Momonte Anslake hadn’t simply betrayed them. It was highly probable he was being blackmailed. Since Leon van Noah had absorbed the Tarantula faction, he would be well aware of the Contracts. If so, he would have found a way to utilize the guild’s Attackers without violating their terms. His leverage was presumably Momonte’s precious daughter, Valona Anslake.

’I can’t summon her, and communication is cut off. She’s obviously been captured.’

Sending over ten thousand guild Attackers to Balak’s territory was likely just a ploy to exploit that vulnerability. However, Leon wasn’t that simple. He would already know about Hasla from the second battle, having gathered intelligence through his Undead Soldiers and the Tarantula faction members. It was highly likely he had sent the guild’s Attackers specifically to tie down the two SS-rank demi-humans. Especially with the Eastern Federation making an appearance, he would try to wipe out all three armies using his SS-rank Keeper and the Sword Saint, Repilder.

[The S-rank Attacker Sharan has used Double Amplification.]

[The Dungeon Master of Balak has used Double Reduction.]

Up until now, they had maintained a balance of offense and defense by appropriately countering each other’s items. If just a few more variables were introduced, the tide of the battle could turn in an instant.

[The Dungeon Master of Horntail, Myeongtae Kim, has died.]

[The Dungeon Master of Four-Ines, Hyeonggon Shin, has died.]

[The Dungeon Master of Remit, Areum Han, has died.]

Gradually, both the Tarantula faction and the Resistance were being wiped out. With the Demon World conquest and the SS-rank dungeons still looming after the subjugation of the capital, Ashlan, Taehyun needed to keep as many of them alive as possible.

[The forces of the Western Alliance have appeared.]

[The mana of the Frost Queen Yuslan and the aura of Archbishop Messiah are clashing.]

[Lawrence Crowley is attempting to bind the Guardian of the Earth, Baekho.]

Before anyone realized it, the two women who had come targeting Ashlan were engaged in a fierce war of nerves, glaring at each other like sworn enemies. Now that the standoff had devolved into a jumbled mess, someone needed to draw their attention and cut through the chaos.

"Grai, Dropin. Let’s flip the board."

"Underthtood!"

"Just what I was hoping for!"

Soon, divine power swirled alongside intense Demonic Energy. The two unleashed their sealed powers, revealing their true forms.

[The SS-rank Soldier, Demon Sword Ashlanche, has appeared.]

[The SS-rank Equipment, Holy Sword Ludwig, has appeared.]

[The SS-rank Guardian, God of Balak Grai, has cast Guardian’s Descent.]

[The S-rank Attacker, Dropin, has cast Sacred Freeze.]

The demonic sword once favored by the Demonic King Kraktio and the holy sword bestowed directly upon the Ain Kart Holy Kingdom by Behel unleashed their combined might. The two warriors instantly cut down the enemies before them, projecting a powerful presence throughout the entire capital.

"T-The dungeon’s Main Force has the Holy Sword?!"

"L-Look at that. The demonic sword that disappeared from the Demon World is in Balak’s hands!"

"No, more importantly, he already possesses that many SS-rank Main Forces?!"

Demonic Energy and divine power swept across the fierce battlefield. The Dungeon Masters, who were in the midst of engaging their opponents, gasped in awe and terror. Meanwhile, Messiah, riding atop Baekho, glared at Grai with wide eyes.

"There really are a lot of pests to deal with. Following the Frost Queen, now it’s the wielder of the demonic sword. Dungeon Master of Balak, I’ll take care of you first!"

The tyrant who had joined hands with the Dungeon Masters was her primary target, but the demonic sword, the very crystallization of Demonic Energy, changed things. Like the Frost Queen, the Dungeon Master of Balak who had summoned the demonic sword was a being who denied the energy of the earth. Messiah targeted Taehyun first, preparing to unleash her arts. However, taking her eyes off the Frost Queen right in front of her was no different than suicide.

"I plan to deal with that child myself. How dare you look away while facing me? You are arrogant beyond measure!"

"That’s my line. You’re fighting while completely ignoring me. You arrogant wenches!"

"Tch, annoying pests. Every single one of you is getting in my way!"

With Lawrence Crowley chiming in, a three-way standoff ensued. Based on their ranks, Yuslan was the most powerful being present, but there was no doubt the other two were formidable opponents as well. As two more individuals appeared through the dimensional gate on the castle wall, a subtle war of nerves broke out.

[The SS-rank Mercenary, Sword Saint Repilder, has appeared.]

[The SS-rank Named Keeper, Celestial Strike Ragbolt, has appeared.]

Soon, five monsters gathered in one place. The Sword Saint Repilder had already been summoned again by Mihye, who was trapped in the Underground Prison. His previously depleted mana had naturally been fully replenished while returning through the dimension. He gave a light wave to Messiah and summoned a series of Falling Swords.

"Wow, all the monsters are gathered right here. Let’s have some fun."

"That’s hard on the ears. A mere swordsman treating me like some common thug. Are you prepared to die?!"

"Hmm, I’ll take care of that guy who looks like the commander of the Frost Army. You handle Yuslan."

The Frost Queen’s chill spewed in all directions. Ragbolt left Yuslan to Repilder and instantly charged into the center of the Frost Army. A frost knight holding large longswords in both hands stood there. Unlike the common soldiers, he was an SS-rank commander harboring a considerable amount of mana.

"To dare defy Lady Yuslan’s will... I will never forgive you."

"You’re weaker than the Frost Queen, but you seem like a decent opponent. Bring it on."

The formidable Celestial Strike roared. Baphunreiter scowled and instantly unleashed the mana bestowed upon him by Yuslan.

---

"This is a complete mess. Ignoring the capital they were targeting to just fight amongst themselves... This is why pride is a problem."

"Taehyun, the Western Alliance soldiers are swarming in."

"Alright. Then shall we pull out all the stops?"

Undead Soldiers, dungeon Main Forces, the Frost Army, Druids, and even human soldiers. With all of them tangled together on the battlefield, he had to clear them out before dealing with the real monsters.

[The S-rank Mercenary, Darkblind Summon Ashuanin, has been summoned.]

[The S-rank Named Mercenary, Bruder of the Plague, has been summoned.]

Soon, the two reliable mercenaries appeared. Bruder promptly raised a ghoul legion and cast a sea of deadly poison among the Undead Soldiers. Ashuanin took charge of the dungeon denizens and beastmen, beginning to keep even the Western Alliance forces in check.

[Centrix has cast Lord’s Descent.]

[Centrix has cast Cross Rupture Sword.]

[Centrix has cast Dimensional Slash.]

Meanwhile, Duke Centrix was pressuring Seonghwi with all sorts of skills, but no class was as specialized for individual combat as a Slayer.

[The S-rank Attacker Seonghwi’s Special Ability ’Forceful Suppression’ has been activated.]

[For a certain period, the critical hit damage of all skills increases by five times.]

[Forceful Suppression Usage Limit: 1/1]

If Centrix was a master swordsman who commanded the continent, a Slayer was a murderer optimized solely for taking an opponent’s life. No matter how much he could slice through dimensions, if his limbs were torn off, he would be nothing more than a powerless weakling. Seonghwi persistently closed the distance, aiming for the joint of the shoulder holding the sword.

"You Dungeon Master scum!"

"You’re going to have to die quietly, Duke Centrix."

"I will do no such thing! I will eliminate you all and spread His Highness Leon’s will across the continent!"

The dimensional sword and the dagger clashed in midair. In terms of strength stats, Duke Centrix had the upper hand, but Seonghwi parried the blade at an angle, gradually creating openings. Just then, a man holding a holy sword cut in between the two.

"The Holy Sword Ludwig?!"

"Let me pass through for a moment!"

"What?"

It was none other than the S-rank Attacker, Dropin. Seonghwi noticed his intentions and quickly lunged at Duke Centrix. Meanwhile, the Tarantula faction members behind them urgently tried to use movement-related items, but the space froze over before they could.

[The S-rank Attacker Dropin has cast Sacred Freeze.]

[For a certain period, time in the designated space is stopped.]

[Due to Behel’s barrier, entities trapped in the space are judged as immobilized.]

[Sacred Freeze Usage Limit: 2/2]

The world came to a halt. No, more accurately, only the flow of time within the space where Behel’s barrier was cast had stopped. Dropin looked at the two men who were frozen like stone, then raised his holy sword.

"Do I just need to take care of both of them?"

"No, just kill Duke Centrix. As long as Seonghwi doesn’t kill him directly, the contract will remain valid."

"So you’re going to exploit him to the very end. How meticulous. Understood for now."

Just a moment ago, Seonghwi had recalled the conditions of the contract and tried to kill Duke Centrix before Sacred Freeze was cast. That probably meant he had also caught onto Taehyun’s ulterior motive. However, now that time had stopped, the only one who could move within the space was the caster himself. Dropin gathered his divine power as he looked at the Transcendent, who had managed to summon a dimensional gate in that short amount of time.

"I am no longer the man I was in my Lexner days. I will prove it to you!"

Mana and divine power resonated. The Holy Sword Ludwig, harboring intense cold, dug straight into the nape of Duke Centrix’s neck.

[Centrix has died.]

The Transcendent who had once threatened Taehyun with an invitation to the succession ceremony. He was the very person who had constantly assisted Leon van Noah and quelled the internal strife in an instant, but the end of the one who targeted Balak was incredibly anticlimactic. With Duke Centrix being the first of the two Transcendents to fall, the tide of the battle was slowly tilting in Balak’s favor.

---

[The SS-rank Guardian, God of Balak Grai, has cast Infinite Barrage.]

[The SS-rank Guardian, God of Balak Grai, has cast Dimension Rend.]

[The SS-rank Guardian, God of Balak Grai, has cast Sword of Balak.]

Skills imbued with Demonic Energy surged over the castle walls. The SS-rank Guardian knight representing Balak, Grai. Although his outward appearance was nothing more than a cute young boy, the power of his skills rivaled that of Transcendents.

’How on earth did that bastard Taehyun raise his soldiers’ ranks so quickly?’

During the second battle at the Halung Plains, he had been reported as an S-rank Main Force. But now, he possessed a demonic sword and was trying to kill him, a mage. It was already a daunting situation with just Yuslan and Messiah, but with Grai jumping in as well, it was an incredibly perplexing predicament.

"Kyahahahaha. Look at the state of that mage. It’s an absolute masterpiece!"

"Thut up! Hiyah!"

"Ugh, aaaaaah!"

Along with Ashlanche’s scream, the mana barrier cracked and split. The castle wall that had been firmly holding up had already collapsed. Lawrence Crowley was struggling to cast Fly while gripping his staff.

"It’s truly astonishing. To think I’d see a demonic sword on the continent."

"Hand over your neck for my Thummon!"

"Hah. I can’t get used to it with you looking like that. But it’s still too early to hand over my neck..."

Just as he was gathering his mana again, the presence he felt from the south gate disappeared.

[Centrix has died.]

An old friend and a Transcendent he had spent decades with. The man who had always assisted Leopard and shared drinks with him had died. Lawrence Crowley stared at the south gate with a look of despair. Before he knew it, an Attacker was holding up Duke Centrix’s severed head, announcing his death.

"...This can’t be."

"Hehehe. Your friend is dead, so now it’s your turn. Hand over your neck quietly, mage!"

Ashlanche radiated Demonic Energy. Lawrence Crowley, staring blankly at the south gate, was thrown into a state of paralysis, facing the worst possible situation.

[The SS-rank Guardian, God of Balak Grai, has cast Dimension Rend.]

[A slash that cuts through dimensions is fired at the designated target.]

[Dimension Rend Usage Limit: 3/3]

Finally, the slash announcing his end was fired. His entire body was already completely immobilized by the Demonic Energy. However, he could still cast magic. Lawrence Crowley quickly gathered his mana, but soon let it subside with a bitter expression.

"Your Highness Leopard, I am sorr—"

And so, with the second Transcendent dying at the hands of Grai, Leon van Noah’s forces were reduced by half.