The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

Silence.

Noah stood motionless.

His head hung slightly forward.

Crimson energy flowed around his body, but the color was no longer the soft maroon aura everyone had seen before.

It had become something deeper.

Red.

Black.

Cold.

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 48.9%]

The number flickered.

49.7%.

Laura took a cautious step forward.

"Noah?"

No response.

She stepped closer.

"Noah, can you hear me?"

His fingers twitched.

For a moment, Laura thought he was returning.

Then his head slowly lifted.

His eyes opened.

They were crimson.

But there was no warmth behind them.

Laura stopped.

"Noah...?"

His gaze passed over her.

Not recognizing.

Assessing.

Sophia felt the pressure and immediately raised her barrier.

"Laura, don’t."

Eric and Damien, both injured from their fight with Alcris, backed away.

Daniella remained beside her brother’s unconscious body.

Even Irus had gone still.

She stared at Noah.

"No..."

The crimson aura expanded.

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 63.2%]

Noah’s posture changed.

His shoulders relaxed.

His breathing became steady.

Almost peaceful.

The Dead Zone had taken control.

Inside Noah’s consciousness, Noah stood in darkness.

He could see his own body from a distance.

He tried to move.

Nothing happened.

"Give me my body back."

The Dead Zone stood where Noah had been moments earlier.

It looked exactly like him.

Same face.

Same black hair.

But the expression was different.

It slowly turned.

"You had your chance."

Noah clenched his fists.

"This is my body."

"I know."

"Then give it back."

The Dead Zone smiled.

"After this."

Noah looked toward the darkness.

"What are you going to do?"

The Dead Zone’s crimson eyes became colder.

"What you wouldn’t."

Outside, Irus raised her staff.

Golden light gathered around her.

"Everyone, move away."

Laura didn’t move.

"No."

Irus looked at her.

"You don’t understand."

"I understand enough."

Laura stood between Noah and the others.

"He’s still in there."

Irus’s expression hardened.

"Not anymore."

Laura shook her head.

"He’s still Noah."

The Dead Zone suddenly looked toward her.

For the first time, its expression changed.

Recognition.

Not affection.

Not anger.

Recognition.

It stared at Laura for several seconds.

Then it smiled.

"Move."

Laura froze.

That voice wasn’t Noah’s.

It was deeper.

Colder.

Eric tightened his grip on his weapon.

"That’s definitely not him."

Damien swallowed.

"Everyone get ready."

The Dead Zone looked around the chamber.

At the ruined heart.

The three extinguished medallions.

Irus.

Daniella.

Alcris.

And finally, Laura.

Its eyes stopped on Alcris.

A faint smile appeared.

"So..."

It slowly walked forward.

"You wanted Ragnarok."

Alcris’s unconscious body didn’t respond.

The Dead Zone stopped beside him.

Irus immediately moved.

"Don’t."

The Dead Zone looked at her.

"You opened the door."

Irus’s golden eyes narrowed.

"And you are what came through it."

"No."

The Dead Zone’s smile widened.

"I was already here."

Its hand reached toward Shadowfang.

The black longsword rose from the ground and flew into its grasp.

The crimson runes along the blade ignited.

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 82.6%]

The chamber trembled.

Daniella stepped in front of Alcris.

"Don’t touch my brother."

The Dead Zone looked at her.

"You’re protecting him?"

"He’s my brother."

A strange silence followed.

The Dead Zone glanced at Alcris.

Then at Daniella.

"Interesting."

Irus suddenly attacked.

Golden light exploded across the chamber.

The Dead Zone raised Shadowfang.

CLANG!

The impact shattered the remaining stones beneath his feet.

Irus was pushed backward.

Her eyes widened.

"You’ve become stronger."

The Dead Zone tilted its head.

"No."

Its smile disappeared.

"I’ve stopped holding back."

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 100%]

The system flashed.

[LIMITER REMOVED.]

[HOST CONSCIOUSNESS: SUPPRESSED.]

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE: COMPLETE DOMINANCE.]

Noah’s body went completely still.

Then the Dead Zone pulled Noah’s hair back with one hand, exposing his face.

It looked at Alcris.

Alcris slowly regained consciousness.

His eyes widened.

"Who..."

The Dead Zone smiled.

Alcris’s voice trembled.

"Who the hell are you?"

The Dead Zone leaned closer.

"You finally want to know?"

Alcris stared at him.

"You’re not Noah."

The Dead Zone gave a quiet laugh.

It raised Shadowfang.

"I am the extra..."

A brief pause.

A breath.

Its crimson eyes became completely cold.

"...who inherited Ragnarok."

Shadowfang flashed.

One clean strike.

Alcris’s head separated from his body.

Daniella screamed.

"ALCRIS!"

His body collapsed beside the shattered heart.

Silence returned.

The Dead Zone lowered Shadowfang.

Around Noah, the crimson-black aura slowly settled.

Laura stared at him in horror.

Noah was still standing.

But Noah was no longer the one looking back.

And beneath Hildgard, the ancient heart finally stopped beating.

The ancient heart stopped beating.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Alcris’s body lay beside the shattered stone.

His head rested several meters away.

Daniella stared at him.

Her weapon slipped from her hand.

"No..."

Her voice barely escaped.

She stumbled forward.

"No, no, no..."

She dropped beside her brother.

"Alcris."

Nothing.

She grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"Alcris, wake up."

Nothing.

Her breathing became uneven.

"You can’t..."

She looked toward Noah.

"You can’t do this!"

The Dead Zone stood several meters away.

Shadowfang rested casually in his hand.

His crimson eyes remained fixed on Daniella.

"I already did."

Daniella’s eyes filled with fury.

She reached for her weapon.

The Dead Zone tilted his head.

"You want to fight?"

Daniella froze.

She knew.

She couldn’t win.

Not now.

Not against whatever was controlling Noah.

Still, she raised her weapon.

"I don’t care."

She charged.

Laura stepped forward.

"Daniella, wait!"

Too late.

Daniella swung.

The Dead Zone moved.

One step.

That was all.

He avoided the strike and caught her wrist.

Daniella’s eyes widened.

He twisted.

Her weapon fell.

Before he could strike, Laura appeared between them.

"Stop!"

The Dead Zone looked at her.

Laura’s hands trembled.

But she didn’t move.

"He’s done."

The Dead Zone stared at her.

"You’re protecting her?"

"I’m protecting everyone."

A faint smile appeared.

"Even after seeing what I did?"

Laura swallowed.

"Yes."

For several seconds, the Dead Zone said nothing.

Something inside Noah’s consciousness stirred.

A faint voice.

Laura...

The Dead Zone’s expression changed.

Only slightly.

It released Daniella.

She fell backward.

Laura immediately helped her up.

The Dead Zone looked away.

"Take her."

Sophia stared.

"Why?"

"Because she’s finished."

Daniella looked at him with hatred.

"You killed my brother."

The Dead Zone looked back.

"Yes."

No excuse.

No regret.

Just a cold acknowledgment.

Daniella’s fists trembled.

"I’ll kill you."

The Dead Zone smiled.

"Maybe."

He turned away.

"Just not today."

Inside Noah’s consciousness, everything was dark.

Noah was on his knees.

His body felt impossibly heavy.

He could hear everything.

Laura.

Daniella.

Sophia.

Luna.

Eric.

Damien.

But he couldn’t control anything.

He slammed his fist against the darkness.

Give me my body back.

Nothing.

Give it back!

The Dead Zone’s voice answered from far away.

"Not yet."

Noah looked up.

"How long?"

Silence.

Then:

"Until the danger passes."

Noah clenched his teeth.

"You killed Alcris."

"Yes."

"You could have stopped."

"No."

Noah’s anger rose.

"You didn’t have to kill him!"

The Dead Zone appeared before him.

Its expression was calm.

"He would have continued."

"He was defeated."

"He would have tried again."

Noah stared at it.

"And you’re better?"

The Dead Zone smiled faintly.

"No."

It turned away.

"I’m worse."

Noah’s eyes widened.

The Dead Zone looked back.

"That’s why you need me."

Above them, Hildgard was silent.

The golden moon was gone.

The strange connection had disappeared.

The three moons returned to their ordinary positions.

For the first time in days, the sky looked normal.

But the city was devastated.

Damaged buildings.

Broken streets.

Collapsed underground structures.

And an academy that had lost an entire section of its foundation.

Eric looked around.

"So..."

Damien glanced at him.

"What?"

Eric sighed.

"I really hate Hildgard."

Despite everything, Sophia almost laughed.

Almost.

Laura looked at Noah.

He stood motionless.

His crimson eyes slowly faded.

The Dead Zone’s presence began receding.

Noah’s body swayed.

Laura rushed forward.

She caught him before he fell.

"Noah!"

His eyes opened.

Normal.

Confused.

He looked at her.

"Laura?"

She froze.

"Yeah."

Noah looked around.

"What happened?"

Nobody answered.

His gaze eventually settled on the blood beside the ancient heart.

His expression changed.

He understood.

Not everything.

But enough.

"Alcris..."

Daniella looked away.

Noah lowered his head.

For the first time since inheriting Ragnarok...

he realized the Dead Zone wasn’t merely something inside him.

It could make choices.

And one day...

those choices might not be his.