Chapter 399: War is inevitable

The moment Kyle sensed a shift in the wavelength of Absence, he knew his guest had arrived. It was someone he had sensed approaching rather than someone he had formally invited.

However, he hadn't expected the visitor to knock down his apostles and kill his own General before finally making an appearance.

Clad in a black suit, a man with slightly darker skin and pointed ears stepped across the boundary separating the two worlds. He appeared to be in his early forties, though there was something about his bearing that made it difficult to judge his age with any certainty.

His posture was impeccable, his presence concealed so thoroughly that even a high-ranking officer might have mistaken him for an ordinary human had it not been for his pointed ears. There was nothing overtly imposing about him, yet the ease with which he had killed the Kijin spoke volumes about the being beneath that unassuming exterior.

His silvery hair was neatly combed to the left, and his slanted red eyes carried a hint of curiosity as they settled on Kyle.

"I wasn't expecting a reception."

Kyle nodded. "And I didn't believe someone like you would be seeking privacy."

The being standing before him was no ordinary Nightmare. Much like the deities who could foresee movements within the human world, he was a demigod, someone who possessed the authority to influence Nightmares at their very core. His existence placed him far beyond the reach of ordinary beings, and his presence here was hardly a matter of coincidence.

"I came here to assess a few things and also meet you," the being replied before extending his hand. "I am Garoth, the Insignia of the Lion, the Golden Mantle, and the savior of the Third War."

Kyle nodded and accepted the handshake. Not even a speck of Absence reached him through their contact.

"I have heard tales about you, as well as the fact that you once fought against the God King."

"Not very fond memories," Garoth remarked with a dry smile.

His gaze then wandered across the surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar landscape beyond the boundary. After a moment, he murmured, "So, these are the human lands we have been so eager to consume."

Kyle regarded him calmly. "I believe you might succeed this time."

Garoth's eyebrows rose slightly. "And you are content with that fact, despite clearly standing on the side of humanity?"

"I stand with balance. And what you and your three brethren have in mind after conquering this realm? I believe that would disrupt what I wish to preserve."

Garoth hummed thoughtfully and clasped his hands behind his back, his expression betraying little of what went through his mind.

"And you never believed that balance should have existed between us and those sitting above the clouds in the golden city of Styx?"

"I believe they are doing their job well, and that alone grants them the right to exist." Kyle's voice remained steady. He had no intention of lying, nor did he feel the need to conceal his genuine belief.

Garoth narrowed his eyes. "Setting aside the mystery surrounding your presence, there is something I wish to know."

For the first time, his expression changed. There was something different in those red eyes, something that might have been intimidation or perhaps a restrained fury that had long been waiting for an opportunity to surface.

"Just what exactly have they achieved that sets us apart from them? We sit on the Other Side, a realm of chaos and bloodshed, while they administer peace and nurture life."

Kyle didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took his time, allowing the question to linger between them before finally speaking.

"Tell me, what is your opinion of the Three Fundamentals?"

"We respect them. Especially Lady Death, who has always remained impartial and never shown prejudice against our kind."

Kyle nodded.

"A long, long time ago, you and your brothers earned her respect through the sacrifices you made. You offered those who disrupted the flow of fate, those whose existence threatened to become the source of immense chaos. And among those sacrifices was one of your own kind, a demon of noble blood."

Garoth frowned. Part of his reaction stemmed from Kyle's knowledge of that sacred ritual, something few should have known. The rest came from his growing understanding of where this conversation was heading.

Kyle continued without hesitation.

"And the one thing you asked of her, the Goddess of Death, was the Well of Reincarnation. A tool that allows your kind to return to life by bypassing the usual flow of the Styx. Through it, you sought to preserve your numbers and ensure your kind could reproduce until you became the species with the greatest population."

Kyle shook his head slightly.

"You severed yourselves from the Styx and spent ages preparing for a war that everyone could see coming."

"We only wanted to preserve what remained of us!" Garoth's voice hardened. "Our kind has been reduced to almost nothing."

Kyle shook his head again.

"You chose everything wrong. The timing, the circumstances, even your decision to pursue this without first attempting to discuss it with them."

The two sides had already been standing on the brink of an all-out war when the demons made their request. From the perspective of those in the golden city, their demand could hardly have appeared innocent. They were asking for a means to replenish their dwindling population, one that would allow them to rebuild their forces and steadily expand their numbers.

Whatever their true intentions, the timing had sent the wrong message. Suspicion had taken root, tensions had escalated, and the inevitable outcome had followed.

Yet that was only part of the story.

After all these years, the demons now sought to consume the human realm, drawn by the condensed Genesis it preserved and the numerous apostles who resided within it.

There was a reason this realm was the strongest among them all.

Kyle resided here.

The realm had been designed as a contingency, a safeguard against the possibility that Kyle might one day lose control and attempt something capable of endangering every other realm. It was meant to serve as a final line of defense should the balance they had worked so hard to maintain ever begin to collapse.

But that very safeguard had become the source of an entirely different problem. What was meant to protect the realms had instead drawn the attention of those who could not resist the temptation it presented. The abundance of Genesis, coupled with the power concentrated within the realm, had given rise to a greed that the Other Side could no longer ignore.

For a while, Garoth remained silent.

When he finally spoke, the calmness in his voice was almost unnerving.

"We have come too far to waste our time debating who was right or wrong. Our intentions are clear now, and so is the path we have chosen."

Kyle nodded.

"True." Kyle then continued in the same unhurried tone, "But as you mentioned, I stand on their side now. And considering what might happen if you succeed, I need to make my choice clear here and now."

Garoth offered a faint smile. "I have yet to understand what kind of entity you truly are, and the ambiguity surrounding your existence alone was enough to draw me here. However, whatever your origin might be, it cannot defy the limitations of your vessel."

Kyle nodded. "Right. Which is why we are having this conversation rather than settling things through other means."

Garoth returned the nod. "I won't know what other means you are talking about and since I am your guest, allow me to return to my lands without requiring any unnecessary violence."

Kyle hummed in understanding before giving a nod.

Garoth raised a hand toward him. "You can have this as a gift, since I didn't bring anything else with me." He said while gesturing toward the fallen Kijin.

Kyle offered no response as Garoth stepped back. With a casual wave of his hand, he tore open a rift as effortlessly as one might open a door, then phased through the opening without a second glance.

Kyle remained where he was, standing in silence for another moment. Only after Garoth had disappeared did he finally speak.

"Aleda... we might need to prepone our preparations."

[Host, you might need to undergo another awakening.]

"I am aware, but we have no other choice."

The being who could have altered the course of the entire war had made his intentions clear. There would be no turning back, no last-minute negotiations to avert the coming conflict. The Other Side had spent ages nurturing its resentment, and now, humanity would be forced to face the full weight of that long-harbored animosity.

Taking a deep breath he said, "It is about time I liberate my wings and call forth a few loyal servants under my command."

It was time for the real preparation to begin.

°°°°

A/N:- Well, things are about to grow chaotic once the final war begins so I would take my time to build relationships and sort out other sub plots before that.