What followed was no different from before.
No need to beat around the bush. The moment Suna stretched out her hand, hundreds of demons melted away all at once. More precisely, as a flash of red light flickered, they vanished instantly. There was no warning, no sign—Suna’s will manifested, and the result was immediate.
That’s what made it all the more terrifying.
That’s what made it all the more frightening.
If only there had been the slightest sound, or even a faint trace of magical energy, they might have noticed. But with just a single gesture, a huge hole was blasted right through the center of the demon horde, which had swarmed like a cloud of mayflies. How could anyone not be gripped by fear?
Of course, thousands of troops still remained. And the demons’ blind loyalty to their creator drove them to overcome their fear and act on instinct.
But the enemy was just too overwhelming. No matter how many they had, it was useless against such overwhelming power. Born from the union of the Nine Heavens’ legendary gods, Gyeok Shin-in Gyeobhwa and Hwajeong, Suna was demonstrating truly staggering might.
If even a hundred, or at least ten, of the thousands of demons could escape, they might still follow orders somehow. But every time she gestured, holes appeared everywhere, and as soon as they gathered, they vanished. The empty air was like a living hell.
In contrast, the situation for the northern continent’s forces, who were close to the dais, had naturally improved. They had almost witnessed Kim Suhyun’s execution up close, but thanks to Suna’s efforts, they had a moment’s breathing room. That allowed them to assess the situation even amid the chaos.
A flicker of surprise crossed Kim Yuhyun’s eyes, now glowing a bright yellow.
“Five have fallen below the dais. Twelve remain.”
Earlier, Baek Hangyeol’s shield had temporarily blocked the execution, but it was only a stopgap. From his vantage point, he saw several of those who had fallen earlier struggling to rise. At that moment, Kim Yuhyun’s eyes blazed with fierce light.
Rumble!
Then, exactly twelve bolts of lightning struck down from the sky.
Crackle!
Suddenly, twelve pillars of black flame erupted from the ground, matching the number of lightning strikes. These ominous, dark pillars seemed like lightning rods, completely neutralizing the thunderbolts from the god of lightning.
“Erwin! Kill Kim Suhyun!”
At the shout, Kim Yuhyun’s eyes narrowed sharply. Glancing up, a dark shadow with wings spread wide was rapidly descending. The figure was familiar.
“Astaroth!”
A voice hissed through clenched teeth. His hands burned black with flames, ready to unleash fire at any moment. Alone, he might not defeat the current forces, but he was no easy opponent. Astaroth knew this too, which was why he had shouted earlier—to buy as much time as possible.
Of course, Kim Yuhyun had no intention of going down quietly. Without hesitation, the footsteps that had been leading the charge suddenly stopped. Staring at the rapidly descending Astaroth, his hands emitted brilliant bolts of lightning. Coincidentally, Shin Jaeryong and Cha Sorim also halted their steps simultaneously.
Why they stopped was clear in one word:
“Please!”
That single plea said it all.
“Please…!”
The desperate cry echoed. Hearing it, the others who had been at a loss quickly started running forward. Though no detailed explanation was exchanged, they instinctively understood why Kim Yuhyun and the other two had stopped.
Astaroth’s roar and the crackling discharge of electricity quickly faded behind them. In Kim Yuhyun’s place, two others surged ahead—An Hyun and Lee Yujeong, running as if their lives depended on it.
But even breaking through Astaroth’s assault didn’t guarantee safety. Even if the airspace was being cleared by Suna, there were still enemies trying to block the rescue team.
Sure enough, before long, a surge of energy stormed in from the left, targeting Lee Yujeong. The speed was so swift that it was no wonder she was caught off guard, focused solely on running.
Then—
Thud!
Suddenly, Lee Yujeong staggered from a strong blow to her shoulder. Reflexively turning her head, a chilling cold brushed her cheek. Her wide eyes caught the flowing hair of Nam Daeun’s back. Lee Yujeong’s mouth opened in shock.
“Unni!”
“Hurry and go… Aagh!”
At that moment, Nam Daeun screamed and was flung backward. Immediately after, Eldora, radiating dark energy and wearing a twisted, demonic expression, charged fiercely.
Clang!
Before anyone could react, another sharp metallic clang rang out, and a deep purple coat fluttered. A man wielding a long sword was pushed back, leaving a long mark on the ground, but barely managed to block Eldora’s charge.
Without looking back, Heo Junyoung reached out and shoved the attacker’s back hard. Lee Yujeong, pushed back and dazed, blinked in confusion.
“Uh, uh…”
“Unni! Just go!”
Kim Hanbyul spoke up, saying what Heo Junyoung couldn’t—urging her to keep moving.
What more needed to be said?
Amid the furious clashing of swords and the scattering of gems, Lee Yujeong turned without looking back and ran with all her might. Three more had fallen.
Now, only about a dozen remained: Geunwon, An Hyun, An Sol, Lee Yujeong, Jin Suhyun, Jegal Haesol, Cha Heeyoung—and a unicorn whose arrival had gone unnoticed.
Around the dais, the noise was louder than ever. Yet the rescue team, charging straight ahead, was eerily silent. Their faces were expressionless, as if forcing themselves to suppress all emotion. At this moment, they had no choice but to be this way.
…Though some bit their lips unconsciously.
A moment later.
“Ah…!”
The remaining group finally reached the dais. The building, which had been looming closer by the second, now towered so large it was hard to take in at once.
But it wasn’t over yet. They had only arrived at the base; to ascend, they still had to reach the stairs on either side.
“────. ────.”
At that moment, Jegal Haesol’s rapid incantation echoed. As a misty aura rose from all around, the previously stunned An Hyun and Lee Yujeong’s faces brightened. They remembered Haesol’s specialty—using warp magic meant they wouldn’t have to climb the stairs.
But then Cha Heeyoung tilted her head in confusion. If that was the case, why hadn’t they used it sooner? And why was Haesol nervously glancing around while casting the spell?
The answer came swiftly.
Just as the incantation neared completion, sharp streaks shot through the air like arrows.
“────, damn it!”
Jegal Haesol scowled, canceled the spell, and hurriedly retreated.
“That… I was waiting for it. To see when you’d use it.”
A sultry voice announced the arrival of Lilith.
Jegal Haesol’s warp ability had been revealed once before, during the last war. Didn’t she rescue An Sol right in front of the enemy with it? That meant even the demons were aware of her power.
“Damn it! I knew it!”
“Seems so. That’s why I hid my presence on purpose.”
Lilith said coldly, elegantly spreading her hands. Her fingers lengthened, sharpening into needle-like points. Without a word, her intent was clear: she would never let them pass.
“Haah…”
Jegal Haesol sighed deeply, lowering her head.
“What a shame. I wanted to save them and show off a little.”
Muttering to herself, she then lifted her chin.
“Geunwon, Cha Heeyoung. Help me. I don’t think I can do this alone.”
Immediately, footsteps quickened. An Hyun and Jin Suhyun dashed to the left, understanding her meaning and acting without hesitation. An Sol and the unicorn, who had been lingering, quickly followed.
“Playing around, huh? Who said I’d let you escape?”
Lilith sneered, extending her arm, but—
“Ebebebe? I’m the one who’s going to make you miss your chance!”
A massive wave of magical energy intercepted the black blades Lilith unleashed. Her eyes widened in shock, and a strangled sound escaped her lips. She had thought she had the upper hand, but the opponent’s magic was far from weak.
Regardless, Jegal Haesol continued her incantation at a rapid pace, waving her hands gently as if to say, “It’s okay, go ahead.” Soon, Geunwon quietly began summoning a magic circle, and Cha Heeyoung, though unsure, hurriedly pulled out a fan.
In the end—
“…!”
Even Lee Yujeong turned her back. Though her legs trembled, she forced herself to move forward.
Behind them, the chaos continued. Shin Jaeryong’s fierce shouts rang out, along with the clashing of steel. Before long, dark, thick magical energy mixed with Jegal Haesol’s vast power surged wildly.
Leaving it all behind, Lee Yujeong ran. Suddenly, her eyes welled with tears—an inexplicable surge of emotion rising within her. But the lingering sensation of a push on her back kept her steady as she fixed her gaze ahead.
Anhyun and Jin Suhyun were nowhere to be seen anymore. At this rate, whether they managed to rescue him or not, it might already be too late.
But none of that mattered. If I thought Gehenna or Soona would handle it on their own, or if I was going to leave it to someone else, I wouldn’t have even stepped forward in the first place.
No one believed that only they could save him. It wasn’t about personally rescuing Kim Suhyun—it was the single-minded determination to do whatever it took to save him that had brought me this far. For the sake of those who still believed in me, I couldn’t just give up so easily.
With that thought, Lee Yujeong quietly exhaled. The platform before her, as tall as the walls of a sizable city, still loomed high and imposing.
“…”
A flicker of doubt crossed her mind—could she really do this? But she shook her head fiercely. She had never done anything like this before, but it wasn’t about whether she could; it was something she had to do.
The moment she made up her mind, her entire body began to blaze with golden light. Simultaneously activating body reinforcement and the Miao clan’s martial arts.
The outcome would be decided in less than a minute. If she succeeded, she could reach her destination in one swift bound.
Her hands clenched tightly from tension. Her teeth ground together hard.
There were more problems than she could count, but now that she’d come this far, there was no time to hesitate.
With a fierce shout, she pushed off the ground with all her might, and the golden figure soared through the air.
The instant one foot touched the platform,
“Haahhhhhhh!”
To her astonishment, Lee Yujeong’s entire body exploded upward.
It was like a flash of lightning in motion. Her all-out golden sprint streaked across the perfectly vertical surface of the platform like rays of light. The comet-like tail of her afterimage ascended straight up—a sight both beautiful and fierce.
No scenery blurred past her eyes, no wind brushed her ears. The only thing visible was the crimson sky growing ever closer. Once she passed through it, she would finally see the Kim Suhyun she’d been longing for.
In a blink, she reached the very edge of the platform and pushed off once more. Springing upward like a coiled spring, her view soared over the platform’s surface. Just as she was about to land a foot on it—
Thud!
Suddenly, her entire body felt blocked by something solid.
“…Huh?”
A stunned breath escaped Lee Yujeong’s lips. Her dazed eyes fixed on the dim, shadowy barrier before her. And finally, she saw him—Kim Suhyun, staring back at her with wide, startled eyes.
“Oppa!”
She reached out desperately, but only struck the empty barrier. More precisely, the entire platform was shrouded in an unknown black veil. Inside the barrier lay dozens of demon corpses scattered everywhere, among them Ko Yeonju, collapsed and clutching her abdomen with one hand.
A short distance away, an old man knelt on one knee, his face twisted in a grimace. He was breathing heavily, as if the battle had just ended. The moment he saw Lee Yujeong climbing up, he narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
“Another troublesome pest.”
He muttered lowly, then struggled to raise his staff, aiming it at her.
“I don’t know how you got up here… but you won’t be leaving alive.”
Bang! With a small explosion, Lee Yujeong’s body was violently thrown off balance. She had no time to react. Her hair flew wildly as her face revealed nothing but utter despair. The entire scene before her eyes played out slowly like a panorama.
‘It was… all over…’
Just one more step, and she would have made it. She never imagined someone would be waiting even on the platform. Slowly, she began to fall downward, closing her eyes gently.
The last thing she saw was a group of three or four people ascending the stairs.
“Phew…”
Though shaken, Melinus let out a sigh of relief. If she had been a moment later, that strange man using the shadow might have succeeded in rescuing Kim Suhyun. By the time she had hurried up the platform, most of the demons were already down.
And the woman who had just climbed the platform was no different. What a series of close calls this had been. The barrier had been set up just in the nick of time.
“Well, at least we secured him…”
Muttering to herself, Melinus staggered to her feet and glanced around.
Kim Suhyun, kneeling, had already bowed his head deeply. The woman beside him calmly held one of his hands, but he didn’t move. Yet his tightly clenched fist trembled, a sign that he was still alive.
After a moment, Melinus, who had been watching Kim Suhyun, hastily raised her staff. Then—
Bang!
Crack, crackle!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the barrier on the platform, casting a blue glow.
Startled, Melinus turned to see a small crack forming in the barrier. A unicorn charged fiercely forward, ramming its horn into the barrier. Since the unicorn’s horn was imbued with holy power, it was naturally devastating against demonic forces.
Whinnying lowly, the unicorn narrowed its eyes at Melinus, then raised its head and thrust its horn again into the cracked barrier.
Bang!
Crack, crackle!
The barrier shattered with repeated explosions, and through the breach, two men hurriedly leapt inside. Melinus reflexively cast a spell toward Kim Suhyun just as they entered, but before she could strike, a popping sound rang out. Jin Suhyun had swiftly slashed the attack away.
“You bastards! Wha—?”
Melinus’s furious shout was cut short as her body suddenly wavered. Like an unstoppable bull, Jin Suhyun charged and tackled her legs. At the same time, Anhyun pounced from above and completely crushed the old man.
It was unexpected. Having reached their destination, the two men’s reckless physical assault caught Melinus off guard, and she lost her balance.
“Sola!”
“Ansol!”
In the next instant, a woman leapt powerfully over the tangled three men. As Ansol’s white robe fluttered behind her, Melinus’s mouth fell open in shock.
“No, no…!”
But Ansol had already drawn her staff. Despite the urgency, her face remained calm as she chanted a spell, stretching out her arm with all her might.
“Kim Suhyun!”
The pale light from her staff was about to touch the stunned man’s face—
At that very moment!
Thud.
Something flew silently but swiftly from somewhere, striking Ansol’s abdomen.
“Kyaaaah!”
Ansol’s body folded in half, flying past Kim Suhyun and hurtling forward. She bounced twice, nearly falling off the platform, but managed to catch the edge with one hand. Reflexes like that were unthinkable for the usual Ansol. But then, a foot pressed down hard on her small hand.
“Of course. I knew you’d show up at the last moment.”
Breathing heavily, the woman who appeared with a venomous sneer was none other than Erwin—no, Satan herself.
“Annoying pests. You’re so damn persistent.”
She glared down with eyes full of hatred, pressing her foot down even harder.
But—
“We’re cut from the same cloth. Heh heh…”
Unexpectedly, Ansol didn’t groan but faintly smiled.
Meeting that sneer, Erwin’s eyes widened in fury. She immediately tried to pull her foot back to kick, but suddenly her leg wouldn’t move. Looking down in alarm, she saw a large, rough hand gripping her left ankle—not a delicate woman’s hand, but a man’s.
“Want me to tell you something good?”
The voice was low and deep. The figure dangling from the platform was no longer Ansol but a man transforming before her eyes.
“We never intended to rescue Kim Suhyun from the start.”
“What…?”
“More precisely, our main goal was to prevent the assassination attempt while dragging all of you out.”
“What the…! No, you!”
As Erwin gasped in shock, Ha Seungwoo smiled coldly. Then, tightening his grip on her ankle, he released the hand holding the platform.
“Ah!”
Realizing what was happening too late, Erwin felt a sudden dark shadow envelop her as Ha Seungwoo dropped swiftly downward. She felt a sharp pull in her abdomen.
Flap, flap!
Startled, she looked up blankly as a small strange bird circled overhead.
Even as Ha Seungwoo fell with her,
“…!”
Erwin clearly saw the sight.
A woman in a white robe leaping from the bird’s back.
Translucent, shimmering wings fluttering behind her.
A pair of eyes glinting faintly with a green hue.
Yes.
Ansol was there.
“User…”
A hand stretched downward, glowing pale white.
The distance closed in an instant, close enough to touch.
“Kim Suhyun…!”
And as the palm struck his chest like a hammer—
A brilliant blaze of light instantly enveloped his entire body.
Kim Soo-hyun closed his eyes, savoring the warm energy spreading through his entire body.
That energy radiated outward, reactivating the vitality within him and shattering every binding restraint that had held him captive. The magic that had been forcibly suppressed surged fiercely, flooding the once-empty circuits inside him.
His true power was unleashed all at once, and his body reclaimed its freedom.
How many regrets had he harbored while trapped?
What feelings had he harbored as he silently watched his comrades struggle desperately to save him?
But now, none of that mattered anymore.
The time of bondage was over.
With a powerful shake of his whole body, he straightened his chest.
A sharp, piercing force shot upward, as if to pierce the sky. The magic flowing through the air let out a deep, resonant roar, and the surrounding space began to tremble and vibrate strangely.
At the same moment, his eyes, which had been closed tight, snapped open. The haze cleared, light returning to his gaze. His lost energy revived, and the buried will ignited anew. Cold, steady eyes now burned with a fierce glow, sparks of crimson flame flickering within.
And so.
At last.
“…”
Kim Soo-hyun rose quietly to his feet.