The tide of the battle had turned in an instant.

The soldiers who had stopped to watch the duel between Crete and the Sword Saint now resumed their attack.

But their morale, fueled by witnessing Crete's defeat, was different now.

They were relentless, cutting down the Demon soldiers with renewed vigor.

Despair washed over me.

Defeat.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

I knew this battle was destined to happen, but a part of me couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

If I had been stronger…

Just a little bit stronger…

If I had the power to protect everyone, could I have changed the outcome of this war?

‘Damn it.’

I thought I had become stronger.

I had surpassed the original Adel's growth rate, overcome countless crises, and even changed many predetermined events.

I truly believed I could do it again.

But the result was always the same, mocking my expectations and deviating from my plans.

I turned my head and looked back.

“Buy time for the Lord to escape! We will not be defeated as long as he survives!"

The hope in the Demon soldiers’ voices…

They believed that as long as Crete survived, they could still win this war.

But deep down, they all knew the truth.

Even if Crete survived, his sword couldn't defeat the Sword Saint.

And yet,

Even so,

The Demon soldiers fought with their lives on the line to protect their leader.

Suddenly, I felt a rush of blood to my head.

As my vision blurred, I muttered to the unconscious Crete on my back.

“…What price will you pay?”

No, could he even pay the price?

What could he possibly offer for his arrogance, for his revenge, for the countless lives lost because of him?

Rumble-.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed once more.

Heavy rain began to pour, drenching the soldiers still locked in a fierce battle—fighting to save Crete, fighting to kill him.

Whose tears were these?

Whose joy?

I didn't know the answer.

All I knew was that I had to save Crete.

I glanced back again.

‘…The Sword Saint isn’t following us?’

He stood there, his cold gaze fixed on Rene and me, as if something was holding him back.

Thanks to my repeated use of Position Exchange, we were already far from the battlefield.

But we were still within the Sword Saint’s sight.

There was only one reason why he wasn’t personally pursuing us.

Absolute Stealth, the technique that erased my existence from the world.

That unknown ability must have bothered him.

He had experienced it firsthand, however briefly, when I bypassed his senses and reached Crete.

Moreover, the Sword Saint must have realized that I had already defeated three more of the Seven Swords.

On the other hand, his own condition wasn't optimal after his confrontation with Crete.

There were plenty of reasons for him to hesitate.

My gamble had paid off.

However, it didn't mean we were completely safe.

‘…I need to reach Kyle quickly.’

I kicked off the ground and ran again.

The Demon soldiers had bought us some time.

Just as they said, as long as Crete and Rene survived, Bares could be rebuilt, even if they lost this battle.

But a sense of foreboding continued to gnaw at me.

‘Will we be able to make it?’

It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in my own strength.

If I were alone, I could make it.

I was the one who had faced three Swordmasters.

Even though I had borrowed the Demon God's power, I could push myself further, expend another mark even at the cost of my life.

The real question was whether Crete could hold on until then.

‘Crete…’

The once arrogant man was now unconscious on my back, his breaths shallow and ragged.

He had already lost too much blood.

He might die before we even reached Kyle.

Could Crete really die like this?

Seeing him so weak, so unlike his usual domineering self, was almost impossible to comprehend.

But I had to do everything in my power.

It wasn’t over yet.

As I was about to push myself further, a powerful tremor shook the ground.

Kugugugugugu

Something was distorting space itself, hurtling towards us with terrifying speed.

There was no time to activate Position Exchange.

It was too fast, too powerful, threatening to obliterate everything in its path.

The Sword Saint.

He had unleashed his Heavenly Sword in our direction.

I bit down on my lower lip, drawing blood.

I had to somehow counter that attack.

But my vision was still blurry from the Eyes of Arrogance’s penalty, and I couldn't fight back while carrying Crete.

This is it.

I couldn't defend against that with my own power.

As I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable…

“…Black Dragon, rise.”

Kwaaaaaaaa-.

A Black Dragon erupted from the ground beneath us.

Kugugugugu-.

It collided with the Heavenly Sword, generating a shockwave that sent me tumbling across the ground with Crete in my arms.

“Ugh!”

I rolled several times before coming to a stop, my body battered and bruised.

“….”

As I cautiously opened my eyes…

“Huu…”

…I saw Crete, covered in blood, taking ragged breaths with unfocused eyes.

He had regained consciousness.

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