It had to be noted that timing the Grandmaster spell—Magnitude—to activate after singing a specific song was only effective on the first night.
The cycle wasn’t consistent each night, and with the Thirteen Eclipses, six of which weren’t even visible, timing became impossible as conditions shifted continuously.
Margaret, however, had been waiting every night.
“….”
Waiting to see if she would hear him sing again.
That moment had truly taken her aback, and the image of Vanitas Astrea singing had imprinted itself in her mind like a memory she would never forget.
It wasn’t his mezzo-soprano voice or the technique he displayed that left her astounded. It was the lyrics. His tone.
Margaret knew Vanitas had lost his mother at a young age, just like her. And only recently, he had lost his father too.
Yet, he never spoke of it.
In fact, she clearly remembered how he used to avoid the topic of parents altogether back in the day.
But that song…. the lyrics…. the emotions behind them.
She wasn’t sure who it was meant for. But for a man like him, maybe it was simpler than she thought.
Maybe he was just a man who missed his parents.
A man who, through his song, had expressed that if the world were ending, he would rather be next to a certain person—or perhaps, certain people.
It wasn’t hard to guess who.
His sister was likely part of it, but Margaret could make a solemn guess that the song was meant for his parents.
She had always suspected why Vanitas had been so distant in the past. His mother’s death had taken away the bright boy Margaret once knew.
The one who used to smile so freely despite the catastrophe surrounding him
“….”
Wait, no.
Maybe she was overthinking it.
‘He did look at that heirloom Karina gave him….’
Wait, wait, wait—what if the song was for Karina?
‘I….’
The thought had crossed her mind back then, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the bigger picture instead.
“Margaret?”
“Yes? Are you going to sing?” she blurted out.
“Huh?” Vanitas blinked, giving her a blank stare, and she quickly snapped out of her daze.
“Forget I said that,” she muttered. “So? If we’re isolating the Dullahan, wouldn’t it be better to be on the ground now instead of staying atop the wall?”
“No,” he said. “Not now. The Eclipse is at its strongest at the start. That’s why I strike the hardest at the beginning.”
Margaret frowned. “And why is that?”
“Because if we don’t, we’ll be forced into a war of attrition.”
Vanitas turned his gaze to the battlefield below.
“The demons are most active when the Eclipse peaks. If we try to break away too early, we’ll have to cut through them, and they’ll likely follow us all the way to the Dullahan. If that happens, we’ll be surrounding ourselves instead.”
Margaret listened intently, so did the rest.
Vanitas continued, “Of course, we could use other men to distract the demons while we move, but that would risk coordination. If they’re overwhelmed too quickly, we’ll be forced to intervene, and then we’re right back where we started. Fighting two battles at once.”
“You underestimate us, Professor.”
“….”
Vanitas turned at the voice, finding Commander Albrecht watching him with a measured look.
“The knights here aren’t fresh recruits,” Albrecht said. “They know how to hold the line. If a diversion is what you need, we can make it happen without falling apart.”
Vanitas narrowed his eyes. “And if you fail?”
It was not that he was underestimating them, but rather, he simply wanted guaranteed success with minimal risks to an already risky operation.
After all, he was already on the fence. Absurd tactics. A thesis he knew barely anyone believed in. Even involving the Imperial Prince in his whims to stake on him.
A little more mistake, and everything would come crumbling down.
Albrecht met his gaze without hesitation. “Then we’ll hold out until we don’t.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Albrecht let out a chuckle. “It wasn’t meant to be. War is never reassuring, Professor. You can calculate every variable, set every trap, and still—”
He snapped his fingers. Snap—!
“It all falls apart. But you already know that, don’t you?”
“….’
Vanitas remained silent.
Albrecht exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I get it. You’re trying to minimize losses. But if you’re waiting for a plan with zero risks, you’re wasting time.
Vanitas tapped his fingers against his arm in thought. He understood the logic. Even so, the weight of responsibility was different for him.
Failure meant proving his detractors right.
This was far from the university tower, his comfort zone. But his first time tipping the balance of the world itself. The knowledge he once saw as mere game mechanics was now reshaping not just the Empire, but possibly the entire continent.
Margaret’s voice cut through his thoughts. “You asked everyone to trust you blindly, and we did. We stayed. But the one asking for trust… seems to be the only one who doesn’t trust anyone, Vanitas.”
“….”
Vanitas tightened his grip on his coat, exhaling into the cold night air.
“I didn’t want to bring this up, but your arrogance is getting out of hand, Professor,” Albrecht added. “You’re not a one-man army, you know? I let you take charge because it seemed like you knew what you were doing.”
“….”
“And I’m not trying to undermine you,” Albrecht continued. “Everything you’ve done so far has been impressive. There wasn’t much left for us to clean up after—”
“Clean up?” Vanitas interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Albrecht affirmed. “I get that there will always be gaps, especially after some people left. The mages can only do so much. But we’ve also pulled resources to cover for that.”
“And?”
“And you’re not the only one carrying the weight here.”
“Is that so?”
Vanitas exhaled. In the first place, there was no such thing as a perfect plan.
“I see,” he said. “Seems I still have a lot of room for improvement.”
He ran a hand through his hair. Albrecht opened his mouth to speak but hesitated before continuing.
“That’s not the point, Professor. What I’m saying is—”
“I’m still too insufficient to clear this game in one playthrough,” Vanitas muttered, ignoring him.
“….”
A pause. Then, Vanitas straightened. “Alright. I understand.”
His gaze swept over the gathered knights and mages.
“I’ll leave this post to Commander Albrecht. Those I’ve appointed, follow me.”
* * *
I wasn’t blind to criticism. I understood what they were saying.
But what they didn’t understand was that my ambitions ran far deeper than they realized.
Tracing my fingers in the air, I applied the calming agent to the whips—something I had instructed the mages to prepare in advance before every Blood Moon.
Then, with a swift motion, I cracked the whip and imbued the horses with a bravery effect.
Crack—!
A necessary measure. Without it, they would panic at the sudden influx of mana.
Riding atop the horse, I felt it stumble slightly before steadying itself. Looking around at the gathered group, I gave a nod.
“Lead the way,” I said.
“Alright.” Margaret nodded before turning forward.
The horses began their ascent as Margaret led at the front, followed closely by her two Crusade Order knights, Clevius and Johanna.
Clip— Clop—
Beside me were the two Grimreapers—Adrienne to my left and Leon to my right. The three of us were mages.
In a battlefield like this, with demons everywhere and magic flying through the air, these people were far better suited to leading this small cavalry than I was.
Crackle—!
The knights used their mobility to their advantage while the demons remained distracted by the relentless artillery of magic from the walls. Behind us, more knights, both mounted and on foot, fought to hold the line.
——Charge!
——Stand your ground!
Now that I was in the midst of battle, it was difficult to keep up.
Everything moved too fast. The knights blurred as they clashed with the demons. Their swords seemed to swing way too quickly for my eyes to even follow.
Still, they seemed to be holding the enemy’s attention, while up front, Margaret and her two knights held their own. Meanwhile, Adrienne, Leon, and I continued casting spells to support them.
Boom—!
Magic crackled in the air, sending debris and dirt flying. My coat was instantly stained. My horse shuddered, agitated by the explosion, but the calming agent had done its job.
Normally, it would have thrown me off and bolted, but instead, it stayed composed and obeyed my commands.
“….”
So far, the plan seemed to be working. I could almost picture the grin on Albrecht’s face right now.
“Can you trace the source?” I asked, turning to Adrienne. The Grimreapers specialized in tracking demonic miasma.
“Yes,” she replied. “It’s not that far. Seems like it’s traveled quite a distance from where we detected it earlier.”
I nodded. That was expected. Dullahans didn’t stay in one place for long. Unlike other demons, they had some sense of intelligence. If left unchecked, it would eventually reach the outer defenses, and at that point, dealing with it would be far more difficult.
“Alright.” I turned to Margaret. “Switch!”
Margaret glanced back briefly before nodding.
Adrienne pulled ahead and slipped between the leading knights.
The rest of us followed, maneuvering through the battlefield. Explosions of mana and the sound of steel clashing against demonic flesh filled the air.
A few demons lunged at us, but Leon and I worked in tandem to fend them off. Up ahead, Margaret and the others held their ground, cutting through the enemy.
The real masterminds, however, were the knights behind us.
——One. Two. Two!
Crackle—!
They seemed to be controlling the flow of battle as they herded the demons, redirecting them away from our path and keeping them occupied long enough for us to push forward.
It was an impressive display of coordination. Even without direct orders, they understood their role.
Once we were far enough that the battlefield was barely visible, I snapped my fingers.
Flick—!
…..And an explosion erupted behind us a fixed distance away.
We continued riding for a while until, suddenly, my instincts screamed at me.
“Every—”
———!
Before Adrienne could finish her words, a sharp sound cut through the air, almost as if the wind was weeping.
I had already thrown myself off my horse, before she even spoke.
But then, silence.
“….!”
When I turned, something warm splattered against my face.
“….”
Blood.
My brows lifted as time seemed to freeze. The horse I had just been riding… its head was gone, as if it had been severed cleanly mid-air.
And beside me—Leon…. Or rather, his upper torso was soaring through the air.
“….”
No.
“Ah….”
His body had been sliced in half.
“Shit—! I didn’t—”
———!
Another sharp whistle sliced through the air before Adrienne could finish her words. The ground trembled as it split apart, and in an instant, all of us scattered in different directions.
“Cough! Cough…!” I choked, feeling dust scratching at my throat.
As I pushed myself up, the air cleared just enough for me to see through the settling debris.
“….”
Margaret stood there.
It was evident to me that she was the only one who hadn’t flinched when the attack struck.
Beneath her, cracks spread across the ground. Her sword was raised, but more than that, it had repelled something. A looming shadow hovered just above the blade.
“….”
Blood dripped from her, though no wounds were visible. She had been injured, but I couldn’t tell how or where.
And then, as the dust fully cleared, we all saw it.
“….”
No, we, who had failed to stand against such an attack, saw it.
“….”
The Dullahan.
Its massive, shadow-like sword hovered over Margaret’s. It was clear their swords had clashed.
———!
There were no instructions. Only the fear etched on the faces of seasoned warriors as they instinctively moved in unison.
Clang! Clang!
Each time Margaret’s blade clashed against the Dullahan’s, the ground trembled beneath her. The sheer weight behind its strikes made it clear how overwhelming its power was.
“Grand Knight, switch!” Johanna called, intercepting the Dullahan’s blade just as Margaret leaped back, coughing.
“Johanna, switch!” Clevius followed, seamlessly taking Johanna’s place.
Even this strategy had merit.
The Dullahan was known to be a devastating heavy hitter. The real issue was its strength— having enough force to shatter weapons with ease.
Though not classified as a game boss, it was a powerful Archdemon. It was said to have been born from the lingering regrets of fallen knights and paladins.
“Thunderbolt!”
Adrienne’s chant rang out as she unleashed a spell. Black lightning surged from her staff, striking the Dullahan and staggering it for a few crucial seconds.
That was all the time Margaret and the others needed to launch a coordinated attack on its rusted yet heavy armor.
“I see.”
Finding an opening, I moved swiftly between the combatants as I traced spellformulas in the air.
My mind raced as mentally calculated variables, adjusting each node, derivative, and junction while refining the core circuit of the magic array.
Overhead, clouds thickened, masking the Blood Moon’s crimson glow. A massive spell circle materialized above the Dullahan.
Realizing what was about to happen, the others quickly backed away.
“Cumulonimbus.”
Boom———!
A bolt of lightning hammered down from the heavens, striking with an ear-splitting roar.
To most, casting a fixed spell was the safer, more efficient choice in battle. But what they didn’t realize was that I didn’t need to cast spells the conventional way.
Everything I had just done—the elaborate formation, the extended chant—was merely for show.
Just enough to avoid suspicion.
“….”
I stepped back as the knights seamlessly switched in, repelling the Dullahan’s next attack.
Crackle—!
The ground trembled beneath me. Despite its massive stature, the Dullahan’s swings were agile. However, three against one was still overwhelming, and their coordinated strikes managed to break through its defenses.
But the Dullahan wasn’t idle either. Taking advantage of a slight opening, it overpowered whoever it could.
Johanna was sent flying, shards of her armor scattering in the air. Adrienne fired another spell in response, but the Dullahan barely flinched. Clevius, knocked to the ground, barely had time to react before the Dullahan’s fist came crashing down toward him.
Bang!
The attack was completely repelled. Margaret had intervened.
A soft lavender aura surrounded her figure. I could see fury in her eyes as her sword continuously clashed with the Dullahan’s.
Clevius took the chance to roll out of harm’s way, quickly regaining his stance.
With a snap of my fingers, I unleashed a spell in sync with Adrienne’s, covering Margaret until she could switch.
However, the Dullahan’s next swing struck true.
Boom—!
Margaret took the full force of the blow and was sent crashing into a nearby tree.
“Grand Knight!” Johanna called, immediately taking Margaret’s place.
Margaret coughed, pushing herself up from the splintered bark as Johanna took the brunt of the Dullahan’s assault.
Clevius joined in, attacking from behind, but the Dullahan was no mindless brute. It anticipated their tactics and shifted its weight, evading at the last second.
———!
Adrienne and I fired another round of magic, striking the Dullahan and stunning it momentarily.
I didn’t hesitate. The instant the Dullahan staggered, I yanked a parchment from my coat. Pouring mana into it, I turned to Adrienne.
“Exorcise it!”
Adrienne nodded, beginning a rapid chant. The moment she finished, I hurled the parchment at the Dullahan.
Cr— Crack!
Icicles erupted from the ground, encasing its legs in a thick layer of frost.
It was the Master Spell—Glacial Age.
For a brief second, the Dullahan was immobilized. But before the spell could fully manifest, it broke free, shattering the ice in a single motion.
Before I realized it, the Dullahan appeared before me.
“Professor!’
“Ah, shit,” I muttered, watching my life flash before my eyes.
It was then.
“….!”
Something slammed into me, knocking me aside. The next moment, I saw her.
Thud!
Margaret.
She had pushed me out of the way, taking the Dullahan’s attack head-on.
Her sword met its massive blade, but in just that brief fraction of a second, I saw it.
“….”
Her sword cracking.
I realized, if her sword successfully broke there, Margaret would undoubtedly die.
“Ah.”
Without thinking, I reached out.
———!
A massive gust of wind surged from my palm, not just a breeze, but a hurricane. The sheer force blew everything away, Margaret, the Dullahan, even me, as I was sent hurtling through the air.
I couldn’t tell how far I was flung.
But I only knew one thing.
If I was lucky, the scene would’ve just flown over their head.
If not, they’d realize I had just unleashed a spell on the scale of a Grandmaster, maybe even a Sovereign-class spell.
“….”
….Without so much as muttering a chant.