The Strongest With Nothing Left

Rein sat there, his fingers tightening around the hilt of Li Vrak's fallen katana. The weight of the weapon was heavy—not just physically, but something deeper. 

His golden eyes stared at the empty space where Li Vrak had once been, his mind replaying those last words.

"I wish this was the universe where I was your master." Rein's brows furrowed. What the hell did he mean by that? 

A universe where he was his master? Did that mean in another life, in another world… Li Vrak had trained him? Had guided him instead of fought against him? Had they stood together—instead of against each other?

Rein clenched his jaw. He had no answers. That smile on his face at the very end… What had he been thinking? 

Rein let out a breath, his grip loosening. He didn't know if he'd ever find out. But for some reason, that thought stuck with him. 

Rein stood motionless, Li Vrak's katana gripped tightly in his hand. His golden eyes stared at the ground, lost in thought. The battlefield around him was eerily silent.

Then— Hurried footsteps. His party and the remaining adventurers rushed toward him, their expressions a mixture of relief and concern.

"Rein!" The first to reach him was one of his party members, skidding to a stop as they took in the sight Rein standing alone, and Li Vrak… gone.

Their eyes flickered to the katana in his grasp, the only remnant of the Living Nightmare. "Is it… over?" another asked, hesitant. Rein didn't answer immediately. He simply exhaled, his body aching from the brutal battle. 

Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet. "Yeah… it's over."But as he stared at the weapon in his hands, the weight of Li Vrak's final words lingered in his mind. 

Cheers erupted as the remaining adventurers and soldiers saw Rein and his party emerging from the ruins of the Demon King's Castle. "We won!" someone shouted, and the others quickly joined in, celebrating the end of the Living Nightmare. 

The war was over. The kingdom was safe. Rein wasn't smiling. 

He walked forward, his steps slow, the weight of Li Vrak's katana still in his grasp. The cold metal felt heavier than any weapon he had ever carried. His party walked beside him, but they could sense it—something was different. 

They had defeated one of the strongest beings in the world. But as Rein stepped out into the open air, bathed in the light of the rising sun, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had lost something, too.

As Rein stepped forward, the crowd's cheers slowly faded when General Venkur approached. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto the katana in Rein's grasp. Li Vrak's weapon. A flicker of emotion passed through the battle-hardened general's face recognition, maybe even grief.

He took a step closer, his voice steady but laced with curiosity. "That katana…"

Rein, still staring ahead, didn't stop walking. Before Venkur could even ask, he spoke first. "You can't hold this weapon." Venkur frowned. "Excuse me?"

His tone was firm, demanding an explanation, but Rein wasn't in the mood for a conversation. Without another word, he lifted the katana and handed it over. Venkur hesitated, then reached out—The moment his fingers touched the hilt— 

The katana fell straight through his grasp, crashing into the ground. Venkur's eyes widened. His hands twitched, but he couldn't feel the blade at all. It was as if the weapon had rejected him. 

Murmurs spread through the crowd as Rein exhaled, his expression unreadable. "Told you," he muttered, before kneeling down and picking up the katana with ease. The blade had chosen its new wielder. 

And for some reason—Rein felt like it had been waiting for him.