* * *

Meanwhile, inside Toto’s belly. The knights who had postponed their escape, after a desperate search, managed to find Toto’s weakness within.

“That’s…… quite disgusting.”

Moritol’s expression, as he looked upwards, subtly wrinkled. For Moritol, who didn’t usually put much effort into his impressions, to say “quite disgusting”, it was clear that Toto’s weakness truly had a rather hideous appearance.

“Sir Lumen, please don’t fall behind me.”

“……Sir Jeriel, perhaps you should focus on tending to your subordinates.”

“You’re right. Would you like to join me?”

“No, thank you.”

Lumen lightly pushed Jeriel, who kept sticking close to him, and looked up. A huge lump stretched between the ceiling and the side wall. The translucent lump, emitting a faint yellow glow, had an uneven, swollen exterior. Inside, countless eggs were packed together. The small eggs, resembling millet grains, clung together messily, and even Lumen, who was usually unflappable, couldn’t prevent his expression from twisting.

“Thinking about what will be born from within, I suddenly feel nauseous.”

Garuel, shaking his head as if it were horrible, spoke to Lumen.

“This is where your impressive sword drawing technique will shine. I’m preparing healing spells, just in case of any unforeseen situations.”

“You’re saying you’ll just drop out of this, aren’t you?”

“That’s a rather disappointing thing to say. Both Sir Ector and Sir Moritol have already chosen you as the main attacker. I’ve been pushed out of that position. It’s not by choice.”

Lumen clicked his tongue at the shameless tone. Just as he said, one of the main people to be sent for the weakness attack would indeed be him. He could even feel Ector’s gaze on him now, as he glanced over here.

“Sir Lumen, come over here.”

At Ector’s call, as if he had been waiting for it, Lumen sighed. As he approached, Ector was accompanied by Dreyfe.

“We need to handle the eggs that will spill out the moment the barrier is destroyed. If left alone, we might face some kind of catastrophe. Dreyfe, with his quick hands, and Sir Lumen, you will handle the eggs as the barrier is destroyed. The magicians will support you. And this.”

Ector handed [Ullo] to Lumen and continued speaking.

“As soon as Commander Cadel gives the signal, we’ll begin the attack. If you and Dreyfe handle the eggs, we will target the inner membrane beyond them.”

“Understood.”

It was the moment when his hard-trained sword drawing technique would shine, but there wasn’t much joy in his heart. Lumen, gripping [Ullo], approached the yellow barrier with Dreyfe.

‘Up close, it’s even more disgusting. I hope we can start soon.’

The eggs, seen from a close distance, were wriggling as if they were about to hatch at any moment. Lumen couldn’t hide the grimace on his face, and beside him, Dreyfe spoke in a gruff voice.

“Our commander has a pretty high opinion of your skills.”

“……?”

“He says you’re faster and better at utilizing your strength than I am, the battalion captain.”

Turning his gaze, Lumen saw Dreyfe’s face oddly pouty. Despite trying to act indifferent, Lumen raised the corner of his mouth and spoke, looking at Dreyfe.

“Are you afraid of being compared?”

“What? That’s not it!”

“Then just quietly prove your skills.”

“I was planning to do just that. I’ll show that there’s not as big a gap in skill as Commander Ector thinks.”

The subtle provocation made Dreyfe immediately bristle. His reaction made it feel like he was just asking to be teased, and Lumen, setting [Ullo] down on the ground, couldn’t resist mocking him.

“That might be a bit difficult. I’m not planning to spare you.”

At times like this, it wouldn’t do any good to provoke his ally, but still, Lumen decided to showcase his skills. After all, any swordsman who stood by Cadel’s side had to possess overwhelming power. He had to display such a significant skill gap that anyone would recognize him as Cadel Lytos’s swordsman.

Amid the heightened tension between the two, [Ullo] began transmitting.

[The preparati…… pleted. Please…… star…….]

Even though the voice that came through was choppy, Lumen could tell it was Cadel’s voice. As he placed his hand on the sword hilt and took his battle stance, an arrow flew from behind and pierced the yellow barrier.

* * *

Brilliant. Hyron’s magic, which shielded the sky, could only be described as such. The dense wings of an angel scattered pure light across the dark Demon Realm, and the expressionless face illuminated the blood-soaked battlefield transparently. As the long legs moved, an overwhelming chill spread, and ‘that’ felt like the harbinger of death itself.

‘That’ made no further move, simply fluttering its wings quietly. Yet its very presence was enough to draw the enemies’ attention. Even Cadel, who was preparing magic, was momentarily distracted.

“All units! Block the enemies! Protect the magicians!”

Hyron’s magic, [Frostflower King], was no different from a totem revealing the position of the allies. Cadel slowly adjusted the positioning of the magic circle with [Flame Arrow of the Fire Demon] loaded, waiting for the enemies to appear. Then, a moment later.

“Kyaaaah!”

“A new prey! Kyahaha!”

An enormous number of enemies began rushing in from the opposite side of the forest path. As they appeared, Sorin, at the forefront, slammed his hammer into the ground. The hammer, imbued with tremendous strength, pressed down on the earth, sending a heavy shockwave toward the front lines.

The shockwave, scattered in a jagged pattern, shook the ground where the enemies stood. The enemy soldiers charging at the front lost their balance and fell, causing even those behind them to trip. With the enemies momentarily halted, Sorin shouted loudly.

“Charge! Maintain your distance! Don’t let them get any closer!”

The knights began their attack, and Cadel also fired the flame arrow he had prepared. He aimed not only at the visible enemies but also at those charging from beyond. His narrowed pupil accurately gauged the enemy’s position.

Meanwhile, [Frostflower King] slowly moved. The shadow that had hung over the allies shifted, soon coloring the approaching enemies.

As [Frostflower King] found its position, its head lowered, and its transparent eyes focused on the enemies below. Then, the next moment.

“……!”

“Now! Destroy everything!”

All enemies within the gaze of [Frostflower King] froze instantly. The allies, momentarily startled by the sight of the enemies frozen in place, did not miss the opportunity. Amid the chaotic slashes of swords, a red aura and dark energy stood out sharply.

Van’s aura, following the trajectory of his greatsword, swept through and took down a large number of enemies like a whip, while Yozen’s dark energy pierced the vital points of enemies who focused on the humans before them. The chaotic brawl between Van and Yozen quickly pushed the enemies back.

However, there was one presence that disregarded the brawl and quietly approached the magicians.

“What is this huge ice statue?”

“Look there, Nanzar. It’s a fairy.”

A pair of conjoined twins, each with two faces. Upon spotting their approach, Cadel’s eyes opened lazily.

‘Nanzar and Hazar, huh. It feels good to see some familiar faces again, in an absurd way……’

After facing only unfamiliar enemies, a High Demon, one Cadel knew well, appeared, and a sense of familiarity stirred. The conjoined twins were known as Nanzar, with short hair, and Hazar, with long hair.

‘Nanzar controls the body and handles close combat, while Hazar spews poison from the side. The poison can also attack from a distance, so Hazar should be dealt with first. In the game, if you reduce their twin blood by a certain amount, Hazar’s head would fall off automatically, but…… there’s no such kindness in real combat.’

In this situation, the allies would have to personally behead Hazar. The problem, however, was that the twins’ distance didn’t matter. Whether the enemy was close or far, their attacks were still effective.

‘They’re dangerous to fight up close. I’d prefer if that ice statue kept them in check.’

If Cadel focused his [Flame Arrow of the Fire Demon] on Nanzar and Hazar, he would instantly become their target. If their attention shifted to the ground, dealing with them would become troublesome. Clicking his tongue, Cadel turned his head and called out to Hyron.

“Lord Hyron! Can you handle that High Demon? It’s a dangerous one that spits poison. We can’t let it get close to the ground!”

Hyron, controlling [Frostflower King], had completely transformed in appearance. His blonde hair, red eyes, and once vibrant skin had all faded to white. His pale, drained skin was dotted with frost, and his hair, now bleached white, rose toward the sky, following the chilling air emanating from him.

Instead of answering Cadel’s call, Hyron shifted the movements of [Frostflower King]. Meanwhile, Lydon was imprinting the flow of all mana into his mind.

‘……Impressive.’

[The Frostflower King] wasn’t just massive. It could freely traverse both the ground and the sky, overwhelming enemies with ease. Even a slight shift in its position could freeze everything in its vicinity.

The gaze, gestures, and motions of [Frostflower King] all led to fatal attacks. And for such overwhelming power, the caster had to manipulate an unimaginable amount of mana, without a single mistake.

Even the smallest disruption could turn deadly, not just for the caster but for the entire army, creating a terrifying situation similar to the past when Lydon had frozen everyone while casting [Permafrost].

Nevertheless, Hyron showed no sign of fear or hesitation in the face of failure. In fact, he demonstrated perfect control over his abilities.

“It’s coming, Nanzar.”

“Spit the poison, Hazar. There’s nothing your poison can’t melt.”

The approaching [Frostflower King] made the twins nervous, prompting them to prepare their counterattack. Hazar inhaled deeply, his cheeks inflating abnormally. His throat bulged as something began to flow back into his mouth. Then, in the next moment…

Kyaaaah!

Like a snake, Hazar’s head retracted, and a dark green liquid erupted from his mouth. The powerful stream of poison shot forward and struck [Frostflower King’s] face. The poison began to melt the transparent ice, seeping into it.

“Good. Now, let’s make it even stronger. Release a larger quantity.”

“Get closer, Nanzar. You know it’s hard to hit with a large quantity from a distance.”

“We need to finish this quickly. If we stay too close, we’ll freeze.”

“I know. Move forward.”

As Hazar closed his mouth again and puffed out his cheeks, Nanzar, wearing a grim expression, reduced the distance between himself and [Frostflower King]. The poison that had hit [Frostflower King] didn’t freeze; instead, it created deep holes in the massive face. If they released more, they could significantly damage it.

Nanzar maintained a safe distance, enough to endure the cold emitted by [Frostflower King], while waiting for Hazar to finish preparing. Despite the distance, the sheer size of [Frostflower King] made it feel as if it were right in front of them.

Just as Hazar’s throat bulged again, ready to release the poison.

Click clack!

The tightly closed lips of [Frostflower King] parted, and a fierce blast of cold air erupted from within. There was no sign of mana gathering or any preparation process. In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming cold wind hit, and Nanzar urgently flapped his wings in response.

“No, no…!”

[Frostflower King] closed in on the twins. As it entered the danger zone, the twins’ bodies froze instantly, their faces locked in horrified expressions, frozen solid.

Even the poison inside their swollen cheeks remained frozen. Nanzar and Hazar, now completely encased in ice, began to plummet vertically, helplessly. Spotting this, Cadel launched a barrage of flame arrows, preventing the twins from crashing into the allies.

‘To think those guys were taken out so easily…’

Even though Cadel saw it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe. They were High Demons, capable of attacking from any distance and unleashing a deadly poison as easily as breathing. As one of the tougher enemies appearing later in the fight, he had made a note to be especially cautious of them.

‘That’s an incredibly overpowered ability……’

No wonder he was the Fairy King. Hyron’s appearance alone had not only reassured the allies but also significantly boosted their morale.

‘But……’

Cadel felt a growing sense of unease. The presence of Hyron’s power had risen to an undeniable level, but Cadel wasn’t foolish enough to be overly reassured by it.

As Cadel continued to fire flame arrows, a sudden disturbance interrupted his thoughts.

Grrr—

The earth, which had been still, trembled, and a terrifying roar reverberated throughout the entire forest.