Ch.104East (1)

“Don’t delay! There’s plunder everywhere, don’t miss out!”

Chaphir seized the reins. A fierce roar erupted from the demonic beast. The thundering sound that echoed deep into the battlefield inspired the cavalry.

A frantic pursuit continued relentlessly for a week. Against the panicking, fleeing humans, they threw lassos until they ran out, eventually resorting to simply grabbing their hair and dragging them away.

The nomads’ innate instinct for plunder stirred. Each sweep brought back nearly hundreds of captives. These were all valuable resources to be used as workers for the Order. They were handled with care and handed over to the human knight orders that had accompanied them.

“Come this way.”

“You won’t face any hardship from now on, so don’t worry.”

Upon escaping the terrifying demonic beasts and facing fellow humans, the crusaders collapsed on the spot. Some even sat down and burst into tears. The knights of the Dark Order welcomed them warmly.

“You can rest easy.”

“From now on, our Order will guarantee your safety.”

The gentle voices soothed their devastated hearts. The crusader soldiers followed them as if entranced. The desire to live, coupled with the realization that resistance was futile, created docile prisoners.

Normally after surrender, one could return to their homeland or pay ransom according to their wishes, but this war differed from human common sense. Defeat meant ruin. All remaining resources were transferred to the continent to serve as a foundation. Rather than conquering land for profit, they took spoils through thorough destruction followed by absorptive growth.

“Leave the aftermath to the humans, we just fight!”

“Hah! Fighting is all that matters!”

Thanks to this, the nomads didn’t need to worry about complex war calculations. They passed all such matters to the follow-up forces and rushed toward the next target.

This was the ideal war that Chaphir had envisioned. Without the headache of distributing spoils among tribal chiefs, everything could be crushed under the single justification of a great mission. The Regent’s orders. That provided all the reason needed, and the troops followed without complaint.

“Great Warrior, there are about three more crusader units left south of the mountain range.”

“If we capture them, will our next opponents be the Holy Army?”

“Yes. We must contain our excitement.”

A staff officer who wasn’t a nomad advised Chaphir. They were the reins that kept things in check, ensuring that those who rampaged like demonic beasts didn’t cross the line. The Great Warrior, being a ruler who knew how to control his instincts, had no complaints.

“It seems our role is coming to an end soon.”

“Not the end. We must prepare for the clash with the approaching Holy Army.”

The Holy Army.

An army composed of angels.

They were elite celestial forces, not like the warlords they had faced in the demon realm. In demon realm terms, they would have held a status in the celestial realm equivalent to Durin’s direct southern forces that were currently establishing defensive lines at the southern border. There was a high possibility of encountering holy power unseen in previous wars.

“We now have a god. There’s no need to fear.”

“Great Warrior, perhaps a battle…?”

“Of course not. I will now release the reins. Having understood where the Regent wants the line drawn, I should withdraw.”

The objective had been achieved. They had completely shattered the southern border, preventing the celestial realm from observing demonic movements, and had drawn the attention of the main force, the Holy Army. The moment they realized the gravity of the situation and descended, the human realm’s stability, which had been their goal, was lost.

The whirlwind of war.

Even with overwhelming power to suppress demons, they couldn’t quell the unease, and had to deal with the chaos born of fear and terror. Weakened faith might attract the attention of archangels and bring reinforcements, but it didn’t matter.

“In the coming great war, I will give my life. What a tremendous honor!”

“You really mustn’t die. You still have much to do.”

“Don’t take me so seriously. I was just saying.”

But glory was a true ideal, one he would follow to the end.

There was no longer a need to seek death born from the spirit of struggle. They had found the lost god and were exploring ways to resurrect her. It was the catalyst that made all demons look in the same direction, beyond the future Durin had presented.

From the executives of the Demon King’s Castle to the lowest-ranking legion soldiers, not one deviated.

Patience was not pain but pleasure. For they would one day stand proudly before their Mother.

“Let’s head back. I’ll review the achievements with the Southern Army Commander.”

“A wise decision, sir.”

The demons will fight to the end to claim victory.

#

Winter had passed.

As the Holy Army turned south, the flames of war that had rapidly ignited began to subside. This was thanks to the demons noticing the signs and retreating.

“No one’s here.”

“It seems they’ve just scorched everything.”

“Can we really call this a victory?”

Rupiel, who had descended to hide Heaven’s incompetence and reestablish its greatness on this land, achieved his first victory as he wished, but all he could manage was a hollow laugh.

They hadn’t killed a single demon.

The demonic beast cavalry that had been rampaging everywhere immediately withdrew at the news of the Holy Army’s approach.

An achievement without battle. The soldiers praised it, but the angels couldn’t express their complicated feelings. Having tasted sweetness amid continued defeats, they needed to build on that momentum.

“For now, emphasize the victory. Establishing Heaven’s authority is the priority.”

Rupiel chose immediate joy. As Heaven’s secretary, it would be right to prepare for the coming fate, but he was also a commander leading an army. In a situation where support couldn’t be expected due to indifference, he did his best.

“Is the Archangel still not responding?”

“He seems possessed. Why does he engage in such power struggles?”

“The long peace was the problem. It seems to have blinded and deafened the old angels.”

All that came out were laments. Despite earnestly expressing opinions, all that returned was ignorance, so there was nothing to be done.

“If news of our victory reaches Heaven, surely an answer will come.”

“Will Heaven truly open its eyes again someday?”

“Isn’t that what prayers to God are all about?”

Rupiel left a bitter smile.

Passive. Even showing resistance to fate, they couldn’t go against their given foundation.

Once again, they only offered prayers.

“Still, we must challenge to the end. We must save humanity again.”

They sent scouts to the south to observe movements and rallied troops to apply maximum pressure.

Meanwhile, demons were likely to extend their claws to other continents except the central one. The problem was the lack of capacity to prevent it. He wanted to select cavalry to deal with it, but there were no pieces on the current war board.

The chaos in the center demanded many troops.

“I’ll at least send my guard unit.”

“Secretary! That’s—!”

“The war takes priority over my safety. Gather as much information as possible to identify the demons’ next advance route. If we can’t read their numbers, we’ll be defeated where we sit.”

This must be what the demons are aiming for.

Rupiel’s eyes quickly scanned the map. His finger traced the southern continent, searching for what was next.

#

Whoosh—

The wind carried the scent of grass.

It was different from the southern region, which had been filled with the bloody stench of war. After breaking through the border area and occupying the rugged mountain range, the view of the eastern continent appeared in the distance.

“It’s so green.”

It was refreshingly verdant, enough to amaze Yoannina, a demon who had lived for a thousand years.

A land untouched by the flames of war. The description of the human realm written somewhere in the demon realm’s scriptures came to mind.

-A land overflowing with life, blessed by the Creator God; the child who grew up receiving the love of day and night was beautiful.

A phrase someone had written down. It was closer to a deeply personal impression than an official record.

“Now I think I understand who wrote that…”

“Are you referring to the first demon to invade the human realm?”

“They were also our ancestors, destined for destruction at the hands of Heaven.”

The sun rises over the horizon. As the red dawn illuminated the world, the vast forest awakened from its slumber. When the wind blew once more, the scent of life could be felt. In a world before demons were called demons, this sight would have been viewed from a different perspective.

Conquest, a land to be reclaimed.

Beauty that could be caressed with one’s gaze without such desperate longing.

“The second land we will claim.”

Yoannina murmured, suppressing her swelling heart. Having only now come to savor the joy that should be enjoyed as God’s offspring, it was difficult to contain her emotions. Demons raised in later generations, surviving on harsh lands with only the sword for sustenance, couldn’t feel such sensations.

Only a few great demons who had survived through the long ages experienced this heart-stirring feeling.

“Send a messenger to Durin. Tell him we’ll wait here for the next order.”

The eastern continent of the human realm, Yggdrasil, covered in great forests.

It was the legion’s next destination.