Meanwhile, somewhere near the Great Barricade.
Navigating the perilous obstacles imposed by the older generations of Supernaturals, the Cessation Knights and Black Hands, under Sir Denzel's command, eventually were able to push them back out of the desolate plain by the slimmest of margins.
It was a bloody battle, the losses exceeded the expectations of many.
Because of the decree sent to them by the Executor, the forces have no choice but to oblige.
A decree from the Executor left them with two options. Comply, no matter how challenging or ridiculous the decree might be, or face execution at the hands of the Executor himself, leaving them with no alternative whatsoever.
However, they got lucky as most of them were lured away.
The Executor decided to come and step out of the Great Barricade, and thus, his sheer presence ignited the ancient hatred they bore toward him which resulted in the older generations of Supernaturals abandoning the fight and hurriedly rushing toward him.
Sir Denzel thought that was all of them, but he was wrong as some remained blocking them.
Despite volunteering to stand at the front line, the effect started to wane.
Sir Denzel is currently at the end of the desolate plain separating the Great Barricade and the Supernatural territory, he scans his eyes around to the wounded soldiers and finds the atmosphere around them is completely dark and depressing.
Clearly, their morale was plummeting as the decree seemed like suicide for them.
'I already volunteered to be at the very front, hoping to spike their morales. It worked for some time, but it's started to wane. However, I can't blame them, there's no notion of us succeeding to complete this decree' Sir Denzel pondered, frowning in contemplation.
No soldiers would be excited if they were fighting a battle that had no chance of winning.
"Excuse me, Sir Denzel. I'll start patching you up"
A healer walked up and started treating him and even needed to use strong spells to treat the deep wound that Sir Denzel sustained across his stomach, almost spitting his insides out. It wasn't healing thanks to the suppression.
Since even arcane mana was suppressed, he's not invulnerable anymore.
Only those who have an innate regeneration ability could still be invulnerable at this time.
While he was being treated, he leaned on a tree and gazed onward to a rough clearing of the forest with a pondering look. It was quite vast, and there was a small lake on the right, the water was clearly seen to be sparkling thanks to the sunlight.
In the far distance, a massive jutting piece of rock pierced the sky.
Sir Denzel is looking in this direction to inspect the path they will need to go through to reach the Symposium, and it is then an Awakened approach and stops beside him, also fixating his gaze on the same direction that Sir Denzel was looking at.
"Tell me this... Is there even a chance for us to go through this?" He asked in a hushed tone.
Upon hearing this Sir Denzel could only exhale roughly.
Earlier, the scout came back with bad news. He reported that Undead Titans were hiding inside the lake for an ambush, the sparkling clear water is only an illusion. Hiding in wait near the jutting piece of rock is another army of Vampires.
Some of the Vampires that retreated grouped up there with the army.
"Also, I already asked the other compounds and found that their area was not as guarded as ours. Aside from the Supernatural army attacking their part of the Great Barricade, beyond it, they found nothing" the Awakened added in concern.
Out of the places, it seems they were the ones that got the most difficult place.
But this doesn't come as a surprise for Sir Denzel, he was already expecting something like this. "I know that the Executor is unreasonable and outright wicked. For all I know, the Executor coming out of the Great Barricade was probably not because he wanted to help us. However, I'm sure that there's a reason he wanted us to clear a way to the Symposium"
"Seeing that the Supernaturals are guarding the way more, I become certain" He added.
No matter what the Executor is planning, it must be effective.
Even the older generations of Supernaturals, as mind-gnawing berserk as they may be, are conscious of this. Sir Denzel presumed that having the Executor reach the Symposium would be a devastating blow to them, and that's promising news.
Finding that Sir Denzel kept a positive attitude, the Awakened was awed at him.
In such a situation, there are not many who could be like him.
"Maybe that's the reason you reached the ninth-rank realm, you have a big heart, Sir" the Awakened expressed his admiration, looking up to Sir Denzel. "If that's the case, we are ready to follow your orders. What are your plans in approaching this situation, Sir?"
"We'll divide ourselves into groups to sneak past the lake. We'll only fight the Vampires"
"Okay, it's morning, so the Vampires are weakened. It makes sense, but before that..."
"I know"
Sir Denzel glanced over to the others, knowing that he would need to give hope first.
No use in commanding his force if they don't believe they could win, and that's the first thing he needs to handle. But it was then his eyes shifted over to the side, to the group of odd Black Hands sitting in a circle in the distance that surprisingly came to help them earlier in the fight.
A presence-less group that could fend off many older generations of Supernaturals.
"Guess I'll use them..."
Just a moment later, the army of Cessation Knight and Black Hands advanced forward.
Unlike before, the atmosphere was not outright depressing anymore.
It was evident in their eyes that their hope had been rekindled and now they were more firm than before, all thanks to Sir Denzel using the six odd Black Hands that had garnered attention from the others due to the fight before.
Sir Denzel asked them to act as confident as possible to look unbeatable.
While he was pretending to give them a regular pep talk in the hope of lifting the spirit, the leader of the six odd Black Hands, Ezo stepped forward and confidently stated that he and his team would make sure that they would see this decree to the end.
Flaunting and even depicting an obvious hint of arrogance made him look dependable.
None of the Cessation Knights, Awakened, and other Black Hands has the confidence to fare against the older generations of Supernaturals due to the fight earlier. And a rub of arrogance and confidence in one person is all it takes to shift this situation completely.
'Good. Now I can focus on the fight' Sir Denzel pondered with a nod.
Just as he planned, the forces were divided into multiple small groups in order to not alert the Undead Titans hiding inside the lake. Suppressing their energies tightly, the group then one by one passes the lake.
Surprisingly, it went on smoothly, the Undead Titans were not triggered.
It went on so smoothly that Sir Denzel even thought that the scout earlier might be wrong.
However, he accepted this as a blessing from God and didn't think negatively.
Knowing that there will be more reinforcement sent to the Great Barricade to supply them earlier to make a standing across the way to the Symposium, it's fine to leave the Undead Titans there until they have an overwhelming number to drown them to death.
Passing through cautiously, they advanced forward anticipating the Vampire army.
Leading the way at the forefront was Sir Denzel, accompanied by the six odd Black Hands, their grips on their weapons tightening as they approached the jutting rock. Beyond it lay the supposed Vampire army.
Sir Denzel raised his hand, signaling to stop before the forces went into battle formations.
Roar!!
Out of nowhere, a collective roar could be heard from the front.
Just as the scout reported, the ground beneath them began to shake, clearly indicating that the Vampire army was on the move toward them. Instinctively, all of them ready themselves for another big battle against the Vampire army.
However, when the army emerges, Sir Denzel frowns when he finds a stark difference
'Are they really the same Vampires as earlier? Why are they way smaller? Or is it because of the sunlight that reduced them to this state? No... I don't think that's the case' Sir Denzel pondered when he saw the Vampire army.
It was evidently different, the ones right now are half the sizes of the ones from earlier.
Despite wanting to thank God for another blessing once again, he couldn't help but feel that there was something odd going on. Seems to him that there's something more going on than meets the eye, these are not the same Vampires.
None of them emit the same bloodlust and blood energy as earlier.
'What's going on here? It doesn't feel right...'
~
On the other hand, inside the hell's mouth located in a barren lifeless plain.
Demons inside the seven floors of the Demon Kingdom seemed to be agitated, there were fights everywhere the eyes could see caused by Demons of the same floor or even Demons from different floors.
It was not a friendly fight either, many of them died brutally by the others.
But this was all caused by Saruth's policy of differentiating the Demons into seven floors and arranging them according to the strength of the strongest Archdemon that guarded each floor and represented their own sin.
Clearly, there are Demons that don't like how the floors are arranged.
For instance, the Archdemon that represented the Sin of Envy, can't accept that their floors were above the Sin of Gluttony which is further away from the Demonic Eye, the center of the Demon Kingdom located at the lowest floors.
Due to that, a fight between them is unavoidable.
Especially now that the older generation awakened and also has an opinion of their own.
Meanwhile, the lowest floors were undisputed and there was peace there including the Demon citizens that lived there. It was held by the Demons of the Sin of Lust alongside the other succubuses and incubuses that were not merged back with the Demon Kingdom.
It was all done, Saruth and Catsha have reconciled and put aside their differences.
On top of that, the Sin of Lust has the lowest thanks to the support of the Sin of Wrath and Sin of Greed. The Archdemon representing the Sin of Lust has the two other Archdemons by her fingernails, abiding by her very requests to the end.
Essentially, the Sin of Lust is not the strongest but has the most power.
Lying on the throne on the lowest point of the Demon Kingdom in a seductive position, baring her perfect body to the side was Elder Tilrith who seemed to be absorbing the demonic essence around her.
She seemed to be relaxed, and enjoying the moment of her peace.
A moment, she nudged her chin upwards with interest, sensing something in the distance.
"He's already starting... If not for the spell I cast earlier, I wouldn't be able to sense his attacks. Sneaky little devil" Elder Tilrith mused, a devilish smile on her face as she laid back again with newfound consort.
Clearly, the incident that she sensed lifted her mood.
Playing with her dangling left foot, her eyes turned vicious, "Rastrikan Demons are going to cease, finally. How dare they refuse my orders?" She pondered out loud, cursing the Rastrikan Demons. "If they are gone, I will be in full control"
"However, I need to do the part he wanted in exchange too" She added.
But it was then that her ears perked up and her wings twitched when she sensed a presence inside the throne. A smirk crossed her face when she realized who it was, 'Speaking of it, there she is...'
Glancing to the side, Elder Tilrith found a puddle of blood appearing below her throne.
It slowly climbs up, turning into a humanoid shape of blood before eventually a figure materializes. A woman that Elder Tilrith wasn't expecting, 'I thought Nezera would come here. Why in the world is her daughter the one to come here?'
"You don't look pleased to see me, Elder" the woman said softly.
Upon hearing this, Elder Tilrith sits up and straightens her back to address the woman in front of her. "Perhaps I'm a bit old-fashioned, but I have reservations about entrusting such a matter to... the inexperienced, wouldn't you agree, Calidora?"
"Inexperienced...?" Calidora giggled, her eyes then turned from violet to red, activating her Eyes of Terror. "I heard that you've come to meet with the Alpha and that I do not condone, Elder Tilrith. Any matters concerning the Silverstar Pack's Alpha, dear elder, should always come through me" She added, her tone dripping with subtle threats.
"Oh, I see now... Seems like I've caught your eyes' attention" Elder Tilrith smirked devilishly.
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