.
–You’re not strange at all.
He would’ve cried.
2.
During the Empress’s training, the sudden start of the assassination operation made the Minister of Defense feign surprise, acting as though he wasn’t involved as he stepped back and thought,
‘Can it really go this smoothly?’
The special assassination unit of Duke Halorand—<Nameless>.
Though each member had been raised solely for this day and possessed strength exceeding S-rank, the Empress, Reina, was an SS-rank powerhouse.
Even if a bunch of S-ranks barely in their thirties charged at her, there should have been no real threat.
And yet, now—
“Three on the left arm, two on the right. Five on the front foot, three on the rear.”
Boom!!
“Urgh..!! How dare you!!”
“Again—one on the left, four on the right. Four in front, eight at the nape.”
Crash!!
“Khgh…!”
Moving as if they were one body, the <Nameless> slowly brought Reina to the brink of death.
Of course, the enemy also suffered greatly.
Each time they managed to land a blow, one or two members were severely injured or occasionally lost their lives, their bodies tumbling across the training ground.
However, unlike Reina, who was fighting alone, <Nameless> had healers to aid recovery—so as long as they didn’t die, they quickly got back on their feet.
“Again—ten to the abdomen. The rest, grab her arms and legs however you can.”
Regardless of whether they lost their heads, the members fanatically obeyed the leader’s orders.
Stab!
“Gah!”
Eventually, a sword was driven into Reina’s abdomen—her stamina and Aura, far more limited than the <Nameless>.
【Warning.】
【Rescue Target – <Reina Babylonia (SS-)> has less than 50% remaining HP.】
Reina swallowed the blood surging up her throat and swung her sword once more.
Boom!!
With a sword strike not meant to kill but to create distance, all the <Nameless> retreated, and only then did Reina fully take in the surrounding situation.
‘So, every servant has turned against me.’
She couldn’t tell who had planted them, but each of them was a skilled fighter exceeding even S-rank.
While Reina had overwhelmingly superior strength, stamina, and Aura, the ones who had served beside her for years as servants now read and analyzed every one of her attacks, responding only with perfect counters.
“Hold for a moment.”
“…Tsk, damn bastards.”
Before any of her attacks could reach their most effective point, they were forcibly stopped.
Her steps.
The angles of her swings.
The hand gripping her sword—
Even the moment she initiated a form, they reacted immediately, sacrificing their lives to attack at every visible opening.
Now that all her attacks were read, with no support by her side, the odds of defeating them were—
‘…Most likely zero.’
A soft chuckle.
Having assessed the situation, Reina let out a laugh without realizing it.
There was no helping it.
She had swung her sword her entire life to survive and protect the Empire.
Yet those she had kept closest—her servants—were assassins who had hidden their true strength, and the Defense Minister she’d trusted for honest counsel was a spy.
“…Truly disgraceful.”
She had always known.
That no one truly stood beside her, the one called a tyrant or a powerless Empress.
That’s why Reina had always tried not to trust anyone.
No matter who it was, she kept her distance and observed, only speaking when absolutely necessary.
And yet—
The old woman who had always stayed near the Empress, who knew Reina better than anyone.
–You must eat well to have the strength to endure, Your Majesty.
–So many wounds on your lovely hands… but all are proof of your efforts for the people. I am deeply proud of Your Majesty.
–May you have peaceful dreams tonight.
–…Rest well, too, Barbara.
Reina had treated Barbara with no edge, as if she were just an ordinary maid.
“Barbara… even you turning away from me… that might hurt a little.”
Reina looked at Barbara—not as her personal maid, but as the commander of <Nameless>—and muttered with a sorrowful smile.
“…It truly hurts. In so many ways.”
Spurt…
Clang…
The sword was torn from her, and blood gushed out.
As Reina, now pale-faced, sealed her wound with Aura, Barbara—expression hardened—gave new orders to the <Nameless>.
“Again. Twenty to the abdomen. Five to the right hand.”
The <Nameless> leapt forward at once.
Reina, reeling from betrayal, reacted slower than usual.
Crash!
She barely managed to deflect most of them,
But—
Stab.
Squelch! Stab!
Her body was pierced by two swords and six spears.
“…!!”
She barely held back the scream bursting from her throat, then severed the necks of the three closest <Nameless>.
Excruciating pain.
Grave wounds.
Fear of death.
As always, all the worst emotions rushed in without warning—and Reina, blood spilling from her lips, burst into wild laughter.
“I hate it…!! I hate all of it…!!”
A sight consumed by madness, vomiting blood more than speaking.
【Warning.】
【Rescue Target – <Reina Babylonia (SS-)> has less than 10% remaining HP.】
【Condition met.】
【Bad Ending created by ??? – <???. The Tyrant> is being set.】
【Berserk is beginning.】
【…29%】
A red aura began to pour from Reina’s body, and the pool of blood around her started to boil.
Berserk.
A phenomenon in which one burns away their entire life to surpass human limits—at the cost of losing everything except their power.
“…Again. One to the head.”
Barbara, who had been silently watching, sent in one member.
Slice.
With a motion as light as a flick of the hand, the attacker’s head was severed and fell to the floor.
“…So lonely… far too…”
Reina, now cloaked in red aura, shed tears as a chilling smile crept onto her face.
Her last thread of reason was clearly on the verge of vanishing.
So Reina, clutching onto her fading consciousness, thought—
‘…How fortunate.’
Even if she was going to die, at least she’d take some of those filthy bastards with her.
Though history would remember her as a weak and incompetent Empress, Reina was genuinely happy to die in a way that helped her people.
No—
“…Is it over?”
“Yes, Director.”
“This really is exactly as Duke Halorand described.”
She was happy.
“Foolish. You didn’t even realize this was part of the plan.”
Until the moment the Defense Minister hurled those scornful words at Reina with a mocking smile.
“…P… plan…?”
“Oh? Her Majesty still has some shred of reason left?”
Wearing a twisted grin, the Defense Minister nodded toward Reina and continued:
“It’s nothing complicated. We’ll simply toss your berserk self into the center of the capital and let you rampage. Then we’ll ‘regretfully’ take you down and claim justification… That’s all it is.”
“…!! You… bastard…!!”
“It’s fine. At worst, only a few citizens die. Nothing too serious, right?”
Rage surged—and with it, her reason began to scatter.
【Until Berserk: …92%】
Grrk!
She gritted her teeth, trying to resist—but it only backfired.
Used all her life… and now, even in death, she was being used again. Realizing that cruel truth, Reina shed tears and asked them.
“Why…? Why would you do this…?”
The answer came coldly.
“Because you had power. And if you’re not going to use it, what’s the point? Restraint only makes us poorer.”
“…Ah……”
She just—
Wished they would all die.
【Until Berserk: …99%】
And just as Reina was about to surrender her mind—
“Found you.”
BOOM!!
Without warning, the ceiling collapsed—and two black-haired men crashed through it into the room.
