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The 14th Infantry Regiment soldiers, who dared to block the way, melted as they advanced, swept away by the primordial lava pouring from the huge maw.

“Aaarrrrgggghhh…!”

“It… it’s a monster…!”

The demon races following the Daemon squeezed through the cracks in the defense line, murdering the survivors.

Above the bloody tragedy, a large and terrifying being passed by in a swirl of volcanic ash.

Thump, thump, thump—

The power of the Forgotten King boiled red-hot within its body, emitting so much heat that it incinerated the corpses below.

The reptile’s skull, with six horns sprouting from it, was bare of flesh, and lava writhed in its eye sockets.

The power of the King of Lizards, Neigalas, took its own form and became an incarnation.

The Primordial Volcano, Mauna Roa…

“The third defense line has been breached!”

“The fourth defense line, destroyed…!”

“We can’t stop the Daemon’s advance! The scattered demon races are gathering! There are approximately 300,000! It’s a huge army!”

Mirngadia of the Heavenly Castle was disgusted with his method of baiting since it resulted in countless deaths.

‘Yes, he’s coming to the right place… through the path paved with blood…’

How many deaths had they suffered for the creation of such a path, and how many more would be needed to complete it?

Rather than driving someone to death, Mirngadia vividly imagined an image of the Dragon Sage heading toward his death.

“Mir, come here.”

Mirngadia could not become like the Dragon Sage. Hadn’t he ended up in his state after all the fighting…?

He lacked the ability and reputation to match the Dragon Sage’s feats, but he wanted to be proud when he met the being on the other side of death’s doors.

Still, he lamented that his struggles to live led to a life of shame.

[How high is the 1st Field Army’s battle readiness?]

“Nearly 90%. Kaisen Alter Aradamandel also just regained consciousness.”

[It was worth delaying for time. All we need is the Iron Cross. Tell them to begin the moment the Mauna Roa crosses the threshold.]

* * *

In the Red Mountains, the approach of the abyss was heralded by the falling volcanic ash and the weeping leaves.

The high heat of the volcanic ash shriveled any vegetation like a pitch-black pestilence, leaving cracked earth and the husks of trees wherever it lingered.

“It’s already been seven hours since this guy woke up. We’ve been waiting for almost 12 hours total! Why are we just waiting here?” Teval barely managed to put the questions and righteous indignation swirling in his mind into words. “An Incarnate-Level Daemon has appeared. Shouldn’t we be at the forefront to stop it?”

The sounds of gunshots and bombs echoing through the distant mountains subsided.

[Here… Ahhh!]

[Save me, please, save…]

[Oh, Lord…]

Kaisen bit his lip helplessly as he heard countless lives being cut short on the battlefield. The sudden silence weighed heavy on his mind, but the heightened screams just before it pierced his heart.

‘We were ordered to wait until the Daemon appears here…’

In the distance, 4th Artillery Regiment’s valley could be seen being caught up in a storm of volcanic ash.

“Another unit… I just don’t understand. Why are we still waiting here?”

“Teval, are you dissatisfied with His Excellency’s judgment?”

“Just dissatisfied? I can’t understand it!”

Loveris said nothing.

“Take a good look around, Teval.” Alidona, who was silently biting into her lips next to him, exhaled cigarette smoke. “This Hill 118 is an artificial plateau of the Red Mountains. To the northwest is Branching Peak, to the south is White Flower Peak, and to the southeast is Mirror Peak.”

Since they were surrounded by three main peaks, it was a good place to ambush the enemy from the high ground. The plateau had been created 270 years prior as a result of Dragon Sage Rain Ludwig and Old King Nariaduk’s battle.

It would be more correct to call it a canyon rather than Hill 118…

“Artillery units are already in place on the three peaks. This is simply the most strategically advantageous place to lure the Daemon.”

“You know that’s bullshit, right? There are plenty of positions more advantageous than this!”

“Stop it, Teval. It took over 11 hours just to get here from the plains. How wide are the Red Mountains? It arrived here abnormally quickly.” Loveris was just watching the volcanic ash getting closer and closer when, suddenly, her gaze shifted toward Kaisen. “Kaisen, who do you think you are?”

Her question was straight and sharp. It seemed her ire was aimed not only at Teval but also at Kaisen and everyone else, who had the same question on their minds.

“You are a fake. You are not a real hero. No heroes in this world have been able to save others without sacrifice. That applies to me as well. We are fake.”

“…!”

“Always remember… We cannot accomplish the unrealistic task of saving everyone. All we can do… no, what we must do is turn fleeting deaths into noble sacrifices.”

What did that mean? What did she want to say?

Kaisen found it difficult to hear what his senior Fake Warrior was saying, so he focused his eyes.

“If you die without any meaning and this battle is lost, all the deaths here will be recorded as tens of thousands of casualties under the title of ‘Great Defeat’. What if you win, though? History will forever remember it as a ‘Great Victory’.”

Loveris paused there for a moment. After receiving the pipe from Alidona, she put it to her lips and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with smoke.

She spoke again. “I’ve always thought that way. Ever since I realized my powerlessness…”

Kaisen kept his mouth shut. He felt the sorrow of someone who’d endured unbearable pain behind her words. “…Should we turn a blind eye to those who are dying in front of us just because we are helpless?”

Loveris smiled bitterly. What was she thinking as she looked at the young Fake Warrior’s burning spirit? She saw a confidence in his eyes that spoke of his belief that he could accomplish anything, beat anyone, and save everyone.

That same dream; that same feeling… She had already crashed into the wall of reality and had such confidence beaten from her. “That’s not what I mean. The day will come when you’ll understand what I just said. It won’t be long.”

Was he too young to know that? The thin male warrior was always slow and sluggish. That delay was painful. When he thought back on it, he always made himself more miserable.

“Now get ready. The holy swords are crying, so you know it’ll be starting soon.”

Clack, clack, clack—

Aradamantel and Schirpin cried out in the arms of the two Fake Warriors.

The mouth of the narrow passage at the far end was engulfed in volcanic ash, and an ancient nightmare appeared, shaking the earth.

The war horses, overcome with primal fear, raised their front legs and snorted.

“Iron Cross!”

That breathtaking feat, that dizzying madness, that eerie feeling…

“Stop!”

The Daemon looked like a volcano that had entered the world wearing the skeleton of a devil.

It approached.

A torrent of volcanic ash poured from all over its body, and it looked like the volcano was walking over the uruk cavalry running in front of them.

‘Yeah, this guy…’ The overwhelming presence caused his eyes to tremble, and the heat seemed to penetrate his temperature-enchanted skin and set him ablaze.

It was almost as if the world was bowing to the deadly force the Daemon commanded.

‘Mauna Roa…’ Its bloodthirst set despair into his heart. In the face of that deadly force, his holy sword cried.

The shadow of absolute carnage, provocation, and deception came upon him, and a question that could not be answered flashed in his mind. ‘What on earth is your purpose…?’

What kind of purpose could allow for such a creature to be born?

Was it possible to kill people again and again as if it were simply part of a larger design?

‘It’s as if the right to life and death of all humankind is yours to decide.’

Hundreds of shells rained from the artillery positioned on the three peaks, causing acrid smoke to rise.

「RasssssAsssssssss!」

The Daemon came closer, easily destroying the countless curtains of projectiles.

“Dream Ender, Time-Space Void.” Loveris’ Schirpin opened a dimensional rift.

The uruks charging ahead of the Daemon were sucked into the rift along with screams and blood, and the Daemon lost an arm.

Still, the Daemon moved forward without hesitation, instantly regenerating its severed arm with lava.

“Dream Ender…?”

“Don’t let down your guard, it’s an Incarnate-Level!”

The Knights of the Iron Cross’s wedge-like steel formation scattered before the unstoppable volcano.

When the creature hit the ground, three or four people were crushed, and the horses flew into the air and fell from the impact.

Teval and Kaisen attacked at the same time as the vanguard.

Following one path, Kaisen leaped from Bloodwind’s back and made a deep cut on the Daemon’s body. Thrown back from the recoil, sharp pain shot through his wrist.

‘My wrist is broken…?’ It felt like he’d tried to cut through a boulder. More accurately, was that what it would’ve felt like if he tried to cut a mountain with a knife?

“Kaisen, look ahead!”

Using his other shaking hand, he injected himself with dragon blood serum and looked up just in time to see the Daemon turning to him and opening its mouth wide.

Lava rippled out of its throat and melted the entire area.

‘Damn, using lava at will…’

Mern’s arrow hit the Daemon’s mouth and extended into several branches, slightly twisting the lava’s trajectory.

‘It was close. It’s a pitiful difference, but…’

It was enough to give Kaisen some time to escape.

The lava rushed forward, swallowing up all the trees and wild grass in its path, giving off a sour, sulfuric stench.

Kaisen rolled away and cut down a few of the uruks trying to attack him.

The Daemon recovered from its missed attack and charged at him.

That’s when the Daemon crossed a critical line, and blue light erupted from all three peaks at once.

‘That…?’ Goosebumps covered his body.

Was that it? Was the light a secret weapon His Excellency had prepared?

‘For that light, you led the Daemon here on a path paved with countless deaths?’

Three rays of light dazzled the sky, and a griffin rider delivered an urgent message.

“The Knights of the Iron Cross are ordered to surround the outskirts of the hill, encircle the enemy, and prevent the demons from escaping!”

Did it understand those words? No, it must have instinctively read the threat from the flow of power around them.

The Daemon looked up at the mountain peaks; then, the rocks on its back broke apart, and six pairs of wings sprouted.

“Wings…?” Kaisen hooked his right index finger onto the pin of his suppressor.

“Mern, you can’t let him get away!”

“Captain, we are already firing! All we need to do is slow down its movements a bit!”

“Alidona, help them!”

“I’m already helping!”

That was the turning point where the Heavenly Castle prepared the winning move. They couldn’t let it go to waste.

With that clear realization, the pin on Kaisen’s suppressor felt as if it broke free of its own accord.

Ting…

Sound itself seemed to mute as clear, transcendental power encased his limited, feeble body. The moment he took a deep breath and exhaled, his five senses were greatly amplified.

‘If this kind of indiscriminate slaughter is your right…’

He could even feel the slightest tremors in the ground beneath his military boots.

‘It is my duty to kill all of you.’

____