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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Bell and Cloney were training in the practice field.
Bell had mastered all the swordsmanship inherited from Yuma.
Four sword techniques in total.
Bell absorbed like a sponge the swords of Grand Sword Masters that Balmung remembered.
Cloney trained magic with Tisha for about 3 months.
It felt somewhat lonely now since Tisha was at Baron Amon’s territory in the empire’s northernmost region, positioned to prepare for the demon realm invasion.
Bell and Cloney quickly left the practice field feeling the commotion outside.
Rumble─!
What they saw was a hole pierced through.
A dark red swirling current clearly revealing its presence among the clear clouds.
Bell and Cloney looked at that dark red omen, then lowered their heads and glanced at each other.
And looking at each other, they simultaneously knew who to go to.
War clouds began to gather over the empire.
The empire’s citizens living their daily lives also stared at the anomaly in the sky.
Knights posted notices.
Notices saying not to panic as the imperial army would protect the empire no matter what happened.
Yuma looked at those gathered in the imperial palace annex’s conference room.
By Brigitte’s order, the Astes Imperial Army including three orders of knights was in combat readiness.
Michael, the emperor’s direct guard knight, approached Brigitte.
“According to magic scholars, it’s a state where demon realm species could pour out at any moment.”
Brigitte nodded.
That’s how it looked to her too.
“Yuma.”
Yuma raised his head at Brigitte’s call.
Brigitte looked into Yuma’s blue eyes.
Her light pink lips parted.
“Are we following the plan?”
“Yes, we’re following the plan, Brigitte.”
The highest priority protection location is definitely the Astes Empire.
And if there are places requesting help, go help them.
The place that encounters demon tribes first will likely suffer the most damage.
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The Middle Realm where humans and various other species currently stand could be called blessed in many ways.
Those living in the Middle Realm didn’t need to worry about anything besides life in that world.
They just had to live by farming the land they stood on and hunting animals for sustenance.
Beings who didn’t need to worry about other worlds.
That was the characteristic of the Middle Realm.
Excluding species classified as monsters, wars didn’t easily break out even between different tribes.
However, the demon realm.
The demon realm was different.
The Demon Realm was a world that craved the blood of other worlds.
The blood and life of other world species held power to expand the demon realm’s world force
The demon tribes’ lifespan.
As the world force grows larger, the lifespan of demon tribes breathing and walking in the demon realm increases.
That was why the demon realm invaded the middle realm roughly every 800 years.
Ambition.
Not hiding their species’ instinctive desire for conquest.
That was the demon tribe.
Great Demon King Kutos was looking at his subordinates.
The red lion with huge black goat horns, Kutos, turned his gaze toward the demon king kneeling below him.
Demon King Abystallon wore armor with blue flames flickering.
The large demon king looked at his master while blue flames flowed.
“Lord Kutos, we depart soon.”
From Abystallon’s helmet blue flames flowed like smoke from both eyes and mouth.
“We will achieve the demon realm’s prosperity with the blood of middle realm creatures.”
Great Demon King Kutos slowly nodded his lion head.
The red lion looked down at Abystallon with pitch black eyes.
“Yes, go forth. Abystallon, my beloved servant.”
The Great Demon Kings, only five in existence in this demon realm, were like the roots of the demon realm.
The five undisputed masters of the demon realm.
The Great Demon Kings were beings that could not leave the demon realm.
That’s why Kutos couldn’t even think of manifesting in the middle realm despite having immense power.
He could only assess the situation and give orders like now.
“Open the gate.”
The approximately 3,000 high-ranking demon tribe members who had been continuously injecting demonic energy into the huge gate formation while standing still with eyes closed simultaneously opened their eyes.
“”Gate opening.””
The demon realm landscape with thick black currents.
At its edge, a purple circle spun steeply.
The circle kept turning like a machine breaking some boundary.
And finally.
Grrrrrrrrrng…
The circle showed a different landscape than the demon realm.
The very clear sky of the middle realm.
The demon realm gate opened.
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The single blemish in the sky became a clear hole.
“…Oh boy.”
A dazed sound flowed from Hestia’s mouth as she stood awkwardly.
The gazes of Yuma’s group, imperial army, and imperial knights all turned to the rectangular frame Hestia was looking at.
It was a small screen.
A screen simultaneously sharing the view seen by the drone-like Magic Scout.
The place the Magic Scout was filming from the air was none other than Mullen’s sea.
They were pouring out.
Unidentified beings mostly in black.
From far away they clearly looked like insects.
The problem was that even counting them as insects, there were easily over thousands.
The Demon Realm Army seeking the Middle Realm’s world force boasted a terrifying number of troops befitting the name “army.”
Gulp.
Someone swallowed dry saliva before speaking.
“…This seems to go beyond the concept of a species war.”
The man with noticeable red hair was Eldrie, the 7th circle mage specializing in fire attribute magic who owned the Magic Scout.
Led by imperial mages.
Eldrie was in charge of commanding the combat mages gathered to face this dark cloud.
Eldrie’s brown eyes were fixed on the pouring demon tribes.
“At this scale, it should be considered a clash between worlds…”
The clash of Middle Realm and Demon Realm.
Eldrie muttered blankly.
Yuma agreed as he stared at the endless thousands of black dots pouring from the hole in the middle of the sky dozens of ridges away.
Cloney furrowed her brows.
“As expected, the first place they’ll invade is Mullen, which could be called the continent’s northernmost point.”
The merfolk, Mullen.
The land of the merfolk with whom Yuma had directly formed an alliance was in the most urgent danger.
Cloney was worried about the Mullen tribe.
Because she had formed bonds with some Mullen tribe mages including Tisha, and the children of Mullen.
Beep─! Beeeep─!
Yuma took out the round signal notification magic tool [Emel] that was ringing loudly.
Signal number 6.
Number 6 meant the Mullen tribe.
After distributing [Emel] to the other species who participated in the Species Council and returning to the empire, he had asked the people of House Amon to give one to the Mullen tribe as well.
A clear request for help.
Cloney’s golden eyes trembled anxiously.
Yuma looked at Eldrie who was checking with a magic telescope where the demon tribes pouring from the gate were falling.
“Are all their destinations the Mullen island?”
At Yuma’s question, Eldrie slowly nodded.
“Some are heading toward the Lessen Kingdom, but most forces seem to be heading for Mullen. Looking at historical records, they fundamentally think of long-term warfare. The ones they sent today probably seem intended as scout forces to check the Middle Realm’s movements. Now no more forces are pouring out… who knows how many more will pour out tomorrow.”
Eldrie slowly shook his head looking at the demon realm gate that had finally stopped outputting forces.
“They probably plan to occupy Mullen island and Mullen’s sea first, then slowly dominate the rest.”
The demon realm must have strategists too.
It was quite a correct judgment to first dominate Mullen, which could be called a country separated from other species by the sea.
Yuma looked at Cloney.
“Are you worried? Twenty White Night tribe members with Tisha at Baron Amon’s territory and a thousand imperial troops should have already departed for Mullen.”
Cloney slowly shook her head.
“No, I believe in the preparations you and Lady Brigitte made. Though I am worried.”
Yuma looked back at Eldrie.
“Can we tell exactly what kinds poured out using the Magic Scout?”
Eldrie bowed his head.
“I apologize. This is the limit of how far the scout can enter. We won’t be able to confirm clearly.”
“I see.”
Yuma stood up.
“Since they sent scouts, I’ll go as our scout. I’ll ride Ethan to assess what kind of beings they are.”
Brigitte quickly stood up.
“Yuma…!”
“It’s fine. With Ethan, it’s only half a day round trip distance, isn’t it?”
Yuma had flown many times with Ethan, the griffin who had become his friend over 2 months.
Now he had skill not much different from a High Elf.
“I’ll go let them know they don’t have the initiative in this war.”
Brigitte let out a deep sigh at Yuma’s unwavering eyes.
“…Alright. Yuma.”
Brigitte was worried sick about Yuma but didn’t show it.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“Don’t worry.”
Yuma patted Brigitte’s shoulder.
Then he approached Cloney.
“Come with me.”
Cloney nodded greatly with a bright smile.
“Yes! Lord Yuma!”
In Cloney’s mind there was only the thought of being able to help the Mullen tribe.
There was no fear whatsoever of the demon tribes.
Yuma helped Cloney onto Ethan first.
Grrrr…
Griffin Ethan just let out a gentle cry and stayed still.
Because this wasn’t the first time Yuma had ridden with his companions.
“You need to hold the reins tight too.”
“Yes, Lord Yuma!”
Cloney stroked Ethan’s soft fur.
“Please take care of us… Ethan.”
Grrrr…
Yuma gripped the reins.
‘Long-term war?’
Yuma had no intention of letting the demon realm beings play around in the middle realm for long.
‘Nothing good comes from dragging it out.’
Make them expend their forces in one breath.
Then kill all those forces.
Yuma’s blue eyes settled calmly.
For today, he first planned to see their faces.
Ethan spread his wings and glided.
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