"Hey, Shion! It's starting! Are you there?"

  Almodea asked, heating up some popcorn in the microwave.

  "Here I am, Lady Almodea!"

  The Oni answered her, sitting on the couch. They were the only ones in the house at the time. Hirashi and Huna had also been invited, but unfortunately, they were busy with some business in the city. The white giantess was busy training Zed and his expedition group, while the Sacred Priestess was teaching the female goblins the beauty of cooking and sewing. Many were drawn to Huna's domestic skills, which for them were an extreme luxury. Although the absence of these two guests reduced the number of people present, Almodea still found herself happy to spend time with Shion.

  "Are you ready? Mom said Daddy's going to the lizardmen soon! I don't want to miss anything! I want to see what he does and learn from him!"

  Almodea declared elatedly, casting a far-field vision spell on the Combust village as she had done before. Despite the couch having plenty of room, she sat directly on Shion's strong legs, placing her right arm around the Oni's neck for support before leaning on her shoulder.

  “I’m so excited too, Lady Almodea!”

  Shion declared back, holding her mistress tightly, unfazed by the closeness between their bodies; she was used to that kind of intimacy by now.

  “This is the first time I will see the Great Almodeus! We Oni haven't had the honor of meeting him, but Gurd has told us he's very powerful. Is that true?”

  "Oh, yes! One of these days I'll take you to the tower and show you our memorabilia room! It's full of weapons from beings who thought they could defeat him..."

  Almodea made an amused expression, then giggled like a naughty child.

  “...They were just poor idiots!”

  "May I ask you a question, Lady Almodea?"

  "Hm? Of course! What is it?"

  "It's about Lady Hirashi. I don't mean to disrespect her, but why is she always so...cold?"

  Shion asked with concern. She had voluntarily undergone intensive training under Hirashi, so she often spent her mornings with the other woman. She couldn't help but notice her stoic demeanor and was worried. She feared something was troubling her teacher.

  "Long story! Simply put, she had a rough childhood! Let's just say she was bred to kill, but trust me when I say she's much more emotional now than when I first met her! She even smiles sometimes!"

  Almodea's sunny response cheered Shion up, and she realized she had been worrying needlessly.

  "All thanks to your presence, right?"

  "Also! Let's just say I help her understand some emotions, and in return she teaches me how to be a badass!"

  The young demon puffed out her chest, happy with her improvement. She'd never dreamed of managing a city and actually doing a good job, even though she spent most of her time hanging out with Shion or her succubi. Speaking of the succubi, they'd been hired as the city manager of Almy. They essentially handled correspondence and organized the paperwork that Almodea would then have to sort out.

  They're doing well in this environment. Before, they were just prostitutes, after all.

  Bela, Daniela, and Cassandra had revealed to her that, before being summoned by Almodeus, they had been working for a higher demon in the hell of that world. They were obviously prostitutes, and the work paid well, but it was a dangerous profession, with violent clients and abuse. From what Almodea had gathered, the hell of that world wasn't a realm of damnation, but rather a spiritual one—a kind of sub-dimension, to put it simply. The three succubi were very happy to have been summoned and named; that filthy place wasn't for them.

  Who would have thought that sex experts would be comfortable handling correspondence...

  Almodea was lost in thought. She was spending little time with the succubi due to their busy schedules—and the fact that she was practically always with Shion. They woke up together, had breakfast together, and even slept in the same bed after a healthy anime marathon. What more could she want from life?

  "For me, you're already a badass, Lady Almodea!"

  Shion declared confidently, wrapping her arms around her mistress's belly. Her words had brought the young demoness, lost in thought, back to reality. Almodea flapped her wings three times, a sign she was appreciating the compliment.

  "Nahhh! I'm beautiful, that's for sure..."

  She stated, smiling and pressing a kiss to Shion's neck, while simultaneously rubbing her forehead against the other woman's chin.

  “...But I don't have the body I consider a badass. You, on the other hand...are stunning!”

  Almodea planted another kiss on her secretary, this time on the cheek. Shion, accustomed to that kind of affection, simply smiled and let herself be cuddled. She would never interrupt or reject her mistress's advances. She found them a little strange, given the Master-Servant dynamic that was supposed to exist between them, but she wouldn't dare question the young demoness's wishes. Besides, she adored all the attention. No one had ever looked and kissed her like Almodea did—how could she refuse them?

  “Thank you for your kind words, mistress.”

  “You’re welcome, my beautiful Shion. Oh, it’s starting!”

  Almodea's eyes lit up when she saw black clouds appear over the village shown on the magic screen. Unfortunately, their joy was short-lived, as unexpected interference soon began, making it impossible to see the scene clearly.

  "Oh, right...Dad has some defensive abilities that prevent anyone from spying on him without his consent. I can't get around them either."

  Almodea snorted at the thought. She knew those specific abilities were useful for avoiding giving out information, but she found them unnecessary. She always forgot to activate them, despite promising her father otherwise. Realizing she couldn't do anything in the situation, Almodea decided to opt for something else.

  "Shall we watch a movie?"

  "What is a movie?"

  "I have much to teach you, my beautiful Shion..."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  22nd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 1:30 PM

  Less than four days after the battle against the undead army, dark clouds once again covered the fortified village of Combust. One might have attributed it to meteorological madness, like rain when it's sunny outside. However, that wasn't the case. As if from nowhere, hundreds and hundreds of undead appeared, armed and ready for a new battle.

  The size of the new army was astonishing, far surpassing the previous one by more than the double: the first five lines of undead infantry were made up of skeletons equipped with full, jet-black armor, their helmets exposing only part of their bony faces. The next lines were made up of zombies in red armor. Each undead soldier wielded a longsword and a large, massive shield. Flanking the army were over a thousand Skeleton Knights, armed with enchanted weaponry of the highest order. Finally, the last four lines of the undead formation were undead equipped with enchanted longbows. It was a powerful and fearsome formation, and all the soldiers had one thing in common: a huge red A inscribed in a red circle on their chests—the same symbol Druso had seen after Scratcher's death and engraved on Darkbright's shield.

  "Are they back already?! B-But it's too early!"

  Tiberio commented, astonished. How could the enemy have such a vast force conjured up out of nowhere? But above all, if they had it in the first place, why not use it immediately? And if they could summon them onto the battlefield as if nothing had happened, why hadn't the previous army followed the same tactic? Why deploy at a distance and set up a poorly guarded camp to allow them to spy on them and gain valuable information? Nothing made sense to him.

  "Hey, Druso, did you notice too?"

  Kan asked, sitting on the walls with his friend. He was referring to the undead's weapons. They weren't great magicians, but even to their inexperienced eyes, it was clear that this new army's arsenal was top-notch—perhaps even on par with the relics of the Six Heroes.

  "Enchanted Armaments..."

  The wanderer muttered under his breath, before looking at Lulu. The druid looked terrified, and rightly so; what ruler could afford all that enchanted equipment? Even for dwarves, the finest blacksmiths known on the face of the planet, it would have been difficult to arm so many soldiers in just four days. Moreover, the enemies were undead, not exactly easy to summon in such large numbers, regardless of the level.

  "What's wrong, Lulu? Are you all right?"

  Kan asked.

  Is that even a question? An army of undead before us, that's what's wrong!

  Druso glared at the monk, then approached his beloved. He could understand her fear—he, too, felt his scales tremble under the pressure of the situation. They had barely defeated an army of thirty thousand low-level undead; how could they defeat an army twice as large and likely four times as powerful? Even he, the proud lizardmen's best strategist, had no idea.

  "Hey...everything's going to be okay."

  He placed a hand on her shoulder, showing her support and comfort.

  “We have faced too much to die now—we will fight to the end and emerge victorious. Every great army has a weakness, and I am sure this is no exception.”

  The druid seemed to snap out of her trance at those calm, confident words. Lulu tried to compose herself, shaking her head vigorously and taking slow, deep breaths. She'd reasoned the same way as Druso, but she'd failed to find any weakness in the enemy's ranks. Her terror and anxiety were the result of the resulting loss of hope once she'd failed to find a flaw in the enemy.

  "An army like this—accompanied by this weather and freezing wind—reminds me of tales of the God of Death..."

  She admitted, still shaking.

  "The God of Death?"

  Kan asked skeptically. He didn't believe in gods or anything like that. He wasn't an atheist, but he refused to bow his head before creatures he'd never met. Someone like him would only believe in a God after losing to one in combat.

  "Yes, Arcadeus! The God of Death and Discord of the Theocracy of Reia. In legend, he was said to have an army of undead, and that darkness followed him wherever he went, bringing a wind as cold as the embrace of death itself."

  The druid replied, observing the army on the horizon. During the hearing before the war, many had dismissed the possibility that the one who had started the conflict, a demon named Almodeus, was actually the Theocracy's God of Death, Arcadeus. Even Druso had agreed with that statement: they were facing a God? It seemed impossible to him. However, now seeing that massive, empowered army and time bending to the enemy's will, he had begun to believe that- perhaps- Almodeus was indeed a God.

  "This spell could be the same one used by that Hirashi you told me about, Druso. What do you think, my friend?"

  Kan commented, watching the clouds in the sky grow darker and darker.

  "Is this the work of their Absolute Lord?"

  Sakka suggested, approaching the group with Shark. They had conducted a reconnaissance and concluded that the enemy troops were only in front of the village. No one was actively preventing their escape, something no one could really explain. Even if they had only used a tenth of their forces, the enemy would still have been able to stop them easily. Why weren't they attacking?

  "If he really had such power, he would be on a par with a God..."

  Lulu added, starting to shiver from the cold. The possibility came back to her that the enemy ruler, the supposed demon named Almodeus, was none other than Arcadeus, the God of Death reincarnated. She was skeptical at first, but faced with all that dark power, she quickly began to change her mind.

  "Or one of those dark deities faced by the gods of the Theocracy over seven hundred years ago. I knew they and the Seven Great Sins were all dead. Could he be a survivor? But why show himself now?!"

  Druso shook his head and stopped speaking, then embraced Lulu and offered her warmth, trying to reassure her as he did so. It was unlikely that one of the dark deities who had fought in the great war seven hundred years before was still alive, so why remain hidden until now? Why target the Dark Jade and not the Theocracy?

  "Don't be afraid!"

  Tiberio's shouts reached Druso's ears. His words were directed more at the soldiers behind him than at the heroes, even though everyone was feeling uncertainty and terror at that moment. But who could blame them? They were facing someone they couldn't even understand, let alone defeat!

  If he has all this power, I'm not surprised he's called Absolute by his underlings.

  A cold shiver ran down Druso's spine. The lizardman slapped his forehead a few times to try to regain his composure. He'd known he was facing an incredible enemy ever since a terrifying being like Hirashi had declared herself his servant. He needed to calm down and figure out how to deal with this new threat—this wasn't the time, nor the place, to indulge in doubt or fear.

  "We must not disappoint the spirits of our ancestors who have watched over us! Whatever happens, we will fight with our heads held high!"

  Tiberio finished angrily, then turned to his younger brother. Druso shook his head and became serious again, trying not to reveal his feelings to the others. If Druso were seen to be hesitant, the war would be lost immediately.

  "How's it going?"

  "For now they are stopped and-"

  Druso's words caught in his throat as he saw the enemy formation begin to move. It seemed as if they had been waiting for his comment on purpose; if it was a joke, it wasn't funny at all. Still, the undead didn't seem eager to attack them for some reason.

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  The front lines of the formation parted, making room for a massive being who stood before the undead army. He wore an elegant black suit, his torso draped in a cloak as dark as night. His face was barely visible beneath the large top hat he wore. On his chest, the familiar red letter inscribed in a circle could be glimpsed through the opening in his cloak, but his A wasn't static like the one on the soldiers' armor—it pulsated like a heart beating strongly and healthily.

  The lizard soldiers seemed surprised by the sight of such a creature. They couldn't tell what kind of monster it was, but they were sure it was strong, given the enormous aura of power it exuded. Druso tried to compare that astonishing aura to that possessed by Scratcher, but quickly realized the futility of doing so; it would be like comparing the height of an ant to a mountain.

  The dark figure raised its head slightly. Its blood-red right eye became visible. It seemed to contain the void itself—as if to indicate that the being was watching all those on the walls or hidden behind them. The message was clear: no one would escape it.

  "Is it him? Their Absolute Lord?"

  Would he be the one that Hirashi was talking about...the one for whom no cruelty is too great?

  Druso swallowed, noticing that the figure in the distance had raised his right hand. It was clearly visible even at such a great distance, due to its red color and the incredible energy that limb alone seemed to release. A single movement had been enough to cause anxiety even in the most fearless soldiers of the lizardmen armies.

  Snap!

  A sound like the snapping of fingers rang out across the area. At that moment, a huge red A appeared in the sky, directly above the cloaked figure. It was a massive seal, large enough to block out the sun, had it not already been obscured by the pitch-black clouds from moments earlier.

  "And what the hell is that thing?!"

  Druso turned to the others, desperately trying to figure out if anyone knew the meaning of that strange symbol their enemy was so obsessed with. He'd never seen it in any of his many wanderings. He no longer cared about appearing confident; ever since that monster in black had appeared, his heartbeat hadn't stopped accelerating—he'd reached a point where he believed he might die of a heart attack at any moment.

  "I have no idea, but the power it releases is greater than any other!"

  Lulu replied, terrified. Being a druid, she was one of the few who truly understood how powerful that black-clad being was. She was shaking like a leaf, and she had every right to be. The magic before her far surpassed the level 4 magic she was capable of using. They were facing a powerful spellcaster, there was no longer any doubt about it.

  “Hey! Look!”

  A shout from one of the soldiers drew everyone's attention to the glowing A in the sky. From its center, a powerful red beam erupted, turning all the dirty swamp water into a sticky, black liquid resembling ink.

  "Get out of the water! Quickly!"

  Tiberio's cries brought the soldiers stationed outside the walls back. They had no idea whether the strange black liquid was poisonous or not—and they were in no position to risk death to find out. Anyone who had come into contact with it was immediately taken to the Druids, who, however, could not determine what it was. They had never seen anything like it.

  "I have no more doubts, now. I am certain that is their Absolute Lord."

  Kan commented, his tone calm and analytical. While he felt fear too, he wasn't one to show it.

  "Maybe you're right..."

  Druso answered him.

  "Oh, that's certainly true! In the eyes of such a monster, we'll be nothing more than stinking midges!"

  As soon as Kan finished speaking, everyone's attention fell on the enemy army's last lines. Undead soldiers—shields slung over their shoulders—began advancing, passing Almodeus and entering the black waters. They knelt one by one, in six parallel lines, one after the other, stopping only halfway across the swamp.

  "But...what are they even doing?! They're building...a bridge? B-But for whom?"

  Druso was at a loss for words. What were those soldiers trying to do? Why not just attack? What good is a bridge if the water isn't deep?

  It was at that moment that a second line of soldiers, those in red armor, advanced, splitting into two parallel lines, one to the right and one to the left. They each brandished a flag and held it high as they advanced through the water, using the other undead as a bridge to reach the middle of the swamp.

  "I-I don't believe it..."

  Druso was speechless, especially when he saw the red-armored soldiers hoisting their banners, bearing a red A on a black background as their crest. At that moment, Almodeus began moving toward them, using the soldiers' shields as a platform to step over the marshy lands.

  "Are they clearing the way for their Lord? All those troops just for that?!"

  The wanderer couldn't believe his adversary could afford such a waste. They could have thrown arrows or stones at him, but he doubted they would have any effect, other than further antagonizing this powerful adversary. The more he saw him move, the faster Druso's heartbeat.

  Impossible...

  Once Almodeus reached the end of the bridge, the tainted water of the swamp began to boil. A gigantic red hand emerged from nowhere, towering over the small village. The lizard soldiers' hearts all skipped a beat at the sight; that hand was so large it could crush their village without even trying.

  The enormous limb rested on the ground, its fingers pointing toward the lizardmen, almost as if forming a sort of platform. In its palm rested a large black throne. Almodeus sat upon it, accompanied by two enormous monsters in armor and armed with swords, who had also emerged from the ominous swamp.

  “T-Those are Black Knights!”

  “Are those a big deal?”

  “How do you not know, Kan?! They're legendary monsters!”

  Druso couldn't believe his eyes as they peered at the two knights guarding their sovereign. The hunter's words couldn't hide the terror he felt. The Black Knights were known to be extremely powerful monsters—virtually invincible. The Six Heroes were certain that those two behemoths alone could devastate the entire lizardmen army.

  Is he a being so powerful that even monsters from legend serve him?! How is this possible?! Who is this Almodeus?! Could he really be... a God?

  A few seconds later, dozens of red crows emerged from the black waters of the swamp. The birds of prey immediately headed toward Combust's village, like a hungry flock. The lizard soldiers readied their arrows, but Sakka gave the order not to open fire: the situation was extremely delicate, and they must not give the enemy a pretext to attack them prematurely.

  "We bring you the words of the Absolute!"

  One of the birds of prey in the flock announced.

  "He wishes to confer with you!"

  Another one added.

  “Rejoice! It's a great honor!”

  "Let your representatives appear before him immediately!"

  “The Absolute does not like to waste time!”

  One of them concluded, before leading the others towards Almodeus. Black tentacles emerge from the demon's back and head towards the crows. The birds of prey head towards the long limbs, disappearing inside them as they open like blooming flowers. After devouring each bird, the tentacles also disappeared, reentering their master's body.

  "Those creatures...Served only as messengers?"

  Druso commented, astonished. They had been underestimated by the enemy in the previous battle, but the lizardmen hadn't realized they'd made the same mistake after the victory. How could they even think they had a chance against such a being?

  We were foolish! He sent such a weak army the first time because he knew he had already won!

  "Brother..."

  Tiberio interrupted his thoughts, approaching him from behind.

  "Do you want to accompany me to the hearing?"

  She asked him, not hiding the fear in her voice. If even a great hero like the eldest Senshi was trembling with fear, then the lizardmen had truly reached the end of their tether.

  "Yes! I would follow you to the death, brother!"

  Druso responded promptly. Before taking any step, he turned to Lulu, who was begging him with her eyes not to go. She was certain she would never see him again if she left the fort. She couldn't afford to lose him.

  “Don't go, Druso! Please!”

  "I can't leave my brother alone."

  "But-"

  "I promise I'll be back!"

  He concluded, kissing her forehead. With that, the two brothers descended from the walls and began walking along the inky waters, heading toward Almodeus. The black liquid was sticky to the touch, but not toxic. A shiver ran down Druso's spine when he noticed a spot bubbling—it pulsed as if it were the vein of a living being.

  Disgusting...

  As the two heroes walked away, Lulu could do nothing but fall to her knees and pray to the Crimson Dragon. Divine help was needed to save them from this war. She could feel her heart pounding so hard it might catch in her throat.

  “Be careful...Druso!”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Forgive me for asking you to come with me, brother.”

  Tiberio declared, turning his face slightly toward his younger brother. If they had died because of an enemy trap, he would never forgive himself. As long as he was the one taking the risk, it was fine, but if his choices led to Druso's death...

  "No, you did well."

  The other declared, in a serious tone.

  “Given their numbers, they might have been offended if they saw you going alone.”

  The vagabond declared, before hearing a large splash behind him: something had leapt from the walls and landed behind them. Heavy footsteps came closer and closer—it sounded like a herd of emus was charging them.

  "Hey! You two won't have all the fun!"

  Kan shouted, reaching them.

  "What are you doing here?!"

  Druso asked curiously. He didn't understand why his friend had followed them.

  "Because—if I really have to die—I want to do it alongside my best friends! What a question!"

  The monk's words made the two brothers smile, bringing a hint of cheerfulness to that dark moment. Kan was like that, a pesky, dull-witted lizard-man, but a great friend. Tiberio was happy to have the two of them by his side in what he assumed would be his final moments.

  “Okay, you can come.”

  He stated in a harsh tone, but still letting a smile show.

  “Now let's go, before their Absolute Lord gets angry...”

  “Absolute Lord...What a shitty name.”

  Kan's blunt, unrestrained comment made the two brothers laugh, before the mood suddenly turned serious. They were almost there before they reached Almodeus. They had to be respectful enough to negotiate peace, even though Tiberio doubted it would end well for them either way.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  When they reached about ten meters from Almodeus, a small walkway appeared over the water, allowing the three to climb up to dry land. They were still lower than the enemy, a sign of who was truly in command in that situation.

  At least he doesn't want to humiliate us...not too much, at least.

  Tiberio stepped forward and positioned himself less than three meters from Almodeus, indicating to the Absolute Lord that he was the leader of the lizardmen expedition. At that point, he decided to present himself to the enemy confidently, yet without appearing arrogant.

  "I am Tiberio Senshi, one of the Six Heroes! I come to you accompanied by my brother Druso Senshi—the strongest of our race—and my faithful friend, Kan Monk!"

  "It's a pleasure to meet you..."

  The demon replied calmly, watching them with his bloodshot eyes.

  "I am Almodeus Fearterror! Demon of Fear and Absolute Lord!"

  The sovereign introduced himself politely, gesturing dramatically with his right hand.

  "First of all, thank you for entertaining me during the battle a few days ago. My daughter found it very entertaining, and for that I can only be grateful!"

  He continued, surprising his interlocutors by mentioning a daughter. In their eyes, Almodeus was nothing but a monster, and the fact that he had children was disconcerting. Especially if it was true that he was a demon, as Hirashi had said. Demons don't have children, it was a well-known fact. Even so, Tiberio doubted the Absolute Lord was lying: why would he?

  "You've entertained me so much that I've decided to change my plan! I won't exterminate you anymore, but I've decided to conquer you all!"

  Almodeus's words surprised the lizardmen quite a bit. The three heroes listened in silence, awaiting more detailed information.

  "I know the score is currently tied at 1-0 in your favor, so I'll launch a new attack in seven hours. Right at sunset!"

  That statement made Tiberio's blood run cold, and he quickly glanced at the army behind the demon. It was roughly twice the size of the one they had already faced, not counting the magical weapons—and that was just the black-armored soldiers. Even excluding the red-armored and shield-wielding soldiers, whom Almodeus had used as a catwalk, the enemy's fighting strength was staggering. How could they possibly win?

  "Don't be afraid, this army behind me is only here to prevent you from fleeing..."

  Almodeus stated in a serious tone, suggesting he'd understood the eldest Senshi's concern with just a glance. This only increased the three lizardmen's fear . If the army was just there for show, what were they supposed to be fighting against?

  "Only one of my subordinates will attack you!"

  At those words, Druso and Tiberio immediately thought of Hirashi. They had already seen her in action—more or less—so they could prepare a strategy, even if it was doomed to failure. The two brothers exchanged a quick glance of agreement; they were certain that a confrontation with her would only lead to certain death. But the demon's next words shattered all their certainties.

  "His name is Hardshell, and he's one of my most trusted allies. If you can defeat him, I'll admit defeat and leave you alone forever."

  The demon didn't wait for a response and stood up, turning his back on the trio and starting to walk away, without fear of being struck by a treacherous blow. This was the extent of his pride.

  "See you next time, lizardmen. My best regards, and good luck for the fight!"

  "W-Wait! Will the water go back to normal? A-And the giant hand?"

  Tiberio stammered, genuinely concerned. The swamp water was dirty, but they needed it for drinking and staying hydrated, as well as for hunting and fishing. In that condition, it was unusable, and for that alone, they would be forced to retreat. Almodeus stopped and simply turned his head slightly, almost as if he'd heard a foolish question.

  "Yes, it's temporary. Sorry for the mess, but I didn't want to get mud on my ink...is hard to wash off."

  With that, the demon headed toward his army. A cold wind blew, and his legs began to slowly disappear, followed by his arms, his torso, and finally his head. Almodeus had vanished as if he were a ghost.

  "What a bastard!"

  Tiberio commented, once the undead army had returned to the other side of the swamp, awaiting a signal. This was no longer a war—it never had been: this was nothing more than a one-sided massacre.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Back at the village, the members of the Six Heroes gathered in one of the huts and began to reflect on recent events. If the day before they had been celebrating proudly, feeling as strong as gods, now they could only tremble before the power of a true divinity. The meeting the heroes were having was no longer focused on winning the war—which was no longer an option—but on how to avoid a terrible massacre.

  "For me, he just wants to show us his strength. Maybe he deemed us worthy of serving him."

  Sakka commented, sitting behind Tiberio, who was in the center of the room as the leader.

  "So? What do we do now?"

  Kan asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. He hadn't understood much of Almodeus's speech, except that a certain Hardshell would attack them and that if they won, the enemy would retreat. Druso shot him a sharp look, which softened when he realized his friend was genuinely unaware of the gravity of the situation.

  “The undead army has surrounded the area.”

  Tiberio declared seriously.

  “Even if we wanted to, we can't escape. I would send out all the soldiers possible and the Six Great Heroes present here."

  He proposed, gaining widespread support from his comrades. It was clear to everyone—even Kan—that deploying only elite troops would be futile. It was a horrible thought, but perhaps the most appropriate tactic would have been to have the young men attack first, to exhaust the enemy and then eliminate him.

  "Five will be enough..."

  Druso muttered, getting confused looks instead.

  "If Almodeus's goal is to demonstrate his strength, then he won't exterminate us. Besides, he said himself that he wants to conquer us now! So someone will have to lead the survivors after the battle."

  The vagabond's words were met with doubtful looks. Whether Almodeus's words were true was in doubt, but even if they were true, it would have been unwise to leave one of them behind. It didn't take the others long to realize who Druso wanted left behind in the village while they fought. The doubt on their faces turned to compassion, and one by one, they all accepted the idea.

  "Lulu, you'll stay here. You're the best person for this kind of thing..."

  Everyone nodded in agreement at Tiberio's words, except the druid herself, who seemed indignant. She was the only one who hadn't understood the situation.

  "What? No! As a druid, I could help you! I want to fight too! Druso, what are you doing standing there? Tell him something!"

  She declared angrily, banging her tail against the wall, extremely irritated.

  "Lulu, now there's no more talk of extermination-"

  He countered, but before he could continue he was interrupted by another tail snap from the female.

  "It does not matter!"

  Lulu roared, red with anger.

  "Never make a fiery woman angry..."

  Tiberio muttered, remembering his pregnant wife—who was now safe at home. It was for her he fought above all else, even his loyalty to the King.

  “Who can convince her it’s you, Druso. She's your future wife, and we all know I'm not the one who wears the pants at home with mine; I'm not good at bossing women around! Don't make the same mistake I did, brother!"

  The leader commented, getting up and leaving the hut, followed closely by Sakka and Shark. Even Kan, who normally had no problem getting involved with other people's business, came out with the others, quiet and good as a lamb.

  "So? What's this story?!"

  The druid screamed furiously, slamming her tail on the ground.

  "Please try to understand-"

  Druso's tone was different than usual. He seemed tired, dull, resigned—as if he knew he'd already lost from the start.

  "What am I supposed to understand?! With my druid skills, we can win! It doesn't have to end in defeat!"

  She roared, still red with anger.

  "You don't understand Lulu-"

  "What don't I understand?! Where is the Druso I fell in love with? The one I met at the beginning of the war?! The one who thought he could win?!"

  "He's dead! He no longer exists!"

  The vagabond roared, slamming his tail on the ground. Lulu could do nothing but remain silent as Druso vented his fury.

  “And do you know why? Because he fell in love with you, and I won't let the female I love die on the battlefield! Not...while he's pregnant.”

  His words made the druid's face flush, not with anger, but with embarrassment. She had been discovered...

  "H-How did you know I was pregnant?"

  "Let's just say that after the last few nights we spent together, it was to be expected. Besides..."

  Druso' gaze shifted to the tip of Lulu's tail.

  "Your tail is losing color. It's not noticeable to the naked eye, but when held up to the light, it's quite obvious. It's a sign you're pregnant, I learned that a long time ago..."

  The druid blushed further and began to hide her tail , as if she were ashamed of her pregnancy.

  "Lulu...please, accept my request. Stay here and guide the survivors. If I don't return, you—"

  Druso grabbed Lulu and hugged her tightly, holding her close.

  "-I want you to know that you were the best wife I ever had."

  Lulu gave him a light punch in the chest, as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

  "That's not true. I'm not your wife, not yet..."

  "You can become one! Let's get married! I don't want to have any regrets before I die."

  "I will marry you only when you return to me, victorious..."

  At these words, Druso nodded and smiled.

  I love her too much ... too much to see her die.

  “Okay, whatever you want.”

  He declared proudly.

  “As soon as I return from battle, I will marry you.”

  Lulu clung to Druso, seeking the warmth of his body. She, too, had realized that her beloved would likely not return from the front, but she didn't care; she just wanted to enjoy the moment.

  "Promise?"

  "I promise!"

  Druso pressed his lips to hers. Their tongues intertwined in a desperate dance, almost as if they wanted to express the darkest fears of their beating hearts. This would not be a simple lovemaking session: it was a farewell.