The day when everything will be decided, the fates of the Dajhir Kingdom and Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom, Lawrence watches from a distance the two armies.
“I shouldn’t be here.”
“Queen Reminiscent Euphony, it would be a shame if you missed this battle. Rumors won’t be enough to give you a picture of what will happen next.”
Reminiscent Euphony doesn’t understand why the word 'queen' sounds so disdainful coming from this man, because even though it's a vacant position, she still commands a kingdom. That the ranker's orders are the final word does not mean that she has no power.
“I understand, I will do as you say, esteemed ranker.”
But she doesn’t reveal her true thoughts because there is no meaning in doing so.
In the distance, the two armies stand out in the landscape. Their numbers easily surpass hundreds of thousands, their armors of the highest quality, reflecting the sunlight without a single stain. Separated by tens of kilometers, they stare at each other with hatred rooted in their bones, unable to live under the same sky, today one of them must die and neither wishes to be the chosen one.
Their armies are not only composed of humans, their kingdoms may be mostly made up of them, but it's possible to differentiate multiple races. The intelligent races rule over those who do not possess intelligence, such is the case in both kingdoms, with trained demonic beasts positioned strategically.
Some demonic beasts might be controlled by hunters with innate abilities, others through unscrupulous methods such as magic artifacts or even drugs, but there is no possibility that it is through domestication.
Demonic beasts are born with the desire to kill, such an instinct is impossible to eradicate.
Commanders Indolent Ice and Fallen Feather observe each other with hatred, not missing any movement of their enemy. The silence holds, sweat falling from their foreheads, their hands holding their weapons as if holding their lives. Until they decide to start this march of death.
“Attack!”
It is unknown who among them shouts first, but such a thing is insignificant compared to what happens at the war front. Soldiers and demonic beasts advance toward the enemy side and the bloodshed begins.
Various skills and magics bloom from their hands, cutting limbs, destroying internal organs, or pulling them out of their bodies, anyone who has never seen how intestines can fall to the ground in such a way has been fortunate, because lungs and hearts begin to be destroyed one after another.
At their commanders' orders, arrows and magic fall from the sky like rain in winter. No matter how costly the armor, nothing is equivalent to the continuous attack coming from the sky and the earth.
The demonic beasts roar fiercely and easily kill lower-level soldiers and hunters, but they are not immortal, their flesh and blood spilled in constant battles, dying only for someone to step on their corpses.
Heroes stand out and each army has their own. Unique hunters who possess unparalleled strength, legendary magic artifacts, and infinite luck, whose path was full of adversities, but who have now reached their golden age. Just one swing of their weapons, just a small spell on their part is enough to kill their peers. For such rarities, level is just a mere number, regardless of who stands in their way, the head of their enemy was always the first to fall.
But, even when the heavens are on their side, at some point they too began to fall. Before dying they took many with them, but in the end, when their bodies felt the cold of the ground, they could not die in peace. Because they had lost much before arriving at this place.
“Is this not enough?”
The one interrupting his fun is none other than Queen Reminiscent Euphony.
“How long does the esteemed ranker wish to wait before ending their suffering? How many lives do you wish to lose before putting an end to all this? Each one of them is important, talents that were nurtured for decades are losing their lives by one of my orders. I know that in your eyes they may be nothing to consider, but they are the ones who make up the Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom. The future depends on them.”
Lawrence observes the emotions on the face of this queen and simply pushes her out of his sight with one of his hands.
“They must die more, despair more. Only then will my actions have meaning.”
“…”
Queen Reminiscent Euphony can deduce what this man desires, but she can only clench her dress between her fingers and stand by his side once more. Although she sold her soul to the devil, she didn’t want him to show his claws so quickly.
She watches alongside him the bloodshed, the screams, their emotions, their dying, and their regretful gaze. The beginning and the end of a life, of hundreds, of thousands of them.
Until at some point that man decides to act.
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“W- What is that blinding light?”
The soldiers from both armies are startled when a warm golden light suddenly appears on the battlefield. For a moment, they lose their will to fight, not out of fear, but out of reverence.
“A man? A- A saint?”
The man at the center of the light opens his eyes and then moves his hand. From a strange rift falls what appears to be the large frame of a door, which drops straight to the ground and adheres to it as if that has always been its destiny.
At that moment, no one could have imagined what would happen next.
Hundreds of dragons begin to emerge from the portal, the soldiers who observe them fall to the ground with fear flooding their eyes. Commander Indolent Ice orders his men to retreat, while Commander Fallen Feather secretly sends her most talented hunters to take advantage of the chaotic situation and claim the enemy commander's life.
She would soon regret her decision.
The saint sets his eyes on the battlefield and then on the army of the Dajhir Kingdom.
“Kill our enemies.”
“At your command, Emperor Lawrence!” Commander Ninth Twilight directs his army and shouts: “Attack!”
Thousands of dragon soldiers extend their wings and fly toward the enemy. Their attacks are as lethal as those of the heroes once were. From birth, they possess the potential to surpass anyone, and once developed, nothing can stop them
“The Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom made a treaty with a foreign kingdom! How is this possible?!”
Only incredulity resides in the eyes of Commander Fallen Feather. All the kingdoms around them coveted the wealth of the Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom, and they, the Dajhir Kingdom, had made secret treaties with each of them.
No one should have lent a hand to the Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom, but that is what is happening at this moment.
“Commander! We must retreat!”
Her men urge her with fear in their eyes, and she can only clench her teeth. After considering all options, Commander Fallen Feather makes a decision.
“Retreat!”
“You heard! Retreat!”
Her orders are transmitted to the entire army and her men do not hesitate to carry out the retreat, but what they did not expect was to be pursued not only by the dragon army but by the army of the Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom.
[This is our only chance.]
Commander Indolent Ice is surprised to hear a voice in his ear, “Queen?”
[End this war, commander.]
He soon understands that the saint of golden light, who was named Emperor Lawrence by the dragon army, is the ally of Queen Reminiscent Euphony. Just that thought is enough for him to give his next order.
“Hunt down the enemies! Today the Dajhir Kingdom will lose its life and the war!”
Two armies relentlessly pursue the Dajhir Kingdom's army. Blood, internal organs, and limbs fly like never before, the ferocity of humans shown in these moments, no different from the demonic beasts. The first to die were the hunters tasked with taking the life of Commander Indolent Ice, the loss of such talents at the beginning of the retreat causing grief in Commander Fallen Feather.
Had they not been sent, perhaps more lives could have been saved.
“I surrender! I'm sorry! I can't lose more than this!”
Deserters begin to appear. Kneeling on the ground with their hands raised, each under different circumstances, surrendering not only to save their own lives but for those not present in the battle. If their life serves any purpose, they hope to use it to alleviate the consequences that this defeat will bring to their loved ones.
If it is for them, they are willing to endure whatever it takes.
The soldiers glance at each other for a moment and pass by without paying them attention, demonstrating to the enemy that there will be no consequences if they decide to desert. Due to this action, more and more deserters begin to appear, while more lives are lost from those who resist.
“Weren’t we the first kingdom to be conquered?”
Far from the battlefield, Queen Reminiscent Euphony covers her mouth in astonishment and fear. “How could that man subdue the proud dragon race?”
She is able to see the strength of the dragon army and understand that it has not been a recently formed group, but has been specially nurtured to protect a kingdom, to destroy an enemy kingdom.
“Human greed and desires are not enough to subdue a proud dragon, even a ranker from the Divine Plane would not have a better chance. Then, how…?”
At that very moment, a much more important question arises in her mind.
“How long has it been since his descent to the Lower Plane? He… Does he have a way to return to the Divine Plane?”
Queen Reminiscent Euphony kneels on the ground and holds her head. In the Lower Plane, there is a rumor that a ranker who ascends to the Divine Plane has the possibility to return to the Inferior Plane if they find the path intended only for them. This is a secret passage that allows them to return, but only once. It always changes, constantly.
Because of this, there are records of returnees, but none of them have left a mark on time.
“But what if that were not the case? What if that man has found a way to travel freely between the planes?”
The screams of war bring her back to the present, and she notices the dirt on her dress. Queen Reminiscent Euphony fixes her appearance and after sighing, shakes her head.
“Every action has consequences. It is impossible that someone has been granted such a privilege, not if the heavens are just.”
She wants to believe that there is a set of rules that govern this world. Otherwise, the Inferior Plane would have fallen long ago due to the greed of humanity.
While Queen Reminiscent Euphony watches from a distance, Lawrence maintains a certain proximity to the battlefield. The sacred aura around him remains, but contrary to what might be expected, this light is just that, a simple light. It is the circumstances that make him appear as a being not of this world, a saint.
“With this, the war has concluded.”
Lawrence smiles warmly.
The Dajhir Kingdom's army could not continue escaping, one cause being the deserters, another being fatigue. At some point, they understood the impossibility of escaping, so they decided to fight back, even if they knew how everything would end, they did not want to die alone, they wanted to take the enemy with them to the grave!
“Indolent Ice!”
“Fallen Feather!”
The battle preceding the end of the war is the battle of the commanders. While Indolent Ice fights using sword skills, Fallen Feather uses air and earth magic. She is beautiful and he is as cold as ice, her magic leaves residues that make their surroundings look like a dreamy landscape, while his sword sweeps through everything grandiosely and majestically.
The winner and loser are decided long before they stand in front of each other.
The retreat cost her dearly.
Commander Indolent Ice's sword cuts the neck of Commander Fallen Feather, by this time she had given her all, there was nothing more to do. With sadness, she sees how her decisions not only robbed her of her life but that of her army.
Fallen Feather has died.
Her beautiful face is severed from her body and before rolling on the ground, Commander Indolent Ice holds it by her hair and lifts it as high as his arms can.
Then a cry echoes across the entire battlefield.
“Victory!”
The Sky Blue Mountain Kingdom has won the war.
“Glory to Emperor Lawrence!”
And a new name is entrenched in the hearts of all present.
