Suddenly, from somewhere unseen, a silent burst of light pierced through the dense shadows, illuminating the area.

The glowing orb stood about three or four meters tall and roughly a meter wide, shaped somewhat elongated yet rounded. It shimmered with a soft, pale blue hue—like the tranquil color of a calm sea that instantly refreshed the spirit just by looking at it.

Then, the entire surface of the orb brightened repeatedly. After rippling gently two or three times, as if stirred by a breeze, a slender calf suddenly emerged, breaking through the light.

A firm thigh, a waist as slender as a willow branch, a chest rising like a tower, and long, pointed ears… The woman who fully stepped through the portal looked like a fairy straight out of a novel—stunningly beautiful.

After a moment, she began to stroll lightly, taking in the nearby scenery. But her steps soon halted. An old man stood ahead, bowing his head respectfully, as if he had been waiting for her all along.

“Finally, you have returned, my lord.”

The woman—Satan… no, Erwin—offered a faint, silent smile. It was a smile of exquisite beauty, yet beneath it lay an unmistakable chill.

“You included Olivia among the escapees, didn’t you? Thanks to that, I was able to come comfortably from Ragnarok. Well done, Melinus.”

“That was the obvious choice. Actually, Sabnak… no, Olivia suffered the most.”

Melinus responded humbly to the praise. Erwin quickly wiped the smile away and brushed past him. Melinus hurriedly lifted his head and followed.

Satan and Belial.

It had been a long time since their last meeting, but their demeanor was stiff and formal. To be precise, there was a clear boundary between them.

Well, that’s how demons are by nature. A lord may commend a subordinate, but they never embrace or share camaraderie.

After a while, Erwin and Melinus entered a wide clearing.

“It’s so empty.”

Erwin muttered as he glanced around. Melinus bowed his head again.

“My apologies. The aftermath of the defeat still lingers…”

“And the demon race?”

“…The followers of Baal and Beelzebub have been completely wiped out.”

“Baal, Beelzebub…”

A crease formed on Erwin’s straight brow. Melinus’s words meant that the demon warriors, painstakingly summoned as exalted sacrifices—angels—had all vanished.

It was inevitable. The reason demons are called ‘creations’ is that they derive from demons themselves. In other words, when the creator perishes, it’s only natural for the creations to disappear. That’s why Kim Soo-hyun was so desperate to capture the Great Demon.

But Erwin’s frown stemmed from a slightly different concern.

“That’s strange. I heard Lucifer was captured too. Could it be that some of the fallen angel’s followers still survive?”

“Most have perished. But a few remain—only about ten or so.”

“Ten or so… So they’re nearly wiped out, but some still live.”

“…”

Melinus suddenly fell silent. He likely had an inkling but thought it unwise to speak recklessly.

“Hmmm…”

Erwin sighed deeply, unsettled.

“Enough. What about the other matters? Five months should be enough time to see results.”

He shifted the topic abruptly. His tone was similar to before but tinged with reproach. Melinus hurried to respond.

“If you mean that, the path-clearing phase is complete. After regaining strength by feeding on users and residents, we moved near Ragnarok. And then—”

“Just give me the conclusion. What about the portal?”

“It’s the same. We succeeded in acquiring numerous Memoria Stones from the eastern continent. Currently, we’re about fifteen kilometers from the territory.”

“Melinus, you’re unusually talkative today. Not like you.”

Erwin’s voice turned cold, and his eyes narrowed sharply. Twice interrupted, Melinus swallowed dryly, struck to the core.

“Explain again. Why did I come to the central continent instead of where you are? Why are you still here?”

“…”

“Seems there’s a problem.”

“…”

After a long silence, Melinus cautiously nodded.

“The truth is… Eldora, who was supposed to lead the southern continent, is…”

Melinus trailed off, then quietly moved forward.

After a short while, Erwin, tilting her head in curiosity, noticed something unusual. In the direction they were looking, a blonde woman sat alone, slumped and lifeless. Her head hung low, as if she had lost all will to live.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Since she was revived with Thanatos’s power, she’s been like that. The shock of defeat hit her hard.”

“What did you say?”

“Honestly, I don’t fully understand, but from her perspective, it’s not surprising she can’t accept it. She had been on a winning streak for so long, and this was the first insurmountable wall she faced.”

“…”

“That’s not all. She lost Excalibur, which she considered an extension of herself, was treated like a toy by Kim Soo-hyun, and on top of that, she mourns the loss of her comrades… Well, she has improved somewhat since then.”

Erwin clicked her tongue softly. After staring for a long moment, she composed herself and stepped forward. Though they were close enough to touch, Eldora didn’t move.

“Eldora.”

At the sound of her gentle voice, Eldora’s hunched shoulders twitched.

“Eldora. It’s me.”

When Erwin called again, Eldora’s stiff body began to stir.

She struggled to lift her head, but her appearance was no better than a homeless person. Her once-beautiful blonde hair had lost its luster, looking bleached and damaged. Her face was marked with dirt and shadows.

Most of all, her eyes were so dull it was hard to believe this was the same Eldora who once shone with confidence on the terrace of the Blue Palace.

“E-Erwin…?”

Her voice was hoarse and weak.

After a moment, seeing Erwin’s soft smile, a faint light flickered in her weary eyes.

“Erwin…?”

“Yes, Eldora.”

“E-Erwin…!”

“Yes, Eldora. Yes…”

Erwin gently embraced the girl, like a mother comforting her child. Slowly, black tears welled up in Eldora’s eyes, then streamed down her face as she broke into sobs.

“Waaah… waaah…”

“Eldora, don’t cry.”

“It’s because of me… if only it weren’t for me…”

“No, I heard everything. It’s absolutely, absolutely not your fault.”

Time passed.

Erwin comforted her for a long while, and as the sorrowful cries softened into quiet sobs, Eldora suddenly looked up at Erwin with a vacant expression.

“But… how did you…?”

“I heard you were struggling.”

Erwin gently brushed Eldora’s dirty blonde hair aside.

“I came with the fairies. Sorry for coming so late.”

“Fairies…?”

The mention of reinforcements didn’t bring hope to Eldora’s face. Instead of joy, there was fear and clear terror.

‘She’s been through so much…’

Noticing the light revealed in her expression, Erwin deliberately lowered her voice.

“Eldora?”

“…?”

“Do you want to give up and go back now?”

“That’s…!”

At that moment,

“No!”

For the first time, Eldora’s voice rose sharply. Her eyes widened fiercely, flashing a savage, venomous hatred never seen before. Though she shouted, the sincerity behind her denial was clear.

She was simply too weak. If she could, she would repay the grudge of her fallen comrades right now.

…Yes. If only she could.

“No… it’s not like that…”

Caught between fear and the desire for revenge, Eldora’s face twisted again.

“Then why did you start this war, Eldora?”

Suddenly, Erwin asked.

“Why did you decide to defy the angels despite all the opposition?”

Erwin gave her one more hint.

“Why?”

Eldora repeated like a parrot.

“Why… why…”

Then she murmured softly.

“For humanity…”

That was it. The one phrase that had sustained Eldora all this time. The rational belief that she would break free from being a puppet of the angels and establish her own autonomy. Though it was a harsh self-justification, there was no time to dwell on that now.

Erwin caught every word.

“Yes, Eldora. It’s not over yet.”

At those words, Eldora slowly lifted her eyes and looked around.

By now, several beings had gathered, watching her with worried eyes. Some were strangers, others familiar comrades. Demons stood with arms crossed, fairies looked on awkwardly.

Eldora involuntarily took a deep breath.

“There are still those who believe in you, who follow you, and who lend you their strength.”

Erwin whispered softly into her trembling ear.

And at that moment—

Eldora’s eyes, which had seemed shrouded in thick fog, suddenly flashed with a sharp light. But in less than a second, the faint glimmer that had barely clung to life was snuffed out completely, like a candle flickering in the wind. Her gaze darkened instantly, sinking into an abyss of black as if swallowed by the night sea.

“I am…”

At that very moment, a black spot briefly appeared on the nape of Eldora’s neck before vanishing. It was so fleeting that most didn’t even catch it.

“I am…!”

And then—

“Hooh~?”

Thanatos, lounging on a tree branch and watching the scene unfold, let out a small exclamation. Seeing Eldora stagger to her feet, he casually raised his hand. On the back of it, the same black mark that had just appeared on Eldora’s neck shimmered faintly.

Thanatos eyed the dark pattern with amusement and chuckled softly.

“Well, well. Took your sweet time awakening, didn’t you?”

Meanwhile, at the same moment—

“Huh?”

Kim Suhyun, just having stepped out of the Iron-Blooded Forest, suddenly stopped in his tracks. With a puzzled expression, he lifted Excalibur, tapping it lightly and then swinging it in wide arcs.

“Huh… what’s going on?”

“Onii-chan? What’s wrong?”

“I just felt something… snap. What the—? The response’s gone all of a sudden.”

“?”

Ansol tilted her head in confusion, but Kim Suhyun kept muttering to himself as he fiddled with Excalibur.

Then, as if remembering they were still on the march—

“No, no, it’s nothing.”

He sheathed the sword, let out a short sigh, and resumed their march.

---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------

…….