Another One (1)
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Something hung in the sky.
Yushin noticed it the moment he entered Maherith palace with the Valencia sisters—right as a demon riding a wyvern up above untied a bundle.
Ardena had spotted it too. The high elf warrior captain whipped her head up, eyes locked on the wyverns.
With the wyverns soaring high overhead, there was no time to react. They were caught off-guard, forced to receive the Demon King Army's "gift."
"Aaagh!"
"What the hell's falling?!"
The demons astride the wyverns had targeted the palace. They'd hurled their payloads straight at it.
Bloody heads, soaked in gore. Yushin was the first to clock what the projectiles really were.
He'd fought on the front lines of the Holy Empire against the Demon King Army as reinforcements from Valua Kingdom. He knew their playbook inside out.
This was one of their signature terror tactics—designed to sow fear and panic in enemy ranks.
"Wh-what is it...? What's going on?!"
"Cover your eyes."
Yushin thrust out a hand, clapping it over Alonne's eyes. He yanked her close into his arms and barked at Ardena.
"Demon King Army bullshit. Might not be random, but talk about a welcome to the capital—never a dull moment."
"This can't be happening. The airspace around the capital is guarded by the Golden Eagle knights. How did Demon King Army wyverns...!"
"Their defenses got breached, that's how. Not the time to nitpick."
In that split-second exchange, Yushin and Ardena split up. Ardena would head inside to protect the High Priestess; Yushin would take Alonne back to the Valencia family carriage.
"What's going on?!"
"Quit squirming. Just stay put."
Yushin bolted, cradling Alonne. They needed the carriage—the one that had brought them all the way to the capital.
They reached it soon enough. No coachman in sight. He'd probably fled somewhere safer.
Yushin cursed the guy's third-rate work ethic for ditching the carriage, then bundled Alonne inside.
"Count from 1 to 1000 in here. I'll scout what the hell's happening and be back."
"Bluh... blood?"
Blood from one of the fallen heads had splattered him. Alonne spotted the stains on Yushin's clothes and yelped in shock.
Something major had gone down. In the heart of the Elf Kingdom's capital, Maherith, no less!
This wasn't some backwater town—it was the capital. No brushing off a disturbance like this.
Alonne sensed raw dread from the blood on him.
"Hey, wake up! How long you gonna sleep?!"
Thud thud!
Yushin pounded on the carriage trunk. It creaked open, and a blue-haired ronin tribe woman poked her head out.
Dead to the world in deep sleep, drool pooling at her mouth. That carefree vibe made him wanna smack her.
"Yaaawn!"
She stretched her jaws wide in a massive yawn, flashing her ronin fangs. Then came the full-body stretch, lithe as a cat, showing off every sleek line.
Maybe from staying shifted so long, but she was picking up more ronin habits. Lately, she'd even gone nuts for cardboard boxes like a damn feline.
"Noisy out there. Something up? Not that I care."
"Shut it and watch Alonne."
"Me, babysitting big-ears' little sis? Pass. Sounds boring. Lemme fight with you, Yushin."
The stench of terror hung thick. Fear's prelude.
Allen sniffed it out with her ronin nose—superior senses picking up the coppery reek of blood. Elf blood.
She'd killed plenty in the wars; she knew that scent cold.
"I wanna fight with Master too!"
"Bro, I can wipe 'em all out!"
Alonne and Allen chimed in together. Their chorus made Yushin scowl.
"Goddamn it! You two are a matching set of rebels!"
The Demon King Army was gunning for the palace. That's why Yushin had hightailed it out with Alonne.
He'd have loved to grab the reins and bail from Maherith entirely, but no coachman meant no dice.
Plus, the capital's streets were jammed with panicked crowds trying to flee.
"Ignore me again, and I'll tie you both to the damn carriage and drag you back to Valencia!"
With that yell, Yushin left Alonne and Allen in the carriage and turned back.
* * *
The demons who'd dumped their bundles of elf heads cackled as they overlooked Maherith.
Elves screamed. Wailing in ugly panic, scrambling like roaches.
From on high, the sight filled the demons with smug superiority. The elves had driven out the peninsula's native demons, stolen their dominion—they were blood enemies.
Watching those foes crumble in terror was too good to keep to themselves.
"Uahaha!"
"Look at the elves flailing! Didn't see us coming, huh?!"
The wyverns had slipped past the Golden Eagle knights patrolling the capital skies.
The elves never saw it coming. No way they'd expect a Demon King Army splinter unit to sneak into the capital airspace.
Only about ten wyverns buzzed the skies over Maherith. Way too few for a real aerial assault.
But the Demon King Army hadn't sent them to attack anyway, so numbers didn't matter.
"Time to head back. Mission's done."
"Golden Eagles will swarm once they figure it out. Pain in the ass if they tail us."
The demons yanked their reins hard, wheeling the wyverns around.
Time to bounce. Lingering over enemy turf was suicide.
Mission accomplished. They'd chucked 666 elf heads right into Maherith palace.
The Elf Kingdom's pride and honor? Ground into the dirt.
Now the elves would rage into all-out war for revenge.
And that was exactly what Sabnack wanted.
"Gaaack!!"
As they banked south, a demon's scream ripped through the air. His wyvern shredded apart.
A single bolt of lightning from below had nailed it dead-on.
The demons pegged the strike as magic. They scattered into formation—better not clump up for a follow-up barrage.
Dispersed, they scanned the ground, braced for round two.
"Damn, they're quick."
Yushin muttered, gripping a standard longsword—probably ditched by some fleeing elf grunt.
He lobbed it skyward, then swung his fist like a hammer, smashing the hilt's pommel.
Thunderclap Eight Forms
Thunder Spear
Craaaaaack!!!
Lightning-wreathed, the longsword rocketed upward like a bullet.
But it whiffed. Grazed by a hair.
First time, he'd caught the demon wyvern riders flat-footed. But these guys were locked and loaded now—no dice.
'About ten wyverns breached the airspace. Not here to attack, though. No real fight in 'em. Just dropping heads, the sadistic fucks.'
Yushin massaged his punching arm, grumbling.
Firing off Thunder Spears in barrage was no joke. Channeling lightning into a fist-swing to launch a sword like artillery? Human flesh wasn't built for that strain.
His arm buzzed, numb. The searing pain twisted his face.
"Honestly, not like I owe 'em this much loyalty..."
What a pointless hassle. Grumbling, Yushin turned away.
The raiding wyverns had peeled off. He headed back to Alonne and Allen waiting in the carriage.
* * *
Maherith endured hell for a mere twenty minutes.
Heads rained down by the score—severed from elves slain in the wars.
Terror, dread, fury gripped the elves.
Demon King Army infiltrators had punched through nearby defenses for this stunt.
Once the wyverns fled, the elves shook off the panic and roared for vengeance.
"Are you alright, High Priestess?"
"Warrior Captain Ardena."
Ileina—dressed in baggy black training sweats—greeted the rushing Ardena.
Ileina was fine, of course. The intruders were just for chaos, not assassination. And with two warrior captains always at the High Priestess's side, hits were near impossible.
Despite the chaos outside, Ileina had been face-down on her bed, poring over documents.
"I'm fine. More importantly, the Another One? You didn't come alone, did you, Warrior Captain Ardena?"
"Yes, he's with me."
"I heard. The Another One who beat Bariteon Trident—you're really fond of him."
"N-not particularly...!!"
"Okay, okay, got it."
Ileina muttered at Ardena's beet-red face, "Seeing a spinster older than my mom blush is kinda ruining the view..."
Ardena caught every word. Teeth ground with a crunch.
"Heard the Biscaya Another One arrived too. With Valencia's Another One here, just need the third one now."
"Is it safe to summon all the Another Ones to the palace...?"
"I called in the warrior captains on the down-low, just in case."
Ileina had invoked her High Priestess authority, assembling the captains—including Bariteon Trident—to counter any Another One trouble.
She always looked slovenly and chill, but her prep was meticulous. Another Ones inbound? Captains on standby first.
"So... Lady El Seed too?"
Ardena asked tentatively. If all captains were called, her master had to be included, right?
She knew it was a long shot. Not seen her mentor since their parting three centuries back.
The founding hero, first warrior captain alongside the High Priestess who built Liberia Elf Kingdom—a legend more mirage than man.
"Sorry, El Seed's sitting this one out too."
"...I see."
"El Seed's one of a kind. Even High Priestess orders don't faze her. Tried summoning her once out of curiosity when I first took the seat—no response."
Ileina slid off the bed, slipping on her slippers.
She wanted to meet an Another One. Especially Valencia's over Biscaya's.
Wonder what he looked like. Ileina had never laid eyes on one.
The man who'd bested Bariteon in a duel—and from Ardena, she knew he wielded battle-honed powers. The third High Priestess brimmed with anticipation.