The ruins of Emberfall's palace crackled beneath Crimson's feet, the air heavy with dust and vengeance. His crimson eyes locked onto the trembling king, who now stood like a broken puppet amidst the rubble.
In a flash of black light, Crimson appeared in front of the king and grabbed his neck tightly.
"Noo! Please, Crimson, forgive me! I'll give you everything—just don't kill me!" the king begged, tears streaming from his eyes.
Crimson's voice was cold as ice:
"You once said I didn't need you. And now... I don't. What I need is vengeance."
Just as Crimson raised his hand to end the king, a green light burst behind him. Azalea's punch, glowing with her emerald aura, slammed into his face. Crimson was sent flying back—not into a wall, but skidding across the cracked floor.
Azalea turned to the frightened king.
"Let's go—grab my hand!"
Terrified, the king obeyed. They shot into the sky, tearing through clouds. Crimson stood up slowly, rage crackling around his body.
"Azaleaaa!!" he roared, then launched into the skies after them.
---
The Church of Emberfall – Moments Later
Azalea crash-landed into the old church, hidden in Emberfall's ruins. The king was thrown across the pews, groaning. Azalea lay unconscious, bleeding from the earlier blow.
The king stumbled to her side, desperate.
"Wake up! Please! He's coming!"
The church doors blew open. Crimson stood at the entrance, dark aura spilling from his body like smoke. His eyes scanned the unconscious Azalea.
"I warned you, sister," he whispered. "But this… this is beyond your understanding."
Suddenly, Crimson vanished—and reappeared behind the king, grabbing his throat.
"Dark Eyes."
His voice was a whisper of death.
"Now, King… how does it feel to be on the edge? This world doesn't need you anymore."
Crimson's black fire dagger appeared in his hand. In a blinding slash, the king's arm fell.
"Noo! Please—kill me! Stop this pain!" the king howled.
"Oh? Sorry… I was just getting started."
Crimson sliced off the king's legs. Blood painted the floor.
"It was my fault! I killed your family! Please end it!"
Crimson's smile was cruel.
"Exactly."
With one final punch, the king's body exploded into a cloud of blood and bone.
---
The Siblings' Final Clash
Azalea woke, eyes wide in horror. With tears and fury, she attacked.
10,000 punches in 30 seconds— each one glowing with green rage.
Crimson stumbled back—then vanished.
Azalea gasped.
"Where did you—"
But Crimson was behind her now, his hand on her neck.
"This world... needs to be erased, sister."
"No, brother! Please, you've already killed so many—"
"Yes. I know." Crimson smiled darkly.
"But this world only gives pain. I'll erase humanity… and then, I'll erase myself. That way, the dungeons will never open again. This world will finally be at peace."
Azalea's eyes widened.
"You... you're insane."
"No, Azalea," he said, "I'm immortal now."
The Full Origin of Crimson's Immortality
Before the attack on the palace…
Crimson was captured during a fierce battle against the king's elite guards. Tortured and left in a near-death state, his consciousness began slipping into darkness. But in that dying moment, his soul was pulled into a cosmic realm known as the Void Between Worlds—a space where time doesn't flow and gods whisper secrets long lost to mortals.
There, he met two ancient forces:
1. Nihros, the Last Flame God, whose existence was erased from history after betraying the gods of balance.
2. Ser'tena, the Goddess of Memory, who stored every pain, betrayal, and death experienced by mortals.
They both saw something in Crimson—a vessel of hatred, vengeance, and unstoppable will.
Nihros said:
"You've felt pain beyond any mortal. Betrayed. Broken. And yet you rise. I offer you my flame—black and eternal. It will make you immortal, but feed on your pain and hatred."
Ser'tena added:
"But immortality has a price, child. Every soul you kill, their memories will haunt you. Their regrets will become your burden."
Crimson accepted.
But there was a second layer to his immortality:
As the ritual began, he broke Ser'tena's binding law by stealing her ancient relic—the Soul Mirror, a forbidden shard that reflects death back to the world.
By fusing Nihros' Eternal Flame with Ser'tena's Soul Mirror, Crimson created something never seen before:
> "Soulfire Immortality."
A curse that bound him to life. As long as pain and hatred exist in the world… he cannot die.
He returned from the void—healed, burning with black fire, his eyes now carrying the memories of every soul he would ever kill.
The Sealing of Crimson
Azalea, tears falling, whispered:
"Forgive me, brother."
With trembling hands, she activated the Seal of Verdantis, a forbidden technique passed through the Flareblood lineage—only usable once in a lifetime.
A green chain of light spiraled from her heart, wrapping around Crimson, freezing his body mid-air.
"Flare Binding: Eternal Cage!"
Crimson's body was encased in a glowing green prism. He roared in fury, but couldn't move.
"You don't understand, Azalea!"
His voice echoed as the seal consumed him.
"You're right," she said quietly, as blood dripped from her mouth,
"I don't understand pain like yours... but I can end it."
---
How Azalea Became Immortal… and Lost Her Powers
As the seal took effect, Azalea's soul bonded with Crimson's seal to keep him locked forever. This spirit fusion granted her immortality—as long as Crimson remained sealed, she could never die. But the cost was her entire magic power, consumed to power the eternal cage.
She collapsed, drained, and cried:
"Brother!!!"
---
Aftermath – A New Era Begins
SSS+ rank hunters arrived. They found Azalea in the ruins, clutching the glowing cage.
One of them stepped forward.
"Flare Princess… what happened?"
Azalea, barely able to move, simply whispered,
"I ended it."
Crimson was locked in the Deep Vault, the world's strongest prison. A new king was crowned, and the kingdom began to heal.
(Chapter 44 Fin)