Three hundred li west of the Doronslei Fortress battlefield, a gigantic volcano stood tall.

Rolling lava constantly surged and churned in the crater. Thick smoke that blotted out the sky rose into the heavens, making everything within a hundred li dim and lightless.

Amid the boundless yellow sands of a desolate wasteland plain, this volcano looked somewhat abrupt, yet the demonfolk army camped around it didn’t feel anything strange at all. As they came and went, they would instead, from time to time, show the volcano an incomparably reverent demeanor.

"Magic Mountain."

All of a sudden, a faint, ghostly glow dropped down.

It was a drifting black robe. Inside the robe there was nothing at all—only a few flickers of green ghostlight.

But when this wind-billowed black robe arrived, the thick smoke filling the sky instantly dispersed, as if dissatisfied with the stench reeking of sulfur, casually swapping out all the air for a hundred li around.

"How are your injuries?" the black robe asked blandly.

"Youyan?"

From beneath the earth, thunder rumbled.

The entire volcano shook violently. Scorching lava continuously spewed from the crater, then congealed over the rocks, turning into black, bloodlike streaks.

A huge fissure split open across the volcano. Immediately after, within the deep, pitch-black crack, a scarlet eye filled with endless ferocity opened.

The Magic Mountain Grand Duke actually was a mountain.

"Why are you here?" The Magic Mountain Grand Duke’s voice boomed and shook the air. When that voice spoke, the low-ranking demonfolk camped nearby all had to desperately seal off their own senses, lest they burst and die under that pressure.

"Of course I came to see you. What, could it be I came to pick a fight?"

The Youyan Grand Duke gave a scoffing laugh, but unfortunately, with only an empty black robe, there was no way to tell what kind of smile that laugh carried.

"Heh. You’d be kind enough to come see me? That sure sounds awkward."

"Who told the dignified Magic Mountain Grand Duke to end up being the most badly hurt out of the five of us? Naturally, I have to come show a little extra concern."

"That was that bastard Campbell targeting me!"

The volcano erupted with a roar. Countless rocks collided and grated, showing the fury Magic Mountain could barely suppress:

"Three of them were ganging up, and he only went after me alone. That petty bastard. Even in that kind of situation, he still didn’t forget to get payback for that one arrow’s worth of vengeance—because I’d cursed his son before."

"Heh heh, don’t be mad, don’t be mad. Everyone knows you’ve fought the Lion King the most, and your grudges run the deepest. Nobody’s going to blame you. Look—didn’t I come specifically to see you?" the Youyan Grand Duke comforted, and at the same time, the black robe rolled with the wind again, once more dispersing that foul, stinking smoke that was so disliked.

"Hmph. Who knows what kind of ‘good intentions’ you’ve got. You’re probably dying for me and Lorne Campbell to take each other down together."

The Magic Mountain Grand Duke couldn’t help letting out a cold laugh.

It might look brainless, but it wasn’t actually brainless. Did anyone really think a mountain that big was filled with nothing but rocks?

What kind of intentions each of these demonfolk grand dukes had—would that really be unknown?

"That really hurts to hear."

"Say it. What did you come looking for me for, exactly?"

Magic Mountain snorted. "If we’re going by time, the Kingdom’s news should’ve arrived?"

"Smart. The Kingdom’s news has arrived."

"And the result?"

"If it were the other few coming over together to discuss it, that would be one thing. Since it’s only me, that means it’s good news."

The Youyan Grand Duke laughed. "The Kingdom has already mobilized. Right now, it’s probably fighting the Empire just as fiercely on the border between them."

"Heh. Humans really are vile by nature."

Magic Mountain gave a disdainful snort.

"Just poke and stir a little, and they walk into the trap on their own. Laughable. And yet they’re always mocking us demonfolk as stupid."

"That’s because, in their eyes, the neighboring country right at their doorstep is the greatest enemy. As for the Abyss... it’s too far away. Everything has priorities. Of course they have to deal with the enemy in front of their eyes first."

"So the Empire probably can’t spare a hand to send reinforcements here for the time being?"

"Probably not."

"Ha. Then this really is heaven-sent timing. Without the Empire’s follow-up troops supporting them, how is ten thousand in that turtle shell supposed to hold off my demonfolk million-strong army?"

In that enormous scarlet eye, bloodlight flared. Searing magma surged again.

"Yes. This might really be our demonfolk’s best—also our only—chance. Everything is exactly as that one predicted. It’s just..." The Youyan Grand Duke suddenly shifted tone.

"Just?"

"According to the Kingdom intelligence that came along with it, even if the Empire has no spare strength to mobilize troops, it seems the Empire still sent someone over to support them."

"Sent who?"

"The Lion King’s son."

"Who?" Magic Mountain froze for a moment, then asked again.

"The son of Lion King Lorne Campbell—Muen Campbell."

"..."

A stretch of silence. Then rocks ground against each other. A mountain, unmistakably, showed a puzzled expression:

"Campbell’s idiot son who strutted around for almost a year just because he scored eighty points? Has the Empire’s emperor finally gotten sick of the stupid Campbell family, and sent the Campbell family’s lifeline down into the Abyss to die too?"

"That’s not how it is. You haven’t read the intelligence. That Muen Campbell isn’t really an idiot son—Muen Campbell is a true genius." The Youyan Grand Duke clicked the tongue. "At that age, to have that kind of strength... even I can’t help but praise talent that outstanding."

"A genius? Did he ascend to the Crowned One?"

"No."

"Did his magic realm step into Truth-Rank?"

"Are you kidding? With the Campbell family’s world-famous level of magical idiocy? They say the only spell Muen Campbell can use is a single Light spell—and even that took half a year to learn back then."

"Then what’s there to talk about?"

Magic Mountain sneered. "A genius? So what. With just this genius, can the situation in the Abyss really be changed?"

"Of course... it can’t."

Youyan chuckled along.

In truth, the reason this mere human boy was being paid attention to wasn’t because of how much of a genius the boy was, but only because... this was that Lion King’s son.

But even the Lion King was powerless to change the ending of this war. So what could the Lion King’s son do?

Most likely, the boy was only sent over to give those laughable humans a little more pathetic psychological comfort.

In the end, just a genius that could be snapped easily, not a powerhouse capable of changing the situation.

Between those two... was the difference between heaven and earth.

"Alright. I won’t waste words with you. Hurry up and recover. Afterward we’ll join forces again to launch an assault on Doronslei Fortress. By then, we should be able to break that turtle shell."

"Mmh. Got it. To be safe, I’ve still got a few hundred thousand cannon fodder here. Want to take them?"

"You—rare to see you this generous."

As they talked and laughed, the black robe billowed again. Invisible ghostlight spread out, covering the demonfolk army camped around Magic Mountain in its entirety.

Since Magic Mountain said so, there was no reason to be polite. At once, the plan was to throw this cheap cannon fodder into the battlefield.

"I’m leaving first... hm?"

The black robe stirred again, about to depart, but at that moment, the Youyan Grand Duke and the Magic Mountain Grand Duke both seemed to suddenly sense something. They lifted their heads at the same time, looking toward the sky.

"This is..."

The Youyan Grand Duke’s movements halted, expression gradually turning solemn.

And the Magic Mountain Grand Duke was no better off. Even the magma in the crater seemed to have congealed.

The two froze for a while, then almost in unison, spat out a word that, for them, was far too unfamiliar.

"This is... the sun?"

...

...

"Move! Move! Attack! Attack!"

On the battlefield, the one-eyed demonfolk overseer gripped a long blade and roared at the demonfolk in front, urging them to climb onto the wall as fast as possible.

Blinding torrents of magic power bloomed beside the overseer. Blood sprayed, flesh and bone flew. No one knew how many demonfolk, in the blink of an eye, were harvested by this meat grinder called “battlefield.”

But the one-eyed demonfolk felt not the slightest fear—rather, excitement grew fiercer and fiercer.

The overseer continued urging with savage force. If any demonfolk moved even a step too slowly, that head would be chopped off.

This was the madness—this frenzy, this thrill—enjoyed down to the bone.

But it wasn’t truly reckless.

The more those demonfolk climbed up the wall, the more the overseer’s mind recalled what the leader had said.

As long as they crossed this fortress, they could leave this Abyss where the sky was never seen, and go to that world occupied by hateful humans.

There, there was lush vegetation, fertile soil, sweet fruit, and... the stars and moon they had never seen, and even...

"A-and... the sun!"

"That’s right, the sun. Wait... what the hell are you talking about? My dreams haven’t even gone that far yet!"

The one-eyed demonfolk flew into a rage, raising the blade to hack to death the trash beside who dared to daze off and slack on the battlefield.

Only, before the blade fell, the one-eyed demonfolk froze too.

Because even with only one eye, it could still very clearly feel...

The sky seemed to be getting brighter.

Stiffly, the head lifted. Almost instantly, tears streamed from the corner of that eye from the glaring light.

At that moment, at the center of that blinding radiance, a gigantic sphere of light hung in the sky, selflessly spilling brilliance enough to illuminate the entire battlefield.

That scorching brightness had never been seen before, yet almost every demonfolk who had ever heard those legends had the same two words rise in the mind.

The sun.

The warm, bright sun that brought life to all things—something only visible outside the Abyss!

"Ah, great god... have you finally returned?" Suddenly, a demonfolk dropped to the ground, praying, wailing.

In the Abyss, a prophecy like this circulated: the so-called demonfolk had committed some great sin, and only because the god that had once blessed them abandoned them did they fall into this desolate deadland.

And now, the god that had cast them aside had finally returned again—was blessing going to be bestowed once more?

"That’s wrong."

The one-eyed demonfolk was still relatively clear-headed, reacting first.

"That kind of thing can be done with magic too. That’s not the sun. That’s not some miracle. Don’t be fooled!"

"Pick up your weapons and keep charging!"

A roar at the surrounding foolish low-ranking demonfolk.

Some demonfolk came back to their senses, numbly got up, and staggered once more toward that wall already smeared full of blood.

And some... were still praying.

The one-eyed demonfolk was furious. At once, the overseer strode to a fool, raised the blade, and aimed at the neck that, because of praying, was fully exposed.

"All of you, keep—"

The blade was about to drop, using this lowly life to kill a chicken and warn the monkeys...

"Hmph."

Suddenly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

A cold, indifferent snort echoed inside the one-eyed demonfolk’s mind.

The one-eyed demonfolk instantly went rigid, the blade slipping from the hand and clattering to the ground. After a few seconds of blank stiffness, uncontrollable fear flooded the face, the body trembling nonstop.

Because it had noticed.

That snort didn’t come from anyone nearby, and didn’t come from any demonfolk... it came from an existence higher, farther, and far more terrifying.

The head lifted again. The movement was so stiff the joints in the neck let out a hoarse, overloaded grinding sound.

What entered the eye was still that “sun.”

But now, along the sun’s edge, black tears suddenly began to stream.

No. No. That wasn’t tears. That was... black flame!

The black flame burned fiercer and fiercer, until in the end it completely... “ignited” that sun!

And so, deep, terrifying darkness—like an invisible, gaping maw—completely swallowed up the original “sun.”

The “sun” disappeared.

A pitch-black sun rose, hanging over the firmament. In this world where all light had been erased, a holy, pure-white corona flowed, revealing an indescribable strangeness and majesty, coldly looking down upon the millions of demonfolk on the battlefield.

Yes.

Looking down.

The one-eyed demonfolk could clearly feel a dreadful gaze projected from that black sun, as if staring at the one-eyed demonfolk, and as if staring at the many demonfolk on the field who defied the gods.

Could a god truly have descended?

The one-eyed demonfolk thought in disbelief.

But the god wasn’t here to bless them again—this god was here to bring them complete destruction?

Yet if destruction was coming, then why not just...

"It’s him!"

While the one-eyed demonfolk was thinking, that low-ranking demonfolk who had been about to be hacked to death suddenly sprang up, furiously pointing:

"It’s this guy! This guy’s disrespect angered the god!"

"What—"

The one-eyed demonfolk’s face changed drastically.

"What are you talking about? I’m just an ordinary demonfolk. What right do I have to anger a go—"

Before the words finished, despair had already risen on that face.

Because nobody listened. Those low-ranking demonfolk whose minds were drowned in fear surged up in unison, not caring about anything ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ as they swung their blades down.

Hands rose.

Blades fell.

Just like what would usually be done.

Blood sprayed.

Flesh and bone flew.

Some wailed. Some laughed wildly.

But this was nothing more than a miniature corner of this vast battlefield.

...

...

"What exactly is going on?"

High in the sky, that broad black robe abruptly appeared.

The Youyan Grand Duke first glanced at the demonfolk army that had already plunged completely into chaos, and didn’t bother to care, focus instead going to overhead.

That black sun was meeting the gaze.

"Is it really some Evil God’s projection descending?"

The Youyan Grand Duke forcibly suppressed the shock in the heart, thinking in secret.

The aura emanating from that black sun—no matter how it was viewed—came from a real, genuine Evil God.

Yet no matter how memory was searched, there was no way to recall an Evil God symbolized by a black sun.

Could it be some ancient existence’s alias?

But why would an Evil God suddenly descend a projection? Was there interest in this battlefield between humans and demonfolk?

Or was it...

The black robe billowed, ghostlight flickering. The Youyan Grand Duke couldn’t help producing the thought of probing with a test strike or two.

But...

The motive behind this Evil God’s projection was unclear. Acting rashly might instead anger the other side.

Besides, even if the identity and authenticity of this Evil God couldn’t be confirmed, the Youyan Grand Duke could clearly feel it: behind that sun-disk, there seemed to be a powerful aura hiding.

At least a powerful Crowned One!

Then who was that? An Evil God’s follower?

That made sense too. An Evil God’s projection descending had to have a coordinate. A follower appearing specifically to provide a coordinate—there was nothing strange about that.

"An unfamiliar Evil God projection, a mysterious Crowned One... This war looks like it won’t be as simple as we expected."

The black robe snapped loudly in the wind. The Youyan Grand Duke’s tone was grave.

This “destined victory war” for the demonfolk... had actually welcomed such a variable.

"Looks like I need to go back and weigh things carefully again."

Thoughts turning at high speed, the Youyan Grand Duke finally made the decision.

"Pass the order down. The situation has changed. The entire army retreats a hundred li for now!"