Outside the Imperial Palace.
Amid the ongoing chaos, the first thing the Prince did was calmly explain the situation to the residents gathered on the streets.
“People of the Empire, hear me. I am Klavis Dain Gaigaus Yung Haden-Frien, the Empire’s Fifth Prince. I was also one of the puppets manipulated by the witch Nadja who rules over this land, just like you.”
Frey’s Voice Amplification Magic carried his words flawlessly to every corner of Jedo.
His voice held authority, yet it was comforting rather than coercive, and the residents cautiously listened.
Anyone who had lived in Jedo, regardless of age or gender, could not fail to recognize the name ‘Nadja.’
Even now, after the brainwashing was lifted, memories remained vivid.
At the same time, the residents could fully comprehend how horrific the atrocities committed under Nadja’s name truly were.
“My brave comrades and I have long united our strength. To bring down that atrocious witch and restore glory to the Empire. To once again raise the renown of Frien across the entire continent. And now, our victory is within reach!”
A low murmur of “Oh” rose from the crowd.
Most of those making the sound had worked—or were still working—in the Imperial Palace.
They remembered Klavis’s appearance, voice, and character well.
Those memories lent credibility to the Prince’s words.
“That’s a ridiculous agitator, if you ask me. And he’s not even well.”
Frey muttered indifferently, arms crossed, but the Prince didn’t spare him a glance.
He focused entirely on calming the residents’ confusion and boosting their morale.
Cooperation from the residents was essential to face the approaching Monster Horde.
Even if they couldn’t help fight the Monsters, at least they must not panic and cause disturbances.
“The Monster Horde is now advancing on Jedo. It is the final desperate summon of that witch. But, loyal subjects, do not fear! I foresaw this disaster and have already made preparations. The great magician Sir Frey Alkoth, wielding unmatched strength, is ready outside the City Wall to intercept the enemy.”
Frey listened with a thought: ‘He sure can talk.’
People often say that to deceive others, you need 99% lies mixed with 1% truth.
With this kind of eloquence, though, no truth was needed to convince anyone.
In reality, Frey wasn’t even outside the City Wall.
The range of his Fiery Evil Eye was the range of his magic.
Since the enemy was approaching the vast city from all directions, it was more convenient to intercept them from the city center with a full view rather than restricting his vision by going outside.
“Hey, Prince. They’re almost here. The fastest will reach the City Wall in about ten minutes.”
The Prince paused briefly and nodded slightly.
Then, he continued reassuring the residents and recruiting volunteers for the defense.
The volunteers would likely never face the Monsters directly.
Their role was to feel the pride of defending Jedo with their own hands, which would make controlling public sentiment easier, the Prince explained.
It was a perspective Frey had never considered but, upon reflection, it did make sense.
“I’ll leave that to you. Don’t slack off on command just because your attention is elsewhere.”
“Don’t worry… heh. I’m not so incompetent that I can’t handle this.”
“Are you okay?”
The Prince, gritting his teeth, nodded faintly.
Frey clicked his tongue in displeasure.
The Prince was in the early stages of Demonization: judgment clouded, headaches and dizziness creeping in, parts of his body sprouting Monster tissue.
His condition was deteriorating faster than any Demonization Frey had seen so far.
Similar symptoms had appeared in Benya Alzred of Cornica, suggesting a special kind of Demonization caused by Demons.
Despite this, the Prince remained composed and outwardly normal, thanks not only to the Artifacts placed throughout Jedo but also because he was suppressing the Demonization purely with willpower.
It was unclear whether Demonization was generally rare or if the Prince possessed some special aptitude.
‘I don’t really want to know.’
Frey diverted his gaze from the Prince.
His job was clear: sweep away the incoming foolish moths, and if the Prince couldn’t hold on any longer, end his suffering right there.
“They’re almost here.”
Frey created a translucent platform beneath his feet and soared high into the sky with the Prince.
In Avatar State, he usually refrained from using magic to conserve power, avoiding destructive spells when possible.
But now, temporarily free from restrictions, he had no such concerns.
He cast Sight Enhancement Magic generously on the Prince and even levitated himself higher before speaking.
“Prince, give your orders. Where shall I start sweeping?”
The Prince silently nodded and surveyed the surroundings.
Finally, he pointed southward.
“South, left center, one thousand.”
“A thousand in the middle left of the south side, got it.”
Frey measured the direction and distance, then flicked his gloved fingers lightly.
Sparks flared from his fingertips, and the sky instantly brightened like broad daylight.
The Prince hastily closed his eyes against the blinding flash.
Then, with a deafening roar as if the heavens were collapsing, a violent explosion struck his entire body mercilessly.
The Prince, lying on the transparent platform, desperately endured and could only raise his head after a long while.
“Oh, dear.”
Frey’s tired voice reached him.
The Prince was speechless at the sight before his eyes.
The entire southern side beyond the City Wall was utterly clear.
The molten ground bubbled, shimmering with heat haze, but no traces of grass, trees, or the thousands of Monsters remained.
Not a single remnant survived a single spell.
“I only meant to put in a little more effort… but it’s been a while, so controlling the firepower is tricky. What do we do now?”
Frey, who had created this terrifying scene, was sweating not a drop and instead babbled absurdly.
Staring blankly at him, the Prince’s shock pushed him back toward calm.
As the fortress did its duty, his mind raced.
He reevaluated the enemy’s scale, recalculated allied firepower, and confirmed Monsters once again pouring into the now-empty south side.
From the ground up, he formulated a new strategy.
“How many more times can you use a spell like that?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never counted.”
“Then… attack west, north, and east in that order, with similar spells at thirty-second intervals each. After that, hold until I give further orders. Also, cast the voice-amplifying magic on me again. I’ll need to convince the panicked citizens.”
“Alright, alright. As you command.”
After casting the magic on the Prince, Frey unleashed another attack spell toward the west.
A beam of light sliced through the dusky western sky, and a giant magic circle began to form.
Once complete, Frey lightly extended his index finger and then snapped it down.
The magic circle flared brilliantly, and in the next moment, a rain of hellfire poured down.
The inferno, which never extinguished until it turned its victims to ash, engulfed the entire southern face.
Fierce updrafts whipped violent gusts, and Monsters caught in the fire tornado scattered like dust.
It was as if the end of the world had unfolded before their eyes.
Though regaining composure, the Prince involuntarily swallowed hard.
“Tch. Should’ve used a different spell. This is going to take some time to burn everything.”
Frey’s remark brought the Prince back to his senses.
Looking down, he saw terrified citizens watching the unprecedented calamity beyond the City Wall.
Though he shared their fear, he also felt reassured that his decisions were correct.
Zion, Yuria, Frey, Arcs — they were all his allies.
“People, listen!”
The Prince began speaking in a voice charged with power.
***
A giant formed of pink mist swung its fists wildly.
Each blow was too fast to see and powerful enough to pulverize a human body without a trace.
Most troublesome of all was the giant’s very presence.
It emitted a strong mental interference that even Zion’s willpower couldn’t defend against.
In a fierce battle where victory hinged on mistaking a mere paper-thin gap, this constant enthralling force was devastatingly effective.
“What?! What the hell is that!”
If it could unleash that power fully, then that would explain everything.
“Why aren’t you enthralled?! You’re just a mere human!”
From within the giant’s core, protected by dense mist, came the malicious voice of Lust.
Zion listened half-heartedly and focused on the fight.
[Left collarbone. It will become a weak point in 1.2 seconds. ]
A mechanical voice crackled through Communication Magic.
Zion snapped to attention and acted on Arcs’s command.
The moment he struck the weak point, a sensation of cutting through something tangible unlike before reached him.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
With a harrowing scream, the giant rampaged wildly.
Zion retreated again.
Attacking outside specific timing and location was meaningless.
‘If Arcs hadn’t been here…’
The mental interference ability, the main weapon of Lust, was sealed, and the intangible giant’s weak point could be precisely struck thanks to the Artifact Arcs improvised.
Without her, Zion would have long ago been toyed with by enthrallment and lost his life.
[ Ready, all set. Zion, prepare to attack. ]
As Zion calmly nodded, Arcs, circling in the air, stopped above the giant’s crown.
Her backpack opened, releasing a dazzling chain-shaped Artifact that spread like a web and bound the giant’s entire body.
The giant’s form blurred, revealing Lust hidden inside.
Arcs, having continuously gathered and analyzed data during the battle, had finally created a counter Artifact.
“Ha!” Zion leapt at Lust.
His greatsword, wrapped in an aurora spectrum, transformed with the Artifact’s power.
Unable to move a single finger, bound by the Artifact, Lust turned a face stained with torment, fear, and hatred toward Zion.
Zion fixed his gaze on those eyes and ruthlessly bisected Lust diagonally.
“Kyahhh! It hurts, it hurts so much… Why must I endure this pain?! Who the hell are you all?! By what right!”
With a single scream, Lust fell to the ground, speaking resentfully.
Zion, feeling as if listening to a whining child, was dumbfounded.
“Hah, I’ll return those words exactly as you said. By what right did you dominate this country and bring suffering to its people?”
“Right?! Who cares about that! What’s wrong with us playing with humans and the spirit world?! You’re just half-baked, useless creatures!”
Reasoning was impossible.
Zion realized that talking was pointless and approached to end Lust’s life completely.
“Zion! Don’t get close!” At that moment, Arcs shouted urgently.
Zion jumped back to create distance.
Suddenly, black currents surged from Lust’s body, swirling around her.
“Ugh, ahaha, uhuuhuhu… huhahaha!”
Lust staggered to her feet, enveloped in the black currents, laughing madly.
Zion’s sharpened senses rang constant alarms.
This was no magic or MP depletion, but a completely new type of force unlike anything he had experienced — a formless, sinking swamp of an ominous power.
“What…? Huh? I’ve never seen anything like this. What kind of energy is this?” Arcs furrowed her brow, trying to analyze the black currents.
The swirl soon subsided as Lust absorbed the ominous force completely.
“Sigh…” Lust exhaled lowly and opened her eyes.
The moment their gazes met, Zion swallowed hard in horror.
The jewels that once sparkled and captivated all who saw them were now completely pitch black, including the whites of her eyes.
Raising both hands, black, rotten mud-like matter dripped from beneath her fingernails.
“Usurper.” Lust murmured quietly.
Her voice was entirely different from before — chilling like hundreds of insects murmuring in unison.
“I dedicate my existence to you, to those pitiful, miserable ones…!”
“Boom!”
Part of Lust’s body burst with a sound of rupture.
Staring in shock, she looked down at herself.
[Zion!]
Yuria’s voice came through Communication Magic.
[ I found something like Lust’s… core!]