Because they were colleagues, they knew. The shadow resembling Yozen was moving freely beneath Cadel. The black energy surrounding Cadel and the relentless attacks protecting him. All that formidable power seemed to belong to Yozen. However, there were several points that didn’t sit right with the idea that he was hiding and protecting Cadel, as he normally would.

Leaving behind the confused companions who couldn’t resolve their doubts, Cadel looked up at the sky, not the enemy in front of him.

‘There are so many High Demons.’

There must be more than twenty, just from a quick glance. He didn’t know how to deal with all of them. He had faced less than half of the High Demons in the game. Were the other enemies added in Hell mode? Perhaps they were High Demons who appeared briefly in a cutscene.

Whatever the answer, it was clear that defeating them all was necessary to reach the Demon King’s castle. Taking a short breath, Cadel placed his hand on his chest and whispered.

“If it’s too hard, you can stop anytime.”

There was no response, but Cadel knew that Yozen had given a positive answer. They were as one, after all.

* * *

“Even if you sacrifice yourself for me, I won’t escape this place alive. I’ll die holding your corpse.”

“……There are many things you need to do outside.”

“Yes, but it’s meaningless without you. Not a single one of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order can be absent. No one can fall. Otherwise, all my efforts will have been in vain.”

He ignored Yozen’s request to let him die in his place. Even though he couldn’t think of another way, he still refused. He could grant Yozen anything, but not his death.

In response, Yozen asked what Cadel should do, and Cadel replied.

“I don’t know. If it continues like this, we’ll both die. But it’s better than escaping by stepping over your death. I’m sorry to the others…… especially the subordinates, but there’s nothing we can do.”

The idea of saving the many with the sacrifice of a few loses its meaning the moment the ‘few’ refers to his companions. It’s okay to be selfish. No one can take away the ones he loves.

It was a truly irresponsible and pathetic response. Cadel could understand if Yozen was tired of it. However, Yozen’s response was not what Cadel expected.

“Are you saying you’ll throw everything away for me? That you’ll be satisfied with just me?”

“Yozen……?”

A hoarse voice and a body growing heavier little by little. The growing laughter, rapidly expanding in size, created a strangely eerie atmosphere. He could feel a strange, unfamiliar emotion from Yozen, one that was near the feeling of survival. It was a change he had never felt before.

“Yo, Yozen. Wait a second. It’s too heavy.”

It wasn’t just Yozen’s weight. The pressure on Cadel was too much. His body was folded in half, and intense pain spread from his crushed ribs. It became hard to breathe. Cadel struggled and called for help several times, but Yozen kept repeating the same thing.

“I’m happy, Cadel. Really happy……”

What could he possibly be happy about? Was it because he didn’t choose to sacrifice himself? Was it the reckless idea of dying together if that was the choice?

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

Cadel swallowed dryly at the series of system windows that kept popping up as if something had gone wrong.

“I love you, Cadel. Me too. I only need you. In my world, all I need is you. I don’t need anything else.”

The affection that kept rising repeatedly was becoming creepy. The system windows that constantly filled his view were confusing, and amidst all this, the weight pressing down on him became even more intense.

“Yozen, I can’t breathe……!”

His crushed body screamed out in terrible pain. One moment, horror overwhelmed him, and a dizzying sensation ran through his upper body, like a broken rib piercing his guts.

The next moment.

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ Limit Break Quest Completed!」

「Congratulations! Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ has met the limit breakthrough conditions.」

「The maximum grade is retained. Additional stat increases and skills are unlocked.」

「Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ goes off the rails of fate.」

「Entering self-correction mode. It will take some time for information to be updated.」

「Access to information on Knight ‘Yozen Vardikta’ is temporarily restricted.」

As a system window appeared unexpectedly, the weight that had been pressing down on his entire body just moments ago disappeared. Cadel, who had desperately caught his breath, sprang to his feet.

“What the hell did you do, Yozen! I almost……!”

Cadel, who had truly felt his life was in danger, shouted loudly, but he couldn’t finish his sentence. It was because of the unfamiliar scene unfolding right before his eyes.

“This is……”

The surroundings were still pitch black, but everything had changed. The space, once only dark, was now filled with the energy of a force. His own breath and heartbeat were strangely clear. It felt like he had opened a third eye, and as Cadel fell silent at the sudden change, the voice of Yozen echoed in his head.

[We’ve become one. I’ll entrust my life to you, Cadel. If you accept me, I will keep you away from death.]

The familiar voice resonated in his mind, and the energy filling the space began to vibrate.

[As long as you’re alive, I won’t die. The opposite is also true. So…… we’ll live forever.]

Cadel couldn’t understand the meaning behind Yozen’s words or what had changed within him. He didn’t understand anything.

But Yozen’s [Oath of Immortality] shook the very axis of the space, which seemed impossible to escape. And when the maze finally broke apart and the scene beyond it was revealed, Cadel realized.

This was the world Yozen saw. The soul Yozen entrusted to him illuminated a new world that Cadel had never seen before.

‘It’s even more dizzying out here. I don’t even know what’s what.’

All of his senses, his vision, and even the presence of those around him were now under Yozen’s watch. Yozen had become the shadow of the chosen target and watched everything, thus connecting perfectly.

Anyone who entered the range of that shadow was as good as offering their life in front of Cadel. Even the slightest hint of hostility would trigger Yozen’s attack. Cadel’s will couldn’t intervene. This was Yozen’s instinct to uphold the [Oath of Immortality].

Therefore, as long as the [Oath of Immortality] remained in effect, Cadel had to move alone, away from everyone. In fact, it was more comfortable that way. His senses, which were now ten times more sensitive than usual, reacted delicately even to the presence of distant living beings. If someone had been right next to him, he would have likely overreacted.

That wasn’t all. Cadel could vaguely sense the combat power of both the visible and invisible enemies in front of him. The flow of energy they wielded and how they used it became so obvious that he started to understand Yozen’s actions little by little.

His tendency to prefer being alone, his uncanny ability to sense the appearance of enemies, and his talent for understanding an enemy’s movements faster than anyone else. In a world like this, it would have been odd not to be this sensitive.

‘The enemies on the ground aren’t much of a problem. With this level of sensitivity, I could overwhelm them with area-of-effect magic. I’ll leave the support to the reinforcements that are about to arrive. The real problems are only two……’

One, of course, was the High Demons filling the sky. They had been watching the shattered maze and the culprit of the collapse, Cadel’s power, without showing any signs of movement so far. Scanning through the crowd, Cadel quickly recognized some familiar faces and was certain.

‘If I take those guys down, I’ll be able to enter the Demon King’s castle.’

Before entering the final stage of the game, the player had to pass through the so-called ‘Wailing Wall’, where High Demons appeared at every level. In that stage, even the lowest enemies were High Demons, and the knights’ abilities, equipment, and items had to be at their best to clear it.

Of course, this was only true for people like Shin Yeohwan, who recklessly tried to clear it shortly after the stage opened. Later, it was regarded as a gateway to the final content, which couldn’t be cleared with any normal stats.

‘My subordinates’ abilities are already at their peak. They’ve broken through their limits, so the knights’ abilities won’t be an issue. I’ve convinced the Emperor to equip them with the best gear, and I’ve gotten every item possible. The only variable is that this battle is on Hell Mode, which is more challenging than what I experienced.’

In fact, the risk of that variable was somewhat mitigated by the involvement of someone named Kunra. The real issue was the other one.

‘……About 15 minutes left.’

The countdown, which had decreased while the maze was being destroyed, was now down to about 15 minutes. In just 15 minutes, the fate of Hyron would be decided.

‘Kunra said that once the countdown ends, we should move Lord Hyron to a safe place.’

The maze had collapsed, and the enemy forces were gathering in droves right in front of him. He had no idea how to find a safe place in this situation.

‘I have to do it, no matter what.’

He would never allow Hyron to die in the Demon Realm. With that resolve, Cadel whispered softly.

“I need about 15 minutes. Can you hold out?”

[……I can hold out.]

“Good. I’m counting on you, Yozen.”