* * *

“I’m exhausted, so just make it brief.”

Dreyfe, who had braced himself with his twin swords stabbed into the ground, said wearily while hunched over. Judging from his bloodied body and the broken blades, it was clear that his exhaustion wasn’t just a complaint.

Cadel calmly scanned the battalion captains gathered in front of him. They had reluctantly come together in response to his and Sorin’s call, and they couldn’t hide their weariness and impatience as they glanced nervously at the enemy visible beyond the barrier.

Outside, their subordinates were still engaged in fierce battle. Cadel had no intention of keeping them any longer than necessary.

“Outstanding magicians will arrive soon. When they do, we will have a good chance of turning the tide. No, we will definitely turn it around.”

“Did you call the royal magicians?”

“You’ll see. In any case, you all just need to lead your battalions and trust that reinforcements are coming.”

The mention of the magician’s support was a beacon of hope for the allies, who had been suffocating under the weight of defeat. Cadel met their gradually brightening eyes and spoke once more.

“Our biggest problem right now is the demonic energy that renders our barriers useless. From what I’ve observed, the attack is being carried out by a High Demon who has transformed her body into demonic energy. This means that if we can attack the demonic energy, we can strike at the demon as well.”

“Is that even possible? It’s just energy, it can’t even be touched.”

“Right before the demonic energy is fired, we can definitely attack it. The moment it takes form and is launched, that’s the moment we need to strike.”

“To time that perfectly, we need an immense amount of focus. Fighting off the enemy while trying to focus solely on the demonic energy is impossible. The knights will be too busy positioning themselves where they won’t be killed to worry about that.”

From all directions, concerns poured in. Cadel slowly nodded, as if he fully understood their worries, and added.

“While you focus on the demonic energy, there is a way to distract the enemy’s attention. So, please, trust the Scarlet Scales Knight Order and concentrate on cutting down the demonic energy.”

There was no time to explain every detail. Cadel glanced at the increasing enemy forces that were beginning to overwhelm their barrier and sought the consent of his allies. The response came from Sorin.

“We’ll trust you. Right now, we have no choice but to trust our allies.”

Sorin, seeing the hesitation in the battalion captains, stepped forward first, gently boosting their morale and infusing energy into his hammer.

“If your strategy fails, the future of the Empire will be lost. But if we lose this war, the future of the Human Realm will be lost. If we must push forward despite all the dangers, then I will follow whatever path that may be.”

Even though he tried to fortify his spirit as much as he could, the sword’s blade was growing dull. Dreyfe, who had just decapitated a Red Man charging toward him, clicked his tongue.

‘Looks like we’re about to fight with our bare fists soon.’

His twin swords, equipped with magic tools, were the only weapons he had. These weapons, which he had used for half his life, were now in tatters and nearly broken. This kind of absurd crisis was something he hadn’t experienced since the days before he even knew how to wield a sword.

With swift strikes, Dreyfe fended off enemies in all directions, his gaze occasionally falling to the ground. The faces of the enemies, once ferocious and ready to tear through the magic barrier, had disappeared. The bodies of the fallen now filled the magic circle, blocking the enemy’s advance.

Every time he saw the face of one of his subordinates, every time he saw the face of a comrade he had laughed and talked with just days ago, his heart ached, and it became harder to maintain his composure.

‘Even my father has fallen…… Should I really continue this fight?’

The image of Ector, slowly collapsing from afar, was still vivid in his mind. There had been only a few times when he had set out for battle with his father and commander, and this was the first time they had truly fought together from the beginning. Because of that, Dreyfe had held high hopes for this battle, eager to prove his abilities to his father.

But now, everything had changed. With Ector down, how could they possibly turn the tide of this battlefield? Was it not better to retreat now to prevent more of his subordinates from dying for nothing? Weak, uncertain doubts welled up inside him.

And yet, the reason he continued to fight was because of Cadel Lytos. The young Knight Commander’s streak of victories gave him a fleeting hope that perhaps, just maybe, this time too they could turn things around.

“Battalion Captain Dreyfe! The demon has finished recovering!” 

One of his subordinates, watching the movements of the red-headed demon, called out loudly. Dreyfe, scattering his sword energy in all directions, raised his voice in response.

“Everyone! Prepare for the incoming attack! Don’t move from your positions! Wait for the moment when the demonic energy materializes! Never forget that the moment you lose focus, only death awaits!”

Dreyfe still couldn’t understand how Cadel planned to distract the flood of enemies, but if they didn’t trust Cadel’s words, repelling the red-headed demon would be impossible.

And then, after hearing the resounding response from the battalion……

“It’s starting!”

The attack that had driven their forces into a deadly trap resumed. Dreyfe fixed his gaze on the demonic energy beam aimed directly at his throat and solar plexus, swallowing hard.

‘It’s a fatal strike. If I can’t cut it down, I won’t be waking up.’

If he changed position, he could avoid the critical hit. But even the slightest shift in his body seemed impossible, not with the time running out. Dreyfe pushed all his senses to the limit, trying to feel the touch of the demonic energy where it had already made contact.

But even that simple task was difficult. The enemies were swarming him like a tidal wave, and the High Demons were radiating a menacing aura. Even if he tried to ignore them and stay focused, his body would instinctively flinch.

The approaching goblins and Red Men, the swing of the ogre’s club, the screeching sound of the demons—it all gnawed away at his mental focus.

‘Hey, Cadel Lytos. If you’re going to do something, do it fast. I don’t want to die from a monster’s blow!’

It was hard to maintain concentration with the vicious faces of the monsters charging toward him. He knew it was the same for the other knights as well.

Could the plan have gone wrong? Was it time to shift position and avoid the fatal strike? The hesitation was overwhelming, and just as the enemy’s attack was closing in……

Doong—

A resounding bell rang out from somewhere, and an ominous energy began to rise from the ground.

‘Demonic energy……? No, is that dark mana?’

There was no time to analyze the strange energy. The sky suddenly darkened. Instinctively, Dreyfe’s eyes caught sight of the enormous scale that appeared in the sky, filling the space above them. One side of the scale was made of dazzling light mana, while the other side……

‘……I can’t see it. The dark mana is swirling around it. If that’s the case……’

Confusion layered on top of confusion as the scale began to tilt slightly. The dark mana plate descended downward. For a moment, Dreyfe’s attention shifted, distracted by the movement of the scale. He hastily turned his gaze back to assess the enemies charging toward him. However.

‘They’re retreating……?’

The monsters, and even the demons, seemed to sense something, halting and stepping back, as though they were unsure of what to do.

‘This isn’t the demons’ attack.’

If that’s the case, the most likely possibility was that the magic was being cast by an ally who could wield dark mana—namely, the black magician of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order. Of course, the presence of the light mana on the other side of the scale was puzzling, but there was no time to dwell on that now.

“Don’t take your eyes off of it! This is our last chance! Read the flow of the demonic energy!”

At Dreyfe’s shout, the dark mana plate tilted fully downward. And in the next moment.

Rumble—

The energy that had been gently rippling on the ground surged violently, shooting upward with thin beams of light. Reflexively, Dreyfe squeezed his eyes shut, then roared out his command.

“Read the flow of the demonic energy!”

Cold sweat ran down his spine as a hot heat surged through his body. As the flash of light gradually faded beyond his closed eyelids, Dreyfe felt a clear sensation in the area where the demonic energy had made contact.

“……!”

Without hesitation, Dreyfe swung his twin swords, slicing through the demonic energy’s thread.

‘I felt it!’

A harsh scraping sound echoed as his dulled blades cut through the energy. Desperately, Dreyfe opened his eyes to confirm the cut he had made in the demonic energy, but—

“What……?”

Before the vanishing demonic energy could even register, what caught Dreyfe’s attention was the sight of his comrades’ backs filling his field of vision.

“Waaaahhh!”

“Charge! Charge!”

“Let’s fight again!”

The bodies of their fallen comrades, which had been piled up, now rose up from the magic circle, revived, and began to wreak havoc across the battlefield.

* * *

“Well done, Garuel.”

Amid the thunderous roar that seemed to shake the very brain, Cadel’s voice was barely audible. He increased the concentration of the dark mana surrounding them and fixed his gaze on Garuel, positioned at the heart of it all.

Garuel’s half-body, tainted with deep demonic energy, and the half-destroyed wing drooping at his side. Kneeling on one knee, he thrust his sword into the ground, pouring all of his energy into the bodies of the dead.

[Dance of Souls].

In a brief moment, Garuel’s technique revived the dead, forcing them into their final battle until the last of their souls had been drained. In the game, this technique was only able to resurrect fallen allies before a stage was completed.

It relied on a single principle: before the soul completely departed the recently deceased, it would be tethered to the body, brought back to life, and forced to fight. It was Garuel’s ultimate technique.

Aside from using this ability, Garuel had no means of defense, and once the technique was activated, he would be unable to move or act until the stage was over. Even in the game, it was reserved as a final, desperate measure—the [Dance of Souls].

Garuel had first unlocked the principles of this technique while in the Mountains of Silence, but he had followed Cadel’s orders not to use it unless given the command. Thus, this was the first time he’d used it in an actual battle.

‘I was hoping to save it for the later stages…… but we need to hold on until Lydon arrives, by any means necessary.’

If they fell before their reinforcements arrived, victory would be forever out of reach.

‘But at least I’ve figured out how to deal with the most troublesome one.’

Cadel’s gaze shifted through the dark mana, focusing on the red-haired demon floating above. She was regenerating, no longer displaying her usual calm, emotionless demeanor. Her wounds and the purplish blood running from her mouth indicated that the enemy’s attacks were starting to take a toll on her.

‘As long as Garuel’s [Dance of Souls] persists, and my subordinates can keep the High Demons occupied, I need to wear her down bit by bit.’

The demon had sustained significant injuries, so it would take her some time to launch another attack. But if they waited too long, [Dance of Souls] would end, and their subordinates’ energy would be drained.

‘I can’t just let her recover freely.’

With his eyes gleaming with determination, Cadel pulled himself out of the dark mana’s confines.