<Chapter 53. The Final Stage - 10>

[Aaaaaaaaah! Guaaaaaaah!]

A wail resounded throughout the battlefield. Who exactly was screaming, and for what reason? Those fighting couldn't discern the source of the scream.

But whenever that beautiful, frightening, unforgettable, and horrific scream resounded throughout the battlefield, someone died. Someone would collapse, and someone else wouldn't be able to move.

[Aaaaaah. Uaaaaaaaah....!]

Seira had gotten over her past as a hero, and continued to wail as a Banshee. She continued to wail. Lee Shin Woo was also increasing her strength! A shadow of black flame covered her entire body.

With the help of Lee Shin Woo's Wild Card skill, not only did her Banshee's Cry buff allies, but the effects were further increased as well!

"This way! This way... Keok!"

[I killed one of them! Let's go!]

Their allies were weaker and their enemies were stronger. The knights, who had suddenly led the enemy forces, died due to their trivial mistakes. And that allowed the allied forces to regain the lead.

"If we just hold out a little while longer, then reinforcements will... R-Reinforcements will...!"

[Lord Paul Zero has commanded us. Don't discriminate and kill them all. Give them the death that we all wish for!]

The allied forces were stronger due to their extreme change. If they got even the slightest of leads, they wouldn't allow their enemies time to breathe.

The allied forces' blades would always, without fail, cut off their heads or pierce a vital area, while the enemies' blades would flounder in the air. Some of them even managed to embed their swords into their own bodies!

"How can this be? It's too one-sided..."

"Is that the power of a Banshee? How is a single Banshee doing this to our entire army!?"

The Vampires were dumbstruck by the spectacle. Ignoring her tears or her wails was easy enough, but they noticed that wherever her voice reached, there was an increasing frequency of deaths!

Her voice brought death to the enemy, but it also continuously strengthened the Heaven Defying General's troops. Moreover, the range of her screams was by no means ordinary! To be honest, the reason that Lee Shin Woo could be absent from this battle was because he could rely on Seira's authority.

'Mm. With Fire Shadow's effects, you can just cry and influence the progress of the battle however you wish.'

'I told you. Out of everyone, my ability has the highest affinity with you. ...Unfortunately, it's something I never wished for!'

'It's too late for you to go all tsundere on me at this point... In any case, I'll leave this to you. If Ye Jin Jin's my representative for the human side, then you're my representative for the undead side, not Shino Rendu.'

'Hoo, of course.'

'So, I was just wondering. Are you and Shino Rendu...'

'Though you've become my master, you cannot manipulate my emotions as you please. Y-You may be able to do what you want with my body, but... You dirty and underhanded bastard!'

'Hey, I never said I'd do anything of the sort! I respect your independence you know!'

Lee Shin Woo recalled his conversation with Seira prior to the battle and smiled. To think he'd be laughing at a conversation with such an infuriating person; he felt that he himself was strange, but he couldn't help it. He just laughed automatically.

[Guhiiiiiii! Huoooooooooh!]

[Hiik!]

[The Banshee's crying! She's looking at me!]

[We're going to die! Right now!]

She continued to scream, but she now wore a smile on her face. Seira became even stronger than before, and there were even some soldiers that fainted at the sight of her. Despite the fact that several of them were undead!

"Seira, what exactly are you..."

Whereas, Lloyd and the heroes, who had accomplished the most difficult mission of leading the undead here (Why exactly was it the hardest job? Not only was the average level of the Underground Empire's Imperial Army incredibly high, but the passageway from the capital to the surface was the most perilous), had disguised themselves as a volunteer army that attacked the main force's rear. In the midst of that, Lloyd's eyes widened at Seira's power.

"Do people change that much when they become an undead?"

"Perhaps. Love also might've changed her. Ah, I see Prince over there. She's become quite proficient in handling the Fire Demon... No, she's gotten a lot stronger."

"Ye Jin Jin is here too. ...Is that really Ye Jin Jin?"

They saw Ye Jin Jin throw all manner of throwing projectiles, as well as her flame, to burn countless enemies to a crisp. They knew that she, under Lee Shin Woo's request, had become stronger, but this was a bit too much, wasn't it!?

"Everyone who's involved with Lee Shin Woo goes through an extreme change."

"Keuk..."

"That goes for you too, Lloyd. You grew substantially. Mentally and physically."

"...Erian."

"Hey. You can talk about sex later. Focus on the battle for now."

"S-Sex!?"

Lloyd and Erian had a good thing going there, but Kratia, who was quietly casting, coldly interjected. Their job was to protect Kratia until she was finished casting her spell!

"Everyone's changed a lot. Really..."

"You haven't seen anything yet. You'll see, once we've mostly cleared out the Imperial Army."

"What happens then?"

"...Ye Jin Jin will show us soon."

Kratia was telling the truth. Ultimately, countless undead had sacrificed themselves to kill Kuroin Von Begner (it was the Underground Empire's Imperial Army, of course), and once the squads led by the remaining 12 Generals were destroyed, the undead forces pushed even harder, as if aware of their impending victory!

"Damn it. These undead never tire, do they!?"

"We'll be pushed back at this rate. I'm glad that that despicable Begner was killed, but at this rate, everyone will..."

"...Please don't worry, everyone."

What dramatic timing. ...No, that was a lie. Lee Shin Woo had picked that timing to make it look dramatic. The hero, Izuna, raised her spear and stepped forward.

"We have allies that will help us!"

"Allies... Are you referring to that volunteer army?"

"They're helpful, yes, but that's not enough to turn the tide..."

"Oh, spirits!"

At this point in time, a long speech would be pointless. There was something far greater: feats and results! Once Ye Jin Jin yelled, a giant gate appeared in the center of the battlefield. It was the gate that connected the surface to the Spirits' Spring.

The Spirit Princess and now the Immortal Princess, Dana, stepped out of the gate! Her beauty caused the forces to lose all focus and look at her in awe. However, she hadn't come here for people to marvel at her appearance.

"Oh, spirits!"

The beautiful and powerful Immortal Princess, Dana, recited her script as politely as possible.

"The humans require our aid! These heinous ghosts are dirtying the surface! This land, which is both our base and our place to live!"

[Aah, it smells like the curse! This disgusting smell, which seeks to bring everything to death!]

[Spirits, it's our turn now! It's time for us, as residents of this world, to drive out the curse!]

[Uoooooooh!]

Though the spirits were somewhat awkward, they nonetheless stuck to their lines. Of course, if one looked at them closely, their awkwardness would show, but because they had appeared when the surface needed them most... it was almost as if God had sent them to aid them.

"Ooooooooh!"

"The spirits... the spirits have come to aid us!"

"The hero, Izuna, brought the spirits here to save us!"

"Lady Izuna!"

"The Spirit Queen!"

They fell for it. A few well placed individuals yelled out, establishing the mood. It was super effective! Not only were there more and more individuals that yelled Izuna's name, but they were starting to call Dana the Spirit Queen.

"Zenon."

[Am I finally able to show myself?]

It was perfect timing. No, it was even better. Zenon, who quietly resided within Ye Jin Jin's dress, materialized himself. At that moment, her magic increased even further. Her magic was strong enough by just wearing the dress, but by materializing, Zenon increased Ye Jin Jin's power even further!

"Indeed. The spirits have forgiven our past transgressions and have decided to help us! We can definitely overcome this hurdle! Together with the spirits! That must be what Sir Kay wished for as well!"

"Uooooooooooh!"

"Us humans won't lose to the likes of you!"

"The spirits came back for us... Aah, God is smiling down at us!"

"Praise be the sun!"

Their confidence soared as if they had become religious zealots! The madness of the battleground must've permeated into their brains. If it hadn't, then the surface dwellers, who had been taught to hate the spirits, wouldn't so easily accept the spirits! However, that was exactly what Lee Shin Woo had been aiming for.

[We...We won't lose!]

[We will... retake the surface.]

[The Emperor's not at fault. He has always struggled to keep his people alive; the spirits are no exception!]

[Then why... did you try killing us for so long?]

The mood had shifted entirely in the humans' favor. The undead couldn't win anymore. This part was critical. They needed to kill the undead, sure, but they couldn't afford to kill the Heaven Defying General's troops as well.

Now they had to gradually play dead and retreat. It would prove to be incredibly complicated, but Lee Shin Woo had already prepared everything in advance. Dana, who'd appeared with such excellent timing, had been assigned a task that was just as important.

'Allowing the Hero's forces to escape. ...Using the Spirits' Spring.'

'The Hero is definitely a genius,' Dana inwardly muttered. The spirits would appear at a critical moment, drawing everyone's attention. And then, the Heaven Defying General's troops would quietly retreat.

No matter how she thought about it, it wasn't an idea that could be put together by a human. As expected, he was indeed the chosen hero!

...However, when everything was falling into place...

[...Don't...]

"...Huh?"

Dana tilted her head at the voice that resounded throughout the battlefield. She wasn't the only one. Everyone on the battlefield heard that magical voice, forcing them to give up on the battle and focus entirely on the voice.

[...Shoot.]

The voice gradually became clearer, and loudly resounded throughout the battlefield.

[Don't shoot...]

And soon, everyone could hear it. Dana marveled its contents and the voice itself. What exactly was happening? Why was he personally intervening now?

However, it was definitely him. Lee Shin Woo, who had overturned all logic and had created this stage, was yelling.

[Stop, friendly fire! All of you... stop fighting!]

The battlefield froze. The sky and the ground were both shining.

She didn't know what was happening, but she was sure of one thing... he was overturning all cause-and-effect.

"What is this..."

Dana muttered vacantly and raised her hand. And she soon realized. Everyone else was undergoing the same evolution that she had.

The humans, the undead, and the spirits... they all obeyed his will. Seeing that, Dana just laughed despondently. She really had no choice.

[If you're all ready, then look and realize.]

Everyone watched and experienced the world's changes, and bowed before the god in front of them in worship.

A god was performing a miracle.