The colossal Hell Beetle tentacle surged toward the group, its countless bodies writhing together like a single living nightmare. Hundreds of tiny crimson eyes glimmered from within the mass, while the clicking of thousands of jaws echoed through the burning streets of Kalburg.
Johann tightened his grip around his Nexometal sword.
,,Johann: Come on... just a little closer."
He planted one foot forward, ready to cut through the monstrous appendage the moment it entered his reach.
High above them, Lilithra's laughter echoed across the battlefield.
,,Lilithra: Hahahahaha! None of you are leaving this kingdom alive!"
The civilians behind the group trembled in terror.
Children cried.
Some soldiers raised trembling spears despite knowing they stood little chance against such horrors.
Then—
SLASH!
A brilliant magenta flash tore across the battlefield.
The gigantic tentacle was severed in an instant.
Dozens of Hell Beetles rained onto the stone streets, their tiny bodies twitching as they desperately crawled back toward Lilithra.
Anna's eyes widened with relief.
,,Anna: Noah!"
Johann turned around, unable to hide his grin.
,,Johann: Finally! You guys made it!"
Leyla released a weak sigh as tears filled her eyes.
,,Leyla: Thank goodness..."
She tried to smile, but a violent cough interrupted her.
Blood stained the corner of her lips.
The wounds Finn had inflicted upon her had not healed.
Perfidus quickly supported her before she could collapse.
,,Perfidus: Princess... please don't push yourself."
His voice was calm but filled with concern.
,,Perfidus: Your injuries are still serious."
Lilithra slowly tilted her head.
Her smile never faded.
Instead...
It grew wider.
,,Lilithra: Well, well..."
She clapped slowly.
,,Lilithra: Looks like the rest of your little group finally decided to show up."
Her green eyes shifted toward Noah.
,,Lilithra: You arrived just in time..."
Her grin became almost childlike.
,,Lilithra: ...to watch every last human in this kingdom die."
Johann stepped beside Noah without taking his eyes off Lilithra.
,,Johann: Noah..."
His expression grew serious.
,,Johann: As long as she's standing here, nobody can escape. She's using those Hell Beetles to keep the gate sealed."
He tightened his grip around his sword.
,,Johann: What do we do?"
Noah remained silent for several seconds.
His eyes scanned the battlefield.
The burning city.
The panicking civilians.
The collapsing walls.
Then...
An idea struck him.
,,Noah: Barry."
Everyone looked toward him.
,,Noah: He's our only chance."
Without wasting another second, Noah sprinted toward a nearby group of frightened guards.
The soldiers instinctively raised their weapons before recognizing him.
,,Noah: Tell me!"
He was breathing heavily.
,,Noah: Where did you imprison the Titan Golem?"
The guards exchanged nervous glances.
One of them finally pointed toward a lonely building standing several streets away.
Outside the building stood enormous iron cages.
,,Guard: Over there!"
,,Guard: The Titan Golem is being held inside the largest cage."
Noah followed the direction with his eyes.
Even from here...
He could already recognize the prison.
,,Noah: Thank you."
He immediately turned toward the others.
,,Noah: Heinrich! Karoschi!"
Both looked at him.
,,Noah: Stay here and protect everyone until I come back."
Karoschi nodded without hesitation.
,,Karoschi: Understood."
Heinrich raised his sword.
,,Heinrich: Don't worry. We'll hold them off."
Noah gave a quick nod before sprinting toward Barry's prison.
Lilithra watched him disappear into the smoke.
Her eyebrow twitched.
,,Lilithra: Hey!"
She pointed directly after him.
,,Lilithra: Where do you think you're going?"
She laughed loudly.
,,Lilithra: You're going to miss all the fun!"
The brief distraction was all Anna needed.
Without warning, she grabbed a bow from one of Kalburg's guards.
In one swift movement she drew an arrow.
The string stretched tight.
Her breathing slowed.
Her eyes locked onto Lilithra's forehead.
She released.
THWIP!
The arrow cut through the smoky air with astonishing speed.
Jo, perched beside Lilithra, suddenly shrieked in panic.
,,Jo: Dheee! Dh! Dh!"
Lilithra's smile disappeared instantly.
Her instincts screamed at her.
She turned—
Too late.
The arrow was already only inches away from her face.
For the first time since the battle began...
Fear flashed across her expression.
She slowly closed her eyes.
She knew she couldn't dodge it.
Then—
A hand appeared out of nowhere.
The arrow stopped completely.
Its tip rested against a black armored glove.
Not a single inch farther.
Silence spread across the battlefield.
Even Lilithra opened her eyes in disbelief.
Johann stared at the stranger.
His mouth slowly fell open.
,,Johann: Holy..."
He swallowed.
,,Johann: He was so fast..."
His eyes remained fixed on the mysterious warrior.
,,Johann: I didn't even see him appear."
The mysterious warrior stood atop the shattered wall as though he had always been there. Between two fingers, he held Anna's arrow effortlessly before tightening his grip.
Crack.
The wooden shaft splintered into countless fragments that drifted to the ground.
A cold breeze swept across the burning city, causing his turquoise cloak to flutter behind him.
His appearance alone was enough to make everyone freeze.
He wore a golden mask adorned with two antler-like horns, hiding every trace of his face. Long black hair rested upon his shoulders, while dark armor—crafted in the unmistakable style of the Karagnists—covered his body. Upon the left side of his chest was the symbol of Nexoria, and at his waist rested a Nexometal katana whose blade reflected the flames consuming Kalburg.
For several long seconds...
No one spoke.
The warrior slowly turned his masked face toward Lilithra.
His voice remained perfectly calm.
,,Daig: 「リリトラ,ただ一人の童に心を奪われず,周囲の気配を怠るな.」
("Riritora, tada hitori no warabe ni kokoro o ubawarezu, shūi no kepai o otoru na.")"
The unfamiliar language echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone exchanged confused glances.
None of them had ever heard anything like it.
The fear that had briefly crossed Lilithras face disappeared, replaced by pure irritation.
She glared at the masked warrior.
,,Lilithra: Get lost."
She folded her arms.
,,Lilithra: I don't need your help."
Her voice rose with every word.
,,Lilithra: I can handle this by myself."
Daig calmly walked along the top of the wall, crushing the broken arrow into dust beneath his fingers.
Not once did he raise his voice.
,,Daig: Can you?"
He looked toward the battlefield below.
,,Daig: You became so distracted chasing a single boy that you failed to notice an arrow flying directly toward your head."
He paused.
,,Daig: Had I arrived one second later..."
His gaze returned to her.
,,Daig: You would already be dead."
Lilithra clenched her fists.
Her expression twisted with rage.
,,Lilithra: Shut up, you bastard!"
Several Hell Beetles hissed around her as if reacting to her anger.
,,Lilithra: Go crawl back to whatever hole you came from!"
Daig remained completely unmoved.
If anything...
He almost sounded amused.
,,Daig: Very well."
He rested one hand upon the hilt of his katana.
,,Daig: But don't say I didn't warn you."
He took a single step backward.
,,Daig: I'll simply send Mimic instead."
A brief silence followed.
,,Daig: You're not capable of finishing this mission alone."
Lilithra's eyes widened for a split second.
Before she could answer—
Daig disappeared.
There was no explosion.
No cloud of smoke.
No flash of light.
One heartbeat...
He was standing there.
The next...
He was gone.
Johann blinked several times.
He slowly lowered his sword.
,,Johann: I have absolutely no idea why..."
He scratched the back of his head.
,,Johann: ...but for someone serving Karag..."
He looked toward the empty wall.
,,Johann: ...his voice sounded unbelievably cool."
Anna couldn't help sighing.
Even now...
Johann somehow found the strangest things to focus on.
Lilithra muttered under her breath.
,,Lilithra: Stupid Asian..."
She exhaled slowly before turning back toward the survivors.
The playful smile returned to her lips.
As though nothing had happened.
,,Lilithra: Now..."
She spread her arms.
,,Lilithra: Where were we?"
Her green eyes narrowed.
,,Lilithra: Oh, that's right."
Her smile widened into something almost inhuman.
,,Lilithra: I was about to kill all of you."
Instantly, hundreds of Hell Beetles began swarming together again.
Their tiny bodies merged into massive writhing tentacles that stretched toward the civilians like living serpents.
Children screamed.
Soldiers instinctively raised their shields.
The ground itself seemed to crawl beneath the endless sea of insects.
Far away from the battlefield...
Noah raced through the smoke-filled streets of Kalburg.
Every passing second brought more screams.
More collapsing buildings.
More death.
His heart pounded violently inside his chest.
,,Noah: Barry..."
He clenched his fists tighter.
,,Noah: Just hold on."
Finally...
The isolated prison building came into view.
Several enormous cages stood outside, built for creatures far larger than any ordinary beast.
Without slowing down, Noah sprinted between them.
His eyes searched desperately—
Until he found him.
Barry.
The young Titan Golem sat inside the largest cage.
The iron bars were thick enough to imprison giants.
Yet when Barry saw Noah...
His eyes immediately lit up.
,,Noah: Barry!"
Relief washed over Noah's face.
He ran to the cage as fast as he could.
,,Noah: I'm sorry."
His voice trembled with guilt.
,,Noah: I'm so sorry it took me this long."
Noah opened the cage.
,,Noah: We don't have much time."
Noah climbed onto Barry's massive arm, gripping tightly as Barry slowly rose to his feet.
Barry burst into a sprint, each thunderous step shaking the burning streets beneath him. Noah held tightly onto Barrys massive stone arm as smoke and ash rushed past them.
The city around them had become a living nightmare.
Buildings collapsed beneath roaring flames.
The cries of terrified civilians echoed through every street.
The smell of burning wood mixed with smoke and blood filled the air.
Then Noah's eyes widened.
Not far ahead, one of the towering Ignitors was slowly advancing toward the enormous crowd gathered before Kalburg's rear gate.
Its metallic body reflected the blazing inferno surrounding it.
The flame burning inside its right hand flickered violently.
Noah's breathing became frantic.
,,Noah: Barry!"
He pointed toward the giant creature.
,,Noah: There! We have to stop it before it burns everyone alive!"
Barry immediately understood.
Without hesitation, the young Titan Golem shifted his direction and charged straight toward the Ignitor.
Each step cracked the stone road beneath his enormous feet.
The civilians finally noticed the approaching monster.
Panic spread through the crowd.
People screamed as they desperately tried to back away.
The Ignitor suddenly stopped walking.
It focused on the countless humans standing before the gate.
Silence.
Then...
The giant slowly raised its burning right arm.
The blazing flame hovered directly before the opening where its mouth should have been.
The surrounding fire began flowing toward it, feeding the inferno within its hand.
The temperature rose dramatically.
Everyone froze.
,,Civilian: It's going to burn us!"
The Ignitor inhaled deeply.
The growing flame roared louder and louder.
It was only seconds away from releasing another devastating wave of fire.
Then—
BOOM!
Barry crashed into the Ignitor with overwhelming force.
The impact echoed across the entire kingdom.
The colossal monster was thrown violently onto its back, smashing through several burning buildings before skidding across the street.
A cloud of dust and shattered stone erupted into the air.
Noah immediately jumped from Barry's arm.
He rolled across the ground before quickly regaining his balance.
Drawing his Nexometal sword, he sprinted back toward the rear gate where Heinrich, Karoschi, Johann and the others were desperately defending the civilians.
,,Noah: Hold the line!"
Johann smiled with relief.
,,Johann: About time!"
Meanwhile...
Barry gave the Ignitor no opportunity to recover.
Barry raised both massive fists and slammed them repeatedly into the creature's metallic body.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Each strike shook the surrounding streets.
Cracks spread across the Ignitor's armor.
The giant monster suddenly reached upward with its razor-sharp metallic claws.
Before Barry could react—
Its claws grabbed the side of Barry's head.
,,Heinrich: Barry!"
With terrifying strength...
The Ignitor ripped away the entire right side of Barry's head.
Stone exploded in every direction.
A cloud of brilliant magenta gas burst from the wound, pouring into the air like glowing mist.
The civilians gasped in horror.
,,Anna: Barry!"
For a brief moment...
Barry staggered backwards.
The massive injury would have crippled almost any other creature.
But instead...
Barry slowly turned back toward the Ignitor.
His remaining eye burned with rage.
Rather than weakening him...
The attack had only made him angrier.
With astonishing speed for a creature of his size, Barry lunged forward.
He wrapped both massive arms around the Ignitor's body.
The colossal monster struggled violently.
Its claws dug into Barry's stone body.
But Barry refused to let go.
With one tremendous heave—
He lifted the Ignitor completely off the ground.
,,Johann: No way..."
,,Karoschi: Incredible..."
Barry spun once before hurling the enormous creature with every ounce of his strength.
The Ignitor flew through the smoke-filled sky.
Moments later—
CRAAAAASH!!
The gigantic body smashed directly into Kalburg Castle.
The impact sent shockwaves throughout the city.
Stone walls shattered instantly.
Massive towers collapsed one after another.
Within seconds...
The royal castle began crumbling into an enormous mountain of rubble.
The earth trembled beneath everyone's feet.
Dust filled the sky.
Noah stared at the collapsing castle for only a single second before turning toward Barry.
Hope finally returned to his eyes.
,,Noah: Barry!"
He pointed toward the enormous rear gate.
,,Noah: Over here!"
Barry immediately looked at him.
,,Noah: Destroy the gate!"
,,Noah: Everyone has to escape!"
The nearby guards instantly understood.
,,Guard: Everyone move away from the gate!"
,,Guard: Clear the path!"
The frightened civilians rushed aside as quickly as possible.
Some stumbled.
Others helped injured children and elderly survivors out of the way.
Barry lowered his body.
His remaining eye fixed upon the towering gate.
Then...
He charged.
Every step became faster than the last.
The earth shook beneath his feet.
Lilithra's smile disappeared.
Her eyes widened in panic.
,,Lilithra: No..."
She took one step forward.
,,Lilithra: No... no... NO!"
Barry crashed straight into the massive wooden gate.
The reinforced beams exploded apart.
Iron supports twisted like paper.
Stone blocks were launched through the air.
With one unstoppable charge...
The entire gate was obliterated.
For the first time since the siege had begun...
The road beyond Kalburg stood completely open.
The destruction of Kalburg's rear gate shook the entire kingdom.
For a moment...
Everyone stood frozen.
Then the silence broke.
,,Guard: MOVE!"
The soldier's voice echoed through the streets.
,,Guard: Everyone through the gate! Don't stop! Keep running!"
The civilians finally moved.
Like a wave breaking free from a prison, thousands of people rushed toward the destroyed entrance.
Families grabbed each other's hands.
Injured soldiers supported wounded citizens.
Children cried while their parents desperately pushed forward.
Behind them...
Kalburg burned.
The kingdom that had once represented safety and protection had become a battlefield.
Noah watched the endless stream of people escaping.
For a brief moment, he felt relief.
They had done it.
They had opened a path.
But that feeling disappeared almost instantly.
,,Lilithra: NO!"
Her scream carried across the ruined streets.
The smile that had always been on her face was gone.
Replaced by pure frustration.
,,Lilithra: You..."
Her eyes focused on Barry.
,,Lilithra: You ruined everything!"
The remaining Hell Beetles around her began moving.
They gathered around Lilithra like a living army.
,,Lilithra: Do you really think you can just escape?"
She raised her hand.
The Hell Beetles merged together.
Their bodies twisted and transformed into enormous tentacles once again.
,,Lilithra: I won't let anyone leave!"
The gigantic insect-like tendrils rushed toward the fleeing civilians.
Noah immediately turned around.
His eyes widened.
,,Noah: Everyone, get back!"
He stepped forward with his sword ready.
Johann, Anna, Heinrich and Karoschi joined him without hesitation.
They knew exactly what would happen if even one of those creatures reached the civilians.
They would not survive.
The first Hell Beetle tentacle descended.
SLASH!
Johann cut through it before it could reach the crowd.
The severed insects fell to the ground, but more immediately replaced them.
,,Johann: Seriously?!"
He jumped backwards.
,,Johann: How many of these things does she have?!"
Anna fired several arrows in rapid succession.
Each arrow struck a Hell Beetle and forced the creatures back.
,,Anna: Doesn't matter!"
She pulled another arrow from her quiver.
,,Anna: We just have to keep them away!"
Heinrich blocked another attack with his sword.
,,Heinrich: Easier said than done!"
Karoschi stood silently at the front line.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes showed complete focus.
For someone who had lived for two centuries...
He understood better than anyone.
This battle was not just about winning.
It was about protecting the people behind them.
,,Karoschi: Nobody gets past us."
The group fought desperately.
Every strike.
Every arrow.
Every movement.
Bought another second for the civilians to escape.
But Lilithra only laughed.
,,Lilithra: Hahaha..."
She watched them struggle.
,,Lilithra: Look at you."
Her smile slowly returned.
,,Lilithra: Fighting with everything you have just to delay the inevitable."
Another massive tentacle formed above the battlefield.
It descended toward the fleeing civilians.
Then—
A strange sound echoed.
The ground trembled.
Everyone looked toward the source.
Three enormous creatures emerged from the smoke.
Their stone bodies were painted red.
Their heavy footsteps crushed the ground beneath them.
The Red Golems moved directly toward the Hell Beetle tentacles.
BOOM!
One of the Red Golems punched the massive insect limb, destroying it instantly.
Everyone froze.
Anna stared in confusion.
,,Anna: What the hell...?"
She looked at the red creatures.
,,Anna: Red Golems?"
Heinrich's eyes widened.
He immediately understood.
,,Heinrich: It can only be..."
A familiar voice came from above.
,,Vigor: Noah!"
The group turned.
On a nearby hill stood several riders on horseback.
At the front was a familiar figure.
Vigor S. Hartmann.
Beside him stood his bandits, while the three Red Golems remained below them.
Lilithra's expression changed.
For the first time...
She looked genuinely annoyed.
Vigor raised his hand.
His soldiers prepared their bows.
,,Vigor: Fire!"
A rain of arrows flew through the sky.
Lilithra immediately noticed.
She tried to move.
But one arrow was already too close.
THUD!
The arrow struck her leg.
Lilithra stumbled backwards.
,,Lilithra: Grr..."
She pulled the arrow out, anger filling her eyes.
Johann looked between Vigor and Lilithra.
He couldn't hide his surprise.
,,Johann: I never thought I'd say this..."
He lowered his sword slightly.
,,Johann: But I'm actually glad that guy showed up."
Lilithra stood among the burning ruins, one hand gripping the arrow wound in her leg.
Her expression was filled with anger.
The situation had changed.
The humans were escaping.
The Red Golems were protecting the civilians.
And now Vigor and his soldiers had joined the battle.
But Lilithra refused to accept defeat.
,,Lilithra: You really think a few arrows and some Golems can stop me?"
She raised her hand.
The remaining Hell Beetles around her began moving again.
Their bodies twisted together, forming another massive swarm of living weapons.
Vigor watched carefully from the hill.
,,Vigor: Don't underestimate your opponent."
He lowered his voice.
,,Vigor: But don't underestimate us either."
Another group of arrows was prepared.
The soldiers aimed directly at Lilithra.
Then—
A shadow covered the battlefield.
Everyone looked upward.
Something enormous was approaching.
A massive creature flew through the smoke-filled sky.
Its scales reflected the light of the burning kingdom.
An smow-white dragon descended from above.
The temperature around it dropped instantly.
Frost began forming across the destroyed stones beneath it.
Karoschi's eyes widened.
For the first time in a long while...
He looked truly surprised.
,,Karoschi: An ice dragon?"
He stared at the creature.
,,Karoschi: That's impossible..."
His expression became serious.
,,Karoschi: They don't live in this region."
The dragon landed between Lilithra and the incoming arrows.
Its massive wings created a shockwave that pushed the projectiles away.
Then...
The creature spoke.
Everyone froze.
The dragon's voice was deep and familiar.
,,Mimic: Quickly. Get on."
Silence.
Johann's eyes widened.
,,Johann: Wait..."
He looked at the dragon.
,,Johann: Did that thing just talk?"
Lilithra stared at the creature.
For a moment, even she seemed surprised.
Then her expression changed.
A small smile appeared.
,,Lilithra: I never thought it would be you."
The dragon lowered itself.
Lilithra climbed onto its back.
The remaining Hell Beetles immediately crawled toward her, following their master.
Vigor narrowed his eyes.
,,Vigor: They're retreating."
Noah and the others watched from below.
They knew they had won this battle...
But they also knew the war was far from over.
Lilithra looked down at them from the dragon's back.
Her smile returned.
,,Lilithra: Enjoy this little victory while you can."
Her voice echoed across the destroyed kingdom.
,,Lilithra: This is not the end."
The ice dragon spread its enormous wings.
The wind grew stronger.
Then it launched into the sky.
Mimic, Lilithra, Jo, and the remaining Hell Beetles disappeared into the clouds above Kalburg.
The battlefield slowly became quiet again.
,,Vigor: Noah we will soon meet again.
Vigor and his bandits ride slowly away, and the Red Golems follow him.
Everyone stood there silently.
Looking at what was left of the kingdom.
Kalburg...
The place that was supposed to be a safe haven.
Was now nothing more than ruins.
Heinrich looked around.
His expression was filled with exhaustion.
,,Heinrich: What now?"
Anna looked toward Noah.
,,Anna: Yeah..."
Her voice became quieter.
,,Anna: Kalburg is destroyed."
She looked toward Barry.
Barry was still standing, but the damage was obvious.
The entire right side of his head was missing.
Magenta gas slowly escaped from the destroyed area.
,,Anna: And Barry..."
She lowered her gaze.
,,Anna: Half of his head is completely gone."
No one answered immediately.
Noah remained silent.
His eyes moved across the destroyed city.
The fallen walls.
The injured civilians.
The people who had lost their homes.
The lives that had been changed forever.
For a moment, Karag's words returned to his mind.
The dream.
The offer.
The perfect world without suffering.
Noah clenched his fist.
He pushed those thoughts away.
There was still a long road ahead.
But they could not stay here.
Not anymore.
Finally, Noah spoke.
,,Noah: We leave."
Everyone looked at him.
,,Noah: We need to get as far away from here as possible."
He looked toward the survivors.
,,Noah: Once we find a safe place..."
He took a deep breath.
,,Noah: Then we decide what happens next."
Karoschi nodded.
,,Karoschi: That's the right choice."
The group began gathering the remaining survivors.
Slowly...
The people of Kalburg left the ruins of their fallen kingdom.
Behind them remained only smoke, ashes, and memories.
But ahead...
There was still a path.
A path toward survival.
And perhaps...
A path toward finally ending Karag's reign.