Takudo is completely stunned. The twins have vanished onto the battlefield—a feat that should be impossible. He quickly attempts to use his shared perception to contact them, but it doesn’t work. Before he can even process what is happening, a system message suddenly pops up: Chat function disabled. The realization sends a shiver down his spine.
Meanwhile, Isla reacts swiftly. She orders her larvae to protect Maria and Karia. At first, the larvae swarm around the girls like a protective wall. But then, without warning, they scatter in panic, sensing an overwhelming presence. Isla tries to reach out to the Brain Eaters next, but they do not respond. She attempts to contact Takudo, yet even he fails to answer.
Maria and Karia ask Isla what is happening. Instead of answering directly, she pulls them into a protective hug, reassuring them softly. She promises that they will escape without wasting another second. Carrying them into the air, she flies off. However, after some time and finally stopping to catch their breath, the sight that greets them sends chills down their spines—Flamman’s body lies right in front of them. Somehow, they have been flying in circles this entire time.
Suddenly, Flamman bursts out laughing. He sneers at Isla, mocking her. He taunts that it must feel terrible to be her right now, as she can no longer kill him. Isla refuses to believe it. Determined, she raises her mantis-like claw and slashes at him, aiming to end the fight. But before her strike can land, a barrier instantly forms, blocking her attack. Flamman laughs even louder, declaring that there is no point in trying anymore; she simply cannot kill him since he is, after all, already dead.
At that very moment, Takudo receives another system message: Autodefend activated. Seeing this, he begins piecing things together, recalling everything Flamman had orchestrated during his time in Brave Quest.
Back on the battlefield, Flamman mocks Isla again, calling her arrogant for thinking she could win so easily. Maria and Karia, visibly terrified, cling to each other. But Isla reassures them firmly that she will not let Flamman lay a single finger on them. Fueled by rage, Isla launches a furious storm of attacks. Her claws strike again and again, yet every blow bounces harmlessly off the barrier. Flamman simply laughs, savoring every second of her desperation.
Suddenly, a strange red aura envelops Isla and the twins. Before they can react, Maria and Karia begin walking toward Flamman. Their eyes show fear, but their bodies are no longer under their control—they are compelled by the aura. Isla desperately tries to pull them back, but she herself is restrained by the aura’s power and cannot move freely.
Flamman mocks them, explaining that resisting the aura is pointless. With a smug grin, he calls it one of his favorite RPG mechanics—a scripted event. The twins keep walking closer and closer to him, trembling, their faces twisted in fear. They glance back at Isla, silently begging her to save them because they do not want to die.
The sight of their fear cuts Isla deeply. Summoning every last ounce of strength, she struggles violently against the aura, to the point that her body begins to bleed from the strain. Flamman, however, continues speaking over her effort, taunting her even more.
Flamman laughs cruelly, declaring that all of them are fools, deluded into thinking they act by their own free will. His voice rises as he shouts directly at Takudo, claiming he knows Takudo is out there watching. He mocks him, insisting that his biggest mistake was underestimating him and vows to kill Takudo’s most precious citizens as the ultimate act of spite. Immediately after his words, a massive explosion erupts, engulfing everything in fiery light.
The scene then shifts to a memory of the past. Maria and Karia are climbing the trunk of a tall tree, their eyes sparkling with excitement. When they reach the top, the world of Minagra stretches below like a breathtaking tapestry. From this high vantage point, they can see the entire civilization in all its beauty. As they admire the view, the clouds slowly shift and the moon comes into sight. Silver moonlight spills across the land, bathing Minagra in a glow that makes it appear almost otherworldly. The twins can’t help but smile as they take it all in.
Maria gently takes Karia’s hand, and with soft determination, they promise each other that next time, they will bring Isla here too—because she deserves to see this view just as much as they do. But that promise fades in an instant. Suddenly, Maria and Karia awaken inside a massive crater, the aftermath of the explosion still lingering around them. At first, they are relieved to be alive.
Relief quickly turns to horror when they turn and see Isla. Her body has been torn apart while shielding them from the blast. With a weak, fading voice, Isla calls out to them, asking if they are alright. Her lips curve into a faint smile when she sees they survived. The twins, however, are overwhelmed with worry and rush to her side. Karia insists that they must get her back to Minagra immediately. She tries contacting Takudo through shared perception, but there is no response. Why now? Of all times, why is Takudo not answering?
Isla draws their attention, urging them to listen carefully. She tells them the truth they do not want to hear: it should already be clear that she will not survive. There is something important she needs to entrust to them. The twins immediately protest. They cannot accept this. They shout that there must be some way to save her—anything at all.
But Isla shakes her head, whispering that there isn’t. Her injuries are far too severe, beyond any hope of repair. Hearing this, Maria and Karia break down. They blame themselves, insisting it is their fault for being too weak to protect her, for not being able to fight by her side. They admit they had grown too comfortable, foolishly allowing themselves to believe they could finally live a happy, peaceful life. They had even started to think of Isla as a mother. All they had wanted was to live together with her in happiness. Why are they being punished with this cruel fate?
Despite her pain, Isla comforts them. She assures them they have done nothing wrong. None of this is their fault—it is hers for not being strong enough. But the twins refuse to see it that way. Tears streaming down their faces, they tell Isla they do not want to live without her. If she dies, they would rather die alongside her.
In her final moments, Isla makes a shocking move. She plunges her claw into her own chest and pulls out her heart. Blood runs down her arm, but she holds the glowing heart out in front of them. Her voice is filled with sorrow and love as she asks for their forgiveness for dying before them, for leaving them alone. She reminds them that sometimes fate simply cannot be controlled, and this is the cruel reality they have been forced into.
With her last strength, she gives them a final request: to eat her heart. By doing so, they will inherit the skill Royal Succession. The heart pulses with light, glowing brighter and brighter in her palm as Isla declares that she is passing down all of her power to them. Her arm falls, and she collapses to the ground. The heart still glows faintly in her hand as her eyes close peacefully. In that quiet moment, Isla dies.
On the battlefield, Isla stands on the front lines as waves of goblins advance. Behind her, Moltar keeps pace, his massive footsteps crunching across the bloodstained earth. Isla glances at him with annoyance, telling him there was no reason for him to follow her all the way here. But Moltar quickly protests.
Takudo himself had ordered Moltar to march alongside Atu and assist in destroying the demon lord’s stronghold, so he had no choice but to comply. Atu brims with irritation but doesn’t argue. She knows there is no time to waste—she must end this battle quickly and return to Takudo’s side.
As the goblins charge forward, Atu lashes out with her tentacles, cutting through the first wave of enemies with brutal efficiency. Just as she prepares to continue the assault, her entire body suddenly freezes. Her eyes widen in shock. She can no longer feel Isla’s presence. Her energy is completely gone. That can only mean one thing: Isla is dead.
Atu explodes in rage. Her tentacles thrash violently in every direction, tearing through goblins and scattering their corpses across the battlefield. Moltar is stunned, unable to understand why she has gone berserk. He calls out, demanding to know what is happening. Atu finally responds, telling him that Isla has been killed.
Far away, Takudo feels it too. His face twists in disbelief. Isla’s death shouldn’t even be possible in this world. He knows Flamman’s scripted event mechanic is powerful, but even so, it should never have been usable here. Desperately, Takudo checks his inventory to confirm whether Isla is truly gone. Moments later, a system message appears: Isla’s presence can no longer be detected. The words crush him. Takudo falls to his knees. The very idea of Isla being erased from existence is something he had never imagined possible.
Meanwhile, back in the crater, Maria and Karia honor Isla’s final wish. With tears streaming down their cheeks, they consume her heart. A radiant glow bursts from within them as Isla’s power floods their bodies. They have inherited her strength. A few minutes later, the shared perception link reconnects.
Takudo wastes no time. His voice cracks as he informs Atu of Isla’s death, explaining the horrors of her final moments. Hearing this, Atu’s chest tightens with guilt. She recalls the time she noticed Ice Rock using an RPG mechanic but failed to report it. If she had spoken up, Isla might have been more cautious—maybe she wouldn’t have ended up dead.
Through the telepathic link, Atu tells Takudo she will return to Minagra immediately. Isla’s death isn’t just a personal loss—it’s a national emergency. She turns to leave, preparing to abandon the battlefield, but Takudo stops her. He explains that although Isla died, the twins survived. Right now, they are moving south, straight toward the enemy’s stronghold. From what Takudo can see, it looks like they intend to avenge Isla’s death.
Atu clenches her fists, insisting it’s impossible. The twins are far too weak to take on such an enemy. But Takudo interrupts her, revealing that before Isla died, she used the Royal Succession technique. Maria and Karia now carry her hero status within them.
Takudo tells Atu they cannot afford to lose any more hero units at this stage. Her orders are simple: she must head to the battlefield and retrieve Maria and Karia immediately. Atu’s face twists with frustration. She protests, begging Takudo to reconsider. The RPG mechanics they’ve encountered are far too dangerous. If the twins run into another one of those scripted events, their lives could end instantly. She doesn’t want Takudo to gamble with them.
Despite her protests, she bows her head and obeys. Takudo was once the greatest player of Eternal Nations. If anyone can make the right call in a crisis like this, it’s him. Atu swallows her doubts and follows his orders, clinging to the hope that everything will work out.
Meanwhile, Takudo receives reports from Gia and Emle. They inform him that they are nearly done mopping up the enemy survivors who dared to invade their land. On top of that, they’ve already evacuated all non-combatants and plan to begin repairs on the damaged facilities by tomorrow morning. But Takudo interrupts, telling them not to act on their own. From now on, he will personally issue every order at the necessary time. Gia and Emle glance at each other, unsettled.
This isn’t like Takudo at all. His usual style is to trust his commanders with initiative, yet now, he is tightening his grip completely.
Elsewhere, Maria walks with an expressionless face across the battlefield until she arrives at the base of Lady Wind, one of the four demon generals. Lady Wind sneers at the sight of her, laughing at the absurd idea that a mere child could confront her alone. But Maria lifts her gaze. Her left eye glows bright red, radiating unnatural power.
Just as Lady Wind’s soldiers move in to eliminate Karia, Maria unleashes a wave of dark energy that bursts out, casting the entire squad into a trance-like state. They freeze, unable to resist. Karia speaks bitterly, admitting that she always knew something terrible would happen if they put their faith in anyone else. She should never have relied on hope at all.
Lady Wind’s arrogance begins to waver. Panic flickers in her eyes as she realizes how effortlessly Karia neutralized her entire unit. Desperate, she summons a powerful gust of wind and hurls it at Karia, but Karia nullifies it effortlessly. Then Lady Wind gasps—her palm, her skin, her entire body begins to melt. She collapses to the ground, screaming and begging for mercy. But Karia shows no reaction. She simply watches.
Meanwhile, Maria finds herself surrounded by the enemy’s top military units. Soldiers fire their strongest magic at her, but Maria spins gracefully, laughing as she blocks each attack like a child playing a game. One soldier calls for Magitech, the man in the massive iron battle suit.
Realizing Maria’s power, Magitech activates his suit’s full combat mode. The iron giant roars to life, bristling with weapons. But before he can move, Maria smirks and snaps her fingers. Instantly, the robot’s suit shuts down. The mage squad collapses uselessly, and Magitech himself freezes in confusion. None of them can function anymore.
Maria takes a playful bite of the air. That simple gesture creates a razor-sharp slash that cuts through the Earth Mage squad instantly. She takes another bite, and the force shreds Magitech’s armored suit into pieces. Now exposed, Magitech grovels on the floor, trembling in terror. Maria strolls toward him slowly, her lips curling into a twisted smile, and without hesitation, she finishes him off.
When the massacre is over, the twins walk calmly away from the battlefield, their footsteps echoing in the silence left behind. Suddenly, a system message appears before them, marking the twins as the third-degree threat in this world. They even receive a title: The Witches of Regret.
The other player from this world, a middle-aged man with blonde hair, fixes his sharp gaze on Maria and Karia as they approach. He wonders how fragile-looking children like them could possibly reach the same level of strength he has. To him, it feels as if fate itself is mocking him, and that is why he has decided to end everything here and now. Once he destroys everything and sacrifices the entire world, he believes he will finally obtain freedom, as per the pact he made with God.
Before beginning the battle, the man asks them a question: whether they believe in the existence of God. The sisters reveal their glowing red eyes and, without hesitation, declare that such a thing does not exist.
In response, the demon lord quickly places a powerful barrier around himself. But to his shock, the twins shatter it almost instantly. He is stunned because only the chosen hero should have the power to destroy that barrier. According to his agreement with the gods, the chosen hero was never supposed to exist in this world. So, how can there now be someone capable of breaking through his defenses?
The twins remain silent. They don’t answer his confusion and calmly continue walking toward him, prepared to fight. The demon lord then mutates into a grotesque beast, his body sprouting countless swords from his back like jagged spines. In this monstrous form, his confidence swells, certain that the two girls cannot possibly stop him. With arrogance, he launches the swords at them in a deadly volley.
Yet, Maria does not flinch, her face carrying nothing but a confident, almost playful smile. She halts every single sword in midair, effortlessly stopping the demon lord’s attack. Maria calls upon her magic, forcing the beast deep into the ground. With the enemy restrained, the twins seize a sword lying on the field and charge forward together.
The demon lord tries to strike back, but Karia meets him head-on, and with a single swing of her blade, she destroys his arm completely. The force of the strike disintegrates half of his monstrous body. Yet, even in this desperate and ruined state, the demon lord refuses to surrender. His determination to honor his pact with God and claim peace and freedom drives him to keep fighting.
The twins, however, only laugh at his desperation. They taunt him, insisting there is no such thing as God. Maria goes further, warning that believing someone will come to save you only leads to disappointment—a lesson they learned painfully from Isla.
But then, to their surprise, the demon lord is suddenly healed. His wounds vanish in an instant, granted by the God he serves. Overjoyed, he prepares to speak his god’s name in gratitude. But before he can utter a word, his body is sliced clean in half by an unexpected third party.
The twins turn toward the stranger who interfered, demanding to know who he is and why he chose to intervene. The man calmly explains that he thought it looked like they needed help, so he decided to step in. Karia narrows her eyes, warning him seriously that his help was neither wanted nor necessary. The man raises his hands in defense, insisting he has no intention of fighting them. He even tries to lighten the mood, commenting that they look cuter when they’re not angry, but smugly adds that they wouldn’t stand a chance against him anyway, as they are far too weak at their current level.
The twins glare back. They do not care what he says. This is the man who ruined their chance at atoning for Isla, and for that, he must pay. Fueled by fury, they leap into the air, ready to strike him down.
But before they can land their blow, Atu suddenly appears, freezing their feet in place with her magic. She informs them that Takudo has given direct orders for them to return immediately, as their mission has already been accomplished. The twins shake their heads, refusing to comply. They argue that they still have unfinished business with the man who interfered.
Atu, however, reminds them that Takudo’s orders are not optional. To disobey him is unthinkable. Yet the sisters declare that they are no longer acting under Takudo’s command. All that matters to them now is avenging Isla.
Hearing this, Atu prepares to discipline them herself, determined to show the consequences of defying their king. But the girls push back, recalling Takudo’s words that they could do whatever they wanted because they were evil. Yet, as they consider his words more carefully, they remember that he also told them to do whatever would make their mother happy.
In that moment, realization strikes. They understand that fighting the man who interfered and making themselves enemies of Minagra is not what Isla would have wanted. With heavy hearts, they lower their weapons, apologize sincerely to Atu for their rudeness, and decide to hold back. Atu accepts their apology, telling them she is willing to let it go this time.
The man who intervened also offers his own apology for butting in before quickly disappearing from the scene. Atu watches him leave and notices something odd—he was wearing a school uniform. If he truly is the person Takudo suspects, it is best to leave him be, at least for now.
Afterward, the twins ask Atu if there is any chance that Isla might ever be resurrected. Sadly, Atu tells them resurrection is impossible. The answer breaks their hearts, and the sisters collapse into grief, crying for their loss.
Atu prepares a report for Takudo, informing him that they are on their way back. Takudo responds with a blessing, wishing them a safe journey home. In the meantime, Takudo begins to realize something troubling.
The mechanics of a 4X strategy game apply to this world as well. Until now, Takudo had been under the impression that only cheat skills were at play. But it was now clear that enemies were using RPG-style systems of their own. Worse still, countless game genres exist, meaning the possibilities for new threats are endless.
Elsewhere, the mysterious man who had cut down the demon lord makes his way through the valley. Exhausted, he falls to his knees, trembling as he recalls how terrifying his encounter with Atu and the twins had been. He curses the god who brought him to this world, remembering how he was deceived. The god had told him that two beautiful girls were in danger, and all he had to do was save them. But the truth was nothing like what he expected.
The girls turned out to be monsters in disguise. As he curses, a girl approaches him. His slave walks to his side and greets him warmly, addressing him as her master. She explains that the god has apologized for bringing him to this world by accident. The man grits his teeth and curses the god again, convinced this was no accident at all but a deliberate trick. After all, the only reason he ended up here in the first place was because of that god and his fateful encounter with Truck Kun.
Still, despite his frustration, he admits there is at least one blessing—he has a cute slave he can now call his own. As they talk, a massive ogre suddenly appears behind him. Without even breaking a sweat, he cuts it down instantly, destroying it in record time. His overwhelming strength is all thanks to the cheat abilities granted to him by the god he despises, and for that, he feels at least a little grateful. His slave is left in awe of his true power. With renewed confidence, the man and the girl walk onward together, vowing to give saving this world a try.
Meanwhile, in the ruins of the town, Ira has just been resurrected for the nineteenth time. The priest who has been battling her is left completely dumbfounded. She had incinerated Ira’s body to ashes and even sealed it with powerful magic, yet Ira stands again, as if nothing had ever happened. Despite her confusion, the priest steels herself. She knows it is her sacred duty as a priest to vanquish Ira, no matter how many times it takes.
Elsewhere, a die is tossed into a bowl, and in the next instant, the priest is struck down in a single blow. Ira herself is startled to see the priest fall so suddenly, but instead of dwelling on it, she mocks her. She taunts that it has been a long and tiresome struggle having to deal with the priest over and over. After her mockery, Ira raises her gaze to the heavens and begins praising a deity she calls the Dice Master.
Back in Minagra, Takudo finds himself in a state of deep distress. He realizes that from now on, they will be facing massive enemies who wield all kinds of mechanics and systems far beyond what they had expected if they dare make the same mistakes again. Takudo knows that their nation will be completely annihilated the next time.
In frustration, he slams his fist against the floor with all his strength. The sheer force shatters the ground beneath him, causing him to fall straight through. As he rises back up, Takudo is struck by a revelation. The damage he caused wasn’t due to the floor being weak—it was from his own overwhelming strength. Curious, he decides to test this newfound power. He throws a single punch at a tree, and to his amazement, the tree shatters instantly. Only now does he realize that all along he himself has been an attack unit, though he never once considered it.
This discovery does not bring him joy. Instead, it fills him with regret. If only he had realized his potential sooner, perhaps Isla would still be alive today.
Later that day, Atu and the others return from their mission, and an emergency meeting is called. The main issue at hand is the twins’ insubordination. Everyone expects harsh punishment to be declared, but to their shock, Takudo surprises them. He calmly announces that the twins will face no punishment whatsoever.
Atu, unable to accept this, protests. She argues that if their nation shows such leniency, they will lose the ability to discipline anyone, and chaos will follow. But Takudo insists that he is the one who should be apologizing. Then, in front of everyone, he bows deeply. Atu and the dark elves look on in disbelief. Never in their lives did they think a king like Takudo would lower his head in apology.
Afterward, Takudo makes a bold declaration. He promises that Isla will be brought back to life. Atu immediately objects, insisting that it is impossible to resurrect a hero while their nation remains in its current weakened state. But Takudo refuses to back down. He doesn’t care how impossible it sounds. What matters to him is that Isla is revived, that the world is restored, and that the loved ones who were torn apart are reunited again. He recalls that this was the very promise he made during the Ascension victory. If this world truly follows the Eternal Nation system, Takudo believes with absolute certainty that they will be able to claim victory and make that promise a reality.
But Atu strongly protests, warning that Takudo’s plan is not practical. She explains that an Ascension victory means rewriting the world itself, and if he chooses to go through with it, the entire world will inevitably turn against him. Takudo, however, simply brushes aside her concern. He declares that he does not care because he will personally kill anyone who dares to stand in their way. As he speaks, a dark aura surrounds his body, radiating overwhelming pressure. He admits that the path ahead will be filled with hardship, but he is certain they can overcome it as long as everyone follows his orders exactly.
Later that night, while Takudo is occupied making plans for future battles and defenses, the dark elves gather to hold a small funeral for Isla. The atmosphere is heavy, and most are drowning in sorrow. Yet, in the middle of the morning, the twins step forward. They boldly tell everyone not to be sad, reminding them that Takudo himself promised to bring Isla back. Their words, however, do little to restore hope. The others, still shaken by their recent losses, have lost much of their confidence. Many quietly wonder if they will even be able to keep up with Takudo’s ambitious plans.
Hidden in the shadows of the bushes, Takudo secretly watches the scene unfold. He sees their hesitation and doubts, but just then, the twins once again raise their voices, encouraging everyone not to lose faith so easily. They urge them to hold on to their confidence, to believe in King Takudo, and not to throw away their trust in him. Their words give the grieving elves a sudden boost of morale, surprising them. None of them ever imagined they would receive encouragement from children. From his hiding place, Takudo watches with quiet pride, his heart swelling at the loyalty of the twins.
The next day, Atu walks into the throne room, only to find an unexpected sight. Takudo is in the middle of an emotional breakdown. The twins are at his side, consoling him as tears flow down his face. Takudo confesses that he feels terrible about losing control the previous day, admitting that he had scared everyone and let his emotions get the better of him. The twins pat him gently on the head, reassuring him that it is all right. They suggest that perhaps if he rephrases his words, he might feel better.
Wiping his eyes, Takudo steadies himself and speaks again, this time with determination. He declares that he will never let down the people who believe in him and that together they will work toward achieving the Ascension victory. Atu and the others are moved by his sincerity. Hearing this renewed vow from their king, they rally behind him once more, vowing to follow him to the very end. Takudo lifts his head with confidence. In his heart, he knows he will be the one to claim victory in the end. After all, he is the original Eternal Nations player, the one destined to outlast them all.
