Parallel Memory

Chapter 656: The True Purpose of the War

The explosion at the gates was unlike anything they had seen before.

A pillar of crimson light rose high into the blood-red sky, shaking the earth and ripping through the storm clouds that had gathered over the battlefield. The sound was deafening—like a thousand cannons firing at once. Every soldier, human and devil alike, stopped fighting for a moment to stare. Even the wind seemed to pause.

Kaelion's eyes widened. His instincts screamed at him that something was terribly wrong. He had fought countless battles, but never had he felt mana this heavy, this… ancient. It was the kind of power that could rewrite the balance of the entire war.

The Saintess gripped her staff tighter beside him, her face pale. "That light… it's connected to the palace."

Kaelion didn't answer right away. He simply watched the pillar of energy stretch upward until it disappeared into the sky. His mind was racing. Bael was already losing… so why release that much power at the cost of his life?

Unless…

"Saintess," Kaelion finally said, his voice steady but low. "He wasn't trying to win."

The Saintess looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Kaelion's gaze hardened. "The devils never planned to defeat us here. Their goal was time."

Her eyes widened.

He continued, his tone grim. "Every decision, every retreat, every sudden ambush—it wasn't chaos. It was a delay tactic. Bael was the key piece."

The Saintess's breath hitched. "A delay… for what?"

Kaelion turned toward the palace that loomed in the distance. Even from this far, they could see faint cracks of red energy crawling up its walls like veins.

"For him," Kaelion said. "The Devil King."

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At the same moment inside the palace, the ground trembled violently.

Mia and Hiro both staggered back as red light pulsed through the marble floor beneath their feet. The walls glowed faintly as if blood was flowing through them. Aaron stood in the middle of the room, his dark armor glowing brighter with every pulse. His grin widened.

"Do you feel it?" he said softly. "That's the heartbeat of our lord. He's waking up."

Hiro gritted his teeth. "What did you do?"

Aaron chuckled. "I did nothing. My brother did everything."

The name sent a chill down Mia's spine. "Your brother…" she muttered. "Bael?"

Aaron nodded. "He played his role well. His death will be remembered."

The room shook again. Red cracks spread across the ceiling as chunks of debris began to fall.

Hiro raised his sword, sweat dripping down his face. "Then we stop it before it's too late."

Aaron's eyes glowed a deep crimson. "Too late?" He smirked. "You humans never understand. This was never a battle you could win. It was a prophecy you were meant to fulfill."

Mia's fists clenched. "Prophecy?"

Aaron didn't answer. His grin only widened as he lifted his spear and slammed it into the ground. The palace roared as energy surged upward once more.

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Back at the gates, Kaelion and the Saintess were already trying to contain the shockwave.

Kaelion raised his remaining sword and drove it into the ground. A dome of blue mana spread outward, shielding the nearby troops from the burning air that followed. The Saintess poured what little power she had left into a barrier of light, reinforcing the commander's effort.

"Kaelion, what's happening?" she shouted over the roaring wind.

He closed his eyes for a second, analyzing the mana signatures. It wasn't just Bael's power—it was feeding into something beneath the palace. Something enormous.

"It's not just mana," Kaelion said. "It's life force. The devils are sacrificing their generals… to awaken him."

The Saintess looked horrified. "You mean the Devil King—?"

Kaelion nodded grimly. "Yes. This whole war, the fortress sieges, the endless attacks—it was all to keep us busy. To make sure no one reached the palace in time."

He looked toward the palace again. "We walked right into their plan."

A deep rumble followed his words. Cracks tore through the battlefield, and rivers of molten energy surged up from below. The devils began to chant, their voices uniting in a ritual hymn that filled the air with dread. The humans tried to regroup, but the ground itself seemed to fight against them.

The Saintess pressed her palm against her chest, her divine light flickering. "Kaelion, what do we do?"

Kaelion hesitated for only a heartbeat. Then his eyes hardened. "We push forward. We can't stop what's already begun, but we can still change how it ends."

He turned to the troops behind him—tired, bloodied, but still standing. "Everyone! Move toward the palace! If we fall here, the entire realm falls with us!"

The soldiers roared in response, rallying behind him.

The Saintess stepped beside him, lifting her staff once more despite her trembling hands. "I'll amplify your path. Just… promise me you'll make it there."

Kaelion managed a faint smile. "You'll see me at the gates of the palace, Saintess. I swear it."

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Inside the Palace

Mia and Hiro could barely stay on their feet now. The floor glowed red-hot, and the air was thick with dark mana. Aaron's presence was suffocating; every time he moved, it felt like the oxygen in the room disappeared.

Hiro's system window flickered in his mind. His health bar was nearly empty, and his energy reserves were draining fast. "System… activate Double Power," he muttered through clenched teeth.

The voice of his system echoed faintly in his mind. Warning: Overuse may result in permanent damage.

"I don't care."

Power surged through him again, his eyes glowing gold. He charged forward with renewed strength, his sword colliding with Aaron's spear once more. The impact created a burst of wind so violent that the others had to shield their faces.

Mia took that opening, dashing in from the side. Frost gathered around her fists as she delivered a heavy punch to Aaron's flank, the cold spreading fast. Cracks formed across his armor, but before she could follow through, Aaron twisted and slammed his knee into her stomach.

Mia coughed blood but didn't fall. She grabbed his arm, ice crawling up her hand, freezing his limb solid. "You're not going anywhere."

Aaron looked down at the ice spreading across his arm. He smiled. "You're strong, human. I'll give you that."

Then he shattered the ice with a pulse of energy, sending Mia flying across the room.

The explosion echoed through the entire palace.

As she hit the wall, something inside Mia whispered—Kaelion, Saintess, everyone outside… are they seeing the same thing we are?

The thought flickered only for a second, but it was enough to give her strength to stand again.