Author’s corner: HELLO HELLO! IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!

ANYWAY, TWO IO UPDATES WITHIN ONE WEEK OF EACH OTHER? IS THIS APOCALIPSE OR SOMETHING? Nah, just a side chapter.

ALSO, for those wondering about last chapter’s Skill guess challenge. The two skills have been guessed right already, though not exactly precisely, it was close enough for me to consider it a hit. The answer will be left on the next main story chapter, so until then, keep wondering who got it right! Btw, each one was guessed right by different commenters.

ALSO(2), I’ll start working on the Q&A today, afterwards I’ll see what I’ll do.

ALSO(3), I guess I'll do something else for today here. I'm not too keen on the whole Cheerleading thing, but i do intend on making the Crys' cheerleading rountines something that happens frequently. So, if anyone have a suggestion, just post away!

Have a good read!

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Aaah, how much do I miss the old days, where I could roam throughout our little world with the wings on my back and fight with the youngling on equal footing. How I miss not needing a crutch simply to walk around, to be able of wielding a weapon and actually looking menacing with it.

How I miss the time I was actually someone important in this place.

Sighing sadly as the elevator reached the level I wanted, I used my hand to fix my broken wings before stepping out through the deep white corridor. The guards, posted on both sides of the pathway recognized me and gave a salute. I couldn’t help but smile a bit and nod back to them. Even though it’s but a formality now, I still feel happy when someone treats me as someone with value.

Reaching the end of the corridor, I laid my weak hand against the massive silver door and took a deep breath. Straightening a bit of my bent over back, I tried to regain some of my composure before pushing the door open and stepping in.

“What kind of foolish idea is this, Malzachel?” I said angrily while storming into the room.

A brief silence occurred as the four members looked at me in shock and confusion, probably not expecting my presence here.

The first one to react was none other than my son himself. With his six proud wings and wearing his imposing golden and silver armor… Correction, MY imposing gold in silver armor, he looked fit to be a leader as his blue eyes stared at me.

“Father.” He gave me a brief nod. “We are planning for an invasion against the surface.” He told me gently as if I had grown senile. Feeling angry, I shook my head.

“I know that, Malzachel.” I said while stepping inside and looking at the table where the plans were laid out. “But what is this foolishness? Haven’t you learnt anything from what I told you?”

“Father…” He said with a wry smile before putting his hands around my shoulder. “We heard of your war history. We know that the ones who lives in the surface are strong, but times are different.” He said while pointing to his three companions who surrounded the table.

Rajari, The Djinn nodded in agreement while pointing out to a few of the plans they had made, a proud smile in his face as he looked down at his own work.

“It’s exactly as Zach said, Sir Lordrael.” He said in his typical odd accent. “Our division is making sure to equip our soldiers with the very best gear possible, as well as developing some new things. The army from today is almost incomparable to the one who was repelled so many years ago.” He said with a nod.

“Raj.” I said in a disappointed tone. “Do you really think that only changing the gear of our men would be enough?” I said while dotting all my words with sarcasm. “You really think that simply by making tougher armor and sharper swords you will be able to best those enemies?”

“I am sir.” He replied with confidence. “The demons won’t stand a chance against our soldiers after we are done with everything.”

“...The demons?” I asked confused as a new piece of information was dropped before me.

“That’s correct, sir.” Alleria, the Celestial replied in his stead with her usual solemn and melodious voice. “A couple of our own researchers managed to find out that the demons are also planning an invasion for roughly the same period as ours.”

“...I see.” I said while shaking my head and understanding everything. “You idiots are so focused on the demons that you didn’t even bother with the true problem.”

“That’s not entirely true, sir~!” Mihari, the kitsune said with a seductive and playful tone to her words.

“It is.” I said, making her blink surprised for a moment. “Do you guys have any idea of what brought my defeat so many years ago?” I asked, and saw as they hesitated. “Do you know, what happened on that damned battlefield that made the surface dwellers, not only manage to hold back, but also turn the tide of the entire battlefield?”

For a few seconds there was silence as the four council members looked at each other in surprise and confusion. I nodded satisfied seeing their reactions, but what soon followed was a laugh from the kitsune, as she held back her stomach and rolled on the pillows she laid on.

Confused, I looked at her before running my eyes to the other members, seeing how they all smiled wryly.

They knew something. They were hiding something from me. Confused, I looked in search for a clue, and Alleria was the one to reply.

“Please do not worry, sir.” The celestial said with a nod while bringing up some strange file from the table. “We’ve analyzed the data from the invasion many and many times.” Saying that, she opened the file and put it on the table, sliding it towards me.

Curious, I took a look at the file and read it through. For a whole five minutes there was silence in this room, but finally, I couldn’t hold it anymore as I reached the last word of the report.

“You… Are bigger fools than what I expected.” I said disappointed. “The four of you are too young and brash to be leading our people if you truly believe that we lost a war just because a few of our soldiers defected.” I said while slamming the paper back into the table. “It’s really a shame that your predecessors all perished in the war.”

“Well, one did survive... but became a cripple, though.” Mihari added in a half teasing half angry tone.

I didn’t miss as my son widened his eyes and took his hand to the sword. I sighed for a moment before slamming my crutch on the ground and releasing my bloodlust.

“Indeed, Mihari. I might be an old cripple.” I said while watching as she shivered for a moment. “I might not be even one tenth as strong as my old self, but I sure am a lot more experienced than I ever was. And sometimes, experience talks a lot more than sheer strength.”

“F-Father...” Malzachel said while he held onto the table. I looked at him before sighing and shaking my head. Stopping the pressure, the four of them relaxed visibly as I turned back.

“I’ve already told you many times, but what turned the war on us wasn’t the betrayal.” I said while raising my head and remembering back to the time where I led my men through that gorgeous green plains against the two armies of my two enemies. “We had underestimated our foes.”

“...They were a lot more ferocious and dangerous...” Malzachel repeated the words he had heard so many times while growing up. “But father… That just don’t make sense!” He replied back. “Through our studies, we know that the surface dwellers are weaker than us. We had better skills, better equipment, better tactics. How possibly could they best us?”

“...I don’t know.” I replied while a certain face came to mind. “But I can tell you that I’m sure that whoever did THIS to me, when I was at the apex of my strength, wasn’t a demon.” Silence once again. “We really should consider another way of getting that piece of lan...”

“Ascalurs.” Raj said suddenly, making me blink before turning to him shocked. “We… Managed to find ways to bind the Ascalurs.”

“That’s...” I said surprised before shaking my head. “How… Shouldn’t that still be under research?” I asked in shock, but Rajari nodded.

“It is. Still is.” The Djinn replied before shaking his head. “However, it’s still useable. We managed to confine their bodies into special seal-armor that not only give us control over them, but also allows them to phase into our plan of existence.”

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“You...” I looked shocked at the Djinn who had a worried look into his face, before turning to look at all the other members, as they all had smiles that were at the same time wry and ferocious. “...What if they leave your control?” I asked in shock. “What if the system stops working? DO you have any idea what that might mean for our troops?”

“That’s a risk we are willing to take, father.” Malzachel said before putting his hands around my shoulder and starting to push me away. “And as much as I enjoy your company and opinions in the matter, it’s time that you let the new generation lead us to victory against the surface dwellers.”

What? As I became surprised, he started pushing me away from the meeting room, my broken body nowhere as strong as his, we quickly found ourselves on the outside of the silver door, where the guards all looked at us in surprise and confusion.

“Please, escort father to his house. He is tired by now.” Malzachel said before turning back and closing the door. Feeling as he applied a new seal to the massive door, I quickly cursed before turning towards a guard that was approaching me.

“I can take myself home. Stay on your post.” I said before walking away.

…

“Teacher!” Lyrael said once she saw me approaching the door of my house.

“Ah… Lyra...” I said while watching the young Valkyrie trainee approach me with a worried look on her face. “What happened?” I asked while frowning.

“There’s a… Man, in your house.” She said confused and worried. “I tried stopping him, but I wasn’t even able to touch him! He said he wanted to talk with you.”

Hearing her words I frowned. Lyra wasn’t able to touch a person? Confused, I quickly nodded before hastening my steps as much as I could while using a crutch to walk. Opening the golden door of my house, I didn’t miss as the young angel held her sword ready for anything that might attack me.

Feeling safe under the protection of one of my best trainees in my lifetime, I quickly made my way to the living room, where I saw the person in question.

The scar in my chest ached while my broken wings itched at the sight of the person.

It was a massive wingless man. With huge muscles and long white hair, he was a towering presence even though he was sitting down into the sofa of my room while watching a strange scenery through a scrying spell.

There was no doubt. The presence that he emanated was enough to make me feel the shivers down my spine. It was the same one I felt so many years ago, when I was left into this crippled state.

“You… How…” I said confused.

“Oh! If it isn’t the Lord something something angel!” The man said while turning to me, showing his scarred face and white beard. “Long time no see!”

“Why do you look so different?” I asked confused. “You weren’t like that back in the battlefield!”

“Oh that?” He asked surprised before making a wave motion with his hand. “I was just possessing a mortal that time. Couldn’t make myself known after all.”

“Teacher?” Lyrael asked confused. “What does he mean? Do you know each other?”

“That’s...” I looked at her, confused and not knowing how to reply before finally nodding. “Yes. He is the man who crippled me.”

“Name’s Orfeon, Insania’s great god of War.” The man introduced himself cheerfully. “And I came here today to repay you for such a great battle from last time.” As he said that in a cheerful tone he suddenly stopped and frowned. “I’m… Not late or something, am I? Never been good with keeping track of time.”

“Great… GREAT GOD OF WAR?” Lyra said surprised.

I couldn’t exactly react to her, as me too, was staring at the man in shock and fear. Why was such a great being in my living room right now. Seeing as Lyra quickly put herself between me and him as if guarding me, I put a hand on her shivering shoulders. If he wanted to kill us, he would have done it already.

“What does such a esteemed being would do to repay me?” I asked confused. However, the big man simply gave a friendly smile and waved for me to come closer.

“I heard about you guys plan, so I decided to show you what they will be going against.” He said cheerfully while pointing to the scrying spell in front of us, showing two different groups of surface dwellers. “No real reason, except that I wanted some company while watching this guy. He is usually pretty fun.”

I frowned while approaching him, standing besides the man while staring at the window. While confused for some time about what he meant, I watched as the two groups, one having a strange stone being, I think they are called golem? talking with the others of his groups, a man covered in bandages and an elemental girl.

On the other spell, was a group of three girls riding a carriage, and in this group I understood what the god meant with wanting to show me.

“That… Girl...” Lyra said surprised while looking at the Kitsune.

“She’s pretty strong.” I nodded in agreement before turning to my apprentice. “I’d even dare to say that she’s stronger than you, if we were to equalize your stats.”

My apprentice grimaced before nodding, unable to deny my words. It’s not like we could see her status, but just from the way she held herself, the little movements she made, I somehow understood that she was strong in a way that wasn’t achievable simply through status.

“She’s interesting, isn’t she?” The god asked, and after some hesitation I finally nodded. “She even managed to follow one of my attacks with her eyes. Pretty impressive.” An attack from this person? Just how skilled could she be? “I even asked her if she wanted to be my apprentice, you know?”

“What?” This time I became surprised.

“She refused, though.” He said while making a depressed face.

“WHAAAT?” Me and Lyrael shouted surprised. “Why would she refuse an apprenticeship from a god?”

“Because of that guy over there. He’s her master” He said while pointing towards the golem. I blinked surprised before turning towards him. “Looks pretty average, right?” He asked and I nodded.

It didn’t matter how I looked at the golem, he simply looked like a foolish person with some slightly above average fighting skill. Hell, I’d even say that he should be unable to touch the girl should they fight!

“I don’t understand. ” Why would she stick with someone who’s clearly weaker than her as her master?

“Here, why don’t you guys take a seat?” He said while snapping his fingers, making two benches appear in mid air. Surprised, it took both me and Lyra some time to understand what he meant before sitting down. “I thought you might find this guy interesting, seeing how the main plan around the invasion comes from using Spectral beasts bound in armor...” He laughed. “Why don’t you take a look yourself?”

I nodded weakly before finally asking.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked confused, not really understanding the reasoning behind his logic.

“Well, for one, Little chaos ran off somewhere and I was feeling bored. Then, there’s the fact that no one will listen to you as they think you went senile. Finally…” He smiled, making me shiver for a moment. “Since I won’t be taking part in the next invasion, I felt like letting you guys see what kind of weird and silly things you will be up against.” His smile suddenly turned foolish once again as he offered something for me with his hand. “Popcorn?”

I blinked surprised before nodding weakly and accepting the offer.

It was a strange food I had never seen before.

While watching dubiously as the golem challenged a massive spider that was clearly many levels above him, only to be trampled by it, all I could think was...

“This is salty...”

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Author’s corner: For those wondering, i’m going with the more “Land deity” side of the kitsune, rather than the “Demon” side. I did see both being used, so I decided to go with this to balance the sides somehow.