Ch.77I’m seriously going to die of frustration.

# 1.

The first to notice Lactea’s change was Asha, the leader of the Light.

A realm beyond the limits she had barely reached during the battle with the December Calamity by using her Skill #1 – Hero’s Crusade.

That same realm was now…

【Black Wolf’s Vice Commander. – <Lactea Babylonia> releases the constraints of <Black Wolf>.】

【<Lactea Babylonia(S+)>’s rank has risen to <Lactea Babylonia(Ex-)>.】

…manifesting right before her eyes.

Unlike her own energy that had scattered wildly, this was a chilling power that gathered calmly and frosted over the blade.

Asha made an immediate judgment.

‘We need to retreat.’

Having touched that realm once, she understood.

The ‘Black Wolf’ before her was different from herself who had barely reached Ex rank. This one had reached that power long ago and had been honing it since.

Just as Asha, frozen without realizing it, was about to order her companions to retreat…

Lactea, who had already composed her breathing, stepped boldly right up to Asha’s face.

Tap.

With pale, slender fingers, she lifted Asha’s chin and whispered with a smile.

“Now as before, you remain oblivious, hero.”

“Ugh, everyone retreat—!!”

“Too late.”

Slash!

The moment the red longsword was swung, Balkan’s fortress of steel was cut.

No.

More precisely, it wasn’t cut—the space where the blade touched simply vanished.

That wasn’t all.

Areas touched by Lactea’s aura were corrupted crimson, and the collapsed debris, rather than disappearing, remained physically blocking the Light’s path.

The steel fortress that had imprisoned Lactea was now trapping them instead.

“What is this…?”

“Stop gawking and dodge, you idiot!!”

Boom,

CRASH!!

Selena, who had pushed the stunned Balkan out of the way, shouted at Marine who was in the middle of casting.

“Marine, the return spell!!!”

Following Selena’s direction, Marine activated her first incantation – <Meteor Shower(SS+)>, then immediately began casting the return spell, but…

“How cute.”

SLASH!

The red longsword swung again, annihilating countless meteors.

Then came the command.

“【Reverse Heaven. Mana Annihilation.】”

Crack.

In an instant, the mana filling the mental realm scattered and vanished.

Simultaneously, Marine’s mana circuits stopped.

“…Cough.”

The mana circuits, suddenly deprived of fuel, began consuming life force to activate the spell.

【Advanced Magic – <Return(S+)> activates!】

【Designated targets – <Asha Mirabel(SSS+)>, <Selena(SS-)>, <Balkan Gardner(SS+)>, <Marine Blue(SS+)> will return to the set coordinates.】

Splurt!

Blood burst from her torn circuits throughout her body.

“Marine!!!”

“Every…one, run…”

With Marine collapsing, her eyes rolling back, the members of <Light> began to disperse.

‘…We survived.’

The members of Light instinctively felt relief at a primal level.

They would return, heal Marine, gather their strength, and then punish the Black Wolf.

As they waited for that brief moment for the magic to activate, making plans for next time…

Lactea’s crimson lips curved as she spoke a few more words.

“【Reverse Heaven. Rejection.】”

CRASH!

Just before activation, the return spell shattered completely.

“Are you done with your little games?”

Click.

As the platinum calamity approached again, Asha quickly turned her head and asked.

“Selena, the path…”

But before finishing her sentence, she realized.

“…I can’t see. I can’t see anything…”

That there was absolutely no way to escape this woman.

“I’ll give you time for last words.”

Hearing the golden mockery seeping through the mask, Asha couldn’t help but blame herself.

‘…I should have known better.’

The gap between ranks is absolute.

That’s why they thought they would easily defeat the ‘Black Wolf’ member who was merely around S-rank, but hadn’t they struggled considerably?

How did they fail to realize that even with just S-rank power, she had fought on par with them, who were double-S and triple-S?

But what use was regret now?

“…Well, never mind if you don’t need it.”

I,

We are about to die.

“Farewell.”

Just as Lactea, holding the red longsword in reverse grip, was about to plunge it into Asha’s heart…

Whoosh!

Someone grabbed Asha by the scruff of her neck and threw her backward.

Crash!

Colliding with Balkan, Asha instinctively kicked him away and got back up.

‘Who was that?’

Who would jump into that monstrous woman’s domain to save me?

But before she could identify her savior, Lactea’s hand moved.

Squelch.

As if it were nothing, she casually thrust the blood-red longsword into the person who had saved Asha.

“…Well, this hurts too much for posturing.”

Only then did Light realize.

The one who had saved their lives from that sharp blood-red sword was…

“Everyone… quickly… escape…”

Ian Red.

As always, it was you.

# 2.

Right after changing from Black Wolf attire to Ian Red’s clothes.

“…Well, never mind if you don’t need it.”

Nahan realized time was running out and lunged toward Asha.

This is insane.

“Farewell.”

Truly insane.

Throwing himself at that clearly dangerous sword just to protect Asha.

Even now, as he made his decision and acted on it.

Nahan knew his actions were insane.

But what else could he do?

-Fulfill my dream in my place, Han hyung.

To fulfill that kid’s request, this world couldn’t end with a bad ending.

And so, having barely managed to interpose himself…

Squelch.

The sword approached more slowly than expected, yet was still unavoidable as it pierced his heart.

It was hot.

It hurt.

It was terrifying.

The unpleasant sensation of something foreign penetrating his heart traveled up Nahan’s spine to his brain.

Nevertheless, Nahan acted.

“…Well, this hurts too much for posturing.”

Fighting through the terrible pain surging through him, erasing even his fear with his performance.

“Everyone… quickly… escape…”

Nahan saved Light.

“Master!!!”

An enraged Asha immediately lunged forward, but…

THUD!!

She was struck by Lactea’s swinging hand and sent flying back along with Selena.

“Aah…!! Master, please…!!!!”

Handing the unconscious Marine to Balkan, Asha stood up again, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

Immediately followed by Selena’s support.

“Still… we can still save him…!!”

She too, like Asha, desperately wanted ‘Ian Red’ to survive.

“Now, Asha!!!”

“Master!!!”

They rose up, overcoming the pressure, the gap, the fear, but…

“Oh, is this important to you?”

“Wait—!!”

“I don’t think so.”

Slash!

Nahan’s neck was deeply cut by Lactea’s sword as it moved again.

“Gurk…!!”

Nahan quickly clutched his throat.

‘It’s okay. This was expected.’

The clash between Light and Lactea.

If Lactea were losing, he would order a retreat as Black Wolf; if Light were losing, he would sacrifice himself as Ian Red to secure their retreat.

‘Of course, I didn’t know it would hurt this much… but I won’t die.’

He had reinforced Iaso’s ring, so if he could just hold on a little longer, this situation would resolve itself.

‘So please, just run away already…’

His legs trembled.

Nahan barely managed to turn his gaze toward Asha and Selena, waving his hand weakly.

“Qui…ck…!!!”

Gush!

The more he exerted himself, the more blood poured from his wound.

His vision turned white as a distant dizziness followed.

“Master, please…!!!”

“Get a grip and move, Asha!!!”

Despite sacrificing his life to help them escape, the situation only grew more chaotic.

“…I’m sorry, Ian.”

…Clank.

Balkan, who had somehow picked up Marine, took heavy steps forward and grabbed the two women.

“…I’m truly… truly sorry, Ian.”

Drip.

After a thick teardrop fell, a scroll was torn in his thick grasp.

【Return Scroll activates.】

Nice, Balkan.

That’s exactly it, you big guy…

“Balkan!! What are you doing?!”

“Let go!!! Let go, you stupid bastard!!!”

The two women caught in Balkan’s grip struggled, but Balkan absolutely refused to release them.

When the worst situation arises, sacrificing oneself to allow allies to retreat.

A noble act indeed, but one Balkan had been too frightened to perform himself.

But Ian had done it in his place.

Unable to let that noble sacrifice be in vain, Balkan had torn the scroll.

Flutter.

Marine who was being carried,

Asha who was struggling,

Selena who was wailing.

After all three disappeared, Balkan apologized to Nahan once more.

“I’m truly… sorry. I’m sorry that you had to bear my burden, Gardner’s burden.”

No?

There’s nothing to be sorry about.

If you all escape, that’s success…

“But from now on, I’ll bear it with you.”

What are you saying?

CRASH!

Balkan split his shield in half and held it like a weapon.

“Black Wolf!!! From now on, I will avenge my friend, Ian Red!!!”

Looking at the shouting Balkan, Nahan couldn’t help but mutter.

“Get out…gurk, get out of here…”

“The crime of harming Gardner’s future son-in-law must be paid with your life!!!!”

“You… id…gurk, idiot….”

This is truly frustrating.