The sound of Thalorian artillery rang out through the night, the cold breeze chilled the bloody wounds of the injured.
The stench of the dead left to decay on the battlefield, half devoured by the mutated vultures. Seeped of the miasma of the cursed continent of Erevos.
Elijah couldn't sleep after the meeting with the high ranking officers, instead he found a little rock to sit down and enjoy the moment of peace.
He adjusted quickly to dying and being Isekaied to another world, but that was only because he wasn't particularly attached to his former one.
This new world is apocalyptic, and war torn. Elijah still hasn't even figured out how to use the mysterious Demon Lord Revival System.
But alas, he would still much rather be here than in his former one, as for the nature of the world, he will just have to beat it, and survive, and the only to survive is to be better than the ones trying to destroy you.
"Hey Elijah".
First Lieutenant Verayth called out, Elijah didn't even notice her next to him, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts of winning.
"Lieutenant, How did the Meeting go?, hope the Major agreed".
Verayth sat down on another rock that happened to be besides the one Elijah sat on, her rock was shorter, but she was still half a head taller than Elijah.
"It did actually, the Major was in a hurry to implement your plans, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow, hopefully we drive the Thalorians back".
Elijah furrowed his brow, he was silent for several moments before saying coldly.
"Driving them back isn't enough, we have to slaughter as many as we can, and then do the same to their main force, that's the only way to make sure we survive".
First Lieutenant Verayth was slightly stunned, Elijah didn't peg her as the type to be this ruthless.
"Why do you want to kill so much?".
"Cause they would do the same if they had the upper hand". Elijah answered flatly.
First Lieutenant Verayth's, sharp hazel eyes narrowed slightly, their usual warmth dimmed by Elijah's words. Her lips parted as she retorted.
"What happened to being the better side?, being more human than the ones dehumanising you, in the end we Umbrals are still human at our core".
Elijah's gaze flickered, what she said sounded like bulshit to him, if someone treats you like an animal, you treat them like worse, if someone wants to kill you, you make sure you kill them first.
That was the supreme rule that kept him alive in the so called civilised world of the twenty first century.
"In this world Lieutenant, They only tell the tale of who you are, but never the story of how you got there... If they say you are monsters that deserve to die, then that's what you have be if you wish to survive".
Verayth went silent, Elijah's words echoing in the depths of her consciousness, her life wasn't the perfect fairytale, just like Elijah.
She knew what it meant to be alone, to be abandoned, to be forsakend, but alas, the ones that owe you an explanation didn't bother to do so.
But both sides of the coin have never truly seen the other, naturally. The opinion of one side shouldn't matter to the other, so she said confidently to the Demon.
"Why let the opinion of others crush your spirit, when you refuse to let them see your true self".
For a moment, Elijah's strong jawline tightened, and he exhaled slowly through his nose, the faintest trace of frustration emanating from him.
Elijah smiled mockingly, a brow raised and his bright green eyes lighting up with an otherworldly glow.
In his mind, First Lieutenant Verayth has solidified her position as someone that always gets her way, someone never forgotten by God.
So the Demon smiled mockingly, but not at the Lieutenant, but at himself, Elijah's lips parted as he said to himself, but still while being loud enough for First Lieutenant Verayth to hear.
"The complacency of the gifted, and the will of the talentless".
"Hmm, what was that?".
Elijah gently shook his head.
"Nothing, just speaking to myself... So why are you here Lieutenant?, surely you didn't join the Demon on this lovely evening just to talk about our contradicting ideals".
Verayth was slightly taken aback, she didn't know that Elijah doesn't really identify himself as human nor Umbral kin.
Verayth didn't fuss over it, Elijah could be whatever he wanted, as long as he doesn't betray the Umbral kin tribes.
Verayth faced the miasma layered sky and said faguely.
"I was going to ask you to do something, but now I change my mind, I will update you tomorrow morning before the battle begins".
Elijah glanced sideways at First Lieutenant Verayth, in the end he didn't say anything about her mysterious words, even after she stood up and left, he simply maintained his silence, but randomly, his mind wondered.
"Sarah Elfin should be the Lieutenants maid, hope that means she's safe from the conflict, with her life assured, the secondary objective should be as good as completed... Besides. Tomorrow, once we succeed in killing the enemy commander, I wouldn't have to worry about her death affecting me anymore".
As Elijah's thoughts faded, the image of a beautiful rose dagger flashed in his mind.
...
Not too long after First Lieutenant Verayth left Elijah's side, she was approached by a member of her squad.
It was a man with porcupine like hair and porcupine eyes, it was Ovarth.
"First Lieutenant Verayth, I overheard a little of what the boy was telling you while we were returning from the front lines, surely you would not believe his lies and actually allow him to meet with the Major, he might even be an enemy spy for all we know".
First Lieutenant Verayth halted her steps and turned towards Ovarth.
"Corporal, the next time you question my judgement on anything military related, will be the day you breath your last, as for Elijah... I know he wasn't lying to me, and I trust in his intention to defeat the Thalorians... Now get out of my sight".
Ovarth paled, but couldn't retort to his superior officer, he simply nodded and walked away, but the image of Elijah will forever be ingraved in his mind, as a thorn he needed to get rid off.
Meanwhile, Verayth's brows crossed, she believed Elijah was telling the truth, but she also knew he didn't tell her the whole of it.