Power ripped through the Throne Room, forcing even the Demigods to take several steps back. Rubble went flying and the Golden Thousand used their bodies to shield the Royal Family, both those living, and not.

  Black ropes of Shadow materialized around Alaster, lashing him securely to the ground, but he did not release Evros from his ever-tightening grip.

  Alaster watched as a rift opened up at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Throne.

  He had seen many rifts open. He even knew much more about them than the average Mage due to his close proximity to Colius, the Resident Wizard to Lord Siphas in Onigas. As a Warp Mage, he specialized in changing spaces, creating portals to different locations or even Rings or Bags of Holding.

  Yet the Rift opening in the Lissurian Throne Room was unlike anything he had ever seen or understood.

  The Aura that radiated off it with such intensity Alaster could feel it upon his skin like a harsh wind, felt wild, almost feral. The portal itself was black, but instead of a black blanket draped over the opening, it instead felt as if Alaster was staring into the void itself.

  The edges of the portal, usually a ring of pale blue Mana, was instead an intense, searing, red. As if the Mana itself was burning, or bleeding.

  Everyone drew their weapons. It was quickly made obvious that no one expected this.

  Even Alaster lifted his free arm. As he did so, over a dozen [Dead Bombs], supercharged with the Anti System, materialized behind and above his head.

  In the quiet, Belgroth finally spoke.

  ‘They are here.’

  Alaster readied himself, but instead of an all-mighty enemy resembling Belgroth’s body, a single individual stepped out of the portal.

  A thin and tall man, standing well over six feet tall and wearing fine, yet simple, robes. His dark red, almost black skin seemed to absorb the light around him. His eyes were slitted vertically, as were their iris’. Two small, stark white, horns jutted from his forehead.

  It was a Devil.

  Alaster had fought enough of them in the Dungeon he had found Belgroth to know them from a glance. The ones in the Dungeon were soulless creations. Mere imitations. Yet they had individually been strong enough to combat the average Adept.

  The Devil before them was no mere imitation. He was a true Devil, and much stronger. Alaster had no doubt even a Silver armored Royal Guard could reliably kill him. Royal Guards, that Alaster noticed were filing into the room quietly yet in large numbers.

  The Devil completely ignored the dozens of Demigods, the Golden Thousand, or the several hundred Royal Guards. He instead closed his eyes in relief, breathing deeply. He held it in for several moments before releasing it. When the Devil opened his eyes, Alaster could see tears beginning to form.

  The Devil cleared his throat and slowly dried his eyes on the long sleeve of his robe.

  “Apologizes.” The Devil spoke with a thick accent heavy with emotion.

  “I am here on official business.”

  The Devil once more cleared his throat, this time in a more professional manner. He casually pulled out a beautiful scroll ordained in gold edging and tied with a velvet cloth. Opening it, he held it up to eye level and spoke in a clear voice that Alaster was sure could be heard throughout the Inner Castle.

  “On behalf of the United Tribes of Argalon, I hereby reclaim this world for its rightful children, the people of Argalon.

  Should Humanity decide to remove themselves from eight tenths of the remaining continent, there will be peace.

  Should Humanity refuse to return our homeland to us, then we shall do whatever we believe to be required to ensure that our homeland is returned to us, by whatever means.”

  King Galeros hesitantly let go of his son’s hand and stood up, stepping past the Demigods and pointedly avoiding looking at Alaster or Evros.

  “I am the King of Lissura, and despite our many people, I cannot speak on behalf of all Humanity. Let me discuss this with the other Kings and Queens. We shall give you our answer in two weeks.”

  The Devil shook his head sadly, yet his eyes, now devoid of teary emotion, showed glee, “I am afraid that is impossible. We opened this portal where we felt the most powerful individuals had gathered, believing it to be a gathering of the most influential. If you cannot speak on behalf of all Humanity, then we are forced to take that as a refusal to our request.

  However, you speak on behalf of your own people, do you not?”

  “I do.”

  “Then you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to decide for your own people. Will you issue the order to relocate?”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “Well where are you requesting we relocate to? That will influence our decision as well as how long it would take us to comply, if we agree.”

  The King was buying time. With each minute that passed, hundreds more Royal Guards quietly shuffled into the massive Throne Room.

  “The Elders of the United Tribes of Argalon have been generous enough to allow Humans to occupy a large, mostly unclaimed portion of land just to the south east of this location.”

  The Independent Lands.

  There was a reason they were largely unclaimed. The Independent Cities there constantly struggle to survive against the Monsters. A large procession of refugees, unguarded by large walls, would be an all you could eat buffet for the Monsters. Many more would die to supply shortages or merely the elements.

  It would be suicide for that vast majority of Lissurians, yet somehow, Alaster suspected that was the purpose.

  “I am afraid such a dangerous journey would require several months to prepare for, then at least two more months to properly relocate. It would take time, and I would need to consult my advisors.”

  “You have five minutes to decide, and should you agree, you will have one week to relocate. Any Human remaining outside the borders we have set will then be eradicated.”

  Such a demand, yet the Devil said it as casually as one would when discussing the weather.

  Knowing he had run out of stalling time, King Galeros sighed heavily, issuing a mental order to his Thousand, who relayed his order to the rest of the Royal Guards.

  “Then I am afraid I will have to insist that you leave.”

  The Devil smiled wide, revealing his sharp pointed teeth. The glow in his eyes turned to exhilaration, as if the King had just said that very thing the Devil had been waiting to hear for years.

  “Oh goody! Now those damned pacifists can’t complain.”

  With his final word, the portal rapidly expanded to the width of a house, countless Devils in thick dark red armor charged out screaming their war cries.

  The Royal Guards rushed to meet them, clashing with a clamor of pain, metal, and blood.

  The Demigods also stepped in, dissecting dozens of Devils with each movement.

  Yet despite the battle raging around them, Alaster kept a tight grip on Evros’ throat.

  He was not sure what to do.

  On one hand, he did not wish to see his own Race be exterminated. But on the other hand, he empathized with the Argalon People more than any other. In addition to the Argalon that inhabited his mind, Alaster hesitated to act. Yet he was also hesitant to crush the throat in his hands.

  A single Demigod was a mighty force, especially in a war that Alaster suspected this conflict would turn into. And he had already killed one.

  Sedall stepped up beside him, watching the carnage unfold around them.

  “Well this certainly disrupts some things.”

  “We did not expect them so soon.” Alaster agreed.

  Sighing in frustration, Sedall turned to the young man beside him, “As much as I would love to see his lifeless corpse, Humanity needs him. Let him go.”

  “Won’t he attack us?”

  Sedall shook his head, “No. In his mind, everything he has ever done was to protect Humanity. He will not risk Humanity’s survival on a grudge. Which, incidentally, also removes the threat he presented on your sister’s life.”

  Fighting against his mind and his body, Alaster hesitantly let go, dropping Evros to the ground in a heap, gasping for air.

  The defeated Demigod glared up at the young man and peer, “We shall settle this later, but first we need to remove the invaders.”

  Alaster scoffed, “Good luck.”

  “You won’t help? Not even to save your own Race?” Evros glared with hate.

  “My intentions are of no concern of yours.”

  Growling, Evros leapt into the fray, adding his own power to the destruction.

  Sedall remained next to Alaster, occasionally adding in his own attacks, but largely remaining separated.

  As the bodies filled the floor, their blood pooling and forming rivers, Alaster noticed that more of the bodies were of the Devils. Not a massive disparity, but a noticeable one. And Alaster was certainly not the only one to notice it.

  Even with the Golden Thousand remaining in a defensive formation around the King and Prince, the Royal Guards were winning.

  But the Devils never stopped coming, and after nearly thirty minutes, something changed.

  Figures that stood at three meters tall and dressed in heavy plate armor with light red skin and pointed ears walked through the portal. The moment they did, the atmosphere of the entire room shifted.

  The Demigods also noticed the change and immediately focused their attention on them. But these figures were Argalon. They were much stronger and more intune with nature’s powers.

  Much to the Demigod’s surprise, the Argalon Soldiers defended against the attack.

  With speeds that surpassed that which most Adepts could see, the Demigods pressed the attack. It was quickly made clear that the Argalon Soldiers were far from being in the same level of power as the Demigods, but there were also many more of them than there were Demigods.

  Slowly but surely, the Demigods were being pushed back, inflicting many injuries upon the hundreds of Argalon Soldiers, but also receiving a few of their own. Many of the Argalon Soldiers would fall, but even more came through the portal.

  With the Demigods being pushed back, so too were the Royal Guards. And with more room to manuver, even more Devils and Argalon came through the portal. Unable to step over, they stepped atop the fallen.

  It was clear to Alaster that the battle was lost.

  “Sedall, the Throne Room is lost, and with it, the Inner Castle. I see no end to them, nor do I sense one. They have undoubtedly prepared enough forces to take this entire world by force. The city is lost.”

  “I agree. Shall we retreat to the Independent Alliance? Or would you prefer Zolis?”

  “We shall go to Onigas, but they came too soon. We are not ready. We must buy as much time as we can.”

  Sedall nodded, “What do you have in mind?”

  Alaster glanced over to the King, who had already grasped the situation and was overseeing the evacuation of his son and the bodies of his family.

  “Get him to issue an evacuation, but then use largest attacks on the portal opening, our best chance of buying time is to funnel them, or at least reduce the number coming through at a time. They will be disorientated from the portal and won’t know what exactly is happening on this side. That should give you time to slaughter a few hundred.”

  “And what will you be doing?”

  “Apologizing to Belgroth as I kill his people.”

  Sedall nodded in understanding before jogging over to the King. In a moment, the King nodded and Sedall flew above the ongoing battle and began charging his attack.

  Alaster closed his eyes amidst the chaos, blocking it out.

  ‘Forgive me for what I must do.’

  Gathering his Mana, the ground for several meters turned black and fluid. Out of the pool of Shadow, Undead numbering in the thousands clawed their way to the surface.

  The Undead charged towards the battleline, slowing its gradual retreat.

  Sedall unleashed a large beam of fiery light. He swept it back and forth along the portal opening. Any touched by it were turned into nothing more than burned husks. After a few moments, the beam ended, which prompted Sedall to begin charging another.

  And another.

  And another.

  Aided by Sedall, the battleline halted its progress in either direction.

  But Alaster knew it was only a matter of time.

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