Dawn had arrive, chasing away the darkness from the east. The mild wind blow from the valley, brushing over the prairie. The sickening smell of blood flooded the city vicinity, down the city wall, blood and gores reside.
Fallen soldiers and fallen magical beasts, maw to death and cleaved to half. Broken armors and fragmented weapon, torned limbs and bloodied pawn. The crimson scenery remain wherever they see, like the portrait of hell, it make many sick.
Stood in the middle of the battlefield, Hades lifted his head and gazed forward. His hands clenched on a broken spear tightly, and his bloodied body adjusted to a defensive stance. Not far from him, a three foot tall wolf bared it fangs toward his enemy, eyes sparkling in menacing glint and mouth growling in anger, the wolf launched his attack a moment later.
Imbued with golden hue, the wolf's attack was hardly stealthy. But faster than any ordinary attack, it was almost deadly. Almost, because while indeed human and beast possessed a gap in strength and speed, cultivation base still remain the deciding factor.
Those who could emitted a golden hollow around their body, all stood at the Golden Expert Realm from the first layer to the peak, ninth. But within each stage, Initial, Mid, Late and Peak, the golden color varied in it density. The weaker one goes, the lighter the golden hue, and the stronger they climb, the darker the golden shade.
And toward the wolf's light golden pawn, Hades easily see through it strength. Reacting to the attack, he parried with a horizontal slash. Aiming precisely toward the wolf's claw and send him two step behind.
Clang!
As if the exchange was a clash between metal, a crisps clanking sound echoed. Another reason to never underestimated your opponent. But toward the huge wolf before him, Hades was beyond confident.
Releasing his own aura and bathed in the same golden light, Hades pursued and giving the wolf no time to react. Faster than the huge wolf previous attack, his half spear imbued with dark-golden light erupted in power and cleaved forward.
Woosh!
The sound of air being cleaved in half, entered the wolf's senses, however hardly able to react, the tips of the spear spelled his doom. As if they were a pair of long sword, though the tips remain the only one touching the wolf's head, when they fall lifeless to the ground, ones could see the equally cleaved half of the wolf's body.
"Hah...," Hades sighed after his personal clash. His eyes then wondered toward his surrounding, where's many battle had similarly been wrapped out.
However, joy never was something that he could enjoy. While indeed the number of magical beasts in the field now only amounted to dozen or so, the same could be said to his five hundred or so soldier that joined in the defense of the city wall.
Among his platoon, hardly 100 remain in the field. Others had it worst, only ten if not dozen, while some extinguished as if they never existed before. The soldier of those nobles families had suffered similar fate, and seeing their joyous expression after successfully defending the city wall, Hades couldn't help but sneered.
"Ignorant fool," he mumbled under his breath and looked toward the distant watchtower. There, the five tinder remain lighten up, telling all that the beast horde retreated not.
If it was your usual beast siege, then after testing the water and found it murky, the beasts would definitely retreat and leave the human alone. But what was their current situation? Are they simply defending against normal ranking threat? No, even an Insane rank spelled disaster toward the city, so why would they think that an Asura rank would be different?
Because they have a leader? The Bloody Ape that seem to be the one responsible and eyeing the battlefield like a mastermind?
'How naive could they be, how foolish can they become. They didn't know that the appearance of a mastermind turn the situation even more tricky than it supposed to be.' Hades sighed once more as the thought echoed in his mind. Giving the soldier another side glance, he sheathed his spear behind his back and walked toward the old man.
He needed a plan, and he needed a suggestion. Previously, if not for the multiple layer of counter measure that he prepared, the city wall would definitely not lasted the night. However, knowing that the beasts had their own mastermind, using the same trick would definitely be for nought. Sure, in chess the old man was nothing but a fool, but on true battlefield, the older the wiser they said. Moreover, since the enemy had given them a short moment of pause, it would be a waste, if he didn't utilized it right.
"Yui... Oh Yui... What exactly had you done?" along the way, the same thought emerged in Hades's mind once more.
Always the quickest in connecting dots, Hades immediately connected the slaughter of his men and the appearance of a beast horde into one. Previously he thought that by cornering the girl, he would be able to capture her and send her to the old man's house. Granted her as the latter's concubine, and benefit from the exchange even if it mean being hated by his daughter for life.
While indeed sending his own daughter to a fiery pit was inhuman and scorned by many. Coming along with it was strength and power that surpassed his current state. In this world where only the strongest were looked up to, and the weak were trampled about, what was there better than the increased of his strength, the strengthening of his Asagi family?
In these world where strength make thing right, how can he resist the temptation, the benefit that come along with his increased of strength. If so the girl desire, after he receive the promised strength, he would immediately save her, and over throne the old man for her. With this in mind, why wouldn't she sacrifice a little, why can't she compromise?
Hades didn't know why. Or more like, he fail to know why. As the current head of the Asagi family, he was definitely in for a lot of secret. The idol that they worshiped, the promise that they made, the reason for their existence, all was to repay the person that saved their ancestor. The person said, was of course, none other than the Shadow Monarch.
However, to Hades, those stuff was only a folklore told by their ancestor to their grandchildren. They were just myth that the youngster enjoy and dwell in their past time, after all.
The glory of the Shadow Monarch become their motivation, and the sacrifice he made, encouraging the Asagi's scion to do the same. These was the only benefit that Hades found by believing the folklore.
Sure, indeed the prophecy about the future Asagi's scion would have a talented blacksmith that was fated to awaken the slumbering monarch had come to light. Even after 15 years or so after Yui's birth, the appearance never did happen, which further make Hades resolute in his own stand. But looking at the current situation, he didn't know what to think about it.
A young girl with strength only at the Mid Stage of Silver Beginner Realm could trigger a world changing event? Even if he was a fool, Hades would definitely not believe it. But then, who it was if not for his daughter? The slumbering monarch of the folklore? Yeah, right.
Why not just say that his daughter seduce the magical beasts to do her bidding. That was more plausible because if even people with weird fetish existed, how can't beasts? Right?
Roar!
A resounding roar broke Hades's chain of thought and his step halted before a figure covered in blood. The wrinkle that never been there before, was now clearly seen on his forehead. However, as if not noticing his ever aging face, the old man shifted his gaze from the distant forest and looked toward Hades with his unmasked look; cruel and sinister, it make him frightened.
"You're here...," the old man said, no longer as composed as he used to. But disregarding such revelation, Hades nodded and watched the forest afar.
Figure after figure, started to form another batch of 'suicide squad' before the long prairie. As if waiting for a command, the magical beasts under the sun bath, remain solemn and eyed the disorderly city wall from afar. Their eyes was cold devoid of emotion, but unaware by many, a hint of greed appeared on their hues.
"It seem like they can't wait any longer," Hades said while the old man nodded. For a while, they stood there silent, unable to decide what they supposed to do.
Looking at the newcomer, they seem even stronger than before. And unlike the first clash where's many of the magical beast only stood in the Initial and Mid stage of their respective realm, the current batch was at the Late and Peak stage respectively. In the impending clash, even if they tried their best, Hades and the old man was sure that they would definitely fail. Moreover, it seem to them, that the Bloody Ape had finally showing an intention to join the battle.
"Have you found out the reason why they attack the city?" the old man asked, but fail to gain answer.
Hades indeed had speculation, but the latter remain one till it was confirmed. If it was an ordinary beast horde, then the answer was definitely as simple as the imbalance of the forest ecosystem and the forced migration of the beast. But looking at the adamant nature of the beasts, it seem unlikely, and were instead something different entirely.
"Maybe they seek something within the city. Thing that can lure them in, like... Divine Pill?" Hades bluntly stated, feeling that the probability was higher than the other speculation like how his daughter manipulate them and whatnot.
"Divine Pill huh..." the old man mumbled, and his eyes flashed in a cold light a moment later. As if determine to see the destruction of his own city, the old man patted Hades's shoulder and looked cruelly toward the distant forest.
"Since they are so adamant in destroying us, the only nice way to reply was to destroy them as well," he said, words that Hades couldn't process. But before he could asked what was in his mind, the old man continue, "Down the city wall, an underground chamber reside. Within, a monster was sealed without an origin, and unknown when did it appeared there. But, with this key, you can bargain with that said monster, let him be our 'allies' and slaughter our foes. While we, will retreat and take refuge elsewhere."
As his heavy words ringed in Hades's ears, a small parchment was placed on his palm. It was triangular in shape and white in color. A strong suppressing aura resided, and even though he just carried them around, it make Hades feel like the entire world was weighed on them.
"If he can be our allies, why leave the city and not fight with him?" Hades asked a moment later, but soon found the old man's expression odd.
"If you so desire damnation, then shall you join the 'allies' in his conquest. If live was thing that you seek, then set him free and never find him again. He was called a monster for a reason after all," vaguely, the old man said before taking his spear from his man. His expression slowly turning solemn and he jump up the city wall to prepare for himself.
"Go and released the monster... I may not be able to hold for long," his words echoed as Hades watched his emerald figure disappear. And while question flooded in his mind, under such critical time, Hades didn't dare dilly dallying. As quick as the wind, his figure flashed in golden hues, before disappearing into the underground hallway.