“Hmm. Do you know how to create a mana shield?”

“Are you talking about a protective barrier?”

“Yes. You release mana outside your body and form it into a sphere.”

As Ariel infused power into her mana core, a spherical shield enveloped her body.

“Like this. It’s not unbreakable, but it will be useful to block some attacks.”

“Such a thing exists.”

“Well, I haven’t had much use for it until now.”

Before any demonic beast could attack her, they were torn apart by her golden sword energy and vanished into thin air.

“You must have had no rivals.”

“Hmm…”

She couldn’t deny it. It was the truth.

Ariel smiled awkwardly and turned her head towards the window.

The red sunset created by the setting sun filled the room.

At the same time, an unfamiliar presence entered the castle.

‘Who is it?’

A ripple spread through the thin layer of mana Ariel had spread like a web throughout the castle, reaching her. She sensed the intruder and stepped out onto the balcony next to the bedroom.

Leopold, surprised by her sudden reaction, followed her.

“What’s wrong, El?”

“Someone has entered the castle.”

Ariel closed her eyes.

The foreign energy mixed with her mana was the source of sinister energy, the archetype of evil, Noah Diaz.

“Noah Diaz is here. I wondered when he would come.”

Ariel opened her eyes and leaped over the balcony.

Her hair fluttered in the air. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her hair settled down.

Leopold, seeing Ariel disappear below the balcony, also leaped over and threw himself down.

“He’s walking slowly near the castle gate.”

Ariel drew the sword she was holding in her right hand.

Due to her tension, she gripped the sword tightly. Ariel rotated her wrist left and right and tried to lower her tensed shoulders.

“Is he alone?”

“It seems so. I don’t sense any other presence.”

At Ariel’s words, Leopold Diaz drew his longsword. With a slick sound, the sword was unsheathed, revealing its beautiful form.

It was the sword Leopold used during his conquest wars. The clean blade reflected the light of the red sun.

“There he comes.”

At Leopold’s words, Ariel’s brows furrowed.

She saw Noah Diaz walking without touching the ground. His originally crimson hair had turned jet black.

‘Creepy.’

As he approached, the nauseating sinister energy surged like a wave.

“Let’s subdue him in one blow as planned.”

He might be an immortal being.

If so, they couldn’t kill him, so they planned to incapacitate Noah with precise sword energy, rendering him unconscious, and then have the mages seal his magic power.

“Let’s do it. Be careful.”

“You too.”

Using mana, Ariel lightly kicked off the ground and leaped into the sky. Her movement was so fast that it was almost invisible.

‘A perfect strike in one go!’

The sword Hyle gave her revealed Noah’s weakness, which was his heart.

Golden flames erupted along the black sword and soared into the sky. The flames drew a large arc and plunged down to pierce Noah Diaz. The ground cracked, and a cloud of sand and dust rose, making the air murky.

‘He’s not dead.’

Her emerald eyes followed the direction of the moving opponent.

He’s moving.

Gradually, at high speed. Towards Leopold.

Ariel put her weight down and dashed to intercept Noah.

Clang-!

Golden mana and pitch-black magic clashed, creating a gust of wind.

“Move aside.”

Ariel saw Noah Diaz’s face, consumed by dark power.

His eyes, which once glowed yellow, had turned completely black.

‘He’s lost his life.’

Human nature was eroded by magic. Inside Noah Diaz remained only anger, resentment, and a desire for revenge.

Noah Diaz exerted force on the sword he held.

“I said move!”

He opened his mouth as if to swallow Ariel. Magic power emanated from his free hand, taking the form of a sticky substance.

Ariel took one, two steps back and looked at the mana that fell to the ground.

Sizzle-!

Smoke rose from the ground where the substance touched, melting it away.

‘What on earth is it made of?’

It could be acid. A shiver ran down Ariel’s spine.

Even a single hit would melt not only flesh but also bone. Without timely healing, death would come through the agony of burning flesh.

Noah Diaz’s arm, aimed at Leopold, was targeting Ariel.

‘He’ll shoot if I interfere.’

Ariel’s legs were bound. She couldn’t attack rashly.

But then, Noah Diaz started running towards Leopold. Soon, even his running figure disappeared.

Only the faint sinister energy surrounding his sword was visible.

“Leopold-!”

Ariel’s shout echoed against the castle walls. She ran, enveloped in a mana shield, but it was already too late. Noah Diaz appeared in front of Leopold in the blink of an eye.

***

Leopold watched Ariel from a distance.

She soared lightly into the sky like a bird and then launched a massive sword energy attack at Noah Diaz.

Boom-!

‘Is he dead?’

The destructive power of the sword energy caused a huge sandstorm. He shielded his eyes with his arm from the sand that flew towards his feet.

With narrowed eyes, he stared at the spot where Noah Diaz had been standing. A faint silhouette appeared behind the sandstorm. The shadow grew darker and clearer.

“He’s not dead.”

As Ariel moved to protect Leopold, Noah sent an attack towards her. Hearing the sound, Leopold quickly turned his head to assess the situation.

Smoke billowed from the spot where the attack landed. Ariel hesitated, unsure of what to do.

But then, Noah Diaz, who had been slowly approaching, suddenly quickened his pace. In an instant, he moved so fast that he was right in front of Leopold.

“Leopold-!”

At that moment, Ariel’s voice pierced his ears.

Bang-!

Noah Diaz, with his eyes fixed on Leopold, unleashed a barrage of attacks on Ariel. After several hits, the mana shield shattered due to the destructive power.

Ariel, who was rushing towards Leopold, had no choice but to retreat.

Noah Diaz, standing right in front of Leopold, gave a sinister smile. His pitch-black eyes, like obsidian, glared fiercely at Leopold.

“You killed all the residents of the White territory.”

“Aha-! It’s because you made me so angry.”

Leopold gripped his sword tightly.

“But they were the people you took care of. Why did you have to kill them so mercilessly when they had nothing to do with me?”

Fragments of faint memories buried in malice surfaced. The first winter he spent in the White territory. The harsh days. The time when the residents’ frostbitten toes and fingers did not survive.

“Ridiculous. Even then, I took responsibility for the territory to create a justification to bring you down.”

Noah smirked.

“If you had thought of them at all, you wouldn’t have dumped the White territory on me.”

“…….”

Leopold bit his lip hard. He couldn’t deny his words. If he got through this ordeal, what kind of emperor should he become?

“I will end this tedious fight. Die!”

Noah Diaz raised his sword high. His black eyes gleamed with madness. Noah’s sword, filled with dark malice, emitted a chilling sound.

‘Damn it!’

If that sword swung, his body might be split in two.

Anxiety and tension, the desperation to escape this situation, and the dread of showing Ariel his death at Noah’s hands overwhelmed him.

Leopold’s mind was shaken by a multitude of negative emotions.

Suddenly, his trembling crimson eyes regained their composure.

―We haven’t solved the problem, but we were quite happy in Macglier, weren’t we? Let’s just live our daily lives like we did then. If Noah Diaz attacks unexpectedly, we’ll fight together. I’m strong. Much stronger than what you saw in Macglier.

He recalled Ariel’s words, comforting him when he was anxious before leaving for White. If he died at Noah Diaz’s hands, the future she spoke of would never come.

―I love you. Don’t leave me.

He vividly remembered Ariel’s tearful face, sobbing with anxious breaths after regaining consciousness yesterday.

If he died, those big, beautiful eyes would be filled with tears.

‘I will survive and savor the happiness I’ve grasped.’