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"Huuu...."
Veradin took a deep breath and looked down below. He stood in the center of the protective shield he had deployed around Drakka.
Ashes blew around the shield like a thick sandstorm. These were the corpses of demons who had died because of Veradin's magic.
While all the mages of the Zipfel clan had participated in the defensive battle, in reality, Veradin had almost single-handedly wiped out the invading demons in Drakka.
Zipfel's leaders, including Satrin, and the highest-ranking mages, had only dealt with the demons that occasionally managed to break through the shield.
Thanks to this, despite the opening of a fracture of this magnitude, not a single citizen of Drakka had been harmed. There were not even any casualties among the civilians, let alone injuries.
However, Veradin showed no signs of satisfaction. Instead, his narrowed brows seemed to struggle to contain his anger.
"Thank you for your hard work, Patriarch."
Satrin, who had ascended onto the protective shield, stood by Veradin's side and observed Veradin for a moment.
"Patriarch, are you alright?"
"What about Brakle and the other areas that were under attack?"
"I'm still checking, but there is no area as perfectly defended as Drakka. As reported earlier, the Felyn Kingdom has almost been wiped out, and it is estimated that over 100 mages of the federation and more than five thousand civilians have been affected in Brakle. And the rest..."
Satrin continued to report, and Veradin's expression grew darker with each passing moment.
"Kelliark's fire is unbelievably unpleasant."
"...Excuse me?"
"I thought I had completely erased his shadow, but..."
I erased his shadow.
Just as he said, Veradin had believed that his Zipfel clan had become far superior to Kelliark's Zipfel in terms of power and control. He believed that he possessed superior magic and ruling power compared to Kelliark.
However, his confidence was shaken after seeing the remains of that fire left behind by the demons who had come out of the fracture and were clearly Kelliark's minions.
'Kelliark Zipfel has become stronger. Perhaps he has become the first Genesis Mage since Riol Zipfel.'
What if it was Kelliark who had deployed the protective shield instead of himself?
What troubled Veradin was precisely this assumption. No matter how he thought about it, if it had been the current Kelliark, he would have undoubtedly defended not only Drakka but also the neighboring crucial autonomous districts without any damage.
Of course, Veradin could have achieved even better results if he had deployed Elona to the battlefield.
However, he couldn't shake the thought that he still couldn't surpass Kelliark without her power.
'Sheenu... That disgusting god will never give up on Kelliark until the end. They must have completely merged.'
Anger surged in his chest like a fireball.
Right now, Veradin was experiencing the inner demon. He regretted not completely killing Kelliark at the Tower of Stories that day.
"Urgh...!"
Suddenly, Veradin grabbed his head and groaned. It was a phenomenon that occasionally occurred when the side effects of mind manipulation were severe.
'Mana backflow... it's a sign of runaway!'
In the midst of Satrin's confusion as she tried to come up with a response, the small battleship of the Zipfel clan descended rapidly. It was a small battleship that had flown in a hurry from Zipfel's First Magic Tower, the Tower of Stories.
"Patriarch!"
Elona shouted as she descended into the protective shield.
Veradin didn't even understand her voice and he reflexively extended Hroti to attack. His eyes were filled with madness.
But Elona dissipated the mana in Hroti with one hand and carefully wrapped her other hand around Veradin's shoulder.
"Ugh, huff...!"
A moment later, Veradin gasped for breath as he regained his composure after being enveloped in Elona's mana. His whole body was drenched in sweat.
"Are you alright, Patriarch? Didn't I promise to protect you?"
"Lady Elona... I had shown you an unsightly sight."
"No, it's probably because of Kelliark Zipfel's mana. I rushed here when I suddenly felt a terrible mana from the direction of Drakka."
Elona had been sitting quietly in the Tower of Stories and accurately reading Kelliark's mana, which had spread far away in Drakka. Satrin once again wondered what it is like to be the Genesis mage.
Then, Elona gathered Kelliark's fire which clung to Veradin. It was a lump of fire so red that it seemed foreign.
Veradin could finally breathe lightly once the fire had been removed from his body.
"This is an ancient curse used by those who control fire."
"A curse...?"
"The curse of fire. It's a curse that the incarnation Sheenu once tried to teach me. It amplifies mana and turns the target into a beast full of bloodlust."
Elona clenched her fist and dispelled the curse of fire.
"It's particularly effective against Genesis Knights or those of similar strength. I haven't experienced it myself, but those who go through this fall into the inner demon, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and curse no matter how sharp their senses are."
Therefore, the curse of fire is the most dangerous curse for those who go through the stage of inner demon.
However, there were many restrictions on its use and a limit on the number of times it could be used.
"...So, I almost fell victim to the curse just now. Thank you, Lady Elona."
"I'm just relieved I didn't arrive too late. However, Patriarch, you must rest beside me for several days from now on until I can find and remove all traces of the curse. It won't be safe otherwise."
"Several days? That's not possible. If I don't personally go to the Holy Kingdom right now..."
Thud! Veradin spat out a mouthful of black blood.
'Kelliark, you really gave me a good hit, you old monster.'
Veradin felt as if he was dancing in Kelliark's palm, and he felt a surge of discomfort. By now, Kelliark was probably smiling somewhere in the True Demon World.
"If you go to the Holy Kingdom in your current state, Patriarch, you will undoubtedly die. Even though your old friends are facing Paellito at full strength but they won't be able to win."
"Huff... To what extent are you aware of the battlefield situation in the Holy Kingdom?"
"It's serious. The map is changing in real-time, and Paellito's demonic energy is increasing rapidly. At this rate, it may soon cover the entire Holy Kingdom."
"So, the forces fighting in the Holy Kingdom right now..."
"The Tower has calculated that they will definitely lose. However, the Tower's calculations are still unstable, and that's why most of the recent calculations related to the True Demon World have been wrong. The strategy for conquering Grosh Castle and this Drakka invasion—all of these calculations have been incorrect."
Elona looked Veradin into his eyes.
His eyes were not as cold as usual after he had almost fallen into the inner demon. His eyes were filled with anger and madness.
And within that there is barely a visible sense of worry and anxiety.
No, it was clearly visible. Although Veradin himself might not realize it, Elona could see it. She had been through a similar time when she saw the world in a similar way. It was as if she were looking at her past self in a mirror.
'What are you worried about, Patriarch? Your confused mind is bringing out something buried deep inside. Maybe it's the fear of Kelliark Zipfel,..... or concerns about Jin Runcandel and Dante Hairan? The fear of losing your friends...?'
It was unclear what exactly was contained in Veradin's shaking eyes, but it was clear that he was deeply afraid.
'Whatever it is, I promise I'll help you find what you've forgotten. Just as you gave me new meaning when I returned, just as you cherished a monster like me.'
A hazy memory flickered in Elona's mind when she made her resolve.
It was as if someone had once embraced her like she is embracing Veradin now.
"What do you think, Lady Elona? Do you agree with the Tower's calculations?"
"Honestly, when Paellito came to the surface, I didn't think anyone, except for me and Runcandel's patriarch... and the other two entities whose identities are still unclear, could stop that demon."
"Has that changed?"
"...I'm sorry, Patriarch. I don't know."
"No need to apologize; just speak your mind."
"Still, if I were to say something, I feel like something huge is about to awaken in the Holy Kingdom again. It's like when Chiron Runcandel's energy spread out from the Black Sea just before White Whale returned to Runcandel."
Veradin and Satrin's eyes widened.
"Are you suggesting that Jin Runcandel might also rise up to the Genesis Knight realm during battle, just like the previous Sword Emperor...?"
"That would be a future that not even Az-Mil can know. The Genesis Knight is unpredictable, and it has the power to twist even fate itself. However, the energy I sensed feels very dark."
"Dark, you say."
For a moment, Veradin imagined what it would be like if Jin became Genesis Knight during battle.
He didn't think that moment could possibly be dark. It seemed too far from the actions Jin Runcandel had shown so far.
"In that case, it might not be Jin, but the eye of Zito that the Holy Kingdom is guarding that could manifest. If that happens, it will undoubtedly be dark as Lady Elona described."
Veradin responded with a somewhat weakened voice.
"Paellito Belgasyum may break another wall as well. One thing is certain, no matter what awakens in the Holy Kingdom right now, you and I won't be able to witness it firsthand. Whether the Vamel Alliance is wiped out or if they somehow manage to defend the Holy Kingdom, we can only deal with it after this battle is over."
Veradin nodded solemnly. Elona had spoken her mind, and there was no need for him to lead his injured body into the Holy Kingdom.
From Zipfel's perspective, the best outcome would be for best personnel of Vamel Alliance and the True Demon world to face mutual annihilation in the Holy Kingdom.
However, the thought of that outcome somehow didn't sit well with Veradin.
'Perhaps it's due to the curse, but it's strange. I find myself hoping that Jin Runcandel and Dante Hairan don't die.'
Veradin quickly brushed away that thought and held Elona's hand.
"For now, let's go to the main house, Lady Elona. I was careless and kept you in this chaotic battlefield for too long."
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