As the first day of battle ended, the human army was in high spirits. The battlefield, which had been drenched in blood just hours before, was now filled with laughter and cheers. The soldiers set up their camps a few miles away from the Demon Castle, singing songs of victory and recounting their battles with enthusiasm.
“Did you see how I sliced through those demons?” the 7th realm Doom nation soldier boasted, lifting his staff to the sky. “I must have taken down at least five hundred!”
“Hah! I shot down more than eight hundred with my fire arrows,” another wizard chimed in, taking a swig of his wine. “The spirit world is a blessing! The mana here flows like a river!”
The soldiers cheered in agreement. Having fought all their lives in the mana-starved lower realms, they now found themselves surrounded by an endless source of energy. It was as if they had stepped into paradise, where their strength had been amplified beyond imagination.
However, amid the revelry, one man remained silent.
Kent sat on a rock, gazing at the Demon Castle in the distance. His face was devoid of emotion, his mind clouded with thoughts. His dragon, Sparky, sat beside him, quietly observing his master’s mood. Unlike the soldiers who celebrated their unexpected advantages, Kent knew that this was only the beginning.
Kent clearly knew that the Victory today was only due to the element of surprise. Tomorrow, the demons will strike back.
He clenched his fists. The moment Philip realized the mana-rich atmosphere favored humans, he would surely devise a way to counter it. More than that, Kent was worried about something else. Philip was nothing compared to the true threat—the Goddess of Death and Destruction.
If she decided to step into the battlefield herself, the human army would crumble like dust.
Madam Clark, Supreme Sword Magus Elarin, and the Zi God Ancestor Dragon approached Kent, noticing his serious demeanor.
“Kent, why aren’t you celebrating? We crushed them today and we might easily win this war at this pace.” Madam Clark asked, placing a reassuring hand on Kent’s shoulder.
Kent sighed. “Do you all really think Philip is the true danger? There is a bigger enemy inside. That goddess hiding in the Demon Castle is the real enemy. If she steps in, we won’t stand a chance.”
Elarin frowned. “Then, what do you suggest? Should we retreat?”
“No,” Kent shook his head. “If we stop now, everything will be lost. We need to prepare for tomorrow. We must expect a counterattack.”
Kent spoke his thoughts and instructed on how to prepare for the next day’s battle.
All three of them nodded in agreement, immediately setting out to strengthen their defenses.
–
While the humans and demons were fighting, the Spirit World was in a state of turmoil. The destructive spells unleashed by the human and demon armies had begun to affect the natural balance of the spirit world.
Earthquakes rattled the mountains, volcanic eruptions created plumes of smoke, and unnatural tidal waves began to form. The once abundant and stable mana in the spirit world was now fluctuating wildly, causing disturbances in cities far from the battlefield.
In the grand halls of the godly cities, lesser gods and superior families gathered to discuss the ongoing war.
“The mana flow is becoming unstable! If this continues, the very foundation of the spirit world may collapse!” one lesser god exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the table.
“This is the consequence of allowing mortals to bring their war here,” another deity sighed. “The demons and humans should fight in the lower realms. We should not allow this chaos to spread further!”
“We can’t do that now. But the question is, who will win?” a rich family patriarch mused. “The humans had an overwhelming advantage today, but the demons are unpredictable and they have a number advantage.”
Many of the lesser gods nodded. Despite the human army’s success, they were not convinced that Kent and his forces could stand against the sheer number of demons.
Meanwhile, Inside the Demon Castle, Philip was fuming.
“How could this happen?! How could a lowly bunch of mere humans defeat my army on the battlefield?” he shouted, slamming his fist against the stone walls. His demonic generals trembled in fear, not daring to meet his gaze.
One of the generals stepped forward hesitantly. “My Lord, the humans took advantage of the overwhelming mana presence. They are growing stronger by the minute.”
Philip gritted his teeth. “Do you think I don’t know that? I underestimated them. But this is just the first day. Tomorrow, we will unleash hell.”
He turned to the golden dagger that rested on the altar before him. A sinister aura surrounded the artifact. Within it, the essence of the Goddess of Death and Destruction resided.
“My goddess,” Philip whispered, kneeling before the altar. “The battle today did not go as planned. The humans are using their new strength to overpower us.”
A chilling voice echoed from the dagger, sending shivers down Philip’s spine.
“You incompetent fool. I trusted you to break their spirits today, yet you let them celebrate? You disgrace the name of the demon race!”
Philip lowered his head in fear. “Forgive me, my goddess. Please, guide me. I will not fail again.”
The voice laughed menacingly. “You dare to call upon me only after facing defeat? Fine. I will give you what you need to counter that mortal.”
A dark aura enveloped the dagger, and suddenly, Philip’s body surged with energy. He gasped as a black Chakra formed in his hands—a countermeasure against Kent’s Divine Chakra.
“This is the Dark Devourer Chakra,” the goddess explained. “It will counter the divine chakra that fool throws at you. But this is not all. I will also grant you the Chariot of Void Shadows, which will allow you to move undetected in battle.”
Philip’s eyes gleamed with wicked delight as the chariot materialized before him. “Thank you… thank you, almighty goddess. With these weapons, Kent will fall before me.”
The goddess growled. “You have one last chance. Do not disappoint me again.”
Philip clenched his fists and turned to his army. “Prepare for war! Tonight, we march out and show these mortals the true power of the demon race!”
A conch horn echoed across the Demon Castle as Philip raised his hands to the sky. The once-quiet night became restless as millions of demons prepared for a bloodbath.
The human army, once cheerful, now stood silent as they gazed at the castle where millions of demons prepared for their counterattack.
Kent stood at the frontlines, his gaze unwavering. His grip tightened around his bow as he sensed the ominous aura coming from within the Demon Castle.
“This will be the real war.”
With a loud roar of his conch, Kent set the human army on motion.