Henry took the lead atop his Mecha Cat and rushed toward the Border.
After several days of relentless travel, he finally arrived at Ismal.
The fortress city had changed greatly since his last visit. Only a few months had passed, yet the once lively military settlement now looked battered and exhausted. Large portions of the outer defenses had been damaged. Many watchtowers stood broken, and scorch marks covered sections of the walls. Everywhere Henry looked, he could see wounded soldiers being carried through the streets.
The vanguard forces that had once boldly ventured beyond the walls had nearly been wiped out.
Only the defensive army and the Stone Guards stood between the Demonic Beasts and the people of Ismal.
As soon as Henry arrived, the soldiers greeted him with relief. His achievements had spread throughout the kingdom. The Baron who restored Verna, the inventor of the Stone Guards, and the man who had repeatedly defeated impossible enemies had become a symbol of hope.
The exhausted soldiers looked at him as if salvation itself had arrived.
Without wasting time, Henry assumed command and headed directly toward the Great Wall.
The moment he stepped onto the battlements, the atmosphere changed.
The soldiers straightened their backs.
Their eyes regained some confidence.
Their commander had arrived.
Meanwhile, Irene and Princess Irwin finally reached Ismal Fortress.
The journey had been long and demanding. Irene, despite her usual endurance, appeared unusually tired.
When Irwin noticed this, she immediately ordered Irene to remain within the fortress.
"I can still fight," Irene protested.
"No," Irwin replied firmly.
"I came here for Henry."
"And I came here for the kingdom."
The sharpness in Irwin's voice caused Irene to pause.
After a moment of silence, Irwin revealed the true reason for her arrival.
"The assassin Kar has been sighted near the border."
Irene's expression changed instantly.
"The trail ends at Ismal. I have hidden agents operating throughout the region. I am here to personally oversee the search."
Kar.
The man who had murdered King Dan.
The man responsible for the Dark Day.
The hatred Irene carried toward him had never faded.
"Come with me," Irwin said.
"This is only a scouting mission. It is far safer than the battlefield."
Though unwilling, Irene eventually nodded.
She trusted Henry's strength.
For now.
On the Great Wall, the next wave of Demonic Beasts arrived exactly as predicted.
The ground trembled beneath thousands of charging feet.
Monstrous wolves, horned boars, twisted reptiles, and creatures whose names were unknown emerged from the distant forest.
Henry drew his sword.
"Open fire."
The Stone Guards moved first.
Massive bolts shot from the walls.
Explosions erupted among the approaching beasts.
The soldiers followed.
Arrows darkened the sky.
Cannons roared.
Within an hour, the assault had been repelled.
Cheers erupted from the wall.
The soldiers finally had two hours before the next wave.
Yet nobody celebrated for long.
Beyond the battlefield stood the true threat.
The Fiery Bear.
It was larger than a castle.
Its body radiated intense heat. Smoke escaped from its mouth with every breath. The massive wound carved across its side by Prince Max remained visible.
But it was healing.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
The beast had survived a battle against one of the kingdom's strongest warriors.
And now it was recovering.
Henry stared at it from atop the wall.
"We kill it now," he said.
The soldiers fell silent.
Many had watched Max fight the creature.
Many had watched him lose.
The very thought of confronting it again filled them with dread.
Two hours later, the next wave began.
And as expected, the Fiery Bear moved with it.
The gigantic beast advanced like a moving mountain.
Every step shook the earth.
Henry mounted his Mecha Cat.
The four Stone Guards assigned to him moved forward.
"Clear me a path."
The constructs obeyed instantly.
Their heavy attacks shattered the incoming beasts.
A road of destruction opened before Henry.
Without hesitation, he charged.
The Fiery Bear noticed him immediately.
Its burning eyes locked onto him.
Then it roared.
The sound alone knocked weaker beasts aside.
Henry launched himself into the air.
His sword descended with tremendous force.
The strike landed.
Yet the thick hide barely parted.
The monster retaliated instantly.
A colossal claw swept toward him.
Henry narrowly avoided the attack.
The shockwave alone blasted dozens of Demonic Beasts away.
The ground cracked beneath the impact.
Henry gritted his teeth.
It was far stronger than anything he had fought before.
The battle continued.
Again and again he attacked.
Again and again the beast resisted.
Minutes passed.
Then Henry noticed it.
The massive wound left by Max.
A deep scar running across the creature's side.
The only vulnerable point on its body.
"So that's where you struck..."
Henry whispered.
He gathered everything he had left.
Mana surged through his body.
The mechanisms within his bionic arm hummed violently.
Then he charged.
The Fiery Bear roared and lunged.
Henry met it head-on.
His sword pierced directly into the old wound.
The blade sank deep.
For the first time, the monster screamed.
A terrible cry echoed across the battlefield.
The giant beast staggered.
Blood mixed with flames erupted from the wound.
The ground shook.
Then the enormous body collapsed.
The Fiery Bear was dead.
For a brief moment, silence covered the battlefield.
Then cheers erupted from the walls.
The soldiers could scarcely believe what they had witnessed.
The monster that had nearly killed Prince Max had fallen.
But Henry could not celebrate.
His body was exhausted.
His arms trembled.
His vision blurred.
And around him stood thousands of Demonic Beasts.
The death of their leader only drove them into a frenzy.
They rushed toward him from every direction.
Henry fought desperately.
One.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
His sword continued to move.
Bodies piled around him.
Yet the enemies never stopped coming.
The wall was too far away.
The soldiers tried to reach him, but the sea of monsters blocked every path.
Henry attempted to retreat.
The beasts cut off every route.
His breathing became heavier.
His sword felt heavier.
Even standing became difficult.
The sounds around him slowly faded.
The battlefield became distant.
His consciousness began slipping away.
"So this is it..."
Then something moved.
A dark blur descended from the sky.
Red eyes glowed within the darkness.
A beast.
Unlike any Henry had ever seen.
It landed among the Demonic Beasts.
A single roar echoed across the battlefield.
The charging monsters froze.
Fear appeared in their eyes.
Fear.
The Demonic Beasts were afraid.
The mysterious creature lowered its body beside Henry.
Before he could react, it lifted him onto its back.
Then it leaped.
The beast crossed the battlefield with incredible speed.
The Demonic Beasts dared not pursue.
Soldiers atop the wall watched in stunned silence as the creature carried Henry directly toward the fortress.
The dark beast landed safely behind the defenses.
Its glowing red eyes swept across the soldiers.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then the creature looked down at the unconscious Henry.
A strange intelligence shone within its eyes.
As if it recognized him.
Henry returned safely