Over in what’s left of the Kingdom of Heiden, evacuation efforts were underway. Roughly 80% of the survivors had already been relocated to the underground bunker. But Queen Tala refused to leave—at least not until she found her son.
One of the elders tried to convince her, reminding her that she was the only one left fit to rule the kingdom. But Tala shook her head. “What kind of mother would I be if I abandoned my child?” she declared.
The elder sympathized, but still questioned her certainty. After all, there had been no sign of the boy since the attack.
Tala explained her reasoning: the Forge of Heiden still burned bright red. Under normal circumstances, with the king dead, the forge would fall dormant until someone worthy appeared. But the fact that it was still active could only mean one thing—a member of the royal bloodline yet lived. And the only other with the king’s blood was her son. Protecting him until he was old enough to wield the forge was now their top priority. So long as he survived, Heiden would too.
Even so, frustration weighed on her. If only she had fled with her son when she had the chance. The elder pressed her for details, and Tala admitted she had seen this coming. She had a premonition that the heroes would be too weak to defeat the dark beasts, and that Clevatess would destroy the capital in retaliation. But she hadn’t known when it would happen, and so her chance to escape slipped away.
At that moment, her messenger Fabio returned, bearing urgent news. He reported that Drell’s army of 50,000 had clashed with the army of Esin along the Morell River. Esin’s soldiers fought valiantly, but they were powerless against Drell’s overwhelming magic. Then, out of nowhere, Clevatess appeared and wiped out nearly half of Drell’s army in an instant.
But what happened next was even more shocking: Drell somehow conjured a strange red sphere that managed to trap Clevatess.
This revelation left Queen Tala shaken. How could they possibly contend with someone strong enough to defeat a Dark Beast Lord? Worse still, Drell and his remaining force of 20,000 were now marching toward Heiden.
Tala rejected the idea outright. It defied their traditions—only heroes were meant to challenge Dark Beast Lords. But Fabio countered that Drell was technically a former hero, still bearing his Regalia, and therefore met the conditions of prophecy.
Even so, Tala refused to believe it. A man who led an army to invade another nation could never be the hero foretold.
So, Queen Tala declared that she would personally go out and shatter Drell’s Regalia, since he did not deserve to wield it. Fabio hesitated and asked whether it was even possible to shatter a Regalia. Tala explained that as long as she wielded the Sacred Hammer of Heiden, she could—because it was the only weapon capable of both forging and breaking Regalia.
The elder immediately tried to dissuade her, reminding her that only the King of Heiden was permitted to wield the hammer. But with the king dead, Tala said she would serve as king until her son could claim the throne, and that gave her every right to use it. None of them could argue with that. So they all helped her don her armor, while Fabio rushed off to fetch the hammer.
Tala thanked him, then lifted the weapon from its case. With its power in her hands, she vowed to confront Drell and his army head-on.
Meanwhile, back in the village, Pete dragged Naie over to Alicia, just as she had asked. He still couldn’t get over how amazing she looked when she wiped out all those insects with a single swing. He even swore to become her personal errand boy for as long as she stayed there. Alicia was a little surprised by how nice Pete was being, but since he insisted, she asked if he could also bring Nell to her. Pete immediately rushed off, eager to serve.
Clen chuckled and congratulated Alicia, saying it looked like she had just acquired her first servant. Alicia told him to stop teasing—it wasn’t like she wanted a servant. What she really wanted was a new set of clothes, since she was still covered head to toe in bug juice.
At that moment, Naie finally spoke up, sounding irritated. She asked why they dragged her there in the first place, since her knees hurt and she just wanted to go home. Alicia thought it was strange that Pete had managed to capture Naie so easily, since Nell had mentioned that Naie could control magnetism. But Pete hadn’t used any weapons—so with nothing metallic to manipulate, and against Pete’s sheer muscle, she had been powerless.
Alicia decided it was time for answers. She told Naie to spill everything she knew about Drell and his ties to the Dark Beast Lords. Naie blinked in confusion, claiming she had no idea what Alicia was talking about. So Alicia rephrased, asking if Naie had ever seen Drell’s Dark Ichor—a kind of blood that moved on its own. Naie seemed genuinely baffled, saying she had never seen anything like that, and frankly it sounded disgusting.
Alicia could tell Naie wasn’t lying, but Clen was certain that what Drell had used was indeed Dark Ichor—and only Dark Beast Lords were capable of producing it. On his own, Drell would never be a real threat. But if one of the lords was backing him, that changed everything. With Clevatess present here, the only Dark Lords unaccounted for were Zathier of the West, Rathwell of the East, and Varden of the North. And if one of them had dared to bare their fangs at Clevatess by empowering Drell, then Clen swore they would pay the price.
Speaking of Drell, Alicia asked Clen if it was safe for him to leave his main body behind and appear here in this smaller form. Clen reassured her that it wasn’t his real body anyway. In fact, it was better this way—if whoever was aiding Drell believed that Clevatess was still sealed, it would make it much easier to lure them into a trap.
All the while, Naie had been trying to get their attention, clearly growing impatient.
Naie finally spoke up, asking if they were finished, because she would very much like to leave now. It was true that without nearby metal she was powerless, but she still had the metal from her own gauntlets. Normally, she couldn’t manipulate them while they were in contact with her skin, but thanks to her thin arms she managed to slip a hand free. With a little effort, she tossed the gauntlets into the air and hooked her handbag onto them, using the metal to levitate herself and fly away.
Neither Clen nor Alicia expected that, so they simply stood and watched as Naie floated off into the sky.
While flying, Naie spotted a cart heading toward Alicia and Clen. Inside were Nell and Luna, and she immediately noticed the cart’s wheels were lined with metal. Seizing the opportunity, she descended onto the carriage roof. Knowing that Drell would scold her if she returned empty-handed, she declared that she would be taking them with her to Hitat. Using her gauntlets, she knocked out the brothers driving the cart and then lifted the entire carriage into the air, carrying Nell and Luna with her.
However, just when Naie thought she had gotten away clean, she suddenly realized that Clen was sitting casually right next to her. A moment later, Alicia pressed her blade to Naie’s neck. Alicia explained that the cart had been prepared specifically to trick Naie into giving them a ride straight to Hitat. Since Alicia’s sword was forged of Heiden steel, Naie couldn’t control it—and knowing she was outmatched, Naie did the sensible thing and surrendered. She agreed to peacefully transport the group to Hitat.
Down below, the brothers regained consciousness and were relieved to see that Clen and Alicia had boarded the cart safely. They waved enthusiastically, shouting that Alicia would always be welcome back. The other villagers echoed the same farewell as the flying carriage passed overhead. Alicia, hearing their voices, felt a deep warmth—she was happy that she had made such a positive impact, and for the first time, she truly felt like a hero.
Of course, Clen immediately teased her about the smug expression on her face. Alicia countered that she had earned it, since she did save the entire village. Clen reminded her that she had only managed it with his help.
Meanwhile, Nell was still processing everything. She admitted she hadn’t expected Alicia to be so heroic, but what truly shocked her was learning that Luna was actually the Prince of Heiden. She asked nervously if it was really okay for someone like her to hold him so casually, since normally commoners weren’t even allowed to touch a royal. Clen dismissed the concern, saying that was a “dumb rule.” Nell, he explained, was in a unique position. She had been vital in keeping Luna alive, and thanks to her newfound strength, she was now several times stronger than a regular human. If anyone ever dared call her worthless again, she should simply crush them.
Alicia quickly stepped in, clarifying that Nell should not go around crushing people. But Clen shrugged, saying that was how he had always dealt with his haters, and he didn’t see a problem with it.
Soon, the group approached a vast mountain range. Beyond it lay the capital city of Hitat. Clen turned to Alicia, asking if she was prepared. He warned her that he couldn’t reveal his presence to anyone, so she would be on her own. He also reminded her that Drell must not learn about the Dark Ichor within her body, which meant her ability to heal would be restricted.
Even so, Alicia stood firm. She said she was ready to fight—and ready to finally avenge her father. With that, Naie guided the carriage up and over the mountains, flying straight toward Hitat.
As soon as Hitat comes into view, it’s clear that the city is already under attack. Drel must be nearby, so Alicia scans the battlefield and spots him standing atop one of the castle walls. Wasting no time, she grabs Naie’s arm and forces her to steer the carriage directly toward Drel.
Meanwhile, on the castle walls, Princess Tala rallies the kingdom’s magic-sword-wielding knights to face Drel. She reminds them that their swords are nearly as powerful as Drel’s regalia, meaning if anyone can fight him, it’s them. Still, it’s obvious these knights are marching to their deaths. They bravely charge in, trying to surround Drel, but he merely stands calmly, calling them “irritating.” The knights realize they’re finished, yet out of loyalty to their kingdom, they throw themselves into battle, hoping to distract him long enough for the archer squad to land a decisive shot.
Even with a clear line of sight, the archers fumble, and Drel transforms himself into a sword to evade the attack. Tala and the knights are stunned, unsure if they’ve gone mad or if Drel truly turned into a blade mid-fight. The shield-bearers form a defensive line, but they are blown away in an instant. Drel seizes Tala by the throat, commending her efforts but declaring that she can never become king. Tala knows this well—she has no royal blood, and only those with the strongest lineage can claim the throne. Normally, if all the king’s successors perish, the succession passes to the closest relative. But Drel intends to end that tradition today.
Though uncertain if she’ll survive, Tala is confident that a single strike with her hammer could shatter Drel’s regalia. All she needs is a distraction. Just then, Alicia crashes down from the flying carriage. The sudden entrance confuses Tala, but it’s the perfect opening. She seizes the moment and strikes at Drel’s sword form.
Elsewhere, Clen and Neruru watch from afar. Neruru worries whether Alicia can handle Drel alone, but Clen explains it doesn’t matter if she wins or loses. All he needs is for Alicia to keep Drel occupied. Drel and his mysterious ally are after the Forge of Heiden, so Clen intends to reach it first. That’s why he brought Luna—only someone of royal blood can break the seal.
Knowing the forge’s location, Clen leads Neruru to a castle wall, pointing out that the forge lies just beyond it. He could smash through himself, but he wants to remain unnoticed, so he orders Neruru to do it instead. She hesitates, doubting her strength against the solid wall. But Clen reminds her that when he healed her, he infused her arms with the power of a troll, making her several times stronger than even the mightiest of them.
Trusting his words, Neruru gives the wall a push—and to her shock, she sends a massive block flying far across the courtyard. It lands directly among the guards assigned to protect the forge. Jokingly, she feels like her “kill-death ratio” just spiked, but Clen brushes it off, telling her to focus—they don’t have much time.
At the forge’s entrance, Fabio and a few guards survive Neruru’s unintended strike. Before they can regroup, Clen uses his shadow powers to subdue them. Then, placing Luna’s hand on the seal, he unlocks the entrance to the legendary forge.
