Teaser: Black smoke skulls
"They're flying back up.'
The Caro Kingdom's crown prince Valentino. He watched as the white skeleton birds that were floating above the Empire's forces fly back up into the sky.
People have read this sentence again.
"Skeletons? Necromancers!"
"What is that cursed being doing there?!"
Mary's eyes began to tremble at these words.
Tasha took the hand of the girl she saw as her niece and gave her a reassuring look. Her eyes were saying 'don't worry, we are here'.
Mary tried to relax.
He could also see light shining down on the faces of the Empire's forces again as the birds had been covering up the son.
That was right. There were too many. Mary wondered if it was really her or someone else.Could there be another necromancer other than her?
"Your highness, I will be on my way as well."
'What? Hilsman?'
Crown prince Valentino watched Vice Captain Hilsman floating up into the sky. Vice Captain! The human said to make sure I don't leave you behind!
Hilsman listened to Raon's voice and thought about his lord that was looking for him.
It was time for him to get involved in the war as well.
War. Hilsman's expression hardened quickly. He took on the appearance of a real soldier.
"This-"
Crown prince Valentino and his knights blankly watched Hilsman fly away.
The Vice Captain no longer had the silly expression on his face as it was replaced with a serious expression fitting a highest-grade expert.
"Please take care of the rest."
"Huh? Why? Am I with them?"
Adin studied Valentino's face. This naive man could not betray him. He was sure of it.
So why did he tell him to handle it?
What would he have done?
Crown prince Valentino returned to his senses as Hilsman quietly whispered to him and quickly started to shout.
"Capture that person! He is a subordinate of the bastard who tried to kill Adin!"
He then looked around.
He made eye contact with Imperial Prince Adin.
Valentino walked toward him with a concerned expression on his face.
He needed to remain as Adin's close friend for now. It was not yet time for Valentino to stab Adin in the back.
"Traitors! The kingdoms are trying to unite and destroy our mighty empire! This was obvious from the very beginning!"
"No... I..."
Valentino was speechless. Why was he eager to stab his best friend in the back?!
Adin, on the other hand, was disappointed. He realized that he wasn't that good at getting to know people.
Alberu, on the other hand, took note of the idea that one of the nobles in the empire had shouted into his mind. If he could convince Valentino, Roan would no longer be the weakest kingdom on the continent.
Clang!
Clang!
"Follow his highness's orders!"
He could hear his subordinates playing along as he urgently rushed toward Adin.
He looked around as he did that.
People looked shocked at this unexpected development.
However, that shock was slowly disappearing from their faces.
Valentino paid close attention to the soldiers, knights, and nobles.
He could see the changes in their expressions.
Fear and disbelief replaced shock.
Black magic and Saint Jack.
"Saint Jack..."
'No way! Those twins couldn't be alive there, could they?'
'That crazy swordsman's brother-!'
"Another traitor, I'm not surprised that this terrorist is here."
If poor Jack had heard this, he would have been very sad. This pure-hearted person was slandered without any fault. But anyway, mud shows up on white things, right?
"My God! What's wrong with you?! Is it the possibility of a terrorist being here or is it black magic?! Which is worse, can't you tell?!"
Angry ever since he was forcefully awakened from his slumber, the gray dragon's shout made people pay attention to him.
As opposed to something forbidden like black magic, a terrorist was indeed a minor matter.
"Humans are really stupid!"
The people of the Empire slowly started to suspect and question things after seeing both of them.
'He is alive'
However, faithful priests who worshiped the Sun God and many inhabitants of the empire could not help but think about it.
People who had never thought that the saint could do such a thing, now began to think of something else.
"What does he mean by 'seeing both'?"
They had seen the black magic. No, the people there were seeing the black magic.
'Amazing.'
Valentino could not hide his shock toward Cale's side. At the same time, he could not help but loathe the Empire even more.
Valentino, who never thought of hating Adin, wondered why.
Why did he hate him so much?
'They've done too many dirty things.'
"Maybe they created those golems using dark magic? What do you say, you bastard? Am I right or am I right?"
The people gasped. The person who said this was none other than the ancient dragon Eruhaben.
This idea put people into chaos. Shouts filled the room.
A minute later, they heard the sound of something breaking. Cale had finally broken the bottle in his hand. Though he would have preferred to break it in front of someone, but that's fine too. At least he didn't regret it.
Some tables were set up for people to have a snack in front of, and Cale had brought this bottle from a side table. Of course, he didn't drink it. He couldn't do it with the kids.
After Cale's move, people's voices gradually turned down. They tried to refocus on the movie-like events shown on the screen and what was written next to it. They didn't know how they were watching the two of them together, but somehow everyone could see them both at first glance.
So things were more comfortable.
He started to speak to Adin who was touching his neck.
"Are you okay?"
Adin slightly nodded his head and started to shout toward the other side.
"Do not let the enemy's words shake you!"
The Empire's forces looked toward him, even though his words could not stop their shaking hearts.
"Why is alchemy black magic? It is the pillar that has supported the Empire for hundreds of years! Don't forget that it was the only place to reach out to help the children of the slums!"
"So you used poor human children in the slums for black magic?!"
Mila, who has a child, could not stand it.
'You goddamn bastard.'
While thinking about the ancient dragon's theory, Alberu had taken into account the slum children, and was prepared for these words. Everyone knew how the empire gathered the children in the slums and took them to teach alchemy, or did other things to lend a helping hand.
But it could just be a lie.
The words of the one they had always trusted clashed with what a dragon said.
The imperial inhabitants did not know what to believe.
The chaos died down a bit.
The children of the slums and Honte who was the evidence of the program's success. Honte was alive and well as he shouted from next to the Imperial Prince.
"I just used regular magic. The mages here would have felt an evil aura if it was black magic!"
The people could see the mages nodding their heads. The Captain of the Mage Brigade spoke up.
"It was not black magic."
"Isn't Honte himself from a slum? Why would he lie?"
"Shut up! Please!"
Someone who could not bear all this spoke as if he had come to the end.
It was a black arrow, but it did not have that unique evil aura of black magic. He also did not detect any dead mana. The testimony of the Mage Brigade Captain who had been nearby calmed the chaos down.
"I came here to repay the Empire for the grace it has shown me!"
Honte continued to shout.
The Imperial Prince had a rare look of urgency as he started to shout. His shout woke everyone up from their shock.
"We are currently on the battlefield! We must get rid of them in order to survive!"
In order to survive.
That phrase jerked people out of their shock.
"Knights, raise your swords! Soldiers, pick up your weapons!"
Adin actively moved around to rally the troops. The Empire's forces returned to their original alert selves thanks to his efforts.
However, the questions and suspicions had not disappeared.
Adin continued to shout.
"Golems and mages obliterate those evil enemies!"
Enemies.
He was talking about Cale's group up in the sky.
'Cale's group. They seem to have learned about Cale.'
Cale also changed his strategy.
'Aigoo... I feel like my head hurts... We can't win if we fight the Empire. Even without those golems, we would've lost... and now...'
Alberu despaired.
At the center of Cale's group... Cale was standing on top of the largest white skeleton bird.
Crackle. Crackle.
Fire and light were clashing around his body.
Fire...People would see someone wielding an ancient power for the first time. They also wanted to see how an intimidating power could be used even when heard like fire.
It prevented Cale's group from approaching him as well. Choi Han got goosebumps on his arms. He could feel a strong power coming from Cale. He subconsciously asked a question.
There was no ancient power in the current Cale. Those who wanted to measure how strong the others were when they first entered the room knew this.
The current Cale is weak.
"Cale-nim, are you okay?"
Cale looked toward the pale Choi Han.
'He was almost bewitched?'
'Bewitched? Me?'
Raon had told Cale that Choi Han was almost bewitched by the black despair. Cale tried to nod his head to say he was fine. Someone interjected at that moment.
The presence of black magic there was proven by the little dragon.
But people thought of something else.
'Can black magic bewitched someone?'
"Cale-nim! That must be a new power! Cale-nim, I really can't figure out your limits! Look at this beautiful flame! It is more beautiful and marvelous than the sun!"
'Are you kidding?'
Clopeh was utterly shocked.
His acquaintances and Alberu and Adin, who saw him like this, also looked in disbelief.
'Ah, Clopeh.'
Cale ignored the voice of the crazy bastard. He could see that Saint Jack looked shocked after hearing what Clopeh just said, however, he ignored that as well and started to speak.
Oh...the poor Saint's face was hilarious. It was obvious he wasn't expecting anything like that.
For someone who was said to be a terrorist, he looked too innocent.
People are starting to wonder if St. Jack really did such a thing. If he didn't, why would someone try to get rid of him and the holy virgin?
"Golems will probably appear in the Jungle as well."
"What..?"
Litana and the forest folk could only imagine what a disaster this would be. It would have been terrible. It's a total massacre.
The smile on Clopeh's face quickly disappeared.
Jungle and golems.
A terrible sight filled his mind already.
"That is why Miss Litana is currently retreating to their capital, Section 7."
'I'm not even where they are!'
Desperation came over Litana's face. She wanted to kill Adin right now. But she did not want to incur the wrath of a god. But the first thing she would do when they got home from here would be to have Ten cut off her head.
Choi Han responded first after Cale was finished. He recalled the black liquid and urgently added on.
"Cale-nim! A large number of people will die if that black liquid or golems sweep away the Jungle!"
The Jungle did not have many mages or alchemists.
They had a majority of strong warriors who were strong in close combat rather than distance attacks, meaning they would probably get hit by that black liquid if any of the Golems' cores blew up.
Furthermore, there were a lot of citizens there as well.
"We need to stop that first!"
Choi Han flinched after shouting with a state of urgency.
"Of course, it is important to capture the Imperial Prince right now as well!"
It was important for his side to win.
However, Choi Han was listening to the voices of the people within the black despair. That was why he said the following.
Those who saw Choi Han's indecisive and terrified face could understand why he was acting like this without even having to listen to what he was saying.
"We cannot allow that thing to attack people or reach the forest! We need to save the people first!"
He could see a cold gaze in Cale's eyes at that moment. He was giving off a vibe that was hard to approach as he stood there surrounded by fire and light.
'Was I too emotional?'
'I was.'
Choi Han thought calmly.
It was the moment Choi Han had that thought on his mind.
"Calm down."
Cale calmly responded back.
"Do you think I don't know that?"
'Ah, he's his usual self.'
Choi Han noticed that Cale was his usual self even though he was giving off a different vibe.
That was why he was looking forward to what Cale would say next. Cale started to speak as soon as Hilsman landed on the white skeleton bird.
"I will now give out the orders."
Cale's voice would be heard on the white skeleton birds as well as on Maple Castle through the video communication device. Cale started to smile as he knew that would be the case. Human! What are you going to do? What do I have to do?
'What am I going to do?'
There was just one thing Cale was planning on doing.
"A shit show."
"Hmm?"
"Did he lose his mind...?"
For some reason this seemed like a very scary thing to people.
"Excuse me?"
"Cale-nim?" Young master Cale, what do you mean? Human! You're going to create a shit show? I want to do it too!
"Awww so cuteee"
Rosalin couldn't help but say it as she clasped her hands to her cheek.
"This is what this ancient dragon sees in its final moments..."
Eruhaben felt his breath suffocate when he heard that a dragon was called 'cute' in an untruthful, sincere way.
Everyone responded differently. However, the majority of them were confused.
On the other hand, Cale was putting things in simple terms.
He would properly destroy everything.
"Can he destroy those golems?"
Cale was someone who accomplished the things he planned on doing.
That was why he changed roles with his group for the first time.
Cale had always been at the back. He always left other people to launch the attack.
Wasn't this their first war?
People didn't know what to think.
However, it was different this time.
Cale continued to speak.
"Support me."
He would be at the center of this operation.
They should have all understood as they were all intelligent people. Young master Cale!
Rosalyn called out to him with concern while Choi Han's mouth opened and closed multiple times as he didn't know what to say. Cale patted the pale Choi Han's shoulder and calmly continued to speak.
'I'm there too'
'Why am I not there? Or am I the one who died this time?'
Lock thought to himself.
"This is something I have to do."
Choi Han was almost bewitched by the black despair. That meant that he needed to keep Choi Han out of the battle.
It would be great if Mary could help, however, she would only have a low impact.
What should Mary have said?
What should she feel?
There he was the necromancer who helped Cale and his group.
Did she finally get out?
How did she know Cale?
Is Mary over there really herself?
What's the odds of it being another necromancer Mary?
Even though her mind was chaotic, the girl who looked like she had nothing on the outside just remained silent.
He needed something that would make a great impact.
Fire that burns evil.
All of the Empire's citizens as well as the Whipper Kingdom's citizens needed to see it.
This could end up becoming a continental war in the end after all.
Those words were enough to freeze their blood. It's not just a war, it's a continental war. There will be too many, too many dead.
"Cale-nim-"
The group looked toward him. Cale started to speak as Saint Jack looked at him with his hands together to pray.
"Everybody dodge."
"Excuse me?"
Cale calmly added on when Vice Captain Hilsman blankly asked back.
"I don't think I can control myself today."
"Can't he control the ancient power...?"
Bud muttered quietly.
"...Excuse me?"
Cale kicked off the ground while everybody stood there in confusion.
"Raon!" Sigh, alright, human!
The human surrounded in rose gold light started to freely fly in the sky. It was thanks to Raon's magic.
Cale could see the white skeleton birds flying as he did that.
They were not flying toward the golems.
"Smart bastard."
People tried to figure out whether Cale was praising Clopeh or burying him whenever he mentioned it.
Cale started to smile while thinking about Clopeh.
He slowly headed down.
Tens of spells were flying over his head.
"As I expected."
Rosalyn was smart as well.
Rosalin's brother frowned at this compliment. His older sister wasn't just smart, she was a genius!
The spells that she had the Whipper Kingdom's mages launch were moving in the same direction as the white skeleton birds.
"Ha?!"
Many people couldn't help but tremble when Tonka suddenly raised his voice to such an extent.
"Our wizards?!"
Harol was also in shock. How did they have a wizard?
Or had they failed to win the battle with the mages on that side?
Baaaaang! Baaaaang! Bang!
The hundreds of spells from the Empire headed toward the white skeleton birds and the Whipper Kingdom's spells.
It was only possible thanks to that.
Cale could peacefully get face to face with the golems.
He looked toward Maple Castle. He could see an angry Rosalyn as well as Mary, Toonka, and Harol next to her.
'It's me...'
When Mary finally saw herself, she was able to confirm this.
They were supporting him as he had ordered.
They were making it so that Cale could take on the golems alone.
Cale commented as if he was sighing.
"I told you to support me."
"Guarding you is my way of supporting you, Cale-nim." He's right! I will support you like that too! Weak human, I can't help it because I am worried!
Choi Han and Raon were in the air with Cale.
'Oh, I went with him...'
Cale sighed and looked down.
"He, hehe-"
He then started to laugh.
Those large golems were looking up at him.
No, they were aiming for him. He could see the pilots as well. They were the ones who made these golems.
Cale slowly opened his arms. Can you hear it?
"This one speaks too"
Although Bud was no longer surprised by this, he wondered why.
What ancient power could speak to its owner?
So he decided to ask directly.
"Well...God sir, how can he hear the voice of the ancient powers? That's not normal, is it? Or am I the abnormal one?"
Gleen immediately smashed one in the back of Bud's head.
"You disrespectful bastard! Where's your etiquette-"
Gleen, who was angrily whispering this between his teeth, fell silent when he heard someone's voice.
[He can hear because the powers are not fully fused with his soul. And it is not normal to hear the voice of the ancient powers.]
"Thank you god sir!"
Everyone could do nothing but watch with their mouths open.
The Fire of Destruction asked.
"I can."
Cale could hear it as the golems got closer. It sounded like the cries of a large number of people. They were stuck inside the large golems' bodies and unable to leave.
He could hear it in here. Lily covered her ears, she couldn't stand it.
Cale also frowned.
Many people had a similar reaction.
There were the cries of Sir Rex's siblings, the children from the slums, and even the Roan Kingdom's citizens who were sold as slaves. They were all here.
Albertu was shocked.
"Adin! How dare you do this to the citizens of my kingdom?!"
In a not too loud but clear tone, spewing all the hatred inside him, Alberu added.
"You will pay for this."
The Fire of Destruction continued on. I had to hear my parents' cry like this in the past. My parents were captured inside the golems as well.
The tragic past of someone who lived in ancient times. His family too was once killed by such human-like creatures.
The people there didn't know how to feel.
My parents had given their everything for me.
He had a loving family.
The Fire of Destruction had received so many things from his parents. He had to pay back as much as he had received.
Also, the owner of ancient power was a son who thought of his family.
That was the reason he had gone crazy, as well as the reason he needed to save the Western continent. He needed to become someone his parents could be proud of. I am someone who needs to burn up and disappear.
The last words of the ancient power settled in the hearts of the people.
This man who lost his family, this man who was once a hero, was a grieving person who wished the worst for himself.
The western continent seemed to have seen terrible days in ancient times as well.
But no one here knew about it.
Ancient times were a period that no one knew about, which was erased from history.
But now they were listening to the story of someone who lived in those times.
They felt complicated.
The fire continued to speak. But I will not burn alone.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cale slowly felt his heart beating faster as he closed his eyes.
The last thing he saw were the concerned expressions on the faces of his friends before his eyes fully closed.
He could only see darkness.
The voice of the fire appeared in his mind again. The things that need to burn with me are in front of me! Use me!
The ancient power was screaming wildly. Even if he died, he wanted to take this scum with him and die.
Even if those here wanted to know more about this ancient power user, they probably wouldn't be able to.
Cale decided to run wild for today.
He didn't know the limits of the Fire of Destruction just yet.
But why would a trash need to think about something like that?
'I just do whatever I feel like doing.'
Sometimes, doing what your heart told you to do was the right answer.
Ruuuumble.
The sky started to cry.
Choi Han looked up at the clear sky and clenched his sword on instinct. He could hear Raon's voice. It's coming. Choi Han, the fire is coming. The real fire is coming.
Raon's voice was shaking.
What were the limits of this power that caused the little dragon's voice to shaking? Did it even exist?
Raon subconsciously shouted in everyone's minds. Dodge! We need shields!
Cale's group heard the cry of the sky as they flinched at Raon's warning.
Ruuuuuuumble- Ruuuuuuuumble-
It was extremely loud.
The entire sky seemed to be rumbling.
"Follow me!"
Clopeh quickly led the white skeleton birds away while Rosalyn started to shout.
"Shield! Create as many shields as possible!"
A silver shield was created in front of Maple Castle at that moment. It was Raon's shield.
Cale slowly opened his eyes at that moment.
He could hear the Fire of Destruction's voice. Give it all you got.
Cale started to speak. Destroy it.
"Destroy it."
It was at that moment.
The sky became dyed red.
It was as if the sky had become dyed in blood.
However, it was not that the sky had changed color.
"W, what is that?"
The Empire's forces had plopped down on the ground.
It was the moment a beautiful gold light touched on the red thing in the sky.
A fearsome and holy light appeared in the sky as if a god was punishing them.
The sky split open.
No, that rose gold light struck down to the ground.
The light that was faster than sound flashed in front of everyone's eyes.
The sound soon followed
Baaaaaaaaaang!
Baaaaang! Baaaaaang!
It was a beautiful sight, though terrifying.
Tens of fiery thunderbolts landed on the ground. It covered the battlefield where the golems were standing.
"Ah-"
Rosalyn subconsciously stepped back and grabbed onto a pillar on the tower.
She could not breathe.
She could feel the pressure through the Dragon's silver shield.
"T, that is the true power of young master Cale's fire?"
Fire was the only thing she could see.
A fire with a gold tint to it. That fire burned strong as it shot up toward the sky.
Baaaaaang! Baaaaang!
He then saw it.
The large black golems were starting to break.
They were being destroyed.
'No! No! No! No!'
Adin and the others were shouting inside.
They were disappearing without leaving any traces.
All their hard work...so many people...all wasted!
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
"Aaaah!"
The pilots in the golem's cockpits tried to activate the emergency eject plan.
However, everything was already melting.
"How did the golems melt by fire?!"
These strong existences that were even strong against aura were being melted by a fire.
The golem pilots were trying their best to escape.
It was at that moment.
They started to hear something else.
Screeeeeech- screeeeeeech-
Screeeech- Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech-
Then the black smoke shot up.
The fire melted the golems and their cores.
Neither the Empire's forces nor the Whipper Kingdom's forces could see the enemy formation anymore.
All they could see was fire.
They could not even tell where the sky ended and the ground began as they could only see fire.
The golems were burning inside that fire.
The anger of the ancient power holder who had lost his family to golems had punished them.
How much pain must he have suffered to hold so much grudges?
"H, how terrible."
Plop.
One of the Empire's nobles landed on their butt.
Screeeeeech- Screeeeeeeeech!
Screeeech! Screeeeeeech!
A cry that was worlds apart from earlier started to appear again as the golems melted.
The black smoke caught people's attention at that moment.
"...People, people-!"
The soldiers started to shake in fear.
It was the same for most people here.
The black smoke took the shape of a skull.
The alchemists in the cockpits could see this as well. It felt as if the eyes of those black smoke skulls were looking at them.
They heard the cries of the people who died by their hands while they saw these black smoke skulls staring at them.
The pilots could not help but plop down on the ground. The fire spread to their bodies but they could not move.
They could see a devil looking at them from behind the skull's eyes.
No, they could see the destroyer.
It was a man with hair as red as blood. Cale Henituse.
He was looking down from the sky with a cold gaze in his eyes.
One of the pilots started to mumble.
"I, it's over......"
The Empire and the Whipper Kingdom.
Neither could see the enemy anymore.
All they could see was a suffocating sea of fire. There was also the rising black skulls and the terrible screech.
In a word, it was terrible.
But most importantly, there was Cale Henituse, the person at the center of it all.
English is not my native language. I'm trying to fix spelling mistakes.
Don't forget to comment and vote if you like it <3