Chapter 210: A Kingdom Under Attack and Malachiel’s Blessing

The red eyes never left. In the depths of the forest surrounding Bravelm, a figure stood under the shadows of an ancient tree. While hidden from view by a thick cloak of darkness, the mere presence of this creature caused nearby creatures to flee. It was Myrghu, a Demon Lord and one of the closest and most trusted subordinates of Faraniel, Demon King of Chaos. He had come to scout.

A tall humanoid figure covered in dark scales, Myrghu’s head had two curved horns growing from the back. His eyes glowed a red colour and his fingers ended in long claws that occasionally spewed small amounts of black mana. He had been scouting Bravelm for several days, waiting for the signal from his master. The signal came. A spatial distortion appeared. Above one of the outer districts of Varghelm, the air began to twist violently. A dark circular portal formed in the air and grew larger every second. Several Beastfolk paused in their actions as a dark oppressive presence came from the portal. Myrghu smiled. The invasion had begun.

The underground chamber beneath Varghelm had almost completely changed. The summoning array had grown beyond its original markings, with tendrils of dark mana spreading along the walls and ceiling. The Beastfolk worshippers knelt around it, shivering as a large presence passed through the portal. From the other side, a figure stepped through. He wore an elegant dark robe and had a faint smile on his face. It was Faraniel. The Demon King of Chaos had arrived.

“How cute.” His voice echoed through the chamber. He looked at the kneeling Beastfolk and spread his arms. “Thank you, my followers. You’ve prepared an excellent entrance for me. May chaos favour you.” The worshippers lowered themselves further. Varkul walked forward. “Great Master, we have prepared everything according to your instructions. The Wolf Crown has been weakened, and the other Beastfolk peoples have already experienced the destruction of war.” Faraniel chuckled. “Yes, I’ve been watching.” He raised a single finger. “But before we begin…” He snapped. A projection appeared above the summoning array. It showed the spatial distortion that had formed above Varghelm. The image changed to show Myrghu stepping through the portal and falling towards the city. “Let’s see what happens next.” Faraniel’s smile grew. “What will that annoying Kirin do?”

The celebration was cut short. As soon as Myrghu appeared, his aura spread across Varghelm. The air was crushed under its weight and several Beastfolk fell to the ground. Weaker mages had their mana flow disrupted simply by being in his presence. Myrghu looked around curiously and raised a single hand. “Is this the city?” His claws moved. A dark crescent slashed across the nearest street. An entire row of houses vanished. The buildings were cleanly cut in half and the top halves floated for a brief moment before falling to the ground. Civilians ran in all directions but several were caught in the attack and vanished. Myrghu looked on with little interest. “How fragile.”

He raised his head. “Come out, Kirin!” His voice echoed through Varghelm. “I know you’re here! Don’t tell me the great Beastfolk King intends to hide while his people are slaughtered!” Aurelith slowly placed his cup down. The Beastfolk King looked towards the distant district. His expression was far less amused. Around him, Aldren and the other rulers had begun moving their people to safety. Tanaka had expanded his Mana Sense to scan the approaching presence. His expression changed. It was a Demon Lord. Not just any Demon Lord.

Myrghu raised both hands. The spatial distortion behind him grew and waves of chaotic mana spread through the city. Several streets began twisting and buildings were torn apart. Myrghu laughed as he enjoyed the destruction. He looked towards the massive golden barrier surrounding Varghelm. “An interesting cage.” He extended a claw. “Void Rend.” A dark shape appeared in front of his claw as he compressed the space and chaotic mana into a thin projectile. It shot towards the golden dome, leaving a trail of warped space behind it. The air twisted around it and cracks started to form in the barrier.

However, it was stopped. A dark blue figure appeared. Tanaka. He extended his right hand and his Unique Skill, Endless Abyss, activated. “Nope!” The projectile hit the expanding darkness. The area around them lit up unbearably bright for a moment. Tanaka’s arm shook as cracks formed in the ground beneath his feet as he tried to hold back the destructive mana. The attack was much stronger than anything he had taken before but his Unique Skill continued to consume the energy. The projectile slowly began to disappear. Tanaka lowered his hand. The surrounding Beastfolk stared.

Myrghu’s eyes narrowed. “Oh?” Tanaka looked at the demon. “You’re making a mess.” The demon laughed. “And who are you supposed to be?” “Tanaka Eldoris.” He glanced at the destroyed buildings. “The people here are having a celebration. You should have waited until they finished eating.” Myrghu’s expression changed. “You’re the slime?” Tanaka sighed. “Apparently, I’m getting famous.” The demon extended his claws. “Then entertain me.” He vanished.

Tanaka’s Mana Sense activated instantly. He moved his body and the claws of Myrghu slashed through the air beside his head. He retaliated with a strengthened punch but Myrghu twisted his body and caught the punch with his forearm. The street shook. Myrghu smiled. “Not bad.” He pushed Tanaka away. “Let’s see how long you last.” They vanished. A series of shockwaves occurred as they fought above the destroyed district. Tanaka blocked a claw attack with an earth barrier before firing a focused beam of fire. Myrghu was forced to retreat but retaliated with several dark projectiles. Each one contained powerful destructive energy.

Tanaka blocked two. He absorbed the third. The fourth hit him on the side. He twisted his body as some of the force was dispersed but was still thrown through the upper floor of an abandoned building. Myrghu laughed. “You’re tougher than you look!” Tanaka appeared from the rubble. “I’m beginning to dislike demons.”

Another disturbance appeared. Another. Another. Faraniel, who had been watching the fight through his projection, raised a single hand. He snapped his fingers. A hundred spatial distortions appeared across Varghelm. From them, Lesser Demons appeared. They all looked different. Some had horns while others resembled beasts with large claws and many limbs. Despite being the lowest recognised class of demons, they all had something strange about them. They had a portion of Faraniel’s authority, making their mana, physical strength and regeneration far stronger than a regular Lesser Demon.

They attacked instantly. One smashed through a merchant building while another fired a wave of black flames across a residential street. Several more attacked the Wolf Crown’s defences, their claws tearing through magical barriers that would usually stop much stronger monsters. The celebration was over. “Protect the civilians!” Aldren shouted. Garrath instantly ordered the Lions to form up. The remaining warriors of the Wolf Crown began organising defence groups. The Foxfolk created spirit barriers around their injured while the Rabbitfolk healers rushed to help the newly injured. The Bears and Boars moved to defend the damaged districts while the Hawks and Mana Birds flew into the air.

Sora transformed a portion of his body into a large shield, blocking three demons from attacking a group of fleeing children. Raishin appeared in front of another and his lightning charged fist smashed into its jaw, throwing it into a building. Razer and Drakar worked together to fight a six armed creature while Relia’s roots erupted from the ground, trapping several demons. Even Raveana struggled. A Lesser Demon caught her fist, twisted her arm and threw her through a stone wall. She quickly recovered but the creature was already charging. “They’re much stronger than ordinary Lesser Demons!” she shouted. Tanaka heard her through his Dominion Nexus. He looked around. They were being empowered. Their mana had an authority to it. Every time they were damaged, their corrupted energy would speed up their regeneration. Even the Beastfolk rulers were struggling with them. The sky changed.

A familiar red glow appeared above Varghelm. Tanaka looked up. He recognised the mana. It was the same energy that had surrounded Eldoris when Malachiel blessed his dominion. However, there was far more of it and it was covering a much larger area. Golden red flames spread across the sky. The mana fell over Varghelm and beyond. It covered the surrounding Beastfolk territories in a massive spiritual domain. Every Beastfolk touched by the blessing felt an instant change. Their mana flow was increased, their physical strength improved and the tiredness from their previous fights faded.

The Wolf Crown warriors felt lighter. The Lions’ flames burned hotter. The Foxfolk felt their connection to spirits increase while the Rabbitfolk found their healing magic much stronger. Even the demons were hesitant as their corrupted bodies were touched by the red energy. They struggled to fight against the much greater authority. Tanaka looked up at the sky. Malachiel? His Dominion Nexus was still connected to Eldoris but the blessing had travelled a massive distance. He could feel the familiar presence of the True Dragon Lord of Flames in the energy. He instantly knew what was happening.

It was Aurelith. The Kirin had known something like this could happen. That was why he had insisted on being blessed by Malachiel before leaving Eldoris. He wasn’t just trying to strengthen the Beastfolk or to officially form a new pact. He had known Bravelm could be facing an enemy strong enough to need the protection of a True Dragon. Tanaka looked towards the royal district. Aurelith stood there calmly, watching the red energy spread. Their eyes met for a brief moment. The Kirin smiled.

Far below Varghelm, Faraniel stopped laughing. Looking at his projection, he saw the red mana covering the city. It had spread to every street and surrounded the Lesser Demons. The Demon King narrowed his eyes as he recognised the familiar energy signature. He clicked his tongue. “So the disrespectful brat is unsealed.” A slow smile crept across his face. “How troublesome.” Above him, Varghelm burned. The war against chaos had only just begun.