The Great Wizard cast a spell to open a portal, allowing Art and his men to escape immediately from the chaos. Meanwhile, the thousand ghouls were actively advancing toward the city.
All defensive forces prepared for the approaching threat.
Kharous Raine began casting a powerful attack to break through the city's defenses, commanding the ghouls to charge forward.
The Great Wizard eliminated a large number of ghouls with a devastating fire spell. This enraged Kharous, who responded by casually unleashing a massive attack that shattered part of the city's defenses, clearing a path for the ghouls to invade.
Eryndor immediately took command of the defense forces, ordering them to protect the civilians who had not yet evacuated.
Rein and the Mage Alliance began casting coordinated spells to fight back against the ghouls. The knights formed defensive lines to shield the civilians, while the archers in the backline provided support. Heavy artillery units launched continuous attacks to reduce the overwhelming number of ghouls.
King Henry and Queen Ella feared that Kharous Raine might have the power to destroy The City of Lucindor but they don't know how much of a powerhouse their son has become. Leo finally steps up to fight and defend the city and his homeland while Ethan starts crashing out because of the thousand ghouls. Ethan starts killing a lot of ghouls with his dagger, Leo shows how powerful he is compared to the normal human by making waves of light slash towards the enemies.
Helmond finally recovered and immediately rushed toward the battlefield to assist Leo and Ethan, who were fighting side by side — attacking and defending at the same time.
Across the city, everyone felt the overwhelming presence of the terrifying Chainbound King. Fear spread like wildfire. Many began trembling, their will to fight slowly fading under the crushing pressure of his aura.
Eryndor stepped forward to confront Kharous Raine in a one-on-one battle. However, he noticed that Kharous was carrying someone.
"Who is that?" Eryndor demanded.
"It's none of your business," Kharous replied coldly.
Eryndor narrowed his eyes. "Enough talking. Let's make this 2–0."
Kharous dropped Sol to the ground and immediately charged toward Eryndor. At the same time, Eryndor raised his voice, calling out to the defenders and reigniting their courage, urging them to fight back despite the fear of consuming the battlefield.
Eryndor and Kharous Raine clashed toe to toe, neither allowing anyone to interfere. It was a battle between the strongest — pure power against pure mastery.
While they fought, Rein noticed Sol lying unconscious on the battlefield. She rushed toward him and tried to move him to safety.
Seeing this, Kharous casually fired a powerful projectile toward Rein.
Before it could reach her, Leo arrived and stepped in front of the attack, taking the full impact to protect her.
At the same moment, the distraction caused Kharous to leave himself open. Eryndor seized the opportunity and drove his sword into Kharous' chest.
Helmond quickly arrived and escorted Rein and the unconscious Sol to the hospital so Sol's wounds could be treated.
As Leo stood back up after tanking the blast, he stared in disbelief at Eryndor and Kharous. He couldn't believe that a mere human could go toe to toe with a Tyrant possessing such overwhelming power and strength.
Ethan and the defense forces were slowly gaining the upper hand against the ghouls — until five Dark Lords suddenly appeared on the battlefield, stepping forward to aid Kharous Raine in conquering the Land of Luminous Flame.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Helmond and Rein returned after escorting Sol to the hospital. Seeing the new threat, Ethan clenched his fists.
"Can we even hold our ground against five Dark Lords?" Ethan asked.
Helmond's eyes sharpened. "We'll do whatever it takes."
Without hesitation, Helmond dashed forward, launching an attack before the Dark Lords could advance any closer.
The mages began casting every powerful spell they could, unleashing waves of magic toward the towering figures. Fire, lightning, and barriers lit up the battlefield.
The knights moved in formation, striking strategically and coordinating their attacks to pressure the Dark Lords at close range.
The battle escalated — no longer just a defense against ghouls, but a desperate stand against five overwhelming tyrants.
The Great Wizard stood at the top of the castle, raising his staff high into the air. Channeling every ounce of his magic, he unleashed a devastating combination of spells that struck two of the Dark Lords directly. The explosions of light and fire shook the battlefield, and both Dark Lords were completely eliminated.
For a brief moment, relief washed over the defenders.
But it didn't last.
The remaining three Dark Lords roared in fury and began slaughtering members of the defense team, devouring their souls to grow even stronger. The sight pushed Helmond to his limit.
Rage ignited within him.
With a sudden burst of speed, Helmond charged toward the Dark Lord in front of him. He moved so fast that the Dark Lord struggled to track his movements, afterimages flickering across the battlefield.
Rein stood at a distance, supporting him with precise and powerful spells. Beams of energy and binding magic struck the Dark Lord repeatedly, creating openings for Helmond to land his attacks.
The battle intensified — speed and magic working together against overwhelming darkness.
Eryndor was beginning to show signs of exhaustion in his battle against Kharous Raine. His movements slowed, and his balance faltered as he struggled to keep up with the relentless attacks.
Sensing the shift, Kharous seized the opportunity and prepared to eliminate him in a single decisive strike.
Before the attack could land, Leo stepped forward.
"I'll take it from here."
Kharous turned his attention to him as Eryndor collapsed, overwhelmed by the tyrant's immense power.
Now it was a one-on-one battle.
Leo moved first. With a sudden burst of speed, he landed a direct punch to Kharous' face, forcing the Chainbound Lord to stagger back, nearly losing his footing. For a brief second, it looked like he might fall — but Kharous remained standing.
Without hesitation, Leo raised his hand and unleashed a concentrated beam of light straight at him. The blast illuminated the battlefield, pushing against Kharous with immense force.
While maintaining the beam, Leo began strategically casting small circles of light around Kharous, placing them near the exposed gaps in his defense. The glowing sigils hovered and tightened their formation, targeting weak points while Leo held his ground against the recoil of his own attack.
The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
For the first time, Leo wasn't just defending.
He was pressuring a Tyrant.
The circles of light Leo had cast struck Kharous' weak points with precise timing. Each impact destabilized the tyrant's defense, creating brief openings.
Seizing the moment, Leo intensified the beam of light, directing it toward Kharous' face and torso. The radiant blast illuminated the battlefield as it tore through the air with overwhelming force.
Kharous was heavily damaged by the assault. For the first time, his attention shifted completely.
Leo was no longer just another defender.
He was the primary threat.
Meanwhile, Rein and Helmond were struggling against the remaining three Dark Lords. Even with their combined strength — speed and magic working in harmony — it still wasn't enough to bring the tyrants down.
Ethan, already exhausted from earlier battles, was overwhelmed and beaten back by one of the Dark Lords. Just before a finishing blow could land, the mages intervened, pulling him to safety. He was badly wounded and unable to continue fighting for the time being.
Despite the defense team's relentless effort, the Dark Lords continued cutting through their ranks, devouring souls and standing firm against every coordinated assault.
At the top of the castle, the Great Wizard faced a terrible decision.
He had little power left.
Yet he chose to use all of his remaining magic to heal Sol's critical wounds.
It was a gamble.
He was risking the city's fate on someone he could not fully trust. Sol could turn the tide of battle — or he could betray them and side with Kharous.
But with the Dark Lords overwhelming the defenses and Leo standing alone against the Chainbound King, the Great Wizard had no other choice.
He gambled the city's future on a single uncertain ally.
Sol did not say a single word to the Great Wizard.
He slowly stood up, gripping his corrupted double-edged blade. Dark energy began to pulse from the orb embedded within it. Instead of resisting the corruption, Sol embraced it — drawing out a massive surge of power to eliminate the true threat: Kharous Raine and the three remaining Dark Lords.
Without hesitation, Sol stepped onto the battlefield.
In a flash of corrupted energy, he appeared before one of the Dark Lords. With a single devastating strike, he cleaved through the tyrant's armor, black energy erupting from the wound. The Dark Lord collapsed before it could even react.
The defense team stared in shock.
A corrupted Elf was fighting on their side.
Rein and Helmond quickly recognized him — he was the same man they had saved earlier.
Sol moved with terrifying precision. His blade radiated dark power, each swing heavy with destructive force. The corrupted orb amplified his strength, allowing him to overpower enemies that even the combined forces of the defense team had struggled against.
The second Dark Lord tried to counterattack, but Sol intercepted the strike and drove his blade straight through its core, ending it instantly.
The final Dark Lord roared in desperation, but Sol's presence alone was overwhelming. In a final clash of corrupted energy and shadow, Sol unleashed a crushing blow that shattered the Dark Lord completely.
In mere moments, he had done what the entire defense force could not.
All three Dark Lords were dead.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence.
Helmond turned to Rein. "Escort everyone to safety," he said firmly. "I'll help Leo fight Kharous."
Then he looked at Sol. "We need your help. Let's end this Tyrant."
Sol gave a silent nod and began walking toward Kharous, his presence dark and menacing.
Meanwhile, Leo was still struggling. Despite the damage Kharous had taken earlier, he continued to overpower Leo. The difference in battle experience between them was immense. Kharous had centuries of combat knowledge, while Leo was still growing. Even exhausted from his previous fights, Kharous maintained the upper hand.
Blow after blow, Leo was pushed back.
Then Kharous sensed it.
Sol was approaching.
For the first time in the battle, Kharous hesitated.
He calculated the situation instantly. In his current condition, facing both Sol and Helmond — while already injured and fatigued — would be too risky.
Without another word, Kharous began to retreat.
Sol immediately tried to chase him, surging forward with corrupted energy, but he couldn't keep up. The power of the Phantom Curse distorted the space around Kharous, enhancing his movement.
In a flash of dark energy, Kharous Raine teleported away to recover from the battle.
He had not anticipated Sol's interference.
He once believed he could control or tame Sol and make him fight on his side.
He was wrong.
And that miscalculation nearly cost him everything.
After the battle, Leo and Helmond helped the exhausted Eryndor sit down near the area where Leo and Kharous had fought. The ground was still scorched and cracked from the intensity of their clash.
Nearby, Sol slowly regained full consciousness after releasing his grip on the corrupted double-edged blade. As he loosened his hold, the dark energy surrounding him began to fade.
Rein and the remaining defense forces secured the battlefield, making sure no enemies were left behind. Meanwhile, the medics rushed across the area, rescuing the wounded and tending to the injured civilians and soldiers who had suffered during the Tyrant's attack.
Inside the castle, the King and Queen felt immense relief. The damage to the city was far less than they had feared it would be.
The Great Wizard approached Sol and asked him to come to the castle so they could properly express their gratitude for his help in eliminating the Dark Lords.
King Henry and Queen Ella, Leo's parents, were both worried and proud. They had watched their son stand his ground against a Tyrant and help secure the city's survival. Though fear had gripped their hearts during the battle, pride now filled them as they saw how much Leo had grown.
The Defense Team — the Knights and the Mages — were honored by the Higher Officials for their bravery. They received gifts and recognition for holding the line and protecting the city despite overwhelming odds.
The war was not over.
But for the first time since the invasion began, the Land of Luminous Flame could breathe again.
A week after the invasion, Leo, Rein, Helmond, and Ethan were sitting on the city walls, watching the beautiful scenery of the Land of Luminous Flame. The sky was calm again, the smoke long gone, and the city slowly returned to normal.
They talked about their future — how to harness their powers, refine their skills, and become greater heroes and honorable warriors.
After a moment of silence, Ethan spoke up. "Leo… do you actually know who Sol is?"
Leo nodded. "Yes. I met him before — back when I escaped into the city."
The others looked at him in surprise.
"You knew him?" Rein asked.
Helmond crossed his arms. "He just soloed three Dark Lords."
Leo looked toward the horizon. "He wasn't like that back then."
They waited for him to continue.
"He was weak before he equipped the Corrupted Soul Orb," Leo said calmly. "Back then, he couldn't even defeat a Dark Lord's minion."
The group fell silent.
The thought of someone growing that powerful in such a short time made them uneasy — and curious.
Helmond clenched his fist slightly. "Then that means…"
"He wasn't born that strong," Ethan finished.
Leo nodded slowly. "He chose that power."
The wind brushed against them as the sun began to set, painting the Land of Luminous Flame in gold and crimson.
For the first time since the invasion, they weren't thinking about survival.
They were thinking about growth.
Unbeknownst to them, Sol stood on a distant cliff overlooking the city walls. His silhouette was sharp against the setting sun, the corrupted aura around his blade faint but still present.
He watched Leo, Rein, Helmond, and Ethan laughing and talking, the light of camaraderie and hope filling the space where once only fear had lingered.
For a moment, Sol felt… nothing.
Then a faint tug at his chest — a reminder of the corruption he carried, the power that set him apart from everyone else. He had saved the city, killed the Dark Lords, yet here they were, free to enjoy a life he could never fully have.
He clenched his fists around the handle of his double-edged Lunar Blade, letting the corrupted energy pulse faintly, just enough to remind him of his strength, but not enough to hurt the world below.
He considered stepping forward, joining them — but even his curiosity, his desire for connection, was tempered by the darkness inside him.
So he remained there, silent, watching.
A shadow among the twilight.
A hero — or perhaps something more dangerous — that no one else could truly understand.
Kharous Raine, weakened and battered, looked over the Land of Luminous Flame one last time. His aura flickered like dying embers, but his eyes burned with unbroken malice.
"I'll come back… to destroy you," he growled, his voice carrying over the battlefield.
Sol's gaze met his. Calm. Unshaken.
"Mourvine Sol," Kharous hissed, almost as if naming a curse.
Then, with a flash of shadow and chains, he vanished, leaving only a lingering sense of dread.
The land was safe… for now.