Inside the [Five Elents Barrier Formation],
Alice, Vashno, Amanda, Franklin, and the others had retreated to the Guardian Fortress. They stood on the deck, watching the chaos unfold outside with grim expressions.
Every second, soone died.
Corpses littered the field, and the stench of blood hung thick in the air. Explosions echoed without pause, each one claiming more lives.
It was a brutal war.
"This isn’t even the full might of what’s coming..." Eztein muttered, his voice heavy.
They all knew it. There were still hundreds of thousands more marching toward them. If they stayed here and waited, they would eventually be overwheld—even with the monsters that had answered Souta’s summons.
"All of this started because of ," Alice said quietly.
Her gaze was fixed on the battlefield, her golden eyes reflecting fire and lightning. Perhaps if she had been just a little stronger back then, she wouldn’t have been forced to use her true form.
"We have to leave—now," Torkez said firmly.
Vashno, Isabella, and the others exchanged looks before nodding. They knew what had to be done.
But just as they were about to head inside, Alice spoke up.
"I’ll stay here," she said softly. "You can go first."
Torkez turned to her, his brows furrowed. "What do you an by that?"
The others also looked at her with questioning eyes.
"I won’t join the battle," Alice explained. "I’ll stay in the building and wait for Souta."
Her voice was calm, but there was sothing unshakable behind it—resolve born from faith.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Ha~ then we’ll stay here too," Eztein said.
The rest of them shared the sa sentint, choosing to remain inside the fortress and wait for Souta’s return.
...
Outside the [Five Elents Barrier Formation],
The battle between high-level experts had reached a tense standstill after Kessa killed another Seventh Shackle Realm.
Even though they had already eliminated several enemies, the enemy numbers only seed to grow.
At present, there were twenty-nine Hero-rank experts on the opposing side—
and among them, two were Eight Shackle Realm beings.
The newly arrived Eight Shackle Realm was a petite woman, her height barely reaching five feet. She held a wooden staff in one hand, her figure hidden beneath a loose brown robe.
"You’re here, Sana," said the other Eight Shackle Realm expert.
The woman called Sana gave a slight nod, her sharp eyes sweeping across the battlefield. Her gaze lingered first on the Nine-Headed Hydra, then shifted toward the Blood Lightning Monster himself.
"I didn’t expect the Blood Lightning Monster to begin the war between high-level beings," Sana murmured. "Perhaps he intends to eliminate as many as he can before more arrive."
She knew the scale of what was coming. The reinforcents yet to appear numbered in the millions—and among them were countless Hero-rank beings. Even the Blood Lightning Monster would not be able to face that many at once.
If he was attacking now, it could only an one thing:
He wanted to reduce their numbers before the true army descended.
Sana narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening around her staff as crimson lightning flashed in the distance.
...
Souta, Kessa, Doranjan, and Erkigal hovered in the air, silently observing the movents of their enemies across the vast, chaotic battlefield.
Ohm!!
A massive humanoid figure erged from the storm of energy and ca to a halt beside Souta. Then, in a display of reverence, it knelt in midair.
"Greetings, Emperor," the creature spoke, its deep voice rumbling in the language of monsters.
Souta tilted his head slightly, his blood-colored eyes landing on the newcor—a fifth-stage monster with an unmistakably ancient aura and firm foundation.
"I ca because I heard your call," the monster continued. "You face too many enemies. I will carve a path for your escape."
Only Kessa and Doranjan understood the words. The sound that reached Erkigal’s ears was nothing more than a guttural growl, incomprehensible and raw—monstrous speech that only their kind could comprehend.
Souta’s gaze sharpened. "Do you know how many monsters responded to my call?"
"I do not," the humanoid monster replied. "We ca from different tribes. I cannot speak for all... but there are two others like ."
Souta closed his eyes for a brief mont, sensing the truth in its words. In the distance, amidst the writhing tide of monsters, he could feel the presence of two more fifth-stage beings, waiting—watching.
"The three of us will open a path for you, Emperor," the monster said solemnly. "Even if it costs our lives."
"I appreciate it. You will distract them," Souta said with a curt nod.
Since these monsters wished to buy him ti to escape, he would not reject their offer. The timing was perfect—the enemy numbers had not yet grown overwhelming.
This was the mont to retreat.
With three fifth-stage monsters holding back the enemy ranks, Souta and his forces would have a brief window to withdraw.
"I appreciate it. May you survive this battle," Souta said quietly before turning away. He motioned for Doranjan, Kessa, and Erkigal to follow.
Swoosh!!
The four of them soared through the sky toward the Guardian Fortress.
Below, Sana and the other Hero-rank experts saw the movent. Instantly, their energies flared.
The atmosphere boiled with killing intent, but Souta and his companions didn’t falter. At that sa mont, three enormous energy signatures—each nearly comparable to Kessa’s—erupted from the monster ranks.
"Damn it!!"
"Blood Lightning Monster!! The battle isn’t over yet!!"
The Hero-rank experts unleashed a barrage of attacks, detonating across the battlefield in a storm of destruction.
Boom!! Boom!!
"Is it alright to leave them behind?" Erkigal asked, glancing back.
"No," Souta replied flatly. "But we don’t have a choice."
His tone carried no hesitation—only grim acceptance.
Those monsters had co to help them, yet they would be left to face the onslaught alone. There was no other way. The enemy’s strength was overwhelming, far beyond what they could face head-on.
At this point, survival was the only victory.
Monts later, the four of them descended onto the Guardian Fortress, the air around them heavy with the scent of blood and thunder.
They saw that Alice and the others were still waiting inside. Relief washed over Amanda, Torkez, and the rest when they saw Souta’s group return unhard. None of them bore any major injuries—anything less than fatal could be healed by the parasite coursing through their bodies.
"We were waiting for you," Torkez said, exhaling in relief.
Souta gave a small nod. "Good. Then let’s go."
The group made their way deeper into the Guardian Fortress. After several corridors, they entered a vast chamber pulsing with strange energy.
At its center stood a towering device—a triangular construct of tal and stone, surrounded by swirling motes of dense energy. The space around it rippled like disturbed water.
"This is it," Torkez said, stepping forward. "The portal to the other Guardian Fortress. Once we activate it, we’ll be able to leave this battlefield."
This was the plan all along—
to use the portal to escape.
By drawing the attention of countless enemies to this area, they ensured that no one would think to investigate elsewhere. While the world’s eyes were fixed on Souta, the ordinary people of Astros had already evacuated.
After everyone crossed, they would destroy the device—severing the connection so no one could follow.
"Let’s move," Souta said.
Everyone nodded. One by one, they stepped through the portal, their bodies dissolving into light as they vanished into the rift.
Monts later, only Souta and Alice remained. The swirling energy of the portal reflected in their eyes, casting ripples of white and crimson across their faces.
Souta turned toward her. "Are you scared?"
Alice shook her head softly. "No."
Her voice was steady, but her eyes carried the weight of guilt. "I’m not afraid of them... I just keep thinking that all of this—everything that’s happening—is my fault."
Souta’s gaze softened slightly. "You’re still blaming yourself?" He paused for a breath, his tone firm but not harsh. "You did what you had to do. If I were in your place... I’d have done the sa."
"I don’t even know what my father wanted," Alice said softly. "All I rember is my mother telling to run... and my father—he was going crazy." She frowned, trying to piece together a reason for his actions, but the mories were hazy and painful.
Souta’s gaze lingered on her. "Do you want to go back?"
"No," she said firmly, shaking her head. "I don’t want to go back."
She could still see her mother’s terrified face burned into her mory—the fear, the desperation. Maybe she was destined to face the sa despair one day. But right now... she didn’t want to think about that. She just wanted to stay here—with her friends. Even so, guilt gnawed at her. Too many people of Astros had died in the battle she had started.
"That’s it, then," Souta said. His tone was calm, resolute. "I’ll protect you... even if it ans fighting the entire world."
Alice turned toward him. For a mont, she simply looked at his face, then a small, fragile smile appeared. "What about you?" she asked quietly. "Are you scared?"
"Yes," Souta replied without hesitation, stepping into the glowing portal.
Alice’s eyes followed him. Then, after a brief pause, she took a deep breath—and stepped in after him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)