THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 690: The Red Butterfly

Meanwhile, on the outskirts...

The entire battlefield had been thrown into chaos by Adyr’s sudden arrival.

Though the Empire gained a momentary reprieve because Wesker had been forcibly sealed, the threat was far from over.

The situation remained dire; victory was not yet within reach.

Both Emperor Maekar Valerion and Sir Alon had vanished from the field.

The Empire was left vulnerable, having lost its two primary SS+ pillars and its most formidable protectors.

Frey Starlight was on the verge of total collapse from exhaustion.

As for Snow Leonheart...

His state was significantly more critical.

Only the flickering Soul of Light prevented his immediate demise after Wesker’s devastating blow shattered his body.

He was clinging to life by the thinnest of threads.

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-Frey Starlight’s POV-

"Huff..."

Ignoring the deafening cacophony of war surrounding me, I pulled a heavy, ragged breath into my lungs while dragging myself across the gore-stained, filthy earth.

My gaze was fixed solely on Snow, who was collapsed just a short distance away.

Despite pouring every ounce of our strength into the fight, a Fourth-Rank Demon had utterly crushed us. It was clear now that challenging an opponent of Wesker’s magnitude had been a reckless move for us at this stage.

I lacked a full understanding of the recent events; I only knew that some unknown force had temporarily repelled Wesker, causing Snow and me to plummet from the sky and strike the ground with bone-breaking force.

The stakes were too high. In this wretched, bitter moment, I felt a sense of powerlessness I hadn't experienced in years.

My comrades faced annihilation at any second, and I remained ignorant of my sister’s fate on the far side of the globe.

Wesker had toyed with me as if I were nothing more than a marionette. In my desperation, I had reached out to that entity dwelling within me... but even Nameless remained silent.

The gruesome premonitions once granted by the system were starting to manifest in reality.

It felt as though everything could be stripped away in a single conflict. I would have gladly traded my life to stop it.

So much rested on my shoulders, yet my physical form refused to move.

Despite my broken state, I kept my eyes on Snow as he lay nearby.

Wesker’s intent had been a clean kill; Snow’s very existence had nearly been snuffed out, leaving only the Soul of Light to anchor him to this world through sheer tenacity.

"Don’t you dare die... Snow..."

I croaked out the words, my eyes clamped shut as I desperately tried to stir my aura, even though my reserves were completely dry.

"I still... require power."

I needed strength above all else if I hoped to protect what remained.

I refused to let Snow perish.

In this life, he was the brother I never possessed. I wouldn't allow him to leave me.

"You're the brother I never had... so stay alive. I won't let you go."

Forcing the words past the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, I crawled those final, agonizing meters. I collapsed at his side and pressed my hand firmly against his chest.

Snow looked like a corpse—his face was bloodless as he lay staring at nothing, the Soul of Light dimming to a faint, dying ember.

"You won’t die... I won't let you..."

I gasped out the promise while the sounds of destruction and explosions thundered nearby. The Ultras were closing in, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Slowly, I centered my palm over his heart and activated the third stage of Shadow Adaptation, funneling the absolute last of my aura into his body.

I wasn't sure how much I had left; I only knew it was a dangerously small amount. Sacrificing this aura could be fatal, as it was the only thing keeping my own body from falling apart.

Nevertheless, a desperate gamble was better than watching him fade away.

"Snow... I'm sorry for all the secrets I kept from you..."

I had concealed so many truths—things that might make him despise me if they ever came to light. I should have been honest with him long ago. About everything.

"Ever since I woke up in this world as Frey Starlight, I've been a solitary warrior. I was convinced that I alone could reshape destiny. I believed my own power was the only thing that mattered."

I had been prepared to sacrifice anything for more strength.

"But you transformed my perspective. You showed me the right path and shared this heavy burden. You stood by me every step of the way. Snow, I've realized I don't want to fight this war alone anymore."

My vision swam with red from the sheer strain as I felt myself becoming a hollow shell. That flickering violet aura was the final gift I could give.

"I don't know how to win without you, Snow. So please... don't die."

I choked on my words, feeling my chest tighten painfully as the final drops of my aura were transferred into him.

Snow didn't wake; he continued to drift into the abyss despite the Soul of Light's best efforts. I reached out for him, trying to hold on, but moments later, my own energy finally vanished.

There, amidst the carnage of the war between the Empire and the Ultras, we lay side by side and let the world fade to black.

We had failed completely. With one of us dying and the other barely clinging to life, fading away together seemed almost peaceful; that cold, vast darkness felt strangely like home.

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In the heart of the war zone, Frey and Snow remained still, appearing as little more than empty husks.

The world’s greatest defenders: Frey the Black Knight and Snow the White Knight.

The two heroes who had challenged the celestial horrors were defeated; their passing would signal the end of everything. They had to survive at all costs.

Yet, no mortal could aid them now. Their allies were trapped in desperate struggles for their own survival.

As the ground drank the blood of falling men, Frey and Snow lay unnoticed in the dirt.

In that moment where death was absolute and the world turned to shades of gray, a splash of color suddenly drifted through the gloom.

A crimson butterfly descended from above, fluttering with a calm, ethereal glow.

It went unnoticed by the combatants, appearing from an unknown source.

The butterfly wove through the slaughter, focused on a single target while ignoring the chaos around it.

At last, it landed softly upon Frey’s chest, as if it had finally reached its destination.

With a touch of magic, the butterfly released a shower of ruby-red dust that swirled around both Frey and Snow. It wove a cocoon of deep crimson aura around them, bringing a strange warmth to their hearts.

In that pivotal moment, the whisper of an ancient female voice echoed:

"I refuse to repeat the errors of my past... this time, I choose both of you."

A radiant light enveloped Frey and Snow, carving out a new destiny for them both.