Chapter 61 — “I’m done.”
— Level Seven Containment —
The room was small. Reinforced steel walls. One narrow light overhead.
Outside the door stood two elite Imperial guards.
Inside—
Only SK and Ryze.
They sat across from each other.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Neither made eye contact.
The silence wasn’t hostile.
It was heavy.
Finally—
SK broke it.
“You know what’s going to happen next, right?” she said quietly, staring at the floor.
Ryze didn’t answer.
SK lifted her gaze.
“So you’re just going to let it end like this?” Her voice tightened slightly. “The Ryze I know would already be complaining… already building some reckless escape plan.”
Still silence.
“I heard the Resistance is on the move,” SK continued. “This is the perfect time.”
Ryze finally looked up.
“What are you trying to say?” she snapped.
A pause.
“Did your ‘Sir Blaze’ give you orders to save me?” Ryze asked sharply. “Or are you just here because you were told to be?”
Her eyes hardened.
“Do you even care? Or are you just following orders like the Empire’s perfect soldier?”
SK’s expression changed.
Cold.
Sharp.
“You’re a bigger idiot than I thought,” she said calmly.
Ryze stood abruptly.
“What are you serious right now?!” she shot back. “Fine. I failed. I couldn’t turn Blaze to the Resistance. He chose the Empire. I lost. Is that what you want to hear?!”
Silence filled the room again.
SK looked at her.
Really looked at her.
“No,” she said softly.
Her voice lost its edge.
“It’s been a long time since I considered someone… a friend.”
Ryze froze.
“All those days in the Void,” SK continued. “Forced to work together. Forced to rely on each other.”
Her eyes lowered.
“I kept pretending it meant nothing.”
A faint smile.
“But I was lying to myself.”
Ryze stared at her, confused.
“SK… what are you saying?”
SK exhaled slowly.
“I’m done.”
She stood.
“I’m done being the Empire’s soldier.”
Ryze’s eyes widened.
“What about your reputation? Your life? You said you owed everything to them.”
“The old SK did,” she replied.
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She stepped forward.
“But ever since you dragged me into that Void…”
Her hand tightened around her scythe.
“…I remembered what it feels like to care.”
She raised her weapon.
And in one clean motion—
SLASH.
Ryze’s restraints fell apart.
Ryze blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
“Took you long enough.”
Suddenly—
The building trembled violently.
A massive explosion echoed above.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
SK immediately activated her comm.
“What’s happening? I thought the situation was under control.”
Static.
Then—
“Reaper, the portal is destabilizing! Large waves of Void entities are emerging— wait, there’s something—”
The transmission cut.
Another explosion.
Closer.
The ceiling cracked.
The floor gave way.
The room collapsed in thick smoke and debris.
SK and Ryze were separated as the floor split apart beneath them.
— Lower Level Collapse Zone —
Ryze hit the ground hard.
Her vision blurred.
“Ugh…”
Smoke filled the air.
“This must be the lower level…”
She tried to stand, clutching her injured arm.
As she crawled through the debris—
A hand grabbed her.
She reacted instantly.
“What— let go of me!”
She tried to kick free.
“Hey! Stop! It’s me!”
The smoke cleared slightly.
Volt.
Other Resistance soldiers surrounded them, providing cover fire.
“Volt?! What are you doing here? You should’ve left me!”
“We’re not leaving without you,” Volt replied.
“Was that explosion your doing?” Ryze asked.
Volt shook his head.
“No. That wasn’t us. Someone inside the Empire triggered something bigger.”
He handed her something.
Her rifle.
Ryze’s eyes widened.
“You found it.”
Volt smirked faintly.
“Wouldn’t leave that behind.”
He turned.
“Let’s move.”
Ryze hesitated.
Volt looked back.
“Ryze. Now.”
She nodded.
They began moving through the smoke—
Then—
A blade pressed against Volt’s throat.
He froze.
SK stood behind him.
Scythe steady.
Volt instinctively raised his rifle—
But Ryze grabbed the barrel.
“Volt, stop! She’s not an enemy!”
“And SK,” Ryze added, “stop scaring him!”
SK studied Volt.
“…Do I know you?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Wait.”
Recognition flickered.
“You’re the waiter from that restaurant. The one Blaze and I ate at.”
Volt stiffened.
“…That’s not important.”
“There’s no time,” he added quickly. “We need to evacuate.”
SK lowered her weapon.
“Fine.”
They ran toward the exit.
As they moved, Volt glanced sideways.
“So… Imperial officer SK helping the Resistance now?”
“Do all Resistance soldiers talk this much?” SK replied flatly.
Volt ignored it and activated his comm.
“All units evacuate the facility immediately.”
— Empire Command Center —
Inside the capital’s command hall, alarms pulsed in sharp intervals.
A soldier stared at his monitor, face pale.
“W–wait… no. Is this even possible?!” he stammered.
An officer rushed to his side. “What is it?”
“Sir… something massive is approaching. The energy spike is abnormal — it’s off the charts!”
The officer’s expression hardened. “Inform Commander Frostbyte. Now.”
The soldier didn’t hesitate.
He sprinted down the corridor, boots echoing against polished steel floors. Smoke drifted faintly through the ventilation shafts as distant explosions rumbled across the capital.
He reached the panoramic chamber overlooking the city.
Commander Frostbyte stood by the massive window, hands behind his back, watching the skyline burn gold and black.
The soldier dropped to one knee.
“Report.”
“Sir! An abnormal power surge has appeared outside the perimeter!”
Frostbyte didn’t turn immediately.
“…So.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“That thing finally came.”
— Outside the Empire —
A massive explosion tore through the outer district.
Smoke billowed into the sky.
From within the haze—
A figure slowly emerged.
Old-fashioned armor.
Worn. Ancient.
A blue sword gleaming through the smoke.
SK’s breath caught.
“…Sir Blaze?”
Ryze squinted, her vision still blurred from the collapse.
As her sight cleared—
Her heart sank.
“No.”
The movement was wrong.
Glitching.
Jerking unnaturally between frames.
Its face—
Blank.
Empty.
A soulless vessel.
A walking calamity.
“Wait…” SK whispered. “It’s still alive?”
The entity stepped forward.
Each step cracked the pavement beneath it.
A pressure wave rolled outward.
“This is bad,” Ryze muttered.
A scanner from one of Volt’s soldiers beeped urgently.
“Energy reading confirmed! Raid-level signature!”
The word hung in the air.
Raid boss.
The entity continued walking toward them.
Ryze’s thoughts spiraled.
What do we do?
Before anyone could answer—
A vehicle roared toward them at full speed and screeched to a halt.
Doors burst open.
Dozens of Resistance soldiers poured out, rifles raised instinctively toward SK.
A man stepped out from the front seat.
Captain Chaxti.
“Well,” he said with faint amusement, “I never thought SK the Reaper would kindly hand over Ryze for us.”
“Captain?!” Ryze exclaimed.
“You’re quick,” Volt muttered.
Ryze shot him a look. “You called him?!”
“Load the others!” Chaxti ordered. “We can handle the Reaper.”
“No!” Ryze snapped. “She’s not the problem!”
A Resistance tech scanned the approaching entity again.
“Captain! That thing is definitely raid-class! And it’s heading straight for us!”
Chaxti’s expression shifted.
“…We can’t fight two opponents at once.”
The entity drew closer.
The blue sword hummed faintly.
SK stepped forward.
She reclaimed her scythe.
The Resistance soldiers tightened their aim—
But she didn’t attack.
Instead—
She walked toward the monster.
“Hey!” Ryze shouted. “What are you doing?! Come back! You’ll die!”
SK didn’t turn.
“You think I’ll lose?” she replied lightly.
She glanced back once.
A small, almost peaceful smile.
“Ryze… tell Sir Blaze my regards.”
Then—
She dashed forward.
“SK!” Ryze screamed. “No! I’m not leaving—”
THUD.
Chaxti struck the back of Ryze’s neck with a precise blow.
She collapsed instantly.
Volt stared in shock. “Sir, what did you do?!”
“It’s for the best,” Chaxti said firmly. “The Reaper is the strongest one here right now. She’ll buy us enough time to escape.”
He gestured sharply.
“Everyone in the vehicle! We’re pulling out!”
Volt hesitated.
He looked back once.
Watching SK charge alone toward the walking calamity.
White armor against smoke.
Blue blade against black sky.
He exhaled slowly.
“…Understood.”
The vehicle doors slammed shut.
The transport roared away from the Empire.
SK stood alone.
Wind pushed against her armor.
The distorted warrior stopped several meters ahead.
Blue sword glowing.
The city burned behind her.
She gave one final glance at the retreating vehicle.
Then turned fully toward the monster.
Scythe raised.
The battlefield fell silent.
And she smiled.
“Let’s finish this.”
