Chapter 67

"As you are all aware, different stones can be used as a medium due to the way magic powers can be inserted within the stones. As I previously stated, they must have created some sort of trigger that could open the portal, and that gateway was created as a result of a stone."

The elderly man continued, "If not a trigger, then there must be someone who moves from village to village merely to place a magic stone, because a magic stone cannot be activated until someone or something activates it."

"But can't portals be built on the opposite side?" Aidan inquired. He assumed portals could be created using a spell or something.

"That is right, but because this is a battle, they can't open portals all at once, so they use another tactic to open the portal. That was included in several historical cases of war."

"Now that you mention it," Nash said, turning to face Yjhan, "then, the first wave of creatures before the winter season..."

"That must have been the period they attempted to use the portals," Yjhan said, "the host must have experimented to see if he or she could activate a portal from a distant hamlet or town."

—End—

Even though Nash and Aeries attempted to flee from behind, some creatures detected their presence.

"I'll attack, you go find the stone!" Nash shouted,

"No! You—"

"You're smarter than me, so you do it. This is not that hard." Nash beheaded one wendigo.

'Because of these flying witches and shits, it's impossible not to use my ability.'

Nash drew the gravity of the flying one and, like she had done previously, she forced gravity on each side of them, causing them to feel confined and burst.

[burst]

Nash continued to wield her sword in front of the portal, but the creatures coming are sometimes in groups, causing Nash to be hurt.

"Urgh," Nash groaned as her face was cut as a result of avoiding the witch's hex.

Aeries searched for the stone while Nash continued to behead the creatures.

"Where can I find it?" Aeries murmured. 'Is this it?'

Aeries moved close behind the portal and noticed a little shard of black gemstone.

Without hesitation, Aeries trod on it, ensuring that no more fragments were located on the land and reducing it to ashes.

Nash realized the portal was slowly vanishing as she wielded her blade, "You did it!"

"Watch your back!" Aeries used his bow to hit the troll who was about to attack Nash.

Despite the fact that the portal had already been closed, there were a large number of creatures who escaped. As they fight the creatures, they flee to the center of the village.

...

(Meanwhile, in the Capital...)

As the birds flew in circles, the sky turned orange. If the creatures in the villages are difficult to destroy, the creatures in the capital are even more so. Some of the creatures are larger than those seen in the villages.

There are orcs, devils, and gigantic chimeras roaming the capital. Screeches and growls can be heard across the capital.

"Prioritize the people as well as yourselves!" Roven yelled.

"Roven, I'll take care of the Palace, you go out!" Ivelisse said, she looks at her husband with courage and confidence.

"Are you sure?" Roven asked.

Ivelisse smiled and nodded, "Now go!"

Roven embraced Ivelisse and dashed outside the Palace.

Ivelisse gazed at the Orc making its approach to her as soon as Roven left. She smirked and raised her right brow, "Your one big guy, aren't you?"

The orc growls and stomps its feet in the direction of Ivelisse.

Long chains began to emerge from her hands and wrap around the orc's body as the orc approached her.

"Grrr!" the orc growled as it grasped the chain and attempted to break it, but as the orc broke it, a new chain wrapped around it.

The final chain was put around its neck.

Ivelisse tightened the chain wrapped around its neck and pulled it on both sides since she can control it. The orc's neck was slowly cracking as it lost its air, until the chain crushed it.

"Blargh!" Ivelisse covered her mouth because the sight of the giant orc's head made her want to vomit.

'I haven't seen anything so heinous in a long time.'

"Empress!" Ivelisse's knights showed up after defeating the devil creatures outside, "Are you alright, your majesty?"

"Yes, I am. Let's go, there are more creatures inside the Palace, and I despise it when it gets filthy." Ivelisse made such a terrifying look that the knights shivered.

"Are you sure, your majesty?"

"Yes, if you ask again, I'll hang you with chains."

The knights had no choice but to follow their Empress.

...

--- Flashback ---

"But I thought the creatures moved on their own?" Kane inquired.

"They do, but as we all know, the creatures are imprisoned in the forest of Asra. The war that happened years ago ensured that there were no longer any hidden creatures. Most creatures stayed at the Forest of Asra, which is why sorcerers simply erected a barrier, but why are there suddenly reports of creatures from other places? Not only that, but there were only a few creatures."

"That's right..." Kane nodded.

"Now that I think about it, why now? If the creatures were truly under control, why now of all days?" Idris asked, "I know about the demon summoning, but isn't it suspicious?"

"I'm afraid I can't respond to that. Perhaps it waited at the right moment, as if it was waiting for something or... someone. Because creatures are hungry for demons, perhaps the demon they want has grown to the point where it can satisfy their hunger," The old man elaborated.

"I heard that if a creature's demon isn't fully awakened, they won't be able to sense it." One older man cut in.

Nash bit her lower lips, 'So that's why father doesn't want me to use my demon ability. The only thing he did was stop me from getting out of control. But my demon had already awakened when I began to seek assistance from Uncle Vicor and Aunt Terry.'

The atmosphere has descended into quiet. All they could hear was the blaze from the bonfire.

"How come they didn't fire them all while they were all in one place?" Nash questioned, subconsciously, as she stared at the flames.

"The forest of Asra was supposed to be a protected place, but after the previous war, it has been a home for creatures." The elderly man explained, "It's not an easy place to burn."

"That's not the question," They all looked at Jaxael who's been having a deep thought since earlier, "The question should be, 'Who initiated this war?'?"

--- End ---