Every time the sword swung, brilliant light danced through the air.
It was the kind of light that would make anyone admire its beauty in their minds.
However, those who observed that light up close should not have the leisure to dwell on such thoughts.
Because where that light scattered, in the heart of the battlefield, life and death could change with a moment’s carelessness.
And yet, it should have been that way.
[■■■■■■■!!!]
The squad members, who had unknowingly been entranced by the beauty of the light, snapped back to reality at the sound of the demonic beast’s howl.
As the light that filled the surroundings disappeared, a demonic beast, its body riddled with deep wounds, emerged.
Wounds that would normally signify a fatal blow.
However, the beast, living up to its title of being high-tier, howled ferociously while regenerating its lost parts.
A voice resounding loudly in their ears.
Though one might shrink back at such a powerful presence, the eyes of the squad members surrounding the beast were not shadowed by fear at all.
The beast before them was undoubtedly a strong entity that could be called a monster.
But it was overshadowed by an even greater monster that stood nearby.
“Shut up.”
With someone’s muttering, brilliant light engulfed the beast once again.
Now everyone knew.
That beautiful radiance harbored tremendous destructive power beneath its facade.
And soon, as the light that had wrapped around the beast subsided, the squad members could only wear expressions of disbelief at what they saw.
It wasn’t because the beast stubbornly endured and healed from such an attack.
It was because the high-tier beast, a near-calamity, had shrunk back in fear, tucking its tail between its legs like a frightened puppy, as it sensed the difference in power.
The squad members were in awe, watching what was supposed to be an unrivaled foe cower.
The image of the young boy who had recently taken the position of their captain.
Dressed in pure white armor, holding a shining sword, he was the figure of a majestic hero who had brought the beast to its knees.
Seeing that scene naturally led to thoughts.
Their new captain might be a being who would write a new legend in this era, just like the great heroes of the past.
Yes, what significance does age hold in times like these?
When they fought together so reassuringly.
Gaze filled with admiration and envy poured onto Yoon Si-woo.
And amidst those gazes, Yoon Si-woo thought.
‘…Having so many eyes on me is quite uncomfortable.’
He felt uncomfortable because of the eyes that were watching him.
Knowing that it was an impolite thought to entertain in front of those fighting hard alongside him, he smiled wryly, yet could not shake off that feeling.
After all, right now, relying solely on the Holy Sword of Truth to exhaust and defeat the beast would be a time-consuming and physically taxing alternative.
If he could use Lucy’s power, he could quickly dissect the creature and find its weak point, smashing it to pieces— a swift and efficient method.
But with so many eyes on him, he could not employ that tactic.
It felt as if he had a lighter yet was forced to start a fire from flint.
Wasn’t it natural to feel frustration?
Of course, even if he fought this way, it would not hinder taking down the beast.
After all, there loomed a considerable gap between the beast and himself.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the beast collapsed; it was inevitable.
Yet despite that acknowledgment, while the beast was growling in fear, trembling, Yoon Si-woo quietly raised his sword.
That was when.
[■■■■■■■!!!]
From somewhere, the howl of the beast rang out.
Perhaps it sensed the noise, as the beast’s ears perked up.
The shuddering body of the beast began to tremble differently.
It wriggled.
The beast raised its snout, a smirk creeping across its face as it turned to them.
Yoon Si-woo, feeling a sense of unease at the beast’s behavior, heard a frantic voice call out to him.
“Captain…! Telos just got taken down by the beast…!”
Upon hearing that, an alarm bell rang in Yoon Si-woo’s mind.
The news that someone who should have blocked the beast had fallen meant that a hole had opened in their plan.
That meant soon after.
“…The barrier.”
Turning his head at someone’s voice, he saw the barrier protecting the city disappearing.
As the thought of Scarlet being in danger filled him, an impulse to rush to her took over his mind.
Yet, something held him back from bolting toward the city.
‘Be a hero for everyone. Not a hero who prioritizes someone, but a hero who prioritizes more people.’
That was the plea of the woman he wanted to protect most.
Yoon Si-woo bit his lip.
He knew.
Turning his feet toward the city right now would put many more people in danger.
If this beast he hadn’t defeated headed toward where the other captains were, it could create even more havoc than he could imagine.
Moreover, she had promised him.
That no matter what happened, she wouldn’t overdo it until he arrived.
So it would be fine.
Even if it took a little longer, Scarlet would be safe.
Thus, forcing his swelling heart to calm, Yoon Si-woo turned his attention back toward the beast.
He thought about defeating it as quickly as possible to rush to the city.
However, what entered his eyes as he turned was.
The beast that had curled up was now leaping.
Not forward,
But backward.
“Ah, the beast…! The beast is escaping!!!”
“Quick, catch it!”
No one had thought that such a large beast would turn its back and flee, and they were taken aback, attacking in haste, but the beast had already leapt away with all its strength.
Except for one person.
“Are you trying to escape, huh?!”
Yoon Si-woo’s massive torrent of light surged toward the leaping beast.
In an attempt to thwart the escaping beast, he targeted its legs, and his attack engulfed its entire lower body.
Such a loss, even for a high-tier beast, would take time to recover from.
With its mobility hindered, he could catch up.
Having realized that it would try to flee again, he decided he wouldn’t let it escape next time.
He thought about rushing off to the city, not giving it time to catch its breath.
In this state, he dove toward the crashing beast.
However, contrary to his expectations, the beast suddenly.
With a thud, it landed on the ground, balancing itself with the tentacles sprouting from its front legs and body.
[■■■■■■■■■!]
The beast emitted a laughable howl as if mocking him and started to flee, ditching its legs like a lizard, employing its tentacles as its new legs.
“Ugh, damn it!”
If it was simply scared and running away, that might have been understandable, but it should have fled much earlier if it was going to.
Realizing the beast was deliberately trying to buy time against him, Yoon Si-woo cursed and propelled himself forward.
He tried his utmost to chase it down, yet before he could reach the beast, its entire lower half had already grown back.
And the speed at which it was now running utilizing its legs wasn’t something he could easily keep up with.
After all, its stride was fundamentally different from that of a regular creature.
How could a human catch up to something fleeing at its maximum speed?
That was possible only for someone like Leon Lionelle, or perhaps only for himself if he enhanced his body with the power of the witch.
His head began to hurt.
Countless thoughts surged through his mind in a flash.
Even if he pursued it through the teleportation gates, it would take considerable time.
Yet allowing the beast to escape while he hurried to save the city was also a foolish plan.
It seemed the beasts communicated through their cries; if that were the case, it could indeed join forces with other beasts.
Voices of the squad members could be heard, filled with confusion about what to do next.
Yoon Si-woo grimaced at their voices, which felt more like a hindrance than help, as they restricted his abilities.
Should he tell them to shut up and just use the witch’s power?
But given the circumstances, there were watching forces surveilling the movements of the beasts everywhere.
If they discovered he was using such powers, it could cause complications afterward.
It would be unacceptable not just for himself but also considering Scarlet’s well-being.
Damn it, at the very least, if he could use his abilities freely…
While he grappled with those thoughts.
Suddenly, a realization lit up in his eyes.
There was a way.
A way to use his abilities without others seeing.
*
[The beast is heading east!]
[Destination in 5 minutes!]
“…This bastard is really set on escaping.”
For a while, an intense chase ensued with the beast.
Every time Yoon Si-woo appeared through the teleportation gates, the beast would dash away as if refusing engagement, and his frustration boiled inside him.
Just how much time had this creature wasted?
He had to reach Scarlet as quickly as possible.
But the games of tag with the beast were now over.
He had lured it to this spot to disrupt its escape route.
He watched as the beast, which had been running in fear, suddenly came to a halt in the distance.
The reason the fleeing beast stopped was,
[■■■■■?]
[■■■■■■■…!]
It had arrived at a place where other beasts of similar appearance were gathered.
Sensing the appearance of its kin, the beast began to howl and communicate as the others turned to face Yoon Si-woo, growling in unison.
Was it calculating that while alone it was outmatched, two could go against him?
In fact, a normal 2v2 might put the beasts at a slight advantage, but given that he was their target, they wouldn’t think so otherwise.
Because the beasts present here did not feel significantly threatened by their opponents.
Mainly because the one battling the beasts was none other than.
“…You’ve arrived, Si-woo?”
“Yes, Ms. Eve.”
It was Ms. Eve, who had aimed to simply buy time against the beasts.
Using her specialty, illusions, she had managed to buy time until now, but appearing a little weary and sweating, she looked surprised at Yoon Si-woo’s arrival.
“So, I heard you had a plan. Why on earth did you lead a beast over to me? If you were thinking of teaming up to fight, I won’t be much of a help…?”
She wore a subtly worried expression as she asked, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Don’t worry. I’m more than capable of handling those guys on my own.”
“By yourself…?”
“Yes, Ms. Eve, all you need to do is make it appear as if I’m fighting normally.”
With those words, Ms. Eve’s face lit up with understanding, as if she had grasped something vital.
With a snap of her fingers, the surroundings warped.
Now, regardless of what he did inside, it would merely look like a standard battle to the onlookers.
This was the reason he had led the beasts here.
Eve, one who could shield him from prying eyes while also, aside from Scarlet, being the only one who knew his abilities and remained quiet about them, made her the perfect ally.
All conditions to use his powers to his heart’s content were now met.
[[■■■■■■■!]]
“Right. You’ve got pride after all.”
The creature that had been cowering earlier and brought its friend now appeared emboldened, readying itself to engage alongside the other beasts who had previously fled in fear.
Yoon Si-woo smiled coldly and muttered.
“Holy Sword, reverse.”
To the foolish ones who only realized too late that their pride would end up getting them killed.
*
“…Damn it, way too much time has gone by.”
The expression on Yoon Si-woo’s face as he charged at maximum speed toward the city after crossing the teleportation gate was far from cheerful.
Even though he had successfully slain two beasts with the help of Eve.
The moment he defeated the beasts, he sensed through the Holy Sword of Truth that Scarlet had taken serious damage.
He had cautioned her not to overdo it.
How could she think differently from the promise they made?
But considering her personality, expecting her to remain completely unscathed in such an urgent situation might be overly optimistic.
Yes, it hurt his heart, but he could accept her wounds.
After all, even if her limbs were severed, she had the ability to regenerate.
“So please, don’t push yourself further, wait until I arrive…”
He prayed fervently for Scarlet to take care of herself, and just as he drew the Holy Sword of Truth to carefully check on her condition.
“…Huh?”
The signal that had been relayed about Scarlet’s state through the sword suddenly cut off.
“Ah… why is this happening…? Is it broken…?”
Pausing his hurried steps, Yoon Si-woo tapped the Holy Sword with his fingers, murmuring.
“It can’t just suddenly do this… It’s broken, right? Right?”
But no matter how much he tapped it.
“Hey…! Fix yourself! Just a momentary glitch, right? Hurry…!”
He slammed his fist against the sword with all his might.
But the signal from Scarlet did not return.
Seeing Yoon Si-woo’s actions, the Holy Sword faintly flickered.
As if apologizing to its master.
Shaking his head, Yoon Si-woo murmured.
“…No.”
[……Si-woo.]
The voice of Lucy, filled with sorrow as she called out his name.
He had heard a detailed explanation from her once before.
About the abilities of the Holy Sword of Truth.
But in order to deny what he’d heard, he desperately shook his head, pleading for reassurance.
“…No! No way! It can’t be! Scarlet, Scarlet…!”
[……Si-woo. Sadly, accept it. The case where the signal of the Holy Sword is cut off is only one.]
When the Holy Sword connected to someone ceased sending signals, it meant only one thing.
[……She’s dead. That child is.]
Only when the life connected to it has ended.
“NOOOOOO!!!!!”
Yoon Si-woo screamed, howling that there was no way Scarlet was dead, that she couldn’t have disappeared like that.
However, the harsh reality that demanded acceptance provided no further signals.
As he stared blankly at the strands of the girl’s red hair he had tied to the sword’s hilt, he muttered.
“I need to… verify. If Scarlet is really gone, then I must see it with my own eyes…”
He began to walk toward the city, drifting like a thread pulled from its spool.
He couldn’t believe that Scarlet had died.
After all, wasn’t she the girl who even asked him to kill her if she ever stopped being herself?
So unless he witnessed her death with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe it.
Thus, forcing himself to take steps toward the city while struggling against his reluctance.
“…”
As he absentmindedly moved his feet, he felt the humidity in the air, almost as if it had just rained.
But as he continued to walk, that humid air grew hotter.
Soon, it felt as if the skin was drying out.
Dazed, he lifted his head.
“…Flames?”
In the distance, the scene of a street ablaze with blood-red flames filled his view.
“…Scarlet?”
The color of the flames reminded him of a certain girl, and Yoon Si-woo walked in the direction where her signal had last been transmitted.
On the way, he spotted a familiar silver-haired girl, leaning weakly against a wall in the middle of the street.
Perhaps sensing the sound of his footsteps, she slowly raised her head.
“Ugh…”
Upon seeing her expression, Yoon Si-woo couldn’t suppress the gasp that escaped him.
The girl who valued Scarlet just as much as he did, Silvia Astra.
With a face that seemed to have lost everything, she was crying endlessly.
For some reason, he felt that she might know Scarlet’s whereabouts, and wracked with unease, he squeezed out a shaky voice to ask.
“…Where’s Scarlet?”
Silvia slowly turned her head.
And following her gaze toward the center of the blazing flames, Yoon Si-woo.
“Ah…”
Upon seeing the figure standing there, his expression twisted with uncontrollable emotion.
‘If, if I were to cease being Scarlet Evande…’
A figure that was more than a girl was standing there.
‘Then, please, kill me.’
At long last, the moment of the promise had come.
Chapter 214 – The Time of Promise
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