In an instant, full-scale war erupted in the capital of Aquilonis.
Even the Starlight Knights and commoner warriors who had remained behind were now on the battlefield, fighting side by side with the Narf Warriors in a desperate attempt to defend Aquilonis against the hundred-thousand-strong army of the dead.
And yet, despite the overwhelming chaos, not a single undead soldier laid a hand on Delphine.
Because Tuf knew now: the Saintess only became a true threat when attacked.
So he left her alone.
And without danger to her life, the divine protection that surrounded her knights vanished. The Saintess Knights, once feared for their invincible blades that could disintegrate enemies, now cut like ordinary steel.
The living clashed against the dead in an endless cycle of violence. When struck down, the undead simply rose again, silent, relentless. The living, however, were immediately healed by the Saintess' radiant halo. Blow after blow, slash after slash, it became a grotesque dance of resurrection.
It was a war with no end in sight.
But Delphine's mana was not infinite.
Despite the priests, priestesses, and mages lending her support, the relentless pace of the battle was draining her far faster than they could replenish her. And they could not let that happen. Because if Saintess Delphine fell, every fatal strike would mean true death for the humans on the field.
Seiryu had to step in repeatedly, pouring his divine energy into her to keep her standing. But even he knew, it was only a matter of time before the Aquilonis forces fell. Because up in the sky, floating above it all like a god among insects, was Tuf.
He simply watched. Calm. Unbothered.
Because Tuf knew one thing with certainty: he had something the humans did not.
Time.
And a very, very long time at that.
That was when Aurelian revealed his trump card, his secret weapon. The very ability that made him the undisputed heir to the Aquilonis throne.
He could only use it once a year. For one full day.
But today… was that day.
Raising his hand high above the battlefield, Aurelian shouted with authority:
"Ice Dragons, Ascend!"
The air trembled.
The clouds shattered.
Five massive Ice Dragons, clad in glistening blue scales, descended from the sky. Four of them circled around Tuf, wings slicing the clouds, and in a synchronized assault, they unleashed torrents of blue flame in all directions, engulfing the demi-human prince in a crossfire of magical annihilation.
The fifth dragon swooped over the battlefield below, breathing the same brilliant fire across the undead ranks.
The result was instant.
The undead army ignited, their decaying forms turning to ash on contact with the flames. And yet, the human warriors, even when consumed by the same fire, remained untouched. Protected. The flames spared them completely.
And just as Delphine's legs buckled from exhaustion, her mana nearly gone, Seiryu appeared by her side. His palm pressed gently to her back, replenishing her in time to keep her from collapsing.
The battlefield fell into a stunned silence.
The army of the dead had been reduced to blackened embers.
All eyes turned to the sky, where the four Ice Dragons still loomed, breathing streams of flame toward Tuf's burning form, trapping him in a blazing crucible from all sides.
Then… they stopped.
The blue fire faded, revealing what remained at the center.
Tuf's body, charred black, skin cracked like coal.
The humans began to cheer. They believed it was over.
They thought they had won.
Until that corpse began to move.
The burnt flesh twisted, reknitting itself. The cracks disappeared. Skin regenerated, smooth and unscathed.
And then… Tuf laughed.
Hovering above them all, he looked down at the battlefield like a god bemused by mortals. His lips curled into a taunting smirk as he called out, voice laced with wicked amusement.
"Wow. Was that supposed to tickle?"
Tuf's obsidian eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. Charred no longer, his skin flawless, unmarred. Not a single burn remained. His smirk deepened as he cracked his neck, flexing his shoulders as if shaking off a light breeze.
"Because if it was…" he let out a mocking chuckle, voice echoing through the blood-soaked battlefield, "Congratulations. It actually did. Even scratched that annoying itch on my back."
Laughter followed, low, mocking, dark.
He spread his arms wide, casting his gaze downward at the stunned human forces now staring in horror at the ashes of what once was their hard-earned victory.
"Ohhh! Come on," he called out in feigned disbelief. "How could you do that to your ancestors?"
The army of the dead, obliterated moments ago, reduced to dust by Aurelian's Ice Dragon, was gone. A genocide of the fallen. But Tuf grinned.
With the most charming smile curving on his lips, he tilted his head mockingly. "So… are you ready for the next round?"
Before anyone could react, the air around him shimmered, and once again, he cloned himself.
Ten perfect replicas emerged, identical in every detail, but stronger. Each one radiated ten times the power he had shown earlier. And from each clone's outstretched hands came another nightmare, Dark Valkyries. Not just ten per clone as before. This time, a hundred each.
But the terror did not end there.
The ashes of the dead, once scattered across the battlefield, began to stir. Dark energy twisted through the remains, and before their eyes, the dust contorted and reformed, taking monstrous shape. Ogres, orcs, goblins, and other twisted horrors spawned from the blackened earth, brought to life by Tuf's cruel mastery of Creation Magic.
And just like that, the war reignited.
Aurelian, desperate, attempted to command his Ice Dragons to unleash another wave of obliteration, but they hesitated. Something was wrong.
Without warning, five black dragons, feral, massive, and reeking of corruption, burst through the clouds. Each one charged toward Aurelian's dragons with terrifying speed, slamming into them with explosive force.
Dragons danced and roared in the skies, locked in deadly aerial duels.
Holy Valkyries clashed once more with their dark counterparts in a storm of wings and steel. Human warriors found themselves locked in brutal melee against the monstrous army that grew with each passing second.
And as if that wasn't enough, Tuf's ten clones scattered like shadows, descending upon the highest-ranking figures of the alliance. They went for Aurelian. For Narf Queen Azura. For every Knight Commanders and High mages on the field.
Seiryu, now standing protectively near Delphine, could do little else. He fought when he could. He healed when necessary. But his specialty was not restoration, it was mana. And the Panther knew that. That's why he forced Seiryu into the role of a reservoir, pushing him to continuously supply mana to Delphine, even as he fought back beast after beast.
This battle was no longer about raw power.
It had become a battle of will.
Though the humans rose every time they fell, Tuf could see it, he could smell it. With each resurrection, with each brush with death, a small sliver of their minds crumbled. Trauma festered behind their eyes. Post-traumatic strain sank deeper with every passing minute.
Each time they died, even for a second, a piece of them frayed. And with it, a cruel, creeping doubt began to take root:
What if next time… I don't come back?
And Tuf hovered above it all like a vulture circling dying prey. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the fear now saturating the air.
Then his eyes landed on Seiryu.
The celestial beast was a few meters away from Delphine, fending off the monsters but still, none struck the Saintess herself.
Tuf sneered.
"This is your fault, lizard," he spat, venomously amused. "Or should I say… your new master's."
He shook his head in mock disappointment.
"I only wanted to say hi," he chuckled. "And this… this is how you greet me? Tsk. So uncivilized."
His voice rose, echoing through the skies as he addressed no one and everyone all at once.
"How long are you planning to hide, New Master of Seiryu?" Tuf called, his tone both playful and menacing. "If you're as noble as I think you are, then you already know what your warriors are feeling, don't you? The strain of dying and returning again… and again."
The battlefield stilled for the briefest of moments.
Then, light.
From nowhere, a burst of golden brilliance erupted from the ground, soaring upward like a sunbeam honed into a blade. In a blink, Tuf raised his claw in defense, just in time to block the strike of a Celestial Sword blazing with divine golden fire.
The air shimmered.
And there he was.
Legion.
Draped in bodysuit of gold and white, divine energy pulsing through his form. His sword glowed with the fury of the heavens, and behind him descended ten golden Marionette Knights, glittering constructs of divine craftsmanship, faceless and indomitable.
Without a word, the golden marionette knights moved, swift, brutal, precise.
Each one engaged a clone of Tuf in fierce combat, their attacks relentless. For the first time, the high-ranking human warriors were no longer under direct threat. The clones, once untouchable, now found themselves overpowered, facing opponents that knew no fear, no pain, no exhaustion.
Because at last… they were face to face with something not alive.
And completely unafraid.
"So you finally showed up," Tuf sneered, eyes locked on Legion, now floating midair, just like him, his Celestial sword glowing with golden energy, poised to strike.
"Do you have any idea," Tuf said darkly, "how close I was to getting punished by my father because of you? Do you know how many of my monsters you slaughtered during the last monster run?"
"You're not welcome here," was Legion's calm, unwavering reply.
"Well, duh," Tuf snorted, rolling his shoulders. "If this is your idea of a welcome party, I can't wait to see what you do to actual enemies."
His gaze swept over Legion slowly, studying him. Measuring him.
"So… you're a Celestial Knight," he murmured. "If I hadn't seen Naelira's report that you were fighting when Seiryu was subjugated, I would've thought you were the new Master of Seiryu."
Then his lips curved into a slow, chilling smile.
"So, where is he now? Or should I say she?" he drawled. "Because I know who broke through my nullification spell earlier. That was definitely a woman's voice I heard."
His smile vanished, replaced by something vicious.
"Make sure I don't find her," he said, voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Because if I do… I'll torture her. Slowly. And then I'll kill her."
The moment the words left his mouth, Legion vanished.
In the blink of an eye, his sword clashed against Tuf's claws, Celestial steel and demonic flesh striking with a force that shattered the air.
Stone towers collapsed from the shockwaves of their battle in the sky. Clouds ripped apart as their sword and claws collided again and again, too fast for mortal eyes to follow.
But Legion wasn't fighting alone.
His power had been amplified, enhanced by a celestial ring gifted to him just days ago by Ceres herself. The ring shimmered with divine energy, feeding his strength and speed beyond their natural limits.
And yet… Tuf was still faster.
Still stronger.
A thousand years of brutal combat with his siblings from time to time gave him an edge that no divine gift could erase. But Legion was relentless. Even when Tuf sent him crashing into the earth, he would rise within seconds, raging back into the skies with his blade burning bright.
"Son of a bitch!" Tuf roared, eyes snapping to one of his clones as it was obliterated by a golden marionette knight. The clone disintegrated into black ash, and with it, the hundred Dark Valkyries it had summoned were erased from existence.
"Nice puppets," he growled, begrudgingly impressed.
But beneath the sarcasm, something sharp flickered in his chest.
Unease.
He hadn't expected this. He hadn't thought armor puppets, mindless, soulless things, could destroy his clones. It seemed the Saintess Knights weren't the only force he had to take seriously anymore.
They clashed again, he and Legion. Over and over, their power rocked the battlefield. Time blurred as their duel stretched longer than Tuf liked.
"You piece of shit!" Tuf cursed again as another clone fell, crushed beneath a marionette's relentless assault. Though Legion himself had yet to land a fatal blow on him, the puppets were systematically destroying his forces.
Frustrated, Tuf floated a few paces back from Legion, his chest rising with a deep breath.
"Nice trick you've got there," he muttered. Then his eyes glinted with mischief, and malice. "But did you really think… you're the only puppeteer here?"
A shift in the wind.
Suddenly, one of Tuf's remaining clones broke formation, and darted straight toward Delphine.
Instantly, the Saintess Knights materialized around her, weapons drawn, senses flaring.
Their Celestial strength had returned. Meaning one thing:
Delphine was in danger.
Sir Cecilion reacted first, his blade flashing as he intercepted the clone, striking it down in a single blow, shattering it into dust.
But none of them were prepared for what came next.
Out of nowhere, Aurelian lunged at Delphine, sword raised, eyes wild.
And behind him, the Six Knight Commanders followed, blades drawn.
"Duke!" Cecilion shouted, stepping in front of Delphine as steel met steel. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"My body!" Aurelian choked out, teeth gritted. "My body is moving on its own!"
The others, Lady Layla, Sir Draven, and the rest, were no longer fighting the enemy.
They were fighting themselves.
Their own limbs betrayed them, their own minds blurred with shadows.
Their weapons trembled, gripped in hands no longer entirely their own. Faces twisted in horror, sweat beading down their brows as they resisted the invisible pull.
They were still trying.
But their will… wasn't enough.
They were puppets now.
And the strings were in Tuf's hands.
The four Saintess Knights stood still, cornered by their own mercy.
They could not strike.
They knew, if their blades touched their comrades, not even the Saintess's Halo could bring them back. Death would be final.
"Release!"
The single, commanding word split the air, and with it, Tuf's grip shattered, freeing Aurelian and the other six knight commanders from his puppeteer's hold.
His plan had failed.
And still, Tuf smiled.
"Found you."
Because in that instant, a flare of Celestial energy surged from the edge of the battlefield.
Amidst the ranks of mages, cloaked in robes, face hidden beneath shadows, Tuf saw her.
The true master of Seiryu.
And with a single, synchronized command, every clone and every monster lunged for her.
"Protect the Empress!" Aurelian's voice thundered.
In a blink, Legion and his golden marionettes had already materialized around Ceres, her first line of defense.
The Saintess was no longer the target.
And now… they knew.
They had walked straight into Tuf's trap, a trap meant to lure out Ceres.
But none of them hesitated.
They were ready to die for her.
Even if it cost them everything.
"Halt."
Tuf's voice rang calm and sharp. At once, his army froze.
He descended slowly, dust curling beneath his boots as he landed, right beside Delphine, who still hadn't moved an inch since the battle began. Her presence remained radiant, unwavering, glowing like a beacon on bloodstained earth.
Tuf smiled.
Though he couldn't yet see the Empress, hidden behind a wall of blades and bodies, he could feel her.
Seiryu and the four Saintess Knights remained on high alert, poised like drawn arrows.
"Relax," Tuf said, voice laced with mockery. "I have no intention of laying a finger on your Saintess. You lot become rather… unmanageable when she's in danger."
He smiled wider.
"I doubt you can kill me like you did my clone. But I'm not particularly fond of soul-pain either, so I'll pass."
"Still, I wonder… how would your powers fare if they clashed with Luna's?"
And with a flick of his finger, Tuf conjured a black velvet high-backed chair, placing it in the very center of the battlefield.
He sat down, legs crossed, one elbow resting lazily on the armrest.
"So, new Master of Seiryu," he called out, voice echoing, "I've enjoyed our little game of hide and seek. Are you finally going to face me?"
Silence.
Tuf's brow twitched.
"You're seriously pissing me off, do you know that?"
Still, no answer.
Tuf's smile vanished.
"Death Dragon."
The words slipped from his lips like poison.
Above the battlefield, the five dark dragons, still locked in combat with Aurelian's Ice Dragon, suddenly stopped.
Then they merged.
Into one.
A behemoth. Black as sin. With veins glowing red.
And in one titanic roar, it breathed death.
Obliterating every Holy Valkyrie in the sky.
Shattering Aurelian's Ice Dragon.
Silencing the air.
The battlefield fell still.
They had thought the earlier battle was Tuf's full power.
They were wrong.
"Show me your face, new Master of Seiryu," Tuf said quietly, but everyone heard him.
"Or I swear on my mother's name, I'll obliterate everyone in this kingdom except your Saintess. And her Knights? Not much of a threat as long as she stays safe."
Behind her wall of warriors, Ceres exhaled slowly.
Her hand trembled at her side.
"Your Highness, no," Legion pleaded, his voice low, worry etched in every line of his face.
But there was no choice.
From the start of the battle, Ceres had been shielding Delphine, maintaining a complex, invisible Celestial barrier over her.
A shield no one could see.
But it came at a cost.
Her HP had been draining constantly.
And now, after the Death Dragon's roar…
Even if she could cast a city-wide invincible barrier, how long would it last?
Not with Tuf.
Not with his clones.
Not with the monsters.
Not with the Dark Valkyries circling again above.
They had been cornered.
And Ceres knew...
It was time.
To stand.
To be seen.
"Make way," she whispered gently to Legion.
His eyes flickered with turmoil. For the first time, he didn't want to obey her command.
But Ceres only smiled at him. Soft. Steady.
"He cannot kill me," she said quietly, reassuringly.
With great reluctance, Legion willed his golden marionette knights to step aside, one by one.
"This is dangerous, Empress," said Queen Azura, her voice tight with concern as Ceres passed her.
But Ceres just smiled again.
All around her, warriors, regardless of rank or status, could only echo the same desperate words:
"No, Your Highness…"
But she kept walking.
Through the frontlines.
Through the silence.
Through the fear.
"Stop, don't do this, Empress," Aurelian pleaded as she neared him, placing himself in her path.
But she only looked at him with that calm, unshaken grace.
"I won't die. I promise," she said, her voice barely above a breath.
"Have you forgotten what I told you last night?"
Aurelian couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
From across the battlefield, Tuf's lips curled into a grin.
"So… the Empress of Aquilonis is the real Master of Seiryu?" he mused, still unable to see her clearly with Aurelian blocking the view.
"I must commend you, Empress. Do you know today is the first time I've ever been forced to unleash my ability?"
His voice was almost admiring, until it wasn't.
"Not even the Great War made me remove the shackles in my hands.
Not even Seiryu, a thousand years ago, drove me this far.
But you?"
He scoffed. Smirked.
"I would've loved to play with you a little longer.
But unfortunately… I must kill you today."
Silence stretched like steel wire.
"Because your existence has made my Luna… worry.
She cannot see you in her foresight.
And it's making her paranoid."
He took a slow breath.
"So whatever lies you told your people about not dying, those were the real mistakes.
You will die, Empress. But don't take it personally."
He stood up.
"And once you're dead… I promise to leave Aquilonis alone. Just like I've done for a thousand years."
"Time freeze."
The moment the words left his lips, the battlefield froze.
All of it.
Seiryu remained free, roaring in rage, about to strike.
But Tuf's remaining eight clones intercepted him.
In an instant, Tuf vanished from where he stood, only to materialize between the frozen Aurelian and Ceres.
His hand raised, energy gathering at his fingertips. The strike would be instant, unseen, unstoppable.
He reached out.
His hand touched her shoulder.
But Ceres didn't flinch.
She didn't retreat.
Her hood fell. Her chin lifted.
And she looked at him, straight into his obsidian eyes, without an ounce of fear.
And in that moment, Tuf froze.
His breath caught.
Because he saw her face.
And something ancient stirred in him.
A memory.
Not of Solmara. But Earth.
A cold orphanage alley.
A small, black kitten cowering, bracing for death as human children threw stones at it.
And then...
The stones stopped.
A gentle hand reached for him.
He bit her. She bled.
But she didn't pull away.
"It's okay, little cub…"
The one phrase that saved him.
That changed him.
That gave him life.
And now...
That woman… stood in front of him.
She was here.
Tuf, the feared third son of the Demon Lord, the bringer of death, trembled.
Not from rage.
Not from fear.
But from joy.
His knees gave out.
And before the stunned eyes of everyone, the Demi-Human Prince fell to his knees before the Empress.
And then…
He cried.
Not a silent weep.
Not a dignified tear.
But a wail, a raw, soul-breaking sound as he wrapped his arms around her waist and sobbed against her.
His fingers clutched her robe. His face buried in her stomach.
The battlefield remained frozen.
Even time did not dare move.
And Ceres… stood speechless