Cadel had been focused on trying to persuade Lydon until the moment before he opened his eyes. But as soon as he managed to open his eyes, he heard the news he hadn’t expected.

“Lydon…… has returned to the forest?”

“Yes. He said he was calling for reinforcements. He asked us to hold on until then, Knight Commander. Please take command.”

The fact that Lydon had left to persuade his own kind was surprising. Cadel’s mind grew heavy as he realized that Lydon’s decision meant he saw no chance of victory in this war. 

Unconsciously, Cadel ran his hand over his stomach, where the wound had healed. He looked over his subordinates’ conditions. Thanks to Garuel’s concentrated healing, everyone had regained consciousness, but their conditions were far from ideal. It would be better to get more treatment. And speaking of Garuel……

“You focus on your recovery once the healing of the team members is complete. You all should support Garuel so that he can concentrate on the healing. Until then, I will protect you.”

“……I’m sorry, Cadel.”

An unexpected apology came in response to Cadel’s order. Cadel looked at Yozen in confusion. Yozen approached him, still covering the wound on his lower back, and despite his eyes being covered, Cadel could feel the weight of his guilt.

“What are you apologizing for, Yozen?”

“I couldn’t kill Arpa. Because of that, Arpa, who absorbed my power, killed many humans, and in the end, even you……” 

“It wasn’t you who killed the humans, it was Arpa. Losing your dark energy was a painful mistake, but if we kill that one, the problem will be solved. Yozen.”

Cadel gently held Yozen’s hand, which was still covering the wound, and spoke firmly.

“Once your healing is complete, use your specialty until I give you the signal.”

“Specialty……?”

“Save the people. Arpa’s dark energy is something only you can detect. Protect the knights from him.”

Yozen nodded heavily at Cadel’s words. Cadel gave him a small reassuring smile before turning his gaze to the rest of his subordinates and speaking with resolve.

“If Lydon returns, the situation will turn in our favor. So, trust your comrades and hold on. Let’s give our best and prevent the battle from tipping any further.”

Even though he had lost consciousness once and faced the threat of death, Cadel’s eyes burned with a stronger resolve than before. His subordinates, seeing this Cadel, were fired up with determination, and after giving them additional orders, Cadel wrapped a thick barrier around them for protection. However, he did not remain inside the barrier.

He had to meet with the commanders. Cadel pushed through the oncoming waves of enemies, raising his voice.

“Sir Ector! Sir Moritol! Commanders and Battalion Captains, please respond!” 

His shout was drowned out by the grotesque laughter of the enemies and the explosive sounds echoing from all directions. Cadel raised his voice several more times to call for his allies, and eventually, he shot a fireball high into the sky. As the enemies spotted it, they surged toward Cadel, surrounding him, but he did not stop signaling. Before long……

“Sir Cadel!” 

Someone appeared through the gaps in the enemies surrounding Cadel. A heavy hammer crushed through the enemy’s waist and head, clearing a narrow path. Cadel moved through the path and shouted.

“Sir Sorin!” 

Sorin’s face, smeared with his own blood and the enemy’s, showed a sense of urgency. Cadel quickly scanned his shattered armor and the clear wounds, then wrapped a barrier around him. 

“The commander is severely injured.”

“Sir Ector?”  

“While you and Sir Moritol were down, Sir Jeriel and his unit came under concentrated fire, and the commander blocked the attack but was pierced in the abdomen. Sir Garuel immediately used healing magic to save his life, but he’s not in any condition to fight.”  

“Then what about Sir Ector and Sir Jeriel now……?”  

“They’ve been moved to the rear, and the knights are protecting them. But unless they use a teleportation circle, there’s no safe place here.”  

At Sorin’s words, Cadel bit his lip. It was his mistake. His hasty decision without fully understanding the enemy. His focus had been thrown off by the injuries to his subordinates. As a result, the commanders of the two Knight Orders had fallen, and the precious magician Jeriel and his battalion had been taken out of the fight.  

“Right now, the best option is to hold them off. We can’t even use proper healing magic in this situation, and escaping is impossible. ……So, Sir Cadel, please take the surviving knights and use a teleportation spell to get them out of here.”

At Sorin’s unexpected words, Cadel’s brow furrowed. He wanted to ask what he meant, but the weight in Sorin’s gaze was too heavy. Even someone like him, who had seen countless battlefields, was now making this choice. Perhaps it was because he had experienced so many wars that he could clearly read the signs of defeat in this one and had decided that even the survivors needed to be sent away.

“While you prepare the magic, the 1st Battalion will hold off the enemy. Go back, receive healing from the healers, and bring reinforcements with you.”

Now that the commanders had fallen, he had to make a decision as the captain of the 1st Battalion of the Guardian Knight Order and the vice commander. And his choice was the sacrifice of the 1st Battalion. Sorin was willing to risk the lives of himself and his subordinates to save the Empire’s knights.

In his eyes, there was no sign of fear. Cadel, meeting Sorin’s unwavering gaze, clenched his fist and replied.

“I refuse.”

“This is not the time for stubbornness. No matter how capable you are, you can’t turn the tide in this situation. Accept that, and at least save the remaining lives……”

“Reinforcements will arrive soon.”

“Reinforcements……?”

“And no one from the Scarlet Scales Knight Order has died. Once my subordinates are healed, I have a strategy in place to pressure the High Demons. That strategy will require the help of both the Guardian Knight Order and the Heaven Time Knight Order. So, I will mobilize every surviving ally.”

If they withdrew now, they wouldn’t get another chance. Cadel could sense this instinctively. He also knew that the opportunity gained through Lydon’s difficult decision had to be seized.

“Therefore, your sacrifice is not necessary. Please, focus only on holding out until the end.”