After seventy days of silence, Antares declared war on Cresundia. It was during the day which gave the people of Cresundia time to panic. Despite knowing it was coming, they were still on edge. They had months to prepare themselves for this day, yet they still felt insufficient. They couldn't describe the feeling of inferiority that they were feeling.
Antares was already infamous for being governed by a Demon but also dubbed as the fastest-growing territory of all time. Despite siding with the side that everyone abhorred, its people were happier than most people in the entire world. Many would have moved there if it wasn't for the propaganda of the Temple. They believed they would end up in hell if they moved there.
Maybe, it was because of how advanced and well-developed Antares was. They felt like they were up against an enemy that was just as dangerous as one of the Demon Kingdoms. It was an overestimation, but they couldn't help treating Antares as such. After all, two Demon King Generals would participate in the war.
"The enemy is 3 Absitan away! Prepare yourself! Don't let them get into the Kingdom!"
The Antares Army which was led by Lemius, Velucan, Decima and Eliseus arrived before the gate of Cresundia an hour after sunset. The army of Cresundia, aided by the Rectusomine Army, was waiting before the gate, ready to intercept the attack. A massive Magic Barrier protected the Kingdom, isolating it from the rest of the world. Those staying inside would remain inside until the Barrier was broken.
The war would cost them a lot of soldiers, but they were confident they would win it. Although cultivating new soldiers took time, they had a lot of youngsters to make one. They were sure the Barrier wouldn't break. Alas, they remained unaware that the war didn't happen only outside but also inside.
"Oorah!"
Clank!
As the first clash ensued, a head was flung to the sky. The first blood belonged to Antares. In less than a second, another head flew off. This time, an Antares soldier died. The same scene kept occurring, quickly colouring the ground red. Smiling people had walked on the road this morning but it was already a battlefield in the evening.
Inside Cresundia, the soldiers who were entrusted with the role to ensure the people's safety looked at the bloody battlefield outside with trembling hands. They had remained inside because they wouldn't last long outside. They were slightly upset at first but were grateful for their position now. Still, they were on edge.
What could they do if such ferocious enemies managed to enter the Kingdom? Even people stronger than they were couldn't hold the enemies back; how could they defend the Kingdom?
Fear began to grip their hearts, so they dearly prayed for the well-being of the soldiers outside. God had helped them in Lysimork. They hoped he would help them again this time. They were fighting against God's adversaries, so they should receive God's blessings.
"T-The enemy has breached into the Kingdom!"
"What!?"
The exclamation of one of the soldiers made everyone's heart shake. It hadn't even been ten minutes. Why was the enemy so fast? Everyone was terrified, but their desire to live didn't deter them. They quickly confronted the enemy that was inside the Kingdom. It was much to their indignation and disbelief that they knew the enemy.
"What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your sanity, Allen!?"
"Don't get your panties twisted, James. We just want to have a better life."
Dressed in the same red and black armour that the majority of Antares soldiers wore, the soldiers who used to be part of the Cresundia Army stared at their old comrades with small smirks. They were the people that were made aware of the rotten true face of the Temple by Lunea—soldiers who raised swords for her.
Boom!
The Mages among Lunea's soldiers sent a barrage of spells toward the Cresundia soldiers, forcing them to defend themselves.
"Stop this nonsense, Allen! Are you going to go against God? Open your eyes!"
"Bitch; you open your eyes! Do you still think God is the perfect entity whose path is decorated with nobility and righteousness? Do you know how many people I had to kill because one of those stuck-up Priests didn't like them? Do you know how many girls I had to bring for them to violate because they would take my sister otherwise? Open your fucking eyes!"
The outburst of the soldier named Allen made the soldier named James widen his eyes in shock. "Neither side is more benevolent than the other, but this time, the other side offers a better condition. Stop thinking that this world has such a benevolent being that you can always depend on."
James' hands trembled as his resolve wavered. He couldn't refute Allen's words and found the justification for those horrendous instances. He knew those things happened purely because of the obnoxiousness of God's agents. Justifying those actions would mean they were relying on the wrong being but to acknowledge them would mean that God didn't care about them.
With a defeated smile on his face, James raised his sword. Foolish as it was, the tiny part of his heart still hoped that there was a meaning in believing in God. Even if reality said otherwise, he still fought those who sided with the Demons for a better life. He clashed his swords three times with Allen before joining his comrades in oblivion.
"Sensible people have always been deemed heretics by the Temple. The result of that action is these idiots with soft brains who ignore reality to maintain their fantasy," the soldier Allen muttered as he pulled his sword out of James' chest.
Everything is fair in love and war. Even though he could hardly remove the bitterness in his mouth, he needed to keep moving to ensure their victory. The better life he envisioned wouldn't turn into reality if they lost. He needed to taste that bitterness until he became numb to it.
…
While the war in Cresundia was still ongoing, the world was baffled by other news. Lysimork declared war upon Lithandrel, the Empire of Light Elves. Although it wasn't strange given what had happened a few months prior, it was way earlier than anyone's expectation. Lysimork hadn't even fully recovered from the war.
Despite the odds that were against Lysimork, no one dared to look down on it. Being the busybody they were, they did their best to gather as much information as they could regarding the war. Much to their bewilderment, Lysimork had some Light Elves on their side; one of them being the Princess, Eryn Galhador herself. This had the world questioning what was happening.
Another thing to note aside from that fact was the shadow hovering above the army as they moved and the fair-skinned woman with root-like hair leading the army. Because of them, the humans and Demons mixed in the army weren't that worthy of note.
"The Guardian of Amizanima, Teanosvera and the Earth Goddess, Luxia are participating in the war, O Brightest One. They are not many compared to us, but we can't underestimate them. We don't know the limit of the two Spirits' power. If we don't prepare well…"
The Light Elf Emperor, Eagnor Galhador looked at his subordinate solemnly on his throne. His body was leaned forward and his intertwined hands supported his head. He rarely assumed this position. When he did, he was thinking deeply.
He was already aware of the ongoing situation. His daughter had betrayed him. The spies he had planted in Lysimork and the backstabbing Dark Elves he didn't take to his side for situations like this were unavailable. Lysimork was in its most vulnerable state, but he couldn't do anything to it. All of his effort to destroy it from the inside was for nought.
"Why did my daughter hurt my heart like this? Did she figure out the true reason behind the Dark Elf's exile like her mother did? Ah, what a strange fate. She looks and behaves so much like Glóredhel did. Why do you have to suffer the same fate as your mother, Eryn? I have no choice but to end you myself."
"Your order, O Brightest One."
"Mobilize our army. I will lead it myself. Wake up the Great Phoenix also. Tell him that his rival is here."
"The Great Phoenix is already on his way to the battlefield, O Brightest One."
"Good. Then, it is our time to depart."
As the Light Elf Army set out to the battlefield, the Phoenix Phoebesius arrived before the Dark Elf army. Its golden fire lit up the sky and boiled the air, but the army remained unfazed. They kept moving, letting Teanosvera take care of the flying chicken. Phoebesius was also not interested in the army, so it didn't stand in the way.
"It is too bad that your master isn't here. I have been waiting for this day to come. I will rip his heart out for stealing my Mana Core. But you are also fine, Teanosvera. You will make a good appetizer until he comes."
"Bahaha! You are waiting for my master with that measly power of yours?" Teanosvera sneered. "You better think carefully before you speak, oversized chicken."
"How shameful! You have just shown me what the slave mentality looks like," Phoebesius retorted with a degrading snort. "Let's waste no time, Teanosvera! Let's test how far—"
Swoosh!
Phoebesius was cut mid-sentence when a black cord wrapped around his neck. He couldn't even react properly as it immediately brought him down from the sky. Shadow enveloped his entire being, filling his vision with black. When he regained his vision, he was already bound to a pole in a pitch-black space, unable to move. Teanosvera was standing before him, looking at him with its soul-piercing red eyes.
"Do you know why people make a fire?" Teanosvera whispered. "They are afraid of the dark."
Phoebesius' eyes trembled in terror.
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