“Kasha…”

Malik’s green eyes, which had always been shrouded in melancholy light, flashed with a brilliant glow.

“You’ve finally… me…”

Unable to continue speaking, Malik seemed overwhelmed with indescribable emotion. His cheeks, which had been like solid stones, twitched uncontrollably.

Embarrassed by his gaze that clearly revealed excessive excitement and emotion, Kasha subtly changed the subject.

“Well, um. So, I was wondering if there’s any other information left in this castle about that demonic stone? The Gilesus dynasty has sealed that stone for generations… for a very long time, so there could be some historical records left.”

“Huh? Oh, about that…”

Blinking as if coming to his senses at Kasha’s question, Malik furrowed his brows seriously.

“When the kingdom collapsed, almost all the remaining historical records were burned as half the castle went up in flames. The emperor took all the remaining documents and books when he left this place. Information about the demonic stone was probably among them. But to think that bastard Nigel got his hands on it…”

“Nigel had a long time to plot his revenge after the poisoning incident of Empress Anne. He must have searched for any means to regain his position during that time. I suppose he came across information about the demonic stone of the Gilenua Kingdom in the process,” Leon calmly answered his own question.

Malik openly glared at Leon, as if his very existence displeased him.

However, when Kasha narrowed her eyes and looked at him, he quickly adjusted his expression and continued.

“…I suppose so. First, I’ll check if there are any historical records about the first dynasty left in the castle. And I’ll have them search Alyosha’s room as well. Just in case there’s anything left.”

Kasha nodded, her face clouded with sorrow.

Alyosha’s end still weighed heavily on her heart. Alyosha had so desperately called for the reconstruction of the Gilenua Kingdom, but it was a will that Kasha could not fulfill, making it all the more regrettable.

‘But I will avenge you, Alyosha. Those who drove you into such long-lasting misery, used you to the end, and even took your life. I will make sure they never see the light of day again, so… rest in peace now.’

As Kasha steeled her resolve, Leon muttered gravely.

“Come to think of it, yesterday was the day we were supposed to join forces with the Imperial Knights.”

The twenty Imperial Knights that the crown prince had graciously dispatched were supposed to join them at Gilestin Castle.

It seemed that the lack of news so far was not because of any problems during their journey. They were probably hiding and scheming to carry out the crown prince’s order to kidnap Kasha.

Since Leon had just sent five of them, including their leader, to the afterlife, the Imperial Knights’ joining forces with them had to be considered impossible for the time being.

Kasha nodded and spoke emphatically.

“For now, we need to prepare for enemy attacks immediately. Having failed to kidnap me, they will grit their teeth and come at us even harder.”

Hearing her words, the beautiful holy knight raised the corners of his mouth. His shirt was still stained with the blood of the masked men here and there, making his smile seem cruel at first glance.

“Don’t worry. That’s exactly what I want more than anything.”

Kasha’s warning came true.

Before the next dawn broke, all the residents of Gilestin Castle were forced to open their eyes.

Thud. Thud.

It was because of the demonic beasts that swarmed in and recklessly threw their bodies against the castle walls.

The demonic beasts floundered as their bodies fell into the deep moat, but they still charged towards the castle recklessly.

The demonic beasts that stepped on the corpses of their fallen comrades in the moat finally began to climb the castle walls.

The well-trained soldiers of Count Lyuschino quickly shot arrows down.

However, the demonic beasts, unable to feel pain or suffering, climbed up relentlessly even as they became pincushions with arrows.

When a demonic beast resembling a yak commonly seen on the northern plains, but with vertically slit eyes and a black tongue, finally appeared on top of the castle wall, some soldiers, their hearts chilled, collapsed with stifled screams.

“Get a hold of yourselves!”

Count Lyuschino’s thunderous shout brought them to their feet.

“If you lose this castle to mere demonic beasts, I will slay you myself before the beasts do! If you don’t want to die, get up! Get up and slaughter them!”

The middle-aged warlord’s command, overflowing with spirit, instantly turned the tide.

Malik’s fighting power was at its peak, probably because he had heard from Kasha that this demonic beast rampage that plunged the north into chaos was likely caused by Nigel as well.

“The father and son are both cowardly like rats! To uproot those rotten seeds, we must defeat these beasts first! Kill them!”

Hearing his rage, experienced knights rushed forward and skewered the demonic beasts with spears, throwing them off. As the soldiers gathered stones from inside the castle and rolled them down the castle walls together with all their might, the climbing demonic beasts fell off with shrieks.

Even the demonic beasts that had been frantically climbing the castle walls showed signs of hesitation, realizing the situation was not easy.

However, the problem was that the demonic beasts kept coming endlessly. The sight of the demonic beast horde emerging in a black mass from the shadows of the forest was enough to dampen anyone’s spirit.

“Now.”

The command finally fell from Leon’s lips as he stood at the end of the northern castle wall, observing the situation below.

The holy knights, who had been waiting for his attack order while holding magical tools filled with spiritual power, lined up in a row on the northern castle wall.

“Ready, fire.”

In sync with Leon’s calm orders, dozens of golden orbs flew through the air. The concentrated spiritual power, shot out vigorously, flew accurately towards the demonic beasts surrounding the castle gate and moat.

It was a momentarily sacred and beautiful scene.

Enough to capture the eyes of the demonic beasts, gripped solely by the instinct to kill, gnashing their teeth.

The demonic beast horde, staring blankly at the parabola drawn by the golden orbs, realized that it was flying directly towards them, but only stood there dumbfounded.

And the next moment.

Boom. Bang. Kaboom. Pow.

The golden orbs that reached their targets each made a huge explosion, creating giant domes on the ground.

And a moment later.

The soldiers were all shocked to see the scene revealed through the slowly dispersing golden aura.

“The demonic beasts have all fallen?!”

It was a confusing and bizarre sight. The sight of hundreds of demonic beasts, so bloodthirsty and violent, sleeping peacefully with gentle faces piled on top of each other like lambs.

However, before anyone could be surprised, Kasha, who had been watching the scene indifferently, nodded to Count Lyuschino.

“Now.”

Seeing her signal, the count’s lips curled up.

“Now! Lower the drawbridge!”

At his command, the drawbridge was lowered quickly without a moment’s delay.

Even though the castle gate they had been pounding on opened, the enemies were all asleep, so they could not pass through. Instead, the knights of the Lyuschino family and the holy knights poured out of the castle gate like a flood.

“Go!”

“The ones asleep now won’t wake up for more than an hour, so take care of the ones coming from behind first!”

Every time the holy knights fired a magical tool, the demonic beasts fell without resistance, and while the other demonic beasts were startled to see it before their eyes, the unwavering blades cut them down.

Leon’s performance was particularly dazzling.

Dozens of demonic beasts fell wherever he passed, and those that occasionally escaped the magical tools died without a sound whenever his sword danced.

He was like a war angel sent from heaven. His silver-white armor scattered dazzling light with his movements, and the way he wielded his sword was elegant and concise, as if he were dancing.

The soldiers of the Lyuschino family, seeing him chanting something towards the dead demonic beasts from afar, admired him.

“As expected, the holy knight is different. To even offer prayers for the demonic beasts he killed himself.”

However, Leon’s actual muttering was like this:

“The likes of you will never be Kasha’s nightmare.”

“Die.”

Kasha’s heart raced as she watched Leon from afar, raging like a war angel or a reaper.

Everything was clearly going smoothly.

‘But what is this ominous feeling…?’

Just as Kasha furrowed her brows and shook her head at the chilling premonition that seemed to run down the back of her neck.

Rawr. Grrr.

Suddenly, the roars of the demonic beasts seemed to intensify from the shadows of the western forest where they had been endlessly crawling out.

The gazes of those guarding the castle walls also focused there.

A moment later, a dumbfounded voice flowed from one of them.

“That’s… a person?”

Kasha, who had been squinting and trying to focus her vision without her glasses, suddenly turned pale.

It was true. A person was really walking out of the forest alone. Surrounded by dozens of ferocious demonic beasts. With a slow and dignified gait, as if he were their master.

Wearing a deep black robe, he was tall, and an eerie atmosphere swirled around him that was hard to put into words.

“Wolfbane.”

Hearing the name that flowed from Kasha’s lips almost like a sigh, Malik tilted his head.

“Wolfbane? Who’s that?”

The owner of the second demon stone, Opus. A demon with terrifying strength and stamina that surpasses human limits.

Kasha, muttering that to herself, bit her lip tightly.

The howling of the joyful demonic beasts echoed wherever Wolfbane passed.

Wolfbane’s steps, walking towards the castle, suddenly stopped. As he slowly raised his head, it felt like his gaze was directed precisely at somewhere on the castle wall.

Malik quickly turned to look at Kasha, feeling an eerie sensation.

“Kasha. I think you should go inside the castle−??”

Malik stopped mid-sentence and hurriedly looked around.

The spot where Kasha had been standing was empty. Just then, Malik, who had skewered a demonic beast that poked its head over the castle wall with a single spear, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Kasha! Kashaaaa!!!”