Kalia’s plan, which worried Louismond and made Simon’s eyes roll back, was remarkably simple.

‘A decoy.’

Kalia herself would become the decoy.

Ironically, she had gleaned a hint from the recent battle with Akan.

Since they had thrown a decoy, they needed to employ the same tactic.

By summoning endless waves of chimeras and agitating the demons to incite a riot, it was only a matter of time before Rojas gained the upper hand if they captured that one person.

Prince of Akan, Buford.

Because he desired her the most.

Of course, Simon vehemently objected with a cold voice, saying it was absolutely out of the question.

Even if Kalia didn’t become the decoy, he believed they would eventually find him if they waited a little longer.

So he tried to convince her to wait a bit.

Kalia also wasn’t planning to leave immediately.

However, honestly speaking, this wasn’t a situation where one could just idly wait.

“A decoy is nothing special. I’m just saying I’ll go out. As always, I’ll fight at the forefront.”

“Kalia, when you were at the vanguard, the enemy also set up a vanguard. But now, they only send chimeras and their coalition forces while keeping the prince hidden on their side. The situation is different from before.”

“There’s no difference, Simon. We just have to keep fighting until he shows up.”

The two clashed in their opinions.

Kalia wasn’t angry because she understood Simon’s opposition.

Just one day.

Simon asked her to wait just one day.

It was a reasonable amount of time she needed as well, so Kalia agreed, and they made that promise.

Unfortunately, the day passed, and Simon couldn’t find Buford. Kalia, determined to fight her best against Simon’s disappointment, came out while making that promise.

Of course, the moment she stepped outside, a small mole stuck to her, but she knew that Simon had compromised a lot by allowing this level of surveillance.

To make matters worse, Simon couldn’t follow her because the magic stone he had been controlling had exploded last night.

Simon even tried to lay down an ultimatum not to follow her…

Although they couldn’t go together, Kalia knew that Simon would be observing her from somewhere from the Mage Tower.

Likewise, she left the gate alone, accompanied only by a contingent of knights and infantry, who pledged to follow her with fervor.

To avoid being a hindrance, she even dismissed the guards who were protecting outside the gate.

Just in case, she left the order to wait inside.

“Hmm, they won’t be too far from here. The imperial palace is the target.”

The forces sent by the countries cooperating with Akan had come close.

They would try to withdraw and escape until then.

Kalia casually turned her head and stretched her body.

When she called Gaia, she appeared in the form of a sword from the beginning.

The hilt of the sword fit perfectly into her hand.

Kalia passed through the forest of vigilance and entered the meadow where the guards had swept through.

As she walked alone in the meadow, she began to sense a presence somewhere.

-Grrrr.

They appeared.

Those creatures.

Kalia, who stood still, turned around and looked at the chimeras and demons that slowly crawled out one by one.

Feeling the vibration of the sword, Kalia walked slowly through the demons.

* * *

Crack! Thud!

White light, like a sharpened blade, poured down like rain.

Even though the night had turned pitch black, that place where Kalia’s sword swung was as radiant as if it had gathered moonlight.

Amidst the white shimmering light, red and black blood splattered incessantly.

The floor was already flowing with a river of blood that had come from the bodies of hundreds of creatures.

“Phew.”

Kalia wiped off the blood splattered on her cheek and took a deep breath to calm her quickening breath.

Above her head, Simon’s magic seal emitted a faint blue light.It was a protective barrier that blocked significant impacts and healed minor wounds.

Thanks to it, although blood splattered, not a single scar remained on her body.

“I’ve done enough. The reaction should start coming soon.”

She dispatched the creatures that swarmed in such numbers that it was difficult to estimate the time.

At first, the endless stream of creatures that poured forth didn’t falter against her swift movements, but they all fell before her relentless blade.

Kalia chased after them and kept cutting them down.

Finally, when she was left alone in the dark night, she stood in the pool of blood and looked around the surrounding darkness.

“Don’t just hide and show yourself.”

A side of darkness trembled at her voice, quietly reciting.

Soon, the darkness ripped apart, revealing a familiar figure.

“…Quite impressive. How does it feel to be able to fight alone like this? A sense of superiority, perhaps?”

The one who emerged was Damon.

She taunted Kalia in a calm tone.

Kalia shrugged and replied.

“Well, killing you might be satisfying.”

“Wow, trying to kill me already? That wouldn’t be fun, would it?”

“I’ll take care of the fun myself. Will you just obediently offer your neck?”

“You’re a scary one. Our general.”

Damon’s hand, which had been smiling, revealed a crescent-shaped shadow like a half-moon.

“Don’t say that, let’s enjoy it together.”

Damon leaped towards Kalia.

The power of darkness and the white light collided.

Damon was by no means better at handling a sword than Kalia, nor was her strength superior.

But she was wearing something very annoying. Her shadows were tearing into dozens of strands.

Even though she was fighting only one person, Kalia felt as if she was facing dozens at once.

And no matter how much she cut and stabbed, the opponent wouldn’t die.

‘Annoying.’

As Kalia fought against Damon, small wounds appeared on her arms and shoulders, despite dealing with dozens of attacks.

They were caused by the shadows that were let loose against her main body.

‘If I go back wearing this, Simon will go crazy…’

The minor wounds were bothersome, but not significant enough to be concerned about.

And while she suffered from small wounds, Damon’s body was also marked with several sword cuts.

Among them, the most critical one was now…

“Kuh-!”

It was Damon’s right wrist that was sent flying more than half the distance.

Damon quickly retreated.

In her place, 20 shadows, torn into pieces, surged forward Kalia.

Kalia invoked the power of Amuntia.

“…!”

The power of purification transformed into flame ignited, and the shadows screamed soundlessly as they were consumed by the yellow flames.

“Well, shall we try again?”

Kalia turned towards Damon, who was holding onto her almost severed wrist while panting heavily.

“Huff, huff… I’ll… I’ll try to stop him!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, just until here… Isn’t it enough?”

What nonsense was this all of a sudden?

Kalia furrowed her brows.

She looked at Damon, who was shooting her a white, frustrated gaze with narrowed eyes.

At the same time, she heightened her senses to see if the demon was trying to hit her on the back of the head while spouting nonsense.

“I actually came out to say this.”“It’s incomprehensible. It would seem more reasonable to ask for mercy, saying you don’t want to die…”

In response to Kalia’s cold words, Damon mumbled, lips trembling.

“I can’t stop Akan. That crazy bastard doctor and the damn demon have already gone mad. Well, actually, I’m going mad too. But I know the end. I don’t want to be one of those moths diving into the fire, knowing the end.”

“The end?”

“Yeah, the end. This tiresome war between light and darkness. As always, your side will prevail. Always, just like before.”

Damon burst into a laugh, as if she was tired and full of irritation.

“So, I’ve been cleverly playing the role of the vanguard for good on the side of evil. For the sake of some future survival!”

Kalia couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying.

Was that dark magician finally losing her mind?

No, she had been insane to begin with, but Kalia didn’t know if Damon was now plagued by even more madness.

Seeing Kalia’s indifferent expression, Damon quickly produced another shadow.

The shadow wriggled and then revealed something that had been tightly concealed in her arms.

“Look at this. See who I’ve been collaborating with.”

It was the white light that Kalia had never thought would come out of her, who had solely used dark powers.

Damon threw it, and Kalia, who caught it, furrowed her brow.

It was a finger.

And it was a powerful fairy’s magic that she could feel…

“What is this…?”

“It’s the finger of the Fairy King. I could have swallowed and devoured it, but I didn’t. I thought there might come a day when I have to prove myself. Just like today.”

The finger of the Fairy King.

When the shadow couldn’t digest it, Damon knew that this was an opportunity.

From the beginning, she had different intentions than Lirik or the demons.

All she needed was one thing, her crazed lover, Buford.

Due to forbidden magic, she had lived for much longer than it appeared.

Not as long as the fairies, but her physical form had surpassed the boundaries of time and death, defying the lifespan of humans.

During that long period, she had been fixated on one thing only—dark magic. That was all.

Then, one day, she unexpectedly encountered a prince with flaming red hair and crimson eyes from a distant land.

He was so beautiful that she couldn’t breathe.

The emptiness, cruelty, and sadness emanating from his ruby-like eyes drove her even more insane.

Even his sweet lips, which told her that he had made her strong by staining her with dark magic, were beautiful.

That’s why she joined forces with him for his sake alone.

She clung to Buford and, as a result, unleashed the dark magic she had hidden and lived with for hundreds of years.

However, during her time by his side, she naturally realized something.

That everyone aboard this black ship would eventually fall.

Being naturally perceptive, always vigilant, and constantly observing her surroundings, she could sense it.

‘This can’t go on.’

Akan’s downfall didn’t matter.

The death of that insane doctor was also a welcome sight.

As for the demons… it was regrettable, but there would be other opportunities.

But Buford was different.

She wanted to possess this fragile and pitiful prince until the very end.

“I’ve been secretly cooperating with you all this time. Helping the young prince escape from the palace, even bringing the queen’s crown to the forgotten temple—that was me!”

Damon’s words were enough to confuse Kalia.

Why? Why would that dark magician do this?

“…So, show mercy. Spare me and Buford. Whether you let that damned Akan live or crush it, I don’t care! Just leave me and Buford alone. We’ll never appear in this world again.”

In desperation, Damon’s words made Kalia lower her sword for a moment.

The dark magician hidden in the pitch-black darkness.

Why would she come out to Kalia in this place where she didn’t have to appear and ask her to spare only herself and Buford?

A deep silence followed, like the darkness itself.

Kalia recalled the mad prince who had made her heart race.

The prince who had wickedly laughed with her mother’s heart in his chest.

The man who had chosen to survive until the end and go mad.

After organizing her thoughts, she looked at Damon and spoke, her lips trembling.

“That’s not possible.”