* * *

“That was disgustingly fast.” 

Van muttered as he spat out the blood pooled in his mouth. The sunlight reflected off the fairy wings, shimmering, and the sky was beautifully colored like the Milky Way at noon. The ice spears they released quickly pierced the enemies on the ground, and above the allies being attacked, a solid ice shield was added. The ice crystals falling with the flapping of the wings detected the enemy and slowed their movements. The fairy army’s arrival was turning the tide of battle, which had been on the verge of collapse, in an instant.

“I never thought the fairies would join in…… Well, it’s just that there are now more prey.” 

Rodin sneered while rubbing the wound on her cheek. The appearance of the fairy army was certainly an unexpected event. They had always been too busy protecting themselves, having poor relations with both humans and demons. But now, with the fairies joining in, there was no way they could lose this battle that was already won. She glared at the human in front of her and raised her shield. The horn made of aura was pitifully cracked, and the mask that had been shaped into a bizarre form was almost unrecognizable from its original state. As the battle continued, the human’s attacks lost their agility, and their strength waned. It was certain that he was running low on blood. If she pressed a little more, she could probably handle the human without much effort.

And Rodin’s hunch was correct. 

‘About one more minute.’ 

The blood he had taken from Rodin alone wouldn’t be enough to replenish the amount he had spent. At this rate, his left arm and both ears, which were used as collateral for his strength, would disappear. Van already felt the throbbing pain in his left arm and ears and frowned. From the beginning, it had been a fight to buy time. He had kept them occupied for this long, so next, it was their turn.

“Why don’t you act more aggressively? Where did that momentum from earlier go, berserker?”

“The more I see you, the less will I have to act aggressively. Try being a little more charming. If you even imitate the claws of our commander, my will to fight would be revived.”

“Of course, apart from your face, there’s nothing worth looking at in a human like you. I think I’ll take your head as a trophy.”

Rodin licked her lips briefly and then charged again. The charge, starting without any real preparation, was no different from a bullet fired in surprise. Van raised the edge of his greatsword, gauging the arrival point of Rodin. However……

“……?”

Rodin, who had been charging relentlessly toward Van, suddenly stopped her movements. She quickly straightened her body and fixed her gaze on Van, placing a hand on her abdomen.

‘What is this? Suddenly a chill……’

It felt as if a small seed of ice had been planted inside her body, a cold sensation spreading. As she diverted her attention, which had been solely focused on Van, she soon identified the source of the sudden foreign sensation.

‘It’s that fairy.’

A fairy, not far off, was staring at her. Upon noticing the distinct magic circle that had appeared above the fairy’s red eyes, she clicked her tongue sharply.

‘If I leave this alone, it’s not going to end well.’

The secret behind her abnormal defense was the fact that she covered her entire body with demonic energy, like a shell of a crustacean. With this defense, most attacks couldn’t even leave a scratch. However, the inner layer beneath it was fragile enough to tear with a slight stab.

Was the fairy aware of this weakness, or was it simply testing? The fairy’s method of implanting mana into her body was nothing less than a counter to Rodin’s technique.

‘But if I withdraw my demonic energy and let the mana melt inside me, my defense will weaken.’

With her defense weakened, facing the berserker would be too dangerous. Rodin watched Van closely, sensing his gaze as she tightly gripped her shield.

‘I can’t take him down instantly. It will take time to deal with him. But……’

Whether she ignored the mana and fought, or dealt with the mana first and then fought—Van was not an easy opponent. After a moment of hesitation, Rodin decided to deal with Van before the mana spread too far.

‘He’s bound to notice that my strength has weakened. I just need to take him out before the mana expands.’

Having quickly made her decision, Rodin resumed her charge. Van, too, steadied his defensive posture, preparing for the upcoming impact. However, her shield did not strike him.

“Cough……!”

Right in front of Van, Rodin, with her shield raised, stopped suddenly. Her entire body jerked and twisted in a strange way. There was a grisly sound of bone and flesh being torn apart as her joints moved.

“Wh, why……?”

Purple blood began to flow from her wide-open eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, as translucent ice spikes emerged. Like brambles growing, sharp ice pierced through Rodin’s body, rapidly tearing apart her flesh.

Reacting instinctively, Van stepped back, alternately seeing the gruesome internal organs sliding along the ice spikes and the ice itself, which reached as far as his chest.

“What do you think you’re doing, casting magic in front of me, fairy? You almost dragged me down with you.”

With a hint of annoyance, Lydon, who had appeared out of nowhere, grumbled in response.

“I didn’t do it.”

“……What?”

“I was about to, but I was a step too late.”

If it wasn’t Lydon, who could have cast such magic? Just as Van was about to push Lydon for an answer, a deep, stern voice interrupted.

“If we waited for your magic to finish, that human would have been dead first. You’ve been leisurely enjoying yourself among humans, haven’t you? That’s why your skills haven’t improved.”

With a gruff appearance, a wrinkled face, and a physique that didn’t match his looks, the fairy elder’s presence was imposing. Van paused, taken aback, while Lydon clicked his tongue in disdain.

“Are you going to nag even here? Honestly, you’re one of those old men who can’t tell the right time or place!”

* * *

Cadel, confirming Rodin’s death, narrowed his eyes coldly.

‘All that’s left is the redhead and Arpa. I can deal with them now. But……’

The Retribution Gate—the magic circle that had become a passage between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm—was beginning to erode, and new enemies were emerging. From the very beginning, a Demon Realm magic circle had been created at the same coordinates as the Retribution Gate, connecting the two realms. As the battle continued, the mana that constituted the Retribution Gate was dwindling, while the demonic energy in the Demon Realm magic circle was rising. It was only a matter of time before they would be overrun.

‘The situation has shifted, but it’s still not the time to completely let my guard down. If I divide the forces of the magicians and the fairies to reinforce the Retribution Gate, we might fail to prepare for unforeseen circumstances…… I need to handle it myself.’

Only a magician capable of reinforcing the Retribution Gate on their own could address the issue. Hyron might have been able to, but he had to command the fairy forces. Besides him, only Cadel, wielding the power of Kunra, could take on such a task.

‘I’ve already given the strategy for the remaining two High Demons. Unless another variable appears, my subordinates will surely win. In the meantime, I need to manage the Retribution Gate safely among the enemies……’

If he asked Lydon to provide cover, it would offer at least minimal defense. With this decision in mind, Cadel steeled himself and moved forward into the heart of the battlefield to command his subordinates.