* * *

“Stop shaking the ground. What if Cadel gets hurt because of you? Will you pay for it with your life?”

Lydon grunted as he pressed a hand to the nape of Jeriel’s neck. As the source of the earthquake, Jeriel felt the tremors stronger in the ground where they stood than anywhere else. It was a murderous rumble as if the ground would crack and fall away at any moment, but fortunately, no such tragedy occurred. Lydon was straining Jeriel’s mana.

A barrier of ice stretched out like a shield over the frenzied power of the earth. With a considerable amount of mana, it took the form of a dome, trapping the two men. If it were to break, Jeriel’s power would shatter the very earth of the battlefield. It was only a matter of time before it became hell.

It was a close situation, but in fact, it did not mean much to Lydon. Because when the ground cracked, he could fly. Normally, he would have paid no attention to whether an earthquake occurred or not, and he would have watched Jeriel’s magic rampage.

But Cadel was here. Poor wingless humans couldn’t contain themselves without the ground. So Lydon couldn’t leave him to go out of control.

“Hmm, maybe I’ll just kill him, that would be easier.”

Controlling the mana rampage was not a guaranteed success. It was simpler to kill Jeriel and then deal with the overflowing mana from his corpse. It would be hard work, but it wasn’t too difficult for the current Lydon.

But he couldn’t make up his mind. This time it was Cadel.

“……Will he hate it?”

Cadel preferred to do things the hard way, when it would be easier to just kill and get rid of them. His human was sensitive to human life. Lydon could tell just by looking back at the time when Cadel threw his body with all his might to stop the transformation of some humans into monsters.

So when he found out that Lydon killed Jeriel when there was a way to save him, he was going to be pretty pissed. An angry Cadel was fun, but he was even cuter when he was smiling.

The thought process was short and the conclusion was clear.

“My darling is a real nuisance.”

Jeriel’s convulsions intensified as the hand pressed against the nape of his neck was removed. The sight of him bleeding profusely from his orifices would have been pitiful, but Lydon smirked and relentlessly turned him over. Lydon’s fingertips brushed over Jeriel’s chest as he lay on his back.

There weren’t many ways to stop the rampage and at the same time save the magician’s life. The mana must be sorted out and completely absorbed by the power of the person subject to the rampage, or the mana that exceeded the capacity of the mana vessel must be extracted with the power of another person. Both were difficult tasks, but in particular, the second method had a greater risk to the other person than the one subject to the rampage. It was because the subject’s mana had to be absorbed directly.

Without knowing the exact capacity of Jeriel’s mana vessel, they could have ended up with two rampages instead of one.

“If I’m going to do all this for you, shouldn’t you hold on and not just die blandly? I mean, you should live happily.”

Despite the high stakes, there was no sign of nervousness on Lydon’s face. In fact, there was a sense of ease, a sense of unconditional success.

“Now, let’s get well soon.”

* * *

Wiping the blood from the corner of his eye, Sorin stared forward.

‘That’s not good.’

Jeriel and Dreyfe. The two battalion captains were nowhere to be seen. One was trapped inside an ice barrier, presumably of a fairy, and the other inside a sphere, presumably of a demon.

The two battalion captains had swept across countless battlefields, often in tandem. Jeriel was the Empire’s most sought-after magical talent, while Dreyfe, with his divine power, had a unique fighting style that made him a battalion captain at a young age. In the face of no small crisis, they always survived. At first, their strong personalities often put them at odds, but Sorin eventually came to accept them. They were worthy of being battalion captains of the Guardian Knight Order.

That was why he trusted them this time too. Although he expected hardships, he did not worry about death.

However.

“First Battalion! Stop slaughtering and move to the gate!”

It didn’t feel right. It was the intuition of a knight who had spent a lifetime going through life-and-death situations to the point of getting tired of it.

He still led his men, counting the number of Red Men armies roaming the battlefield.

The knights had been diligently reducing their numbers, but the inconsistent location of the monster armies prevented them from being efficiently slain. Evidence of this was the increasing number of Red Men that were slowly approaching the gate.

‘Are you saying that the Red Men only move forward until they reach the gate?’

‘Yes, but they are aggressive as soon as they arrive. They have an unbearable level of fighting power, so if you allow the armies to enter, it will be difficult to protect the gate.’

They were a pain in the *ss as it was, but adding aggression to them could be a game-changer.

At the gate, Sorin turned to his men and said.

“I’ll leave the front line to the Fourth and Fifth Battalions. You’ll kill the ones that escape from here. Do not miss a single one. Defend the gate of the Empire at all costs!”

The restrained cry that did not get tired even in the fierce battle rang in his ears. Among the scattered knights surrounding the gate, Sorin found one of his swiftest men and summoned him.

“Hon, you will return to the castle immediately and seek out the Emperor. Describe the nature of the High Demon and monsters, and request additional support from the healers and the Knight Order.”

“Roger, Battalion Captain!”

For now, the commander of the Guardian Knight Order was away. Even if reinforcements came, he would still be in command, and his responsibilities would still be the same.

After giving the order, Sorin decided to join the mercenary corps. He knew that protecting the gateway was a priority, but for now, he was going with his gut.

Jeriel and Dreyfe. Torn between the two battalion captains, Sorin chose the mysterious black sphere. It was in the direction of the mercenary commander.

* * *

Van’s sword energy and Cadel’s fire magic gnawed ferociously at the sphere. At first, not even the tiniest scratch was left, but slowly, the effects of the relentless attack were revealed.

The sphere vibrated violently with each sword energy strike, and cracks spread with each explosion. Cadel sprayed the fireballs like water, keeping the magic loaded to protect Dreyfe at all times. His eyes were fierce as he watched the cracks widen.

‘I can’t let the battalion captain of the Guardian Knight Order die here, it’ll be a mess.’

If Dreyfe died, it would be because of Sellev, but Cadel wasn’t sure the Knight Order would hold the mercenary corps accountable. Even if they didn’t, it was unclear if they would continue to need the mercenary corps’ help.

Conversely, if he saved Dreyfe’s life here, he would be repaid in some way. It was for this very calculated reason that Cadel sought to save Dreif.

“Van, get ready!”

The crack was wide enough. Even the slightest shock would cause the shell to come off. However, if he timidly broke the sphere out of concern for Dreyfe’s safety, Sellev, who noticed the problem first, could have taken action.

So what he needed now was a strong punch.

Upon hearing the command, Van immediately accelerated the condensation of his sword energy. The color of the aura pooled in the greatsword grew darker and darker. The crimson hilt of the sword resonated with the aura with a low rumble.

“I’m ready, Commander.”

“I’ll support your attack. Strike on my signal.”

Van’s sword energy was strong, but Cadel wanted more. He planned to give it speed and explosiveness.

‘Just fire and wind would suffice.’

In one fell swoop, he raised the power of both attributes. A sharp gaze peered over the stirring dirt.

The shouts of the knights ringing loudly in his ears, the flow of mana still vibrating the earth, his own breathing a little slower. He pushed it all away slowly, concentrating.

And the moment when the center of the crack was revealed through the settled dirt.

“Now!”

Van’s sword energy that had been waiting flew out without a second’s delay, the two elemental magics enveloping it. A gust of wind from behind sped up the sword energy and drove the attack into the center of the rift, while intense flames enveloped the auburn sword energy and swelled its size.

Magic-infused sword energy pierced the sphere’s crack, leaving a blurry afterimage. The sphere’s only weakness, forged by relentless attack. Cadel channeled his own mana to the magic enveloping the sword energy to prevent it from dissipating.

The crack was not able to withstand Van’s sword energy.

Crack. Crack crack.

The crack spread across the sphere, and from the gap, a thick, dense demonic energy leaked out.

‘What, is that?’

The mass of demonic energy began to obscure their vision like a smoke bomb, but Cadel never stopped assisting the sword energy through the obstruction, and finally.

Rumble—

The sword energy perfectly sliced through the sphere. As he watched it disappear, leaving behind a cool trajectory, the demonic energy inside the sphere cascaded out.

His skin tingled just by touching it. The inky blackness of the demonic energy felt more like poison than energy. Cadel squinted, trying to make out Dreyfe’s form, but he could see nothing. The exploding demonic energy quickly engulfed the area.

“Commander! Come my way, it’s dangerous to be alon―!”

Van’s shout was cut off by blackness everywhere. He turned quickly but saw nothing. Cadel faltered in the near-darkness of the demonic energy.

‘No Dreyfe, no Van. Even a whimper…….’

There was no sight, no sound. The roar that had filled the surroundings was swallowed up by an eerie silence. Cadel felt nothing as if he had lost his five senses.

‘Is this a trait of the demonic energy?’

None of Garuel’s abilities using the same demonic energy had the ability to block the opponent’s five senses, but since Sellev was a true High Demon, she might have access to special demonic energy.

‘Sellev’s skills were mostly physical. Demonic energy is used as a substitute for a shield to increase power or gain an advantage in close combat. Among them, the technique of erasing signs in this way is…….’

Cadel desperately reviewed Sellev’s moves. He’d fought her so many times, and been beaten so many times. As a boss with randomized skill combinations, except for a large pattern, the number of skills she used was high.

And among the myriad of skills, there was one that required a shield to be placed at least one turn in advance to avoid damage.

‘……The Black Grasp.’

This skill has no evasion whatsoever, and unless you’re in a tanker position, you’ll take instant damage upon impact.

‘Before deploying the Black Grasp, Sellev emitted an unusual amount of demonic energy.’

The trick was to anticipate the attack by the amount and color of the demonic energy wrapped around Sellev’s character. If this ignorant amount of demonic energy was a precursor to [Black Grasp].

‘Holy sh*t……!’

He didn’t know who she was going to attack, himself, Van, or Dreyfe. Cadel didn’t even know the location of his allies. If the demonic energy’s range even reached the magic circle, Jeriel and Lydon were also in danger.

Cadel calmly wrapped the barrier around himself and began to walk out at random, weaving his way through the demonic energy. It was impossible to move without being seen while under Sellev’s spell anyway. It was better to find an ally and wrap the barrier around them somehow than to hide to avoid being targeted.

But before Cadel could take more than a few steps.

Thud.

His toes caught on something solid. Reflexively, he ducked his head, revealing a shadowy silhouette beyond the fluttering demonic energy.

“……Sir Dreyfe?”

It was Dreyfe. Crouching down, Cadel assessed his condition first.

‘Is he dead?’

Cadel was immediately struck by how disfigured he was. His face was the only part of his body that was relatively intact, but from the neck down, he was a mess. All of his armor was broken and ragged at the seams, soaked with blood of unknown origin, and his right limb had been flattened.

Unable to believe in his survival, Cadel put his ear to Dreyfe’s damp chest armor. Thanks to the disappearance of signs in all directions, the heartbeat could be heard relatively clearly.

‘I guess…… he isn’t dead.’

Although it was a faint vitality that seemed to extinguish at one breath, he had not yet died.

“What the hell happened inside?”

The thought of a knight of the Empire looking like this after such a grueling battle in the sphere sent chills down his spine.

‘I hope I can somehow hand Dreyfe over to the Knight Order before he dies like this.’

The only way to save Dreyfe was to call for a healer immediately. But carrying Dreyfe, calling for a healer. All of this could only be accomplished by getting out of this sphere of demonic energy.

‘Before reaping the demonic energy, she will definitely use the [Black Grasp]. I don’t think she’s going to waste her energy on a dying Dreyfe. The most likely is…….’

Himself and Van, who were closest to the sphere. Cadel draped a barrier over the fallen Dreyfe, just in case, and channeled fire mana over his own barrier. The fire barrier made it difficult to see, but he hoped the light would help Van find him. Cadel had to find Van somehow and wrap the barrier around him before it was too late.

With that single-minded intent, Cadel plowed through the stinging sphere of demonic energy once more, but it was faster for Sellev’s demonic energy to disperse than for him to find Van.

Demonic energy disappeared as fast as it came. The sounds around him began to return as his vision grew brighter. The sounds of knights shouting, blades slicing through flesh, and the acrid smell of smoke filling the air.

Cadel looked around anxiously. The disappearance of demonic energy meant that Sellev’s [Black Grasp] had hit its target safely. The only person Cadel could find was Dreyfe.

His eyes, which had been shaking unsteadily, suddenly reacted to the harsh voice that struck his ears. And there.

“You’re stalling me!”

He could see Sellev charging at him, holding someone up as a shield, but neither her rapidly approaching figure nor the murderous demonic energy that dyed her whole body black drew Cadel’s attention for the moment.

Cadel captured only one person. The back of a man’s head in Sellev’s hands.

“……Van.”

Van’s droopy head snapped, unable to withstand Sellev’s speed. And when his face, revealed in front, came right in front of his nose.

“Die, all of you!”

Cadel retracted the barrier of fire.