Krein kicked a stone on the ground, groaning as if in pain. “This is way too unsettling….” He clutched his hair while staring at the silver orb hidden behind the statues of the Five Heroes. Krein jerked his chin toward Dorian, who was leaning against one of the statues. “Why are you acting all serious for once?” He narrowed his eyes, clearly unnerved. “How could I be okay….” “I feel like I’m gonna throw up. Not from food—feels like my guts are about to spill out….” His whole arm trembled as he sniffled, not just his hands. “Why did the Palace Lord leave this place to us?” He shut his eyes, gasping like he was suffocating. “…Because he trusts us. That’s why.” Krein exhaled, looking up at the sky. “If not, he wouldn’t have sent us to guard such an important place.” He clenched his fist, unwilling to betray that trust. “Yeah, you’re right.” Dorian nodded, agreeing, but the trembling spread through his entire body. “Five stabilizers and I’m still shaking… guess it’s not enough.” As he slapped his cheek and reached for another pill— The shadows of nearby buildings deepened, and a chilling wail crawled up their spines. Krein pressed his lips tight and stepped forward. Dorian pushed himself off the statue, his fingers trembling pitifully on his sword hilt. As the two stood before the statues, sky, ground, and buildings were all stained in a dark shade as if splashed with black paint. “Why’s it suddenly night…?” “What the hell’s going on?!” The people around the statues froze in confusion, unable to move. When the darkness filled everything, a dull thump of a staff echoed—and a white-haired old man in a black robe appeared. Dorian furrowed his brows at the wrinkled face. “You don’t know? It’s the guy your back was against.” Krein gestured at the statues behind them. The old man’s face was identical to the mage carved on the far right. “They called him the Warlock, Foresen.” Krein named him as he drew his sword. “I’m glad young men still recognize me.” Foresen stroked his white beard with a gentle smile. “Hand me the orb behind the statue, and I won’t harm you.” He shook his head softly, as though offering mercy. “What a load of crap.” Krein snorted, tilting his chin aside. “If you were that kind, you wouldn’t have left those kids to suffer.” He curled his finger, goading him. Foresen lifted an eyebrow and sighed. “Refusing the offered wine, choosing the punishment instead—” “Punishment my ass. Why do villains always spout the same lines? Do you all go to some villain school?” Krein clicked his tongue, mocking him. Wrinkles deepened on Foresen’s brow as veins bulged in anger. “If you trust the children around you, you’ll regret it.” “What’s the old fool blabbering? What children!” “I see them. Your natures are too alike—you must be of the same house.” He smirked at the trembling people hiding in the shadows. “Sharp eyes, I’ll give you that.” Krein ground his teeth, stomping the ground. “We’ve been found! Get ready to fight!” At his signal, Zieghart swordsmen disguised as tourists and villagers revealed themselves. “So, it was Zieghart.” Foresen nodded calmly at their uniforms and blades. “Every one of you a Master—impressive. But before me, meaningless.” He struck the ground with his staff, and the darkness rose. Dozens—no, hundreds—of shadow beasts with blood-red eyes erupted. Krein frowned at the sight. ‘Each one is at least large-monster class.’ Worse, they had no information on these beasts—fast, strong, unpredictable. Even Masters would struggle. “Form the High Wind formation!” At his command, the Light Wind swordsmen formed a barrier before the statues. “Defending? Not a bad choice. But how long will you last?” Foresen lifted his staff. His summoned shadow beasts sank into the ground. They reappeared before the statues, jaws snapping at the swordsmen’s throats. Without hesitation, the Zieghart swordsmen slashed down. The beasts melted into black mist under their wind-charged blades. As if expecting this, Foresen twitched his staff, and the slain beasts revived, maws opening once more. “Then we’ll just kill them again!” Krein showed no panic, cleaving them down once more. Foresen’s fingertip gleamed; his staff fired condensed dark magic at the statue. The darkness aimed to erase both statue and orb— But Dorian burst from the formation, intercepting it. He swung down, blade gleaming with insight. His strike split the core of the spell, quelling even the explosion. He trembled, saliva dripping, drained by the effort. Krein clapped his back, praising him just for enduring. “You’ve got skill enough to run your mouth. Not that it’ll matter.” Foresen scowled, reviving his beasts once more to press harder. “We’ll see about that at the end!” Krein snorted, unshaken. “Very well. I’ll show you your end.” Foresen’s magic erupted, swords clashed, and the battle became a brutal war of attrition. Foresen frowned as the swordsmen still held the orb. ‘They’re lasting longer than I thought.’ He’d expected to crush them in ten minutes. But these youths backed each other flawlessly, enduring both beasts and spells. Their spirit, stamina, and experience exceeded their years. ‘And the orb’s power is growing stronger.’ The artifact was unraveling Montiro’s barrier. Time was running short. If the barrier fell, much would collapse. He would have to destroy the orb himself. He struck the ground. Darkness thickened, spreading impenetrable night. “Stay focused! If we hold, we win!” Krein shouted, rallying them. Dorian, however, trembled all over in the suffocating dark. ‘This won’t be difficult.’ Foresen licked his lips in the shadows. ‘They can’t kill me. My only weakness—no chance they’ll even find it in this darkness.’ He sneered at the green-haired swordsman. ‘Pathetic. The strongest one, yet he shakes like a child.’ Though his skill blocked Foresen’s spells, his fear slowed him. Foresen slipped through the dark, appearing behind the statues. He reached for the buried orb— But a blue blade pierced his thigh above the left knee. ‘He noticed? Impossible—this can’t cut—urk!’ Foresen coughed black blood, staring at the sword driven into his sole weakness. That tiny spot above the knee, like a dragon’s reverse scale—how had they known? “B-because I was waiting.” The green-haired swordsman—Dorian—spoke through tears, shaking. (T/N: Let’s fcking go! It’s Dorian-Krein time!) “You… you were acting from the start…?” Foresen’s eyes widened in shock as he collapsed, his body swallowed by darkness and blood. With his death, the beasts dissolved into mist. Dorian collapsed flat, gasping. “Hey! What did you do?!” Krein rushed over, wide-eyed. “You really killed that old bastard?” “What the hell happened?!” The swordsmen all shouted in disbelief. Dorian shook his head, breath ragged. “He was nervous too. Our endurance threw him off.” Thanks to Raon’s hellish training, Dorian had pushed his [Mind’s Eye Technique] to the limit, reading Foresen’s intent. It was obvious he’d go for the orb. Instead of striking vital spots like heart or head, Dorian pierced the place he was desperate to guard—his left thigh above the knee. “So you really acted?” Dorian snapped coldly. “I really thought I’d die! Look, I’m still shaking!” He held up his trembling hands and legs. “…Because I saw Rensia.” Dorian clenched his fist, still shaking. “If I couldn’t move after seeing her, I wouldn’t deserve to hold a sword.” That alone had driven him. “Oh! Look at you, Dorian!” Krein grinned, grabbing his shoulder. “Maybe you’re better off as a swordsman than a merchant.” “I was always a swordsman.” “What? Not a quartermaster?” “…You ruin a good mood.” Runaan and Martha rolled across the ground. “What the hell! Did they get stronger?!” Martha ground her teeth in disbelief. Runaan nodded at the Demonic Energy blazing on their weapons. “They definitely did…” After gaining insight, Kalop and Felix unleashed even greater power, crushing them with force. They weren’t showing their full strength before. “This time, that was dangerous.” Kalop licked his lips at the wound on his chest from Runaan. “Same here. I nearly slipped despite not letting my guard down.” Felix scowled at the scar carved into his spear. “They’re stronger than expected—but what’s worse is their battle sense. They could grow anytime.” “We should finish this quickly.” “Yes. I’ll do the same.” Felix lowered his stance, spear aimed at Rensia. Martha clicked her tongue, stepping back. “This feels like the real fight now.” Runaan nodded calmly, frost flowers blooming around the fountain. “From here on, we’ll be the villains you wanted.” Kalop charged through the frost with Demonic Energy covering his body, swinging a greatsword straight at Rensia’s head. Felix mirrored him from the left, spear swirling with Demonic Energy—also aimed at Rensia. Martha and Runaan barely intercepted them, blocking sword and spear. Their eyes shook like storm-tossed waves. Kalop and Felix didn’t relent, pouring heavier pressure, Demonic Energy surging. “Of course the demons would stoop so low! Going after a child!” Martha snarled, forcing back the spear. Runaan wrinkled her nose, raising walls of frost. “You may stop some of it, but not all.” Felix pressed his spear down on Martha’s shoulder, jaw tilted smugly. “You can endure. But those behind you cannot.” His aura spread, ready to swallow the entire area. “That’s right. If we kill Rensia and Raon Zieghart, it’s all over.” Kalop pressed harder, sword falling like a storm. The Demonic Energy Martha and Runaan couldn’t block spread around the fountain, black flames igniting the ground. The Zieghart swordsmen couldn’t even approach, overwhelmed by the difference in strength. Rensia trembled violently, wracked by the Demonic Energy. Blackened blood spilled from her lips. Martha screamed at the sight, but couldn’t move closer, barely holding off Felix’s spear. Runaan tried to erase more of the energy, but Kalop’s interference held her down. “As I thought, it’s clear now.” Felix licked his lips, staring at Raon’s calm face. “You won’t move from that spot.” “I still don’t get it. To stake your life on such trash.” Kalop laughed, mocking Raon. “You make me repeat myself, fool.” “I trust them because they’re worth trusting.” “And when you die with Rensia, will that trust still hold?” Kalop licked his lips, eager to see Raon’s last expression. “I believe only in myself. And that means…” Raon smiled faintly at Martha and Runaan’s backs. “…I trust myself who has watched them all this time.” Rensia forced her eyes open. “I trust my sisters.” Despite veins bulging from pain, she smiled radiantly. It was a sorrowful moment, but her pure smile made the darkness seem brighter. At her smile, Martha and Runaan’s childhood memories surged— The girl crying for her mother in a corpse-filled village. The girl unable to see the world, gripped by her brother’s hand. Now, Rensia stood before them with a bright smile, reaching out. Martha and Runaan reached back with burned, bloodied hands. Their three hands met. The burning village vanished, and the cage of blood swung open. Martha’s Titan-forged energy whirled diagonally, crushing the Demonic Energy. Runaan’s sword, Snow Flower, blossomed frost shards like chandeliers, freezing the incoming tide. Kalop and Felix’s eyes widened in disbelief at their simultaneous awakening. “End it now! Before their sword field completes—pour out everything!” Felix lost composure, shouting bluntly, bursting all his Demonic Energy. Kalop gritted his teeth, blasting black flames into a vortex aimed at Runaan. Martha and Runaan didn’t look at their enemies. They stood before Raon and Rensia, swinging their swords toward each other. Frost and earth clashed, their blades colliding, releasing a clear blue radiance. The Demonic Energy that had covered the world melted away like spring snow, powerless before the natural force of ice and earth. (T/N: WAAAAAHHHHHHHH. I’m really glad there’s less Raon screen time and more Light Wind members. Let’s go!!! I’m excited for their [Sword Field Creation])