Before dawn broke, the air outside Twilight Forest was thick with tension.
King Wester V sat mounted on his horse, reviewing his soldiers with a look of triumph. Before him stood the royal army's elite—the King's Own Guard, soldiers who were utterly loyal to him. As he gazed at the sea of black-clad warriors, their spears and shields raised high, forming a neat phalanx, Wester V finally felt the long-awaited sense of satisfaction—the thrill of being the absolute ruler of Wester, where his word was law and no one dared to defy him.
Yes! I am the King of Wester! I am the true ruler of this land! I掌控 everything, and no one will ever stand against me!
"Prepare the entire army!"
Wester V raised his hand high, shouting loudly.
"Proceed…"
His words were cut short.
In that instant, a brilliant magical flame shot straight up from the dark forest, exploding in the sky. The once-pitch-black night was lit up with a blinding light, outshining even the torches. The soldiers, not yet accustomed to the intense brightness, frowned, instinctively covering their eyes and squinting.
Strangely, the light did not fade immediately. It floated slowly in the sky, the harsh white light softening as they grew accustomed to it. They turned back, staring forward, wary of any sudden attack. But to their surprise, Twilight Forest remained silent, unchanged. And then, a figure emerged slowly from the road not far away.
It was a girl.
She wore a black maid's uniform, her short skirt swaying above her long, slender legs encased in black stockings. The sight of a young girl standing so calmly in front of an army was already shocking enough. But the soldiers soon noticed something even more peculiar—her attire.
Weapons were strapped to every inch of her body: two swords, one long and one short, hanging from her waist. Three sharp daggers were tucked into the leather wrappings around her legs. A small silver-white round shield was attached to her right elbow, connected by a silver chain to her black gloves. And behind her, the silhouettes of spears and heavy swords could be faintly seen. So many weapons would have been a burden to anyone, but to the girl, they felt as light as feathers. She tilted her head in curiosity, then looked at the army before her and spoke.
"What are you? What do you want?"
Her voice was not loud, but it reached every soldier's ears clearly. Many were stunned—how could a single voice be heard over the vast, silent army? It was a testament to her strength, or perhaps the use of a magic item.
"Bold!"
Wester V snorted, turning to his adjutant. He would not deign to answer a mere maid's question. The adjutant nodded and shouted angrily.
"The King of Wester V is here! How dare you be so disrespectful?"
"I apologize for my insolence."
The girl raised an eyebrow, but her face showed no trace of apology.
"But I must warn you: this is the territory of the Doomsday Knights. No country, organization, or individual may enter Twilight Forest without permission. Those who violate this rule…"
She paused, then finished in a cold, crisp tone.
"Will be executed on the spot."
What a joke!
Not only did Wester V freeze in surprise, but his soldiers also stared at her in disbelief, as if they had misheard.
My lady, you're joking, right? You're just a single person, and we have thirty thousand soldiers! You say you'll execute us all? Are you delirious from not sleeping enough? With just you, you think you can kill thirty thousand people? You're ridiculous!
"Arrogant fool!"
The adjutant shouted again, not waiting for Wester V's signal.
"Twilight Forest is an inviolable territory of Wester, under the sovereign rule of King Wester V! Those who dare to resist will be charged with treason! The king commands you—open Twilight Forest at once, and let our soldiers enter to take control! Any objections will be met with immediate execution!"
"Execution?"
The girl's expression turned cold.
"Since the founding of the Doomsday Knights, no one has dared to speak such words to us. I warn you again: this is Doomsday Knights territory. Anyone who dares to intrude will face only death. Your country has never negotiated with us on this matter, so we will not obey your orders."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling coldness that made every soldier shiver, as if the autumn chill had seeped into their bones. But some sharp-eyed soldiers could not help but glance at the dark forest in confusion, their minds racing with doubts. They had thirty thousand soldiers, and the girl was alone—but her confidence and composure made her seem anything but a madwoman. Could there be a trap in the forest? Or was she hiding something?
Wester V was indeed overconfident. After learning from Ash that Twilight Forest had few troops, he had completely dismissed the threat. He had not even sent scouts, believing that his thirty thousand soldiers were far more than enough to overpower the mere thousands in the forest. But now, this unknown situation was making the officers nervous. They exchanged glances nervously, utterly confused by what was happening.
"Hmph!!"
Wester V snorted again, then suddenly waved his hand.
"Kill her!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
An officer immediately stepped forward, turning to the archers and gesturing with his hand.
Within seconds, hundreds of archers raised their longbows, aiming at the girl. They lifted their bows high, calculating the distance between them and her, then released the arrows.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A rain of arrows fell from the sky.
As the king's elite guards, these soldiers were skilled and powerful. Three hundred archers fired at the same time, creating a dense curtain of arrows that rained down on the girl. No matter which way she dodged, she would be hit by multiple arrows at once—this was a death sentence for a single person.
Everyone watched intently, their eyes fixed on the girl and the dark forest behind her, fearing a sudden ambush. The soldiers in the front line had already raised their shields, ready to defend against any counterattack. But to their shock, the girl only looked up, glanced at the arrows, and冷哼.
"Boring."
In that instant, the small silver shield attached to her elbow suddenly detached, expanding rapidly into a translucent sphere that completely enveloped her. The rain of arrows followed, but it was already too late.
Dozens of arrows struck the shield, but none could pierce it. The shield looked thin and fragile, as if it would break with a single touch—but it was far stronger than it appeared. The arrows bounced off the shield, harmlessly, as if they had hit an invisible wall.
"This is my final warning."
The shield disappeared, returning to her elbow as a small circle. The girl's expression remained unchanged— the rain of arrows had been nothing more than a trivial annoyance.
"Leave Twilight Forest immediately."
"Attack!!"
Seeing this, Wester V could no longer contain his anger and issued the order.
The battle cry echoed through the air.
The soldiers wasted no time, raising their swords and shields and advancing toward the forest. Although the scene had shocked them, the presence of their comrades gave them courage—no matter how strange the girl was, she was only one person, right? And they had thirty thousand soldiers! She could not possibly defeat all of them!
"You have intruded on Doomsday Knights territory."
The girl's face turned as cold as ice, her voice sharp.
"Since that is the case, there is nothing more to say."
She raised her right hand high.
A bright white beam shot straight up into the sky.
A fierce gust of wind swept across the soldiers, who stumbled backward in surprise. The wind felt as if it came from the heart of the dark forest, a living entity that could blow them away with a single breath. But it was just a momentary illusion—the wind disappeared as quickly as it came.
When the soldiers looked up again, they were stunned to see that five more people had appeared beside the girl. Five people who should not have been there at this moment.
"Good work, Liv."
Blake smiled, patting the fully armed maid on the shoulder. She looked up at him, her expression calm.
"Master, I have warned them several times, but they refused to listen."
"I knew they wouldn't."
Blake did not say more, turning to face the army with a cold smile. Behind him stood Messiah, Semia, Judy, and Ophelia, all watching the advancing soldiers silently.
"Your Majesty."
Blake soon spotted Wester V at the rear of the army, his eyes narrowing into a cold smile.
"Honestly, I knew you would be this stupid… No, you've always been this stupid, haven't you?"
"What's happening? What's going on?"
Wester V was utterly bewildered. How could Blake appear so suddenly? According to his spies in Crimson Fortress, Blake had been there last night! Even if he had received the news and rushed back, it would have taken days. But now he was standing right in front of him—was the spy report wrong? No, that couldn't be! And what about his other subordinates—they should all still be in the fortress! How did they get here?
And then…
Wester V's eyes fell on the beautiful figures behind Blake, and a surge of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, now…"
The officers beside him could not help but look on, their faces pale with fear. They had never seen Blake in person, but they had heard countless stories of his power—especially the incident where he had killed two Holy Knights in the Holy Church, a story that had spread throughout the royal capital. They had felt uneasy when they heard about the attack on Twilight Forest, but the king had assured them that those troublesome individuals were far away in Crimson Fortress, and would never return. That was why they had agreed to proceed. But now, they realized that they could not even trust the king's words.
"Do not panic!"
Wester V shouted, trying to calm his trembling subordinates. He raised his hand forcefully.
"They are only six people—how can they hope to stop thirty thousand soldiers? Charge! Kill these traitors!"
"Six people?"
Blake heard his voice despite the distance, and he snorted coldly.
"Is this the army of Wester—a bunch of incompetents—really worthy of our six people?"
With that, he smiled coldly, raising his right hand and snapping his fingers.
"Messiah, Semia, Judy."
"Yes, Brother."
"Yes, Father."
"Master, what is it?"
"King Wester's army has ignored our warnings and intruded on Doomsday Knights territory. They have broken the rules… kill them all—every single one!"
"Yes, Master!!"
A burst of crimson flames erupted from Judy's body, the heat so intense it could be felt from miles away. The girl jumped high, transforming into a fiery red meteor that streaked across the sky, then plunged into the advancing army.
"Boom!!"
The fierce flames exploded, forming a beautiful bloom of red lotus fire. The scorching, boiling air waves sent dozens of soldiers flying backward, their bodies slamming into the ground. Many died instantly, their bones crushed by the impact. Others were pierced by spears as they fell, their screams cut short.
For those who were not immediately killed, the scene was even more terrifying. They watched as the flames merged into a wall of fire, surrounding them. They tried to run, but the heat was too intense—their bodies melted into the flames, their blood and flesh turning into a pool of hot steel, and they disappeared in a burst of smoke and ash.
But this was only the beginning.
Judy's flames continued to rage, and a clear space opened up around her. After hundreds of soldiers were killed, the remaining soldiers finally had a chance to escape. But they had barely recovered from their shock when Judy drew her sword and plunged it deep into the ground.
A bright red halo spread out from the ground, expanding rapidly outward.
It was a sight that would make even the bravest warriors freeze in terror.
The red halo swept across the soldiers, and those who were touched by it felt no pain at first—until they suddenly looked down, their eyes widening in horror as they tried to run. But it was too late. The red flames rose from the ground, devouring everything in their path—men, horses, grass, trees—all turned to charred remains in an instant. What was left was only a blackened ground and a shower of burning ash.
"Monsters! They're monsters!!"
No words were needed to describe the terror. Even the most disciplined soldiers could not withstand this onslaught. They screamed and fled, trying to escape the hell of fire.
The neat formation was thrown into chaos. Some soldiers tried to escape, while those in the back had no idea what was happening. By the time they realized the danger, the wall of fire had already reached them. They too were trapped in the flames, their bodies melting into the fire, their screams drowned out by the roaring flames.
"Help! Help me!!"
"Retreat! Retreat!!"
"NO! NO RETREAT!!"
Standing at the rear of the army, Wester V watched the advancing wall of fire in a state of panic. He grabbed an officer beside him and shouted.
"Charge! Charge! Order the cavalry to charge! Rush into Twilight Forest!!"
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty!"
The officer was also shocked by the scene, his voice trembling. He quickly grabbed a horn and blew it loudly.
"——!!"
The cavalry, who had been waiting for the signal, immediately spurred their horses and charged forward. But this time, their charge was not to attack or break through the enemy's defense—it was to escape. They shouted and whipped their horses, rushing into the dark forest, as if the forest was the only safe place to survive.
But they did not notice that Blake, who had been standing silently at the rear, suddenly raised his right hand. The ring on his finger flashed with a bright magical light.
"Temporary structure, activate—Wall of Ten Thousand Spears."
Even the most powerful army would not be able to break through this impenetrable barrier.
The ground trembled again.
The charging cavalry froze in shock, their eyes widening as they saw the ground at the edge of the forest suddenly rise up. Black soil fell away, revealing the gleaming metallic surface of the ground beneath—thousands of sharp spears, forged from steel, rising up from the earth like a wall, blocking the cavalry's path.
"No——!!"
The cavalry screamed in terror as they tried to stop, but it was already too late.
One cavalryman pulled on the reins, trying to stop his horse. But his horse charged straight into the wall of spears, its sharp tip piercing the horse's skull and killing it instantly. The horse's body fell to one side, throwing the cavalryman off. He barely had time to raise his hands to shield himself when dozens of spears pierced his body, killing him instantly.
Thousands of cavalrymen were killed in the same way, rushing straight into the wall of spears. Those who were lucky enough to stop turned their horses and tried to escape. But they had lost all desire to fight. By the grace of the Saints—this was not a battle—it was a one-sided slaughter!
Get out of here! Get out now!
This was the only thought in the soldiers' minds.
But even this small wish was denied to them.
A bright, pure white light covered the sky again. This time, the light was so intense that even the soldiers who tried to turn and run had to look up. Their faces turned pale with terror.
In the dark night sky, two small figures floated, holding parasols high. Below them, two enormous magic circles were forming, with white magical light merging with golden runes, creating a sea of light that stretched across the sky.
Peak Spell.