The sound of armor collision roared through the execution grounds like an intensifying storm. The rage had burned away the Dreya people’s rationality, as they bellowed and jeered, even the usually enthusiastic tavern maids spat venomously with twisted faces.

"Execute him!" "Execute him!" The Zither Bird’s malicious curse intertwined with the Dreya’s ingrained prejudice against Liveser, forming a lethal poison called war.

"Chop off his head! Throw it into the bushes of Liveser, our knights will trample their forests!"

Blind malice reduced humanity to its most primal form of beast, which, in Ralph’s eyes, seemed utterly repugnant.

He looked behind him, at the woeful ranger standing at his back, the Death Hunter Grael awaiting his command.

"Grael, after we rescue the Zither Bird, you are to block and attract all the eyes of the Inquisitor and the Dreya knights. Our plan must have a sacrifice. And you, are the one to be forsaken."

The ominous skeleton rattled, "Even if the Protector of the Nation says so, I have no grounds to complain about you who issue the commands. After all, to sacrifice oneself for friends is much more valuable than dying in the jungle. I am very grateful that you have provided me a worthy rest."

Ralph identified a characteristic of the Liveser people. The reason they were called barbarians by human society. They held onto some naively wonderful traits, like torches raised in the darkness. To the ordinary, reality-bound people, this was an envy-inciting brilliance.

They were forever categorized as the Other.

"I will make good use of the value you create, ranger."

Grael felt as though he had returned to life, when taking on a perilous task, always wearing a rakish smile on his lips before uttering that sentence.

"Verdant foliage and blossoms, will remember my shadow."

"But not now... Undead," a jarring voice suddenly rang out from the void, and just when Ralph thought he had been exposed, a streak of red flashed by, leaving only an ethereal whisper.

"Forgive my presumptuous action, Commander, the Eldest Son of God needs to right some wrongs."

In the storm of angry crowds roared, red lightning symbolizing the mighty divine wrath, the sound of thunder accompanied by shattering blasts struck the center of the execution grounds.

With a crack, a bolt of lightning from a clear sky struck the execution ground’s center, red lightning shattering the wood chips, scattering the Inquisitors in the explosion’s concussive force.

The hissing of the lightning was like the enraged screaming of a god, rekindling the panic in the furious crowd.

The people watched the dense fog at the center, and at its feet, Zither Bird’s collapsed form remained unharmed by the strange lightning.

As the fog cleared, a deformed figure never before seen stood in the center, his posture hunched, his skin like a hairless wild dog, intertwined with black and red lightning. He was stooped, but he seemed to stand taller than anyone else.

Using his massive three-fingered palms to cradle Zither Bird’s body, Loveday’s wrists, burning with the Psionic Glaive fueled by Star Spirit’s rage, pointed directly at the smiling Inquisitor Legion Commander Algernon.

"You have desecrated the justice of the Holy Light!"

"No, the Holy Light has sanctioned my justice," Algernon replied, a radiance far surpassing the shadowy lightning of the Star Spirit shining behind him. The intense light was enough to injure people’s eyes.

The dazzling Holy Light transformed into shadows, entwining around the Inquisitor’s body, with Algernon tightly clenching the dark greatsword in his hands.

"As for you, monster, you will be executed for being an enemy of justice."

The handsome Paladin charged forth, the dark greatsword clashing with the Psionic Glaive, sparks flying as the two figures broke apart upon contact.

In that collision, Loveday heard Algernon’s provocative voice.

"Let’s see who represents justice, me who is embraced by the Holy Light, or you who is entwined with shadows."

"I feel it, you could have been like me, but you’re simply too weak, your spirit, just like that pale imitation of justice."

Loveday had not forgotten his mission, and he stared deeply into the smiling eyes of the Inquisitor before disappearing into the shadows with the unconscious Zither Bird.

"That monster is an accomplice of the Liveser people!"

"Chase them, we can’t let them get away!"

The furious public spontaneously began to pursue, which was not difficult for Dreya, where every citizen was a soldier.

Only a group of Inquisitor Knights remained in place.

"Legion commander, do we not need to pursue?"

"The value of that ranger has already been exhausted, we don’t need to waste our energy. Start preparing, we still have a short respite before the judgment arrives."

Inside Dreya’s royal tower, Queen Lina witnessed the entire judgment.

It was unavoidable. The anger of Dreya had been successfully provoked by these people, and Dreya needed an outlet, a war. Even if we have to bear severe wounds, if we don’t drink poison to quench thirst, the country Grandpa built might collapse at the next moment.

Lina Dreya felt an unprecedented exhaustion. She had persevered through countless times before.

Grandpa Reed, Lina is sorry, this is all Lina can do.

The envoy from Devonrayla was smiling; bowing deeply, he expressed unprecedented respect to Queen Dreya.

"The incarnation of the will of the Dreya people, Your Majesty, please give your orders."

The girl stood at the window, looking at Dreya’s shattered walls, her voice carrying the strength of iron and stone.

"The Kingdom of Dreya declares war on the Kingdom of Liveser."

Dreya’s war machine sprang into swift action, surpassing past efficiency and even exceeding the best state of Lina’s administration, but who could be certain that this was not a flicker before extinction?

The knights of Dreya rallied around the queen, responding to her command and mobilization. These were the knights who had fought countless battles alongside Dreya, the eternal supporters of Dreya’s bloodline.

They looked solemn, but their faces also bore indelible sorrow, some of the older knights had even watched Lina grow up.

"Your Majesty."

"Lamenting over and over again is of no avail, defenders of Dreya, we only have to fight with our backs to the wall, if we annihilate Liveser quickly, our country still has a chance to catch its breath."

"Devonrayla and those Paladins, are willing to provide us with assistance, Your Majesty, do you mean to..."

"Conscript them. Devonrayla wants Dreya, and will surely assist us wholeheartedly. Now we must make full use of every bit of strength," Lina paused for a moment, her face thoughtful, "How many of those Holy Light knights are there in total?"

"Less than a hundred."

Lina breathed a sigh of relief, "Incorporate the Inquisitors into our forces, their individual strength is impressive. If Liveser has creatures similar to the ones we faced that day, let the Inquisitor Knights handle them." Although war restricts the expression of individual prowess, Lina did not want to use the lives of her own soldiers as fodder.

There was also one more point. With less than a hundred Inquisitors, there was no possibility of mutiny. The numerous knights of Dreya could easily crush these proud individuals.

Dreya had no way out, the future of Dreya had to be fought for with their own outburst of force.

Lina Dreya even felt a tinge of relief, her wish had once been to become a general like her grandfather. Being forced to govern was truly painful, although she had endured it.

God bless Dreya, Grandpa, if your soul... still exists.