Could the reckless cry of that young battalion captain truly change the flow of the battlefield? Moriol was a man who had been through too much to entertain such a dreamlike expectation. The human army’s position was still dire, and victory remained a distant, almost impossible future. With every step forward, half of their comrades fell, to the point where fear began creeping into his heart.

However, Dreyfe’s resolve moved at least one person—Moriol himself.

‘As a knight commander of the Empire, I cannot say that I fought by relying on someone else’s strength. I have not lived so disgracefully that I would leave behind such a pathetic final testament.’

Jilliot’s sonic waves would last for about three minutes. And in that time, the attacks from other High Demons would not cease. The magicians’ mana would be rapidly depleted during these three minutes.

‘The magicians’ power has its limits. To ensure they can play their role in the final battle, Jilliot must be eliminated.’

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, lifting his previously lowered head, he slowly drew back the bowstring.

“Remove the barrier protecting me. That is an order.”

The magician guarding him nearby let out a flustered sound.

“B-but, Commander……”

“I will not repeat myself.”

To strike down the enemy hiding behind their own kind, a different kind of attack was necessary. There would be no second chance. If even a single shot missed, Jilliot would completely disappear from sight.

What he needed was a single strike that would reach Jilliot—nothing more. To achieve that, there could be nothing obstructing his line of fire at the moment of release. Not even the protective barrier around him.

Moriol’s sharp gaze locked onto Jilliot, who floated in the distance—a High Demon with dark skin and multiple braided strands of hair. As she took a deep breath, a powerful sonic wave rippled through the air.

“Ugh……”

A chilling shock struck his eardrums. The searing pain made his body involuntarily waver, yet Moriol refused to loosen his grip on the bowstring. Desperately maintaining his composure, he channeled energy into the trembling arrowhead.

In response to his will, radiant light began to converge at the tip of the arrow. The once-widespread reverberations of sound gradually diminished, and the pulsations of energy condensed into an eerie stillness.

A sharp and disciplined energy, much like Moriol’s own temperament.

Without the protection of the barrier, blood streamed down his face from his ruptured eardrums. Thick streaks of crimson seeped from his nose, ears, and even between his tightly clenched lips. His face, burning red-hot, bulged with thick veins.

He wanted nothing more than to clamp his hands over his ears. He wanted to scream for the barrier to be restored. At this rate, he would lose all his senses—his ability to fight would be stripped away.

Even as such a terrifying thought crossed his mind, Moriol did not open his mouth. He did not cover his ears. He simply gathered power beyond his limits and imbued it into a single arrow.

“Commander, this is too dangerous! Even now, the barrier—!”

And in the next moment, through his rapidly blurring vision, he fixed his gaze on his target—never once looking away. Then, he released the bowstring.

The perfectly condensed energy seemed almost nonexistent as if it were utterly weightless. The smooth arrow, cloaked in intangible force, shot forward at an astonishing speed.

Jilliot, her mouth wide open as she unleashed a sonic wave infused with demonic energy, quickly realized that Moriol’s arrow was aimed at her. Yet, she did not attempt to dodge. After all, a wall of her fellow High Demons stood in front of her, ready to block the attack.

And just as she believed, the moment the High Demons spotted the arrow, they moved to intercept it. But the arrow never reached them.

“What? That was pathetic!”

“Hah! Looks like he’s lost his strength!”

The arrow, racing forward with incredible speed, suddenly veered off course just before hitting the High Demon at the front. It appeared to lose momentum entirely, dropping weakly toward the ground.

But at the very instant, the High Demon turned away in triumph—

“……!”

As if an invisible hand had yanked it upward, the arrow shot back into the air, slicing cleanly through the gaps between the High Demons.

What appeared before them was merely an afterimage. Its true position was impossible to pinpoint, moving at a speed beyond comprehension. And with its surreal ability to shift direction midair, the arrow carved an unpredictable path straight toward its target.

Too late, Jilliot noticed it. Horror dawned in her eyes as she immediately shut her mouth. But she had already made a fatal mistake—so long as she was channeling her sonic attack, she was incapable of moving.

No matter how erratically the arrow twisted through the air, in the end, it had to have been aimed at a single point from the start. If she ascended high enough, it wouldn’t be able to pierce her.

Abandoning any attempt to counterattack, Jilliot beat her wings furiously, soaring upward with all her strength. She hadn’t changed direction—only her altitude.

And that was exactly what Moriol had been waiting for.

The arrow chased after Jilliot, rising higher and higher. Half of its energy had been spent altering its trajectory—but the other half was being used now, propelling it upward with increasing force. The higher it climbed, the more powerful and faster it became.

By the time Jilliot realized this, it was already too late.

“Gah……!”

The moment she glanced down and saw the arrow beneath her feet, a burst of explosive energy propelled it forward. It tore cleanly through her body, piercing her dead center. Her flesh, now with a gaping hole in the middle, could not even react. For a brief moment, her rigid frame convulsed. Then, lifeless, she plummeted toward the ground.

Only after watching her corpse crash into the earth did Moriol finally stagger, his body swaying precariously. One of his subordinates rushed to support him, calling frantically for a holy knight.

But Moriol shoved him away. Blood streamed from his seven orifices, painting his face in a ghastly crimson mask as he roared,

“Magicians, drop the barrier and launch an all-out attack! Wipe out every last demon defending that castle!”

It was a cry of desperation, yet at the same time, Moriol truly felt as though he had wrung out the very last of his strength.

Immediately after his bellow, the deafening reverberation in his ears vanished. Had he lost his hearing in the end? For a split second, that thought crossed his mind. The ringing had ceased so abruptly. But then—

“Com, Commander.”

His subordinate’s voice rang out, clear and distinct. And at the same time—

“What is that……?”

Moriol’s eyes widened as a transparent layer of ice began crawling up the castle walls. It wrapped around the exterior as if carving a new fortress in its wake. It spread inside as well, freezing everything it touched.

As the ice expanded, the air filled with a soft, crystalline chime—like the sound of a harp. Dazzling specks of light scattered in its wake. The ice, which had rapidly enveloped the castle, suddenly lifted into the air, stretching across the sky.

Following its mesmerizing movements, a spiraling staircase formed in midair. And it led directly to the castle’s summit.

A bridge between the severed upper and lower halves of the fortress. The only path that would carry the humans to the Demon King.

The staircase had to be protected at all costs.

At once, the magicians dropped the barrier shielding the human army and redirected their magic to defend the staircase against aerial assaults. High Demons launched relentless attacks, but their blows were repelled by the shimmering shield.

And so, undeterred, the staircase continued to ascend. Until, at last, it reached the castle’s peak.

“This is……”

“……Snow.”

Pure white snowflakes drifted down, painting the sky of despair in an ethereal white.

* * *

「Knight ‘Lydon’ Limit Break Quest Completed!」

「Congratulations! Knight ‘Lydon’ has met the conditions for a limit break.」

「Maximum grade is maintained. Additional stat increases and skill slot restrictions are lifted.」

「Knight ‘Lydon’ is deviating from the path of fate.」

「Entering self-modification mode. Time required for information update.」

「Knight ‘Lydon’s’ information access is temporarily restricted.」

With a body on the verge of collapsing, he desperately struggled to stay conscious. He had to watch. He needed to see him safe, see him return to his comrades in one piece. See him overcome his limits.

Cadel, slumped in Van’s arms, forced his hazy eyes to stay open. Lydon, having shattered the ice, had successfully absorbed a portion of the explosive mana. What he couldn’t absorb, he managed to disperse in a way that spared the human army from harm—Kunra had informed Cadel, contributing significantly to keeping him conscious.

Thus, after narrowly surviving the brink of self-destruction, Lydon returned. Supported by Lumen, he looked straight at Cadel.

“Cadel, are you alive?”

“Yes. I’m right here.”

“……Are you really Cadel?”

“Of course. It’s really me.”

At that gentle reply, a faint smile appeared on Lydon’s lips.

“Sorry. I made things hard for you, didn’t I?”

“Not at all. As long as you’re alive, everything’s fine.”

“And…… Van and Lumen, too.”

Lydon took a short breath, glancing between Van and Lumen. His comrades were in such a battered state that it was hard to recognize their original appearances. Yet, despite that, their eyes remained strong and unwavering. After taking them in for a moment, Lydon lowered his head and muttered.

“Somehow, we all made it out alive.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, you damn fairy?”

“Don’t get worked up. He’s probably not in his right mind.”

Beneath his bowed head, a mischievous chuckle slipped out. Lumen firmly pulled Lydon’s arm over his shoulder and signaled to Van.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Didn’t need you to tell me.”

Though Lydon’s magic had solidly fused the upper and lower parts of the fortress, the underground, where the explosion had originated, was beyond saving. With their fallen comrades and commander in tow, Van and Lumen hurriedly escaped the collapsing prison.

Shaking ground, deafening explosions, choking dust. His senses blurred, his consciousness faded. At the edge of that darkening awareness, Cadel heard Kunra’s voice.

[Now’s the time, halfling. This is our moment to move.]