The once-mighty Demon Castle, towering and cruel, now stood as nothing more than a carcass of its former glory. Its twisted spires lay shattered, walls crumbled into jagged piles of stone, and the scent of burning flesh still lingered thick in the air. Ash floated through the darkened sky like snow, blotting out the sun. A blood-drenched wind howled through the broken halls, carrying the screams of the damned and the silence of the fallen.
Corpses littered the scorched earth. Demons — some grotesque, others terrifyingly human — sprawled lifeless across the battlefield, their bodies cleaved, burned, or frozen in death. Pools of blood shimmered black under the broken moonlight, reflecting the carnage. The land itself seemed cursed, crying out from the weight of the massacre.
At the heart of this devastation, among smoldering debris and shattered stone... he lay.
Demon King Vogon, the apex of darkness, was impaled — pinned to the bloodied ground by a massive claymore lodged deep in his chest. His obsidian armor cracked like broken glass, and his crimson eyes, dimming slowly, burned with the last flicker of defiance. Around him stood seven figures — the ones who ended it all.
The Virtues Souls.
His breaths came in rasps, wet and shallow. Yet even with death sinking its claws into him, he laughed.
A deep, guttural sound — thick with blood and disbelief.
"So... this is how it ends," he coughed, a trickle of black blood spilling from his lips. "Seven… against one. You think that makes you heroes?"
He looked up, his fading vision barely making out their silhouettes through the smoke and fire.
"Virtues Souls... huh?" he rasped. "You are... the most interesting prey I've ever hunted."
The man who stood at the front stepped forward — his coat torn, his blade chipped, but his gaze still burning with quiet resolve. Isaac Reed, noble-born and battle-hardened, knelt down just enough to look the Demon King in the eye.
"You weren't bad either, Vogon," Isaac said calmly, his voice steady — not out of arrogance, but weariness. "But this war was never about strength. It was about who stood last."
Vogon coughed again, the laugh turning into a choking gurgle. His clawed hand twitched once… then fell limp.
"So be it..." he whispered. "Let the world... remember... Virtues Souls..."
And with that, the Demon King exhaled his final breath. The fire in his eyes extinguished.
Silence followed — oppressive and cold. Not victory. Not celebration.
Only the suffocating weight of what it cost to end him.
"Seven against one, huh?"Isaac exhaled with a tired chuckle, watching the black smoke curl into the red dusk sky. He turned toward the man beside him, Leon, the party's vice leader, sitting calmly on the cracked ground.
"He really saw us like that?"
Leon didn't even glance up. His sword rested across his lap, stained with blood not yet his own.
"Let him think what he wants. But he's not wrong," Leon murmured. "We weren't exactly fair either. Especially after he summoned his Seven Generals."He leaned back, propping himself on one arm and gazing at the ruined sky."That's what I'd call cheating."
Isaac smirked. "I knew you'd say that."
A heavy step echoed behind them. Glen, his massive armor creaking, approached. His claymore dragged a faint trail in the dirt.
"So... this is it."His voice was gruff, but there was a strange hollowness to it."Five years. We bled, burned, and buried friends... and now it's over."
Leon nodded, slowly. "It's over."
A sudden shout cut through the somber silence.
"WE WON!" roared Lucas, raising his fist into the air with the wide grin of a child who finally caught a lightning bolt. The other three men exchanged glances—then burst into quiet laughter.
"You boys have too much energy for people who nearly died," came a wry voice behind them.
Lynn Hess, cloaked in a dark mage's coat that fluttered with ash, approached with two others — Connie and Charlotte — walking just behind. Her tone was playful, but her expression softened when she saw the battle-worn state of her comrades.
Isaac smiled with relief. "You alright, Lynn? Connie? Charlotte?"
Lynn gave him a tired look. "We're women, Isaac. Doesn't mean we die easy."
Isaac chuckled again, bowing his head slightly. "Noted."
But Lynn was already walking toward Leon, whose silence pulled her like gravity. He sat unmoving, eyes fixed forward, detached — maybe at peace, maybe just hollow.
Without asking, she lowered herself beside him, letting her cloak billow gently around her legs. The moment she sat, the others instinctively paused and stepped back.
Even Lucas, eager to celebrate, began to stomp over — only to be grabbed by Glen and yanked back like a misbehaving pup.
Lynn glanced behind her and gave them a quiet nod of thanks.
Then, silence.
The crackling wind. The distant cry of a crow. The warmth of embers.
She broke it first.
"So… the war's really over, huh?"
Leon blinked once. Slowly, his eyes turned toward her, recognition creeping back in.
"Huh? Oh… yeah. I guess it is."He looked at her — really looked at her for the first time since the battle ended. "How're you holding up, Lynn? Any injuries?"
She bit her lip and quickly looked down. Her sun-kissed skin, now covered in soot and grime, flushed slightly. She nodded fast.
"I'm fine. Just tired. But thanks for asking…"
A pause. She shifted, wringing her gloved hands together.
"Hey, Leon… can I ask you something?"
He turned to her again. "Hm? Yeah, shoot."
Her eyes lifted — just for a moment — meeting his.
"After this… after today… are you really going to leave? Like you said? Quit Virtues Souls?"
Leon nodded gently. "Yeah. I plan to live quietly. I've had enough of blades and blood. Going back to Broca… work the fields, sleep in peace. That's my dream."
Lynn blinked again, surprised. "…You remember I'm from Broca too?"
Leon smiled faintly. "Of course I do."
There was a long silence. Lynn clutched her cloak tightly.
"Then… Leon. Can I tell you something?"
He tilted his head. "What is it?"
She swallowed.
"I like you. Not just as a comrade or a mage in your party… but as a woman. I fell in love with you. You—"Her voice trembled slightly."You accepted me… without ever judging my bloodline. You saw me before anyone else ever did. I know I'm not the best at saying these things but… I'm really grateful for you."
The words hung in the air, suspended in smoke.
Leon looked at her — his expression unreadable for a moment, then softened.
"…I didn't know that," he said quietly. "I guess I always thought you respected me… but I didn't expect this."
He exhaled, turning his gaze forward once more — to the broken tower that marked their final battle.
"But… I can't give you an answer right now. I'm sorry, Lynn. I still don't know what I really feel… and I wouldn't want to lie about it."
Lynn's shoulders drooped slightly. Her eyes shimmered, but she forced a smile.
"It's okay. I understand."
Behind them, the rest of Virtues Souls watched from afar. They said nothing — but their silence spoke volumes. They could see Lynn's heart crack — just slightly — and they pitied her. But they also knew Leon… and his complicated relationship with emotion.
He wasn't rejecting her.He just needed time.
And somehow… that made them even closer.
Leon reached out, gently placing his hand over hers for just a second.
"Thank you… for telling me."
Lynn blinked — then smiled, faint but true.
Isaac strolled over, arms crossed and grinning like a proud older brother.
"Alright, you two lovebirds, time to head home and party!"
Leon blinked, while Lynn's face flushed red. The two exchanged a glance—and burst into soft laughter.
"Shall we, Lynn?" Leon offered his hand.
"Mhm. Let's go, Leon."
As they walked back to rejoin the others, Isaac suddenly slung his arm around Leon's neck and gave him a rough, playful noogie.
"You bastard! You really made her confess first? You're unbelievable!"
Leon struggled with a helpless smile. "O-Oi, quit it!"
Glen joined in with a teasing scoff.
"What a waste of five years, Leon. You made a lady wait that long?"
Leon groaned, his head still in a headlock. "I fought a demon king, isn't that enough?!"
Meanwhile, a little off to the side, the girls formed their own quiet circle.
Charlotte gently placed a hand on Lynn's shoulder.
"Dear, are you alright?"
Lynn nodded with a bittersweet smile. "Yeah… at least he knows now. That's enough for me."
Connie, arms crossed and fuming in a sisterly way, huffed.
"But really? That's all he said? You waited five years, and he just brushed you off like that?"
Lynn let out a small laugh and glanced over at the group of men still roughhousing. Her gaze lingered on Leon.
"That's just how he is. A little dense, a little slow… but that's Leon."
As the sun dipped beneath the ash-colored horizon, the seven walked through the ruins of a kingdom long gripped by fear—now liberated by their hands. And as they returned to the capital, the world was waiting.
Trumpets blared. Confetti rained.
People flooded the streets of every kingdom. From farmers to kings, they hailed their saviors.
The Seven Heroes. But one sword that ended it all.
A grand celebration followed—filled with music, drinks, firelight, and dancing. A moment where all pain was forgotten, if just for one night.
But as the night wore on and the fire dimmed, a final moment approached.
Inside a quiet, candlelit hall, Isaac leaned back with a tired sigh, a mug of beer in hand. His gaze turned to Leon, who sat calmly across from him.
"So… it's really goodbye, huh?"
Leon nodded. "Yeah. I've made up my mind. Even if I stayed… we've all found our own paths now. There's no reason to force this."
Isaac looked down at his drink, then back at the faces around him—some smiling, some misty-eyed.
He stood, raised his mug high, and with a firm voice declared:
"From now on, the Rank-S Hero Party—Virtues Souls—is officially disbanded!"
The room fell silent for a moment. Then one by one, their mugs rose to the sky.
"To Virtues Souls!""To fifteen years of hell and glory!""To the family we chose!"
Laughter. Cheers. And a few quiet tears.
A legacy carved in blood and flame… now sealed in legend.
Virtues Souls would live on—not as a party, but as history.