A brief standoff.

The roaring flames and the sharp noises of battle echoed around.

Amidst the ominous and tense situation, Valkzar and I locked our gazes at each other.

Although he glared at me as if he would lunge at me with his spear at any moment, he didn't act upon it.

It was because the ancestors on Valkzar's shoulders and behind his back were leaving him as if fleeing.

Unease.

Eeriness.

The Great Warrior was bewildered when the power he held in his hands began to scatter.

Thinking the mighty power was a gift bestowed upon him, the Great Warrior found himself unable to move as it actually started to vanish.

Now was the chance while he was distracted. I slowly spoke up to attempt dialogue.

Not with Valkzar, but with the being beyond him.

"The Red Eagle of the Great Forest."

I wanted to talk to the deity who was giving strength to the Great Warrior at the cost of his own life.

"Why did you forsake your home and endure such hardship?"

"How dare you speak to...!"

[Enough.]

A dignified voice echoed as if emanating from the sky.

It was a different sensation when compared to the imposing presence of the Mountain Lord, which spread heavily throughout the body and stung the skin like lightning.

Curiously, it sounded like a rather delicate voice coming from a man of mystifying beauty, but the heat within it contained the weight of years that couldn't be attributed to mere human existence.

[You are the noblest one in this most despicable place.]

"...!"

Horua's evaluation of me was more favorable than expected, and upon hearing it, Valkzar's eyes seemed to tremble.

[Your actions have reached me as well. Thanks to your existence, the subjects of the kingdom can peacefully close their eyes.]

"That is an excessive compliment."

Just like the Mountain Lord, Horua had also responded favorably to me.

I thought that if I could persuade Horua to take away his power from the Great Warrior, the battle would essentially end easily. However

That would be difficult.

Even as we conversed, Valkzar's crimson wings were burning so brightly.

He showed no sign of retreating.

[However, do not think that the comfort you gave them applies to me.]

"...."

[Your nobility is great, but also foolish. Are you trying to embrace everything, even demons?]

"Velica is not a demon you can easily define; after all, she bears the title of Demon Lord of Deformities only in name."

Even Velica herself admitted that her disposition as a demon was strangely twisted.

And although the Mountain Lord let the matter of the Demon Lord slide due to his trust in me, Horua did not.

[Do not reach out to me with your dirty hands. I do not need any comfort from you.]

"...."

It was a clear refusal, a declaration that Horua would not explain why he lent his power to the Great Warrior.

Rather, Valkzar smirked and adjusted his stance while holding his spear, perhaps gaining confidence from this conversation.

With just one flap of his wings, he displayed overwhelming speed accompanied by the sound of strong wind. However

Crush! Crush!

"This is..."

"If we have one thing in common."

The menacing tip of his spear, which he brandished with confidence, didn't reach me.

Suddenly, hundreds of hands grabbed his ankles when he attempted to strike me.

All of them were the citizens of the kingdom he had massacred.

"We both at least have the same place to run wild, don't we?"

For a Great Warrior like him, the battlefield was undoubtedly the place where he could shine the most. He could gloriously traverse the battlefield, decimating enemies and slitting throats while intoxicated by the scent of battle.

On the other hand, for me...

The battlefield, where countless dead lay, was where I could exert the greatest power.

He might have feared the Saintess and the Demon Lord who were sleeping within me.

However, it was a perfect stage where I didn't need to disturb the two who were peacefully resting.

I pulled out Lemegeton from my pocket.

I needed to clearly demonstrate the power gap between us.

The black waves emanating from Lemegeton began to spread.

The sky churned and the earth began to tremble.

[Gaaaaaahhh!]

[Why! Why!]

[Mommyyyyy!]

[Save me! Please! Save me!]

He massacred everyone, regardless of age or gender.

It meant that he took the weight of life so lightly, and with that, he had to take responsibility for it.

The souls of the dead were pouring out.

The cries and screams of the dead expressed their regrets about wanting to live.

"Huh."

"It is to this extent."

"Oh, my god."

Like clouds covering the sky, like new sprouts rising from the ground.

As the dead continuously rose and materialized, Findenai and Gloria, who were behind me, exclaimed in amazement.

Lucia knelt carefully, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together.

And the Great Warrior who was marked by all this resentment, sweated profusely, swallowing hard.

The overwhelming number of dead people around him had drained the strength from his hands, which were gripping the spear.

"It seems like you do not even know the weight of death."

On the contrary

I could feel more strength flowing into my hand as I held Lemegeton.

Although my emotions were faint, I was certain that at this moment

I was enraged.

It wasnt the explosive rage like a volcano erupting, but that of a sharp and cold rage which descended like frost on the icy ground in midwinter.

"I may not like everything that happened here, but among the things I do dislike, what I happen to dislike the most is you."

Without a moment of hesitation, the souls flew towards the Great Warrior, seeking vengeance on the person who had killed them.

"Keuh! Aaaargh!"

He swung his spear desperately, attempting to retaliate. The souls of the ancestors who accompanied him tried to protect the Great Warrior, but it wasn't enough.

He ended up buried under the souls, with only one hand protruding. I spoke to the Great Warrior accusingly.

"If you claimed to act for the people of Setima, you should have at least said a word for them."

If he waged war to get revenge for the Chieftain's death and the massacre of the people of Setima, he should have at least mentioned them for a moment.

If he had done so, I might have shown him a bit of mercy.

"But you used them as tools; indeed, you are no different."

He merely needed them as an excuse to open the battlefield.

Now, Valkzar's screams could no longer be heard. Along with him, other tribe warriors who were using guerrilla warfare had already met their demise at the swords of the kingdom's knights.

In other words, he might have attempted a surprise attack, but ultimately, it was a complete failure.

He was overly confident in his own strength, which led him to a foolish end that was no different from what L Bu and Xiang Yu1, historical figures from Earth, had experienced.

However, if there was one distinction, it was that God had forsaken them, while Valkzars deity hadn't forsaken him.

Fwoosh!

The guardian deitys flames created a massive pillar, burning the souls. The surging souls began to retreat uniformly, and I, too, drew mana to prevent them from suffering.

Valkzar flew away as if he was spat out by the pillar of flame. And although he was already covered in blood and unconscious, Horua's wings forcibly carried him high into the sky.

It clearly showed Horua's firm determination to at least save the Great Warrior.

I thought I could secure a perfect victory, but Valkzar managed to escape.

However, it seemed unnecessary for me to join the battlefield any further.

Perhaps, he had developed considerable trauma towards me. He must have realized he couldn't rely on the power of his ancestors and Horua anymore.

This was a war brought by the Great Warrior Valkzar alone.

It practically showed the difference in our levels.

The moment he became dispirited, the war was practically over.

* * *

"Cough! Cough!"

Thanks to Horua's mercy, Valkzar, who barely escaped, was receiving treatment inside his tent.

When the treatment was somewhat complete, Valkzar struggled to sit up as he pushed aside the woman who was wiping his spilled blood.

Then, as if waiting for him, Shaman Syong's sharp reprimand fell upon him.

"Didn't I tell you?! You shouldn't have fought him! We could have engaged in battles without confronting him by utilizing the mobility of our tribe! I said we could have won!"

"..."

"Our ancestors have abandoned you, and even Horua's power has been limited! Eventually, our tribe and the Great Forest will be devoured by the desert!"

Looking at Syong, who cried out that there was no future for their tribe and home anymore, Valkzar felt a sense of fatigue and a headache akin to parasites crawling in his head.

It was the first time that he, who had always been victorious, had suffered such a brutal defeat.

He couldnt even properly swing his spear at the enemy and just tragically suffered, having fled at the end.

And now, he also realized how heavy the weight of the slaughter he had committed so far was.

Valkzar didn't want to move anywhere because he was afraid of all of that. He only wanted to flee.

Just before his heart was completely broken, Syong sighed and brought out the map.

"We still have one last resort to counterattack. And that if you don't collapse yet here."

Thud.

Syong's finger on the map pointed to Loberne, where the Academy was located.

"His weakness is here. If only we can secure this, there won't even be a need to fight him."

"Haven't those nobles already all failed?"

When they brought up the fact that they had completely failed to assassinate the Soul Whisperer and his fiance, the nobles being mentioned who had been as quiet as dead rats in the corner of the tent flinched.

After the failed assassination, the positions of the three nobles became even more precarious. In particular, the Jerman Kingdom, with which they had a connection, had now completely abandoned them. So, if the Marias Tribe failed as well, it would be their end.

If they stayed like this, they would eventually die.

Noble Romerzan, who thought so, took a step forward and shouted.

"There's still a chance! If we can just capture the Soul Whisperer, we will eventually win! We'll find out his weakness for sure!"

They still had a connection with their informant operating in Loberne. However, it was a dangerous relationship that could be severed at any time soon if this assassination failed completely.

Hearing Romerzan's words, Syong added one more thing.

"Are you just going to collapse here? A Great Warrior of your caliber? The fight has just begun. Don't kneel down after just one loss."

"..."

Valkzar, who had been clenching his teeth, took a deep breath and tightened his fist.

Even now, just the thought of the Soul Whisperers cold gaze piercing through him still froze his entire body.

I am the Great Warrior.

Knowing he was in a position where he had no choice but to overcome this wall, Valkzar nodded.

"Go find his weakness and tell me. I will personally go to Loberne with the wings of Lord Horua."

It was a firm determination that he wouldnt ever entrust to the nobles again.

It was a logical judgment, given the mobility of Horua's wings, which could shuttle to and from Loberne in a short period.

However, Romerzan was actually curious about Shaman Syong's intentions.

As far as he knew, there were no weaknesses of the Soul Whisperer, Deus Verdi, in Loberne Academy right now.

His fiance, Erica Bright, was away on practical training; the princess, Eleanor Luden Griffin and the commoner girl he cherished were the same.

What could possibly be in Loberne?

Syong accurately pointed out a specific person.

"Now, go find the pregnant woman who has been pregnant for about 7 to 8 months."

"A pregnant woman?"

Just hearing it made his head feel dizzy.

Could it be Deus Verdis hidden mistress?

That was something that Romerzan could think of. However

"That pregnant woman is the equivalent of the Soul Whisperer's reverse scale."

Hearing Syong's words and seeing Valkzar urging him to move quickly, Romerzan hastily took out a communication crystal from his pocket, contacting his attendants in Loberne.

But even as he did so, a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Reverse scale?

The reverse scale was indeed usually considered a weakness. However

Doesn't touching it mean certain death for the one who dares to do so?

A shiver ran down his spine.

If the Soul Whisperer, who made even the Great Warrior tremble like this, truly became enraged, what would happen?

For a moment, Romerzan felt an impulse that perhaps surrendering right now would be the best thing to do.

However, the pressure from Valkzar and Syong continued to weigh heavily on him.

Romerzan could only imbue mana into the communication crystal, hoping for one thing.

He hoped that after touching the Soul Whisperers reverse dragon scale, the Great Warrior would have managed to sever the dragon's neck, before his wrath could reach him.