Captain Sun of the knight order had lived a long time for the Kingdom of Enya.

Even back then, Sun had been called an unprecedented genius, the object of many knights’ admiration.

But before Commander Luxiu, Sun was nothing but a greenhorn.

Even though they shared the same name of “knight,” Luxiu was someone of a different order.

Yes—just as other knights admired Sun—

I also admired Sir Luxiu.

Luxiu was that incredible a person.

Maybe even more than King Brad back then.

And after a long time passed, he met Luxiu again.

Commander...!

Knight Sun and the forces there were delighted.

The one they had admired!

The undefeated knight who never lost!

But then some lord showed up.

Seeing him, Sun and the troops couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

That thing was keeping Sir Luxiu with him?

Unbelievable. He thought someone like that could hold Sir Luxiu?

A mere noble who isn’t even a king?

In a nation, the number of nobles living within it easily exceeded two thousand.

And yet some mere lord said it.

That Luxiu didn’t belong there.

It looked pathetic.

A lord who at best could probably command one or two thousand soldiers.

And he was swaggering around, relying only on the favor of having returned the lesser demon Luxiu to being human.

So they snickered and mocked him.

No matter how many troops you bring, nothing changes.

Enya was, without question, a kingdom.

Its population was small now, but it wasn’t so weak that it would be shaken by some lord.

But now—

“.......”

Sun couldn’t believe the scene spread out before his eyes.

Around the Kingdom of Enya was dark as pitch. So when lamps lit, they shone brighter than anywhere.

FWOOSH—!

FWOOSH—!

FWOOSH—!

The lamps that began to ignite one by one burst into flame in the tens of thousands at once.

The light rising from those lamps began to blanket the entire Kingdom of Enya.

THOOM!

THOOM!

THOOM!

THOOM!

And the enormous great army advancing from the rear was split into two camps.

One emblem bore the crest of Goyard—Hyunsoo’s side.

What country is that?

And there was another country as well, with dignity and momentum that did not yield to Goyard in the slightest.

Banners with an emblem of a small World Tree.

No—more than that, what Sun couldn’t believe even more—

That’s impossible.

He had never seen it, never even heard of it.

Only kings could move an army of this scale.

It wasn’t something a mere lord could move.

Yes, by ordinary common sense, that was true.

But Hyunsoo was, in name, a descendant of a king—and the hero who saved a nation.

And he was the one who had made food abundant in a nation that had once been overflowing with hunger.

And he was someone who had built countless connections and walked the path of a Holy Lord.

That’s right—someone who walked the path of a Holy Lord.

The kingly aspect—having the power to unify an entire continent—was revealing itself now, even if only in a tiny part.

There was something else that flustered Sun and the knights even more.

“KRAHHHHHHHHH—!”

“Kihyeeeeeek!”

Grotesque soldiers {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} planted in one position and advancing.

They were clearly beings who lived in Hell.

“Hiii...!”

“No way—why are humans and the Hell army together?”

It was a scene too irrational.

How could people of the human world and beings of Hell join forces?

As Sun stood shaken by the advance of that great army, Hyunsoo’s voice struck into him.

“You said you’d hold back, right?”

Sun swallowed hard.

He had said, “We’re holding back out of respect for Sir Luxiu’s face.”

In that moment, an immense pressure wrapped around Sun and the hundreds of thousands of troops.

Just yesterday, they had watched Hyunsoo—crushed by the Blood King and their pressure—unable to even speak properly.

[Overwhelm]

But now—the pressure pouring off Hyunsoo.

And as they watched him wearing a brown coat, commanding a one million-strong army, they were seized by enormous fear.

“Don’t hold back. I’m not planning to hold back either.”

[You are afflicted with Overwhelm (status ailment).]

[You are afflicted with Fear (status ailment).]

[You are afflicted with Fear (status ailment).]

Before the one million-strong army, they couldn’t draw their bows, and they couldn’t move.

Their spirit had been broken by that overwhelming presence.

As the attack finally began, soldiers on the walls started getting swept away.

*****

“It worked.”

Sword Duke Lysen wore a face full of admiration.

This “success” was in making the Enya army panic first.

The Enya army’s morale had plummeted under the might of the one million-strong army, and they were running around in confusion.

So a large portion of their forces were being swept away at high speed.

The funny thing was: both Goyard and the Kingdom of Praham had only sent one hundred thousand troops each.

The army actually being operated was only two hundred thousand.

But to the enemy, it felt like a one million-strong army.

“Light revealed in darkness ultimately confuses the eye. A brilliant idea.”

The one who planned it was Hyunsoo.

He had aimed for the darkest hour.

Of course, even so—could he make two hundred thousand look like one million?

That was impossible.

Unless there was some arbitrary power involved.

“An incredible man...”

And Lysen was stunned, seeing the one who possessed that kind of power.

The Hell army mixed among the humans.

Their numbers were small, but each one could match a knight-class opponent—enough that the force was equivalent to twenty thousand troops.

Even more impressive was the power possessed by the ruler of Hell, Asura.

They also had a power that could create illusions.

With those illusions, they pasted an illusionary eight hundred thousand behind the two hundred thousand, making it look like a true one million-strong army.

The effect was tremendous.

Because the Enya army’s morale broke, weakening them by about 20%.

But it wasn’t all good.

“...I don’t even know if those things are truly soldiers.”

Hyunsoo agreed with Lysen.

The Enya army’s level was higher than a normal kingdom’s army.

And compared to the same level, they had much higher defense and much higher total HP.

Hyunsoo recalled the demonic power he had felt at the Blood King’s fingertip.

We’ll know if we check.

Hyunsoo said to Lysen,

“All forces will strike the Enya army from long range. We have to minimize Praham and Goyard’s losses.”

One of the reasons those two nations had joined was a partial justification.

This is a method we can only use this one time.

Hyunsoo would never again be able to borrow their armies.

Sharing the World Tree.

It was receiving repayment for the favor he had once given as the hero of that prior battle.

And because it wasn’t his army—only borrowed—he had to end it with minimal losses. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

“What will you do now?”

“I have to meet the Blood King.”

Lysen looked puzzled.

Meet the Blood King without sending the army in?

But as he saw Hyunsoo shoot up into the sky, Lysen understood.

...He’s going to break through alone?

Lysen’s heart pounded.

It was proof that Hyunsoo now trusted his own strength that much.

Lysen closed his eyes.

On the walls, behind the walls, and in every direction—an enormous force would block Hyunsoo.

*****

“...He was a crazy bastard.”

Captain Sun’s honest impression.

The eyes of the soldiers and knights filling the walls locked onto Hyunsoo.

At a moment when not a single enemy soldier had climbed onto the walls—

Count Hyunsoo appeared, wearing a brown coat, a long massive greatsword slung over one shoulder.

Sun realized it.

Hyunsoo intended to advance as-is and go to where the Blood King was.

It was an irrational idea.

Even if he pierced straight through, it was an army of over fifty thousand.

Especially—Sun believed Hyunsoo had already noticed it.

“...He should know we have power unlike ordinary soldiers.”

For more than hundreds of years—

No humans had been born in the Kingdom of Enya anymore.

So it should have fallen.

But for a long time, they had lived.

Then, under the moonlight, their true forms were revealed.

[The Enya army reveals the appearance of demonkin.]

That was it.

The reason they had been able to survive until now—because they had become demonkin.

DING!

[You have discovered a new species.]

[Demonkin are half-human, half-demon beings who accepted demonic power.]

[You acquire Fame 200.]

[You acquire Overwhelm 50.]

A new species always carried a specialness different from humans.

[Various things humans used, such as sword arts, magic, and skills, are downgraded.]

[Basic attack and defense greatly increase.]

[They inherited the blood of a combat species. Reflexes and attack level, etc., are superior to ordinary humans.]

[The Enya army’s level is updated!]

[Blood King’s Captain Sun Lv.528]

Including Captain Sun, everyone’s level rose by at least 25.

The opponents Hyunsoo had to face had become far stronger than before.

Sun let out a sneer.

“Even if you brought a one million-strong army, once the commander dies, all momentum breaks.”

Sun exhaled, pouring out his boiling power.

“Do you not know powerful strength writhes inside my body?”

Hyunsoo frowned.

“...Did your mouth turn demonkin too? You sound like some Black Flame Dragon.”

What was a Black Flame Dragon?

Yeah—through Hyunsoo’s eyes, it felt exactly like that.

Hundreds of thousands of demonkin soldiers were cackling “Heh heh heh,” unable to contain their power, making your hands and feet curl with embarrassment.

Then a quest triggered.

DING!

[Hidden Quest: Purification]

Grade: S

Restriction: One who fights the Kingdom of Enya

Reward: EXP x3, you may be able to accept the purified.

Penalty on failure: Purification failure.

Description: The people of the Kingdom of Enya were turned into demonkin by the Blood King, who sold his soul to demon Gremory. However, many did not want it. If you kill them, the demonkin power will peel away and they will be purified.

Seeing it, Hyunsoo was impressed.

An unexpected gain...

Hyunsoo had needed to bring in the maximum possible forces for the Great Atlas War in three weeks.

And these demonkin—when they died—would be purified and become human.

Humans like that would, in all likelihood, lose their place to go.

Where would those who lost their place go?

...This country.

Hyunsoo looked around.

The people here.

And—

The knights and soldiers here.

It meant they could become his people.

And maybe—

This Sun guy isn’t evil—maybe he’s actually a decent person...

“...I’ll tear you to shreds and throw you to dogs as feed.”

...Maybe not.

Either way, for Hyunsoo, it became a new opportunity. Even he hadn’t expected them to reveal their true colors so quickly.

Fast, tough-looking, and strong-looking.

The great army on the walls charged only at Hyunsoo.

“Hit him!”

“Kill him!”

Hyunsoo, facing fifty thousand alone, twisted his lips.

“Good. I prefer it.”

He preferred it—before opponents that had become even tougher?

Then Hyunsoo shouted.

“Friend, help me!”

The demonkin were dumbfounded.

Friend—help?

Hyunsoo had once obtained a one-time-use “Friend, help me” skill.

This was invoking it.

And the name of the friend who arrived late—

[Saint Aria appears!]

[The greatest good lights the world.]

The greatest good.

From below the walls, she spread divine wings, flew up above Hyunsoo, and bestowed buffs.

[Attack power against evil increases by 70%, and defense increases by 40%.]

Then she handed Hyunsoo the sword she had been holding in one hand.

Hyunsoo put the Twin Dragon Sword into his inventory and tightly gripped that sword.

GRIP—!

[It is a holy relic of the Ares Church.]

[You have equipped the Sain Sword.]

[Saint’s aura flows.]

[Attack and defense against evil increase irrationally!]

Everything is ready. How much can I cut down?

Today, Hyunsoo would annihilate all evil.