---
The world shook beneath the Demon King's steps.
Each stride warped reality — the sky bled, the ground cracked open, time itself trembled.
Jayce's finger hovered over his trigger.
Demist leaned heavily on his axe, blood dripping freely.
Elyra's spells flickered, her mana near depletion.
And Lian —
Barely standing.
One knee to the ground, gasping.
But he gritted his teeth.
He refused to fall.
---
Final System Notice
> [ Boss: Abyssal Demon King – Rank: Tier 5, Level 4 ]
[ Warning: You are severely underleveled. ]
[ Note: Survival chance – 0.1% ]
---
Lian laughed, a harsh, broken sound.
"Zero point one percent, huh? That's better than zero."
The Demon King spoke — a voice deep as eternity:
"PATHETIC CREATURES... KNOW DESPAIR."
With a gesture, the Demon King unleashed a wave of pure annihilation.
A black tide that devoured everything.
There was no dodging.
No blocking.
Only enduring.
---
System Special Activation!
> [ Emergency Protocol: Fate Divergence Triggered! ]
[ Choose one: ]
1. Self-Sacrifice: Convert your life force into a protective shield for the party. (Lian dies.)
2. Fate Gamble: Bet your future evolution paths to negate this attack. (Unknown consequences.)
3. Abandon One Member: Let one companion die instantly to shield the rest.
---
Lian gritted his teeth.
Another impossible choice.
No time to hesitate.
---
"Gamble it is."
---
Fate Gamble – Activated!
---
The system spun wildly.
Hundreds of possible paths flashing before Lian's eyes.
Hero. Villain. King. Monster. Forgotten. Immortal. Dead.
A wheel appeared before him, golden and burning.
It spun.
Fast.
Lian felt his entire existence stretched thin, drawn across infinite timelines.
And then — it stopped.
The system chimed.
---
Fate Change
> [ New Evolution Path: World Breaker ]
[ Side Effect: Your destiny is permanently severed from 'normal' humanity. ]
---
BOOOOM.
The black tide crashed into them.
But instead of death —
An explosion of white light surged from Lian's body.
The annihilation wave shattered.
The Demon King stumbled a half step back, growling in fury.
Jayce whistled, awe and terror mixing on his face.
"Captain... you're a freakin' god now?"
Lian coughed up blood.
"No.
Just a guy too stupid to quit."
---
Battle Status: Demon King – Phase 1 Destroyed.
Remaining Health: 85%
---
The true fight had just begun.
The Demon King roared — and this time, he moved fast.
One moment he was a mile away —
The next, he was right in front of them, swinging a sword made of screaming souls.
Demist met him head-on.
The clash shook the heavens.
Demist roared, blood gushing from his mouth, but he held firm, his War God's Reckoning burning brighter.
Behind him, Jayce flanked the Demon King, firing armor-piercing rounds into the monster's joints.
Elyra channeled forbidden spells, wreathing herself in a cocoon of pure destruction magic.
And Lian —
Lian charged straight at the Demon King's chest.
One chance.
One strike.
His sword glowed — not with mana, but with the sheer force of his will.
He dodged a soul blade by a hair's breadth, the air itself slicing his skin.
Rolled under a clawed swipe that shattered mountains.
Jumped — higher than he ever had — and drove his blade down.
Straight into the Demon King's heart.
---
System Critical Strike!
> [ Damage x 5! ]
[ Additional effect: Soul Severance triggered. ]
---
The Demon King screamed, a sound that cracked the sky.
But —
He didn't fall.
Instead, he ripped the sword from his own chest — and laughed.
"WORTHLESS INSECTS. YOUR HOPE IS DELUSION."
He raised both hands.
And tore open the world.
---
World Collapse – Incoming
> [ 1 Minute until total reality collapse. ]
---
Jayce cursed.
Demist roared.
Elyra wept.
Lian stood still.
Only one option left.
He opened the system.
There it was —
A forbidden button, hidden until now:
---
[ Unlock True Vehicle Form – Cycle of Destiny ]
Warning:
Once activated, your soul is bound to your vehicle forever.
Cannot evolve like others anymore.
Permanent loss of humanity.
Unlock?
---
Lian stared.
If he pressed that button...
He would never be truly human again.
But if he didn't —
Everyone would die.
Simple.
Final.
Choice.
He whispered:
"...For them. Always."
And pressed it.
---
True Vehicle Awakening
> [ Cycle of Destiny – Unsealed! ]
[ Fusion complete. ]
---
His cycle blazed with light — wheels becoming rings of cosmic fire, the frame elongating into a sleek, armored war bike.
Lian felt himself merging with it — mind, body, soul.
He wasn't just riding the vehicle anymore.
He was the vehicle.
A force of pure survival.
---
The Demon King howled and charged.
But Lian moved first.
Faster than light.
A blur of gold and white.
He crashed into the Demon King like a living meteor.
Explosion.
Light.
Darkness.
Silence.
---
When the dust cleared —
The Demon King was kneeling.
Wounded.
Bleeding.
Eyes wide with disbelief.
Lian hovered above, the Cycle of Destiny humming with power.
He spoke — his voice layered with hundreds of echoes:
"Your reign ends here."
And then —
He descended.
One final strike.
---
Demon King – Annihilated!
---
The world froze.
Then — began to heal.
The black sun shattered, replaced by light.
The shattered earth mended.
The shadows dissolved.
The apocalypse... ended.
---
But at what cost?
Lian drifted down to the ground, still part-machine, part-human.
Jayce stumbled forward, laughing and crying.
Elyra collapsed, exhausted but alive.
Demist —
Lay still.
His War God's Reckoning had burned him out completely.
Gone.
Dead — but smiling.
The team gathered around his body.
Silent.
A hero's death.
Lian looked to the sky.
Was it worth it?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing:
They were still alive.
And there were more worlds out there.
Waiting.
Needing them.
He revved the Cycle of Destiny — the sound echoing like a promise.
And rode forward.
Into the unknown.
---
Chapter End
---