The commander spoke first.
"Before we begin the meeting, take those two injured men to receive treatment."
Rynel shook his head lightly.
"No need."
He raised his right hand and whispered,
"Mizu Recovery."
A swirl of clear blue water formed on his palm, spinning like a tiny vortex.
Rynel smirked slightly and flicked the water toward the two injured guards.
Clep!
A gentle light burst for a moment, and the wounds across their bodies disappeared instantly.
However, because the surge of magic was too strong, both guards were blown backward, eyes wide in shock.
"W-what just happened…?" one of them whispered, clutching his chest.
Rynel scratched his neck awkwardly.
"Oops… looks like I got a bit too excited," he said with a small smile.
The tense atmosphere melted at once; several soldiers suppressed laughter.
The commander stared at Rynel with a mix of respect and disbelief.
"Thank you, Demon King Rynel."
Rynel nodded.
"Alright. Let's begin the meeting."
⚙️ The Meeting Begins
The commander unfolded a large map on the table.
"Our problem is this — our firearms cannot harm them. So how do we deal with their army?"
Rynel crossed his arms.
"You have missiles and bombs, right?"
"Yes," the commander replied. "We have around 1,000 missiles and one Tsar bomb. But using that bomb will cause massive environmental destruction."
Rynel nodded slowly.
"That's true. But there's a way to prevent the explosion from spreading."
Everyone instantly looked at him, surprised.
"What way?"
Rynel studied the map and explained,
"We use a protective barrier… but not for defense."
He pointed at the attack point.
"When the barrier starts forming, drop the bomb. By the time the barrier fully closes, the bomb will already be inside. The explosion will be sealed within the barrier, trapping and destroying the enemy forces without letting them escape."
The room erupted in awe.
"That's brilliant!" one officer shouted.
Rynel continued,
"As for the missiles—they will be used to deal with the airborne enemies: the angels and the guardian dragons they're bringing."
"D-Dragons!?" a soldier yelped, face paling.
Rynel spoke calmly.
"Yes. They will likely appear together. Your job is to intercept them in the sky using fighter jets. My subordinates and I will handle the ground forces."
Tension filled the room, but Rynel added,
"Relax. I'll be fighting as well."
Immediately, confidence returned to the soldiers' faces.
😆 The Manga-Stealing Angel
Suddenly, one of the officers raised his hand.
"By the way, sir… there's something strange to report. We found an angel stealing a large number of comics and manga."
The entire room burst into laughter.
"What kind of angel steals manga!?"
But the laughter vanished instantly when Rynel's expression turned serious.
"Show me the video."
The soldier played the footage. It showed a silver-winged angel carrying stacks of manga out of a store, expression blank as if performing a holy mission.
Rynel froze for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
"That… is a Dimension Angel."
"Dimension Angel?" several people repeated.
Rynel nodded.
"Yes. He has the ability to turn characters from manga into real beings that fight for him."
Everyone stared, shocked.
"So… he stole manga to summon the characters?" someone whispered.
"Exactly," Rynel said. "But he can only summon three characters. That's why he'll choose the strongest from the manga he stole."
The room fell silent.
One soldier gulped.
"So… if he stole manga full of OP characters—"
"Yes," Rynel cut him off. "We must be ready to face them."
🔥 Weapons to Counter the Dimension Angel
"How do we defeat him then?" one soldier asked.
"Bring me three sniper rifles and six bullets," Rynel instructed.
Minutes later, the weapons were placed before him.
"But firearms can't hurt them, right?" another soldier asked.
Rynel didn't answer. He closed his eyes, thinking.
(Can I use Soul Weaver on these weapons?)
Then he whispered,
"Soul Weaver — Black Hellfire."
Black flames engulfed the rifles and bullets, burning without destroying them.
A voice echoed in his mind—Great Sage:
"Soul Weaver upgraded. You may now grant skills to objects or people. Duration: eight days, or until canceled."
Rynel smirked. The rifles now emitted a dark aura, flickering like cursed black fire.
"Use these. Give them to your best snipers."
"A-are they safe? The aura feels terrifying."
"They're safe for humans," Rynel reassured them. "Use them to kill the Dimension Angel."
The soldiers bowed deeply.
"Yes, sir!"
⚔️ Weapons for the Soldiers
Rynel turned to the commander.
"Can your troops fight in close combat?"
"Of course. They're trained in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. Fifty of our soldiers have won international championships."
Rynel nodded in approval.
"In that case, I want to give them weapons."
"You… want to arm our soldiers?" the commander asked in disbelief.
"Only if they're willing," Rynel replied calmly.
Moments later, the fifty elite soldiers stood before him.
"Are you ready to protect your homeland, even if it costs your lives?"
"YES, SIR!" they shouted loudly.
"Good." Rynel smiled faintly. "I'll lend you weapons worthy of your resolve."
Rynel called out,
"Lazrel, Seraphine, Ultima — bring the special armory."
In an instant, the three appeared. The room gasped.
"W-who are they!?" an officer whispered.
"My subordinates," Rynel replied. "Lazrel, Seraphine, and Ultima."
They bowed, vanished, and returned with a large chest.
Inside were fifty rare swords, shining like falling stars.
Rynel distributed them one by one.
"These swords are incredibly rare. With them, you can injure the enemy forces. Use them wisely."
The soldiers bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Demon King Rynel. We will honor this gift."
Rynel then handed the commander a pair of pitch-black gloves and matching boots.
"Wear these. The gloves contain the flames of the Seventh Hell. When worn, your punches will strike with the force of heavy artillery."
The commander hesitated, but once he put them on, blue-red flames wrapped around his hands and feet.
"What is this…? It feels like it's merging with me…"
"That's because it's not just fire," Rynel said.
"It is the rage of thousands of restless souls."
He warned,
"These only strengthen the body parts they cover. You can block and attack with them—
but if you take a hit anywhere else, your bones may break."
🛑 Evacuation Plan
After the preparations, Rynel spoke firmly,
"We must evacuate the civilians. This city is huge—we need to warn them immediately."
The commander nodded.
"This afternoon, we'll go to the TV station to broadcast the alert."
Rynel agreed.
"Good. Let's end the meeting here."
The meeting concluded. Rynel left with Lazrel, Seraphine, Ultima, and Rei.
They returned to Rei's small but warm home.
As soon as they arrived, Miyu greeted them with a gentle smile.
"Welcome back. You must be tired—please sit."
Meanwhile, Rei was already asleep on the sofa, exhausted.
Miyu prepared warm tea, the steam dancing softly in the late afternoon air.
Once everyone settled, Rynel turned to his three subordinates, eyes sharp.
"Now then… I have a secret mission for the three of you."
They instantly knelt.
"We are ready, Demon King," they replied in unison.