Viktor disappeared.
At that instant, the same thought flashed through everyone's mind.
The residents immediately fell into panic.
The hero who had just saved them from disaster had vanished into thin air?
The Crown Prince was even more dumbfounded. Staring at the spot where Viktor had disappeared, disbelief filled his face.
He couldn't help muttering, "H... How is that possible?"
How could a living person suddenly disappear right before their eyes?
No known teleportation magic could explain this.
Because Viktor had simply vanished in plain sight.
Cocotte also widened her eyes.
The moment Viktor disappeared, her heart skipped a beat, leaving her feeling strangely empty.
An inexplicable sense of loss and sadness rose in her heart.
She frowned, thinking amid the surrounding commotion, unwilling to accept what had happened.
'No... that can't be right.'
'Viktor couldn't have disappeared for no reason.'
'He's so powerful. Perhaps he only left for the time being.'
'Besides, Viktor's younger sister is still here.'
Thinking of that, Cocotte lowered her head and looked at Liya, who was still sleeping peacefully.
When Liya woke up, how was she supposed to explain Viktor's mysterious disappearance?
Amid the heavy silence, Hermes, who was lying on the ground, suddenly let out a low laugh.
"So that's how it is... so that's how it is..."
"No wonder a mere human could be so powerful."
"Hahaha..."
Hermes' laughter was filled with arrogance and mockery.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the sudden burst of laughter, and all eyes turned toward Hermes.
The god who had looked so humiliated just moments ago now seemed like a completely different person, with a crazed smile spreading across his face.
The residents all looked at Hermes strangely, their eyes full of confusion.
High above the clouds, Cocotte was also drawn to the laughter, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart.
'This is bad...'
'Viktor's gone. Who's going to keep Hermes under control!?'
Sure enough, as though he had realized everything, Hermes burst into wild laughter, the corners of his mouth stretching all the way to his ears.
He slowly straightened up from the ground, kneeling upright as his body leaned back slightly.
His eyes were opened wide, and golden grains of sand once again flowed deep within his pupils.
Showing his white teeth, he raised his head toward the sunlit sky and declared madly, "I didn't lose! I did not lose!"
"I am a god! How could a god lose to a human? I did not lose!"
The next moment, Hermes' drooping golden wings suddenly spread wide.
His massive wings unfurled, stirring up a powerful gust of wind.
Golden light slowly overflowed from every feather, and the enormous wings completely shattered the restraints of magic.
From the place where the light descended from the sky, countless feathers carrying a faint golden glow drifted down from his raised wings.
At that moment, Hermes seemed to be bathed in holy light.
His eyes were wide open, both mad and noble.
At that instant, the Natural Finch on Cocotte's shoulder spoke in Heim Horn's urgent voice.
"Cocotte, what happened!?"
"Hermes broke free!?"
Seeing Hermes escape his restraints, Cocotte frowned tightly and replied anxiously,
"Heim, Viktor disappeared!"
"What!?"
The Natural Finch cried out in shock.
The tiny bird stuck out its long tongue, as though it might lose its voice from the shock at any moment.
Cocotte anxiously asked,
"There's no point talking about that now, Heim. What do we do!?"
"Shouldn't we gather all the mages first and then..."
Whoosh!
Before Cocotte could finish speaking, a golden beam shot out from ahead and instantly pierced through the Natural Finch on her shoulder.
In an instant, a deafening explosion flooded her ears.
Grimacing in pain, Cocotte raised a hand to cover them.
A sharp pain stabbed through her head, and her vision became slightly dazed.
She raised her head blankly and looked toward the direction the beam had come from, the shrill ringing still echoing in her ears.
Hermes was pointing a finger at her, with traces of golden light still flowing over his fingertip.
He floated in the air, all signs of madness gone from his face, replaced by his usual nobility and calmness.
The swirling golden quicksand within his eyes gave off an icy chill.
"I still have to thank you."
"You gave me the chance to use my power in reality."
From the sky above, Hermes slowly lowered his head, his cold gaze falling upon the stunned Erica below.
She clutched Viktor's coat tightly, her face blank, as though her soul had left her.
Hermes spread his arms, welcoming the holy light as his proud and ethereal voice rang out.
"I admit Viktor's strength."
"But..."
"He will never come back."
Hearing those words, Erica's pupils instantly widened.
Her lips trembled as she said in a shaking voice, "H... How could that be..."
"Because he is a cheater!"
Hermes declared coldly, "Anyone who cheats in this world will suffer endless punishment!"
After saying that, Hermes seemed to have gone completely mad.
He looked up at the sky, a trace of relief appearing in his eyes.
"How could humans ever surpass the gods?"
Under everyone's shocked gaze, Hermes folded his arms across his chest.
His golden wings flapped gently as his body slowly rose into the clouds.
The moment he ascended into the sky, holy light that split the heavens poured down, illuminating the patch of land where Hermes stood.
At that instant, the surrounding world fell silent.
Soon, dark clouds rapidly gathered, covering the clear sky once more.
Only the place bathed in holy light remained bright.
Violent lightning and hurricanes erupted almost at the same time, sweeping across the royal capital once again.
Yellow bolts of lightning fell from the sky like savage beasts, crashing into the flat earth and tearing deep cracks across the ground.
Torrential rain and blazing flames followed.
Fierce fire erupted from the ground split apart by lightning, shooting straight into the sky.
The pouring rain danced wildly through the air with the raging winds.
Huge raindrops soaked everyone's clothes, covering the royal capital with a thin curtain of water.
Even the wildflowers and grass rapidly withered away, replaced by vast patches of surging thorny vines.
At that moment, it was as though the royal capital had become a land that had enraged a god, as every kind of terrifying natural disaster swept across it.
The surroundings were completely consumed by chaos and merciless destruction.
Disasters overlapped one after another, causing countless people to scream in panic.
Only the place covered by the holy light remained untouched, with even the driving rain unable to reach it.
Hermes' face was bathed in golden light as he slowly rose toward the heavens.
But just as he immersed himself in that peace...
BOOM!
A brilliant silver spear shot across the sky like a meteor.
It pierced through lightning and flames, broke through hurricanes and torrential rain, carrying every kind of elemental force as it tore through space and pierced Hermes' golden wings.
Hermes' eyes flew open.
He didn't even have time to react.
Then a burst of intense pain spread from the base of his wings through his entire body.
The holy light in the sky began to fade.
Hermes, suspended in midair, fell uncontrollably toward the ground like a bird with broken wings.
Everyone stopped screaming.
They stared with wide eyes, watching the astonishing scene without blinking.
Bang!
With a heavy impact, dust flew into the air, only to be quickly beaten back down by the surrounding rain.
Hermes crashed to the ground once again.
He lowered his head and looked at his wings, frozen where he stood.
This time, the base of one wing had been torn open into a massive, bloody wound.
One wing hung by a thread, as though it could be ripped off and fall at any moment.
The blood continuously pouring from the wound seemed to reflect his despair and helplessness.
Then a steady, aged voice slowly rang out.
"Why do you think gods must always be stronger than humans, Leopold?"
Hearing that voice, Hermes suddenly looked up toward Aubrey, who was sitting on the steps.
The moment he saw Aubrey's kindly face, terror spread across his own.
Because he realized something.
He had focused too much on Viktor... And forgotten one thing.
The strongest person in this empire had never been Viktor...
Seated atop the towering steps, Aubrey fixed him with a sharp gaze.
"Gods bleed too."
"Don't forget that."
The moment those words fell, an incomparably terrifying bolt of lightning crashed down behind Aubrey.
Its scorching yellow glow outshone even the golden light in Hermes' eyes, striking far deeper into the heart.
It was as though a terrifying lion had unleashed a chaotic roar powerful enough to tear even a god apart.
Standing amid the lightning, Aubrey appeared even more majestic.
His clouded yet profound eyes remained fixed on the fallen Hermes.
At last, where the lightning had struck, a powerful wave suddenly spread outward.
A majestic crimson aura gradually surged forth, beginning to shape the terrifying body of a lion.
The crimson lion slowly stood up.
It took heavy steps, walked around behind Aubrey, and came to stand beside him.
Aubrey rested one hand against his cheek while the other stroked the lion at his side.
The mane around the crimson lion's neck resembled majestic flames capable of purifying everything.
Its terrifying presence ignited the heavy air, and scorching heat instantly filled the ruined royal capital.
Amid that overwhelming majesty, the aged voice carrying boundless strength slowly rang out.
"This is my country."