**Hum—**

A circular ripple formed behind the ice shield, as if a pair of giant hands threw the entire ice shield locked in atomic motion by Tiran's vibrational rules towards Hazel like a cannonball.

Besides being sturdy, this ice shield didn't have any other special features. It collided with an invisible air wall, creating ripples from the defensive energy technology before being bounced off.

After confirming this, Hazel felt slightly relieved. Even if Tiran used abilities beyond his understanding, as long as he still had the support of a civilization that had evolved to a considerable extent, he would always find a way to deal with it... right?

"Careless, little one!"

The huge ice shield that was deflected obscured Tiran's figure, but Hazel realized the location of the defense energy field that was in close proximity due to the giant ice block.

The defense energy field composed of tightly bound high-density energy, this level of technology far surpassed any era she had experienced, but the razor-sharp blade she wielded was equally ahead of its time.

Tiran's right hand pierced forward with the sword, turning the stainless steel longsword, nailed after the vibration of all particles into an icy blade sharp enough to rend anything, while the frosty Chi covering it was applied by Tiran in the opposite manner, manipulating molecular vibrations to the limit of her control.

The ultimate high temperature corresponding to absolute zero.

The moment the blade touched the defense energy field, a brilliance akin to the sun pierced through everything, leaving Aya a step behind Tiran's pace momentarily as she could only barely shield her eyes, unable to look directly at the glowing sword.

And...

"Ah, Miss Tiran... that was quite reckless..."

As Aya lightly pressed her left hand against her right shoulder, she felt a burning pain. As the light gradually weakened, her entire right side seemed to ignite with excruciating burns. The severity of the burns... the temperature of that move must have been terrifying.

Hazel was equally astounded.

His reaction was slightly slower than Aya's, failing to evade before the eruption of extreme brightness deprived him of his sight. When his vision returned, the defense energy field had been completely torn apart, and a broken blade that still emitted a slight chill was pressed against his neck.

Compared to his previous confidence when he had yet to reveal all his cards before being defeated by Tiran and Aya, this time Hazel felt the palpable sense of defeat and a chill of impending death.

The once beautiful silver-haired girl before him, half of her silver hair burnt and scattered wildly after the hairband broke, her clothing charred to ash on her right shoulder, revealing horrifying injuries beneath, appearing particularly grotesque.

"You..."

His throat seemed to constrict, Hazel tried several times to speak without success, finally managing to squeeze out the first syllable before Tiran mercilessly struck the hilt of her sword against his head.

As his consciousness faded with the sound of himself falling to the ground, Hazel's world went dark.

The next time he opened his eyes, it felt like a long time had passed.

"Ugh..."

His pupils slowly focused, the blurred surroundings gradually becoming clear again. Hazel let out a soft groan involuntarily.

"Oh, awake? Looks like you're pretty resilient."

"Don't be silly, I didn't use much force with that strike."

"Well, with your condition just now, you probably don't have much strength left."

"Huh? I could still take you down easily."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense, I'm healing you! You'll be responsible for any scars left behind!"

Aya tried to pull her hand out of Miss Tiran's mouth, only stopping when she felt the threat from the second half of Tiran's statement. She obediently let Aya's healing light envelop her burned right arm and shoulder.

"I'm still alive?"

Hazel muttered to himself, sounding somewhat perplexed.

"Of course you're alive, didn't expect to die, did you?"

"But don't think about causing trouble for us anymore. Aya just placed a mental seal on you. If you don't behave, I won't mind breaking your limbs."

"Fine, I won't resist." After realizing her mental sea had been sealed and she was no different from an ordinary person now, Hazel sighed, enduring the pain from the wound on her head where Tiran's sword had struck.

He turned his head to look up at the sky. He had arrived around noon, but now the sky was gradually darkening, with ripples appearing in the smooth layers of clouds due to the aftermath of the battle, an unintended spectacle.

What am I even doing?

Despite being defeated, Hazel felt a subtle lack of a strong sense of defeat. He was somewhat indifferent to everything around him. After all, becoming the guardian of the Marston Kingdom was a responsibility he had taken on almost reluctantly, as his parents and the rulers of the country had told him "this is how it should be."

Being defeated now actually brought him a sense of relief.

I'm truly a conflicted person.

"You're quite the odd one."

Tiran, curious, stroked her chin and carefully scrutinized the opponent who had almost taken her and Aya down moments ago.

From appearances alone, this person seemed rather young. Furthermore, the way he spoke didn't give off the vibe of an old monster like Xingjian or Ciella whose actual age didn't match their appearance.

Being a young Holy Rank with access to the rule of 【Civilization】 that could potentially be game-breaking, Tiran couldn't help but marvel at the abundance of geniuses in this world, not to mention the troublemaker Yuan... Was she really the main character here?

"Do you ever find it odd to describe someone else as strange, Miss Tiran?"

Aya, having completed the healing magic, shrugged her shoulders. While she repaired the damaged muscles and blood vessels under Tiran's skin caused by the high temperature and radiation, she softly muttered this complaint before Tiran covered her mouth with her left hand.

"Indeed, I feel the same. But..."

Hazel shook his head, "We were locked in a life and death struggle, yet you didn't kill me. Isn't that strange?"

"I'm keeping you around for a reason." Tiran smirked.

This was a Holy Rank, akin to a strategic weapon for the Marston Kingdom, a rare catch indeed. Killing Hazel haphazardly would be a waste. The Marston Kingdom wouldn't easily give up on someone like Hazel. If utilized properly, Hazel could even be used as leverage to force a retreat or extract concessions.

"As a bargaining chip?" Hazel pondered for a moment. "I doubt His Majesty would entertain any retreat demands."

"Even to the point of disregarding your own Holy Rank?"

"Silver War Maiden, you misunderstand one thing."

A smile of understanding spread across Hazel's face, "While Holy Ranks are powerful, excelling in decapitation or direct participation in the frontline, we can affect the course of a battle significantly. But we cannot alter a 'war' alone. In conflicts at the national level, we are merely pawns playing our role on the board. Even if we excel in our role, being cast aside due to the bigger picture shouldn't be a surprise, right?"

Furthermore—

Hazel chuckled inwardly. Thinking about it, the country wouldn't consider his safety beyond pure self-interest just because he was a Holy Rank. His feelings towards the nation were likely lukewarm at best.

Ultimately, one's emotional connection to a country stemmed from the protection it offered, followed by a sense of belonging due to culture, lifestyle, and various other reasons. As a transcendent Holy Rank, his outstanding power made it challenging to develop deep emotional ties to the collective entity that represented the nation.

"Really? I find that hard to believe."

Tiran rolled her eyes.

Aya, having finished the healing magic, shrugged, casually casting a binding spell to tightly secure Hazel. With a length of rope still wrapped around her hand, Aya leapt upwards, transforming back into her fifteen-meter dragon form and flew away toward the ruins of the royal palace that had been reduced to rubble.

Regardless of Hazel's thoughts, Tiran had no intention of changing her mind.

"Cough, cough,"

Standing on Aya's back, the princess cleared her throat and spoke firmly to the bewildered Hazel hanging in the air without any defensive measures, buffeted by the winds.

"Hey, you cowardly turtle! We captured your Holy Rank too. If you don't want him dead, retreat now!"

Her voice, amplified by magic, reverberated throughout the city, but after five minutes, there was no unusual reaction from below.

This...

Aya shared a resigned glance with Tiran on her back, both expressing a sense of helplessness in each other's eyes.

Hazel remained calm despite being suspended in the air, his expression silently saying, "Told you so."

"Forget it, I'll just cast a banishment curse and blow this place up."

...

The battle in front of the Kent Mountains had already concluded.

The resistance of the Marston army continued sporadically in the camp, but they were quickly obliterated by Granzon leading his personal guard cavalry. The airship fleet was destroyed in a surprise attack before it could even take off.

Fortunately, the Marston army's commanders were decisive enough. They had already abandoned the front-line fortifications that had fallen to organize their defense in the rear of the camp and retreated layer by layer. After suffering substantial casualties, they withdrew from the battlefield.

"Swiftly clear the battlefield, inform the reserve team to prepare for departure. We must advance immediately and reclaim Blackstone Keep before the enemy on the flanks can react."

Granzon dismounted from his steed and delegated orders to his soldiers before walking towards the scattered wreckage of the destroyed airships.

As a monarch with a military background, he understood the warfare potential of such technology, especially when one side lacked adequate anti-air capabilities. They should have had them, but all the equipment related to the fall of Blackstone Keep had been left behind, and the technicians of the Magitech Capital were captured by Marston. This was one of the reasons he needed to recapture Blackstone Keep quickly.

Having initiated the attack preemptively prevented the full power of the airships from being unleashed. If Marston had struck first, Granzon could hardly imagine how they would have coped with aerial bombing without any anti-air defenses.