Around that time.
Erwin, who had been coordinating the battle’s flow, suddenly sensed an immense energy and quickly turned his gaze.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwang!
Flash!
A tremendous roar pierced the air, followed by a burst of light like a supernova that illuminated the entire battlefield.
“!”
Even from a distance, the shockwave swept through the wind and crashed down right where Erwin stood. His hair whipped wildly in the scorching breeze as he squinted against the distant glow, letting out a small, impressed sound.
“Hoo.”
Where his eyes landed, Kim Suhyun had just descended from the air, swinging his sword wildly like a raging lion, attacking indiscriminately.
“So this is finally showing up?”
Sparks flew from the tip of his blade, shooting forward in a brilliant arc. Seven or eight enemies were engulfed in flames at once, screaming as they collapsed. But before the flames even touched the ground, a pure white sword burst forth with dazzling light. A swarm of sword-shaped beams appeared with a clanging metallic sound, slashing wildly in all directions. In the next instant, nine enemies lost their balance simultaneously, spewing blood.
Erwin, watching in stunned silence, parted his lips slightly. Though some distance away, he rubbed his forearm repeatedly.
He’s not just using the sword. Elbows strike hard, kicks send foes flying—he’s tearing through the encirclement with his whole body. It’s like watching a fierce storm raging across a small pond.
‘No wonder… now I understand why three of them went down.’
It was the first—or maybe second—time Erwin had seen Kim Suhyun’s raw power up close. Before, when plans had fallen apart, he’d had doubts. But seeing this, some of those doubts faded. How had he conquered the dragon’s sleeping mountain range, defeated Kushan Thor, survived Gehenna, the ancient evil gods, and even the astral plane? Now, Erwin thought he finally understood.
“Heh~ Looks like he’s really pissed off.”
Just then, Tanatos appeared beside him, grinning as he let out a soft chuckle and plopped down. At the first ambush, he’d been the one leading the charge, enjoying himself, but now he seemed bored.
Well, if it were just a game, maybe. But would Tanatos—the once-revered god of death—really be interested in a battlefield like this? The only thing that seemed to catch his attention was the man rampaging far off.
The two of them watched silently for a while. The mercenary group, on the verge of collapse, suddenly surged with renewed vigor the moment they realized Kim Suhyun had arrived.
Tanatos tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Hmm. Feels like he’s pushing himself too hard?”
“Not pushing—he’s been fighting at full strength from the start. Though, I suppose that’s the same thing.”
Tanatos nodded in agreement, then suddenly his eyes sparkled.
“I don’t think this can last forever… What do you think? Should we strike now?”
Tanatos was right. If the enemy was at full power, it made sense to respond with full force. Leaving things as they were would only increase the damage.
“No.”
Unexpectedly, Erwin shook his head.
“The war is already won.”
Not wrong. The battlefield was slowly nearing its end, and no matter how strong an individual was, there were limits.
But to Erwin, the outcome of the war meant nothing.
Only one thing mattered.
“The law’s domain has been lifted, and the king has returned…”
“Ah, enough with the lofty talk. Let’s just watch and wait, shall we?”
“We have to wait a little longer. They’re tiring, but we need to keep rescuing more until they feel they have enough…”
“Satan!”
At that moment, Erwin frowned as Melinus came running, his white beard flying behind him. It wasn’t just because Melinus interrupted him twice in a row, but because the issue of proper titles—something Erwin had repeatedly warned about—showed no sign of improvement. Luckily, the noise of the battlefield muffled his voice; if Eldora had been nearby, she would have shot him a suspicious glare.
But then—
“Urgent news!”
Melinus whispered hurriedly into Erwin’s ear, and Erwin’s expression slowly shifted. His furrowed eyes widened in surprise before curling into a strange smile.
“Two hundred troops to the north? Including the Thunder Lord?”
The news was so unexpected that Erwin unconsciously reverted to his usual tone.
“And Kim Suhyun was the first to appear there? Is that confirmed?”
“Yes. It wasn’t just one or two witnesses.”
“Ho. So it wasn’t just now, but earlier…”
“What should we do?”
Erwin stared off into the distance with a strange look. The encirclement had already been shattered; most of the demons were either dead or turning their backs in retreat.
Erwin spoke.
“Lucky. I ordered a pursuit just in case, but I didn’t expect to use it so soon. Melinus! Where is Sabnak now?”
“Well… we searched everywhere, but there’s no sign of that priestess. So he’s returning quickly…”
“Good. Perfect. Inform Sabnak immediately. Have him move swiftly in the direction the group fled and activate the warp gate without delay. And you—make sure all the Western Continent forces cross over there. Hurry!”
“It’s not impossible, but… can the Western Continent handle it alone?”
Melinus’s tone was worried, but Erwin smiled lightly.
“The battlefield has already tipped, and it’s only two hundred troops. Meanwhile, the Western Continent has at least four thousand five hundred soldiers. That’s more than enough.”
“…Understood.”
Bowing his head, Melinus immediately took off running. Tanatos, who had been quietly eavesdropping, stood up with a slightly excited expression. Did he sense something interesting was about to happen?
“What’s this? I’m really good at sensing these things!”
He stamped his feet as if urging Erwin to spill the details. Erwin obliged.
“Plan change. We’re going to approach Kim Suhyun right now.”
“Oh ho. Then…!”
“Of course, it’s still uncertain… fifty-fifty.”
“Huh? Fifty-fifty?”
Tanatos asked, and Erwin gave a vague smile.
“Yes. Fifty-fifty…”
His eyes, faintly glowing red, fixed on Kim Suhyun’s location. Then, almost to himself, Erwin murmured.
“Which one will be the butterfly caught in the spider’s web…?”
Meanwhile, at the same time.
“Still barging in alone in the middle of a festival, huh? Kills the mood.”
After the encirclement broke, with a bit of breathing room, Heo Junyoung slammed his bloodied greatsword into the ground and grinned.
“Worried you didn’t get an invitation?”
Kim Suhyun, twirling his sword to shake off the blood, shot back with a witty retort.
“Hyung…! Hyung…!”
And An Hyun had been repeating the same phrase like a parrot since earlier. His face was beaming, but tears streamed down in a strange expression.
At that moment, something caught Kim Suhyun’s eye—a large figure panting with his back turned a little ways off.
“What? You were here too?”
The giant, or rather Gong Chanho, glanced over as if just now noticing him. He stared silently for a moment, then muttered flatly,
“What.”
“Did you happen to fight alongside us?”
“Hmph. Don’t get the wrong idea. I wasn’t here for you. These guys were the only ones worth fighting with.”
Gong Chanho grumbled quietly, and Kim Suhyun couldn’t help but laugh. It was as if he was reciting a rehearsed line, which was oddly amusing.
Just as Gong Chanho flushed and was about to shout, Woo Jungmin hurried between them.
“Save the talk for later. Clan Lord, what’s the plan now?”
The atmosphere instantly turned cold, like a bucket of ice water had been poured over them. Everyone knew that solving this situation was more urgent than reminiscing.
Kim Suhyun scanned the area quietly, licking his lips.
“A few are missing.”
“They scattered while trying to protect the altar…”
Woo Jungmin’s voice was calm but trailed off before asking,
“We don’t know where they are. Will you rescue them?”
“Of course.”
Kim Suhyun answered without hesitation.
“But I’ll look for the scattered clan members alone first.”
“What?”
“And you all have other tasks to handle instead of me.”
“What…? What tasks?”
An Hyun was about to shout but stopped at the mention of other duties. Kim Suhyun gave a faint smile and pointed north.
“I’ve heard the situation roughly. I met Shin Jaeryong earlier. Also Ko Yeonju, Nam Daeun, and Mar. The four of them are probably securing a retreat route right now.”
“Securing a retreat route…?”
“Yes. We’re not completely without allies, but we’re heavily outnumbered. Every single one of them is crucial now. So you need to hurry and go help.”
“B-But…”
An Hyun hesitated, clearly unsure. He knew how important securing a retreat was on the battlefield.
“Still… wouldn’t it be better if we stick together?”
They say a woman’s intuition is sharp. Perhaps sensing something off, Cha So-rim cautiously suggested this. But Kim Soo-hyun shook his head firmly.
“In this situation, it’s better if I act alone. I have wings, after all. The rest of you should focus on helping our comrades who are struggling right now. That’s the best way to help me, too.”
“If it’s flying, I can—”
“And I need to find my brother. Once I locate him, I’ll rescue him and come back for you. For now, just trust me.”
“……”
Hearing him speak so decisively, Cha So-rim had nothing more to say. If he had insisted on going alone without explanation, she would have refused outright. But if what Kim Soo-hyun said was true, then she was just as desperate.
…Right. If what he said was true.
“Enough talk. Let’s move quickly before more of them swarm in!”
Gong Chan-ho swung his Surama spear like a windmill and shouted. Kim Soo-hyun nodded and was about to turn when he suddenly stopped and stepped toward Gong Chan-ho.
“Hey, Gong Chan-ho. Actually, I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
Kim Soo-hyun pointed to the spear, which seemed to radiate an ominous energy.
“Lend me that for a bit.”
“W-what… you serious?”
At first, Gong Chan-ho looked confused as he stared at the Surama spear. Then his face twisted in anger. Just as he was about to snap, Kim Soo-hyun leaned in and whispered something quietly into his ear.
At that moment—
“Uh…”
Gong Chan-ho froze, his expression suddenly blank.
“Huh…?”
“Thanks. I promise I’ll give it back later.”
Kim Soo-hyun smiled faintly and said loudly that he would return it, then reached out his hand. Before Gong Chan-ho could fully process what he’d just heard, the spear slid smoothly from his grip.
Without a second thought, Kim Soo-hyun turned his back and spread his wings wide, soaring into the air.
A little while later—
“Don’t be too upset. Given the circumstances, it’s understandable. He’ll definitely come back to return it. Here.”
Woo Jung-min picked up one of the larger spears lying nearby and handed it over. But Gong Chan-ho wasn’t even thinking about taking it.
He just stood there, dazed, staring blankly at the spot where Kim Soo-hyun had vanished in an instant.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m sorry.
I accidentally fell asleep while writing yesterday.
When I woke up, it was two in the morning… OTL
I’ll be more careful to avoid this happening again. (__)