If a single apostle had shown up, Konstantin's nerves would have been on edge, his mind racing with strategies for an immediate response.
Had there been two, he would have already been calculating the quickest escape routes, ready to grab Yuffie and dash at a moment's notice.
But facing three, four, or even all seven apostles simultaneously, Konstantin found himself surprisingly calm, even indulging in an attempt at humor with Princess Yuffie by his side. The gravity of their situation somehow seemed less dire with the full assembly of his adversaries before him, perhaps because the predictability of their presence provided a strange comfort.
Yuffie spoke up, recalling their conversation from the previous evening. "I remember what you said last night, that the demons wouldn't trouble themselves over a place as inconsequential as Ilinor. You said that, should they choose to strike, it would be the Empire facing their wrath."
"Indeed, Your Highness. Hence, unless the holy sword remains unresponsive to you, I am inclined to entertain the possibility that you might indeed be the chosen one for this era."
"The chosen one?"
"Yes. A thousand years ago, such a person was also called a Hero. Your Highness, you must understand, they are the demons' arch-nemesis, the ones they would go to any lengths to eliminate."
Yuffie could tell what Konstantin was hinting at, and she frowned and asked, "So how many demons are there now?"
"Seven."
"Seven?"
Noticing the Princess's puzzled look, as if she couldn't quite grasp the significance of the number, Konstantin quickly clarified, "Indeed, it's not a large number. But... Each of them could probably obliterate about a dozen countries like Ilinor."
Konstantin paused before adding, "It's not that they can only destroy a dozen, but that after destroying that many, they would probably get bored."
"How were such demons defeated a thousand years ago?" Yuffie asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Because the Hero of that time destroyed and sealed them all away—the seven, including the other two, and even the Demon King." As Konstantin stared at the radiant holy sword, his cloudy eyes seemed to recall the proud days of the past.
Konstantin added, "And it was done by the Hero alone."
Yuffie nodded, beginning to understand.
If she were the Demon King, she would also mobilize all her forces to crush such a threat in its infancy.
Yuffie then walked up to Konstantin and placed her hand on the hilt of the holy sword. However, before she could even get close, a powerful repulsive force pushed against her, almost throwing her off her feet.
"Your Highness, I advise you not to do that. If this is a genuine holy sword, the repulsive force alone could crush you."
"Could it be that I haven't yet awakened the power of destiny within me, and that's why I'm unable to wield the holy sword?" Yuffie pondered, trying to make sense of the demons' elaborate plot.
"If this is Your Highness's way of lightening the mood, you've succeeded admirably. I know you have many questions, and so do I. Why don't we just ask him directly?"
Konstantin shook his head as he looked at the scarlet light cluster on the barrier display, which was almost overlapping with their location in the King's Tower.
The countless sacred incantations within the barrier stirred collectively, spinning at high speed and radiating an even stronger radiant power, causing the entire barrier to shine brilliantly.
But that wasn't all.
What surprised Konstantin the most was that the holy sword, which served as the eye of the barrier and was embedded in the ground, began to buzz and vibrate, as if trying to free itself from the crack in the floor.
'What is this?'
'Is the holy sword trembling?'
As the caster, Konstantin could sense the emotion emanating from the sword—it was excitement, as if it was finally going to be returned to its rightful owner.
'Could it be that the hero's spirit in heaven was truly responding to me?!'
Konstantin, filled with excitement, reached out to grasp the holy sword.
But a burst of light erupted from the sword, sending him flying.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The holy sword's vibrations increased in frequency, as if it was cheering, trying to shake itself free to welcome someone, to get their attention quickly and be drawn from the ground by them.
'Could it be that this princess is truly the chosen one of this era?!'
'Did she awakened her powers at this critical juncture?'
Constant couldn't think of any other humans present besides the two of them.
At some point, a figure appeared on the top floor of the tower.
No, it would be more accurate to say that it was because of this figure's arrival that the holy sword and the barrier had reacted so strangely.
It was because of this that Leon had intended to immediately attack Konstantin and disrupt the bizarre holy sword barrier. But as he made out the figure's appearance, the Wisdom Demon froze in his tracks, forcibly stopping himself.
And so, Reji arrived at the holy sword unimpeded.
Although it wasn't the true holy sword that he had forged using countless "enhancement stones" to create a "+20" weapon.
But nonetheless, Reji reached out and grasped the hilt of this "Radiance Sword," a sword that symbolized the end of the night and the arrival of light. It may not have been the strongest among his collection of "holy swords," but it was undoubtedly the most significant.
With barely any effort, Reji lifted the sword lightly.
At the peak of the King's Tower, bathed in the night's shadows, a dazzling light of radiant shone forth, and in this moment, the sacred radiance illuminated the entire royal city.