A silence of complete calm had filled the entire private dimension. Varnos stood inside the private dimension.
A space separate from the battlefield, but not far from it. He could see everything and had full oversight of everything. Waves of mana, collisions, falls, and screams, even if they didn’t reach the ears, they were recorded in the flow of energy.
He didn’t move. He wasn’t in a hurry, and there was no sign of hesitation on his face. He simply stood there and watched.
His gaze first focused on the farthest point, where the sky... no longer looked like a sky.
Two opposing domains, light and darkness, were like two worlds devouring each other. In the center of it, Daniel’s presence was clear.
Alone, facing two S-ranks.
Even from this distance, the pressure was noticeable. The waves of mana were fluctuating in an unnatural way, as if space itself was resisting that battle.
"He’s still standing... but for how long?" Varnos thought silently.
He could see it, the serum and the pressure from the array, the restrictions that were clearly weighing heavily on Daniel’s body.
And yet he still hadn’t been defeated, and that in itself was abnormal.
But the main question remained: for how long?
How long could Daniel last in such a condition? All the signs indicated that Daniel would probably lose sooner or later.
And this defeat seemed inevitable.
If it weren’t for that serum, would the result of their battle have been different? Varnos was sure that those two S-ranks would have been slaughtered by Daniel in less than a minute.
Even he himself, with all his power, wouldn’t have the slightest chance against a Daniel who could use his full strength.
He let out a deep sigh. All of this showed how well prepared the enemy had been for this war. He had greatly underestimated the enemy’s level of preparation.
Maybe they shouldn’t have gone to that ceremony from the beginning. Maybe he should have listened to his daughter and not gone. It would be a lie if he said he wasn’t really regretting that decision.
But the past was the past.
His gaze shifted to the other battlefields.
Darius.
He was also fighting one of the Goblin Guild commanders. He was still standing. His armor was broken, his body was covered in blood, and his movements were heavier than before. Every strike he made showed signs of fatigue... but he still hadn’t retreated.
Even though his condition was very bad, he had taken massive damage, and if this continued... Darius would die.
Aaron.
He had been pushed back on the defensive line. The mana walls he created were being shattered one after another. He hadn’t fallen yet, but it was clear he was moving at the edge of his limit.
He was also engaged with one of the enemy commanders. He was slightly better in direct combat, but his enemy had used multiple tricks and had practically destroyed all his defensive lines.
And this had made his situation terribly dangerous.
Elira.
In the middle of the chaos, she was still analyzing, sending information, and maintaining the battlefield’s coordination. But even she... was under pressure. The flow of data had become unstable.
Among all the Guild commanders, this girl had the least combat power. The fact that she had still managed to endure was truly amazing.
And then Serah.
"Huh? What happened?" Varnos suddenly frowned, and the veins on his head bulged out from anger.
No big explosion occurred, there was no dramatic moment, just a sudden cut.
One signal disappeared. Varnos didn’t move for a moment.
His gaze remained fixed.
"...We lost one." His face was filled with rage, but he forced himself to calm down.
His anger couldn’t bring Serah back to life. It had happened so suddenly that he couldn’t even go to save the girl. She had just been killed suddenly.
He knew that if things continued like this, this was only the beginning and sooner or later the others would be killed too.
His mind quickly calculated that if he didn’t step in, his commanders would fall one by one.
His eyes closed for a moment. He was struggling with himself to make the final decision.
Had the time for him to enter this battle finally arrived? Or should he still wait? But how much longer did he have to wait?
He was simply buying time, doing what his father had ordered him to do.
That man, his father, had told him to endure no matter what and buy time, until he could become a Heavenly King.
But how long would that take?
"If I don’t move now... it will be too late."
The decision was made.
The mana around him changed.
The space of the private dimension reacted slowly, as if the dimension itself knew what was about to happen.
Varnos took a step, and at that moment space bent and he exited the dimension.
However, before he could go help the commanders, he suddenly felt the space around him lock down.
And then he appeared.
Alaric, the leader of the Goblin Guild.
There was no dramatic display with him. Simple clothes, without armor or flashy effects. A calm face, too calm, and eyes that showed no emotion.
But that simple presence alone was enough to make the entire space heavy.
Varenos stopped and his movement was cut off. In this situation he knew he couldn’t go anywhere.
"You can’t go any further,"
" Our battle wasn’t supposed to start yet. I thought you would wait a little longer. So why did you interfere? Don’t tell me it was because of that little girl’s death?" Alaric asked.
"I came to the conclusion that there’s no need for extra battles and pointless casualties. It’s better if we settle the result ourselves," Varenos replied in a calm tone.
"But our battle can’t decide the final outcome, can it? Tell me, where is your father? Don’t tell me he died in seclusion?"
Varnos said nothing, but the coldness deep in his eyes was clear.
"Why don’t you stop using cowardly tricks like serum and arrays? Wouldn’t it be better to fight fairly? What’s so interesting about fighting like a coward?" Varnos replied without any change in his expression.
"Only victory matters. If you’re dead and I’m alive, what does it matter what method I used?" Alaric said with mockery.
"In the end you’re no different from a coward. Even those bastards in your Guild are cowards and can’t win without using tricks."
Mana compressed around them and space cracked. Invisible lines formed in the air, as if reality itself was breaking.
Even the void started to tremble.
This still wasn’t a battle, just their presence, and that alone... was enough for destruction to begin.
"Even with your cowardly tricks, you will be defeated today," Varnos added with sarcasm.
"As someone who has nothing left of his Guild and might die at any moment, you talk too much."
While they were talking, the explosions continued. The domains were splitting the sky.
Daniel was still engaged. The commanders were moving at the edge of collapse.
And here at this point, two men stood who could decide the fate of all of them.
There was no way back anymore. Varnos took a step forward.
Alaric gave a very faint smile.
And then the first collision between them happened.