"Tweet~"
A piercing cry echoed through the sky as the massive griffin dove straight toward the ground—more precisely, toward Shen Ji.
The wind pressure was so fierce it nearly rooted people in place.
Expressionless, Shen Ji leapt back, instantly distancing herself from her original position.
This pure-white griffin was strong. Very strong.
Shen Ji straightened slowly, her cold eyes sweeping over the massive beast before finally locking onto the old man seated on its back.
Ecbert, dressed in a sacred robe, descended from the holy griffin and walked toward the gravely wounded Gerna.
"..."
Jerna's pupils trembled, her lips parting as though she wanted to speak, but no sound came. The wound carved into her body by Shen Ji's Four Dawn Blade had nearly cleaved her in half—her injuries were beyond fatal.
If nothing unexpected happened, her life would soon end.
"Light—Holy Healing."
Ecbert's aged face bore neither joy nor sorrow. Raising his staff slowly, he summoned a gentle holy radiance that enveloped Jerna's body.
"The last Redeemer…"
Shen Ji's indifferent eyes flickered ever so slightly. For the first time, a trace of hesitation stirred in her heart. This old man—clad in the Divine Robe—was the last Light Redeemer.
Should she retreat now? Or strike him down while the chance remained?
But hesitation was dangerous. She was already exposed. The Redeemer's appearance meant the Singer must have noticed her presence.
And that griffin—it was no ordinary beast.
In that case…
"Young one, your hostility toward us runs deep."
Just as Shen Ji weighed her options, Ecbert's calm, gentle voice carried across the battlefield.
"There's no need to waste your efforts," Shen Ji replied flatly, her gaze sweeping over Jerna's body bathed in light. "Wounds cut by my blade cannot be healed by ordinary means."
Her fingers tightened around her long knife. The griffin's sharp eyes glared back at her, its killing intent locked firmly onto her every movement.
"Such hostility… Tell me, was Chanteville's death also your doing?"
The glow from Ecbert's staff slowly dimmed as he turned to face her. His aged features remained serene.
"Yes. And what of it?"
Shen Ji's voice was cold, her eyes never leaving his kind-looking face.
Though frail in appearance, this old man exuded a pressure far more threatening than Jerna ever had. Even Shen Ji's instincts—her sixth sense honed by countless battles—warned her sharply.
"…Chanteville," Ecbert murmured, his voice heavy with regret. "Impulsive at times, but caring toward his comrades—he regarded them as family. My proud disciple… His death was inseparable from my own failure. My mistake cost him his life."
"You'll see him again soon." Shen Ji's tone was calm, her blade ready. She would send this old man to join his disciple.
"I am already old. Sooner or later, I shall return to the embrace of the Goddess… but not today."
Ecbert shook his head slowly.
"I'm sorry, Teacher… I've let you down."
Jerna's weak voice trembled as she forced herself upright, shame written across her pale face.
Shen Ji's brows knit tightly. Rescued? Impossible.
Her strike had nearly bisected Jerna's body. Yet in this short time, the wound was completely healed.
And indeed—beneath the blood, the deep cut had knit back together seamlessly.
"No need to apologize," Ecbert said gently. "You are the Goddess's brave knight. You have not disappointed me."
He turned his eyes back to Shen Ji.
"We Redeemers… our duty is to heal, to protect. I care little for battle. Especially now—when my years are already many."
As if reading Shen Ji's hesitation, Ecbert sighed and slowly raised his staff.
At that moment, a shadow plummeted from the sky.
The massive figure landed with an earth-shaking crash—it was the Hero's Commander!
"Giant—Strike!"
With a thunderous shout, his right arm expanded rapidly, transforming into a colossal fist several meters wide.
The air boomed as he swung down with crushing force.
Even before the blow landed, the gale alone whipped Ecbert's sacred robe wildly, the sheer pressure making Jerna's expression tighten.
"The Goddess… will protect us."
Unflinching, Ecbert uttered a prayer. A thin barrier of holy light instantly formed around them.
BOOM!
The Hero Commander's colossal fist slammed into the light barrier. For a brief instant, time itself seemed to freeze.
Then—the ground erupted. Tremors split the battlefield apart as countless jagged cracks spread outward in all directions.
Yet even so, the barrier only rippled, holding strong against the devastating blow.
The Commander's face hardened. Using the recoil, he leapt back in retreat.
His instincts were right.
Because in the very next moment, Ecbert stepped forward softly—and a blinding pillar of light erupted from his body, piercing the heavens.
A torrent of pure divine magic surged forth, flooding the battlefield. Ecbert's holy robe billowed madly, his expression still calm, untouched by joy or sorrow.
Like a demon cloaked in light.
"Such monstrous magic…"
For once, Shen Ji's impassive face betrayed a flicker of awe. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the ocean of radiance that seemed capable of engulfing the entire world.
From the shadows, Mammon and his companions looked on.
"What terrifying power…"
Mammon's eyes gleamed with unease. Despite Ecbert's frail appearance, the torrent of magic pouring from him was overwhelming.
Among the three Redeemers, this old man… was by far the most dangerous.
A true abyss in the guise of light.