As Khan's small body fell unconscious into Lily's arms, something unseen—yet felt by everyone present—finally vanished.
The pressure disappeared.
Not gradually.
But instantly.
As if it had never existed.
The air, once heavy, became light again. The torches that had frozen flickered wildly once more. The sounds of breathing, clashing armor, and panicked whispers slowly returned, filling the space that had been suffocatingly silent.
The Rodieck soldiers gasped.
Some collapsed to their knees, clutching their chests. Others checked their own bodies, as if confirming they were still whole—still alive.
Outside, the Noble Council's forces began to stir.
Those who had fallen struggled to rise. Those who had lost consciousness groaned softly. Their eyes were filled with confusion… and fear that had yet to fade.
They all felt it.
And they knew—
It was no illusion.
—
Inside the hideout, Lily still held Khan tightly.
Her hands trembled.
Silent tears fell onto her brother's hair.
"Khan… wake up… please…" she whispered, her voice on the verge of breaking.
No response.
He was breathing.
But weak.
Too weak.
Beside her, Lilith remained kneeling, her sharp eyes scanning every detail.
She searched for something.
Residual magic.
Disturbances in energy.
Anything.
But—
There was nothing.
Empty.
And that was what unsettled her the most.
"…this doesn't make sense…" she murmured.
—
In the main courtyard—
Leo Rodieck stood still.
His sword remained in his grip.
But his mind was far from the battlefield.
His gaze was fixed inward—
toward Khan.
Something inside him had cracked.
And though it had faded, the remnants lingered.
It made him—
angry.
Not at the enemy.
But at the fact that something existed beyond his control.
—
Soft footsteps approached from behind.
Anna.
She walked toward him.
Unlike the others—
her face showed no fear.
No trace of pressure.
No sign that she had felt anything at all.
She stopped beside Leo.
Stared ahead for a moment—
then turned to him.
"Are the children safe?" she asked softly.
Leo was slightly taken aback.
The question—
was too simple.
And precisely because of that…
it felt heavy.
He turned to her.
For a moment, everything he had been holding back nearly collapsed.
But he held it in.
He had to.
"Yes…" he said calmly.
"They're strong."
A short sentence.
But filled with certainty.
Anna nodded.
As if that was enough.
—
But before the calm could last—
The sky above the Rodieck estate changed.
The air trembled.
Not like before.
This was different.
More structured.
More… deliberate.
Dozens of magic circles began to form in the sky.
One.
Two.
Ten.
More and more appeared.
They aligned perfectly, interconnected in a complex pattern beyond ordinary comprehension.
Their light illuminated the entire courtyard.
Everyone looked up.
Including Leo.
His eyes narrowed.
"…who…" he muttered.
—
Then—
A crack appeared at the center of the formation.
Dark.
Deep.
And slowly—
it opened.
A portal.
A violent wind surged from within, carrying a pressure far different from before.
This was not wild.
This was—
controlled power.
From within the darkness—
a step echoed.
One step.
Slow.
Yet heavy.
And then—
he appeared.
An old man.
Long white hair flowed neatly down his back. His dark robe shimmered faintly with ancient symbols. His eyes were sharp, deep—like someone who had seen far too much.
The aura surrounding him—
calm.
Yet dense.
And powerful.
Not explosive like Leo's.
But enough to make the air itself feel heavy.
Leo recognized him instantly.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…Grand Executor…"
—
The old man stepped out of the portal.
His feet touched the ground—
without a sound.
He did not speak immediately.
Nor did he show emotion.
He simply…
observed.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
The fallen bodies.
The struggling soldiers.
The remnants of chaos that defied explanation.
His brow furrowed slightly.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
he turned.
Directly toward Leo and Anna.
His gaze was cold.
Without pretense.
"Hand over your child."
His voice was calm.
Yet carried undeniable weight.
"—or die."
—
The entire courtyard froze.
Not from power.
But from the meaning behind those words.
Leo did not answer immediately.
His grip on his sword tightened.
His muscles tensed.
Yet his face—
remained calm.
He stepped forward.
One step.
Enough to stand before Anna.
To protect her.
To protect them all.
His eyes met the Grand Executor's.
Unwavering.
Unyielding.
Then—
he spoke.
"Never."
Even if the world itself had to fall.
—
Silence.
For a moment.
The Grand Executor stared at him.
Deeply.
As if measuring him.
As if confirming there was no lie in those words.
Then—
he exhaled softly.
"I see…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"In that case—"
He raised his hand.
Not rushed.
Not dramatic.
But at that very moment—
all the magic circles in the sky trembled.
"—die."
—
BOOOOOOM!!
The sky exploded.
Magic light rained down like destruction itself.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Waves of energy surged in all directions.
Leo moved.
Fast.
His aura erupted outward, forming a massive barrier before them.
The first impact—
struck.
CRASH!!
The ground shook.
Dust rose.
But Leo did not step back.
His feet were firmly planted.
His teeth clenched.
"Fall back!!" he roared.
The Rodieck soldiers moved immediately, dragging the wounded away from the impact zone.
Anna remained behind him.
Calm.
Her eyes locked onto the figure in the sky.
—
The Grand Executor did not move.
He simply stood there.
Watching.
Attack after attack fell from the sky—
yet his expression did not change.
"Interesting…" he murmured.
"You can still endure…"
His hand moved slightly.
And the magic pattern in the sky shifted.
Faster.
Denser.
Deadlier.
—
Inside—
Lily felt the tremor.
Her eyes widened.
"What… is happening now…" she whispered.
Lilith stood immediately.
Her gaze sharpened.
"We have to move."
"No!" Lily clutched Khan tighter.
"I won't leave him!"
Lilith looked at her for a moment.
Then exhaled.
"…fine. Then we protect him here."
But in her heart—
she knew.
This was only the beginning.
—
Back outside—
Leo growled softly.
The pressure intensified.
Each attack felt stronger than the last.
This was no ordinary battle.
This—
was an execution.
But he did not retreat.
He would not.
His aura continued to resist.
To endure.
Because behind him—
was everything.
—
And above—
The Grand Executor finally stepped forward.
One step—
in the air.
As if gravity did not apply to him.
His gaze locked onto the Rodieck estate.
Toward—
Khan.
"…I will take him myself."