The final battle between the Fonias and the 'rebelling' production was set to take place a few kilometers away from the town of Jujuba.
Deep into the evening, before the cover of the night could come in.
"Sire," In armors of white, the members of the Fonias family's outpost all gathered around their leaders. "They are here."
The commander of the army slowly stood up, his sword impaled into the ground.
"General Alexander Fonias will be here soon. Till then, we have to survive."
The others lowered their heads and bit their lips.
They knew they were walking to their deaths. Whether that Fonias came here or not, they all knew well that they would die anyway.
But chances to live were slightly greater if they fought.
So fight, they would.
The soldiers raised their weapons, their screams raised their spirits. Out in the clearing in the midst of the forest up north, the two groups faced each other.
It was time to end the rebellion.
"CHARGE!"
"KILL THEM!!"
The two sides screamed at once and all of them. The soldiers equipped with armor held skill, while the workers held numbers. The two groups left all else behind and charged into each other, ready for destruction.
To live or to die.
Only one side would be able to come out of this.
Or so, they thought.
"[Trinity Series: Destruction Attribute]"
A chilling voice spread through the field.
"[Sorcery: Acid Rain]"
Clouds above struck together.
Just as the two sides were about to meet their weapons.
"[Tempest of Destruction]"
A storm came. Like the gutting winds of a raging cyclone, the storm came rushing toward the knights. Without mercy, without thought, it touched all matter in its path and eroded it, destroyed it. From their armor and weapons…
"AAAH!"
"GAKAA!"
To their limbs and torsos. Everything met destruction.
On the other side, the clouds rumbled and a rain of acid came tumbling down. The workers and the demons alike were burnt through from end to end as the ground started to seethe from the heat. Blood and charred flesh filled the air.
All that managed to the side of the knights was rotten through, and all that managed to tip over to the side of the workers were burnt through.
The mish mash of screams and death continued on and on until barely any was left anymore.
Long after a solemn breeze signaled the end of the onslaught.
Two figures appeared on the battlefield.
"That was fucking easy? I thought Bathym found them tough?"
"I thought so too. But are you sure we shouldn't be getting rid of these bodies?"
"What a grand teacher you are, helping your student not just kill but also suggesting to hide the bodies."
The pink haired woman crossed her arms and grinned wide.
"Can't teachers have some fun? Don't tell anyone else though, I'll lose my job."
"Oh, this is fun?"
"Is it not?"
"It is. Very damn fun."
The white haired boy flicked his hair and looked over the corpses. When he saw two bodies piled over each other on the workers' end, his lips curled into a smile.
He didn't have to hunt any of that group down, the other was good game, but the workers could escape for all he cared.
"We don't need to hide anything. Albert said he's made his move today, they will find out whether we like it or not."
"So we should announce ourselves with a bang? Good taste."
"These fuckers really had to fight in the night, huh?"
"What a waste of time. Let's just go back to that inn for now."
"Sounds good."
And like a storm, the two left.
***
"That was one damn anticlimactic fight."
Irina sat across me once more as the two of us helped ourselves to the inn's grub. Just like before, it took too long to reach back to the inn and now we had to use the kitchen by ourselves again. The innkeeper was a real darling for letting us be.
"Tell me about it. Bathym got my hopes up."
"Say, Eugene Hall. Are you really planning to become a demon lord?" Irina asked.
I nodded without hesitation at her words.
"I still don't find demons bad at all. I am fond of them in fact. If I can, I'd do it."
Irina mulled over my words.
She then shrugged and bit into the food once more. "Sounds cool to me. I think it'll be a fun thing to do."
"Right?" I twirled my fork in my hand.
Fun, huh?
I wondered how long it would take for the outer gods to come in to this world. Before that happened, I had to unite all the realms and make them move against it.
Not alone, but with the whole world under my feet.
I would be winning the grandest victory this world would face.
The thoughts of fun and the lust for power still lingered strongly in my heart. But my mind was filled with responsibility.
To see Dawn hurt again, to even imagine Lethe in a bind, Maria, Lily, Noa…. Albert, Luka, the people from Deep Down, even that damned Marquis.
I wanted to keep everyone safe and still do whatever the fuck I want.
That was… true strength.
Strength that didn't 'not' have weaknesses, but strength that could surpass any and all weakness and turn even that into an advantage. That was what I seeked.
An ideal.
"Heh."
But a truly strong person could even make an ideal achievable, why would I not?
We both finished eating and stood up. I was about to get to the dishes when Irina pushed me aside.
"You go, I'll handle this."
"Hm?"
"Don't stay up training too late. I don't want to carry you back."
Leaving those words, she took the dishes away and started cleaning them. I stayed and watched for a few seconds.
"Leave before I change my mind."
And laughed.
"Thank you."
"Yeah, whatever."
Waving my hands, I went out of the inn from the front door this time.
I wanted to train a little harder today.