Crimson

Amid the enraged Vanguard Commander’s screams, a burning sun, and the leisurely free-falling hero’s silhouette at its center.

The soldiers from both sides, having momentarily ceased fighting, gazed in awe at the magnificent spectacle.

As a thin beam of light streamed down, one soldier squinted from the sudden glare. Having grown accustomed to the dark battlefield, the brightness made it even harder to see ahead.

“Ah…! Light?”

He let out an exclamation of puzzlement.

Gradually, more beams of light emerged, and the soldiers looked up at the radiance assaulting their eyes.

“Look over there!”

“Eh, the canopy!”

The canopy that had blotted out the sky and sunlight was collapsing.

The thick debris crumbling away from the main body first turned to ash disappearing into the air.

A Citadel Lord, previously tearing apart roots, paused. The roots ravaging the Alliance ranks also disintegrated into ashes.

The Black Duskroot, the Vanguard Commander who had reigned as a nightmare on the battlefield with power surpassing even dragonkin.

After cleaving that calamity in two with his sword of light, the warrior’s descending form basking in the gradually opening sky resembled a scene from myth.

The soldiers thought, ‘Ah! So this is how the salvation myths we read in history books and fairy tales were written!’

They trembled at witnessing a scene that would be recorded by their own hands as a new myth.

An ordinary soldier, overwhelmed by welling emotions, let out a roaring cry:

“Uwaaaaaah!!”

Following his lead, the entire Alliance forces bellowed in unison:

“”Waaaaaaaaah—!!!””

There were no orders from the commanders to advance. Even the commanders were too busy shouting their exhilaration.

But the Alliance forces simultaneously charged forward nonetheless. Brimming with morale surging like the heavens, they furiously swung their blades and spears.

The curse that had weighed them down, the darkness that had instilled terror – all had vanished. Most warriors remained unscathed, and their spirits had pierced the canopy itself.

In contrast, the Demon Lord’s forces had lost their most powerful commander, with many key officers slain by Doyun. The Demon army began steadily yielding ground to the Alliance’s advance.

Thud.

Landing on the ground, Doyun sensed that his tactics had clearly taken effect. The overwhelmingly disadvantageous war situation had been completely reversed by his actions alone.

However, he did not relax his guard.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Oz, Lilith, the Jester, and even the unseen Crimson puppet – four Vanguard Commanders remained.

Meanwhile, Doyun had expended most of his power dealing with the Black Duskroot.

Having yet to fully sustain Level 9 Mana, it was doubtful he had completely regained his prime might.

‘I’ve barely overcome this hurdle; the fierce battle begins now.’

Of course, he was not at a disadvantage either. On their side were the Citadel Lord, Lion King, Brudhild and the other warriors, as well as Vyuskr…

‘…’

Doyun’s gaze turned towards the battlefield’s center, and he let out a wry smile.

One Vanguard Commander’s aura had just vanished – undoubtedly Vyuskr’s doing. The Jester’s head had likely been severed.

‘…Three left.’

Enoch’s comrades had always lightened the burden on his shoulders, with Hecleus and Vyuskr being especially significant pillars of support.

Doyun felt that weight lifted once more by his friend as he surveyed the battlefield conditions.

‘But it’s too early to be at ease.’

The lingering unease he had felt since the battle’s start still remained.

‘Satan.’

Why was there no sign of Satan or his vanguard? With warfare specialization on par with the Black Duskroot, why had he not participated?

‘The Jester is dead, and Oz cannot be restrained.’

Then he would have to capture Lilith for interrogation.

Having made his decision, Doyun turned to approach Brudhild. But at that moment—

Thud.

Creak—

‘…’

The footsteps and mechanical sounds from behind caused Doyun’s body to freeze.

‘…Right. There was one more to capture.’

Doyun drew upon his remaining mana.

The crimson puppet stared at his back, a mirage-like aura rising from it.

+++

Thud.

The Jester’s decapitated head and still-grinning body hit the ground.

Instead of springs or shimmering powder, black blood oozed from the severed neck.

Before it stood Vyuskr, his azure flames gazing coldly upon the lifeless corpse.

‘A worthy opponent.’

An excellent battle that had further honed his ‘path’.

Even the horrific battlefield and life-or-death combat were merely part of the swordsmanship journey for him.

Shhhhh…

An azure mirage seeped from the Jester’s lifeless body.

It was absorbed into Vyuskr’s body – more precisely, the core residing within his chest area that Doyun had implanted.

Simultaneously, a violet aura flowed towards him from the direction of the Black Duskroot’s former main body.

Vyuskr’s azure flames flared more intensely, fueled by the immense death aura generated from the two Vanguard Commanders’ demises.

‘More power… accumulates.’

He raised his bony hand, examining it.

Truly a being of utmost malice. Even its death carried immense weight, providing far more power than anticipated.

Vyuskr could sense it. If he gathered just a bit more strength…

‘Soon, my full might…’

He would be able to unveil the culmination of a hundred years – his progress to show his friend.

Vyuskr swiftly calmed the core, lest the power be wasted.

The flames in his eye sockets extinguished. Soon, the Death Knight who had once commanded the sword was gone, leaving only a frail skeleton standing there.

Clang, clang—!

Thud!

The sounds of intense clashing echoed from behind.

Vyuskr turned towards the ongoing battle.

Crack—

Lilith’s whip lashed out, carving deep gashes into the ground.

“Eeek!”

With an irritated expression, she flicked her wrist, sending the whip weaving erratically towards Brudhild.

But Brudhild deflected all her attacks with composed, fluid movements.

“Aaah!!”

Frustrated by the battle’s unexpected prolongation, Lilith let out an exasperated shriek.

‘This brat… how did he get this strong in the meantime?!’

She and Brudhild had clashed at Muspelheim too. Back then, they had been evenly matched.

But now, outside the Holy Stones’ barrier, Lilith had grown overwhelmingly stronger compared to that time.

Yet the dynamics remained unchanged. They were still evenly matched – Brudhild had somehow become incredibly powerful in the interim, to an unbelievable degree.

‘This can’t be right!’

As a specialist in crowd control, she was weak in one-on-one combat. Moreover, her signature psychic attacks were naturally countered by Brudhild’s Stillwater Mind nature. But even accounting for all that, this made no sense.

She was a Vanguard Commander. Not a legendary hero of old like the Citadel Lord or Lion King, but merely their successor – yet he matched her full might?

‘And… his demeanor has been unsettling since earlier.’

She scrutinized Brudhild’s eyes.

Brudhild was struggling to suppress an unprecedented sense of exhilaration even as he moved.

‘Stillwater Mind… Stillwater Mind…’

His head remained coolly focused, but his heart burned with passion. The fact that he fought on the same battlefield as his father ignited his determination.

He was experiencing an unparalleled enlightenment.

“Eeek!”

The whip lashed out with razor sharpness. Though an attack of tremendous speed, Brudhild’s coolly settled gaze simply deflected it before counter-thrusting.

Their distance closed in an instant. Having created an opening, Lilith could only desperately evade the vicious thrust grazing her ear, some of her hair shearing off.

“Kuh…”

Her eyes wavered as she struggled to track his sword.

‘This brat… he’s growing in real time.’

Unlike the initial stages where she could barely keep up with the whip’s erratic patterns, he was now pressing the attack against her.

‘Dangerous…!’

Sensing the danger, she furiously lashed her whip while Brudhild, feeling elated, swung his sword with lethal sharpness.

Brudhild’s excited inner voice muttered in a trance:

‘It’s imminent. Truly…’

Truly, his father’s dream was materializing before his eyes – the moment he would surpass his father from a hundred years ago.

Entering the realm of self-transcendence, he moved his chilled blade.

Vyuskr silently observed the battle through empty black sockets.

Clang, thud!

Crackle—

“…”

Brudhild was a formidable opponent for her. If Vyuskr intervened, he could swiftly decide the victor.

But Vyuskr ultimately did not interject, merely turning his back.

He could not bring himself to interfere.

‘…My son.’

Like Brudhild, he too struggled to conceal his exhilaration.

Witnessing his son’s attempts to surpass his own lifetime, to evolve by breaking free from the shell, filled Vyuskr with an overwhelmingly proud emotion.

Now was the time for him, as a father and teacher, to respect Brudhild’s journey along his own path of swordsmanship.

However, once the war concluded and he faced his son who had surpassed his younger self, he would embrace him and say:

‘I am proud of you.’

You, who fulfilled your father’s dream – I am truly proud of you.

He would surely tell him that.

Clack, clack…

Vyuskr quietly made his way to where Doyun was.

+++

“Lord Enoch!”

Having completely incinerated the Black Duskroot, the Lion King hastened towards Lord Enoch’s location.

His lord was facing off against the new Vanguard Commander.

Landing a step behind Doyun, the Lion King drew forth his power.

“Hmm! I shall aid you!”

“…Stand back.”

“Lord Enoch?”

The Lion King looked on in puzzlement as Doyun softly raised his arm, gesturing him to stay back.

The unknown Vanguard Commander Crimson, whose abilities had yet to be revealed. Doyun regarded the being with a grave expression. An artificial green light emanated from within the crimson armor, meeting his gaze.

His senses rang an alarm. The enemy before him was powerful. Unbelievably so…

“I cannot fight while protecting you, Your Majesty.”

A peer. On par with the Saint herself.