Caron crossed the Veil with the demonkin at his side.
He had barely taken a few steps when the very air changed.
"It feels like I've been here before... some kind of déjà vu. Owner, don't you feel it too?" Guillotine asked.
The Realm of Void was, in every sense of the word, empty. Compared to this, even the realms of the other Demon Kings seemed full of life.
A land choked with dust, a sky the color of ash. Even sunlight was swallowed by the gray, shining only as a lifeless pallor. All that remained were skeletal frames of buildings—ruins of what must once have been the proud structures of an ancient civilization.
It was a scene that reminded Caron of Desertus, the Ghost Island.
According to Shiker, this land had once been the heart of the Arcane Civilization, its capital, the most prosperous region of all. But where a radiant culture had once flourished, only death remained now.
Caron muttered under his breath as he glanced around, "This place reeks of garbage... nothing but garbage."
"Well, that's blunt," Guillotine said.
The reason he'd entered the Void with this horde of "bait" was simple. The demons and demonic monsters that had once followed the two Demon Kings couldn't simply be thrown away.
If the main force broke through, the whole formation of mere encirclement would collapse.
Whoosh.
A deep hum rumbled in the sky. Two airships dispatched by the Magic Tower floated above them, while far behind, the dwarves' modified siege engine—the "New Destroyer"—was already in place.
The entire operation hinged on one point.
"Block their escape routes to the flanks, then drive them into the core of the Void. That's our purpose here. Do I make myself clear, dukes?" Caron asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty the Demon King."
"Understood."
If they detected the army of Havoc, their forces were to pull back immediately. The Demon King of Void and the Demon King of Havoc were enemies, without question. And nothing was more ideal than using one enemy to crush another.
The expeditionary army split into two branches. One to cut down demons and demonic monsters trying to break to the sides, forcing their path inward, and the main force to hold and drive them forward with relentless firepower.
Caron exhaled softly, recalling the outline of the strategy. He muttered, "This one's too damned hard."
"It could easily end up half-baked, you know," Guillotine said.
"That's why I'm here," Caron replied.
The expeditionary army had already divided into First and Second Corps, waiting at the Veil of the Void.
Caron absently fiddled with the communication orb in his hand and gave a small nod.
For the bait to do its job, it had to look tempting. And there was no juicier bait than Caron himself, the man who had devoured the power of two Demon Kings.
"If not for Shiker's help, this would have been impossible from the start," Seria said in a low voice behind him.
Indeed, the survivors of the Arcane Civilization had been vital in preparing the expedition's entry into the Void. Without a stable communication network, the strategy would never have been feasible.
Caron glanced back at her with a crooked grin and said, "Funny sight, isn't it? A demon and an angel standing together."
He looked past her to where the archangel Raphael stood guard.
Seria only shrugged and replied, "It looks far more natural than you being a Warrior."
"Oh, really?" Caron asked.
"Yes," Seria answered firmly.
"That stings. I am still a Warrior, you know," Caron said.
"You're a Warrior and a Demon King both," Seria corrected.
"Fair point," Caron agreed.
The natures of the holy power and dark mana should have clashed violently. Yet thanks to Caron's mana, no real conflict sparked between them.
He nodded faintly, then let his gaze sweep over the companions gathered nearby.
Leo had gone with Halo.
Here, Caron had one dragon, two of his old subordinates, the Grand Chief of the Giants Utula, Orion, and the dark mage Libre.
The demons were still scouting ahead, so they had a little time left. Caron turned casually to Utula and asked, "Utula, don't you regret leaving your tribe behind just to follow me?"
The giant thumped his armor-like muscles and replied proudly, "To fight alongside a great warrior is an honor, Caron Leston! By following you, I will know the most glorious battle."
"Hmm. The other giants might take offense," Caron said.
"The other chieftains have joined the war as well—they can fend for themselves. But I, as Grand Chief, fight by your side. And I've grown far stronger in this war."
It was true. Though his tattoos concealed the scars, Utula had played a critical role throughout the expedition. Some had even joked that the battlefield felt as if a raging boar had been let loose.
Utula laughed heartily and slapped Caron's back, then declared without hesitation, "When the war ends, you must visit the sacred grounds of my people."
"That sounds fun," Caron said with a grin.
At this, Kerra and Ugo, polishing their blades nearby, chuckled.
"Take me with you when you go, Caron," Kerra said.
"I've always wanted to visit the giants' sacred grounds," Ugo added. "Isn't it the place where warriors with unbreakable physiques are raised?"
"Oh! Any friend of Caron is welcome," Utula replied heartily. "The shamans will rejoice if heroes such as you come to visit!"
"Sounds like a fine idea," Caron said.
He thought that when the war ended, it could be nice to wander the continent with his old subordinates again. The thought brought a quiet chuckle to his lips.
That's just something nice to say, Caron mused. For such a future would only be possible if they survived this war.
There were many things he wanted to do once it was all over—things he'd never enjoyed in his previous life. This time, he had run without pause toward the goal of revenge. And when that goal finally disappeared, Caron wondered what kind of feeling would remain.
...I don't know, Caron thought.
Perhaps that was best left for the future. But he felt it could be a rather enjoyable life. Teasing Halo, pestering his uncles—just imagining it already amused him.
So he needed to win this war. Only by destroying the Demon King of Void could he claim that future.
"Gratia, would you like some jerky?" Caron asked.
"What a clever oath-bearer," Gratia rumbled.
Caron tossed a strip of jerky to Gratia and exhaled softly.
Not long after, as they waited for the scouts' report, a pale-faced demon stepped forward. His face twisted in discomfort at the holy power radiating from Seria and the archangel, but he forced his voice to remain steady.
"Demon King of Liberation, we have found the enemy," the demon reported.
At last, the news they'd awaited arrived. Caron rose slowly, brushed the dust from his clothes, and asked, "Their numbers?"
"The army of Havoc has entrenched itself. Multiple Destroyers were sighted, and the number of demonic monsters exceeds at least three hundred thousand," the demon answered.
"They've prepared quite the welcome," Caron remarked. "Anything unusual?"
"...They have restored the walls of the ancient era," the demon replied.
Normally, such ruins would mean nothing but decayed husks. But here it was different. The demons had long since forgotten their former glory under the corruption of dark mana. For a fortress of the Arcane Civilization to rise again—it could only mean that the Demon King of Havoc himself had intervened.
"It won't be easy," Caron muttered.
Shiker had told him countless times how formidable such fortresses had once been: walls layered with magic, powerful turrets, defenses so complete they had been nearly unassailable.
But Caron only gave a crooked grin, then continued, "That might actually work in our favor."
If the enemy locked themselves away in a fortress, the expedition would only need to hammer them down. And they'd dragged every ounce of firepower here for exactly this kind of battle.
"We can cage them and beat them at our leisure," Caron added.
He nodded once, then asked the demon before him, "What is your name?"
"I–I am Count Tailon, my lord," the demon answered.
"Good. Tailon. I'll remember your name," Caron said.
"It shall be the honor of my life!" Count Tailon exclaimed, retreating with trembling reverence.
Caron raised an eyebrow and muttered, "...Easier to handle than humans, perhaps."
In some ways, demons were more useful than men.
Caron nodded, then infused mana into his communication orb. Halo's voice immediately came through, calm and cold.
"I hear you. Speak," Halo said.
"We've found the enemy fortress," Caron reported. "I'll transmit the coordinates. Libre, send them over."
"Yes, I got it," Libre said quickly, weaving the spell.
A moment later, Halo's reply echoed through the orb, "Confirmed. We will begin the operation. Remain in position until I issue further orders."
"We'll begin bombardment," Caron said.
"...Permission granted," Halo replied.
"Oh, and I'll be doing something with Gratia," Caron added lightly.
"What scheme are you plotting—" Halo began, but was cut off.
"Eh? Sorry, I can't hear you well! Connection must be unstable. I'll contact you later!" Caron interrupted.
Click.
Caron cut the link without hesitation.
Then he turned to Gratia, who was chewing jerky, and asked, "Gratia, why don't we do something fun together?"
Gratia blinked wide golden eyes and responded, "Hmm?"
"The demons want to hole up in their fortress and play it safe. But we should have our fun, don't you think? Besides, I've got a few things I want to test," Caron said.
During the long preparations, Caron had honed his blade ceaselessly. More precisely, he had trained to wield 9-Star mana freely—and the results were more than satisfactory. He had badgered Halo day after day, so it was only natural he'd achieved much.
And now, he'd even managed to shape techniques that had existed only in his imagination before.
It was time to put those results to the test.
"...And what do you plan to do, oath-bearer?" Gratia asked.
"Lend me your back," Caron requested.
"My back?" Gratia repeated.
"Transform into your true form and come with me. Let's take a little tour of their fortress. Seria—want to join? I'll give you the chance only because it's you," Caron offered with a smile.
Seria sighed softly and replied, "Even if I refused, you would drag me along, would you not?"
"Exactly. And Rapha, you're coming too. You've got wings—you can fly, right?" Caron asked.
At last, Caron addressed the archangel. Rapha sighed heavily and said, "You really should not tarnish the name of an archangel in such a way..."
"Do you have a complaint?" Caron asked.
"No," Rapha answered.
By now, Gratia knew Caron's temperament all too well. Without protest, she shifted into her dragon form.
Caron glanced back at Kerra with a sly smile, then said, "Sir Kerra, hold command for me in the meantime."
"...All of a sudden?" Kerra asked.
"There isn't much to command," Caron said casually. "Just tell the airships and the dwarves to begin bombardment. Here, take this communication orb. All you have to do is follow orders from the expedition command. Simple enough, right?"
"No, wait, explain it properly—" Kerra began, but was cut off.
"Orion! On the back! And Utula... You can play with Sir Kerra," Caron interrupted.
"Understood," Orion answered.
Firing off orders without pause, Caron leapt onto Gratia's back. He patted the dragon's scales lightly and grinned, then said, "One of a knight's greatest dreams is to become a dragon rider, you know."
"...Since when?" Gratia asked dryly.
"Since just now. I made it up. Take off!" Caron exclaimed.
"Haa..."
With a heavy sigh, Gratia soared into the air. Her massive blue form split the ashen skies, wings beating thunder into the world.
From the ground, Kerra could only stare upward and mutter, "...Would it kill him to give a proper explanation before flying off?"
Ugo shrugged and asked, "Is this the first time?"
"You'd think a man might change a little," Kerra grumbled.
"Save the nagging and follow orders. I don't want to hear your whining," Ugo said.
"...Fine," Kerra replied with another sigh, then raised the communication orb. "Airships, dwarves, hear this. Commence bombardment immediately."
"Confirmed."
"We've been waiting!"
Moments later...
Kwaaang!
Kwaaaaaang!
The heavens quaked with earth-shattering thunder. Colorful bursts of light tore through the clouds.
And then, Kerra saw something he could barely comprehend. In the distance—the direction Caron had flown toward—something utterly impossible unfolded.
"...What is that?" Kerra whispered.
Against the gray sunlit sky, dozens of moons suddenly appeared, and in the next breath they plummeted toward the enemy fortress. They fell like meteors.
There was no mistaking it. This was his Commander's handiwork.
Kerra's face turned pale and muttered, "He... He isn't even human anymore."
"Commander was never human to begin with," Ugo replied flatly.
"This isn't fair! How can a sword do something like that?" Kerra complained.
"What can you do? Life is unfair. Best accept it, Kerra," Ugo said.
Dozens of moons slammed into the earth, and mushroom clouds bloomed where the fortress had once stood.
Thus began the battle that would decide their fate.