Hemoria felt a sense of regret. She had wished to witness Amelia's demise firsthand.
However, she wasn’t about to remain in front of that perilous Archwizard just because of such whims. She had heard words of mercy, but they were neither a vow nor a promise.
‘She might change her mind and decide to kill me,’ Hemoria reasoned with herself.
It was unlikely that the Wise Siena would decide to simply go back on her words, but one could never be too sure. So, Hemoria ran away without even looking back.
Alphiero was dead. Amelia would soon meet her end. The specter remained, but… Hemoria didn’t need to be too concerned with him. She knew well that the specter had no particular interest in her. Even if Hemoria were to try and escape over the walls, the specter would impose no restrictions.
The walls were getting closer. None of the wizards behind her paid any heed to Hemoria, perhaps because they had heard Sienna’s words.
It was almost time. Hemoria broke out into a broad grin behind her iron mask.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and Hemoria leaped backward with surprise. She was faced with a pegasus with two pairs of wings and was wrapped in light. Hemoria was once an Inquisitor of Yuras, so she naturally knew the name of the pegasus.
Apollo.
The steed was the symbol of the Blood Cross Knights’ commander, Raphael the Crusader. The giant winged horse was known for being the quickest in the sky, not just in Yuras but across the entire continent.
"Hemoria." She heard her name being called.
The blood-soaked armor clattered. Raphael lifted the visor of his helmet to observe Hemoria. The crusader’s young face did not match his grim and fierce eyes, and his sharp gaze caused Hemoria to swallow hard.
"Though the Wise Sienna has agreed to let you go, I am not particularly inclined to do the same," declared Raphael.
Hemoria belonged to the Maleficarum of the Inquisition. She was the disciple and daughter of Punisher Atarax. She was an outstanding Inquisitor, and she had even garnered the nickname Guillotine Hemoria from a young age for her numerous accomplishments.
It had been a stroke of bad luck.
Raphael thought so. If only she hadn't encountered Eugene, if only she hadn't been at the Fount of Light, and if only she hadn't obstructed the Hero, then she might have met another fate.
Raphael's Crusader was aimed at Hemoria.
"Si-sir Raphael,” Hemoria managed to stammer.
But before she could say more, a flash of light sparked from the tip of the Crusader.
"..…?" Hemoria stepped back in surprise.
She expected a piercing sensation to follow after the flash of light, but… that did not come to fruition. Instead, she felt a burning sensation on her left shoulder. Hemoria quickly tore the fabric that was covering her left shoulder with surprise.
She saw a burning brand that looked as if it had been seared with a hot iron.
"Lady Sienna said she wouldn't kill you, and I dare not contravene her wishes,” muttered Raphael while sheathing his Crusader.
Hemoria's complexion turned pale as she caressed the brand. She knew exactly what this mark represented. Only those suspected of heresy were imprinted with this brand in Yuras. The Inquisitors of Yuras would monitor every move of those branded, and if they attempted to flee, they would be pursued to the ends of the continent and executed.
"Live a quiet life as if you were dead,” declared Raphael.
Apollo spread his wings.
"If you drink the blood of another human or commit any sin , no matter how trivial, the agents of Light will seek you out to hold you accountable."
Raphael's parting words were just that. He had no intention of having any further conversation with Hemoria. In fact, if it hadn't been for Sienna's will, he wouldn't have simply marked her and let her escape; he would have killed her where she stood.
It was impossible to escape from the brand. It would stay with the individual, even if they tore off their skin or cut off their shoulder. It was similar to a curse that was etched into one’s very existence.
"Aaaah!" Hemoria screamed while tearing at the brand.
Amelia wished to live but she ended up trapped in a fate worse than death. Hemoria sought freedom, but she was sentenced to a lifetime of surveillance.
The specter... witnessed it all.
He saw Kamash fall. He saw the demonic beasts of Ravesta, including the Centipede Mountains, being hunted. He saw the high-ranking demons of Helmuth perish and the ranks of the undead army being broken through.
The army that breached and crossed the walls was now engaging in urban warfare within the city. The remnants of the undead army left in the capital were buying time, and the subjects of Destruction were fighting valiantly, but... the situation wasn’t looking good for them. The Liberation Army possessed many incredibly powerful individuals capable of turning the tides of battle, whereas the specter's forces lacked such powerful existences.
Alphiero Lasat? He chose not to revel in battle. Instead, Alphiero chose to obstruct Eugene’s path out of unwanted loyalty. He ended up being squashed like a mosquito.
Naturally, the specter held no loyalty towards Amelia, Hemoria, or the others. The specter didn't kill Amelia because he believed her life belonged in the hands of Eugene or Sienna.
He spared Hemoria not because of any benevolence but because he thought her grudge against Amelia might be useful to Eugene.
In the end, everything proceeded as the specter wished.
"He’s coming,” muttered the specter.
He could see Eugene ascending from the underground tomb. With no more demons to hinder him, he would fly straight to the palace.
The specter slowly opened his eyes. He could see warriors prostrated beneath the Sultan’s throne. The warriors were those who voluntarily remained among the Sultan’s guards. They were some of Naham’s most skilled warriors.
It wasn’t only them either. A considerable number of soldiers remained in the palace.
Many humans had been influenced by the overwhelming power displayed by demons and Demon Kings during the era of war. The soldiers and warriors remaining in the palace were no different from those in the past. They were fascinated by the specter’s power. They had witnessed firsthand how the specter had brought along numerous demons and demonic beasts before effortlessly blockading the entire city.
The specter issued them no commands. He didn't consider them useful in the slightest. In fact, he felt that their choice to stay was incredibly stupid.
If they now wished to leave the city, he would not hold them back.
But no one sought to flee. Instead, most were looking at the specter with eyes gleaming with anticipation and excitement.
It was an inevitable situation. The warriors were unaware of what was taking place outside the palace. What they had seen was the seemingly endless army of undead, colossal demonic beasts, and demons whose mere presence altered the air around them. How could they ever have anticipated such a powerful force to be breached so quickly?
But even if they learned the truth of the current situation, not many warriors would choose to flee. It was because of the specter’s presence. The existence of this enigmatic being... the thought of him facing defeat was simply unimaginable.
The specter slowly rose from the throne.
Eugene Lionheart was coming.
"Please…."
"Grant us strength as well…."
The warriors bowed their heads and pleaded as the specter stood up. It wasn’t only the black wizards who could form contracts with demons to gain power. Even those unable to wield any magic — warriors and knights — could form contracts with demons to obtain immense dark power.
The specter looked at them with dull eyes.
"Very well,” he said.
Despite being ignored multiple times, they were still begging for power. They didn’t seem to even entertain the idea of fleeing. In that case, there was only one way to use them. The specter's hand reached out toward the warriors.
He didn't want any disturbances.
That was his thought. Eugene Lionheart was coming here. He wanted the battle with him to be undisturbed. If possible, he wished for a one-on-one fight. That was why he brought the demonic beasts and vassals from Ravesta.
But the battlefield was being pushed back continuously. Still, due to the large size of the capital, it would take a considerable amount of time for the enemy forces to reach the palace.
Ideally, he wanted to prevent them from approaching the palace altogether.
Thus, he decided to strengthen and reinforce his forces.
Gray power swirled about him and poured out. It was the essence of pure Destruction. Only the specter, who had become an Incarnation of Destruction, could extract such power.
"Gasp...!"
The warriors were momentarily terrified by the incoming dark power. Instinctively, they knew that contact with it would forever change them, transforming them into something utterly non-human.
Faced with such a sensation, a few tried to flee instinctively, having no grand resolve.
However, the specter did not allow them to flee. If they truly wanted to escape, they should have done so long before. He could no longer respect their choice to flee.
"Power,” the specter murmured.
The sticky power engulfed all the warriors. Figures could be seen vainly struggling inside the gray mass.
Crack, crunch.
The human forms disintegrated. A single body split into several, and dark power coagulated to form new bodies. The scene resembled a single body being used as nourishment to give birth to entirely different beings.
Flesh swelled. Several bones multiplied to dozens and re-organized themselves. Monsters of different visuals were born from one human body.
These were not demonic beasts nor demons. The specter knew what they were.
'Nur,' he said internally.
In Lehainjar, the Great Hammer Canyon, he saw such creatures. They were the same as the monsters that Molon was killing. They were the true vassals of Destruction. Dozens of warriors transformed into hundreds of Nur.
Craack!
The sudden proliferation of large Nur caused the palace walls and roof to collapse.
Amidst the debris, the specter extended his hand upwards with a bitter smile.
The swirling dark power spread in all directions. The power drawn and dispersed by the specter flowed into the soldiers stationed in the palace. Hundreds of them, unknowingly, would become thousands of monsters.
This would be enough to buy ample time. Having finished the preparations, the specter sat back on the throne.
Kuuuuuh—!
Roars echoed from all sides as the Nur screamed. But the Nur that were standing before the specter with their massive forms hunched respectfully bowed their heads.
The specter did not command the Nur with words. A mere flick of his finger was enough.
The crouching Nur shrieked before rushing out of the palace. All the Nur leaped over the walls and started running towards the battlefield in the city, acting on their only instinct.
"It's quiet now," the specter realized.
He hadn't expected them to grow so large, nor had he anticipated that one human could become several monsters. Everything had gone beyond his expectations, and as a result, the palace had crumbled.
The ceiling, the walls, everything was gone. The only thing that remained was the throne the specter sat on. He chuckled and looked up at the sky.
The high heavens.
He could see a dragon shining like the sun. It was incredibly bright as if it were carrying thousands of clerics. But the light didn't dazzle the specter too much; it simply didn't seem that bright to him.
However, the light slicing through the sky and approaching his location felt a bit dazzling. The actual light wasn't of holy power but of black flames burning fiercely. The light that seemed to scratch the eyes was sharp and clear.
"You’re here,” the specter muttered.
A black comet crashed into the ground. Despite the noisy flight, there was no sound upon landing. Eugene landed on the ground naturally, as if he had always been standing there.
What should he say?
Eugene pondered this for a moment.
‘What have you done?’
That was the first question that popped up in his mind. He saw monsters pouring out of the castle while flying. He saw monsters of different shapes and sizes. He recognized the monsters as the Nur, the very same as he remembered from his memories as Agaroth and the ones he saw in Lehainjar.
Why were the Nur here? It wasn't hard to connect the dots. The Nur were the vassals of Destruction. Perhaps the Incarnation of Destruction had the power to summon the Nur….
Summoned?
Had he really summoned them? He could no longer feel any signs of human presence despite having sensed them until just now. Had they all died? Did he kill them? Or….
Eugene dismissed all the questions that popped into his mind.
What he needed to do with the specter wasn't to ask questions and get answers.
Prominence blazed fiercely.
'Should I use Ignition first?'
Thoughts about the battle filled the void in his mind.
'With my current strength, I can sustain Ignition for about 15 minutes. Can I kill him within that time?'
There would surely be a backlash when Ignition ended. As such, Eugene needed to kill him by then.
He thought it impossible. He needed to save Ignition for a moment when he could definitely kill the specter.
'I can wield the Divine Sword three times. Whether it's the first or last, there's no difference in power. If that’s the case….'
It would be the perfect time to draw the sword when the specter least expected it.
Eugene would get to see how much it would affect him and how much it could cut through.
Eugene’s right hand moved to his chest.
‘Ignition?’ The specter wondered in surprise.
He thought it typical of Hamel not to start a conversation. But using Ignition right off the bat didn't seem like Hamel.
The specter didn't know about the Divine Sword. Therefore, he couldn't predict what Eugene was about to do.
Hand on the chest. What else could there be other than Ignition, which caused the Core to go berserk?
The specter felt rather puzzled. At the same time, a crimson light started to pour out from Eugene’s chest.