“Shit! What’s happening?”

“Shit!”

Aether and Hemera almost descended into panic as the Demonic species relentlessly attacked them. Although they were strong enough to easily rip apart the Demonic species, they couldn’t withstand such a great number. Also, the fire that dozens of Ceratopsian Dinosaurs spewed out prevented them from escaping.

The ground beneath their feet had long turned mushy, and their feet had been sinking into it as though it were quicksand. They’d had to use a lot of energy pulling their feet out as they fought the Demonic species at the same time.

However, what caused them the most difficulty was the Devil Poison that constantly splattered from the flesh and blood of the Demonic species. Devil Poison wasn’t just toxic to the Draconic species, it also affected them. Once they were poisoned, their holiness would be damaged, and they would suffer agonizing pain.

“Aahh!” Hemera was really about to go crazy. She’d never expected anything like this would happen when she passed through the barrier. She’d been concerned and suspicious when they’d gone through so easily, but she hadn’t expected that Brahm would prepare anything like this for them.

She had recently released a new power, and her subordinates could control holiness, but the unending attacks from the Demonic species was draining her holiness, which was already disappearing because of the invisible force that was taking it. She was exhausted and growing mentally sluggish.

[You have been afflicted with ‘Confusion’. You are experiencing extreme confusion.]

[You have been afflicted with ‘Fear’. You are experiencing extreme fear.]

....

Her holiness and holy power were being stolen to power the magic circle, which in turn affected the Devil Trees and made them produce ever stronger Demonic species and Ceratopsian Dinosaurs. It was a cycle that would only end when they were dead.

And she didn’t know what Brahm was up to, but she managed to smell a demon’s scent inside the magic circle. She realized that there was a strong possibility that he was using them as sacrifices to summon a demon. At that point, she realized how pointless their attempt to take Brahm was. They’d walked into a trap to drain them and kill them, and it was impossible to break through with brute strength. Only a commanding officer of a clan would be able to withstand it.

‘Not like this. This can’t happen!’ Hemera bit her lip. Her clear white skin had already turned black, and one of her eyes was melting from the Devil Poison. She wanted to tell her subordinates to run away.

The closer they stuck together, the less range of movement they would have and the more they would be exposed to Devil Poison. It was better for everyone to split up. However, doing that would mean becoming vulnerable to the Demonic species and Ceratopsian Dinosaurs. What could they possibly do?

Even if she wanted to request for help, their communication with the outside world had been cut off as soon as they passed the barrier. Thinking she had to do something to cut open a path, Hemera squeezed out the last of her holiness. She had to escape and warn everyone about Brahm’s plot.

She was scared of people looking down on her, but it was better than losing her life. However, she didn’t even have the opportunity to use her power when she felt something cold at her back. Then, a white spear pierced through her torso. Puck!

“Urk! Ae…ther, what…?” Hemera forced herself to look back, an expression of disbelief on her face. Her twin, Aether, was looking at her with a cold smile. Her subordinates tried to reach her, but they were too busy battling the Demonic species.

“White Light? The Senate took it, didn’t they? How did you get it?” asked Aether. White Light was the power that had been taken from their father before their family had been banished from the godly society. “Anyway, don’t look so surprised. I know you were planning to stab me in the back once we were done. If I didn’t get you first, you would’ve killed me, you mean sister.”

Hemera gritted her teeth. It was true she had been planning on killing Aether after they caught the Dragon Human so that she could take all the credit. She knew he was thinking the same thing, but since they were in such a dangerous predicament and she’d even released her hidden power, she didn’t think Aether would make a move now.

Aether’s cold eyes glittered with greed. Hemera clenched her teeth. “If…I die…you die, too!”

“No. I know I’m going to live.”

“What…?”

“It’s all thanks to you, my dear sister.” Suddenly, a white object appeared on Aether’s forehead and transformed into a symbol that had three circles with a triangle that contained an eye. Hemera gasped. It was a symbol that she never thought she’d see associated with Aether, one that belonged to one of the Elohim’s longtime foes. “You…!”

“Everything in the world belongs to the great god.” Aether reached out and gripped Hemera’s head tightly. “Those who try to take it will break apart.”

Before Hemera could scream, her body scattered, starting from her head. No one could stop Aether from killing his twin sister, and the entire time, he didn’t even blink. A yellow portal opened in the sky, and three people emerged. Since their faces were under hoods, it was hard to see their features, but as soon as Hemera’s subordinates saw them, their faces filled with shock. The strange energy that these newcomers emanated worsened the effects of the Devil Poison.

“D-Devil Army!”

Ignoring their shock, Aether got down on one knee and bowed. “Greetings to the bishops.”

The bishops of the Devil Army, the greatest of their members, had come. It was impossible for a mere member of the Elohim to summon them, but the bishops nodded as though they’d been anticipating it. The one wearing black robes stepped up. It was impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman. “The body?”

Aether’s forehead touched the ground. “Sorry. I haven’t been able to get it yet.”

“Nothing we can do.” The bishop clucked their tongue and nodded at the other two.

“Sweep them away.” The other bishops began dashing forward, sweeping away the Demonic species and the Ceratopsian Dinosaurs in their path. The Devil Poison and the fog didn’t affect them in the slightest.

Then, the bishop with the black robe turned their head towards an empty-looking space and with cold eyes said, “Brahma, playtime is over.”

***

“N-no!”

Galliard was taking Sesha to a safe place when she suddenly paused and grabbed his sleeve urgently.

“What’s wrong, Sesha?”

Sesha was shaking, and sweat poured down her pale face. “B-Brahm is in danger.”

“What?” Galliard’s eyes widened. He knew that it was important to listen to Sesha because she had an accurate sensing skill since she was a baby. It was a skill that most Draconic species didn’t have, and Brahm said it might be similar to the Precognition trait.

However, Galliard hesitated. Their enemies wanted Sesha, not Brahm.

Sesha shouted urgently in a trembling voice. “Please!”

***

Still holding the Book of Mercury in his hands, Brahm’s eyes widened. ‘It looks like I’ve miscalculated.’ He’d never expected the arrival of the Devil Army, much less the bishops. Most of the magic circles he’d set up here were for the Elohim. He believed that they were too arrogant to ask anyone for help and risk being humiliated.

Aether was a member of the Senate in the Elohim, and the fact that he’d switched to the Devil Army of his own accord was outrageous. However, from the way Aether behaved towards the three bishops, it was clear that he was truly loyal to them.

There was something else that he couldn’t understand. The barrier should have closed after Aether and the others entered. How did the bishops get in? He couldn’t find any trace of the barrier being broken into. He could tell that they used Hemera as a sacrifice, but beyond that, he had no idea what had just happened.

“Oh well.” Brahm closed the Book of Mercury and got up. He couldn’t handle the bishops while he was sitting down, and since there were three of them, he would have to use his full strength.

He looked at the hourglass next to his crystal. He had been planning to activate the transmutation circle once the bottom half was filled up with sand, but it looked like he’d have to postpone it a little. He thought this might actually be a good thing. It was better to deal with nuisances now before the circle was activated.

The demons would probably like it even better if they could have the soul of a bishop. After organizing his thoughts, Brahm was about to open a portal to the bishops when he heard a voice from the crystal.

『Brahma. The fun’s over.』

From inside the crystal, one of the bishops was looking straight at him with a smirk. Brahm’s eyes widened. “Kindred?”