[The End of the Story]: I cannot choose how the story begins, nor can I interfere with how it unfolds. But I can decide when it ends. Upon drinking, the user will gain the skill [The End of the Story].
Rita did not hesitate. She drank it all in one swallow.
[Congratulations, player ■■Rita, you have comprehended the Divine Skill — The End of the Story]
[The End of the Story] (Divine Skill): "Death is the best ending. Let every story end here." As the cost of gaining a random curse, select one target. Ignore all conditions and cause that target to die instantly. If the target is resurrected, the curse will remain for seven natural days. If the target dies permanently, the curse duration will become an imprint that will remain forever upon the player. Cooldown: seven natural days. This cooldown cannot be reduced by any means.
(Note: Any kill achieved with this skill will not be acknowledged by any divine relic.)
A Divine Skill! So beyond SSS, there truly exists the realm of the gods.
This was the strongest power she had ever held.
Rita stood still, looking at Maple Syrup lying before her.
In Maple Syrup’s eyes burned rage, disbelief, hatred — and regret. "How dare you!"
"If we’re going to break, let’s make it clean," Rita said with a bright, sharp smile. Her voice trembled with satisfaction, as if the fury before her was a victory in itself. "Now we’re even, aren’t we?"
Maple Syrup stepped forward, one stride after another. In her mind flashed Pine Bloom’s warning from long ago, when she had traded for the [Rose Voucher].
"Don’t try to cheat the rules. One rose, one wish."
Then came Captain’s calm, detached voice.
"Your love and hatred are too intense. You can turn the innocent Autumn Bears into cookies because they had ties to Maple Burn, and yet you can’t kill BS-Rita because of some misplaced mercy."
"The shattering of Forest Sea didn’t teach you to silence your distractions and focus."
"You resent me for my arrogance, but you’re no different."
"You act merciful toward BS-Rita as if it’s charity. You think you’ve already won, don’t you?"
"She combines everything the Maple Owls once were — Mu, Cang, Burn — all their brilliance and all their flaws. And you’ve lost your mind over it."
Maple Syrup closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her long spear was leveled, her grip trembling, her voice steady but seething. "You’re right. You owe me nothing."
It was her mistake. She should never have felt mercy toward BS-Rita.
She should never have confused the wings of Maple Burn and those long-buried memories in the High Tower with affection.
"That’s good," Rita said softly. In her eyes shone the same final resolve. "Then wish me — wish us both — no regrets."
The clock struck the hour.
Above them, a vortex tore open, and an Orchid Mantis the size of a small carriage descended from the void.
At that very moment, Rita leaned backward from the stands, letting herself fall freely through the air.
Maple Syrup’s eyes flickered with confusion but she followed, diving after her.
They fell past the ninth floor, past Mistblade who stood watching at the edge of her empty shelves. Mistblade’s team was closest to victory, yet she did not move.
Everything was shifting too fast.
Rita, so used to flight, found herself unsteady in this wild fall. She turned her head and saw the Orchid Mantis falling beside her, barely ten meters away.
From above, golden thunder, tree shadows, and the great owl-shaped spirit of the Forest Sea plunged toward her. When they were close enough to brush her coat, Rita raised her hand toward the Orchid Mantis, miming the shape of a gun.
Divine Skill — [The End of the Story].
The Orchid Mantis vanished.
Hidden Team Battle Mission: completed.
As she neared the ground, Rita fell directly into the Champion’s Passage.
"She didn’t even touch the ground!!!"
"Foolishness... you..."
"What just happened? Did someone knock me out for hours?"
"She jumped in and was out again like a gust of wind."
"I can’t. I eat dumplings slower than that." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
"That laugh... is that Deceitful Bloom? I think the floor’s shaking."
"I went to check. Barista, Drummer, and Captain are all there."
"Guess we’re not leaving the house anytime soon. I’m scared of dying from divine laughter."
"Can BS-Rita go torment the gods instead?"
"Being near BS-Rita means being near pain."
"Being near BS-Rita means being near pain."
"Being near BS-Rita means being near pain."
"But staying away from her means losing all the fun."
"Say it right! Staying away from BS-Rita means staying away from Deceitful Bloom and Foolishness’s chaos!"
Not far away, Foolishness stopped walking. The roaring laughter from the demon outpost rolled like thunder behind them.
Maybe it was time to move somewhere without acquaintances.
Wait. Deceitful Bloom’s BS-Rita water bottle was almost done.
Foolishness turned back. One last stop for merch before leaving.
The laughter still carried through the corridors.
"I wonder if she’ll regret sacrificing the Orange-Red Light Wings after her soul wakes."
"Why would she? It’s a Divine Skill! Trading wings and a few abilities for that is a bargain."
"Besides, she could only separate those wings because everyone’s soul state is unstable inside Card Swap. Once outside, even if she keeps [Wrong Season], she can’t replicate this moment or copy [The End of the Story]."
"It’s not just the materials that can’t be copied. It’s that surge of soul fire at the end."
Bitter Chalice studied Captain’s calm expression with mild surprise. "I thought you’d be pleased about Lania Kaia Maple Syrup’s loss."
"Why would I be pleased?"
"Because it proves your endless preaching was right?"
Captain leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the screen where Lania Kaia Maple Syrup sat with closed eyes, silent and broken.
His voice was quiet. "I’m not pleased."
"Just as I admired BS-Rita the moment she entered the Game, I noticed Maple Syrup the third time she joined Divine Game years ago."
"You can all call me a lunatic, but everything I’ve done wasn’t to torment her. Why else would I push her toward [Faded Homeland]?"
"Worlds break all the time. What’s one more shattered Forest Sea?"
"But only its destruction could force Lania Kaia Maple Syrup to see herself clearly."
"If Forest Sea hadn’t fallen, even if I handed her [Faded Homeland], that relic would never have chosen her."
"She’s always been — thinking there’s still time, believing she can fix everything, holding on when she shouldn’t, cutting deep when she shouldn’t."
"She’s like BS-Rita, both too honest for their own good. But Maple Syrup is worse — her love and hatred burn far too bright."