"I expected a traitor anyway, but my goal from the beginning was never for the Jimi Kingdom to win the war. It was always about gaining chaotic energy and becoming stronger. Anything else is irrelevant," Kael thought as he gazed at the approaching army.
Whether it was because he was an old man or a Grandmaster Realm expert, right now, he wasn't shocked, awed, or fearful—he simply watched calmly.
To any normal human, the sight of such a massive army rushing into battle would be overwhelming. Some might even faint at the sheer magnitude of it. But to him, they were nothing more than ants. Their wars numbered in the thousands, yet to beings like him, the outcome was almost predetermined. He could see the broader perspective.
"This outlook on life..." Kael mused as the two armies finally clashed.
BOOM!
A thunderous sound echoed as shields smashed against shields, axes and swords clashed, and the battlefield descended into chaos. Kael watched with amusement, his body relaxing.
"Chaos Body... thrives in chaos," he thought as the scent of blood quickly spread. Bodies were already falling.
"Darius," Kael called out, his voice calm.
The middle-aged man beside him responded instantly. "Yes, Crown Prince?"
"They're going to lose," Kael stated.
"Yes, Crown Prince," Darius replied without hesitation. Kael smiled.
In an army this large, with so many different factions, traitors were inevitable. His plan had never been to win. In fact, it was to cause as much chaos as possible.
(Ding! Host gained +6,234 Chaos Energy)
+4, +5, +7, +8, +85
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kael remarked.
Darius lifted his gaze to the battlefield below. War cries mixed with screams of agony and shouts of rage. Severed limbs and broken bodies littered the ground—some soldiers begged for death, while others, despite missing limbs, still struggled to fight.
"Crown Prince, you have a strange fetish," Darius chuckled.
Kael laughed. "No, Darius. Look at them. Some fight as if there's no tomorrow, others because they have no choice. War reveals the true nature of a man. You can see those willing to die for their people, for their families. At the same time, you see cowards—men who are afraid, men who betray. All of it unfolds on this battlefield."
Darius was stunned.
"Incredible..." he thought.
"Such a profound view of war, Crown Prince," he finally said, impressed.
"Thanks for the compliment," Kael said. "But tell me, what's the point of fighting a battle you know you won't survive?"
"For someone or something," Darius answered. "Humans are built that way. We all have something we hold dear, something we want to protect."
"Nice answer, but not enough," Kael thought, shaking his head.
"Are you just as important to those people? Would they lay down their lives for you as you would for them?" Kael asked.
Silence followed.
Darius hesitated, his mind reeling. What could he say? Could he truly be sure? He had seen comrades betray each other—just like the traitor had. What about the ones he was protecting? Could he be certain they would protect him in return?
Love?
It was nothing more than a flickering feeling.
Or was he wrong?
Minutes passed. Then hours. The death toll climbed on both sides, but the victor was becoming clear. The battlefield was drenched in blood, the air thick with the stench of death. Severed limbs and crushed bodies lay scattered across the land.
Kael watched as the last Jimi Kingdom soldier was stabbed through the heart. On the opposing side, at least three hundred thousand troops remained.
"Darius, it's time," Kael said.
Darius nodded. "Such a mature mind. The Crown Prince is truly something else. But still... this death toll is disastrous for any kingdom. My main goal, however, is to protect Kael. Everyone else is disposable. They can be replaced."
Darius took a deep breath before shouting, "Everyone, it's time for the real battle to begin!"
Thousands of beings with terrifying auras surged forward.
Martial Master Realm experts charged, with Garrick leading them.
"Son of Destiny... let's see what you can do," Kael said, intrigued as the battle intensified.
And then, the Grandmaster Realm experts emerged.
Everyone was shocked—the Fin Land Kingdom's Grandmaster Realm experts outnumbered those of the Jimi Kingdom two to one.
"Interesting," Kael murmured, sitting down as his uncles and the other Grandmaster Realm experts prepared for battle.
The tension in the air was suffocating—until the first clash shattered it completely.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward as the Martial Masters collided.
BOOM! BOOM!
Kael grinned.
"Haha! We can't let them surpass us in aura!" a Grandmaster Realm expert laughed as the others joined in.
For them, death was a rarity. Grandmaster Realm beings were incredibly hard to kill, and so they clashed, knowing their lives weren't truly in danger.
Kael raised his arm to shield his eyes as a devastating shockwave exploded across the battlefield. Dust surged into the air, the ground sinking under the immense force. The warriors vanished and reappeared as they fought, each exchange destroying hundreds of meters of land.
"Fascinating," Kael mused. "But if the war in the trial is like this, I wonder how intense the War Realm must be."
He sat calmly, watching.
At the other side, another young man sat on a throne—Lucian's junior brother. His expression was calm. He was simply waiting for his army to win so he could behead Kael.
***********
Some Kilometers Away…
A feminine figure stood alone, dressed in light robes. Her eyes, striking and filled with cold determination, scanned the battlefield.
"Brother... you've changed," Valthera said, her voice icy. "Is this really you, or something else?"
*******
Elsewhere…
Sigh… Chaos… gaps… chaos… chaos…
A being's eyes snapped open, unleashing a terrifying aura.
Mountains crumbled to dust. The seas reversed, their tides colliding violently.
Two glowing blue eyes pierced the darkness. A blinding light flashed—something massive disappeared.
Looking closely, it was a landmass, at least the size of Earth. But in this vast realm, it was nothing more than a speck of dust.
"I can feel it… a new sequence for Chaos is being chosen. A delicious meal is coming."
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