Chapter 120: Chapter 120 - Gathering of Demon Generals ( Part 4)
The sky was trembling.
Above the lands of men.
Above the Kingdom of Seraiya.
Above the forgotten Demon Continent.
In the depths of the Citadel of Eternal Night...
The Chamber of the Final Seal was trembling.
The golden light and the black mana fought each other like two ancient oceans.
Seven divine chains wrapping around the enormous black crystal were shining brightly.
Every chain had a blessing of an ancient God.
Every chain had been used to imprison the Lord of Destruction for a thousand years.
But...
One of them was cracking...
Six Demon Generals stood silently in front of the crystal.
Nobody said a word.
The atmosphere was terribly heavy.
Draven walked out of the crowd.
His crimson eyes were burning with ruthless determination.
"We’ve waited long enough."
He raised his enormous black spear upward.
Behind him, thousands of corrupted monsters were filling the endless cavern.
There were twisted wolves with crimson eyes.
There were monsters similar to dragons but with the scales that were transformed into black crystals.
There were gigantic insects.
There were mutated giants.
There were abyssal serpents.
They were so corrupted that they lost their reason.
Only instincts.
The monstrous beasts howled together.
Their sound echoed the mountain.
The Demon Oracle slowly lowered its head.
"The First Seal can’t be weakened by force."
"It requires the immense release of the corrupted mana."
Draven smiled.
"Then I’ll give it."
He raised his spear.
And without a hesitation...
He stabbed it into the ground.
Enormous crimson magic circle appeared beneath the monsters.
The beasts froze.
For the first time...
Fear appeared in their eyes.
They struggled.
They howled.
They tried to escape.
The magic circle didn’t let them.
The Oracle quietly closed its eyes.
"This is the price."
Dark light burst.
The chamber started shaking.
The immense torrent of the corrupted mana poured from the prisoners and rushed toward the divine chain.
The ancient seal resisted.
The golden light burst brightly.
The cavern echoed with the deafening thunder.
The six Demon Generals stood motionlessly.
Even Azrael kept silent.
The struggle didn’t last even for a minute.
And then...
CRACK!
The sound nobody had ever heard on the Demon Continent.
One of the seven divine chains cracked.
The golden fragments flew through the chamber like falling stars.
They evaporated into light when they touched the floor.
From inside the black crystal...
The wave of the ancient darkness burst.
It didn’t burst.
It flowed.
Like the black mist running across the floor.
Like the forgotten nightmare that came back to the real world.
Every torch went out.
The crimson crystals that were embedded in the walls of the cavern stopped glowing.
Even Draven unconsciously took one step back.
The pressure was terrible.
The Lord of Destruction wasn’t awoken yet.
But mere weakening of his prison was enough to strangle everything around.
Azrael quietly whispered,
"The seal has really failed..."
In the far distance...
On the eastern continent...
Jennie stopped walking.
The forest around her was peaceful.
The birds were singing.
The leaves were dancing gently in the wind.
But...
Her heart started pounding.
Excalibur was trembling.
Leviathan became silent.
Snow immediately noticed it.
"Jennie?"
She slowly placed a hand on her chest.
"...Something has changed."
The two Divine Swords spoke in unison.
"It has begun."
Golden feathers dropped from the sky.
The world around Jennie froze.
For the second time...
Goddess Miasa appeared.
Her expression was much more serious than ever before.
"My child."
Jennie immediately bowed down.
"Lady Miasa."
"What happened?"
The Goddess pointed with her finger at the western horizon.
"The First Seal..."
"...it..."
"...has broken."
Jennie’s face became pale.
"Sooner than expected..."
Miasa nodded sadly.
"The demons have started their movement."
The golden light surrounded them.
The forest disappeared.
Jennie found herself in the vision.
She saw seven chains wrapping around the enormous black crystal.
One of them was cracked.
Six remained.
She also saw seven pillars of the radiant light spreading across the continent.
Every pillar was the symbol of the Legendary Divine Mark.
Miasa gently pointed at two of them.
Jennie opened her eyes wide.
"...No."
The first pillar was rising over the royal capital of Seraiya.
Princess Lilia KingHeart.
The second pillar was located right next to it.
King Aldric KingHeart.
"They’re..."
"They are among the chosen."
The Goddess replied quietly.
"They carry the Legendary Divine Mark."
"They will become targets."
Jennie’s breathing became uneven.
"They’ll attack Seraiya..."
"If they want to capture every Legendary Mark..."
"They will."
The Goddess spoke with pain in her voice.
"And they will not stop there."
Jennie’s fists clenched.
The images ran through her head.
Arthur smiling while working in the garden.
Elena humming while preparing the breakfast.
Lucas laughing during dinner.
Princess Lilia watching the sunset together with her.
King Aldric placing his hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
People who forgot her...
But people she had never forgotten.
"I promised..."
Jennie whispered.
"...that I’d protect their happiness."
Snow stepped beside her.
Even though he couldn’t see the vision...
He saw the determination returning to Jennie’s eyes.
"What did she tell you?"
Jennie looked at the endless road stretching before them.
"The demons are coming."
"They’ll attack Seraiya."
Roxy slowly closed her spellbook.
"...Princess Lilia?"
Jennie nodded.
"And King Aldric."
The silence fell between the three companions.
The breeze carried the smell of the distant rain.
Jennie looked at Excalibur.
Then at Leviathan.
"I understand now."
"The remaining Divine Swords are not just my destiny."
"They are our only hope."
She slowly unsheathed both swords.
The golden and sapphire light illuminated the forest.
"I should find every remaining Divine Sword."
"I should become stronger."
"Before the demons reach Seraiya."
Snow smiled at her.
"Then we’ll keep moving."
Roxy adjusted her hat with the new determination.
"And this time..."
"I will become strong enough to protect everyone."
The Goddess was watching them with the quiet pride.
As her radiant form started transforming into countless golden feathers, she whispered one final blessing.
"The road ahead will be cruel."
"But you won’t walk it alone."
The feathers disappeared in the wind.
Jennie turned toward the west horizon.
Beyond the mountains...
Beyond the kingdoms...
Beyond the ancient ruins...
Five Divine Swords were waiting for their rightful bearer.
And somewhere in the darkness...
Demon Army was starting its march.
The race for the fate of the world...
Has just begun.
The shattered fragments of the first divine chain began turning into golden dust.
The torrent of black mana from the huge crystal was pouring continuously.
The ancient cave was shaking under immense pressure.
Every demon in the room instinctively lowered their heads.
It was hard to breathe now.
Inside the crystal...
The Lord of Destruction was sitting on his throne.
Unmoving.
Silent.
But he seemed to have the power to crush all the mountains just by being there.
The six Demon Generals were standing before the crystal.
Nobody was daring to move any further.
The Demon Oracle was slowly approaching the broken chain.
His ancient fingers touched the faded divine runes.
"The First Seal has fallen."
"Six remain."
Draven smiled widely.
His loud laughter echoed all across the chamber.
"Excellent."
"We are one step closer."
He turned toward the crystal.
His eyes were burning with excitement.
"Soon our commander will awake."
"And after that..."
"The Demon Emperor himself shall return."
All the Demon Generals remained silent.
There was only one person who dared to interrupt the celebration.
"I disagree."
The room was immediately immersed into silence.
Every eye turned toward Azrael.
The Second Demon General was calmly standing with his hands behind his back.
His face was unreadable.
Draven narrowed his eyes.
"What did you say?"
Azrael looked into his eyes without even flinching.
"I said..."
"I disagree."
A heavy silence filled the whole room.
Lokiar smiled.
"Oh..."
"This should be interesting."
Morgatha crossed her arms.
"You hardly ever oppose the council."
Azrael looked at the black crystal.
"I have served our people for thousands of years."
"I fought together with our commander."
"I saw the Great Demon War."
"I know better than anyone what the waking up of our commander will mean."
Draven scornfully laughed.
"Victory."
Azrael slowly shook his head.
"No."
He looked around the room.
"It will mean another age of endless war."
His words echoed in the silent chamber.
"We talk as if history hasn’t learned anything."
"We are trying to awaken the Lord of Destruction."
"And after that..."
"The Demon Emperor."
"And after that?"
He took a pause.
"Another thousand years of battles?"
"No."
"I can’t believe this is our only destiny."
Draven hit the butt of his spear on the ground.
"You have changed."
Azrael replied quietly.
"I have."
"You have become weak."
"I have become wiser."
Draven sarcastically laughed.
"Wiser?"
"You start sounding like a human."
The accusation filled the room.
Azrael did not react.
He said in a calm voice,
"I start sounding like a man who has seen too many graves."
The room grew colder.
Draven approached him.
The red aura started bursting around him.
"It was that girl."
"You met the reincarnation of Leonis."
"You drank tea with her."
"You laughed with her."
"You let your guard down."
He pointed his spear toward Azrael.
"Ever since meeting Jennie..."
"...you became soft."
The eruption of the black mana occurred.
The pressure between the two Demon Generals became palpable.
The snowstorm of dark energy rushed around them.
Lokiar quietly backed away.
"I don’t want to stand between these two."
Grom remained silent but rested one hand upon his axe.
Morgatha sighed.
"I was afraid this day would come."
Draven’s killing intent was growing fiercer.
"If you forgot your duty..."
"I will remind you."
Azrael slowly raised his head.
For the first time...
His crimson eyes got sharp.
The calm traveler who had been drinking tea disappeared.
Before everyone’s eyes appeared the legendary warrior who had been fighting Leonis for seven days and seven nights.
The ancient black mana was flowing around him in the form of quiet waves.
Not fiercely.
Not chaotically.
Absolutely controlled.
"I have not forgotten my duty."
His voice sounded calm.
"But neither I have forgotten my promise."
Draven frowned.
"...Promise?"
Azrael looked at the distant ceiling.
"A thousand years ago..."
"Leonis has spared my life."
"He believed the demons could follow a different way."
Draven laughed in disbelief.
"And you still remember the words of an enemy?"
Azrael answered without a hesitation.
"I remember the truth."
The words made the room silent.
"I have watched this world for a thousand years."
"I have seen the humans capable of kindness."
"I have seen the demons capable of cruelty."
"I have also seen the opposite."
He looked straight at Draven.
"Jennie is not Leonis."
"She bears his memories."
"But she chooses her own way."
"She protects without hatred."
"She strengthens without conquering."
"I can’t ignore this."
The look of rage appeared on Draven’s face.
"So if she stands before you..."
"You won’t kill her?"
Azrael kept silent for a while.
Then he answered honestly.
"If she attacks me..."
"I will protect myself."
"But I will not kill her because of some prophecy."
The room erupted into whispers.
Several commanders of the demons looked at each other in disbelief.
The Second Demon General was openly opposing the plans of the council.
Draven raised his spear.
"So be it."
"If your determination has weakened..."
"I will kill her myself."
"I will gather the bearers of the Legendary Marks."
"I will wake up the Demon Emperor."
"And when our commander wakes up..."
"He will judge your hesitation."
Azrael just closed his eyes.
"Perhaps."
The Demon Oracle suddenly hit his staff on the floor.
BOOM!
The ancient runes lit the whole room.
The immense pressure disappeared instantly.
"No blood will be shed in this holy place."
The voice of the Oracle sounded authoritative.
"The Lord of Destruction is sleeping."
"Do not dishonor his throne."
Draven slowly put his spear down.
His eyes were looking at Azrael.
"This discussion is far from finished."
Azrael nodded.
"I know."
In the distant past...
The huge black crystal beat again.
THUMP.
The heartbeat echoed in the room.
This time...
The second finger inside the crystal moved.
The Lord of Destruction was waking up little by little.
And for the first time in a thousand years...
The Demon Generals themselves were divided.
One wanted only war.
One hoped that the world could choose another way.
The struggle has already started...
Long before the first battlefield.
