Chapter 122: There Will Always Be Hope

In Derose, the once-prosperous central square had turned to scorched earth.

Only the broken base of the fountain remained, and the exquisite reliefs were covered in cracks and scorch marks.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of thick smoke and blood.

The remaining soldiers and mages leaned against the last defenses made of temporary piles of rubble at the edge of the square, every face etched with exhaustion and despair.

Most of their gazes were focused on the elderly but pine-straight figure in the center of the square.

Grand Mage Eldrin was the supreme ruler of Derose and the strongest mage in the city.

At this moment, he held a Magic Staff inlaid with a massive sapphire high in both hands, chanting ancient and difficult incantations.

A light blue Magic Barrier covered half of Derose, obstructing the offensive of all the demons.

Even that massive Demigod-level Demon found it difficult to advance even an inch before this Magic Barrier.

But they also knew that the Grand Mage could not maintain such a Magic Barrier for much longer.

With every violent ripple of the barrier, Eldrin’s body would tremble slightly, and his face would turn a shade paler.

However, his deep-set eyes burned with a fire that refused to go out.

Haywood, the commander of the city defense force, rushed to Eldrin’s side.

He was covered in blood and limping, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side, clearly suffering from a severe injury.

He looked at the fresh traces of blood at the corner of the Grand Mage’s mouth and his hair, which was turning gray at a visible speed. His eyes were filled with pain and powerlessness.

“Grand Mage!”

Haywood’s voice was hoarse and urgent, almost pleading.

“Do not continue! Derose is… beyond saving! The east and west walls have all collapsed, and the escape routes for the residents are blocked… We cannot hold!”

Hearing this, Eldrin only tilted his head slightly, giving Haywood an extremely weary but exceptionally determined look.

“Haywood… as long as there is one last shred of hope, we cannot give up… This is our home…”

“But, but Grand Mage! Casting this kind of Magic will only continuously burn your life force! If you choose to give up Derose and preserve your strength, perhaps… perhaps you could still survive and avenge us!”

Haywood looked at the terrifying shadow moving like a mountain outside the barrier. His eyes held no fear, only an indescribable, towering rage.

“Revenge?”

Eldrin looked at the young mages and soldiers around him who, despite their fear, still gripped their weapons tightly. He shook his head slightly.

“If you all are gone… then what meaning is there in my revenge?”

He forcibly boosted his Magic, stabilizing the flickering barrier once more.

At the same time, he looked toward the chaotic direction outside the city with a faint trace of anticipation.

“Besides, Haywood, do not be so pessimistic… Didn’t many brave soldiers risk their lives to break through the encirclement and seek help?”

“Perhaps they will be back with reinforcements soon. We must hold out until that moment.”

Haywood followed his gaze, seeing only raging demonic fire and the figures of demons. He shook his head in despair, his voice dropping low.

“Reinforcements? They don’t even know where to find someone to ask for help… Not to mention this area was cut off by the demons long ago… How could they find reinforcements?”

More than one day had passed since the soldiers went out to seek help.

If they had really found reinforcements, why would they have been gone for so long without returning?

By continuing to hold out here, he could think of no other possibility of survival besides becoming food for the demons.

However, just then —

“Everyone! Reinforcements have arrived!”

A cry filled with wild joy came from behind the defensive line.

Stellan, covered in blood and looking almost like a man of gore, was leaning against a broken wall, pointing toward the direction behind him with all his strength!

Everyone’s gaze, including Haywood’s and Eldrin’s, snapped in that direction.

In the next moment, several figures sped forward like sharp swords through the burning streets.

The leader was dressed in silver-white. The sharp sword in her hand was like light, easily slicing through the necks of countless demons and ending their lives. She was Leanna.

Behind her, although Teresa and Iserine had traveled a long distance, their gazes remained sharp. Their Magic fell into the demon swarm like a violent rainstorm.

In an instant, the demons crowding together like a tide were blown to pieces.

Haywood was stunned, his lips trembling. “They are…”

Eldrin’s eyes, which had been somewhat cloudy due to excessive consumption, suddenly burst with brilliance. He let out a long sigh of relief, his voice carrying comfort and emotion.

“See, Haywood, as long as you persist, there is always hope.”

Haywood looked at those figures.

Although he was shocked that they could break through the Demon Tide to reach this place, seeing that they only numbered about forty, he looked back at the mountain-like Demigod-level Demon in the distance…

The sense of despair brought by the massive gap in strength once again flooded the small spark of joy that had just risen.

He murmured, sounding more like he was stating a cruel fact.

Before his words could fully land, a sudden change occurred on the field!

Isavel, who had just stepped into the square’s perimeter, did not even pause to observe.

Her gaze fell directly onto that massive Demigod-level Demon.

She did not move her body; she simply took out her Black Longblade and made a light, mid-air horizontal slash toward the demon.

There was no earth-shaking momentum and no long incantations.

A black blade light, as thin as a hair and condensed to the extreme, silently sliced through space.

It swept across the sky and passed through the body of the Demigod-level Demon.

A second later, the snarling, roaring Demigod-level Demon suddenly froze.

In its crimson eyes, which were filled with cruelty and the desire for destruction, a sense of confusion appeared for the first time, followed by extreme terror.

A thin black line appeared in the dead center of its forehead, spreading straight down and penetrating its entire body.

BOOM — !

It was not an explosion, but a collapse.

The demon’s body followed that black line, slumping heavily onto the ground like a mountain of meat.

Blood, bone, meat, and organs flowed out into the surroundings like water.

Countless demons could not dodge in time and were submerged by them.

Then, the dead Demigod-level Demon turned into countless flickering black specks of light, completely dissipating into the air.

Only the demons crushed under its former corpse proved that it had once existed.

The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence.

Whether it was the frantically attacking demons or the Derose defenders holding their ground, everyone was stunned.

Eldrin was the first to regain his senses. He dispelled the Magic Barrier he could barely maintain.

His body swayed, and Haywood subconsciously supported him.

He looked at the Black Longblade Isavel was retracting, his eyes filled with shock.

Then, he took a deep breath, straightened his spine, and spoke excitedly to the still-dazed Haywood and the others.

“Follow me to welcome the heroes who saved Derose.”

The dust dissipated. The surviving defenders looked at those few figures who seemed like gods descending to earth, then looked at the spot where the demon had vanished.

Their numb faces finally slowly broke into smiles of survival.

Hope had truly descended.

……

Outside the central square.

Stellan stood frozen in place, his gaze fixed on where the Demigod-level Demon had disappeared.

The demon’s earth-shaking roar seemed to still linger in his ears, and the stench of the demon had not yet dispersed from his nose. Only his mind was a complete blank.

He felt as if what he had just witnessed was not a battle, but a scene from an overly bizarre hallucination.

A Demigod-level Demon was actually… slain in a single strike?

This realization hammered at his nerves repeatedly like a heavy hammer. He subconsciously raised his hand and pinched his arm hard. The clear sensation of pain told him it was not a dream.

Was Derose saved just like that?

His gaze slowly swept over the surroundings.

When he saw the remaining soldiers weeping in each other’s arms and the survivors beginning to tentatively emerge from their hiding places, he finally believed that Derose had truly been saved.

Saved by a group of people he hadn’t even held much hope for.

Looking at the black-clothed figure standing in front of the central square, he opened his mouth but could not make a sound.

A Demigod-level Demon was easily killed by her; her strength… was likely far beyond the Grand Mage.

‘Is such a person someone I can approach?’

“Stellan!”

A voice full of relief pulled him back to reality.

Turning his head, he found Grand Mage Eldrin slowly walking over, supported by Haywood.

Although the Grand Mage’s face was pale and his steps were a bit unsteady, his eyes once again glowed with wisdom and a gentle spirit.

He reached out a withered hand and patted Stellan’s shoulder heavily.

Especially when his gaze swept over Stellan’s tattered military uniform and his blood-mangled feet, his eyes were full of praise and heartache.

“Stellan, my child, you are a hero of Derose! You risked your life to break through the encirclement and brought back the dawn of hope!”

Then, Eldrin turned toward Isavel and the Rose Knights. He bowed slightly in a solemn gesture, his tone incredibly sincere.

“And of course, all of you, noble guests. All of you are heroes who saved Derose! Please accept the deepest gratitude of the survivors of Derose!”

As his words fell, a burst of enthusiastic cheering erupted from the survivors of Derose behind him.

After a long while, Eldrin straightened up and slightly adjusted his Robe, which was covered in dust and blood.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he said, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eldrin, the ruler of Derose. People usually refer to me as the ‘Grand Mage.’ May I ask how I should address our benefactors?”

Isavel nodded slightly in return. Her black hair brushed lightly in the breeze, and her clothes were spotless, forming a sharp contrast with the messy scene around them.

“Isavel. Behind me are the Rose Knights.”

“Rose Knights?”

Eldrin repeated the name in a low voice. A flash of unfamiliarity crossed his eyes, as if he had never heard of this title, but he did not dwell on it.

Adopting a warm and slightly apologetic smile, he extended a hand in an inviting gesture.

“You are the benefactors of Derose. Please come with me quickly. We can talk inside. It is just…”

Speaking of this, he looked around at the broken walls and ruins, his smile turning bitter.

“Derose has just suffered a demon attack. I am afraid we won’t be able to entertain our heroes properly. Even finding a clean place for you to stay might be a bit difficult…”

“It does not matter.”

Isavel directly interrupted the old mage’s apology. Her gaze skipped over the ruins in front of her and toward the eternal dark red sky of the Ancient Battlefield further away.

“We did not come here seeking hospitality. We only want to know some news regarding the Ancient Battlefield.”

“Ancient Battlefield?”

Haywood, who was nearby commanding the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, turned his head in confusion upon hearing the term.

He seemed to have never heard of it before.

Hearing this, Eldrin’s body stiffened for a moment, but he soon stroked his beard and nodded.

“Ah, so you have come for that. Regarding the Ancient Battlefield, I do happen to know some news. However, please follow me. This is not the place for a conversation.”

Haywood wanted to follow, but Eldrin suddenly instructed, “Haywood, go and make the best arrangements possible. Prepare a place for our benefactors to stay. They saved Derose, so we absolutely must not be negligent.”

Haywood looked at Isavel and the impressive knights behind her, then recalled that earth-shaking strike from earlier, and immediately nodded solemnly.

“Yes, Grand Mage. I will see to it immediately.”