Amber Sword

What a beautiful White Crow Swordsmanship, representing Erune’s most radiant past. Princess Griffine watched in a daze as the dazzling brilliance vanished into the rain curtain, eventually being swallowed by the surging demon army.

The Barbarian Demons had already soared high again. But on the ground, the tall figures of Hellhounds had appeared, almost wiping out the knights of Lantoniyan, with only the witches left barely able to fend for themselves. Reid and the Templar of the Cruz people stood closer, ready to protect the last banner on this battlefield.

When Brand turned back, he saw the banner still standing in the rain curtain without failing. A blue and white battle banner, it seemed to be the only emblem on this battlefield.

Lightning tore apart Ambeser Bay’s pitch-black sky, painting everything stark white.

Brand turned back heavily, understanding that now all hope rested on him—if he could dismantle that teleportation gate a bit faster—there might still be a chance to salvage everything.

Brand couldn’t help but grit his teeth. They had already charged through the first wave of demon spearheads, with less than half the remaining distance, and the demons on the battlefield had thinned considerably. He had been using the cloak of King of Giants, Buni, sparingly, and only less than a third of its duration had been used so far.

Victory seemed to be just within reach.

Everyone instinctively quickened their pace.

One-third of the remaining distance was swiftly crossed. After passing through the second spearhead, the defense line formed by the Long-Horned Demons became clearly visible.

Nicholas drew his longsword. Without waiting for Brand’s command, he charged at those Upper Demons like a golden red line, evidently stunning the twelve Long-Horned Demons with such a formidable enemy suddenly appearing. Before they could react, the two closest to Brand’s party were engulfed in a sea of flames without letting out a single scream.

Their fate was, naturally, inevitable.

And Brand lifted the cloak of the King of Giants, continuing forward, with nine seconds remaining on its duration. At this point, he no longer needed to conserve it, as only the final stretch of road remained ahead.

Antitina followed closely, with Char holding the unconscious sugar jar, and Delphire was at the rear. The four had never felt as tense and uneasy as at this moment; even Brand’s experience during the wolf tide paled in comparison to now, because then he could at least glimpse history, whereas the future now lay shrouded in mist.

He must tear through this mist with his own hands, yet he couldn’t ascertain what judgements lay concealed behind it.

Thirty meters.

The cloak of the King of Giants finally failed. But near the teleportation gate, only two or three random cat-like creatures remained, all evil mages. As Char and Brand appeared, they swiftly dealt with them one by one.

Antitina discarded the cloak of the King of Giants with utmost speed, as if it were trash rather than a legendary item, then frantically charged toward the last Flame Gate on the battlefield.

Char, Brand, Delphire, Nicholas, and even Gallock, Reid, and the Princess trapped in the center of the battlefield saw this scene simultaneously.

Just a little more push was needed! Almost everyone’s mind contained this single thought.

But alas, things didn’t go as planned. Just as everything seemed to be proceeding toward the best conclusion, an inexplicable terror suddenly descended from the sky, pressing upon everyone on the battlefield.

The pressure of the Demon Lord!

Brand’s hairs stood upright immediately. The oppressive feeling was like a deity suddenly descending upon this domain, but that was impossible. Not only did Vorn have no physical existence of deity, but even if there were gods, they wouldn’t exude such cruel and tyrannical aura.

That kind of aura could only exist on one kind of being throughout Vorn.

Demon.

He raised his head, watching helplessly as the space near the teleportation gate began to tremble. Then, a gigantic golden-red Light Door abruptly opened amidst Antitina’s vicinity, and before anyone could react, an enormous three-headed creature, seemingly assembled from red fat, squeezed out of the door.

That unique form could only bring one name to Brand’s mind—King of Chaos, Meisika.

In that instant, Brand’s heart tightened.

"Watch out! Antitina!" he shouted with all his might.

But it was too late; Staff Lady hadn’t even realized the disaster had struck. When she heard Brand call her, she was surprised and turned back, but the next moment, the Demon King’s claw had already pierced through her body.

With a sharp sound, the blood-red claws pierced through Antitina like three sharp swords, her entire body bowing from the pain.

Antitina’s mouth opened wide, seemingly with an expression of surprise in her final moment. But blood immediately gushed from her mouth and nose, yet the noble daughter still reached out to Brand one last time.

"Brand... Bu... rando..."

Her mouth opened and closed, but finally, she weakly lowered her head.

"No—" Brand’s eyes filled with rage; he could not believe what he saw before him. Although he harbored a slight delusion, hoping all this was but an illusion, a delusion was ultimately just a delusion.

His heart sank relentlessly.

Could Antitina, a mere ordinary person, survive the strike of the King of Chaos, Meisika, in Extreme Realm? Any rational person would give the obvious answer.

But this answer was unacceptable to Brand.

Did Antitina die?

Brand watched as the King of Chaos flicked its claws, flinging Antitina away. The Staff Lady’s limp body crashed into the grass, appearing lifeless; at that moment, his mind turned blank, standing in the pouring rain with the Earth Sword, yet feeling as though the whole world had darkened.

The noble lady who always silently accompanied him, willing to stand with him against the entire kingdom, died?

For a moment, Brand didn’t know what thoughts flowed in his heart.

And then the King of Chaos, Meisika, finally noticed the young man at its feet. Its three massive heads turned to look at the teleportation gate, then at Brand, instantly guessing these humans’ intentions, revealing a cruel anger on its face.

"Vermin, what good deed you’ve done." Meisika’s voice seemed to come from the Abyss, raising its claw and immediately swinging it down at Brand.

"Brand, you damn fool, snap out of it! You want to die here? You still have the Destiny Card! Miss Antitina isn’t dead yet!" Wind Queen Saint Ossor was about to go mad.

But only the last sentence let a lightning bolt pierce through the darkness in Brand’s mind. He jerked himself awake; indeed, he still had cards, with the Destiny Card in hand, at least there was a slim hope of saving the Staff Lady.

Though merely a glimmer of hope in desperate straits.

But if there’s hope, he certainly wouldn’t give up.

Brand suddenly came to his senses, but as he raised his head, a shadow had already completely engulfed him.

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote recommendation and monthly tickets; your support is my biggest motivation.)