Dark steel lightning crisscrossed the dusk sky, tearing through the atmosphere and stirring up storms. On the land skewered by that steel thunder, both rocks and soil emitted trembling sounds under the impact of clashing metal and colliding Magic Power. Even hundreds of miles away, the water screen within the lord's mansion wavered from the Magic Power's aftermath, until Tristan plucked the strings of his harp, expanding the view of the water screen, which finally stabilized.

"Cain... He's actually holding his own?" Gawain's voice carried an incredulous joy. Although Cain's body no longer resembled that of a Human, the images reflected on the water screen made it clear that he was battling two Legendary on equal footing. If he could keep this up, then when the King arrived on the battlefield, it might not be impossible to withdraw with Cain unharmed. This time, the force Despicable King Vortigern had deployed vastly exceeded their expectations; preserving their forces without any losses would already be considered an absolute victory.

"No." Tristan's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze towards the water screen growing grave. "While Lord Cain has indeed boosted his abilities to equal those of a Legendary Rank through some special means... I can feel his Magic Power rapidly depleting."

...

BOOM—

Once again, the sound of clashing metal rang out. The ground issued a cracking cry of despair as the dark figure collided like a meteor and then rebounded. Dust covered Vortigern's armor, making him look somewhat disheveled, but he was uninjured. On the other side, deep cracks, almost puncturing through the armor, appeared on the surface of Shiayar's Black Knight Mecha. The Alchemy Matrix surfaced, and the fluid-like invincible metal surged rapidly, repairing the damage that could have crippled the Mecha. However, such repairs were not without cost; the Alchemy Matrix needed to consume a massive amount of Magic Power as compensation each time it controlled the metal particles for the recasting process. At this moment, the magictech furnace core, originally vibrant and luminous at the center of the Black Knight, had also dimmed significantly.

"What power is this?" Vortigern's gaze locked onto Shiayar's Black Knight Mecha as he walked slowly. With his Legendary Rank and experience, even though he had never encountered it before, after actual combat, he could approximate Shiayar's current state. Are you simply utilizing the Alchemy Matrix to refine free metal into a gigantic exoskeletal armor, significantly enhancing your own physical prowess? Vortigern had no difficulty understanding this concept. With the breadth of a Legendary's knowledge, some Emperor Rank metal Life forms could accomplish similar feats. But, if that was all there was to it, it would just be an ability akin to an advanced form of High Order "Armorizing," yet it could not possibly achieve the effects Cain was demonstrating now. Despite having only a 6-Ring Magic Power reserve, he possessed the true capabilities to equal a Legendary. If it weren't for the multiple Legendary present on Vortigern's side, Cain might have still had a chance to escape even if he couldn't win.

His gaze fixated on the center of the Black Knight Mecha—the Core of the Furnace that radiated a scorching brilliance, shimmering like the sun. With the spiritual power of a Legendary, he could naturally sense that this reactor was the source of everything. It was this sun-like Core of the Furnace that, in a way unheard and unseen by Vortigern himself, supplied the metallic body with Magic Power across several magnitudes with unimaginable efficiency, enabling it to unleash combat strength that transcended Rank, breaking through the Legendary Limit.

"Submit to me, relinquish this power," Vortigern declared. "I, as Sovereign of this land and Lord of Escarnia, promise you glory and riches." The authoritative voice echoed across the land. Though his Throne was usurped through base means, Vortigern's strength and status were worthy of a King over these territories. The voice of his Sovereignty, like a thundering magic word, became a tangible restraint, aiming to shake Shiayar's mind into submission.

He had originally intended to kill Cain, as the threat from the Daybreak Organization was just too great, truly capable of shaking his rule. But at this moment, Vortigern still chose to speak. With a perspective that transcended typical Legendary, he was acutely aware of what the magictech furnace core embedded within Cain's Mecha signified: the potential for mass production of Legendary combat prowess. Even if endurance was insufficient, even if there were many flaws such as a fragile body, and possibly other limitations, a single Mecha couldn't compare to a true Legendary. But even so, this was still a force capable of changing the entire landscape of Escarnia... No, the entire Western Continent.

However, the next moment, Despicable King Vortigern only saw the Sovereign's command, which he had manifested from his control of the land's Authority, silently shatter into pieces.

"So, when exactly did you develop the illusion that the Black Knight was my most powerful ability?" a cold voice resounded.

The next moment, the gigantic black Mecha suddenly shattered. Its scorching magictech furnace core, operating at a nearly self-destructive speed, burst forth with unparalleled Magic Power once more. This power was then entirely fused into the reforged metal. Thousands of black metal shards erupted from beneath the earth, forming a metallic prison that completely sealed off Vortigern and Blood Prince Flandre. As the huge black Mecha crumbled, it revealed Cain's slender figure within once more.

Vortigern looked at the surrounding black metal cage confining him, not understanding the significance of Cain's actions. Such a metal prison, created by shattering the Core of the Furnace in a near self-destructive manner, could indeed trap them for a moment. But it was just for a moment. At their Legendary Rank, they could break free within a minute at most. The cost for Cain was the complete loss of his black Mecha's protection; he would no longer even have the chance to use it to resist for a fleeting moment.

Of course, Vortigern also knew that even without the Mecha, Cain possessed some sort of Space-type mobility and even superior self-healing capabilities. Flandre's "Heart Control" was ineffective against him, making his survival abilities astonishing. However, in the face of a Legendary, none of that truly mattered. Teleport abilities inevitably had cooldowns and distance restrictions. Without long-distance teleportation, a Legendary could catch up in minutes due to their speed advantage. As for self-healing... this world had no shortage of Blood Tribe members. Sealing, or imprisonment in a Mithril cage at the bottom of the sea, were both extremely effective methods.

BOOM—

BOOM—

The Magic Power that devoured all light surged forth, constantly causing the metallic prison around him to burst and crack. The moment his Sovereignty's command shattered, Vortigern had already harbored a deadly intent towards Cain. Whether it was "Daybreak" or that magictech furnace core technology that allowed the metal Mecha to temporarily possess Legendary combat strength, both were far too terrifying. If it couldn't be used by him, then there was only one option left: to utterly eradicate it.

However, as Vortigern watched the metal prison he had crafted continue to break apart, Shiayar did not, as Vortigern and Flandre anticipated, immediately use his Space-type Teleport ability to flee while they were confined. He simply closed his eyes. Then, through the faint mental resonance Enola shared with him, he sensed the presence of the Sacred Spear Rhongomyniad.

At first, Shiayar had found it strange. Despite being in that period of history, and with the Sacred Sword already obtained by Artorigus, the Sacred Spear had yet to reveal itself. But now, he understood. The Sacred Spear was not located in the material plane. Instead, true to its reputation as a stars-forged weapon, it was drifting in space, hovering amidst the stars themselves.

And at this very moment, following that faint connection, the storm spear roaming above the stars gradually adjusted its angle. Finally, it aimed at a distant point on the land of Escarnia: the Valley of the End.

"So you see, Vortigern," Shiayar raised his arm, simply gazing at the metallic prison and the distant army that had survived the onslaught of the Endless Swords. "You know nothing of true power."

"Cry, scream, howl."

"And then—"

"Listen to this, the silence of extinction."