The weight of the decision did not lessen as the hours passed, but neither did it shake me the way many expected. After accepting the Second General's challenge, everything around me seemed to gain a strange clarity, as if every detail had aligned toward a single purpose. I knew what I needed to do and, more importantly, I knew why I needed to do it. Even so, as I walked through the halls of the mansion in Vailor, I could feel the girls' eyes on me—silent, filled with concern.
Rai'kanna was the first to break the silence. She was leaning near the window, her arms crossed, but her gaze lacked its usual firmness.
"You're really not going to change your mind, are you?"
The way she spoke wasn't that of someone expecting a different answer; it was more a confirmation of what she already knew.
"No."
I answered without hesitation, stopping beside her.
"If I back down now, everything I've built up to this point loses its meaning."
Elara, who was seated farther back, slowly raised her eyes.
"Even knowing it could be a trap?"
Her voice was calm, but there was tension in it.
"Even so."
I crossed my arms, thinking for a moment.
"If it's a trap, then it's better to face it head-on than let it grow and reach everyone later."
Liriel sighed, clearly dissatisfied.
"I still think this is exactly what he wants. To pull you away from the main battlefield."
She took a few steps closer.
"If you fall, everything collapses."
"That's exactly why I can't fall."
I replied, looking directly at her.
There was no room for doubt at that moment.
Scarlett, who had remained silent until then, gave a faint smile.
"He won't fall."
She crossed her arms.
"But that doesn't mean we're just going to accept it and sit around doing nothing."
Vespera tilted her head slightly.
"So you intend to go as well."
"Of course I do," Scarlett replied without hesitation.
"But not to interfere. Just to make sure that if this turns into a trap, we won't be caught off guard."
Lyannis nodded slowly.
"That makes sense. We can't completely trust a demon, even if he talks about honor."
Rai'kanna let out a small sigh and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I'm going too."
When she opened them again, her decision was already clear.
"No matter what you say, I'm not going to stand still while you face something like this alone."
I looked at all of them for a few seconds.
I had already expected this.
"You can come. But you'll remain observers. No interference, no matter what happens."
"Not even if you're losing?"
Liriel asked, her tone firmer this time.
"Not even then."
My answer came immediately.
"If I accept this duel, then I need to win it with my own strength."
The silence that followed was heavy, but no one argued again.
They knew I wouldn't change my mind.
Over the following days, everything turned toward preparation.
The location of the meeting had been revealed by the adventurer who had been captured: a desolate region between the territories of the demi-dragons and the elves, known as the Dead Region. A vast, empty desert where there was nothing but sand and silence.
A perfect place for a battle like that.
Five days.
That was the time I had.
I used every one of them as well as possible.
During the mornings, I trained alone in an area far from the mansion. I repeated movements, adjusted my breathing, and tested the limits of my mana. The armor responded better with each passing day—more fluid, more natural. The sword felt lighter, as if it were fully adapting to me.
In the afternoons, I dealt with unfinished matters. I visited the guild and accepted a few simple missions, more to keep my body moving than out of any need for money. Even so, the gold I had accumulated continued to grow, and I stored it away in the vault without paying it much attention.
Money was no longer a concern.
I also visited some of the lands under my management. Everything was functioning well. The systems I had put in place remained stable, and that gave me a certain peace of mind.
If something happened to me, at least it wouldn't all collapse immediately.
At night, the atmosphere changed.
The girls stayed closer, quieter. We talked sometimes—about simple things, sometimes about nothing at all.
There was no need to say much.
Their presence was enough.
On the last night before departure, the silence felt different.
There was no tension.
Only a strange calm.
As if everyone had already accepted what was coming.
I stood on the balcony of my room for a long time, watching the sky. The stars were clear, and the wind was gentle.
I thought about everything that had happened since I arrived in this world.
I had never imagined I would reach this point.
I had never imagined I would carry this kind of responsibility.
"Thinking too much?"
Elara's voice came from behind me.
"Maybe."
I answered without turning around.
She walked over slowly and stopped beside me.
"You always do that before something important."
"It works."
I gave a faint smile.
"It works because you always come back," she replied, looking ahead.
I remained silent for a moment.
"I'll come back this time too."
She didn't answer.
She simply nodded.
The next morning, I departed.
The journey to the Dead Region was quiet.
I traveled alone, as agreed.
The road was long, but my mind was too focused to pay attention to time.
When I finally arrived, the scenery was exactly as described.
A vast desert.
Lifeless.
Soundless.
Only sand stretching as far as the eye could see.
I stopped for a few moments, sensing the surroundings.
There was no presence yet.
But I knew he would come.
I took a deep breath, adjusting the sword at my waist.
"So this is the place."
I looked around one more time, feeling the weight of that moment.
There was no turning back now.
Everything I had done up until this point had brought me here.
And everything that came afterward would depend on what happened in this place.
I closed my eyes for a second, just to organize my thoughts.
When I opened them again, my resolve was firmer than ever.
"Come."