The party set out once more.
The Silence Band had been broken, and the flow of elements returned, but the heavy feeling enveloping the group did not dissipate—instead, it grew thicker and more suffocating as they drew closer to the towering Demon King City.
The ground beneath their feet gradually shifted from barren plain to a strange, dark purple ‘carpet’.
With every step, their boots first crushed brittle bones, then sank into bloody mud.
Belinda von Taya walked at the front, wielding ‘Judgement’.
The heavy sword’s blade occasionally swept aside obstructing bones and half-decayed corpses to the roadside. She resembled a lioness patrolling her territory, warily scanning the surroundings for hidden dangers, radiating a fierce battle spirit.
Reina guarded the rear, her pure white robe unsullied in the foul environment, as if surrounded by an invisible barrier.
A gentle light spread from her, sheltering the group within its protection.
She did not touch the ground, instead hovering inches above it, her bare feet glimpsed beneath her robe’s hem.
Hestia Shadowsong moved like a shadow, her speed at its peak, her form flickering in and out of sight.
Sometimes she would appear a hundred meters to the side, scouting, other times she simply strolled lazily at the rear.
She faithfully carried out the duties of an assassin, prowling the party’s flanks and rear, seeking any trace of abnormality in the surroundings.
Ellen walked silently in the middle of the group, a Token in each sleeve of his mage’s robe. Every step felt as if it straddled the boundary between memory and reality.
Half real, half illusory.
The fragments Hestia had forcibly flooded into his mind last night did not fade with time. Instead, the oppressive pressure from Demon King City only made them grow sharper and more active.
Within Belinda’s promise, sweetness quickly became the tightening of chains.
He recalled Jocelyn’s warning at his ear, “Li Zichen, if you fall in love with a volcano, you have to be prepared…”
“Prepared for what? To get burned, obviously.”
Back then, Jocelyn, even while dutifully acting as the Master of Destruction Barbaros inside her black shell, couldn’t help but mock.
Belinda’s nature was like this—the core of a volcano, never hiding her desire.
For what she wanted, she possessed a possessiveness that was difficult to put into words.
The iron chains in those memories seemed to still coil around his wrists, chafing his skin with every tug.
When the Empress looked down at him wearing her crown, the possessiveness burning in her crimson eyes was like a real fire scorching his soul.
The endless torment of “love” within a gilded cage brought not only physical agony but also the despair of having one’s dignity utterly trampled.
Regret became meaningless. In the suffocating luxury, he eventually rotted away.
The sensation was so vivid that his wrist twitched unconsciously.
And after choosing to hold Reina’s hand, the Holy Light was no longer salvation—it became a cold scalpel.
Even now, the damp chill of the Saint Palace’s stone chamber sent shivers through him.
Holy Light turned into a carving blade, stabbing deep into his soul, forcibly peeling away ‘self’—the indescribable pain and emptiness more terrifying than any physical suffering.
In the end, he became an empty-eyed, mechanically obedient Saintlight Knight, eternally serving beneath the Eternal Blue…
A numb, hollow feeling seized him, causing his steps to falter.
As for the forest promised by Hestia, the breeze, and freedom…
In the face of three thousand cycles of being torn apart, madly possessed, and erased by Holy Light, that temptation seemed so pale and fragile—impossible to hold onto.
As a Philosopher Mage, Ellen sensed something amiss.
“What are you thinking about? You seem distracted.”
Belinda glanced back with concern, speaking first.
Ellen stopped, realizing the other three were all watching him seriously. He explained naturally, “I was thinking of the fourth.”
The fourth was Ellen’s nickname for Jocelyn. Back where they came from, he wasn’t called Ellen, but Li Qiuchen.
He started calling her that the moment he realized, back in middle school, that his desk mate was a picky eater, and kept calling her that even after they crossed into this world together in high school.
Here, she called herself Barbaros, but only he still called her the fourth.
In truth, ever since Ellen heard the name Master of Destruction Barbaros, he suspected she was his old friend Jocelyn.
On the entire Taya continent, only he knew the origin of the strange name “Barbaros.”
It was the name of a King of Games monster gold card—Beast King Barbaros—a birthday gift he gave her in seventh grade.
King of Games cards were all the rage then.
She was overjoyed and treasured it ever since.
After Jocelyn arrived in this world, she accidentally tamed the Flame of Destruction, donned heavy armor, wandered the lands, enjoyed good food, and searched for a way home.
When they reunited, Ellen was startled—a mysterious figure in black heavy armor radiating a powerful aura of destruction.
It wasn’t until she removed her armor that he realized—the two-meter tall suit hid a petite girl of one sixty, whose familiar fangs showed as she smiled. Only then did Ellen dare to call her by her old nickname.
He remembered her dying in that brutal battle. Her final wish was to go home…
“Barbaros always wanted to go home. She came from another world.”
Reina explained gently, her blue eyes shimmering with compassion.
“When the Demon King falls and the shackles are broken, her soul will return.”
“My dear, after we defeat the Demon King and finish our wedding, I’m sure Barbaros will happily bless us from heaven.”
Belinda couldn’t resist pulling Ellen into a hug.
“Not necessarily. Sacred Judgement once said: The shackles of marriage can suffocate two people.”
Reina sneered.
Judgement flashed out almost instantly, a blade of light slashing forth.
Reina’s left hand thrust forward, a thick shield of Holy Light materializing to block the sword.
“Princess, are you angry now?”
Reina’s expression turned mocking, completely at odds with her holy aura.
“Reina, don’t use your Saint Palace revelations to interfere. I’m warning you—you’re looking for trouble.”
Belinda bristled like a furious lioness.
“Enough!”
Ellen’s voice cut through the tension.
Instantly, the two glared away from each other, the hostility dissipating.
“Princess, after the battle, let teacher return with me to Moonshadow Forest. Visiting the Elven Tribe is a rare honor, after all.”
Hestia’s pointed ears twitched, fanning the flames.
“Hestia! I’m warning you! Stop your filthy thoughts.”
Belinda was enraged again. Ellen quickly grabbed her arm.
“Alright, alright! Are you all planning to fight before we even defeat the Demon King? In that case…”
Ellen took a deep breath.
“I hereby declare—the Sword, Allen, Saint Light, Barbaros, Elven Squad is officially disbanded!”
Silence.
This team name was straightforward, formed by adding the name or symbol of each member in order of joining.
Ellen truly hadn’t expected their group would become the only ones to stand with the Divine Chosen.
If he’d known, he’d have picked a more dignified name.
Of course, he thought this every time he recited it. He really regretted it!
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Belinda scolded.
“Don’t joke like that.”
Reina’s expression darkened.
Yes, this somewhat silly name carried all the blood, sweat, and memories—both beautiful and painful—of the team. Jocelyn’s mischievous whistles, Hestia’s hidden breadcrumbs, the first glow of Reina’s healing magic, the flame reignited by Belinda…
“Teacher! Say it doesn’t count! That cancellation just now doesn’t count!”
Hestia dashed over and shook Ellen wildly.
“Say it, say it, say it…”
“Alright, alright, it doesn’t count. The disbanding was a joke, it doesn’t count. Satisfied?”
Ellen quickly raised his hands in surrender.
Only then did Hestia let go, but she still demanded, “Then you’re punished to tell us a joke.”
Ellen looked at the pointy-eared girl.
She was beautiful.
So many years had passed, she’d grown tall and elegant like her kin, yet inside she was still the playful girl who loved games.
“Fine, I’ll tell a joke.”
Ellen cleared his throat and started walking toward Demon King City, the others following behind.
“One day, the Execution Squad was escorting a criminal to the square for hanging. Suddenly, a downpour started, turning the road to mud. The criminal cursed the gods in misery. Beside him, an executioner patted his shoulder and comforted him: ‘What are you complaining about? We still have to come back.’”
Hestia doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach.
Reina’s face was somber.
Ellen continued,
“I think we should all carry that determination—one that doesn’t expect a return—when facing the final Demon King.”
Belinda bit her lip.
“After we defeat the Demon King, your punishment is to tell a truly funny joke.”
Not far ahead, Demon King City loomed.
“Alright.”
Ellen’s promise scattered on the wind, like a sigh.