[Nurisia]
Nurisia is the fifth-largest country in the world of Bad End. It serves as the main setting of the story, where most of the major events unfold.
[Rinjane City]
Rinjane City is the capital of Nurisia and the central location in Bad End. It's where the NFS Academy—the school that trains future Knights—is located.
— — —
The day was calm—at least for now.
Just as they had planned the day before, Frisa, Winie, and Ariel were sitting together at a café inside TWB Mall, chatting casually as they waited for their movie to start.
Zelen, whom Frisa had also invited, hadn't arrived yet.
TWB Mall was the largest shopping center in all of Nurisia. Located right in the heart of Rinjane and not too far from the NFS Academy, it was a favorite hangout spot for academy students during their days off.
"I hope you're not just tagging along out of obligation, Frisa," Ariel said, sitting next to her. His expression still looked concerned.
Frisa took a sip of her drink and sighed. "Don't worry, Ariel. I came here because I wanted to. Although honestly… Andress was a real pain yesterday."
Ariel nodded slowly. "That's a relief. I was worried you felt forced."
Moments later, Zelen arrived, panting.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late," she said, trying to catch her breath.
"You're not that late. The movie hasn't started yet anyway," Frisa replied.
Zelen let out a relieved smile. "Thank goodness."
Three hours later…
The group exited the theater with satisfied expressions. As they walked back toward the café, their conversation turned to the film they had just seen.
"That was awesome! No regrets coming to watch this one," Zelen said, her face glowing with excitement.
"Totally! It was way better than I expected," Frisa added, just as enthusiastic.
Ariel chimed in, "My favorite part was when the main character said, 'Mutants never die.' Gave me chills."
"Same! That part was so good!" Frisa nodded rapidly in agreement.
Triingg!
Suddenly, all four of their phones chimed at the same time with a loud notification, making them jump. Several people at the café turned their heads, startled by the abrupt noise.
Frisa quickly checked her phone. "Is this… an emergency alert?"
Their expressions turned serious in an instant. All the joy they felt moments ago vanished. They looked at each other in silence.
[Knight Emergency Alert]
A Knight Emergency Alert is a real-time warning system sent to all Knights near the site of a portal rupture. Only active Knights—including students of NFS Academy—are able to receive these alerts.
[Knight Association]
The Knight Association is the governing body that oversees all Knight-related activity in the world of Bad End. It holds more power than the police or military. Everything involving portals, monsters, and Knight training falls under their authority.
Ariel read the message nervously. "This is an official alert from the Association… Does that mean a portal has opened?"
Frisa nodded, reading the same message again. "Looks like it. And the location... is right in downtown Rinjane."
Emergency Alert Content:
To all Knights currently located in Rinjane City, A Class B portal rupture has been detected in the city center.
All Knights nearby are requested to assist in civilian evacuation immediately. Knight Guild units are expected to arrive within 30 minutes.
Until then, hold your ground and prioritize civilian safety.
[Knight Guild]
The Knight Guild is an independent organization composed of Knights responsible for handling portal incidents in their assigned regions. While autonomous, the Guild remains under the supervision of the Knight Association and can be given direct orders during emergencies.
"We need to get out of here," Ariel said. "A Class B rupture is too dangerous! We're just second-year students—we're not ready for this."
But Frisa pointed forward, her eyes widening. "Too late... Look over there…"
From outside the mall, massive silhouettes began to emerge—ferocious creatures with towering bodies and bull-like heads.
"Minotaurs…" Winie whispered.
"We're trapped," Zelen muttered grimly.
Frisa turned to face her friends, her expression resolute.
"We don't have a choice. We have to fight… for everyone still inside."
She drew her weapon. The others followed suit, though with hesitation.
"Let's just hope this isn't the wrong decision…" Winie murmured as she braced herself.
— — —
Meanwhile, back at NFS Academy, the once-calm atmosphere shifted in an instant as a loud announcement echoed throughout the school. Every student, including Andress, instinctively paused and turned their eyes toward the nearest speaker.
"All students currently on campus, proceed to emergency alert status and report to the main field immediately."
[Emergency Alert Status]
A term only used in times of major crisis. It meant a portal had opened—and every Knight needed to be ready for battle.
"What? An emergency alert? Why so suddenly?" a student asked in panic.
The second-years looked especially nervous. They had never expected to be called into action like this. Usually, combat or evacuation missions were assigned to official Knights, not trainees like them.
"A Class B portal has opened in Rinjane City. The location is just five kilometers from NFS Academy."
"Due to the emergency, the Association has ordered all faculty and students to assist with civilian evacuation."
"Third-year students and their homeroom teachers will be deployed to the red zone to fight monsters alongside the Headmaster."
"Second-years and their homerooms will assist in evacuating civilians in the red and yellow zones—combat is not the focus."
"First-years and their instructors will secure the outer edge of the yellow zone and ensure no monsters break through."
[Zone Classifications]
Red Zone: The most dangerous area—where monsters emerge directly from the portal.
Yellow Zone: Still under threat, but relatively safer compared to the red zone.
Andress tensed. 'No doubt about it… this is that major incident,' he thought.
'Frisa, Winie, Ariel, and Zelen are at the mall… and it's close to the portal site.'
In the original Bad End story, those four were never at TWB Mall during this event. But now, because Andress had invited them to the movie, they were right at the heart of the disaster. That could change everything.
Including Ariel's fate.
'I just realized… maybe the reason Ariel never appeared in the original story... is because he died during this moment.' Andress's thoughts froze.
The Bad End storyline had always mentioned that several NFS students died during the massive incident in central Rinjane. Because of the timeline change, Frisa and the others might now be among those casualties.
Ten minutes later, all second- and third-year students had reached the yellow zone. They split into small squads, each ready to carry out their assigned roles.
"Spread out! Remember—don't engage the monsters directly! Our main priority is evacuating the civilians. Make sure everyone in your group makes it back safely!" Selena, Andress's homeroom teacher, shouted with urgency.
The students immediately moved out as instructed.
[Portal Rupture: Class B]
[Monster Type: Minotaur]
Minotaurs were humanoid monsters with bull heads, each standing about three meters tall. Armed with massive axes, they possessed terrifying strength and brutal power.
Saman glanced at Andress. "What's the plan now? It's just the three of us. The others are still at TWB Mall."
"We're going there," Andress said firmly. "If we don't, Frisa and the rest might die."
Saman hesitated. "Are you sure? The mall is right near the center of the rupture. It's too dangerous."
"I don't want to take the risk either. But right now, their safety comes first."
Saman stared at Andress for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. If that's your choice, I'm with you."
Brian spoke up as well—nervous, but determined. "I'll go too."
And so, Andress, Saman, and Brian began sprinting toward TWB Mall, completely ignoring Selena's orders to focus on evacuation. For them, rescuing their teammates was the top priority.
— — —
Back at the mall, Frisa and the others were still locked in battle. They had managed to take down five Minotaurs, but the number of monsters kept increasing. In the end, they had no choice but to retreat and seek shelter in the movie theater, along with the civilians they managed to save.
"Mom... I'm scared…" a small child sobbed.
"What are we gonna do? I don't want to die yet," a grown man muttered, his face pale with despair.
"This is it… we're all gonna die here…" an elderly man whispered, consumed by fear.
There were over a hundred people inside the theater—children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Tension filled the room like smoke. Fortunately, everyone stayed relatively calm and didn't start panicking.
Tring.
A message appeared on Frisa's phone. It was from Andress.
Message Content:
Frisa, if you're still alive, hide. Don't try to fight the monsters—it's too dangerous.
I'm coming with the others to get you. Stay where you are and don't move.
"Who's the message from?" Zelen asked.
"It's from Andress. He says he's coming here."
Ariel looked worried. "Isn't it too dangerous for them to come all the way here?"
Frisa slowly shook her head. "Don't worry. Andress is smart. He must have a plan."
Even though she didn't like him, Frisa knew that when it came to strategy, Andress was far ahead of her.
"True," Ariel nodded. "He always thinks things through. He wouldn't come here unless he believed he could handle it."
— — —
Meanwhile, Andress, Saman, and Brian sprinted through the city. Andress led the way, using his Map Skill—a special ability that let him see the location of nearby enemies in real-time.
Thanks to that skill, they managed to avoid every Minotaur along the way. Within five minutes, they reached the area surrounding TWB Mall without encountering a single fight.
But five Minotaurs stood guard at the mall's main entrance.
"Andress, five monsters up ahead," Saman whispered. "Are we going in?"
"We'll hit them from a distance," Andress replied. "I'll shoot first to throw them off balance. Then you two aim for their heads."
"Alright. I'm ready," said Saman.
"M-me too…" Brian added, his voice trembling. This would be his first time fighting real monsters.
Andress patted him on the back. "You've got this. Just remember our training—stay sharp."
"Yeah… I'll try."
Andress activated his Five Arrows Skill and took aim.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Five arrows flew in perfect sync, striking their targets and staggering the Minotaurs.
"Now!" Andress shouted.
Saman and Brian rushed in. Their surprise attack instantly took down two of the creatures.
Three left. Andress fired again to create an opening, and the other two quickly took care of the rest.
All five monsters fell. The three of them paused, catching their breath as they exchanged looks.
"We did it," Saman said, grinning. "Wasn't as hard as I thought."
"Don't get cocky," Andress replied. "We won because we had the element of surprise. In a straight-up fight, it could've gone very differently."
"Yeah… sorry. Got carried away."
"It's fine. Let's move. That fight probably caught some attention."
They slipped into the mall, doing their best to avoid more encounters.
As soon as they entered, the atmosphere changed. The lights dimmed. The noise from outside disappeared, replaced by an eerie silence.
Andress led the way toward the theater. But along the way, they were met with a horrifying sight—bodies scattered everywhere.
Children. Teenagers. Adults. Every corpse lay in gruesome condition. Some were headless. Others had their guts torn open. Several had limbs that had been violently severed.
Andress covered his mouth. His breath hitched.
"You okay?" Saman asked, seeing how pale he looked.
"I'm fine… just not used to seeing this up close," Andress said quietly.
"But you've seen stuff like this on the news before, haven't you?"
"Watching it on a screen and seeing it with your own eyes are two completely different things. Until now… I was just an outsider. Now, I'm right in the middle of it."
In the world of Bad End, graphic violence had long been normalized. The government didn't censor footage of corpses or brutal attacks—in fact, they encouraged it.
Studies had shown that people who had never been exposed to visual violence were more likely to suffer trauma when witnessing it for real. So the society decided to desensitize its citizens early on.
Andress steadied his breath.
"Let's keep going. I'm okay now."
They made their way through the dim hallways, step by careful step. Thanks to Andress's Map Skill, they didn't encounter a single monster on their path.
When they finally reached the theater doors and opened them, they were greeted by dozens of anxious faces.
"Andress! You made it!" Ariel called out, his tense expression softening just a bit.
The arrival of Andress, Saman, and Brian lifted the mood slightly—but hope quickly gave way to disappointment once the civilians realized it was only a group of students, not professional Knights.
"Are you guys okay?" Andress asked his friends.
"We fought earlier, so we're a bit worn out. Some of us are a little banged up," Ariel replied.
Andress let out a long sigh. "I told you not to fight the monsters. Why didn't you listen?"
"That was before your message arrived. If you'd sent it sooner, we wouldn't have fought," Ariel shot back.
Andress didn't argue. He just nodded and glanced around the theater. Everyone was quiet, on edge—kids clung to their parents, couples held hands tightly, their faces pale with fear.
'They all look so anxious… and disappointed. Should I try to say something to calm them down?'
Andress stared blankly at the crowd for a moment, then shook his head inwardly. 'No… That'd just give me a headache.'
Ping.
A new alert popped up from his skill:
『Map: A Class B demon soldier has appeared inside TWB Mall.』
Andress stiffened. His breathing grew heavy.
This wasn't just any monster.
He stepped forward and addressed his team with a serious tone. "Listen up. I'll be honest with you—right now, we have two options."
Everyone turned their attention to him.
"First option: we run and leave the civilians behind. It might be the only way we survive without a fight."
"Second option: we stay and protect them. But if we do that, there's a real chance we all die."
Frisa hesitated. "Is it really that bad? I mean, there aren't that many monsters in the mall, right?"
Andress wasn't surprised by her reaction. He had expected Frisa to push back. So he got ready to explain.
"Alright. Let me make this clear. The portal that opened—it's not a Class B portal like we thought.
It's actually a Class A portal."
"What?" Gasps and shocked expressions spread across the room.
In the world of Bad End, portal threat levels were determined by color. A misclassification like this hadn't happened in over thirty years.
Portal Color Levels:
Black – Class S
Dark Red – Class A
Light Red (almost Pink) – Class B
Orange – Class C
Yellow – Class D
White – Class E
Light Blue – Class F
Dark Blue – Class G
"But the internet clearly said it was light red. That's Class B!" Zelen protested.
"You're right. That's what was reported. But inside this mall, a Class A demon soldier just showed up." Andress replied.
"And it's not an ordinary monster. This one has intelligence and awareness."
The difference between monsters and demons was massive. Even if they shared the same threat level, demons were far more dangerous. They could think, strategize, and act with deadly precision—like humans.
"Even if you're right… I'm staying," Frisa said firmly. "Besides, the Knights will get here soon."
Everyone looked at her. Some faces were uncertain, but a few were already beginning to show the same resolve.
Andress sighed inwardly. 'I Knew it. Frisa was always going to stay behind... she's just like Leonil—too devoted to protecting civilians.'
He turned to the others. "What about the rest of you? Stay here… or come with me?"
One by one, the answers came.
"Sorry, Andress. I'm staying with Frisa," said Saman.
"Me too."
"Same here."
"I'll stay."
Only Brian and Winie didn't answer.
Andress felt a flicker of annoyance. 'They really have no idea what they're up against…'
'But whatever. Worst case, if I die here, I'll just wake up back in my own world. It's not the end of the world for me.'
Then another thought crossed his mind. 'But… if I survive and prove I was right, this could be a great way to earn their trust going forward.'
'Maybe it's time they learn a little lesson.'
Map: One Class B demon soldier is approaching your location.
Seeing the alert, Andress raised his voice to the crowd inside the theater.
"Everyone, listen to me for a second!"
All heads turned toward him. Andress stood tall, his tone sharp and unwavering.
"A monster is heading straight for us. We—students from NFS Academy—will try to fight it. But once we leave and engage in battle, I need you all to stay completely silent and still."
"This monster is extremely sensitive to sound. If you make any noise, you could put yourselves in danger."
The room grew even quieter. The tension was almost suffocating.
Someone in the crowd asked, "Do you really have to go out and fight?"
"If we don't strike first, it will," Andress replied.
Unlike regular monsters, demon soldiers could sense human presence. Andress knew there was only one real option: hit first.
Shortly after, Andress and the six others left the theater. They took cover in a nearby café, just a short distance away, watching and waiting for the enemy to appear.
"Why are we just sitting here? Shouldn't we be attacking first?" Frisa asked, her tone tense.
"Did you forget? We're only E and D-class Knights," Andress replied.
"So what, we're just going to keep hiding? For how long?" Saman added.
"We're not hiding. We're stalling. The plan is to delay the fight as long as possible until backup arrives. Going in headfirst will only get us killed."
Map: The demon is now approaching the theater.
"We've been spotted," Andress said suddenly.
"What? Spotted?! How?" Ariel panicked.
"I mean the people in the theater were spotted. The demon's heading their way now."
The demon soldier moved slowly toward the theater entrance. But before it could step inside, Andress and Frisa launched a surprise attack from afar. Frisa fired a bullet, and Andress loosed an arrow.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
All their shots hit the demon—but didn't even scratch its skin.
"What?" Frisa's eyes widened. "My gun's not doing anything?! This thing usually works on Class B monsters!"
Andress stayed calm and issued orders.
"Listen up! Give it everything you've got. Treat this like a life-or-death fight—because it is!"
The battle began.
Andress, Frisa, Zelen, and Ariel launched ranged attacks, while Brian, Saman, and Winie fought at close range. They threw everything they had—magic, bullets, blades, arrows—all aimed at the demon.
Five minutes passed.
Everyone was out of breath. Their movements slowed. No matter what they threw at it, nothing worked. The demon was just too strong.
Andress dropped to one knee, gasping for air.
'Just as I thought… this is suicide,' he told himself.
'We never had a chance.'
One by one, the melee fighters started to fall. Brian, Saman, and Winie collapsed, unconscious.
Only four remained: Andress, Frisa, Zelen, and Ariel.
"I TOLD you we were going to die if we stayed!" Andress shouted in frustration. "Why didn't any of you use your damn heads?!"
"I'm sorry, Andress… I didn't think the enemy would be this strong. Before you came, nothing was this powerful…" Frisa admitted.
"This is what happens when you don't believe me. I told you from the beginning—this isn't a Class B rupture. It's Class A!"
WHAM!
Suddenly, Ariel and Zelen were struck by a heavy blow. They were thrown across the room and instantly knocked out.
Now only two remained: Andress and Frisa.
『Map: Knight Guild reinforcements arriving in approximately 1 minute』
"Finally… help is on the way," Andress muttered, reaching into his weapon bracelet and pulling out his sword.
For the first time since entering this world, Andress was going to face an enemy in a true one-on-one sword fight—not with strategy or sneak attacks, but raw combat.
He was nervous. But there was no other choice.
"Frisa," he called, glancing at the girl who was now kneeling, barely able to stand. "Didn't you say you wanted to stay and fight?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Then get up. I need your help."
Frisa clenched her teeth. Even though her body felt like lead, she forced herself to rise. Her wounds made it difficult to move, but she knew Andress couldn't do this alone.
"I'll charge in and distract it with my sword. You know what to do, right?" Andress asked.
"Yeah… I know," Frisa replied.
Andress fixed his eyes on the demon ahead. It stood tall—massive and muscular, its skin like iron.
Its weapon was a huge axe, and its eyes glinted with something far more dangerous than rage—intelligence.
Andress dashed forward, swinging his blade with the best technique he had.
CLANG!
The attack was blocked with ease.
He pressed again, attacking repeatedly, trying to find an opening in its defense.
Behind him, Frisa provided cover fire from a distance, trying to draw its attention away.
But their attacks weren't enough to do real damage.
'He's… amazing,' Frisa thought. 'Is Andress really this good with a sword?'
She watched his stance, his footwork, the speed of his strikes—everything was sharp and precise. It didn't look like a beginner's form at all.
'His moves… they're a lot like Leonil's. If they were the same Knight rank, I think they could be equals in a duel.'
But reality wasn't that kind.
In raw stats, Andress was nowhere near Leonil. And in this fight… he was clearly outmatched.
WHAM!
Andress was sent flying. He'd taken a brutal hit and crashed hard into the floor.
'Damn…' he groaned. 'Is this how I die?'
Blood spilled from his mouth. His breathing was ragged. His vision began to blur.
Frisa stared in horror. She dropped to her knees, tears welling in her eyes.
'This is my fault… If I hadn't insisted on staying, he wouldn't be like this…'
The demon approached Andress, slowly but surely. When it reached him, it kicked him hard—so hard he was sent flying out of the building.
And suddenly...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out across the mall.
Help had finally arrived. "You alright, kid?"
A Knight in white armor rushed over to where Andress had landed. He was a healer.
Andress let out a bitter chuckle, even as pain wracked his body. "Do I look alright after being launched out of a building? I nearly died waiting for you guys."
"Glad to hear you're still talking. That means you'll live."
The healer quickly got to work, stopping the bleeding and stabilizing Andress's condition. But his injuries were serious—he'd need to be taken to a hospital right away for proper treatment.
"What's your name?" the Knight asked while tending to him.
"Andress."
"Andress, your wounds are severe. We're getting you and your friends to a hospital for further treatment."
"Thanks. But one more thing… There are still survivors inside the building. Civilians. They're hiding in various spots. Please be careful when engaging the enemy—don't let them get caught in the crossfire."
"Understood. I'll pass that on to the rest of the team."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city…
Leonil and his team were still holding the front lines. His body was covered in wounds, but his spirit hadn't wavered in the slightest. He slashed through every monster in his path without hesitation.
"Leonil! All the civilians have been evacuated!" Raon shouted from afar.
"Then go! I'll handle the rest! Focus on getting them to safety!"
Without question, his team withdrew, leaving Leonil alone in the middle of the battlefield.
They trusted him—Leonil was too strong to be taken down by a bunch of Class B monsters.
Leonil gripped his sword tightly.
Alright. Time to get serious.
He charged into the horde, facing down dozens of Minotaurs at once.
With every swing of his blade, a monster fell. Blood flew. Corpses piled up.
Not a single enemy could lay a finger on him.
Minutes later, Knight Guild reinforcements finally arrived at Leonil's location.
But they could only stand there, frozen, as they took in the scene before them.
Leonil sat calmly atop a mountain of Minotaur corpses. Dozens—maybe even hundreds—of monsters lay defeated at his feet.
One of the Knights asked in disbelief, "Did… you do all this yourself?"
Leonil looked over and answered coolly, "Yeah. I took down every last one of them."