For now, it was best to stop Van from engaging in the battle and help him suppress his aura. Cadel knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier.

In order to repulse the monsters pursuing Lumen, even a little more power was desperately needed. The rolling situation was too bad to exclude Van from the force without any regrets.

So, for now, just until they dealt with all the monsters in front of them. Let’s borrow his power.

“Van! Minimize the use of aura! Don’t lose your mind!”

Van, on the verge of a rampage, executed Yaksha-like movements, slaughtering enemies indiscriminately. Perhaps he had been ordered to reduce his use of aura, or perhaps he was using pure swordsmanship against the creatures, but it was just as brutal.

With one sweep of his heavy greatsword, he decapitated five or six monsters in one fell swoop, then turned his blade upright and charged at the huddled masses. He crushed the fallen horde of monsters, crushing them to death.

Blood and flesh spilled wherever he passed. It was a different, more animalistic approach to combat than his usual method of using his greatsword to cleanly cut down his enemies.

Cadel’s eyes never left the unstable Van, even as he fanned the flames relentlessly. The flow of blackened aura grew rougher as time passed. The turbidity was ominous.

It was something Lydon felt, too, and he stepped closer to Cadel, keeping his eyes on the rampaging Van.

“Van is Cadel’s precious human, right?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“When I killed Van, which was an illusion, in the Forest of Enchantment, you were so angry. Weren’t you angry because he was precious to you?”

“....That’s not what’s important right now.”

Van had been with him since he first opened his eyes to this world. How could he not be precious? Too precious. It pained him to have to use Van.

After a moment of silence, Lydon jerked his chin toward Van.

“He’d better stop using aura, even if it means knocking him out. It’s not a concentration that humans can tolerate.”

“I know that, but for now.....”

The corpses of monsters filled the area and monsters emerged from the pile of corpses. In order to stop the movement of those who desperately ran to find the core, it was necessary to maintain the position without a single member missing.

Neither the Lydon nor Cadel himself had been able to reserve their full power. The relentless march had revealed limitations that even a 7-star magician could not compensate for, and even victory over the monster legion would not be the end of it.

If one saved strength, one must draw that much power from another. It was impossible. This was a fierce battlefield where you couldn’t even try to relax.

He had no choice.

“The necklace, take it off.”

Lydon said quietly. Cadel hesitated and turned his head, a sideways look of indecision on his face.

“Taking it off won’t restore your powers. It will only make you more visible to your enemies.....”

“I know, I know, but the wings are coming back, right?”

“Wings....?”

“Fight to the death, but don’t die. That’s what you told everyone, right? So let me help you.”

Because Cadel is my precious human being.

With a light chuckle, Lydon touched the pendant on his necklace.

“I have a spell I can try, and if it works, those monsters will be incapacitated for a while, but at least there won’t be any need for Van’s power.”

Cadel alternated between Lydon’s misaligned pupils and Van’s darkening aura.

If the magic spell succeeded, the monsters would be incapacitated. It meant that the magic spell Lydon was trying to use was a technique that could succeed only when he exceeded his limits even after pouring all of his current mana.

‘....Lydon has already been pushed hard enough.’

He had fought too many battles with his power sealed. Enough to push himself to the very limits. He was fighting to the death.

‘However.’

It was the same for Van, who single-handedly fended off the swarming monsters like a swarm of ants. Even though it was far beyond his capabilities, he forced his power to protect his allies, willing to die for them.

Even now, he was holding out for his allies in the face of overwhelming odds.

‘What a shitty situation like this.’

Cadel clenched his hands, which were shaking from the excessive use of mana.

No matter how strong he became, it was impossible to get through a crisis on his own. He realized this fact time and time again, but the sensation was always unpleasant.

The indescribable feeling of dragging his comrades to their deaths to win.

Once again, Cadel was forced to make a painful choice. Snatching up Lydon’s collar, he spoke softly.

“Please.”

Instead of answering, Lydon gave his usual mischievous grin.

Cadel was his chosen one. Cadel had made an unprecedented promise to ‘show him the world’, and for as long as possible. He wanted him to remain an unbroken, entertaining human being. He wanted to eliminate everything that could break him.

So, now was the time to show off his skills, even if he was overdoing it a little.

“Haha! As expected, the air above is clear!”

The figure of the young boy was nowhere to be seen. Standing before Cadel was a hulking man of over 190cm, a pair of wings growing from his back, glistening beautifully in the light.

Lydon, still showing off his angelic beauty despite his grown body, squeezed both of Cadel’s cheeks. Cadel’s expression was serious, but the appearance of his face, barely protruding from being hidden by Lydon’s large hands, was not very threatening.

Lydon said, his eyes twinkling at the sight.

“Hold on, Cadel. I’ll show you something fun.”

His long thumb gently caressed Cadel’s cheek. Finally, out of habit, he kissed Cadel’s head, and with that touch, he flew up into the sky.

From above, the village was devastated. Smoke billowing from every crumbling house. Gaps in the barrier, piled high with the troll’s arms and monsters’ corpses, and pools of blood.

It was a full-fledged battlefield. It was a shame he couldn’t use his full power. He would have been much happier if his powers weren’t sealed.

‘Well, it’s fun to have a life-and-death fight like this.’

Laughing hysterically, he bit down hard on his thumb, blood pooling over the flesh that had been ripped away by his uncontrollable force. Ignoring the stinging pain, he rubbed the dampness on his other thumb and extended both hands toward the ground.

Red eyes glittered behind crinkled lids.

“I never thought I’d use this. As expected, following Cadel is the right choice.”

The spell he chose was [Flower Blizzard].

It was a secret technique passed down only to the successors of the Fairy Tribe.