When the humanoid giants appeared, blocking their path, Mo Yong-chan couldn’t help but sigh.
He had faced countless monstrous beasts and heretical fiends during his exorcism journeys, but nothing this horrifying.
There was a palpable, wicked intent behind these creatures—an intent to utterly deny human dignity at its core, to mock the very existence of humanity.
That realization only fueled his anger further.
“Sven, Eto.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
The two knights Mo Yong-chan had recruited from Liberta responded promptly.
“Stay calm. I want to see you both alive again.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Please stay safe, Master.”
“Of course.”
If Yuri heard this, he might feel slighted, but these two were truly his disciples.
Yuri was already nearly a complete swordsman when Mo Yong-chan met him, and now he had even surpassed his master, making it awkward for Mo Yong-chan to claim the title.
But these two—Sven and Eto—had their understanding of the sword completely reshaped by Mo Yong-chan.
Especially Eto, whom Mo Yong-chan had personally trained with great care. Not just in martial arts, but mentally as well, Eto was deeply influenced by him.
Sven had a past reformed after meeting Yuri, so Eto, who had no connection to Yuri, was truly Mo Yong-chan’s own creation.
“Eto.”
“Yes?”
“If you survive, I will teach you the secret techniques of Cheongseong.”
“I will survive and learn, Master.”
At that, Sven spoke up.
“And what about me?”
“You learn from that Yuri guy.”
“Hey, why the favoritism…?”
Sven grumbled, and the resemblance to Yuri in his mannerisms was almost irritating.
“I’ve heard the whole continent say you and Yuri are best friends. Won’t he teach you better than I could?”
“Master, are you jealous?”
“Enough!”
“…”
“If your sharp tongue survives this war, maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
“I’ll be careful with my words.”
As they spoke, General Briole at the front charged first into the giants.
From the front lines, blood and chunks of giant flesh exploded into the air.
It was obvious who was responsible.
There was only one who always led the charge, unleashing devastating sword energy capable of conquering the continent.
“Yuri’s making a scene. We should move too.”
Just before the assault, Eto asked.
“I have a question.”
“Speak.”
“How strong is Briole’s prince compared to the East?”
“The East?”
Mo Yong-chan chuckled softly.
People loved ranking things—wondering whose swordsmanship was superior, East or West, which swordsman was stronger.
It was pointless.
There was no difference between East and West. Only the strong were strong.
And Yuri was strong no matter where he went.
“Probably the strongest in the East as well.”
“Huh?”
Yuri Briole now was like a full moon—completely at his peak.
His energy was so intense that no one dared challenge him.
Perhaps not even the leader of the martial world.
“Right now, there’s no human who can stop him. No human.”
Mo Yong-chan had long realized this.
Yuri grew stronger with every passing day as the final battle approached. No one knew why—he just kept getting stronger.
Already powerful, yet relentlessly ascending beyond that, leaving even Mo Yong-chan dumbfounded.
It was probably chaos.
No one thought a human could control such a dangerous power, but Yuri had succeeded.
There was no rival among humans.
He felt like the world’s answer to Cedric, the one who summoned a god from another realm.
If so, Mo Yong-chan’s role was clear.
To support Yuri Briole until he stood before Cedric.
“So Briole’s prince is that strong…”
“Of course. That kid’s a monster.”
Mo Yong-chan smiled at Sven’s proud expression.
“So, are you just going to leave everything to him and stand still?”
“Never!”
Starting with Briole, the entire army began to move. Liberta was about to clash with the enemy. The knights at the front shouted battle cries and charged the giants.
The entire Liberta army surged forward.
Mo Yong-chan said,
“Eto, Sven. Show them what you’ve got.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
This fight was nothing like a war between humans.
There was no room for strategy or tactics.
The only tactic was to give it your all, push forward, and clash with everything you had.
Sven and Eto began to sprint.
Watching their backs, Mo Yong-chan raised his sword.
“The momentum is good.”
Was he becoming sentimental before the final battle?
Suddenly, memories of the old Cheongseong Sect surfaced.
He had left the sect once.
At the time, he believed it was the right path.
He thought there was no other way.
But looking back now, maybe he had been too hasty. Though it wouldn’t have been easy, perhaps he could have achieved something there.
Time was like that.
Even the most painful moments eventually became a joke.
This war would be no different.
“Maybe someday, I’ll look back on this moment with longing.”
The fact that there was an enemy worth risking everything for made him glad.
Following Mo Yong-chan’s will, a natural surge of energy began to rise.
Soon, sword energy glowing with the colors of sunset shot up.
Gripping it tightly, Mo Yong-chan turned his gaze to find his first disciple from the West, Yuri Briole.
“There you are.”
At the very front, fierce sword energy continued to slice the giants apart.
Being at the vanguard was no easy feat.
The moment you step forward, you bear the full weight of the enemy’s pressure.
But for him, it all seemed so natural.
It was his everyday reality.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll let you bear it all alone.”
Though he was always confident—sometimes to the point of arrogance—Mo Yong-chan didn’t fully trust that attitude.
Yuri had already carried enough.
It was time for him to share the burden.
That was the mark of a true master.
Mo Yong-chan moved.
He stepped on the air.
Step after step.
The Cloud Dragon’s Great Eight Form.
Like a dragon playing in the sky, he twisted and soared through the air.
The front lines between the Imperial Army and the Anti-Imperial Alliance were tense. But not everywhere was the same.
Where Yuri Briole fought, the Anti-Imperial forces were pushing forward, while on the opposite side, the Imperial forces were advancing.
Mo Yong-chan headed toward the area where the Anti-Imperial forces were being pushed back. He stopped midair, thrust his sword forward, and murmured,
“Ancestors of the Four Beasts, witness the sword of this unworthy descendant.”
The Blue Cloud Red Glow Sword Technique.
The Haseo Cloud Roll.
The Cheongseong Sect’s secret technique unfolded on this final battlefield.
His sword energy began to dye the entire field in the colors of sunset, like twilight descending.
The giants looked up, sensing something was wrong.
But it was already too late.
Mo Yong-chan twisted his sword mid-thrust and drew it back.
At that moment,
The sunset-colored sword energy that had engulfed the area sharpened and spiraled.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The domain controlled by his sword energy was no small space. Dozens of giants were instantly drenched in blood and collapsed, their bodies torn beyond recognition.
A sudden feast of blood.
The enemy lines faltered, and both sides were stunned.
Mo Yong-chan shouted,
“Charge!”
His voice rang out like thunder.
Only then did the Anti-Imperial forces realize Mo Yong-chan had come to their aid. They roared and surged forward.
Mo Yong-chan stepped on the air and dashed to the front lines.
“Mo Yong-chan has arrived!”
“Push forward, everyone!”
“Kill them!”
The soldiers cheered at his arrival.
Mo Yong-chan smiled grimly.
Ahead stood dozens of massive enemies forming a wall, while behind him, the cheers of his comrades pushed him onward.
The pressure weighed down on him.
This was the scene Yuri Briole always faced.
“Impressive.”
Yuri was no longer his disciple.
He was a master standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
No—he had risen even higher.
Feeling a fierce pride toward his disciple, Mo Yong-chan raised his sword.
The sunset glow spread across the battlefield once more.
The giants, sensing danger instinctively, charged at Mo Yong-chan.
But it was too late.
The sunset once again turned blood red.
Inariel dispelled the fog that hung over the battlefield with magic.
She could have set the enemy ablaze with fire or crushed their ranks with a meteor strike, but instead chose to clear the view.
The reason was simple.
“We need to know what we’re fighting.”
The black magic was so dense that even she couldn’t see what had become of Zbeta. In such a situation, nothing would go as planned. First, they had to identify their target.
So, despite the risk of exhausting her mana, she cleared the vision.
What was revealed was horrifying.
Grotesque giants, even more bizarre monsters behind them, and beyond that, countless evil beings that should not exist in this world.
The walls of Zbeta were no longer mere stone. They had become living monsters, raising their shoulders high to prevent the enemy from crossing.
The battle was far from over.
Inariel let out a bitter laugh.
“This is truly difficult.”
The mage battalion standing behind him remained silent.
As mages, they deeply understood just how absurd this situation was.
One of them muttered in frustration, unable to hold back.
“If only we could have used magic…”
It wasn’t just the knights who had joined Yuri Briol’s march. The mages of the Tower had also allied with the Anti-Empire Coalition to aid in this war.
But there was little they could actually do.
The Empire had woven a dense veil of dispel magic, blocking any interference from the mages. Because of this, none of the mages—except Inariel—were able to contribute meaningfully to the battle.
Meanwhile, dark magic ran rampant, freely displaying its power.
That was what left the mages feeling helpless.
“Calm yourselves. Wait patiently and stay composed.”
Inariel looked up at the sky.
Though the fog had lifted, the sky remained overcast.
“The time will surely come when you must step forward.”
He said this as he raised his staff once more.
“Hernando.”
At Inariel’s call, Hernando immediately stepped forward.
“Yes?”
“How does it look now?”
Inariel’s question was brief, but Hernando understood its meaning instantly.
His unique divination magic, the ‘Celestial Insight Method,’ operated within his mind, making it immune to the effects of dispel.
“I’ll take a look.”
Hernando activated the Celestial Insight Method.
It had been quite some time since he last used it. Ever since meeting Yuri, when all futures had become clouded with uncertainty, he had avoided peering into fate.
A faint glow emanated from his eyes.
Time passed.
The screams of the battlefield echoed repeatedly.
Then, Hernando sank to his knees.
“Ugh…”
Inariel didn’t offer support. Instead, he looked down at him calmly and asked,
“The result?”
“The vision…”
Hernando caught his breath.
“Still nothing.”
“I see.”
Inariel nodded.
“That’s a relief. It means there’s still something we can do.”
“But it felt darker than before. Perhaps…”
“There’s no need to fear what we cannot see.”
Inariel took a steady breath.
Mana began to swell within him once again. His salmon-colored hair fluttered in the breeze.
“Inariel?”
Marilose approached him, but Inariel raised his hand to gently halt her.
“I’m fine.”
“But…”
Even for the master of Immutable Mana, there were limits.
Ignoring dispel and casting magic repeatedly was an enormous strain.
Yet Inariel did not stop.
“That one.”
“Yes?”
“It’s thanks to Yuri Briol.”
Inariel spread his hands, forming a sign with his fingers.
“I always wanted to return to the World Tree’s forest. I hated wandering the lands of humans, separated from my kin. But after meeting him, I no longer feel that way.”
“Inariel…”
“He’s an interesting fellow. That’s probably why you love him too.”
“W-well…”
“Did he grant your request yesterday?”
Marilose’s face flushed. Inariel chuckled softly.
“Now I want to see it for myself—the world you two will create after this war ends.”
He spread his hands wide.
The cloudy sky began to shift. Thunder rumbled, and the clouds parted, revealing a path. The atmosphere trembled with instability.
Breaking through the gap, Inariel’s magic soared high into the sky.
Higher.
Even higher.
Beyond the limits of human perception.
He grasped an unnamed stone drifting in the vast void.
Inariel lowered his hand.
The magic tightened like a drawn bowstring.
After a tense struggle, the stone caught in his grasp slowly altered its trajectory, beginning its descent toward the land below.
Downward.
Further down.
Piercing through the layers of atmosphere, it ignited into a blazing fireball.
To destroy everything in its path.
A single meteor plummeted.
Meteor.
The ultimate magic, spoken of only in legends, was now being unleashed.