The War Reignites (1)

The joy of reunion was short-lived. For the next two days, Yushin threw himself into bone-grinding training.

He sparred repeatedly with Ardena Valencia. And with Allen Rocksfield, he engaged in duels so fierce they mimicked real combat, honing his body to a razor's edge.

The Liberia Elf Kingdom was bustling too. The High Priestess Ileina Tres Liberia and the Yetzirah Council, long at odds like sworn enemies, had forged an alliance, uniting the elven forces. They even withdrew the troops stationed at the border near the Valua Kingdom, staking everything on the war against the Demon King Army.

"Feels like I'm forgetting something."

Yushin muttered to himself, wiping the sweat dripping down his neck with the towel draped over it. He tilted his head. Something was missing. But no matter how hard he tried to recall, it wouldn't come. It probably wasn't that important. So Yushin decided to just let it go. Forcing it would only give him a headache.

"Forgetting something?"

Ardena echoed, having somehow caught his faint mumble.

"More precisely, something I left behind in the unexplored zone."

"Did you count the personnel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠properly?"

"Of course. As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the leader, there's no way I'd miscount my subordinates."

"What about the elves who came with us?"

"Asked Kalen Dae, and she said everyone arrived without a hitch. In a way, getting caught in that evil dragon's forced teleport was a blessing. We all escaped it at once and made it to Maherith."

"It's nothing short of a miracle."

A string of coincidences had piled up to create the outcome. If they hadn't gone to the unexplored zone, hadn't battled the lich and the evil dragon, hadn't been swept into the dragon's prepared forced teleport—none of what could be called a miracle would have happened.

Coincidences overlapping and intertwining had birthed a result worthy of the name miracle. Because of that miracle, the Demon King Army's plans went up in smoke, and the capital Maherith escaped its dire straits.

"No way. If there was something really forgotten, I'd know about it."

"Is that so?"

"I'm smarter than you, after all."

"Can't agree with that, but I'll let it slide for now."

Yushin nodded. At Allen's words, he muttered "Is that so?" and nodded again. But a subtle unease lingered on his face.

"Yushin Gilliard!!!"

Someone burst into the training grounds where Yushin, Ardena, and Allen were. A silver-haired woman. Glamorous figure topped with a mage's hat. Her beauty was the kind that turned every man's head. Black jacket. Black hot pants. White tank top. The elf woman, dressed in highly revealing attire, stormed over fuming. Her body bore the marks of considerable hardship.

"Ah!"

At Liana Linehold's appearance, Yushin slapped his thigh and nodded. Now he remembered. The elf warrior captain who had left for a nearby city in the unexplored zone to gather intel. They'd been waiting for her news back at the elf village. Then the lich and evil dragon fight happened, and they got swept into the forced teleport to Maherith. With all the upheavals like natural disasters in succession, he'd completely forgotten about Liana until now.

It was unavoidable, but he still felt sorry toward her.

"Sorry. Forgot about you."

"I came back and no one was there—do you know how shocked I was?! Where the hell did everyone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠go! Some weird magic circle appeared in the sky, I go to the village and all that's left is furniture, everyone vanished.... I thought you all ditched me!!"

Unlike the others swept up in Salamanka the evil dragon's forced teleport, Liana had briefly left the unexplored zone and thus missed it. A blessing or a curse? Thinking of her pushing back through monsters to reach Maherith after sensing the anomaly there tugged at his heartstrings.

"Glad you made it. The High Priestess was tearing her hair out over lack of manpower anyway."

"Lack of manpower?"

"In three—no, two days now, we're set to clash with Demon King Sabnack."

"D-Demon King?!"

Liana's weary face paled further at Yushin's words. A battle with the Demon King. Two days left. In two days, the fateful war with the Demon King Army would erupt.

Though stunned, Liana nodded, relieved she wasn't too late. Anyone less responsible might have bolted, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but she sighed in resolve, steeling herself for the fight.

"Everyone's gathered."

A girl in black training wear and white dolphin pants, her silver hair evoking hydrangea bells, appeared at the training grounds escorted by elf knightesses. The Liberia Elf Kingdom's Third High Priestess, Ileina Tres Liberia. As the elves' spiritual symbol and leader emerged, Ardena and Liana hurriedly dropped to one knee in salute.

"H-High Priestess...."

Liana fumbled noticeably, head bowed. Later, Yushin learned it was her first time seeing Ileina since her warrior captain appointment ceremony. Upper echelon captains like Ardena met her often, but new ones like Liana rarely did.

"We're scraping together every troop we can for the showdown with the Demon King Army. To claim victory against them, we need our full strength."

"The problem's the Demon King."

Yushin said. Ileina nodded.

"Ardena, when battle commences, face Sabnack alongside Yushin."

"Understood."

Ardena nodded without hesitation at Ileina's command. Yushin had expected as much. Facing Demon King Sabnack alone was impossible. They'd need to pool their power. Other warrior captains joining would help, but they had to command their own forces, limiting who could fight the Demon King.

"She wasn't even at full power back then. Annoying. We barely survived when she held back."

Like a game boss with three phases, but struggling in phase one. Sabnack had the strength to end the war anytime. Her retreat, granting them respite, was arrogance befitting a Demon King—prioritizing dignity even if it led to her doom.

* * *

Sabnack simulated her battle with the Diablo Slayer, swinging her sword against imagined lightning. Recalling the sharp bolts he'd unleashed, she devised countermeasures. Arrogance and carelessness were different. Proud but never complacent, she eagerly anticipated the duel, tempering her body and swordsmanship.

"We are certain of Your Highness's victory. That human with the grandiose title of Diablo Slayer... will inevitably fall before you, my Demon King."

The undead knight said, red eyes glowing. Sabnack shook her head.

"No, Gedenhide. No matter the foe, I intend to go all out. No complacency. I learned that from my fight with El Seed—even a lion exerts full force against a mouse."

Sabnack's eyes blazed as she yearned for the clash with the Diablo Slayer. Two days left. She wished they'd fly by. A life-or-death struggle. The glory at its end. A martial soul to her bones, she thirsted endlessly for desperate duels. Now, the time to quench it had come. In two days, her long drought would end.

"Draw your sword."

"As you command."

The undead knight drew his blade. The ghost rider and black monster followed suit, weapons trained on Sabnack. Soon, fierce sparring erupted between the Demon King and her vassals—intense as real battle. They clashed violently. Despite the combined assault from her massive vassals, Sabnack parried and countered leisurely with her scrap-iron sword.

I swore never to lose again! Even in defeat, I'll glare at the enemy till the end! I'll never show them my back!!

She honed her strength. Sharpened her instincts, awakened her killing urge.

"Kuh!"

"Krack!"

The undead and ghost riders reeled from Sabnack's swordplay. The black monster swung its hefty axe next, but even its full-force strike was effortlessly blocked by the scrap sword. The Raging Flames Demon King spent the remaining two days sparring her vassals, relentlessly pursuing strength—to crush the Diablo Slayer for certain.

If she'd been careless like Agares, Yushin might have had an edge. Unfortunately, Sabnack knew no such weakness.

* * *

Two days passed in a flash. Time waits for no one. Among the elves marching to war, some desperately prayed the time wouldn't pass—but it did, unrelenting.

As promised, Sabnack led her forces to the front upon the deadline. The Liberia Elf Kingdom mobilized everything in counter, facing off against the Demon King Army.

"It's unprecedented for our Elf Kingdom to muster such numbers. Yet the Demon King Army still outnumbers us vastly."

Ardena, at Yushin's side, glared at the horizon teeming with enemy troops.

A colossal horde. Even the ever-calm high elf knightess doubted victory.

"It all hinges on whether we take Sabnack's head. Numbers mean nothing if the Demon King falls—they're just a rabble. The Demon King Army coheres around their king."

Yushin said. When Agares died, the Tyranny Demon King's army crumbled against the Holy Empire, suffering defeat after defeat. Without their leader, vassals scattered, morale of devils and monsters plummeted. Thus, the Holy Empire shed its string of humiliations.

"Oppa."

Allen tugged Yushin's sleeve, pointing ahead. A red shadow. Smaller than other devils and monsters, but radiating overwhelming menace. The Demon King. Wielder of Raging Flames authority. Dragging a scrap-iron sword larger than her torso. Her three ever-present vassals trailed, exuding sharp, savage auras from rigorous training.

If she'd been as complacent as Agares, we'd have a shot....

Yushin muttered, clicking his tongue.