Tribios finally departed alone. But the moment she left the Grand Duchy of Augustus and arrived at her new home, Okhema, she looked up to see an enormous, perfectly round moon in the sky. The problem? It was broad daylight, not night!
In the blink of an eye, Tribios found herself once again in that boundless sea of white flowers, and the moon goddess with closed eyes reappeared before her.
This time, however, the moon goddess was accompanied by another being: a colossal dwarf with a goat's head and a humanoid body. While the description might sound... a little odd, that's precisely what this creature looked like.
The deity radiated a crimson aura, its goat head adorned with a thick, tangled beard. Though its body was flat and broad, it was colossal, giving the impression of a dwarf magnified tenfold.
Tribios had some knowledge of the Twelve True Gods. Only one fit this description: the God of Forging, also known as the God of Craftsmen or the God of the Furnace.
The moon goddess spoke with a hint of apology in her voice, "Forgive me, but to prevent you from acting rashly, I must ask you to rest here for a while."
In contrast to Artemis's polite demeanor, the God of Forging beside her appeared far more volatile. His red eyes, nearly as large as Tribios's head, glared down at him. "You! Christine (Artemis) gave you a scroll to return to the future! Why haven't you left?!"
"Do you realize that everything you're doing could have catastrophic consequences for this world itself?!"
As he spoke, Tribios could see wisps of flame erupting from the God of Forging's nostrils and mouth, as if his very breath were fire.
But facing the God of Forging's interrogation, Tribios simply shrugged and spread his hands. "You mean altering the future, changing the trajectory of this world? No, I haven't changed the future at all. On the contrary, my being here now, appearing in this timeline, is an integral part of the historical process!"
"I am the God of Passage and the God of Destiny. Everything that is happening now is part of fate itself, precisely how this timeline was meant to unfold."
"Ha?" The God of Forging's first reaction to Tribios's shaman-like pronouncements was, of course, disbelief. Such words might fool ignorant mortals, but the two beings before Tribios were True Gods themselves!
Seeing their reaction, Tribios sighed and continued, "Long ago, Artemis gave me a scroll to return to the future. But I never used it and have remained active in this era, engaging in various activities. Shouldn't you True Gods be the most aware of whether the world's timeline has deviated from its intended course?"
Upon hearing this, Artemis's lips parted slightly in surprise. Though her eyes remained closed, Tribios could still discern the shock on her face. Artemis murmured, "That... that's true."
It was precisely because the world's timeline hadn't deviated that Artemis hadn't sought out Tribios during this time, even knowing she had never left. Only now, true to her earlier words—"To prevent you from acting rashly"—had she drawn Tribios into her Domain.
The God of Forging scratched his head, a bewildered expression on his face. "Huh?"
It was difficult to discern emotions from a sheep-headed face, but Tribios explained, "I never intended to interfere with what happens afterward. But since you're so worried, I don't mind waiting here for a while."
If she forcibly altered the past, rewriting history's course, the most significant consequence for her personally—even more than the world's potential destruction—would be the potential erasure of future Aria.
Seeing Tribios' cooperative attitude, the God of Forging paused before saying, "Alright."
Truthfully, his presence here was solely due to his concern that Tribios might resist Artemis' control, sparking a conflict. His intervention would ensure a two-on-one advantage; as a god particularly skilled in combat, subduing a strange God of Passage should pose no real challenge, right?
Yet no fight materialized at all.
As evening approached and the sky darkened slightly, Bell's Squad of seven finally reached the gates of the Demon King's City.
The pitch-black city walls loomed into view, immediately exuding an eerie and terrifying aura. The Catgirl in the group couldn't help but remark, "I thought the Demon King's City was only described like this in bardic tales, to exaggerate the enemy's terror. But the real Demon King's City is actually this terrifying?"
Above her head, the Little Squirrel leaped down, transforming back into her young girl form. Lowering her head shyly, she asked, "Should I carry you all up?"
The city walls were indeed imposing, but the Wizard shook his head, pointing in another direction. "I don't think that'll be necessary," he said. "Because... the gates are wide open."
As the seven approached the main gate, they could see the massive gates flung wide open, revealing empty streets stretching deep into the city.
Seeing this, the Sorcerer hesitated. "This... does this feel right? Could it be a trap? Who leaves their city gates open during wartime?"
Bell said, "Perhaps the enemy is so confident in their strength that they don't need city gates. Could this be an invitation for us to enter and fight them?"
After the seven exchanged glances, the Wizard stepped forward first and began casting a spell: "Sixth-Level Conjuration School—Summon Demon!"
A Magic Circle ablaze with flames and reeking of sulfur materialized before the Wizard. From it emerged a Flame Demon, its entire body engulfed in raging fire, towering before the group.
"Go," the Wizard commanded, pointing forward. Bound by its Contract, the Flame Demon obediently strode into the Demon King's City. In essence, it was being sent as cannon fodder to scout ahead and check for traps.
The seven-person squad maintained a safe distance, following closely behind the Flame Demon, their senses on high alert. They quickly entered the city. Bell noticed that while the streets were deserted, faint sounds drifted from the nearby houses. He even spotted people peering furtively through windows, their eyes fixed on the intruders.
Given the state of war, it was natural for civilians to cower indoors.
Bell hadn't noticed it from afar, but now that he was inside the Demon King's City, he was struck by its astonishing cleanliness. The streets were virtually devoid of litter, with no feces or strange odors to be found.
Even the buildings seemed remarkably neat and beautiful, creating an environment far superior to that of the Kingdom of Green Eagle's capital.
This was nothing like what Bell had imagined. He had expected the Demon King's City to be a place strewn with corpses, a scene of utter desolation. Yet, judging by what he saw, the living standards here seemed higher than those in other kingdoms.
The group continued straight ahead, soon reaching the city center—a vast plaza. There stood a young girl with long white hair, a sword planted half a step before her, her hands crossed, palms resting on the hilt.
Perched on her shoulder was a fluffy white... puppy, baring its teeth as it glared vigilantly at Bell and his six companions.
Without a doubt, this was Olivia. Her pose was undeniably striking, exuding an overwhelming aura of power at first glance.
Olivia gazed at the seven figures before her and said in a solemn tone, "So, you seven are the Heroes?"
Olivia was an exceptionally kind person. As a princess, she always addressed her subjects with kindness and warmth, never resorting to commands or harsh words. This moment likely marked the most serious she had ever been in her life.
Bell frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Olivia. "You?" he asked.
Having briefly fought Olivia's illusion conjured by Jay, Bell still remembered her clearly. "You're the Demon Lord?"
Olivia's confirmation was immediate. "Naturally," she declared. "My name is Benitez. Remember it well, for it shall become your ultimate nightmare!"
The intelligence provided by the Kingdom of Ukel had only described the Demon Lord as a strikingly beautiful woman with the ability to open portals at will. No further details were available.
Visually, Olivia was undeniably qualified; she was stunningly beautiful. Yet Bell couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Just then, the Wizard exclaimed, "No! There's no divine power signature on her! She's not a Demigod!"
Olivia overheard this. Her eyes narrowed, and she swiftly drew the longsword she had planted in the ground before her, raising it above her head with both hands.
WHOOSH—!!!
Blazing flames erupted from the sword's blade, their fiery tendrils shooting toward the heavens!
With no time to spare, Bell immediately raised his own Greatsword, Dawn, and whispered, "Dawn!"
Dawn, the name of his Greatsword, erupted in a dazzling, pure white light from its blade. In the next instant, Olivia and Bell simultaneously swung their swords forward, the surging flames colliding violently with the pure white light.
It was absurd, to say the least, that a Paladin and a Warrior—two melee combatants—were now engaging in a long-range duel with "Light Beams" from over a hundred meters away.
It's worth noting that between the two combatants, there was also a Flame Demon being used as a scout. The moment the battle began, the Wizard sensed that his Contract with the Flame Demon had been severed, meaning the creature had been instantly annihilated.
BOOM—!!!
Where the flames and white light collided, the two energies ceaselessly clashed and eroded each other. The ground beneath them was pulverized into dust by the shockwaves of their impact, while gale-force winds swept outward. Nearby houses, along with the illusionary civilians within, were torn from their foundations and sent hurtling skyward.
Even Bell's six teammates beside him had to bend low, lower their centers of gravity, and shield their eyes. Yet even so, the wind nearly forced their eyes shut.
"Haaaaah—!!!" Bell roared, channeling his Strength into Dawn's Light Beams. Like a Paladin's Divine Smite, the Light Beams' power was fueled by his physical exertion, meaning a loud roar could genuinely amplify their output.
Two months prior, Bell had clashed with Olivia's Illusion in a similar duel. Back then, his white light had sliced through her flames. This time should be no different—it had to be the same.
But in the next instant, the center where the flames and white light collided began to slowly advance toward Bell. Olivia's expression hardened. Remember, the power of her Divine Smite was intrinsically linked to the will of the entire Grand Duchy of Augustus. In that moment, it wasn't just Olivia unleashing the Divine Smite, but the collective might of every citizen of the Grand Duchy of Augustus!
The combined will of over a million souls imbued this Divine Smite with unimaginable power, briefly overwhelming even the Divine Artifact wielded by Bell!
"Haaah—!!!"
Olivia roared, her voice filled with primal fury. Facing seven opponents, she knew there was no way she could defeat them all alone under normal circumstances. Her only chance lay in going all out and catching them off guard.
Going all out meant that while Bell had likely used only thirty percent of his power when firing his Light Beams—after all, it was just the beginning of the battle, and he was holding back—Olivia had immediately unleashed ninety percent of her strength!
Her very first Skill of the battle nearly emptied her Mana bar!
In an instant, the flames devoured the white light, surging toward Bell's Squad of seven like a tidal wave.
"Damn it!" Bell roared, hastily raising his greatsword to shield himself as the searing flames crashed against him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Olivia's Divine Smite nearly cleaved the entire Demon King's City in two! A massive, scorched fissure erupted from beneath her feet at the city's center, tearing through the fortress all the way to its main gate, even shattering half the city wall.
Bell was blasted away by the fiery blast, vanishing without a trace. As for his six teammates:
The Druid swiftly transformed into a Little Squirrel and perched on the Catgirl's shoulder. The Catgirl, with her superhuman reflexes and agility, darted away to evade the Divine Smite.
The Sorcerer dissolved into pure lightning, fleeing sideways. The Wizard cast Misty Step, teleporting to safety. The Forging Priest summoned a massive crimson shield, anchoring himself firmly to the ground to withstand the full force of the attack.
In essence, aside from Bell, who had been blasted out of sight, the rest of Bell's Squad each displayed their unique abilities. Oh, and there was still the Bard, who was currently huddled behind the Forging Priest, cowering with her hands covering her head.