Kaiya pushed Dingr back and then unleashed his own power. The holy sword radiated golden light, his ultimate move charging up. "For His Majesty the Overlord, you must be eliminated today!" Jinoed was also ready to go all out, as thousands of demon soldiers and beasts surged toward the town. "Everyone, muster your courage and charge with me!" shouted the garrison commander as he led the way. The other heroes followed, and a battle no less fierce than Babig's began. Today, no one would retreat—it was a fight to the death. Both sides fought with bloodshot eyes, the scene gruesomely intense. Joe and Judo took the vanguard, clashing with the enemy. Emily chanted magic spells, Sisi covered her, and Kaiya held Dingr at bay. "For the peace of humanity!" the soldiers shouted as they charged. The demons showed no weakness, both sides trading blows relentlessly. One wave fell, and another rushed forward, blood splattering everywhere."Where's all that bravado from earlier?" Dingr taunted. Kaiya, who had thought victory was assured, hadn't expected the enemy to be this formidable. (Looks like I'll have to use the holy sword's ultimate move early,) Kaiya thought as he gathered energy. "Whatever tricks you have, use them now—don't hold back!" Dingr goaded him. "Holy Light Slash!" Kaiya unleashed a radiant blade of light after charging up. Dingr met it head-on. "Ugh!" Dingr blocked with all his might, but the light blade's power didn't waver. It shattered his demonic sword, severed one of his arms, and left his right shoulder dripping with blood. Clutching his wound, Dingr struggled to speak: "Heh, not bad. But even so, I won't back down. Today, I'll take you down even if it costs my life!" Kaiya replied, "Stop pretending. The outcome is clear." "Outcome? As long as I'm alive, there's no outcome!" Dingr shouted to Jinoed, "Execute the third plan!" Jinoed seemed to understand, smirking as he said, "Long live the Mara Empire! Long live the Overlord!" The demon soldiers began clinging to humans and self-detonating. Jinoed charged toward Joe and the others. Judo noticed something was wrong and stepped in to block Jinoed. At that moment, Jinoed's body glowed with purple light, followed by a massive explosion that leveled the eastern part of the town. Kaiya sensed something was off, but before he could react, Dingr closed in, grabbing him, his body also radiating purple energy. An even larger explosion followed, and the town of Idoru was completely erased from the map.
Three days remain before departure. Tonight, I slipped out again to practice, and Bona quietly followed me. Perhaps because we don't have much time left together, I didn't shoo her away and let her watch me train in silence. "Brother Bai, the thought of not knowing when I'll see you again makes my heart ache," Bona said, her expression sorrowful. "If the attack goes smoothly, I'll return triumphantly in a month. You'd better prepare a big feast to welcome me!" I said with a smile. "Mhm," Bona smiled back at me. The next day, because we stayed up late, we both got up exhausted. "Morning, Bona." "Morning, Brother Bai." We greeted each other in the hallway. After breakfast, I went to the fields to work with Bona's father, while Bona helped her mother hang the bedding. "There aren't many days left before you leave. You don't need to keep coming to the fields. Check if there's anything else you need to prepare," Bona's father advised. "It's fine, Uncle. I've got everything ready. With these last few days, I want to help out more to repay everyone's kindness," I replied with a smile. "Be careful on the road. Don't take unnecessary risks. If you can't win, run. Your life is what matters most." "Yes, I'll follow your advice, Uncle. I'll take care of myself." We chatted and worked, cherishing the fleeting moments of peace.