Renidas was nothing if not thorough.
Ren’s Iron Magic Sword slammed into a wall of black light. It was preternaturally hard, its resilience rivaling that of his own Shield Magic Sword.
"Kill him! Slaughter this man!" Renidas shrieked, summoning his cultists to his side.
In an instant, the Demon King Cultists swarmed, attempting to unleash their fury upon Ren’s back. However—
"Out of my way."
They were insignificant pests, hardly worth his notice.
Swinging the Iron Magic Sword as he spun, Ren easily sheared through the enemies' blades and staves. He hammered the staggering survivors with concentrated sword pressure, throwing their bodies backward and stripping them of consciousness.
He turned back to Renidas, but this time, something repelled Ren’s body. A gust of black wind erupted from the bishop, shoving Ren back several meters.
"…How can a Strong Sword User of this caliber be here!?"
Facing the stunned Renidas, Ren remained composed.
Was that Black Magic?
He knew its nature. It wasn't some mystical Power of the Demon King; it was simply an attribute that stood in direct opposition to Sacred Magic. It could be used to manipulate a person's mind or weaken an opponent through magical interference. It possessed offensive capabilities as well—the dark energy could corrode flesh or manifest as skin-scorching flames.
The remaining Demon King Cultists retreated slowly, forming a defensive line around Renidas.
Ren approached them with measured steps. Don't be in such a hurry, he thought.
He focused his consciousness on the Gauntlets of the King of Flames covering his left hand. They were pulsing with heat, as if the armor itself were eager to join the fray. Perhaps it was because Ren had summoned the Flame Magic Sword alongside the Iron Magic Sword, gripping the former in his left hand. The weapon seemed to be pleading with him to swing it.
"L-Lord Renidas…! He’s too much for us…!"
The cultists were visibly trembling, but Renidas was beyond reason. He had fallen into the abyss of fanaticism. Though shocked by Ren’s prowess, the thought of surrender never entered his mind. He possessed the iron will to see his goal through, even at the cost of his soul.
"We fight for the great Demon King! Do you still hold that conviction?"
"Yes!" the cultists roared in unison.
Despite their fear of Ren, they were fanatics to the core. They possessed no fear of drawing upon the portion of the Power of the Demon King granted by their marks, even if it meant their deaths. Their only terror was the possibility of failure.
"——To the great King of the Demon Continent!"
"——To the one and only King who rules all evil!"
The cultists clutched at their marks—on shoulders, faces, the backs of hands, and chests. Their bodies lurched with a sickening, rhythmic thrum.
But their transformation stopped there.
The boy they faced was the Red Dragon Slayer Hero. There was no greater folly in this garden than forgetting that fact, and the hero had no intention of letting them finish their ritual.
Immediately after Renidas gave the order, Ren hurled the Iron Magic Sword at the bishop’s barrier. The blade that had wounded the legendary Asval was not to be denied. It shattered the pitch-black shield like glass and buried itself in Renidas’s right shoulder.
"Kohoah——!?"
The bishop’s massive frame buckled, and he collapsed to his knees. The cultists, who were in the middle of risking their lives to activate their dark gifts, were momentarily distracted by their leader’s fall.
That single second decided their fate.
When they turned back to Ren, the thrown Iron Magic Sword was gone. Instead, they found themselves suddenly bound. Vines imbued with mana erupted from the earth, coiling around their limbs and cinching tightly around their throats.
"Gu… oh…"
"Nature Magic…?"
It was over in a heartbeat. Restrained and deprived of air, the Demon King Cultists were systematically stripped of consciousness. Just as Radius had predicted, Ren had handled almost everything alone. The core objective of the mission—the live capture of the cultists—had been achieved.
"Ku… kuku…" Renidas let out a low, vulgar chuckle. "Ah, what a failure! It seems we were the ones who were arrogant!"
Desperately grabbing the staff he had dropped, Renidas struck the ground with its base. A complex magic circle manifested beneath him and surged outward, covering the entire garden.
"—Sacred Crest Arts!?" Radius shouted.
"Kufufufu! I once served the god Elfen! Is it not natural that I can exercise Sacred Crest Arts of this level!?"
Ren reflected for a split second. He knew that Sacred Crest Arts were the domain of high-ranking priests, usually channeled through holy staves or swords forged in the Silver Holy Palace of the Grand Temple. It was a power akin to Holy Magic, its potency determined by the priest’s mana and the quality of their holy weapon.
Ren readjusted his grip on his swords. There was no fear in his eyes; instead, he looked satisfied.
"Actually, this helps. I was waiting for you to do that."
Ren’s voice was unnervingly calm.
"I suspected you were hiding something in this garden. I was hoping you’d use your last trump card now rather than leaving it behind for us to find later."
"Ku, kuku…! You speak as if you were baiting me!"
Ren gave a sharp laugh. Just then, a light rain began to fall. As the water matted his hair, Ren kept his gaze fixed on Renidas.
"Powerful Sacred Crest Arts like this leave behind massive magic circles. They’re a pain to clean up. It usually takes a team of specialists days to dismantle one properly."
"—So what if it does!"
The magic circle began to pulse with a blinding radiance. Despite the looming threat, Radius and his knights stood their ground, their trust in Ren absolute.
"It's better to just let it activate," Ren continued. "If I let you trigger everything you’ve planted, I can burn it all away at once. This mission isn't just about capturing you; it's about erasing every trace of your presence from this tower."
"Foolish…! You truly don't understand the power of the Sacred Crest!"
"Oh, I understand it. Probably better than you do."
Dazzling flashes of light erupted from the patterns on the floor. A heavy pressure descended upon everyone except Renidas, the light coiling around them to prevent escape.
"Radius, do you trust me?" Ren asked, glancing back through the rain.
Radius smirked. "Yeah, do whatever you want. Though next time, give me a heads-up before you pull a stunt like this. It’s bad for my heart."
"Ah… sorry. I'll remember that."
Ren flashed a boyish, refreshing smile. The Great Tree Magic Sword in his right hand dissolved into light, replaced by the Flame Magic Sword held in a reverse grip.
Show me what you’ve got.
Ren wasn't gambling. He acted out of absolute confidence. The deep red gem on his Gauntlets of the King of Flames began to glow with a dull, sweltering heat, as if urging the fires to consume everything. He knew the flames of the dragon who had called him a "weak Ashton" better than anyone.
"Be incinerated by the light of the god you serve!" Renidas roared.
Had the spell been allowed to manifest, its power would have been catastrophic.
"Though for a Leomelian, being martyred by holy light must be a dream come true!"
Renidas struck the ground again. A pillar of holy light began to surge from the center of the magic circle, intended to vaporize everything in the garden in a suicide strike.
But the light never reached its peak.
"Hey, Renidas."
To the observers, Ren’s movements seemed to happen in slow motion. To Renidas, Radius, and the Lion Sanctum Knights, every gesture was excruciatingly deliberate.
A fraction of a second after Renidas’s staff hit the floor, Ren slammed the Flame Magic Sword into the magic circle.
A surge of golden flames erupted, making the holy light of the Sacred Crest Arts look like a mere shadow. The fire raced along the patterns of the magic circle, coiling through the garden like a pack of golden dragons. The flames were precise—they didn't harm a single living soul, consuming only the magical constructs of the enemy.
By the time the golden fire reached the heavens, the magic circle had been completely devoured. For a single moment, the rain stopped, evaporated by the sheer heat. Then, the Golden Flame vanished, and the wind rushed back in, bringing the rain with it.
Ren thrust the Flame Magic Sword into the stone floor. "I told you," he said, finishing his thought. "I was waiting for that."
Renidas, drained of mana and bleeding from his shoulder, slumped to the ground. Ren brushed the wet hair from his eyes, his gaze piercing. Under that stare, Renidas’s vision began to fail.
"You… you…"
"Tell me," Ren asked. "How does it feel to rely on the power of the very god you so bitterly loathe?"
Just before he lost consciousness, Renidas glared at Ren with pure venom. His voice was a raspy whisper. "Heh… heh… I hope that look of yours turns to despair… when you finally witness the Demon King’s true power."
With that, Renidas collapsed. The cultists remained in their comas, alive but neutralized.
The operation was a total success. The goals Radius and Ulysses had set out to achieve had been accomplished almost entirely by Ren’s hand.
Ren turned to the stunned Radius and his men, looking genuinely relieved. "Right, let's clean up."
"…What a monster you are," Radius muttered.
"But your Highness, he is most reliable!" one of the knights added.
"Indeed! I can't wait to train! Seeing that kind of power makes my blood boil!"
As Ren listened to their praise, he let out a long breath. It was finally over. Wait, where was the Sword King? he wondered. She hadn't intervened, but he felt certain she had been watching from somewhere.
Suddenly, a sound echoed from the heavens.
It was a monstrous shriek that tore through the air. A massive creature emerged from behind the rain clouds, flapping eight wings arranged in four pairs. It was a grotesque, jellyfish-like beast covered in moss-colored scales, with countless tentacles and dozens of eyes scattered across its body. Its fanged mouth resembled that of an Earthworm, and it was large enough to swallow the Great Clock Tower whole.
The Tyrant of the Corrupted Sky!?
Ren recognized it from the legends. It was a B-rank monster from the Demon Continent, often used as a final weapon by the Cult Leader. It was far more powerful than the Mana Eater Ren had fought previously.
"Tch…" Fighting a flying monster was always a disadvantage. Ren realized this must have been Renidas's true insurance policy—a beast kept hidden in the clouds until the Sacred Crest Arts were triggered.
"Ren! It can't break the barrier!" Radius shouted.
"Wait, I thought you said there was no defensive system here!"
"I'll explain that later! Just know the monster can't reach us!"
As if hitting an invisible wall, the Tyrant of the Corrupted Sky flailed its tentacles but could not approach the tower.
Even with the protection, Ren knew they couldn't just leave it there. He turned to Radius to discuss a counter-attack, but he suddenly froze. He felt a surge of power so immense it was impossible to ignore. It wasn't directed at him, but at the sky.
High above, the Tyrant of the Corrupted Sky was suddenly split in two.
A mournful cry echoed across the city as the celestial sphere itself seemed to crack. Spatial distortions rippled through the air, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The monster was halved and instantly incinerated by a brilliant white light.
Ren could only manage a dry laugh. This was what "world-class" really meant. Seeing it with his own eyes was a far cry from seeing it on a game screen.
"…So that," he whispered, "is the power of the world's strongest."
Whether there were five of them or more didn't matter. In that moment, Ren saw the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Most legendary swordsmen have a signature Art. The technique that had just annihilated the Tyrant of the Corrupted Sky was perhaps the most destructive of them all—a precise strike that bypassed the tower's defenses to strike only the intended target.
The Art was called "Re Verna." In the ancient tongue of the Sky Continent, it meant "Heaven's Wrath." It was the ultimate symbol of her power, a technique never seen even in the games.
On a restricted runway slightly higher than the garden, designed for Imperial Magic Ships, she stood alone in the post-rain wind.
"—So, the Ashton heir truly exists."
Her voice was like a rolling bell. With silver hair that shimmered like silk and dark blue vestments adorned with gold, she possessed a mysterious, ethereal beauty. Beside her, a silver sword nearly as long as she was tall was thrust into the stone. It was the masterpiece of Verrich, a blade said to be peerless.
She covered the sword with a specialized cloth and began to walk away. She was the Fifth-ranked Sword King, the White Dragon Princess Lutreche. Why she had chosen to assist Radius was a secret known only to her.
Back in the garden, the knights were busy transporting the prisoners. Ren watched the cleanup, still reeling from the Sword King’s display. He remembered telling Baron Clausel that he aimed to reach her level.
How arrogant of me, he thought. Even if he hadn't underestimated her, seeing the gap in person was a humbling experience.
Radius approached him. "Ren. I’ve ordered the knights to keep your true strength a secret."
"Thanks. But are you sure?"
"I know you prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Though the more you fight, the harder it will be to hide… but I’ll leave that for you to handle. Someday, you can tell me the truth yourself." Radius showed a rare moment of gentle consideration. "By the way, what were you staring at?"
"Oh, just thinking about the Sword King. Seeing her makes me realize how much further I have to go."
Radius went silent, shrugging his shoulders with a tired expression. "To me, you’re already a monster I can't comprehend. I have no idea what a person like you is even talking about."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Ren understood his own growth, which allowed him to accurately gauge the strength of others. And while the Sword King felt like a different species altogether, he felt a renewed fire to at least reach her shadow one day.
"Now then," Radius beckoned Ren toward the central control device of the tower. He ordered the knights to stay back as they approached the black stone pedestal.
"I owe you an explanation, Ren. About the 'missing' defense system."
"Right. You said it was gone, but then a barrier appeared."
Radius nodded. He touched the box, and the complex patterns glowed, revealing a hidden compartment with a small metal pedestal. "This is the control device Milim Altia created."
"—Wait, there's no Mana Stone."
"Correct. Because the power for this tower hasn't been here for a long time."
"Did it break?"
"Kuku… Ren, please don't say something so stupid with such a serious face."
"Hey, I was being serious!"
"My apologies. The gap between your 'Hero' persona and this is just too wide. But no, it didn't break. Over fifty years ago, the Imperial Family and the Altia Family worked together to relocate the tower's core power to a more secure location."
"So attacking this place was pointless from the start?"
"Essentially. But the Cult would have no way of knowing that."
Ren and Radius turned away from the device and headed toward the long staircase. The walk down would be much easier than the climb up. Radius mentioned he had used his Analysis skill on Renidas and would share the findings later.
"I guess it makes sense," Ren mused. "Leomel wouldn't just leave a critical defense system exactly as it was centuries ago. They probably spent decades preparing the upgrade."
Radius didn't confirm the classified details, but his smile suggested Ren was on the right track.
As Ren led the way down the stairs, acting as a shield for the Prince, his exhaustion finally caught up with him. His foot slipped on a step, but before he could catch himself, a hand grabbed his arm.
"Don't start holding me back now," Radius teased.
Ren felt a bit sheepish. "I could have caught myself. But… thanks."
"I'm joking. After what you did tonight, I couldn't possibly complain."
The two of them shared a weary smile. The sense of achievement far outweighed the fatigue. When they finally reached the plaza at the base of the tower, met by the roaring cheers of the knights, they clapped their hands together in a firm high-five.