"Are you sure you can trust him?" Aldean asked.
They fell silent until the white-haired one answered, "I don't think it matters anymore. Whether we trust him or not, he's still going to do whatever he wants, and we have no way to refuse."
Even if they didn't want to admit it, they all knew the truth—who could stop him with power like that?
He was free to do as he pleased.
Did their wishes even matter anymore?
They were lucky he chose to help them rather than siding with the Demon King. Just imagining if he had been on the enemy's side… they would have all been dead by now.
"Is he really going to help?" Aldean asked again, uncertain.
The captain crossed her arms and looked toward the capital of the human kingdom. "Someone like him, someone with that much power, would obviously seek a worthy opponent. Why? Because he's bored. He craves action, something that will make his heart race with adrenaline. Even if it's not for the same reason as us, I'm certain he'll face the Demon King."
Hearing that explanation, they all went silent.
It made too much sense—especially since they had felt something similar at least once. That feeling of being so high above everything that nothing seemed interesting anymore.
Aldean understood it too.
He had felt the same thing not long ago.
He thought he had found an answer when he appeared, but instead, it left him feeling hopeless. The gap between them was vast—no matter how much he trained or struggled, the chance of even getting close was painfully small.
And yet, as much as he hated to admit it, he was somewhat grateful for his arrival.
Without him, Aldean might have believed he was already at the top and stopped pushing himself. But now? Now he wanted to train even harder.
At that moment, whatever gratitude he had shattered completely when he heard a scream—one all too familiar to their ears.
The heroes immediately turned toward the right side of the city, where thick clouds of dust rose, accompanied by a powerful tremor.
There was only one thing this could mean.
He had returned—bringing Cerno with him.
And in a way no one expected.
There he stood, hovering in the air, watching as Cerno struggled to rise from the massive crater below. "Come on, I'll give you a chance to restore your dignity. Don't disappoint me now."
Cerno clenched his fists tightly.
He chanted a spell, and a massive magic circle formed before him, nearly matching the size of the forbidden magic circles used by the heroes. From within, a giant arrow of light emerged, its sheer energy causing fierce winds to sweep across the battlefield.
The heroes and elves arrived to witness the fight, their eyes widening—yet again.
Cerno's magic was high-level, undoubtedly not weak. Though not as powerful as forbidden magic, it was still an extremely dangerous attack, capable of killing a wyvern in a single strike. A spell that required an immense amount of mana, something only a select few could wield.
"Take this!"
The arrow was launched, shooting forward like a comet streaking through the night sky.
Cerno knew this attack wouldn't kill him, but he hoped—at the very least—it would wound him, even if just a little.
But his hopes were shattered once more.
He didn't even dodge.
He simply stood there, raised his right hand, and stopped the arrow in its tracks. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, uprooting trees and pushing everything in its wake—but he remained completely unaffected.
"I have to admit, your attacks are much more interesting than Aldean's. Beautiful, really. Pleasing to the eye. But unfortunately, you're facing someone who beat all five of them to a pulp without even trying. So, you'll have to do better than this."
With that, he tossed the massive arrow into the air, leaped up, and kicked it straight back at Cerno. The moment it landed, Cerno barely managed to dodge, but the explosion behind sent him flying, carving yet another crater into the forest and illuminating the night sky for a brief moment.
His heart pounded. He had just barely escaped death.
Gritting his teeth, Cerno forced himself to stand—only to find him already in front. A single blow landed on his body, sending a bone-chilling pain through his entire being.
The spectators flinched, instinctively clutching themselves, haunted by memories of their own past pain. They could only pray for Cerno's survival.
It was as if he had been struck by the hammer of divine judgment.
That was the only way Cerno could describe the agony spreading through his body as he was hurled backward, crashing through dozens of trees before slamming into the ground, bouncing several times from the sheer force. Bones fractured—bones that should have been protected by magic.
Before he could even take a breath, he was already in front again, grinning the same way Cerno had once grinned when they first met.
He grabbed Cerno's collar, lifting him with ease, and teleported them both back to the battlefield. "No, no, it's not time for you to pass out yet. Don't worry, the elves are here. They can heal you. So there's no need to fear death."
Cerno never thought he would ever have this kind of thought.
But now, he felt like death would have been the better option.
"P-please..."
A sigh escaped him as he looked into Cerno's dull, lifeless blue eyes—the vibrant light that once burned within them completely gone.
And so, he let go, allowing Cerno to crash onto the ground. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, his body barely hanging on.
Without needing a command, the elves immediately rushed forward to heal him, while he turned to face the heroes, who were still trying to process everything they had just seen.
"He's the one, isn't he?"
They all nodded in unison.
"Let's hope my efforts pay off… or I'll have to take it from the five of you instead."