In the blink of an eye, as they traveled, on the third day, they crossed the border of the Dawn Empire and stepped onto the territory of the Tortoise Kingdom.
Here, Takeru and the others encountered many citizens of the Tortoise Kingdom migrating towards the Dawn Empire.
Seeing the Dawn Empire's knight order, these ordinary commoners stood nervously at the side, letting Takeru and the others pass.
Looking at these nervous yet hopeful citizens, Takeru didn't greet them. He just had the knights proceed at a normal speed towards a city in the Tortoise Kingdom.
Their assembly point was where the Spirit Tortoise was heading. They would have two or three days to prepare there.
In the evening, while resting in the house, Filo suddenly received a communication from Fitoria.
"Yes? Master? Yes, we're here!"
"We've already entered the Tortoise Kingdom. Eh, let me ask... Master, Fitoria asks if we're going to find the Spirit Tortoise." Soon, Filo smiled and looked at Takeru.
"Filo, are you talking to Fitoria?" Watching Filo talk to herself, Raphtalia asked with surprise.
"Yes. I don't know why, but I can hear her voice." Hearing this, Filo said naively. The strand on her head kept spinning, like a special antenna.
Meanwhile, in the sanctuary, Fitoria sat on a giant apple tree, slowly nibbling a White Apple, her little feet swinging. The Recycling Slime obediently stayed in her arms.
"Filo, tell Takeru for me. Explain the Spirit Tortoise's purpose. And this is a choice: to side with humans or abandon them..."
This time, contacting Filo, Fitoria wanted to ask Takeru's intention.
Although Takeru was about to leave this world, which side Takeru chose to protect the world, Fitoria would assist him.
As for which side, Takeru naturally chose the human side. Although for Takeru, this world was just a passing visitor, the traces he left and the friends he made here were not false. Moreover, this was the hometown of Raphtalia and Rifana.
So, with all this, Takeru didn't want it to be completely destroyed after he left.
And most importantly, with everyone's increased strength, protecting humanity and the world wouldn't be too dangerous.
"Is that so? I see. Also, this Spirit Tortoise seems to be controlled by someone. You must kill it." Hearing Takeru's answer, Fitoria nodded softly and spoke to Filo again. Filo directly conveyed her words to Takeru.
...
Soon, it was the next morning. Takeru and the others set off again for the Tortoise Kingdom city where they would gather. Along the way, passing through a city that hadn't been destroyed yet, they saw it was very desolate. All the people were carrying luggage and families, ready to flee at any moment.
The guards, seeing the Dawn Empire's flag, quickly came before Takeru and the others, kneeling on one knee to welcome them.
After all, Takeru and the others were here to support, and they had a clear sense of their own position.
The city's citizens also saw Takeru and the others' large, well-trained army.
Esdeath, Diablo, and a few others riding flying dragons in the air looked very strong and reliable.
"That's the... Dawn Empire? Strange, is there such a country?" An ordinary citizen looked puzzled at the pattern on the flag.
"Shh, lower your voice. These knights look far from simple. And I heard the Dawn Empire is actually the former Kingdom of Melromarc, just taken over."
"Most importantly, the emperor of the Dawn Empire is the Sword Hero, and he quickly reformed the country. Life there is great now. Actually, I've been planning to move to the Dawn Empire for a while." Hearing the first person's question, a man beside him whispered, his expression full of longing.
With a merchant friend, the man knew many things. Especially the Dawn Empire's rapid development and comprehensive policies had attracted large numbers of merchants, adventurers, and ordinary people.
It's like that Dawn Empire had a special magic. Basically, anyone who lived there for a while wouldn't think of leaving.
Safe, comfortable, vibrant. As long as you worked hard, you could basically live well. Being frugal could easily support a family of three.
With a bit of luck or some ability, if you were valued, you could easily live a wonderful life you wouldn't have dared imagine before.
"Hey, hey, is that true?" Hearing the man's words and seeing his longing expression, several people around looked at him with surprise.
"Hmph, why would I lie? And they have an identity certificate system. As long as you pass the test, you can officially join the Dawn Empire as a true citizen, enjoying many benefits. Jobs are also easy to find, and the treatment is good!"
"I was afraid to go alone because of the dangers. But now, with the Spirit Tortoise already reaching the capital, it's not safe here much longer. Taking this opportunity, I'm leaving this country. And have you felt how strong their knights are? It must be very safe there. So, let's all go join the Dawn Empire together."
The man spoke, looking expectantly at the people around him. Compared to going alone, having more people as companions would provide a greater sense of security.
"Well..." Hearing the man's words, the people around showed eager expressions.
"I'll go. If it's really as good as you say, then I don't care about the stuff here." At this moment, someone responded. Soon, more and more people joined.
Takeru and the others naturally perceived the conversation over there but didn't mind. They just quickly passed through the city, led by the Tortoise Kingdom's guard leader.
With the Dawn Empire's development and the fueling of many merchants, it was very natural for the Dawn Empire's reputation to spread out.
Takeru was also very clear that this would later attract many thieves seeking to steal the results. But if these thieves dared to reach out to the Dawn Empire, the empire's knights would show them what regret meant.
Shortly after entering the city, everyone saw a large number of monsters charging towards them. Through this world's panel, Takeru clearly saw these monsters were the Spirit Tortoise's familiars.
Besides the previously encountered bat-type monsters, there were also monkey or ape-like monsters, or more accurately, yeti-like monsters.
"Ah!" Seeing these monsters arrive, the ordinary citizens screamed. Many who were closer were already attacked.
"Your Majesty Sword Hero, please help us!" Seeing the large number of monsters, the knight captain of this city quickly knelt on one knee, begging Takeru and the others.
He knew very well that the force stationed in this city was not enough to defeat the numerous monsters.
"Supporting you is exactly why we came. All knights, prepare for battle! Prioritize protecting the citizens and your own safety!" Stepping out of the carriage, Takeru quickly shouted to everyone.
"Yes!" A synchronized voice soon echoed through the entire city. Then, the knights quickly acted, quickly hunting the familiars and saving many people.
Takeru, looking at the large number of bat familiars and yeti familiars rapidly approaching, flew forward. After putting some distance, he slowly raised the arm holding his Holy Sword.
"Sun Breathing: Twelfth Form, Flame Dance!" Speaking softly, Takeru swung his hand forward at extreme speed.
Accompanied by a dazzling flame, a giant cross-shaped flame sword energy appeared and flew directly at the many familiars in the air.
The powerful flame sword energy turned any familiar it touched to ash. Even familiars not directly hit, just by being close, caught fire and quickly perished.
Watching Takeru easily reduce the dense monsters by almost half with a single strike, the Tortoise Kingdom's knight captain swallowed nervously. It was truly terrifying.
Most importantly, looking at Takeru's demeanor, he knew this terrifying move was not his strongest attack...
After doing this, Takeru returned to the carriage. The remaining tasks could be handled by the empire's knights, Raphtalia, and the others.
In less than ten minutes, all remaining familiars were also completely wiped out.