His hands began to burn under the holy energy, and he screamed as he tried to pull back, but the damage had already been done.

"Time to send you to heaven..."

The calm voice reached his ears.

A deep chill spread through his body, and his heart skipped for a moment as he slowly lifted his head.

Above him a sword of darkness hovered in the air.

It was wrapped in dense crimson intent, and the space around it trembled as if it could not bear its presence, while faint cracks spread through the air around the blade.

The sword hummed with a low sound, and its power continued to rise.

"Go..."

SWOOSH!

The sword moved instantly, and it did not travel like a normal attack because it tore through space itself, and anything in its path was erased as if it had never existed.

The Orc Divine Knight felt it clearly, and death stood right in front of him.

"No... wait...!"

"Stop!"

"I will leave, I swear!"

"Please—!"

"Don’t kill me!"

His voice turned desperate, and he shouted loudly while trying to break free from the prison, but none of his words were heard, and no one answered him.

The sword reached him in the next moment.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A line was carved across the world, and everything in its path vanished instantly, while the light prison shattered and the ground split apart violently.

A massive rift stretched far into the distance, and there was nothing left where he had stood.

The attack decimated everything in front of it leaving nothing but a pile of ashes in its wake.

Nothing else remained.

Silence followed, and the battlefield that had been filled with chaos just moments ago became completely still.

The ground was ruined, deep cracks spread everywhere, and the air still trembled slightly from the aftershock of the attack.

Ethan stood there quietly, and his breathing was heavy as he tried to steady himself.

"...I did it..."

He had killed him.

A Mythic rank had slain a Divine Knight, and even though such a thing was rare and difficult, it had happened because Ethan possessed overwhelming offense, strong defense, and devastating high-level spells.

However, the cost was clear.

His body felt drained, and his mana reserves were nearly empty, while a deep exhaustion settled into his bones.

"I need to rest..." he muttered as he took a slow breath.

At that moment, a portal opened nearby, and Marvrick stepped out, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the destruction around them.

"You actually did it," he said in a low voice.

Ethan let out a faint breath and nodded slightly, and there was a trace of regret in his eyes because Marvrick could only use short-distance teleportation, and if he had more range, escaping earlier would have been easier.

Ethan shook his head and looked at him.

"You did a good job, and now let’s go."

Marvrick nodded without hesitation.

"Let’s go."

The next moment, both of them moved, and their figures shot into the sky while leaving behind faint trails of light, and soon they disappeared into the distance, leaving the silent and ruined battlefield behind them.

......

Meanwhile somewhere in the human camp.

"Think again?"

The old Beastman stood calmly, and his long beard swayed slightly as he looked around with sharp, knowing eyes. His posture was relaxed, but there was a quiet pressure around him that made the air feel heavy.

He glanced at Lucien and then spoke again in a low, steady voice.

"Don’t you hate these people for taking your military points and pushing you to the back?"

Lucien froze for a moment, and his jaw tightened as those words hit him harder than expected.

He slowly turned his head and looked behind him, where faint shadows of soldiers and officers moved in the distance, and his expression darkened.

His hands clenched tightly.

He was supposed to be the hero here.

This battlefield should have been his stage, and his name should have been rising, spreading across the empire with glory and pride.

Alas .

Because of one mistake he had been pushed aside.

He was demoted and ignored.

The thought burned inside him.

It was too much to bear.

He looked back at the Beastman, and his eyes flickered slightly before he spoke in a low voice.

"I can’t betray humans."

The Beastman did not react strongly, and instead he slowly stroked his beard while letting out a faint hum.

"I heard you have many brothers who are competing for positions," he said calmly. "Amid all this, how many resources can you truly have?"

Lucien’s eyes shifted slightly, and his breathing slowed as he listened.

The Beastman took a step closer.

"Do you want to remain stuck at the Legendary Realm," he continued, "or do you want to move forward?"

Those words lingered.

Lucien’s fingers tightened again.

The Beastman’s voice became softer, but it carried more weight.

"What have you gained by serving the human side?" he asked. "We promise that you will receive enough resources to push beyond Divine Knight."

Lucien’s eyes paused for a moment, and a flicker of hesitation appeared.

"...You aren’t joking?" he asked, and his voice was lower now, but there was a trace of eagerness hidden within.

The Beastman shook his head slowly.

"I am not," he replied. "Just follow our request, and you will have wealth and resources that will last you a long time."

Lucien fell silent.

The wind passed through the area, and the faint rustling sound seemed louder than usual at that moment.

His mind raced with countless possibilities.

Power.

Position.

Recognition.

All the things he had been denied were now being placed right in front of him.

His grip loosened slightly, and then tightened again.After a few seconds, he lifted his head and looked straight at the Beastman.

"...What should I do?" he asked.

The Beastman’s lips curved faintly, and his eyes showed a hint of satisfaction.

"You don’t need to do much," he said calmly. "Just allow us to cut off a portion of your forces and send a few false messages."

Lucien’s expression remained still for a moment, and then slowly a smile appeared.

It was not wide at first, but it grew gradually, and there was something cold behind it.

"Alright," he said quietly.

The decision had been made.

And in that quiet moment something irreversible had begun.