Licht said, "I had it covered. And where exactly is Lucifer, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth replied, "The capital itself is under attack—he's outside, spearheading the counterattack."
Licht's eyes widened. "What?! That means us knights just being stuck here... the enemy is winning."
Elizabeth said, "He has it under control."
Just as they were speaking, a portal opened above the arena. From it, the corpses of knights stationed at the capital dropped down and fell hard onto the arena floor.
Licht clenched his fists. "That was a low blow… A move to destroy our morale."
He continued, "Elizabeth, are the Grandmaster and the Acting Grandmaster still in the castle? Them being here is only raising more problems."
Elizabeth nodded. "The Grandmaster is with the King in the castle. The Acting Grandmaster is joining forces with Lucifer to lead the counterattack."
Licht turned. "Alysa, come here."
Alysa stepped forward. "Here."
Licht held up a small orb of light. "Light Magic: Eternal Light." The orb shone with high brightness, catching everyone's attention.
He shouted, "Everyone, the capital is under attack. The defenses have fallen. We are on the brink of defeat. Once we leave here, we don't know what's waiting for us. But I will fight—not because my family is in danger, but because it's what I want. I fight for every knight who gave their life in this battle!"
"The enemy sent these bodies to show our weakness, to break our spirits. But no! These knights are not our weakness—they are our pride! Men and women who bravely sacrificed their lives to protect our families! I will fight to keep their flame alive!"
"In five seconds, I will tear open space. Get ready for the fight of your lives!"
"Alysa! Use your gravity magic to enhance my strength!"
Alysa responded, "Gravity Magic: Dreading Fate." A pulse of energy surrounded Licht, amplifying his power.
Licht roared, "Light Magic: Gradient Slash!" He slashed open space again. As the tear started to heal, he used his bare hands to force it open wider, holding it in place for everyone.
Meanwhile, in the capital—
Lucifer stood on the battlefield. "Masaki, go to Hedin and use your combined spell!"
As Masaki reached Hedin, the mage smirked. "Just in time. Ready for the combined attack?"
Masaki shouted, "Thunder Magic: Raging Thunder!"
Hedin raised his hands, "Lightning Magic: Piercing Lightning!"
Together they cast: Thunder x Lightning — Zeus's Raging Thunder!
Thunderclouds gathered above. From them, fierce lightning and thunder attacks rained down upon the enemies.
Lucifer watched with satisfaction. "Good to see you're back."
He turned to Elizabeth. "With me!"
Back at the arena, Licht looked around at the devastation. "What the hell happened? Why is the entire capital covered in flames?! How did all the knights guarding it die in just a few minutes?!"
Lucifer, grim-faced, said, "It wasn't a few minutes ago. You've been trapped inside that arena for five hours."
"What?!"
Lucifer continued, "The civilians you evacuated—they left the arena about 45 minutes ago, by our time. I myself escaped 1 hour and 50 minutes after the siege began. This was planned. There was a faction within the knighthood that orchestrated a coup."
"They weren't strong enough to take the defenses head-on, so they joined forces with Zecres. Rubues helped lay the groundwork by creating a trap so obvious and so poisonous—separating the arena from real space. Not as an act of war, but of terrorism."
"They did it to trap our strongest knights, knowing you'd use up your magic power to get civilians out first."
He turned. "Elizabeth, do you have enough power for Shadow Realm?"
Then he raised his voice. "Everyone, listen!"
As the knights turned toward him, Lucifer began:
"Today was supposed to be a day of celebration. A day to honor every gladiator who fought in this arena, putting their lives on the line for their ideals. To show what they stood for."
"But today… we've been stabbed in the back. By our own brothers. Brothers we swore to trust with our lives in battle—every single day, as if there were no tomorrow."
"And let me be clear—questioning the law you follow is not wrong. But crossing the line is. And they crossed the holy line… by killing their own brothers."
"Today, we don't fight to uphold truth or justice. We fight for the ideals we believe in. Today, what happens to us doesn't matter. We fight for the wrath—the righteous fury—of everyone who laid down their lives for their ideals, and for us."
"If I don't rise against the traitors standing before us now, it would be an insult to every knight who ever lived!"
"Right now, we are one. And every instinct in my body is telling me—do not let the blood spilled today be in vain! We fight for those who came before us, and for those who stand with us now!"
Lucifer raised his sword high. "FOR ELDORIA!"
Everyone screamed in unison: "FOR ELDORIA!"
Lucifer roared, "FOR THE IDEALS WE BELIEVE IN!"
They shouted again: "FOR OUR IDEALS!"