The End Of The Battle.

Convergent Form: Vanity Blade.

My single strike cleaved Rearvelt’s body clean in two. The battle against a formidable foe who wielded the power of God and could even “Reject” my attacks finally draws to a close—.

“Not… yet…” Rearvelt groaned.

“This guy…!”

Whether it was by the power of God or something else, despite his body being divided in half, he still has a faint breath left…?!

“Reach… to God’s side…”

Rearvelt raised both arms high into the air. A rainbow radiance escaped from his entire body, soaring upward as a small sphere of light.

Simultaneously, Rearvelt’s body dissolved into light particles like powdery snow and vanished. Then, the sphere of light that had left his hands disappeared beyond the sky of the Demon Realm in the blink of an eye. It was truly an instantaneous event.

“Lord Fried,” Stella murmured, looking up at me from my side.

“The power of God… it was carried away,” I muttered bitterly.

By defeating Rearvelt, the immediate crisis had passed. However, the conclusion was hard to call a total victory—.

Shion, one of the Sacred Edge, was facing off against Demon Army Commander Juda. He was a terrifying Magus-type demon who possessed magical energy equal to or greater than the Demon King class.

Shion had been pressed back throughout the battle. However, Shion had a trump card—the ultimate secret of the Xylas-style swordsmanship, which could cut through any magical energy.

“You seem to be aiming for something,” Juda smiled.

“Yeah. I’ll show you my ultimate secret technique.” Shion swung back his spear-type miraculous armament, Gabriel. “Ultimate Art—”

Just as he was about to unleash his trump card, he froze. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a shimmering, rainbow-colored light.

“What is that…?!”

A small sphere of light was soaring into the sky. From it, words echoed directly inside his head.

“Return, children of man.”

It was a solemn voice that exuded an aura of divinity.

“I cannot afford to lose you here.”

“Could this voice be—” Shion trembled with dread.

“Hurry and return to the surface alongside Ludmila and Fiore,” the voice continued.

A powerful sense of awe welled up inside him. It was only natural to feel its divinity. This voice belonged precisely to God Himself—.

Shion managed to escape from Juda’s presence and regrouped with Ludmila, Fiore, and the other heroes. And now, they were moving through the darkness. It was the subspace corridor connecting the Demon Realm and the human world.

Having heard the voice of God, the heroes had advanced to the outer fringes of the Demon Realm and were retracing the path they had originally come from. It signified a retreat to the human world. In other words, a rout.

“To think it would end in a result like this…” Shion bit his lip.

Out of the Hero Army that originally numbered over four hundred in total, the vast majority had been slaughtered by the Demon King’s army. Only about twenty individuals managed to survive. It was a crushing defeat.

“In the end, we’re fleeing back…” Ludmila bit her lip.

“It appears Lord Rearvelt has been slain,” Fiore hung her head.

According to reports, her beloved younger brother Elio had also been killed by the demons. This second hero invasion had ended in complete defeat. Even though during the previous invasion, they had defeated three Demon Army Commanders and even struck down the previous Demon King—.

“Even with all of us of the Sacred Edge gathered… what a bitter regret.” Shion bit his lip with frustration.

They were supposed to have come with the resolve to slay the Demon King in this battle and save the world from the threat of the demons. Having received training from angels and vastly increased their strength, they had never doubted their victory. Yet, that power—had been effortlessly struck down.

They had suffered heavy casualties. They had failed to achieve any significant results.

“But this isn’t the end.”

Even so, Shion’s will remained unbroken. No, it couldn’t afford to break. For the sake of the fallen heroes. To protect love and justice on the surface world. And also, for the sake of his own pride.

“Let’s lift our faces, you two.”

“Shion…”

“Shion-san…”

“Next time, we won’t lose. Absolutely,” Shion declared powerfully. “Absolutely…!”

Following the guidance of that “Voice,” next time, without fail—.