The moment the head knight finished speaking, Erin moved swiftly into the academy. During her advance, she witnessed a chilling number of monsters swarming the grounds.

Despite the chaotic battlefield, Erin immediately spotted Ferdin among the crowd. She quickly placed a hand over her heart in relief.

‘Thank goodness, he’s unharmed.’

From the moment she heard Ferdin had entered the academy, Erin couldn’t hide her anxiety, even knowing that being near Duke Asili would be the safest place for him.

The situation resembled her nightmares too closely. Just seeing monsters near Ferdin was enough to fuel her terrible imagination.

Erin carefully observed the scene unfolding before her. Blood covered everything in sight while innocent people fled from pursuing monsters. Screams, pain, sorrow, tears, and fear along with all manner of negative emotions permeated the air.

Her heart began racing as rage built up within her, filling her to the tips of her hair.

‘Why would anyone commit such atrocities? What possible reason could there be?’

This was certainly Erin’s first time experiencing such a situation. In her previous life, she had died before the Emperor revealed his true ambitions.

But the truth hidden within was even more horrific and cruel. The people being slaughtered before her eyes were nothing but innocent victims.

‘Who were they?’

Erin didn’t know their names or what lives they had led. But just like in the Western territories, she knew there was only one thing she could do for them.

Whoosh.

A strong wind blew, making her hair flutter. She was already wounded from her battle with Corelia, but strangely felt no pain—perhaps due to the rage burning in her mind.

Erin looked at the sword gripped in her hand, then gazed up at the highest tower in the academy.

‘The Duke must have noticed it too.’

While others might not have perceived it, she could tell—the Emperor was hiding in that tower, likely using magic to conceal himself.

‘In the end, the fastest way to end this situation is…’

To eliminate the Emperor controlling the monsters. But Duke Asili couldn’t move from his position as he was protecting the mages casting the barrier.

‘In the end, I’m the only one who can move.’

Just then, her eyes caught countless monsters charging toward Duke Asili. 

Slash!

Duke Asili’s mana-infused sword cut through dozens of monsters with a long, resonating sound. Despite the urgent situation, the knights beside him couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“As expected of Duke Asili.”

“Such incredible swordsmanship…”

The powerful strength emanating from his formidable physique was enough to intimidate even his allies.

Erin turned her head forward again. Monsters in numbers far beyond what they had faced so far began pouring in. The tide of battle reversed instantly. Duke Asili’s sword continuously cut down monsters, but there were too many flooding in. The knights watching the scene turned pale.

Duke Asili was being pushed into a defensive position. Unable to believe what they were seeing, the knights began to waver.

“Is this situation really manageable?”

“When will the barrier be completed?”

Watching this, Erin tightened her grip on her sword. Today, the weight of her sword felt unusually heavy. To defeat the Emperor, she would need to pass through the center where these monsters were swarming.

She cut down a monster in front of her.

Clang!

The sound of striking the monster resembled metal clashing against metal. The Emperor’s monsters were strong—strong enough to make her understand why he had committed these acts.

“Duke! We’ve reached our limit!”

“Our swords have no effect on these monsters!”

The knights’ cries reached her ears. Duke Asili’s sword was effective, but he alone wasn’t enough.

Meanwhile, Erin struggled to approach the Emperor in the tower. But she was alone, and the monsters were surprisingly numerous.

No matter how frantically she cut them down, there was a limit to how far forward she could advance.

Erin glanced behind her. She could see Ferdin helping Duke Asili, blocking the monsters. Her swordplay gradually lost its composure and became rougher, her blade filling with urgency.

‘No, if I don’t go, Lord Ferdin might…’

With this many monsters, even he could be overwhelmed. Just imagining such a possibility made her heart feel torn. She could see monsters approaching Ferdin.

Suddenly, she recalled the moment when she received news that Ferdin had died in the Western territories.

Looking up, Erin spotted the Emperor floating in the tower, smiling. He was enjoying the moment Ferdin was in danger.

She didn’t mind being in danger herself, but touching Ferdin was different.

Even feeling monster claws grazing her shoulders and legs, she tried to quickly pull herself away to save Ferdin. At that moment, her eyes met Ferdin’s from a distance. She could see his eyes widening in surprise.

Even from afar, Erin could hear Ferdin’s words—such was the desperation in his cry.

“No! Lady Erin, run away!”

She could see Ferdin trying to approach her, but Duke Asili stopped him before he could. The knights were barely managing to protect the mages from the approaching monsters.

If she delayed even a little longer, they would all be in danger. If she failed now, all her efforts would be in vain. The end she faced in her first life would repeat itself.

The thought made Erin feel her heart would tear apart.

Then, Raymon’s voice echoed in her ear: “I told you, Erin. You’re a useless child. The same thing is happening again. You couldn’t change anything. Only I can love someone like you.”

Charlotte’s voice followed: “What do you think you can change? Just give up. The Emperor will win in the end.”

Ditrion also sneered at her: “Erin Liserth, how pathetic. I told you to come to me earlier. If you had, Ferdin wouldn’t be dying like this.”

Finally, Corelia’s voice added: “Erin, you’ll ultimately fail. I’ll see you in h*ll soon.”

Don’t make me laugh.

“I won’t be manipulated by the likes of you anymore.”

In that moment, an extraordinary amount of mana flowed into Erin’s sword. She cleared her mind of distractions and recalled the three lives she had lived—lives accustomed to loss.

Throughout those lives, Erin had promised herself countless times: if given the chance, she would never lose precious people again. She would never create more suffering.

She had become strong to protect. Now was the moment to become stronger than ever before to protect those she loved.

Only then did Erin finally understand why the goddess had chosen her and where the final ending to this cycle lay.

Erin felt an exhilarating sensation that threatened to burst from her chest. Brilliant mana poured from her body. In that moment, silence fell over the academy as everyone’s gaze turned toward her.

Soon, she began cutting down monsters at an unbelievably rapid pace. Her sword now contained power of a completely different dimension than before.

Having regathered her strength alone, Erin jumped with mana concentrated in her feet. The knights stopped fighting and stared in awe at Erin leaping to an incredible height.

* * *

The Emperor couldn’t comprehend what was happening. His monsters had been successfully pressuring Duke Asili. Without any unexpected variables, events would have unfolded according to his plan.

The Emperor had anticipated that Alexis, an exceptional mage, would create a barrier to protect people. He had also expected them to come to the center of the academy to do so.

He had planned to eliminate Duke Asili when they became vulnerable while fighting the monsters. But there was a variable he hadn’t considered—Erin. Her strength far exceeded his expectations.

The Emperor couldn’t help but be flustered by the sudden burst of mana.

“Impossible, how can she be that strong?”

The Emperor remembered when Erin came to the imperial palace seeking recognition as a Sword Master.

The Erin in his memory wasn’t this strong. He had estimated her skills to be similar to Duke Asili’s or perhaps slightly below.

‘But now… she’s stronger than Duke Asili.’

Everything had gone wrong.

The Emperor couldn’t help recalling the Saint’s prophecy.

‘Is it really happening according to that prophecy?’

No, he couldn’t accept it. The Emperor shook his head, trying to erase the ominous thoughts. There was no way he would lose to such pathetic humans.

He kept telling himself that even the goddess’s curse was insignificant to him.

However, Erin’s suddenly changed aura made even him feel fear.

“How is it possible to become so strong so suddenly?”

Just as he thought this, his eyes met Erin’s.

Since mastering black magic, he had never felt fear. He had been confident he could defeat even the goddess.

But seeing Erin gave him an ominous premonition—a feeling that the curse he had heard long ago would be realized.

And his ominous premonition soon became reality when Erin, after cutting down monsters, leaped toward the tower.