"One hundred percent?"
When Kurose Akira heard Idis declare that she had complete confidence in him, a flicker of surprise stirred in his chest.
"Don't just stand there spacing out—go already," Idis urged softly. "The White-Silk Saintess and I will deal with the Witch of the Night. Princess Vivian is yours."
"…Got it."
Akira nodded. Then he turned to the members of his guild and issued a clear command.
"Let's move."
"Mm."
Mare Rhine responded instantly. In the blink of an eye, her body expanded and twisted, transforming into her true form—a massive dragon.
One after another, the others leapt onto her back.
With a powerful beat of her wings, Mare shot into the sky, carrying them straight toward Princess Vivian's location.
Meanwhile, Idis and Winnieshan shifted their attention toward the Witch of the Night, who hovered at the center of the enormous magic array.
Idis turned to Winnieshan.
"Could you hold her off for a while? I need time to erase her night magic."
"Understood."
Winnieshan nodded without hesitation. Tightening her grip on the Holy Sword, she launched herself forward.
Her figure became a streak of light as she charged directly at the Witch of the Night.
As Akira rode Mare Rhine toward Vivian, the people below stared upward in astonishment.
"A dragon?! Why would a dragon suddenly appear in the Star Kingdom?"
"Is it reinforcements from the Dragon Holy Nation?"
"That must be it! Only the Dragon Holy Nation has the protection of dragons!"
"It's flying toward Princess Vivian!"
"As expected of the Dragon Holy Nation—they always show up at the critical moment!"
"..."
Meanwhile, the envoys of the Dragon Holy Nation themselves fell into awkward silence.
Did… they send a dragon?
No.
Definitely not.
Just as Akira's group was about to reach Vivian—
A group of Enforcement Knights suddenly rose into the air and blocked their path.
Among them, one knight stood out immediately.
She wore deep-blue armor, and an icy aura radiated from her entire body. Her level was astonishing—
Level 86.
Seeing this, Yvessa frowned in confusion.
"What are they thinking?"
"If they already know Princess Vivian has been corrupted by the Truth of the Night and plans to plunge the entire Star Kingdom into darkness… shouldn't they, as knights of the kingdom, rise up and resist?"
"Then why are they still protecting her?"
Her voice was filled with genuine bewilderment.
Akira himself wasn't entirely sure.
But a thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be… the Dominating Demon Eye?
"Because of the Dominating Demon Eye."
At that moment, a figure appeared beside Mare Rhine.
It was the demigod-level Star Knight—Aremos.
Suspended in the air through wind magic, he explained grimly,
"The Dominating Demon Eye has been strengthened by the power of the stars. The knights who once swore loyalty to Princess Vivian are now completely under its control."
"Even I was affected. I've only been able to resist by relying on the power of my domain."
"So it really is the Dominating Demon Eye…"
Akira narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.
Besides the powerful Ice Knight, there were over thirty Star Knights above level fifty.
If he wanted to reach Vivian, he would have to break through their defensive line first.
"…Not sure if this will work."
Akira exhaled slowly.
Then—
His left eye erupted with dazzling light.
He decided to test whether his Counter Demon Eye could cancel the Dominating Demon Eye's control.
The moment the ability activated—
A searing pain stabbed through his eye.
It felt as though his eyeball might burst apart.
But in the next instant—
The effect appeared.
The knights who had been firmly under the Dominating Demon Eye's control suddenly clutched their heads in agony.
They could still move.
But their combat strength dropped dramatically.
The most critical moment came when the Counter Demon Eye's power brushed across Aremos.
The oppressive influence of the Dominating Demon Eye on him weakened instantly.
Before, he had been forced to rely entirely on his domain just to resist the control, leaving him unable to assist Akira.
Now—
A portion of his strength had returned.
"You brat… you have a Demon Eye too?!"
Aremos stared at Akira with open shock.
In his memories, witch successors were almost always female.
Although male witches had existed historically, those men inevitably transformed into women under the influence of the witch's power.
But Akira…
Showed no signs of that transformation at all.
"…Can you help me?"
Akira asked directly.
He knew that with their current strength, breaking through the knights' defense would be nearly impossible.
But with the help of a demigod-level Star Knight—
Things might change.
"Kid, you have ten seconds."
Aremos didn't waste words.
He immediately activated the power of his domain.
An orange radiance burst into existence in the night sky, swirling around him.
Gradually, the light condensed into the form of a winged warhorse.
"Listen carefully."
Aremos mounted the horse and spoke in a grave tone.
"If you fail to stop the Truth of the Night released by Princess Vivian within ten seconds… I won't be able to resist the Dominating Demon Eye any longer."
"And when that happens… I'll become your enemy."
He intended to use what little strength remained to open a path for Akira.
If the attempt failed—
He would once again be forced to fight against them.
"…Understood."
Akira nodded solemnly.
His eyes locked onto Princess Vivian, who was tightly protected behind the knights.
She was curled up within the shadows of the night.
Only faint specks of starlight revealed her location—guiding Akira's path forward.
"Get ready."
"Mm."
"Follow me!"
Aremos snapped the reins.
The winged warhorse let out a thunderous neigh, then shot forward like a bolt of lightning, charging straight toward the knights' defensive formation.
"Rhine, follow!"
Akira issued the command immediately.
Mare Rhine surged forward behind Aremos's mount, preparing to break through the opening.
Faced with Aremos's charge, the knights hesitated internally.
None of them truly wished to oppose him.
But under the control of the Dominating Demon Eye, they had no choice but to stand firm before Princess Vivian and resist the attack of a demigod-level warrior.
"Starfall Meteor!"
Aremos roared.
His warhorse burst with blinding brilliance.
A violent shockwave of magical power erupted outward like a falling meteor, slamming into the knight formation.
The impact was devastating.
In a single moment, the Star Knights were blasted dozens of meters away.
Although none were fatally injured, they were temporarily unable to rise.
"Now!"
Aremos shouted.
Akira immediately urged Mare Rhine forward.
In just two or three seconds—
He reached Princess Vivian.
But just as he was about to touch her—
The Ice Knight silently appeared on Mare Rhine's back.
Her sword instantly froze into razor-sharp ice as it thrust toward Akira's heart.
Akira's pupils contracted.
He twisted his body slightly, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.
But the icy blade pursued him relentlessly, stabbing again.
At that critical moment—
Roselyn stepped forward without hesitation, placing herself directly in front of Akira.
Her soul body erupted with brilliant starlight, and all of her magic power condensed instantly.
"Unlimited Sword Creation!"
In an instant, Roselyn activated her domain.
The Ice Knight—Binglan—was forcibly dragged into that world.
"A domain?!"
The moment Binglan was pulled into the Unlimited Sword Creation domain, the influence of the Dominating Demon Eye vanished.
Yet her shock only deepened.
This knight possessed a domain?
Her crystalline blue eyes locked onto Roselyn.
She was certain the woman had not yet reached demigod level.
Which meant—
A born saint?
But before her thoughts could settle—
Roselyn had already attacked.
Dozens of Oath Swords erupted into existence, streaking toward Binglan like flashing blades of light.
"Wait!"
Binglan tried to explain that she had already broken free of the Dominating Demon Eye.
But Roselyn's speed—enhanced by the [Lightning Flash] trait—was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye she was already in front of Binglan.
Her sword fell.
"So fast!"
A flash of shock passed through Binglan's clear blue eyes.
She couldn't believe someone could move this quickly.
And yet—
The opponent wore Enforcement Knight armor and wielded an Oath Sword.
For a moment Binglan felt deeply confused.
Who exactly was this person?
Among the hundred Star Knights, when had someone this powerful appeared?
Akira had no time to worry about Binglan inside Roselyn's domain.
He had no choice but to trust Roselyn.
His gaze snapped forward again—
Toward Princess Vivian.
Ten seconds.
I have to hurry.
Yet Vivian was now surrounded by a dense wall of black mist, like an invisible barrier blocking the way forward.
At that moment—
Lucia raised the Sun Scepter in her hand.
Blazing sunlight burst forth like spears, piercing through the darkness.
The surrounding black fog evaporated instantly.
"Now!"
Akira seized the fleeting opportunity.
He leapt forward.
Smack!
Landing in front of Vivian, he didn't bother with gentleness or restraint.
He swung his arm and delivered a loud slap across the princess's delicate cheek.
At the moment his palm made contact—
The Counter Demon Eye exploded with radiant golden light.
At the same time, Vivian's Dominating Demon Eye flared like a star in the night sky.
"Su—Su… Akira?!"
As Vivian regained consciousness, the first thing she saw was Kurose Akira standing before her.
Fear and surprise mixed in her eyes, leaving her unable to express her emotions clearly.
At the same time…
Her cheek felt warm.
Strangely warm.
Her heart even skipped a beat.
"…Did it work?"
Akira glanced at his hand.
He hadn't expected the Counter Demon Eye to be so effective.
Just a single touch had completely erased the Truth of the Night.
No wonder they call it the Witch Slayer.
Meanwhile, the surrounding black fog began to dissipate.
The world slowly returned to its original colors.
The monsters born from the night vanished one after another.
People who had been trembling in fear began to smile in relief.
"Is it… over?"
"Did someone stop the Witch of the Night's plan?"
"Who did it?"
"Holy hell! My adventurer almost got eaten! Whoever beat the witch—I'm calling him my godfather!"
"..."
Everyone looked toward Princess Vivian, eager to see who their savior was.
But at that moment—
The King of the Star Kingdom let out a sinister laugh.
"This time… the ritual gathered two infusions of star power."
"Everything… has only just begun."
"Not good!"
Idis, who was fighting the Witch of the Night, heard the king's words.
A trace of tension flashed across her face.
Through Yvessa, she immediately sent a warning to Akira.
"Akira! Be careful! There's a second star infusion!"
"A second infusion?"
Akira frowned.
Yvessa herself blinked in confusion.
Why had she suddenly said something like that?
But in that brief moment of distraction—
The second beam of star power crashed down.
Straight toward Vivian.
"AHHH!"
Vivian screamed as the power poured into her body.
At the same time, the black fog that had been fading suddenly surged again.
It gathered at terrifying speed—
And swallowed her completely.
In the blink of an eye—
The fog transformed into the shape of a colossal woman nearly one hundred meters tall.
Her entire body was formed from black mist.
Yet the details were astonishingly vivid.
She wore intricate armor forged from darkness.
Every line was exquisitely crafted.
In her hands she held two pitch-black greatswords, radiating the chilling aura of night.
"What the hell is that?!"
"It looks like a giant beautiful girl!"
"Whoa… that's actually kind of cool!"
"Damn it! The polluted magic they collected triggered the second star blessing!"
"That's a Valkyrie form! Only Valkyries possess that power!"
"Wait—there's a second phase?!"
"..."
The crowd was stunned.
No one had expected the second infusion of star power to push Princess Vivian directly into Valkyrie Form.
The moment the Valkyrie appeared—
Dark mist spread again, plunging the entire world into darkness.
No monsters appeared this time.
But everyone's vision was completely blocked.
"Damn it! I can't see anything!"
"What happened?! Why is it pitch black?!"
"Who turned off the lights?!"
"..."
Amid the chaos—
Only Kurose Akira, relying on the Counter Demon Eye, could still see clearly.
Through the darkness, he watched Valkyrie Vivian spread her black wings.
She was preparing to fly into the sky.
A thick layer of black fog still surrounded her, making it impossible for even demigods to see what lay inside.
"…Valkyrie form?"
Akira's vision locked onto her.
Information immediately appeared.
[Vivian (?)]Level: ? (?/?)Race: ValkyrieStrength: ? | Agility: ? | Magic: ? | Constitution: ?Growth: ? (Each level grants ? to all attributes)Skills: (Expand)Traits: [Valkyrie (Pseudo)], [Truth of Night (Pseudo)]Status: [Instability (Sun)]
"All question marks…"
Akira frowned deeply.
He hadn't expected Vivian to transform into a Valkyrie after receiving two star infusions.
But the Instability (Sun) status gave him a sliver of hope.
Sunlight can break her Valkyrie form.
However—
When Akira looked up at the hundred-meter-tall giantess, he couldn't help but feel doubtful.
His own sun power…
Seemed almost insignificant against a body that large.
"…Wait."
Suddenly Akira turned toward Mare Rhine.
An idea sparked in his mind.
Vivian wasn't the only one with a Valkyrie form.
His side had one too.
"Mare Rhine—lend me your power!"
Akira shouted.
"Human! To crave my power is a virtue!"
Mare Rhine laughed proudly.
"Then allow you to experience what true destruction feels like!"
The moment she finished speaking—
Brilliant crimson light erupted from both Mare Rhine and Akira.
Blazing flames of destruction roared to life.
Their bodies fused together instantly.
Even Lucia and the others vanished from the dragon's back.
As the crimson radiance faded—
Akira's form had completely changed.
He now stood as a hundred-meter-tall half-dragon, towering above the royal palace of the Star Kingdom.
The people below looked like ants from his perspective.
More than that—
He could feel the Holy Light within him wrapped tightly in dragon-scale armor, pounding violently as if trying to break free.
He had never felt such power before.
Mare Rhine's Valkyrie form had amplified the brilliance of the sunlight by more than a hundred times.
The power of the sun had reached its absolute peak.
As for Mare Rhine, Lucia, and the others?
At that moment—
They were standing inside Akira's soul space, staring at one another in confusion.
"Why are you all here?"
Mare Rhine asked, puzzled.
She couldn't understand why merging with Akira had dragged Lucia and the others into this place as well.
"We were about to ask you the same thing," Lucia replied curiously, looking around.
She could sense that her physical body was currently sleeping within Akira's heart, while her soul had arrived in this strange space.
"Well obviously that's because I gave my power to that guy!" Mare Rhine declared proudly.
"I've boosted his body to rival that of a dragon! That's the bond between us!"
Lucia: "?"
Beiyafli & Fuluo: "Wow! Miss Rhine is amazing!"
"I may not fully understand the bond between Miss Rhine and Mr. Akira~"
Yvessa said with a gentle smile.
"But one thing I do know~"
"Mr. Akira is really big right now~"
"So how exactly… are we supposed to pray?"