Zesshi silently chewed a piece of dried meat she had with her as she walked through the silent, ashen wastelands, not very interested in eating the flesh of the local Demons, except that none attacked her, or rather, she didn't encounter any.
At most, a few corpses were scattered here and there, but they were already being devoured by the few elusive animals that dared to approach the cursed land.
It wasn't as if she couldn't survive without food for months, even, and that's not even counting the Ring of Sustenance on her pinky, but she simply didn't like having an empty stomach, even if she didn't feel hungry.
Besides, the dried meat seemed quite tasty, more so than several of those gourmet dishes served in the Theocracy.
Be that as it may, she now had a goal.
To discover what caused the intense flash that seemed as if a second sun had been born for a few seconds.
A normal person could barely tell it came from Re-Estize, since the light was so blinding and intense that one might not know where the flash came from, it was so sudden, just as it was so sudden that it disappeared.
But Zesshi wasn't normal.
And something like a mere light wasn't going to be enough to prevent her from seeing the source.
Except... Well, it was far away. But the mere thought of whoever or whatever caused that light... Filled her with excitement.
Ever since she left the Theocracy for the first time in years, she'd been waiting for a battle worthy of her. From the strongest in the world, that is.
Likewise, she was also very curious. She'd never seen anything like it before. Something causing such an intense glow... Even the Dragon Lord of Brilliance hadn't proven capable of that. At least not to Zesshi's knowledge, but considering she'd been alive since the time of the 13 Heroes, she was sure she should have at least heard it.
Again, she didn't expect that if she encountered the source of that flash, she'd lose. She found it hard to imagine. At this point, she might as well head straight for Komodo's Castle and smash her to pieces.
But the possibility of losing… It still floated in her mind… And that… Filled her with excitement as much as winning did.
If that someone defeated her… She would finally find what she'd been searching for so long: Someone strong to have a child with.
It didn't matter if it was a human, an Orc, or even a dinosaur, though she wasn't sure what those were yet, as long as he was stronger than her, and they could procreate… She was more than happy about it.
One might call such thinking twisted… And they would be right. But over time, Zesshi simply gave up on conventional morality. Years and years of killing, fighting, and winning had desensitized her to the weak. It didn't matter if it was someone nice like the boy Seraiah, or someone beautiful like the previous captain of the Black Scripture, as long as he was weaker than Zesshi… She simply wasn't interested.
It could well be said that she clung to the basic desires of a living being, to reproduce and produce offspring capable of surviving, as well as a strong mate capable of caring for and dominating her. At least within the realm of some animals... Or she was simply insane after 200 years. Whatever the answer, Zesshi didn't care.
Again, she doubted she'd ever find someone stronger than her, and even if they were physically stronger than Zesshi already was, that didn't mean they would defeat her. She was the strongest Demigod. Not only did she have equipment from the Gods themselves from 600 years ago, but she had enough training and experience to even defeat someone who outclassed her in purely physical attributes. Not to mention things like her Martial Arts or her Talent.
But even if it was the slightest chance of encountering a Goblin who, for some reason, was overwhelmingly stronger than her, then Zesshi was sure she would enjoy both the fight and the outcome, whether she won or not. Regardless of whether that strength came from physical power, magical power, or whatever.
Still… No matter how much she considered the possibilities… Thanks to her calm gait, it could very well take her four days to reach the site of the explosion.
And deep in her almost degenerate thoughts, the Half-Elf didn't even bother to notice that fact.
…
The footsteps of that woman in shining silver armor and a beautiful white dress sent small waves all around.
It was… Previously, it would have been a completely dead desert, with only demonic essence coursing through every grain of sand. Now… It was barely cooling down after hundreds of kilometers around it had been turned into liquid.
Every step Black Abyss took shattered a thin layer of crystal that had been forming from her previous outburst of rage, a layer that lay atop a few centimeters of high-temperature red liquid that was still seeking to cool… Even though Black Abyss was no longer emitting hellish, or rather, solar, heat.
But… Just because she wasn't liquefying the desert of ash, dead earth, and dust again didn't mean she was calm. She was just as angry as before… Seraiah… Hhe killed Alicia… And that simple memory made a heat build up in her body, wanting to explode…
The human was going to receive a very harsh punishment for that… Black Abyss couldn't think of anything too painful, but she would leave it to Carmellitian to handle it… She would know how to give him something worthy of his transgression without damaging his memories…
Now… Black Abyss had lost some of its bearings because the desert was now unrecognizable in any direction.
Although, as if she had a lot of good luck, as well as a full-time customer support service of impressive quality, she felt something on her mind. A request to open a 'chat'. That is, a [Message].
Black Abyss accepted it somewhat hesitantly…
(Dovey…) And the delicious and precious comforting voice caressed her ears, metaphorically, as the words echoed in her head like a thought that wasn't a thought at the same time, rather than a sound.
"Dont…" Black Abyss murmured aloud, closing her eyes as she breathed deeply. "No… I couldn't act in time…" She exclaimed, clenching her fists.
(It's okay, love… No one would have known that would happen… The human shouldn't have been strong enough to kill Alicia so quickly under normal circumstances…) The Demon Queen, comforting her, murmured over the message, with a soothing, soft, and careful voice. (And I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner. Between the fact that we still had to organize the units, the aftermath of the attacks at all points, and the fact that I didn't think you'd be in a state of mind to accept my message, I waited for you to calm down…)
"You have to make sure Alicia comes back to life… Use whatever you need from Titania…" Black Abyss exclaimed, gritting her teeth after speaking.
(Don't worry, Cecilion is making preparations to revive her in the throne room in exchange for gold.) Dont reassured gently. (Still… This hasn't happened before in this world… And I know this doesn't help you in the least, but… I can't guarantee the success of resurrecting NPCs through the Yggdrasil system…) She lamented.
"I know… Let me know when Alicia is about to be revived… But… I'm sorry, darling… I can't come back now, not like this…" Black Abyss blurted out, her tone clearly angry.
(I understand, love… I understand. More than anything, besides apologizing for my miscalculation and comforting you, I wanted to let you know that Eyesight saw you walking in the wrong direction.) Dont explained, her tone flattering at the end, as if she didn't quite know what to say about it.
And Black Abyss knew she would playfully tease her for it under normal circumstances… But this clearly wasn't it.
"...Now that I think about it… Part of the plan… Did the Evil Lords who fought against the northern armies achieve anything?" Black Abyss suddenly asked.
(Mm? Indeed, they did. We could consider all the operations successful in that sense at least, ignoring troubles like the unexpected death of the Lord of Pride, and the death of the Lord of Gluttony against Argland.) Dont reported succinctly, being a little careful with that last bit, as Black Abyss didn't know. Although in the same way, that loss was not really great, it was known to the Paladin that the Demon was a temporary summon of Bachelory, or well, Ghost.
"Did Lust get someone important?" Black Abyss asked.
(Umu, indeed, yes.) Dont muttered. (Indeed, it was a resounding success, both in intelligence and in the attack on Argland… And I assure you, sweetheart. The information we acquired from Argland's two 'elite soldiers' is beyond juicy~) The Demon hummed, showing a bit of her more satisfied side with the results. To say that she simply forgot Alicia's sadness and desolation would be a lie, especially given the slightly unpleasant tone in her voice.
"Elite Soldiers, you say? From Argland…?" Those... They were from the Dragon Lord nation... Little did she know about them other than that they were supposedly Dragons...
(They call them 'Children of Tomorrow'. And in the organized attack by Gluttony and Lust, they killed two and captured two of their strongest. Turns out they're all children of different Dragon Lords.) The cute Shooter explained. (Added to that, the Dragon Lord Wyrm is dead. Though we couldn't recover his corpse.)
At that, Black Abyss seemed to have a faint smile, though it was still mostly serious.
"I want them. Here." Black Abyss exclaimed.
(Umu~ Actually, I was hoping you'd say something like that~ But not before I tell you the most important information about them~ How anxious~) The Demon giggled a little through the channel.
"What do you mean?" Important information? Had she already read their entire brains? Or what?
(The Lord of Gluttony was killed during the operation, as I already explained. But do you want to guess who killed him?) The Demon Queen muttered with almost sinister amusement, her tone violently sadistic… Or rather, furious to the point where she only wished to inflict pain.
"It's hard for me to think of anyone." She exclaimed doubtfully.
(Riku Aganeia, who was fighting the Archon alongside three others similar to him, suddenly appeared as he dealt the finishing blow to the Archon. It shouldn't be surprising that he's able to kill Gluttony considering he's already used his unique ability and is somewhat weakened from so much fighting, especially with Riku able to keep up with me, even though I'm in my 'Komodo' form.) Dont muttered. (But Gluttony died even with 54% of his HP and 45% of his remaining HP being covered by the shield from his ability.)
"Riku Aganeia." Black Abyss growled… She was angry… Very angry that Alicia died because of someone as weak as Seraiah… But this Riku was much stronger than that human. Therefore, he was a danger that had to be eradicated for Titania's sake…
(A fake name.) Dont corrected. (More than fake, but still ancient.)
"Why do you say that? Is it someone else?" Black Abyss asked in confusion.
(You know, one of the 13 heroes was said to be known for wearing armor as pure as platinum.) Dont mentioned, causing the Angel to frown…
"And we theorize that Riku could very well be a descendant of that hero…" The white-haired woman replied, beginning to understand what Dont was saying…
(Tsaindorcus Vaision. The Platinum Dragon Lord.) Dont blurted out in a sinister, husky, and amused tone… And the Paladin could almost see the demented, evil smile on her beloved's face.
"Tsaindorcus…" The Paladin growled, etching the name into her memory. "Hmp. Their leaders can wait. First, we'll destroy all hope and morale they might have, finishing off Riku Aganeia this very day." The Paladin blurted out.
(Haha~...) The Demon Queen laughed a little. (Sorry~ I found it kind of funny that you're so silly~) She hummed. (Tsaindorcus Vaision is Riku Aganeia, my dear.) She murmured in a serious tone. (The children of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord told us.)
"But… The platinum armor was empty, from what I felt when we fought him…" Black Abyss blurted out in confusion. She certainly trusted Dont, but Black Abyss could tell very well when she was fighting something remote from Yggdrasil, and this wasn't the case…
(The Dragons of this world possess a strange magic. Wild Magic. Something that surpasses our understanding of a conventional magical system, as it consumes the souls of other beings or the caster's own soul. In return, they can use powerful spells capable of altering the laws of the world depending on the number of 'souls'. The Platinum Dragon Lord was using Wild Magic to remotely control, in the words of his 'nephews', 'one of the armors of the Kings of Greed'.) The Demon Queen hissed.
The ground beneath Black Abyss began to bubble from the rising temperature, which rose in response to her anger.
(The lizard believes itself to be the protector of the world, the avenger of the natives against the 'Players' and their 'Enpicis'.) Dont growled, practically sounding like a beast in Black Abyss's mind, one with which the Paladin shared a common fury.
"Then I'll make it my mission to show him how wrong he is." The white-haired woman growled. "Those two, bring them in. I'm going to kill them and use them as an excuse to destroy Rik-Tsaindorcus's armor once he come for the destruction I'm going to wreak." She exclaimed seriously.
("Mm~ Perfect~ I'll tell Eyesight to undo your divination wards~ Let them watch the show~ And don't worry about hurting them too much~ Besides of their Wild Magic and corpses, their brains were completely scanned by Bachelory and other subordinates~ Do what you want to them~ Their control was passed to a Mercenary Evil Lord of Lust~) The sadistic woman purred, before cutting the message.
Black Abyss looked up at the sky, seeing a series of small lightning bolts. Eyesight was already working…
She then looked down at the ground, seeing the lava beginning to run due to its current temperature, before closing her eyes…
Large, glowing red wings appeared on her back, causing a wave of lava to rush down her sides, as the newly exposed ground melted, though Black Abyss didn't sink, being incapable of such a thing.
In front of her, a [Gate] opened.
And two humanoid creatures came out, one similar to a Dragonoid, with a human appearance and scales on various parts, as well as a rifle… A Yggdrasil weapon most likely. And the other one was quite similar, covered in dark robes, black scales, and glowing red eyes… It reminded him a bit of Achernar because of the Ninja or Assassin theme… But comparing this scum to her NPC was an insult.
The two Dragonborn bowed, as the [Gate] behind them closed.
At the same time, knowing that Eyesight lowered all divination defenses on her, the Black Abyss itself deactivated its own.
Now anyone could see her.
"Attack me with everything you've got, maggots." The Seraph said seriously.
"Titania. In the name of the Argland Council of Dragon Lords, you have been declared a traitor for the murder of the Morgol Hero and desertion." The Shooter said accusingly, a finger pointed at Titania.
"In the name of the Dragon Lords, we will end your suffering." The other said in a hissing tone, like some kind of snake, making the Paladin feel an unpleasant feeling of disgust.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Leave before things get worse." The woman exclaimed, although of course nothing but the latter was going to happen, already drawing her halberd.
…
Discouraged and silent footsteps were heard in a symphony of depression, with no morale left…
After all… They had lost one of their leaders, several of their strongest soldiers, and 30% of their entire army.
All in the last battle alone.
The Argland Council army, despite their lack of morale, had to keep advancing. Whether they wanted to or not.
Retreating would only disappoint their families, insult the fallen, humiliate their nation, and brand themselves as cowards.
And as a nation primarily made up of Demihumans, they weren't going to simply run away with their tails between their legs.
Although the sight of rows and rows of armored Demons in the distance, waiting for them in a defensive position while Wyverns and Demon Mages awaited them from above, was quite disheartening.
"... This will be the end of Wakanda." Lekotar muttered from the sidelines.
"What's 'Wakanda'…?" Maravalka asked, a droplet trickling down her temple.
"I don't know, but Uncle 'Golden' said it once. I thought it was appropriate." The Lizardman-like Half-Dragon shrugged.
"Shut up. It'll only be the end of Komodo and her Demons." Kaigalke quickly cut the thread of conversation, falling silent afterward as he looked at the army. "We should attack first and break their defensive formation, that will give the soldiers a chance." she instructed.
"And how do you plan to do that, genius? When I kill those things, it hurts." Maravalka clicked her tongue, remembering the pain of killing 15 of the shield Demons with a powerful beam of breath and feeling her mouth electrocute and burn from it.
"… Just throw them at me. I'll kill them." Kaigalke tensely said, gripping her sword tightly. "We can use the catapults, the Giants, or magic." Lekotar proposed.
"It won't be enough for those things." The knight denied.
"…"
"Ugh… Whatever… I'll pass them to you and kill the ones that don't cause damage when hit." Maravalka sighed, twirling his spear as he spread his wings.
"… Sounds good to me." The son of Platinum nodded.
Lekotar remained silent, looking down at the army that almost seemed to be laughing at them and the way they stood motionless in front of them.
"Well, I'll begin then." Maravalka sighed, preparing to take off. "Wish me luc- Gah!" The Dragon choked as he was suddenly grabbed by the collar of his armor and yanked to the ground.
"That won't be necessary." The firm voice sounded behind him.
The three Young of Tomorrow's gaze shot toward the source of the voice, their eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
"Uncle O'Lysandyx?!" Kaigalke choked, staring in surprise at the Dragon Lord in knight armor.
"Greetings, children." He merely nodded, taking a couple of steps forward while Maravalka sat up a bit in shock, seeing Silver's blue cloak fluttering as he seemed to advance to face the entire army, even though he was miles away from it like the rest of them.
"B-But shouldn't you be...?" Lekotar, the son of Brilliance, stammered, staring wide-eyed at the Dragon Lord.
"There's been a change of plans. You needn't worry anymore. I will lead Argland and its people to victory." The knight looked over his shoulder at them and gave them a nod, before looking back at the Demons.
Kaigalke could only blink, seeing his literal idol and uncle, not a biological one, of course, looking ready to take on the Demon army.
"Hm… They certainly look a bit dangerous." Silver muttered, before shrugging. "Oh well. I've been waiting for my proper revenge on Komodo since Katze anyway." He blurted, almost amused, cracking his neck. "DIE, YOU FILTHY DEMONS!" He suddenly shouted with the force of thunder, before disappearing.
A second later… Nothing happened…
No, rather, something did. Silver was standing behind one of the Demon squads, behind them, sword in hand.
It remained that way for several moments and a tense silence…
And with an explosion of wind and earth and sharp sounds, reality seemed to process what must have happened and carried it out.
The earth rose in great walls of dust to the sides in a straight line from where Silver had stood to the squadron, as each Demon turned toward the armor.
They roared violently, some writhing, but several took steps toward him, or rather, the Infernal Protectors did, as thin, shining gashes revealed themselves in a clean sweep over each Demon.
A single gash appeared, and with just the first step, the Infernal Protectors collapsed, split in two, shield and all, while the entire squadron was literally cut in half in a single instant.
Between the Demons and the Argland army, there was a mutual silence… Before the Demon army was the first to respond in the aftermath of what had happened.
"ROOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The chorus of violent and furious roars was heard from soldiers on the ground and Wyverns in the sky, charging frantically at the armor in a violent but organized rage, not treading on one another.
However, the knight didn't flinch, only crouching slightly and leaping with such great power that the Demons who arrived first enough to plunge their spears into him were knocked back.
And in that same leap, dozens of Wyverns were decapitated in an instant, their bodies plummeting like dead birds, though they turned to dust and ash before falling upon their allies…
Seeing such events… Kaigalke couldn't remain still.
He looked behind him, seeing the Argland army frozen in shock at the brutality he had just witnessed.
He gripped his sword firmly and raised it.
"Argland Army! Charge! For the Wyrm!" He roared loudly, receiving silence in return for a second…
And then…
"FOR THE WYRM!" The chorus of war cries echoed even in the draconic eardrums of the Young of Tomorrow, as the demoralized army seemed to have a good boost of confidence.
And they advanced almost in unison toward the distracted demonic army.
Kaigalke trembled a little, somewhat nervous about what he had just done, as it was the first time he had done something as big as that, actually being an army commander, but he received a pat on his shoulder.
"What do you expect, Commander~? For the Wyrm~!" Maravalka hummed before taking flight.
"Let's kill Demons, brother!" Lekotar roared with a grin from ear to ear, starting to run and follow the army.
The Dragon knight looked back at the marching army and the Demons…
Once again, he tightened his grip on his sword, and felt every muscle in his body tense, ready to unleash all his strength once more.
"For you, uncle." He whispered to himself, before starting to run toward the Demon army alongside the Argland soldiers.
…
The B.A.F.W.s charged violently, but in an organized manner, against the wall of Demons that awaited them. Only to be ripped to shreds in the blink of an eye by the black scythe of a humanoid Demon with red hair.
At the same time, he swung his scythe at a projectile coming from the side, deflecting the arrow and causing the armored muscle-bound mountain charging at him like a tiger to have to use one hand to avoid having the reflected arrow hit him.
Meanwhile, an Infernal Dragon swept over the united army, bathing the Deorum Regnum and Theocracy soldiers, most of whom had deserted their nation from a recent battle, in hellish flames, only to be struck down by a Frost Dragon that caught its neck in its jaws, releasing its icy breath into its throat, causing the demonic monster to roar in pain and fury as both beasts fell from the sky onto a mass of human and Fairy soldiers, as well as Demons.
Miia watched everything from the safety of the crater she left behind when she 'fell' during her fight with the Demon General. Meanwhile, Echidna continued firing simple metal projectiles from a sort of crossbow on her forearm at the Lord of Greed, who easily fled from Bulldoger, who didn't even try to catch him, only making him roar like a frustrated hunter as he missed hit after hit. Echidna, seeing the ineffectiveness of her projectiles, although it was the idea, made the crossbow disappear into motes of light, then manifested her spear, charging like a missile toward Greed at a speed greater than Bulldoger was using.
In response, the Demon clicked his tongue, grabbing a nearby Infernal Protector by the face, and throwing it at Echidna to block her.
But the armor only placed its spear behind its other shoulder and used it like a bat, swatting the defensive Demon away like a rag doll, although rather than swatting it away, it disintegrated it into dust and ash.
Greed extended his hand, thrusting it into a strange abyss while blocking a blow from Bulldoger with his scythe, pulling out a vial with a strange liquid.
Seeing this, the feline knight violently retreated, even though it took out several Demons and B.A.F.W. along the way, leaving them like ground meat and dust.
"Impossible!" He roared as he identified the liquid.
The Evil Lord smiled before leaping to the side and narrowly avoiding Echidna's spear, bringing his scythe down on the armor's neck with a force that, while seemingly enormous, didn't even tickle the Mecha.
However, the armor seemed to twist violently as Greed threw it, using the scythe as a hook and redirecting the Mecha against the ground, causing its inertia to drag it along the ground for several meters upon impact, leaving a shower of organs and mangled flesh due to the B.A.F.W. and humans in its path.
"HAHAHAHAHA~! IT'S TRUE! KOMODO GOT THE SECRET FORMULA FOR ANTI-COFFEE! AND PUT TITANIA IN AN ETERNAL SLEEP WITH IT! HAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Greed laughed maniacally, raising the vial high as he acted his part.
"A being as ungodly as Komodo could never-!" Bulldoger snarled in response, only to be interrupted.
"WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, LISA!?" Greed mocked, feeling truly uncomfortable speaking to a Commander like that. "WITH THIS, KOMODO WILL PUT GODDESSES AND THE-!" However, completely unexpectedly, the Lord of Evil was silenced by a firm punch to his jaw, sending him flying like a meteor until he crashed into an Inferno Dragon, piercing it like an arrow.
"Yeah, yeah~ I know I like them screaming, but only in bed~" An almost mocking voice hummed in amusement, as its owner's fist released golden smoke. "Huff~ You're not as tough as that Komodo's lizard, but I'm not complaining~ Let's take it easy and go more vanilla~" He laughed, clenching his golden fists firmly, cracking his knuckles as the earth around them was crushed by an invisible pressure.
Bulldoger looked at the new uninvited guest, glancing sideways at Miia in her crater, as if he didn't know what to do.
Though in fact, the Commander didn't know what to do.
Miia just stared at the golden armor silently from her crater, feigning injury.
"G-Guh… And who are you?!" Greed roared once he stood up using his wings, and after adjusting his dislocated jaw with his bare hands.
"Me~? I'm just a cool, chill, and very sexy guy~" Golden hummed as he brushed back his golden mane, flexing his other arm as if to show off his muscles. "And I came to give you some G with BL~!" He pointed at him with his finger.
The Commanders, Echidna, and the Lord of Evil fell silent, with the Demon backing away noticeably uncomfortable.
"Haha~! What are you thinking, pervert~? I'm obviously talking about [Golden Blow Landing]~!" He roared, a brilliant aura surrounding his fists, then punched a Demon that tried to stab him in the back, shattering its head. Surprisingly, another Demon's head exploded.
"I thought it was Gas of Borimium Lithio." Miia blurted out softly from the crater.
"Isn't that Game of Bar Landing?" Bulldoger asked.
However, all joking was put to rest when Golden suddenly appeared above Greed.
"You hurt a kuudere, you bastard." Golden hissed with a fury quite surprising for his previous attitude, slamming his hammer down on the Evil Lord with a single blow from his two hands together, sending him hurtling downward and crashing into a group of Demons.
At the same time, another Infernal Dragon, which almost looked like it was about to snap a Frost Dragon's neck, saw its head explode while the rest of its body fell downwards, as if it had also received that blow.
Greed, despite the pain and damage, jumped to the side, preventing Golden from crushing it with both feet after diving towards it, widening the crater even further as the ground shook violently.
"Tch. I see I can't underestimate you." Greed hissed, tightly gripping his scythe as he spat out several broken teeth to the side.
"Ah, were you underestimating me? I thought I was underestimating you~ Or well~ I'm still a little upset about everything you Demons did anyway~ Haha~" He hummed the armor, stretching even though he didn't need to, but then looked towards Bulldoger and Echidna. "Hey~ You two~ How about we team up and give this guy the beating of his life~? His fatass mommy killed a friend of mine and two of my children~" Golden laughed, though within his amused tone, intense anger could be detected.
Bulldoger looked at Echidna, who also looked at him, then they looked at Greed, who slightly lowered his scythe in acceptance of their decision. Although his influence on the two Commanders' decision was more than minimal.
Thus, deciding to stick with the plan, Bulldoger roared like a furious tiger. Though such fury was real, coming from the fact that he clearly sensed that the unknown man in armor had insulted his Lady, even though he knew he was referring to Komodo itself. But that was still his Lady!
"FINE! WE WILL ACCEPT THIS ALLIANCE, STRANGER! DEATH TO THE DEMONS!" He growled violently. Echidna just stood up, firmly gripping her spear, pointing it at Greed.
"Fu~ Looks like you're at a disadvantage, bro~" Golden hummed at Greed.
The Demon could only smile slightly after a moment.
"Really~?" He grinned widely, and even without several of his teeth, he looked terrifying.
Then, a red portal opened above the united army, enormous and abysmal.
And from it…
"GOOAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" A furious beast roared, falling onto a pile of soldiers in a powerful explosion, kicking up dust and ash, only for the cloud to be swept away by a single swing of the monster's weapon…
No, it wasn't a monster, no matter how much it seemed to behave like one.
It was a human.
And beside him, a group of humans followed, furious and with looks filled with hatred and madness, while more Demons fell from the portal, both flying and armored, even Infernal Heroes.
Miia identified them, and so did Bulldoger, who smiled under his helmet, but roared as if he was being insulted.
"THE BLACK SCRIPTURE!?"
"Ah, yes~ They could not stand against Her Majesty's power, and we corrupted them~ Now they are mere soldiers of the Empress~" Greed smiled widely, as the revived humans, lobotomized with [Control Amnesia], in addition to being affected by a huge series of buffs given by members of Titania themselves, began to violently attack everything that was not a Demon, regardless of whether they were humans or Fairies.
The 10th Seat brandished his giant axe like a club, followed by the bastard sword of the Hero of Argland. The 9th Seat unleashed firestorms that incinerated soldiers, while raising diamond spikes from the ground, impaling dozens of brave warriors in an instant.
Basilisks petrified with their gaze as a blond man commanded them, only for a very similar blonde, almost like her sister, only abnormally pale, to plunge her blades like high heels into the visors of several soldiers with a maniacal and slightly terrified laugh.
The Black Scripture, only missing their captain, their extra seat, and the 6th Seat, and of course, the members who were never able to join the elite unit because they were dead or incapacitated. Oh, and of course, the former 9th Seat, Clementine.
Golden stared at the group of new humans and Demons, especially the sword wielded by the 10th Seat, but then looked back at Greed, shrugging.
"So what? They're just insects I'll finish off once I make you into Demon puree~" The armor laughed.
"You thought that was all~?" Greed laughed back. "You said one of your friends was killed by the Demon of Demons herself~ Let's wait together~ Soon there will be two of them~" The Lord of Evil exclaimed, grinning so wide his lips parted and slightly tore in satisfaction.
Golden clenched his fists.
"That's not funny." He blurted out seriously… Only to be silenced when he heard… A familiar roar.
He quickly looked toward the portal… And something else emerged from it…
Something gigantic…
"N-No way!" The armor growled, staring at the gigantic beast.
"It was certainly a pain to have the first one taken out~ But fortunately, Her Majesty managed to hide his twin's ritual much better~" Greed hummed, clearly delighting in the panic Golden was displaying.
And the Dragon Lord watched with some unease as the same Dragon that required him and his four friends to band together to destroy it soared among the united army, as if surveying the free feast…
"…Tch." He clicked his tongue, looking towards Greed…
"NO!" He heard a roar. "GOLD GUY! DEAL WITH THE DEMON! WE COMMANDERS WILL DEAL WITH THE MONSTERS AND TRAITORS!" The Commander, Bulldoger, roared, as he looked towards the Bastard of the Beast. "ECHIDNA! LET'S GO!" He ordered.
The machine only looked between Greed and Bulldoger, but nodded, quickly rising with the thrusters in its lower area.
"FOR DEORUM REGNUM!" The Commander roared, leaping toward the Demons who suddenly burst into the middle of the united army, with the B.A.F.W.s tasked with containing the Demons still coming from the front line.
"That leaves just you and me~" Greed laughed at Golden, grinning widely as he grabbed his scythe and cracked his neck.
"Was this your plan? If you wanted to die alone, you should have said so from the start!" Golden exclaimed seriously, opening his hands in preparation.
"Haha~ I'll make you eat your words while I take that luxurious armor for myself~" The Evil Lord hummed in amusement, skillfully spinning his scythe in his hand.
"I only swallow what the damsels spew~ No, wait, that sounded worse than it already is." The golden warrior stumbled over his words a little.
This could very well be the end of the United Army. But as long as the Demons are destroyed, Golden, as much as he mourns the loss of such a tremendous kuudere, and those two brave warriors, he wouldn't regret it in the end.
…
Rasilyk silently stared at the castle, which looked more like a fortress of terror from some dark lord from a typical story.
He floated kilometers away from such a structure anyway, sighing.
He was supposed to be aiding the Deorum Regnum army in the northeast... Or rather, well.
A last-minute change of plans would hurt.
He stretched a little, staring at his target.
"Ha... Well, let's enjoy the destruction~" Hummed the Catastrophe Dragon Lord before stretching his hands toward the sky.
He did nothing, simply listening to the sound of the wind blowing so strongly at this altitude. He was only below the clouds by a couple of kilometers, but that was enough~
"Die, Player." He hissed. "[Wild Magic: Extinction]!" He roared at the sky, feeling half the souls he had accumulated over hundreds of years being instantly consumed…
The wind continued to blow, the landscape unchanged, not even magic circles or anything ostentatious… Only silence…
But as if simply toying with its prey, the clouds parted as something violently tore through them.
The sphere of pure destruction, red and chaotic, barely contained around flames born from the sheer friction against the wind, appeared, so large that the giant castle seemed nothing less than a moderately sized house in comparison.
The ground shook even as the object didn't even come close, as if the world was bracing for impact.
But added to that...
"[Wild Magic: Sphere of Chaos]" The Dragon Lord, Scarlet, chanted for the second time, as a massive, translucent wall of reddish glow surrounded the entire sphere of destruction and chaos, as well as the castle itself, separating it from the mainland.
And the black meteor impacted.
To say the explosion was massive was like saying a nuclear explosion was a bit explosive and had some radiation.
Although, comparatively, an atomic bomb would certainly be like a firecracker next to it.
The red barrier expanded, cracking violently as a flare of chaos and destruction, along with a barely contained thunderous sound that could shatter the eardrums of even the weakest Dragon Lord, like the rest of the Argland councilors, not counting Platinum, of course, would tremble dangerously.
The earth still shook, but it was more as if it were terrified, with the flash seen as a second sun, to the dismay of those who had witnessed one recently, shining so intensely that even the ground began to heat up almost to the point of melting from the sheer heat that light brought with it.
And Rasilyk just stared appreciatively at the pure and utter destruction before his eyes.
His ultimate card. The weapon capable of wiping out any Player, and even other Dragon Lords. And his last resort in the worst case scenario. Absolute extinction, the destruction of the world.
All that explosive potential contained within his most powerful barrier specialized in containing explosions.
In a way, it somewhat spoiled the spectacle, but to be fair, seeing the explosion in its full expression would mean that the entire Earth's surface would be destroyed.
At least according to his calculations, he couldn't have checked before, or there wouldn't have been any Re-Estize that the monster Komodo brought would have had to destroy, or Katze, or Baharuth, or anything really.
But still... It was certainly a sight to behold.
"Beautiful." Was all he could say, admiring the destruction at its finest as he watched Komodo's certain death.
"It certainly is impressive."
"Isn't it?" Rasilyk hummed proudly, before freezing and looking back, only to receive a punch to the face, sending him flying violently to the ground.
"It certainly would have been troublesome if we had been in there~" A cloying voice purred, that seemed to come from... Someone who could simply be defined as 'bad guy'. For some reason.
"But would you lose, my Lord~?" Asked the summon that had just struck Scarlet, bathed in fire and violent muscles.
"Nah~ I'd win~" Ghost, or rather, Bachelory, laughed, looking down at the crater caused by the Dragon Lord being slammed into the ground.
Ah~ As expected of Supreme Ladies~ Their knowledge is infinite and absolute~
…
A monster walked through a beautiful and gorgeous hallway, followed by a more than happy demonic maid and a samurai.
The beast turned around, looking back.
"I'm sorry I couldn't deploy you properly, Macuin." The Demon Empress, Komodo, apologized to the samurai.
"You have nothing to apologize for, My Lady. My duty is to obey and protect. And I have done just that." He murmured seriously, placing a hand on his chest as he followed the Demon.
She only smiled gently in response, then looked back at the maid.
"Haagenti~ I appreciate your service throughout this~ I assure you that you will be appropriately rewarded~" The Empress hummed, a hideous smile on her stolen face.
"N-Not at all, Supreme~! Being able to serve You directly for so long is more than enough reward~!" The aforementioned squeaked with reverence and adoration.
In response, Komodo laughed somewhat amusedly.
"No, no~ You deserve something more~" She smiled. "Then I will speak with Black Abyss about what that might be~ Though you should also think of something~" The monster that tormented the world purred contentedly.
"O-Okay! I-If it is what the Supreme commands~!" The maid could only relent, her heart nearly stopping with joy.
The Demon Empress stopped in front of a massive double door.
At that moment, she remembered the last time she had seen her before all this madness.
That time he was with Black Abyss, lamenting as she seriously considered committing suicide to save her sister the trouble of having to keep her alive because of that nasty tumor in her throat.
And now? Conventionally, she couldn't say that her current worry wasn't worse in some sense. She was literally talking about the death of someone she held almost maternal regard for, as well as the risk of more deaths of that level, including her own death or that of the one who held her heart.
She couldn't say that the suffering of failing wasn't high. And that was why she wouldn't fail.
Thus, she pushed through the double doors, being greeted with several piles of gold, and a kneeling Vampire waiting for her.
"My Queen~ I've been waiting for you~ Please come in~" The treasurer hummed elegantly and with the utmost respect.
"Fufu~ Of course~ Thank you for preparing everything, Cecilion~" Komodo smiled, moving forward along the straight path that led to the black throne.
Of course, the path wasn't short, but she still walked it, until she reached the seat.
She admired it silently, also observing the second throne, one made of white stone in its place next to the first, not at all happy or satisfied with being in this situation, and held back a sigh, sitting on the black throne.
Someone who had been waiting for her took several steps forward.
The small, black creature, like a strange owl, approached her, holding something on its head. It could well be said that it was wearing it, but it was its only way of carrying things considering it had no arms.
"Thank you, Quasimodon't~" The Demon Empress thanked… It, looking at the crown.
She observed it in silence, and after several more seconds of staring at it without a single word, she placed it on her.
And the moment the Heretic of the Goddesses did that, she felt power flow through her body, affected by all the enhancements of the powerful object that, even so, was not designed for her.
She hummed a little at the sensation. It was the second time she'd used it in her entire stay in this world, which, as the great Demon Empress, sought to destroy and conquer.
And then, she took a deep breath, clapping her hands once as she stared straight ahead, knowing more or less what she had to do...
And the pile of Yggdrasil's gold, mountains of pure gold coins each, capable of making even the oldest and least greedy Dragons jealous, began to melt.
… At that moment…
(M-My Queen… T-The Supreme Black Abyss… R-Rik- Ahem… The Platinum Dragon Lord…) Eyesight's voice echoed in the monster's mind with the body of the beautiful Nyx as she immediately accepted the [Message].
And as the molten gold began to unify into a single point, the monster froze, trembling in a mixture of anger, irritation, but most importantly… Worry.
The millions of coins were compressed into a single place, forming what couldn't be described as anything less than a golden doll, a very beautiful one, yet terrifying in how rotten it looked for a moment even though it was made of gold, until it took on the appearance of a flawless woman, the bright, golden light surrounding her gradually fading.
And as said light disappeared, the monster rose from the throne.
"Eyesight, send me closer." It hissed.
(I-I'll open the [Gate] at the entrance to Titania!) The childish voice squealed in response, with the creature nodding.
It took one last look at the golden body, seeing that little by little, the gold was transforming into pale, beautiful skin.
"Take care of Alicia. By my order, she is not allowed to leave Titania until further notice, nor will she be treated any differently than usual. She has nO GuIlT OR SINS UPON HER." She snarled, her beautiful voice warping as her feminine form distorted, her white skin turning into scales and black skin riddled with red marks, her beautiful lips turning into gumless teeth, her slender fingers into fierce claws.
"As you command, Your Majesty." Cecilion nodded as he remained kneeling, watching the miracle of his compatriot's resurrection in silent admiration.
"Okay." The black owl nodded. "Where are you going, my Queen?" The creature nonetheless asked.
"I'M GOING TO HUNT A LIZARD WITH MY DOVEY." Roared Komodo, the Demon Empress and Enemy of the World.
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Anti-Player Alliance
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