Start in Terra, immortal

Returning to Rosso and Herder's side.

After confirming that the seven mechanical warriors who had died had been taken into the spirit world, Rosso looked at Hilder again.

"Go and see Bakal when they are supposed to arrive."

"If I try to explain, I'm afraid he won't believe me," Herder said, shaking his head.

"The one who tied the knot must untie it. You must explain the persecution you caused to Bakal. Whether he forgives you or not, you must go and declare to him the importance of the 'sharp edge'."

Now that you've chosen to be the villain, go all the way. From now on, continue to direct the 'Blade's' spear towards the Apostles.

Herder paused for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She understood Rosso's meaning.

Her plans have changed, but the appearance that "the apostles must be eliminated" will need to be maintained, at least for a long time.

"I understand." Hilder finally nodded. "I will go to Bakal. But... in what capacity? Hayd? Or Hilder?"

"In Herder's capacity," Rosso affirmed, "let Bakal see your change. Let him know that you and he will no longer be mortal enemies."

The key is to make him a good "tester." Just tell him it's my idea, and he'll understand.

Just after Rosso finished explaining things to Hilder, when the adventurers returned, Hilder experienced some flashbacks in her mind.

"Now is the time to go find Bakal..."

Heaven, Bakal's Palace.

Bakal sat on his throne, one hand supporting his forehead, flames condensing in his golden vertical pupils, while his other hand slowly swirled a wine glass.

Just then, a magical fluctuation rippled through the space. Bakal instantly became alert.

He was all too familiar with this fluctuation—the very purpose of his magic ban was to better detect her magical fluctuations.

"Hilder..." Bakal's voice was deep and rumbling, echoing through the throne room. He didn't rise, but his aura suddenly solidified, the air seeming to freeze into a tangible substance. "You dare... appear before me of your own accord?"

Herder's figure slowly appeared; she was not carrying a staff, and her posture was different from usual.

"Bakal," Herder's voice remained cold, "I came not to fight you."

"Ha, not for fighting? Or for reminiscing?" Bakal sneered. "Isn't my current predicament entirely your fault?"

"Lord Rosso sent me to deliver some information," she said, her gaze fixed on Bakal's "unfading golden eyes."

"Lord Rosso..." Bakal's imposing manner faltered slightly, his vertical pupils contracting a bit. "You and him...?"

"My plans have changed, Bakal," Herder said bluntly, taking a few steps forward until he was only ten steps away from the throne.

This distance is already within Bakal's effective attack range.

"The Genesis is no longer important; now, the 'Edge' is the key."

Bakal remained silent, his dragon claws tapping lightly on the armrest of the throne, producing a dull thud. He was processing the information in Herder's words, and also judging whether it was yet another carefully crafted lie.

"So," he began slowly, his voice still tinged with skepticism, "you're here to tell me we're no longer enemies?"

“I’m not asking you to believe me immediately, Bakal,” Hilder shook her head. “I am still Hilder, the Second Apostle. In the eyes of ‘The Blade,’ and in the eyes of most Apostles, I am still the mastermind who will stop at nothing for the prophecy. This will not change until ‘The Blade’ is powerful enough.”

"Similarly," Hilder paused, "you, Bakal the Dragon King, also need to continue playing your role well, becoming one of the most brutal testers on the path of 'Blade' growth. Use your flames and power to temper them, forcing them to surpass their limits. This is your mission, and it is also Lord Rosso's expectation of you."

"Now, the time for 'The Edge' has come—the time when Bakal was overthrown in history. You should be ready."

After explaining things to Bakal, Herder ignored his reaction and disappeared from the palace.

"The 'Blade'..." Bakal muttered to himself, then put down his wine glass. "Send a few men to inform Spitz, Skasa, and Hess to focus on the adventurers and stop them with all their might!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The dragon-man outside the palace rushed in and rushed out again.

After the dragon-man messenger left, the palace returned to silence. Bakal slowly leaned back in his chair, the flames in his golden vertical pupils flickering uncertainly.

He raised his hand, and the pale golden contract array on the back of his hand was slightly warm, as if responding to something.

He recalled Rosso's words: "Death is not your end... This universe still needs you."

"We need... us..." Bakal repeated in a low voice, "I see."

The sounds of battle came from three different directions. Explosions and furious dragon roars rang out continuously.

Bakal was very familiar with the dragon's roar; it was the same roar he had created for the three dragons: the Mad Dragon Hess, the Ice Dragon Skasa, and the Evil Dragon Spitz.

However, soon after, the roars of the three dragons disappeared one by one, and the sound of cannon fire became faintly audible.

Bakal knew that this meant the three dragons had been defeated by "Blade" and its companions.

The celestial beings were growing faster than he had anticipated. He stood up, his massive frame casting a shadow before the throne.

Outside the palace, the faint sounds of horns and shouts from the Heavenly Rebellion could be heard, growing ever closer.

"It seems the time has come," Bakal muttered to himself, his eyes not filled with anger, but with a strange sense of anticipation.

He strode heavily toward the enormous terrace outside the palace.

The sky above the heavens remained overcast, but in the distance, the shadows of the Allied Forces and the retreating dragon soldiers on the ground could already be seen.

At the very front of that group, he saw several familiar figures—adventurers and those celestial beings from the future.

They exuded a sharpness honed through countless bloody battles, their eyes resolute, their target clearly pointed at the palace where he stood.

Bakal took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of metal and gunpowder, and spread his wings that blotted out the sky. He unleashed his dragon might without reservation, like a tangible wave crashing down on the entire battlefield.

"Come, 'Blades'! I've waited for this day for centuries!" His voice, like thunder, resounded throughout the celestial realm. "Let me see just how far you've grown! Whether you truly deserve... to end this era!"