Chapter 81 - The Fall of a Hegemony

The Draconic Kingdom that was situated at the center of the Beast World was the kingdom that commanded the most power. With the mythical race of dragons at the forefront, the kingdom prospered and took the lead in erecting a stronghold that withstood the test of time for multiple millenia.

In the kingdom, there were multiple floating cities where powerful dragons resided, ruling over the masses of the common beasts below them. Their power boasted such unshakable belief, that the day they fell became the most shocking thing for the beings of the Beast World to hear.

The invasion of demons began abruptly, with multiple Demon Kings descending down in areas not too far from the Draconic Kingdom. They were somehow equipped with all the knowledge of the Beast World as they began waging war right away, causing the battalions of Black Dragons that protected the kingdom to move against them.

The Demon Kings that led hordes of demonic forces had terrible power, using Abyss Magic and Unique Skills that stood toe to toe against the strength of dragons. The war was brutal, causing the other mythical kingdoms of beasts to activate their forces and prepare to reinforce the Draconic Kingdom.

This was when a huge change occured. The daughter of the Dragon King that was fighting in the front lines was defeated and captured. This humiliation caused the Dragon King to go mad as he prepared for a war of mutual destruction with the demons. But the demons began pulling their forces out of the kingdom at this instant, calling for a momentary truce.

They called upon the Dragon King to stop the war that was causing both sides to lose many of their forces and leveraged the life of his daughter to call for an assembly of discussion of how both sides could coexist. The Dragon King naturally knew this wasn't possible, but his dear daughter's life obscured his judgment. His love for her was so deep that he ignored all the wisdom and logic he had and called upon his forces to attend this assembly.

Even with love blinding him, he still didn't act rashly and moved together with the powerful regiments of black dragons as his protection. The Assembly was set on on a grassy plain where the two forces faced one another and the leaders moved to discuss.

Of course, the only thing they faced was betrayal.

But this was the wickedness of the demons. As the Dragon King was approaching the tent placed in the middle of the opposing forces, he was presented with the sight of his daughter being humiliated, and then watched as she was beheaded right after.

The Demon King doing this was one that hadn't appeared in the battles previously. He had newly descended down into the ranks of Demon Kings that were present in the Beast World. He was ranked 32nd, the Demon of L.u.s.t, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Demon King Asmodeus. With an Ultimate Skill that granted him glimpses of the future, he fought against the maddened Dragon King...and brought him down.

The ruthlessness of demons was seen firsthand as they played with emotions and sought destruction. After the fall of the Dragon King, the rest of the forces went down like dominoes, and the demon forces claimed the Draconic Kingdom.

There was one thing that remained a secret from the outcome of this war though. Whether through means of illusion or Abyss Magic, nobles from other kingdoms were able to see the daughter of the Dragon King alive and well. Spies observed a figure that looked just like her standing besides Asmodeus as he led his forces to take over the Draconic Kingdom.

The figure held the same face of the Dragon Princess, but it was dressed lasciviously with two horns growing a top its head. The forces believed that a betrayal had taken place and was the ultimate cause of the downfall of the Draconic Kingdom.

This increased the Mythical Beasts' apprehension of the terrible magic that the demons wielded, and they chose to prepare on all fronts for the war that would undoubtedly break out after the demon forces power consolidated around the Draconic Kingdom.

They didn't want the same mind games that the demons played before to occur. They didn't want to see their loved ones humiliated or turned to betrayers. Forces began to be bolstered by powerful mercenaries that moved across the kingdoms in these uncertain times, as the demons waited to start an all out war.

"The true terror of the Demons isn't their hordes of demonic soldiers that fight relentlessly. It is the mysterious Unique and Ultimate skills that they possess. Skills that show extreme effectiveness even when matched by the most powerful beings in this world."

Princess Adelaide took a sip of a red drink as she finished her story. More than hour had passed as the drinks and food on the table were emptied, with the man standing opposite her listening with rapt attention while devouring the meals around him.

His eyes seemed to be blazing with fire as a few words escaped his lips.

"Unique and Ultimate skills…"

There was a sense of excitement on Noah's face as he pondered what he just heard. He focused on Princess Adelaide and said,

"What are the movements of demons against the Frozen Kingdom currently?"

"The demons are moving their forces and dividing them across all kingdoms, slowing down their advances quite a bit. From the information I have collected so far, only a single Demon King has been leading his forces towards this kingdom."

Hesitation appeared on the princess' face as she continued with her next words.

"I am also keeping watch of suspicious movements in the kingdom. This isn't based on any conclusive information, but from the use of my skill that tells me who to look out for."

A silence pervaded the room as both people were absorbed in their own thoughts. A clear voice rang out from Noah's side.

"Okay. Let's say we have this cooperation between the two of us. You believe I hold the key to your successful future, and I...well, I have my own aims. What will be the first move of this mutual cooperation?"

A small smile came on as opposed to the normally icy expression on Princess Adelaide's face as a relieved reply came,

"We have to give you a starting position to stand on that would allow you to be next to me with no questions. How do you feel about taking the command position of my Royal Guards?"

---

It was the calm before the storm as many beings moved their forces around and prepared for the incoming collisions.

On the neglected kingdom that had a single Demon King making its way towards it, a single event had occurred that would have tremendous consequences. Schemes continued to be created as battles of wits and of strength continued to be carried out. But in the face of ultimate power, who would come out on top?