The courtyard filled with fire, blood, and the thick of the battle suddenly changed. In a surreal moment, for just a second, all flames stood still. Those who blinked missed the moment and opened their eyes to a battlefield almost devoid of fire.

Even the demons stared in a stupor as they lost control of their own fire and the flames condensed into a wave of terrifying heat that swept over the courtyard. Without harming anyone it continued on its path and vanished in the depths of the dungeons.

Everyone was left behind in confusion. The humans, the demons and even the chimeras had stopped for the seconds during which everything went down.

When the spell finally lifted, hectic movement filled the courtyard.

~ This was your plan? - I mean, Just as I had predicted! Yes, the great me saw this coming. ~

In a panic, the surviving chimeras distanced themself from the demons and started to flee. Their eyes filled with tears, confusion, and utter fear the animal-based ones flooded back into any exit they could find in hysteria.

When the exits were clogged and they could not push through they started climbing over each other and the walls finally pouring into the outer courtyard and further into the forest in the distance.

Some with human intellect backed off watching the demons and the giant centipede vigilantly. Most cowered in fear on the ground; crying and whining as they tried to understand what had happened to them.

The smallest number of chimeras opted to attack the overwhelming enemy and lose their life in an act of despair. The wave of fire had burned away the slave collars and opened their minds to the questionable freedom of a life as an abomination.

The demons were pondering what to do. As the chimeras were not controlled anymore, they lacked any will to fight. Most of them were former slaves, they understood the hopelessness of such an existence and were unwilling.

But some of them were Adventurers and people of Urth, who had not been slaves for as long.

"What are you all waiting for?! Kill them while they don't resist!" one of them asserted and summoned fireballs in his hands.

However, when he tried to throw them, they simply puffed out of existence.

"Sorry, but I spend a lot of energy on that move to save them. I don't think I will let you go on a slaughter."

A man with an ancient-looking helmet under his arm, wearing an expensive-looking armor appeared in the courtyard.

"Who do you think you are to protect them?!"

"Have your eyes gone bad after I turned you into a demon? I'm the guy who freed you in the first place. Remember? "

"I don't care! I now have the power to rise to the peak. I will stand atop the world, why would i listen to you!?" he suddenly charged at the man with incredible speed and murderous intent.

--------

"Serious? Okay, knock yourself out." Seth sighed.

No good deed goes unpunished. He didn't attempt to dodge or even block. Seth saw it as a good opportunity to test his new equipment. The status of the demon given by seemed somewhat scrambled but it showed it to be lv. 78.

A difference of 28 in level was a huge gap but Seth was confident to survive one or two strikes even without blocking or fighting back. His intention of taking the hit without moving faltered when his despicable opponent aimed for his face.

The blacksmith crossed his arms to block the strike to his face. He gritted his teeth as the tremendous force of the impact numbed his arms.

As he tried to secure his stance the demon's other fist struck his cuirass and pressed the air out of his lungs. Seth cough and gagged as he tried to breathe and stepped back. It would have been the perfect moment to end the fight, but while Seth was coughing and trying to gain back his breath...

The demon was screaming and kneeling on the ground. It was holding the fragmented and mangled mess that was left of the forearm it had just struck with.

"Why isn't it healing!?" he cried staring at it. He was right, these demons had immense regenerative abilities, but not only did it not heal his flesh started turning grey and then a necrotic black.

Seth kicked the distracted, kneeling demon in the face. The effect of the Disruptor Boots that had just recently mashed a priest's torso only amounted to breaking the demon's nose and jaw. It was more of a petty act because he was angry with himself than with the demon.

Seth decided to never again take a hit just to see what would happen and proceeded to cut off the quickly decaying arm of the demon unconscious demon.

At least he knew that he could theoretically take a hit from an opponent of this caliber and his had leveled up to eight when he stole control of the flames and created the fire wave.

"Anybody else wants to step forward?"

"Seth?" it was Duhu who had returned to humanoid form and finally recognized him.

"Hey, Duhu. I'm glad you survived, but we can catch up later. There is a lot of stuff to do. First-"

WHUMP!

A crumpled mass of twisted feather and gouged-out eyes slammed into the courtyard behind Seth. Miraculously it didn't squash any of the chimeras or people.

"You owe me A LOT for this!" the spicy sorceress Al'Zalsa slowly levitated down to the ground. Her wide fluttery outfit was revealing but even with the wind and air whipping around her, it never revealed too much.

"Don't I always owe you-"

"It's different this time. If I wasn't weakened- I had to burn some of my essence to take it down. That will cost you more than paying my visit to the red light district!"

"Okay, okay. Can we talk about that later? When everything calmed down a little?"

"Hump! Fine. Do what you have to do, I will go and rest."

With that, she canceled her summon and turned into smoke which returned to the token. She was really pissed this time and Seth felt slightly afraid of the price she would demand. A bunch of confused and curious eyes were now resting on him, and he harrumphed to gloss over what just happened.

"First, we have to secure the stronghold."

Nobody stopped Seth from taking command, while the blacksmith started delegating all the annoying management of the aftermath to others. After a small war council with the leaders, they all had their tasks.

Seth spent some time on healing people using the effect of the Golden Fleece before they set off.

Marcel and Elza would take the adventurers and Demons to help defend the gates. The remnants of the rebels would go to look after the servants. As part of the rebel's plot, the servant quarters had been sealed off so they would suddenly fight a bunch of non-combatants.

The freed people volunteered to try and talk with the intelligent chimeras. They had the best idea of what was might currently go on in their minds.

This left Seth, Puffles, the chimeras, and the freed people in the courtyard without any task except healing the wounded.

~Errm, do you still eat that? ~

Puff was poking at the mess of bend and twisted feather left of Lehaliphon. Salvia was actually running from his mandibles as he stared at the divine alloy.

"You really gobbled down enough angels. I will store that away." Seth said hurriedly.

If Puffles was this intent on eating it, it had to be something good.

~Yeah, you should keep that. It should be good for the new vessel you will make for me! ~

"Wha-?"

~ Don't what me. That's the compensation I want. A new vessel, one made after my designs. ~

"...okay. You heard her."

Puffles looked very sad with his big blue eyes but Seth could only pat its snout. Neither of them could go against the sorceress.