The perfect response made the corners of my lips rise involuntarily.

It was a masterful strike. The best I had ever executed.

I was certain that even if I were to live for another hundred years, I would never feel a more satisfying impact than this. It was a peerless strike, one that I could confidently say was unparalleled.

To confirm that this sensation was not an illusion, a massive influx of souls poured in through my soul equipment.

“Kuu!”

As I feasted on a soul unmatched by any mythical creature, my rank level surged continuously, and my body heated up as if aflame.

With such a soul devoured, there was no doubt that I had slain the light god Baldur.

I could not tell what had become of my father. After all, it was my first time unleashing Void Armor. Whether the god-piercing blade had pierced only the god or its host as well, I couldn’t discern any subtle difference in the impact.

However, if it were the former, I could hardly imagine the host who had lost their Anima escaping unscathed. Even more so if it was the latter.

One mistake, or even without one, I would be a parricide in full standing.

I harbored no regrets about it. The resolve to kill and the readiness to be killed had been settled long ago.

At the same time, I had no intention of pursuing and delivering the final blow to my father, who had been blown away.

I had defeated my father. Whether he was dead or alive, that fact remained unchanged. Therefore, I no longer had any interest in whether my father was alive or dead.

Well, considering my mother and Lady Emma, I would prefer him to be alive—but for me, who had struck down my father, to say that would be the height of hypocrisy.

I saw several banner knights flying through the air, heading towards where my father had been blown away. Leading them was the figure of my former mentor.

The banner knights also approached me. It was natural that they wouldn’t leave me be, having cut down their lord.

The high-ranking banner knights surrounding me were filled with anger and hostility, and the one who seemed to lead them opened his mouth as if to roar.

“What have you done… What have you done, you fool!!”

Steward Gilmore Berch glared at me, his aged face flushed red with rage.

He seemed poised to grab me by the collar, yet the fact that he made sure to secure his own safety behind his son Dialt suggested that, despite appearing enraged, he might actually be quite calm.

Gilmore continued, spitting out his words with vehemence.

“Do you understand what you have done!? It’s unforgivable enough that you’ve submitted to the Kijin, but to strike down your own father, the lord of the manor, is an act of a beast! Impossible, impossible, impossible! That a mere boy like you could thwart our grand plans…!”

Shaking, not just with his fists but his whole body trembling, I did not offer any retort to Gilmore.

It was clear he wasn’t seeking an answer from me. Besides, I doubted any meaningful conversation could be had with someone so disturbed by the defeat of their Sword Saint lord.

After all, now that I had defeated my father, Gilmore’s opinion mattered little to me.

Perhaps sensing my detached demeanor, Gilmore, his white beard trembling, ordered the surrounding banner knights.

“Dialt, take down this fool! And you, my banner knights as well! As the Steward of the Mitsurugi household, I command you to avenge our lord together!”

Gilmore’s roar shook the air around us, thundering in the ears of everyone present like cannon fire.

…And that was all.

Neither his son Dialt nor any of the other banner knights made a move to obey Gilmore’s command. While they surrounded me, none dared to step within striking distance.

Seeing this, Gilmore shouted impatiently.

“What are you doing!? Strike down this insolent cur, attack him!”

Watching Gilmore rush the banner knights, I sneered dismissively.

“You really think anyone would recklessly challenge me after I’ve defeated the Sword Saint? It’s good that they know their place.”

“Silence, boy! Even if it’s one-on-one, with so many banner knights against you, you stand no chance!”

“If you think so, why don’t you lead by example, Steward? Start with yourself. If you, one of the four great lords, make a move, the others will have no choice but to follow.”

With a sneer, Gilmore gritted his teeth and glared at me.

Keeping an eye on the movements of the banner knights and others, I continued.

“What’s wrong, not coming? Then I’ll come to you. I’ve defeated the Sword Saint. If I defeat the rest of you, taking down the Demon Gate will be as good as done.”

With full confidence, I declared and gave my soul equipment a light swing.

Honestly, my victory over my father was largely due to the properties of Void Armor, and the equation “if I could defeat my father, I could surely defeat his subordinates” doesn’t necessarily hold, especially when facing multiple opponents.

If the top two generals attacked me simultaneously, and other banner lieutenants joined in, I would inevitably face a hard battle—at least, that’s what logic would dictate. The old me would have certainly thought so.

Yet, curiously, I found myself disinclined to adopt that line of thought now.

It’s not that I underestimated Dialt, Shukuya, or the other banner generals. On the contrary, my perception has never been sharper, and I could clearly sense the strength of the banner knights before me more acutely than ever.

Each of them is a core member of the Green Wood Eight Banners, each one a warrior worth a thousand. Underestimating them would be unthinkable.

However, knowing that, my confidence in victory remained unshaken—it was as simple as that. To put it bluntly, I believed myself to be stronger than anyone here, confident that I could defeat all below the top two generals together.

From an outsider’s perspective, this belief might seem not as confidence but arrogance. Frankly, I somewhat agree.

Yet, this might also be a remnant of the “banner knight’s confidence” that Sophia, the Pope, spoke of. Now, I choose to trust this new sensation within me, swiftly dispel these foes, and put an end to the conflict surrounding the Demon Gate.

As I stepped forward with a fighting intent, the banner knights, except for the top two generals, readied their weapons in response. Another step, and Dialt and Shukuya would likely move as well. Just as I was about to take that step,

“Everyone, hold.”

Dialt, standing in front of me, extended his left hand to the side, halting the other banner knights’ movements with both his voice and gesture.

As the banner general of the Green wood first flag, Dialt has the authority to command the Green wood Eight Banners in place of the lord in times of crisis. With my father incapacitated, the current situation perfectly fits this criterion, making Dialt effectively the acting head of the Mitsurugi family.

With Dialt’s order to cease the attack, the banner knights, including Shukuya, stopped.

Seeing this, I raised the corner of my mouth, anticipating Dialt was challenging me to a duel. Dialt’s soul equipment ability involves wide-area annihilation using threads, hardly suitable for a chaotic battle where friend and foe are intermixed.

Though a master like Dialt could find a way to fight in such a melee, a one-on-one battle would undoubtedly be easier.

As I fixed my gaze on Dialt, one of the top two generals reached into his bosom and pulled out a sealed tube, the kind used by royalty and nobility to deliver important documents.

Before coming to Demon Island, I had delivered a letter from Sakuya and the princess to the Emperor of Adoastera, using a tube exactly like this one.

“Shukuya.”

“Yes.”

Dialt passed the tube to Shukuya.

The vice-general of the first flag showed an unusual display of confusion as he accepted it. From his reaction, it seemed Shukuya was also unaware of the tube’s existence.

Dialt told Shukuya plainly.

“Inside are the lord’s orders. Verify them.”

“Understood, General.”

Shukuya carefully opened the tube, swiftly breaking the beeswax seal and pulling out the letter within.

Although I could have attacked immediately, something about the situation piqued my curiosity, so I decided to watch how it unfolded. The other banner knights also stood by, following Dialt’s command without moving.

The only one to voice an objection was Gilmore Berch.

“What are you doing, Dialt!? Cut down that fool now, why don’t you!?”

“Steward, please hold. This is the lord’s command, for when he has fallen.”

“The lord’s command!? Nonsense, I was not informed of any such thing!”

Ignoring the astonished Gilmore, Shukuya, who had been reading the letter, seemed to quickly finish, furrowing his brow deeply before placing the letter back into the tube.

Then, with surprise evident in both his face and voice, he spoke.

“Indeed… It is unmistakably the lord’s handwriting. The content is—”

Shukuya took a breath, then announced loud enough for everyone present to hear.

“The one who defeats me shall inherit the position of the Mitsurugi family head.”