The fact that a great god had just appeared in front of them — a bunch of mortals whose claim to fame was either being born in the right family or having a lot of hardwork and luck under their belt — was somewhat unbelievable, so Aziz pardoned himself for feeling incredulous at the sudden turn of events.

His mouth opened and closed soundlessly for two or three seconds, before the colonel decided that no one would fault him if he didn’t speak. Glancing at Marie, who was looking surprisingly calm, Aziz found more merit in staying silent.

“Pardon me if you find my words and actions disrespectful,” said Minister Eventide, “but we don’t have any established protocols for speaking to a great god such as you. We ask of you to overlook any lapses in courtesy.”

“As one of the others said not too long ago, there’s indeed no established protocols,” Hereward replied, his voice gentle. “Therefore, treat me as how you would treat an equal.”

Minister Eventide glanced around, his gaze lingering on Speaker Sephira.

Aziz wasn’t quite sure what that brief, non-verbal conversation actually did, but from the looks of it, both of them were trying to decide who would take the lead, through raised eyebrows, lingering gazes and tiny gestures.

Hereward had evidently noticed this, but he wasn’t offended. In fact, Aziz had a feeling that he was actually amused by the odd interactions between the two of them.

After a while, Minister Eventide, who had somehow lost a non-verbal argument, cleared his throat. “Hereward, we have a few questions to ask.”

The great god, who was examining the battlement walls with interest, looked up. “Go on.”

“First, those reinforcements…I recall that you said something about a new home,” said Eventide.

“Excellent. I was really hoping you would ask that,” said the great god. “Allow me to explain, then. I trust that you are aware of the Phantom Blade’s origins?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good. She is a created being, made by the gods of the true Orb. Her purpose was to prevent the birth of the Demon Sovereign and everything, which, for a few reasons, was never meant to succeed. But I digress.”

Aziz had a feeling that the great god just criticised the Phantom Blade’s entire reason for existence, but for obvious reasons, he did not pursue the issue. Nodding along obediently with the others, he pricked his ears as the great god continued to speak.

“Those reinforcements I summoned are the people who inhabited this world before you,” said Hereward. “Torn from their physical bodies during the great battle between Tiadall and Pabar, they normally reside in the deepest crevices of Orb. In return, I have promised them to place amongst this new world.”

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“If I may be so bold,” said Eventide, “what do they bring to the table, that you would summon them so?”

“That which is immortal can only be fought by the eternal,” said Hereward. “The people of old Orb are eternal beings, the true children of this world. They may die, be torn apart, have their minds crushed, but in the end, they will reform. In fact, in many ways, they are already fighting this war, alongside you.”

“Immortal troops?”

“In a sense,” said Hereward. “I foresee that they will be of great help in this war.”

“And the price is a place for them to live in.”

“A cheap one, is it not?”

Minister Eventide exchanged glances with Speaker Sephira, and Aziz finally understood why the minister kept doing that. He was looking towards the only person with the same status and authority in this group…and unfortunately, from the looks on her face, she was also equally unsure of what to make of it.

“What do you mean, when you say that they’re already fighting with us?”

The great god chuckled and said nothing.

Clearly, the Sentinel of Space didn’t want to tell them anything related to that issue.

After some awkward silence, Speaker Sephira cleared her throat.

“It’s your turn now?”

Her face turned red and then to purple, before she coughed awkwardly. “Yes. What happened to the other great gods and the Demon God?”

“They’re fighting in a different place. Normally, you wouldn’t have been able to see it, but if you look up…see that constellation over there?”

“Constellation? Aren’t they all dead?”

“No, no. I’m referring to that cluster of stars…” The great god paused. “Right. You guys don’t actually know what stars are, do you? To rephrase it…look up. Do you see that cluster of lights over there?”

Everyone looked up, where a few, differently-coloured lights were clustered together. It was a nice and peaceful scene, but if Aziz didn’t get it wrong, these were probably the great gods and their Divine Kingdoms, fighting in the depths of the great beyond.

“You might have guessed, but yes, that’s them. The Demon God had laid down preparations to transport his opponents…at, I fear, the urging of his chosen. There, once gone, the Demon Sovereign was able to exercise the authority of Creation, thereby connecting the two lands forever.”

He shook his head. “This was not in my…never mind. Any more questions?”

“Are you going to stay near here for the time being?” Marie abruptly asked.

“Me?” The great god glanced at the marshal, and for a moment, Aziz felt that the great god wanted to stifle a smile. “You’re…asking me to help in the defence here, directly.”

“Um.”

He laughed. It was a sound that could make babies smile, and Aziz felt the tension within him drain away. “How brave. To answer your question, I will be checking the Demon Sovereign.”

The rest let out a sigh.

“Don’t be this relaxed yet,” warned Hereward. “The great gods are fighting out there, but there is no telling if they can hold down the Demon God, who has been free to recuperate over a hundred thousand years. You must be prepared.”

“What’s the strength of the Demon Sovereign like?” Eventide asked.

“For better or worse, he is my equal,” said Hereward. “The incredible strength that the original him had, in another time, is non-existent…for now.”

“For now?”

“The Bounded Presences that were the sky, sun and moon have been destroyed. As a result, it is now prime for harvesting. Rejoice, defenders of the Five Lands. I do not think the Demon Sovereign will take part in the next few battles. After all, he, like me and the other great gods, will be making for the sun.”

His smile sent chills down Aziz’s spine. “If he returns with the greatest harvest, this war might very well be over. Try to win it beforehand.”

With those words, the Sentinel of Space faded away.