“Has dying and coming back to life made you lose your mind?”

She didn’t even sneer. Emilia looked at the human before her with an utterly dry expression. Her anger had already risen to the top of her head in this chaotic situation.

“That sword definitely left my father in a near-death state. But the man who wielded that sword was a swordsman who had reached the pinnacle, and by his side was the living guardian Kelligan. It was only possible because he was the greatest swordsman, blessed by the gods. But you…… you’re far from it.”

As Emilia raised her hand, swirling circles of demonic energy surrounded Lumen. Something was coming out from within, following the fierce rotation. Sharp blades forged from demonic energy. Spears, swords, and arrows, all forged with her power, crowded together and pointed their tips at Lumen.

The center of the demonic energy, where it felt like it could pierce through his body at any moment. Lumen’s blue eyes didn’t search for a safe zone or a gap. He only stared at Emilia.

‘Right. I’m definitely lacking. I don’t have the power to carve out the Demon King’s heart. I’ve never reached the peak, and I have no guardian by my side.’

The beating of the sword in his hand could be felt. The more deeply he inhaled, the more it dug into his palm, growing clearer. He fully embraced its life force, its obsessive will. The sword’s rage at having its prey stolen so close. The regret of the sword that had gained the power to kill the Demon King. The lingering desire of the sword to devour humans again and grow stronger. He engraved all of this deeply into his bones.

Then, slowly, just a little bit at a time, he breathed his energy into it. Gently, soothing the sword that rejected the unfamiliar energy. Pleading, desperately.

‘It’s impossible alone. But since I met Cadel, I’ve never once been alone.’

He was someone he wanted to protect. The one and only salvation that had given color to his previously plundered, miserable life. He was the one who had brought back his smile, given him a purpose beyond revenge, and had summoned the warmth of peace and love in the midst of the messy emotions. Cadel was that kind of person.

“I beg you. Let me protect Cadel. Let this light stay on love, not death.”

With a mutter that resembled a prayer, he stared at the hand Emilia had stretched out. Following a brief signal, the blades that had been pointing at him shot forward mercilessly. In an instant, Lumen’s figure was buried in black afterimages.

The sound of flesh being sliced and leather tearing was clear. Emilia knew that Lumen wouldn’t last much longer, but she didn’t slow down her attack. She needed to keep him barely alive so she could torment Cadel Lytos much more effectively.

“Humans are truly dreadful.”

The disgust that shook her entire body was ruining her self-control. She simply wanted to rip Lumen apart without leaving a trace. His upright gaze and strong will were disgusting, and the obsession with drawing out Kelligan’s sword was unpleasant. Emilia didn’t want to watch Lumen continue to rampage any longer.

“……Don’t leave a single scrap of flesh behind. Just disappear.”

Emilia lifted her chin, and her eyes glinted with the desire for slaughter. The force she had pulled out excessively caused the afterimage of the blades to grow darker, and the hissing sound of the wind echoed. But after a moment, Emilia realized something.

‘Why is only that much flowing?’

The blood from his torn body should have spilled down and soaked the floor. But the amount of blood pooled beneath him was far too little. Was the attack too fast for him to even bleed? An absurd assumption.

She furrowed her brows and quickly launched another attack. Her sharp gaze swept over the spot where Lumen had been. There, instead of a torn-up corpse, there was only a bloodstain left, with no owner. Reflexively biting her lip, Emilia hurriedly turned her head. And at that moment……

“……!”

Like a net caught in a snare, a finely crossed flash of light filled her left arm as it emerged. The left arm, glowing like a blue light, squirmed strangely. Her gaze, moving half a beat too late, turned toward the back. There, Lumen stood, sheathing Kelligan’s sword, its scabbard having been taken from who knows where.

By now, his body, which had once been glowing, was drenched in blood. Yet the body that turned to face Emilia was upright, and his eyes were calm. With an indifferent expression, as if facing a mere monster, the blade completely disappeared into its scabbard.

Emilia’s left arm, now reduced to hundreds of flesh pieces, dropped to the ground with a dull thud. The meat-like chunks fell, light and sticky. Terrible pain crawled up her bones, and Emilia let out a boiling groan.

She grabbed her empty left shoulder and urgently attempted to regenerate. Lumen, having glimpsed her, hurriedly ran toward the opposite side. He was tense, likely expecting the Demon King’s attack to come, but fortunately, she seemed focused on recovering her left arm.

Pushing through the dark demonic energy, Lumen quickly darted his eyes around. The demonic energy seeped into his mutilated body, causing sharp pains to spread, but he continued walking steadfastly. He couldn’t afford to hesitate for even a moment.

Soon, the man he had been desperately hoping to see appeared. A small, hunched figure, clutching someone. His pace had slowed, and the sound of previously unheard sobbing gradually became clearer.

‘……Mr. Mamil.’

Lumen’s gaze wavered as he confirmed the body lying beneath Cadel. Swallowing dryly, he cautiously approached Cadel’s back and knelt on one knee. Placing his hand on the heaving back, a cracked, strained voice soon followed.

“Lumen……”

How did he notice his presence while his face was buried in the ground? Lumen thought it might be that Cadel, overwhelmed with sadness, had just called the name he most wanted to call.

“Teacher is dead. He waited for me…… and left in the most painful way. It’s because of me. Mr. Mamil died because of my choice. He was someone who shouldn’t have died, someone who shouldn’t have had to die.”

“……”

“I should have died instead……”

The murmurs, thick with dark regret, were filled with too much pain. At his heartfelt words, Lumen breathed in sharply. He strengthened his grip on Cadel’s shoulder, pulling him closer, and supported his limp upper body with both hands. Looking at Cadel’s completely blank face, he saw eyes filled with sadness and despair, eyes that had sunk into darkness. Tears flowed endlessly down Cadel’s cheeks.

“Is that really what you think? That you should have died instead, Leader?”

Instead of wiping away Cadel’s tears, Lumen pulled him completely off Mamil’s body. Cadel didn’t even try to resist being separated from Mamil, he only nodded vacantly with a lost expression. Lumen spoke sharply.

“Don’t say such rude things.”

“……”

“Because the one he was waiting for was you, Mr. Mamil endured with his life because he wanted to help, even at the cost of his own. Do you not understand that he wanted to lessen the burden you had to bear? If you say that knowing all of this…… then you’re the worst kind of person.”

He wanted to say something comforting. Words as kind and gentle as the ones Cadel had offered him before, words that would ease Cadel’s heart. He wanted to wipe away Cadel’s tears and help him stand again with his words of comfort.

But Lumen wasn’t good at that kind of thing. He had always been clumsy at expressing emotions. He didn’t expect that a few clumsy words would save someone who had fallen into the pit of despair. So, even though his heart ached from seeing Cadel in pain, Lumen chose the most rational words he could find.

“Let’s say that Mr. Mamil opened his eyes again. What would you do then, Leader? Would you join forces with Mr. Mamil to defeat the Demon King?”

“No. I will protect Teacher. So that no one else gets hurt because of me……”

“You’re wrong!”

Lumen shouted coldly and shook Cadel’s arm roughly. Even though Cadel winced in pain, his eyes scrunched, he didn’t budge.

“Looking only forward, without turning back or to the sides. That’s all Mr. Mamil would have wanted from you. Do you think he wanted to become your weakness? Did he want to be someone you had to protect? Do you really think that? Mr. Mamil, who fought with his life for you, who endured desperately, and all of us who believed in you! What do you think of us?!”

“I, I……”

“You’re no different from before. Do you remember? Baskin Village. Even though you had your subordinates beside you, you planned and judged everything alone, unable to trust the people who believed in and followed you. You haven’t grown at all? Cadel.”

Seeing Cadel’s eyes, which had grown moist with hurt, Lumen felt his heart rip apart. The pain now was worse than the moment his heart had been pierced by a sword. It was as if he wanted to bury his head in a fire and die. He wanted to embrace Cadel right now and apologize, to beg for forgiveness for being so harsh when he knew Cadel was suffering. He just wanted to beg.

But Lumen gritted his teeth and held on. He felt that this was the only way to save Cadel from Mamil’s death.

“Do you still only see everyone as something you need to protect? Are we just a burden to you? Your sacrifice is expected, but anyone else’s sacrifice for you is just pain? Cadel. If that’s how you feel, then there’s no reason for me to fight anymore.”

How could he have returned from that bleak death? He had come all this way, focused only on Cadel’s existence. Yet now, he hated himself for having to say cruel words, even at the cost of losing his affection.

Lumen hoped that his words would bring Cadel back to his senses. He hoped Cadel would look ahead with strength, rather than kneeling before the death of someone. Even if it was a selfish desire, he needed Cadel to see those who remained by his side.

And soon, Cadel’s tears stopped flowing.