At this moment, in the capital city of Arkanis, another fierce battle was taking place. All the soldiers had fallen under Memez's control, and magic arrays were being set up to eliminate Solari.
"Stop!"
No matter how loudly Solari shouted, the mages continued chanting, releasing magic spells. With no other choice, Solari was forced to defend himself. Though a king, he possessed formidable strength of his own.
"Continue!" Memez ordered.
Trapped inside the formation, Solari could only keep fending off attacks coming from all directions.
"This is going too far! Show yourself!"
At Solari's call, two figures emerged beside the mages. Silent and swift, they eliminated the enemies and continued moving. The sudden gaps in formation destabilized the array.
Memez narrowed his eyes. "Not bad… but still not enough, brother."
"Stop them!" Memez shouted.
Immediately, the loyal soldiers surged forward. But in an instant—
BOOM!
One of the golden puppets vanished, then reappeared in the middle of Memez's forces. Its massive metal arm swung wide, and the ground trembled violently as dozens of soldiers were flung into the air.
Screams erupted. Blood splattered.
"Damn it…!" Memez grit his teeth, stepping back to avoid the sudden strike.
Though the soldiers had the upper hand just seconds before, the tide of battle had completely turned. The golden puppets were simply too powerful, surpassing both in speed and strength. At this rate, even Memez's vast army would be crushed.
"So those are the golden puppets…"
The two puppets stood still, cold and emotionless, but the pressure they exuded warped the space around them. These were no ordinary puppets—they far exceeded the might of the royal military.
Then suddenly—
BOOM!
A beam of green light descended from above, slicing through the battlefield. The earth was torn apart, and the massive surge of mana forced everyone to retreat.
Along with the light, a voice rang out—gentle yet commanding: "Looks like I arrived just in time."
Meradis had appeared.
Her golden hair flowed in the wind, and her fairy wings shimmered with magic light. A magic circle hovered over her hand, glowing faintly, signaling the true nightmare for Solari's side had only just begun.
She raised her hand, and a massive magic circle appeared in the sky. From it, hundreds of light arrows rained down like a meteor shower, targeting the two golden puppets!
The arrows sliced through the air at terrifying speed, colliding with the puppets. The clash of metal rang out sharply as Meradis's spells shattered parts of their outer armor.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One puppet was pushed back, but the other barely flinched. Its hollow eyes gleamed with sharp golden light, and its massive arm rose into the air.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, obliterating all soldiers around it. No need for advanced techniques—just one movement was enough to crush the ground.
Memez jumped back to evade. But just then— Another puppet appeared right in front of him!
"That speed?!"
Memez quickly turned and summoned a magical shield, but the puppet didn't give him the chance to react.
BOOM!
A massive fist came down. The defensive shield shattered instantly. But just before the blow landed—
Whoosh!
A beam of light struck the puppet, pushing it back. A deep gash appeared on its chest, radiating pale green light as if being corroded from within. Meradis landed gracefully beside Memez, her eyes cold and calm.
"These things are such a nuisance."
She waved her hand, and multiple magic circles began spinning around her, accelerating rapidly.
"Well then…" Meradis raised her hand. The sky darkened as a surge of magic wind spiraled around her.
"My turn now."
A storm of mana exploded!
Chains of light coiled around the two golden puppets, tightening until their metallic bodies began to crack. Magical runes appeared on the chains, amplifying the power of the seal.
CRACK!
One puppet thrashed violently. Just as it was about to break free, Meradis chanted another spell.
"Stellar Annihilation."
From the sky, a massive orb of light descended like a falling star. The heat distorted the air.
BOOM!!
The magical inferno engulfed the puppet, slamming it to the ground. When the dust cleared, its body was in ruins, reduced to a mangled heap of metal. But the remaining puppet refused to yield.
Despite being bound, it swung its arms, generating a massive shockwave that shattered the ground. From its core, a blinding light burst forth, erasing everything around it!
Meradis stepped back, her fairy wings expanding to create a protective shield. But Memez wasn't so lucky—he was blown away and slammed into a wall.
Solari laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! You fools think you can defeat this supreme power? Dream on!"
But just as he was reveling, a cold voice cut in: "You sure talk big."
Memez stood up, wiping blood from his lip, and raised his hand. At once, the surrounding mana shifted. A wave of energy spread out.
The golden puppet's eyes contracted.
It… was freezing?
Crimson runes spread across its body, engraving deep into its armor. It convulsed violently, as if its control system was being hijacked.
Meradis narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"
Memez smirked. "Took some time, but I've seized control."
CRACK!
The puppet stopped moving. To everyone's shock, it slowly turned… toward Solari.
"No… it can't be…" Solari backed away in panic.
The puppet raised its arm and charged forward!
BOOM!
Its massive fist came crashing down, obliterating the area where Solari had stood.
When the dust cleared, Solari was gone.
The battle was over.
Meradis relaxed, retracting her mana, but then suddenly coughed up blood, her face pale. Memez sighed, shaking his head at the wreckage.
"It's finally over. Are you alright? I don't want to be held responsible by that one."
Meradis glanced at him. "I'm fine. Go activate the secret weapon."
Memez nodded and approached the area where Solari had vanished, searching for something. After a moment, he sighed in relief. "Luckily, it's still here."
"Good." Meradis replied with a nod. Just then, Erin came running from the plaza, carrying Rian on her back. "Sis, help him." Her voice trembled.
"He'll be okay." Meradis assured her and dispelled the restraint on Rian. He collapsed immediately.
"He's just exhausted."
Erin nodded, anxiously tugging at Meradis's sleeve. "Will Shiraori be okay?"
Meradis remained silent. She truly had no information from the other battlefield. Just then, Memez returned with a device resembling a cannon. "It still works, but it needs time. Can you contact her?"
"I—"
The ground suddenly shook. The sky darkened further, sending waves of unease among the citizens. A blinding light burst from the distant wasteland.
"That is…" Memez froze.
Meradis stood speechless. She had pushed her Enhanced Hearing to the limit and could clearly hear Shiraori's scream from that direction.
"Hurry!" she turned to Memez, her eyes filled with urgency. She desperately wanted to rush there, but knew her current state would only be a burden.
"Got it."
"Sis… I don't feel so good…" Erin suddenly collapsed.
"What's wrong?" Meradis quickly checked her but found nothing abnormal.
"Something… is calling to me…" Erin's voice was faint, full of pain.
"Is it the Eucharist…?" Meradis wondered silently. It must be connected to the other battlefield. But bringing Erin along now would be too dangerous.
Just then, Rian woke up.
"It hurts…"
Meradis hadn't even finished checking on Erin when she had to turn to Rian. "How do you feel?"
"There was a voice in my head…"
Meradis guessed it was the System. "What did it say?"
"It said… I've been granted the title [Hero]…"
"Hero…" Meradis repeated, her expression shifting from concern to shock.
"That's right… Miss Shiraori! She's in danger!" Rian blurted.
"You saw something?"
"Yes… she got hit, bleeding a lot. Her lower body was gone."
"What?!" Meradis's eyes looked like they were about to burst open. She had always been worried, but didn't expect the situation to be this severe.
She turned to Memez.
"Preparations are complete, but we don't have enough energy!" Memez said.
"What do we do…" Meradis was at a loss.
"I can do it!" Rian spoke up.
"What?"
"I can feel it—I can activate the cannon." He said with conviction, eyes full of resolve.
Meradis had no choice but to place her trust in the boy. Perhaps the Hero title had granted him some special abilities.
"I'm counting on you."
"I'll do my best!"
…
Back to the battle.
I clenched my fists, feeling power surge through my body. I was no longer alone.
The holy spirit stood beside me, her eyes glowing, her silver-white cloak rippling in the chaotic energy of battle. She didn't need to say a word—just a single glance and we understood each other perfectly.
The divine serpent no longer charged recklessly. It had sensed a new threat. Its amber eyes swept between me and the holy spirit with clear wariness. But I wasn't going to give it the chance to counter.
"Let's begin!" I muttered, then charged forward.
The holy spirit moved at the same time.
I used [Teleport] to appear at the serpent's flank, unleashing a flurry of magic-powered strikes. Dark red rays tore through the air, targeting weak points I had studied earlier. At the same time, the holy spirit rushed at its head, swinging her glowing sword.
The serpent roared, suddenly twisting its body to release a massive shockwave that knocked both of us back. I instantly teleported away, but the holy spirit didn't dodge. She raised her hand and created a divine barrier, standing firm against the storm of power.
No time to hesitate.
I summoned [Eternal Flame] again. Jet-black flames erupted, aimed precisely at the area where the holy spirit had struck. Tiny cracks had formed on the serpent's scales from her sword strike—now Eternal Flame could seep into them!
The serpent roared, its scream echoing across the sky. But instead of writhing in pain, it suddenly lunged at me with terrifying speed!
"Shit—"
I tried to teleport, but again—[Eye of Fate]!
My body was frozen for a split second.
But in that moment—
The holy spirit appeared in front of me!
She raised her sword and slashed at the serpent's gaping mouth. A blinding arc tore through the air, forcing the serpent to recoil—blood spilling from its jaws.
I seized the opening, gathering all my mana into one hand and launching a massive ball of Eternal Flame flames at its wounded neck.
BOOM!
The black fire spread wide. Its scales shattered. The serpent's screech was more ferocious than ever.
We were taking back the momentum!
The holy spirit and I continued coordinating our assault. I harassed it with my speed and teleportation while she delivered devastating, precision strikes.
It was working!
The serpent began focusing more on her, ignoring my provocations.
I had to do more!
It charged straight at the holy spirit, ignoring me. I immediately teleported in front of it and struck with full force—but it was a trap. It had only feigned ignorance to lure me in, then lunged to knock me away.
I raised my fist and collided directly with it, pain jolting from my wrist down to my fingertips. The impact from its attack sent a numbing shock through my entire arm, but there was no time to care.
The monster still wasn't down.
I scanned its massive body—deep gashes, black blood soaking the earth. It was already struggling to move, its breathing heavy, eyes burning with madness. Parts of it were no longer responsive, but—
Something felt wrong.
My instincts screamed danger.
The serpent's body trembled violently. Its hardened scales cracked open, revealing bright red veins like molten lava. The change made me instinctively take a step back. An overwhelming sense of dread gripped me like a phantom hand.
It was changing state.
The air thickened around me. A wave of murderous aura exploded like a tsunami, crushing everything. Its wounds were still there, yet instead of weakening, its power was increasing exponentially.
This shouldn't be happening.
"No way…"
GRRAOOOO!!!
A thunderous roar shook the land.
At that instant, the holy spirit charged forward. "Get back!" she shouted. Without hesitation, she raised her sword.
A blinding light flared—
But the serpent didn't dodge.
Instead, it rammed its head straight into her!
BOOM!
The holy spirit was knocked far away, her body slamming into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. I widened my eyes and teleported to her side. But just then—
She froze. Her eyes went blank for a moment, as if sensing something.
"…One of my kind?"
I was shaken.
Another holy spirit? Here? Impossible… but then I realized.
It was Erin.
The Eucharist within Erin had partially awakened, and the holy spirit had sensed it. But that brief distraction—
Was a fatal mistake.
The serpent whipped its tail at her—
BOOM!
A direct hit.
The holy spirit took the full brunt of the blow, hurled into the air like a falling silver star. I caught a glimpse of a faint gleam breaking from her body.
Light-blood spilled from the wound, soaking her silver armor.
I clenched my teeth. My eyes went cold. I wanted to summon more power to help her—but I no longer had any mana.
Damn it.
I could see that the holy spirit realized this. Yet she showed no fear.
No regret. She simply poured all her remaining strength into one final strike.
A beam of light pierced through the serpent's body.
BOOM!!!
A devastating wound slashed across its torso, blood exploding. And before fading, the holy spirit turned her gaze to the sky, sending off a faint light—
Flying toward the capital of Arkanis.
Was she… trying to help Erin? It didn't matter anymore—because the holy spirit vanished right after.
I lowered my head, fists clenched tight.
A cold wind blew past.
Only me… and the serpent remained. It was heavily wounded, but I wasn't in much better shape. My SP and MP were nearly depleted. It was badly hurt—but could I finish it?
I clenched my fists—If I'm going to fight, then I'll see it through!
And charged again without hesitation.
…
Meanwhile, in the capital.
Rian placed his hand on the ancient cannon, sensing his mana flow into the ancient runes carved across its surface. A faint light began to glow—but it still wasn't enough. He grit his teeth, forcing the last of his mana into the cannon.
But the amount needed was too vast.
"Damn it…! I don't have enough mana!"
Meradis immediately stepped in, pouring all her mana into it too—but still not enough.
Just then—
A light flew from afar and entered Erin's body. She trembled slightly, then went still.
Suddenly, Erin stood up. Though she had been completely drained before, now she walked slowly toward Rian. Her eyes glowed, as if a new power had awakened within her.
Without a word, she reached out and placed her hand on Rian's shoulder. A divine light radiated from her body and merged with the cannon. The ancient runes blazed.
Meradis gasped. "The Eucharist…"
A massive beam of light began to gather inside the barrel.
Rian's eyes widened. "It worked!"
Now all they needed was to signal Shiraori.
"Leave it to me!"
Memez stepped forward, forming a magic array and shooting it into the sky. The spell exploded above, creating a breathtaking scene—but it was the agreed-upon signal for Shiraori when the time had come.
…
On the battlefield.
I had switched to close combat against the serpent. Its power was now only half of what it once was, so I could hold my ground during exchanges and deal counter-damage using [Invincible Shield].
Just then, the signal flare from the capital lit up, and I instantly understood. It meant they were ready to fire the secret weapon. My job now—
Was to keep the serpent still.
But in my current state, I couldn't overpower it.
Fine then…
I can do this!
I charged straight at it, raising my fist. The serpent didn't flinch—it clashed head-on with me. But at the same time, I unleashed millions of threads using [Spider Silk], completely wrapping its body.
Since it was using force to clash with me, it couldn't escape right away—especially with its injuries. And this time, I had exceeded my previous limits with the sheer number of threads.
<
<
Perfect—launching one million threads at once leveled up my skill twice. It also drained all my SP, triggering the [Advanced Resurrection] mode—now I could freely use my skills without worrying.
GRRAOOO!!
The serpent roared and thrashed violently, but—
It couldn't break free.
I kept generating more silk—everything was silk, silk, and more silk. The entire area turned white from it, with the serpent at the very center! I raised my hand toward the sky and fired a spell to signal the others.
Now!
…
At the capital, Rian and Erin received the signal and activated the cannon.
BOOM!
A massive beam of light tore through the capital and shot straight toward the battlefield before the eyes of thousands.
I immediately teleported away.
BOOOOM!!!
The light engulfed everything.
I was blown away, but forced my eyes open.
The smoke began to clear.
The serpent… was it finally dead…?