“Knight Commander!”

“Cadel!”

The first to spot the Knight Order as they emerged onto the surface were Garuel and Yozen. Seeing Cadel and his comrades returning in a wretched state, the two rushed forward without hesitation.

Garuel immediately began casting a healing spell on Cadel, who was cradled in Van’s arms, while also checking the condition of the other comrades.

“Sir Lydon, you’re next. Given the situation, I won’t be able to take my time, but let’s at least tend to your mana vessel first.”

“Alright.”

“……Alright? Did you just say ‘alright’?”

“Is there a problem?”

At Lydon’s frowning question, Garuel shook his head with a bewildered expression. He had fully expected to be met with a harsh refusal—something along the lines of insisting that he didn’t need healing and that Garuel should focus on Cadel instead. But instead, Lydon responded with a surprisingly mild acceptance, leaving Garuel rather taken aback.

Lydon remained obedient without any unexpected resistance. The moment he regained consciousness and saw Cadel—his beloved—as well as his comrades, whom he was somewhat glad to see, a single thought flashed through his mind.

They had to win this war.

Beyond just Cadel and his comrades, he had to win to bring solace to his late father’s soul. No matter what it took, he had to achieve victory and bring peace to the Human Realm. There was no room for complaints or stubbornness. If it meant winning this war, he was willing to abandon everything he had ever dedicated his life to.

Lydon wiped away the blood that clung unpleasantly to his face and turned his gaze to Cadel. With his eyes closed, Cadel appeared utterly exhausted as he received Garuel’s healing magic.

“Cadel.”

At Lydon’s call, Cadel’s eyelids trembled before slowly lifting, revealing sharp, determined eyes that stood in stark contrast to his pale complexion. The brilliant flame of his unyielding fighting spirit, which had never once flickered throughout the war, shone brightly in his clear gaze.

“What do I need to do? What do I have to do to end this war?”

Even if he had to descend into the depths of hell, he would do it. That was how desperate he was.

And the unshakable resolve of Lydon, who had returned from the brink of death, was unmistakably conveyed to his comrades. One by one, they fell silent, all holding their breath as they awaited Cadel’s answer.

Then, Cadel pushed himself away from Van’s embrace and stood on his own two feet. Controlling the throbbing pain that wracked his body, he took a deep breath and parted his cracked lips to speak.

“Until I return to face the Demon King, don’t you dare die. That’s all.”

At the top of the castle, beyond the staircase Lydon had created, the Demon King awaited. But to reach that point, they would have to deal with the High Demons stationed outside the castle and the additional enemies lurking in the upper floors. Their task was to eliminate those threats and prepare for a joint assault with Kunra to take down the Demon King.

That was Cadel’s plan.

While he executed his part, the only task left for the members was to break through the enemy’s offensives and reach the upper floors. Once Cadel clashed with the Demon King, they needed to clear the surroundings and be ready to support him.

“To ensure I’m not interrupted while preparing my attack, I need to stay hidden from the enemies as much as possible. So even if you don’t see me, don’t come looking for me—just focus on your mission. I’ll be back in time.”

He was about to leave just before the final confrontation with the ultimate enemy. It could easily be seen as an irresponsible decision, yet no one objected.

They trusted Cadel.

Cadel never abandoned his subordinates to danger. If he said he would return in time, then all they had to do was believe him and endure.

“Lydon, relay my plan to Mr. Mamil. Lumen, explain it to the commanders. And take this.”

What Cadel handed to Lumen was a [Mini Petrification Sprayer], a trophy from their battle with Palaig.

“Use it if things get dangerous. It’ll buy you some time.”

“I’ll make good use of it.”

The time that could be secured with the [Mini Petrification Sprayer] was brief. Among them, Lumen seemed the most suitable to make the most of it. Normally, Cadel would have kept it for himself and used it at the right moment. But without leaving something behind, he felt he couldn’t bring himself to walk away.

“And……”

Countless words of caution flooded his mind. They weren’t children who needed his protection—they were strong and reliable warriors. Yet he couldn’t shake the impulse.

‘……Saying any more would just be nagging.’

That was enough. He had conveyed what he needed to. Watching the knights still locked in battle beyond, Cadel slowly nodded and spoke.

“Fight for what you desire. Just as I do.”

He took in the sight of his comrades, knowing it might be for the last time, before turning sharply and heading toward the back of the castle. His resolute figure left no doubt about his determination.

The members immediately set out to follow his orders—except for one.

“……Ah.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Garuel clutched an object inside his coat with a troubled expression. It was the journal he had taken from the room where Lawrence had died. He had forgotten to hand it over.

“Well, looks like I’ll have to do something rather unsightly.”

For some reason, he couldn’t just give up and join the battle—something about the journal lingered in his mind. He had no idea what was written inside, but it felt like something that should be delivered to Cadel before he got too far.

After a brief hesitation, Garuel quickly explained the situation to Yozen, who stood beside him. Then, without wasting another moment, he turned and sprinted in the direction Cadel had gone.

* * *

The back of the castle remained eerily devoid of life. There, Cadel intended to discuss with Kunra how they might track down the Demon King’s sibling. However—

“There’s not a single clue. I thought we’d at least find something on the way here…… I was too hopeful.”

“Don’t rush. Take your time and retrace the path you took.”

“I have, but there’s nothing. That’s the problem.”

Even after infiltrating the castle, they had been too occupied breaking Lydon out of the underground prison to gather any significant information. And asking the other members if they had discovered anything about the Demon King’s sibling was out of the question.

Cursing his frustratingly empty mind, Cadel ruffled his hair in frustration. Then, suddenly, a thought struck him, and he snapped his head up to look at Kunra.

“On the way here, I saw a rather unusual statue. Want to check it out? It could be a trap, but you can spread your energy and sense if anything is off.”

“Unfortunately, I have almost no influence left to exert in my current state. At best, I can replenish your energy.”

Kunra had taken a dangerous gamble to rescue Hyron, fully aware of the consequences. Even as a joke, Cadel couldn’t bring himself to criticize him for it. Instead, he fell silent.

Kunra, unfazed by the quiet, simply gave Cadel a gentle push on the back.

“Lead the way. I can at least determine whether it’s a trap.”

Moving swiftly, Cadel led Kunra to the outer wall of the castle and ran his hands along its surface. Unlike when they had first entered, there was no longer an entrance.

“I’ll just break it down. The human army has already stormed the castle, so at this point, another secret passage appearing won’t matter much.”

Taking a few steps back, Cadel launched a series of fireballs at the wall. With a thunderous explosion, the castle wall trembled before quickly collapsing. As the wall crumbled, a magic circle was dispelled, releasing demonic energy that billowed like lingering spirits. But the dissipating energy had no effect on either Cadel or Kunra.

“For something so well hidden, it sure broke down easily. I was expecting some kind of ambush.”

“The chaos around us is working in our favor.”

Emilia, now hovering high above in the sky, wouldn’t be bothered by something as trivial as a breach in the back wall.

Cadel stepped through the ruins and led Kunra forward.

Their destination was a graveyard of statues—sculptures that seemed to depict the Demon King’s siblings.

“This is the place! Doesn’t it seem suspicious? They’re all lying in a massive circular formation. And now that we know what Emilia looks like, if we search carefully, we might even find a statue that resembles her……”

As Cadel continued his excited explanation, Kunra suddenly strode forward toward one of the statues. Startled, Cadel instinctively reached out, grabbing Kunra’s arm in warning—

“Lucky you, halfling.”

“Huh?”

Kunra smirked, lazily kicking aside a toppled statue.

“It’s a teleportation magic circle. No idea where it leads, but I have a good feeling about it.”

“A teleportation magic circle……? You’re saying there’s one hidden beneath these statues?”

That was completely unexpected. Cadel’s heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of his throat. Without hesitation, he hurriedly began pushing away the fallen statues, eager to uncover the magic circle.

Kunra frowned slightly at Cadel’s sudden burst of energy.

“What are you doing?”

“We have to clear these away so we can see the magic circle. That way, it’ll be easier to activate. Hurry up and help me!”

“Even if you uncover it, there’s nothing you can do.”

“……What do you mean?”

“It’s a teleportation magic circle of the Demon Realm. Do you really not understand what that means?”

Kunra’s gaze was filled with quiet disdain as he looked down at Cadel, who had frozen in place.

As realization struck, Cadel’s expression hardened. The statue fragment in his hands slipped from his grip, landing on the ground with a dull thud. In a hollow murmur, he voiced the grim truth—

“It can only be activated with demonic energy……”