The final light of the Demon God Balthasar shined across the ruined throne room. Even in death, he was annoying as his dissipation was slow and overly bright.

In it, I saw everything we had struggled to achieve. It was a light at the end of a very long, and oppressive tunnel. I squatted as I checked my status. Low HP and empty EP. This bastard was no joke.

Balthasar Nightlord. Demon Lord of the Eastern Lands. The Night Lord. 

The human-looking man had reverted from his dragon form back to his human one. His gaze had lost its arrogance. A wisp of a smile fluttered across his face as he gazed upon us. Then, despite his mortal wounds, simply walked up the hundred steps and sat on his throne. 

His monologue was generic enough. He fought against the system. He wanted to create a new world filled with resources for all. He wanted peace.

Peace for his chosen people that is. Then he let his out his breath and allowed himself to rest. Silently he relaxed against his oddly undamaged chair and closed his eyes. The monstrous godlike man spoke as he began to dissipate into the ether.

Piece by piece, and shard by shard, he slowly disintegrated while staring at us. A thousand versus one, and he had nearly won.

We did not cheer, nor did we gloat. Weary bodies and spent spirits. Consumables had been used, and relics had shattered. I stared at the stumps of what was once my prized weapons.

I looked around and recognized the vague faces of my brothers and sisters. They were not apart of my 3rd Battalion. Was I alone now? Why wasn’t I feeling anything?

Of course, I knew the answer. I had been on this crusade for decades. We all had. None of the others were crying either. They looked around or stared into nothing. That familiar thousand-yard stare.

I felt arms wrap around me. They hugged me towards a warm body and she rested her head against mine. I knew this warmth. This scent tickled my nose.

“You’re alright,” she whispered as she tried her hardest to physically merge with me.

“I am glad you made it too,” I said as I simply sagged back into her. It was the correct choice as she closed her eyes and we lost ourselves to this shared warmth.

Relief flooded me. I had not lost everyone. I still had Gwen and as if she was reading my thoughts, her arms tightened around me. We were still alive.

The Demon Lord’s light winked out. Inside this large chamber, we could hear the 3 items fell onto the empty throne. 

Gwen shifted away from me. Our job was almost done. We just needed to collect the treasure and return to our camp. Then we could rest and celebrate. Then we could grieve and cry.

A second light flared to life. A floating crystal appeared above Gwen’s staff. Its teal color filled the room as only one person made her way over to the three objects. I counted the forty other people and watched them stare at the famous Sorceress of Twilight.

I watched her go up as I stood among what was once a field of death. My heart was heavy as I looked around once again. The bodies of the fallen had dissipated into the air. Their bodies had dissolved into sparkling and fragmented pieces that flaked away to return to the ether.

It was funny that Akajinn died just like the monsters did in this world. It was a common theory that we were spirits summoned to this world to help maintain order. That the Demon Lord was a counterbalance to ensure that humanity did not destroy itself.

The Akashic Church disagreed, but then again very few of us followed their doctrines. They were little more than a resource for holy objects, and class training.

As Gwen began to ascend that ridiculous staircase to the throne, I took one last look at this place. Chances were that I would never return here. Our job was done and with this, we could return to a peaceful world.

The marble floor was a nightmare of divots, gouges, and ragged lines that the dragon claws had torn out. The various explosion had oddly leveled even the debris into a semi-flat, semi-melted floor once more.

The pillars were amazing, with three still standing despite the sheer violence unleashed today. Though the bloodstains of the unlucky were probably going to pain if one cleaned it by hand.

I watched as Gwen grabbed the items and brought them down. Her eyes locked onto a circlet, a necklace, and a ring. Her eyes glowed as she slowly appraised the items.

“So we have a locket, a diadem, and a cursed ring,” Gwen stated as she returned to my side. Three items floated over her right hand. She leaned against her staff and sighed as she adjusted her oversized witch’s hat.

Gwen’s crystal slowly lowered back down towards her staff. The single source of light began to dim as her exhaustion showed itself. Her usually bright eyes were dull as she took a few moments to even her breathing.

Not that I blamed her. We were all ready for a long rest. I would be surprised if any one of us needed anything less then a day or two of rest.

I looked around and sighed with her. The fading daylight was the perfect backdrop to showcase how this fight had ended. A thousand had entered, and now 42 would leave. Remnants of The Heroic Legion.

I did note that five of them were eying the treasures with intensity. I was no newbie to this world. The loss of our leaders meant that we would often revert to our base instincts. They had joined for power, wealth, and promised rewards.

I eyed their necks. A simple cloth collar held our Legion’s Emblem. The simple white shield that held three slashes. Green, Red, Blue. Mind, Body, Soul. To the right of the Emblem was their battalion’s number nestled between two silver stars.

Judging by the badges, Gwen and I were the highest-ranking ones left. We were the only ones with gold stars. A mark reserved for the top three battalions. Gwen and I had the number 3 with gold stars.

These had 7 as the next highest. While they were not weak, neither could they overpower us. Well, one on one right now. With their five and our two…

I met their eyes and saw their haggard faces, and ruined gear. We looked less like heroes, and more like beggars. Even like this, I knew we were not in danger.

Our eyes met and they stilled. Their faces sneered at me, but they stopped eying Gwen and the treasures in her hand. Of eying her like a piece of meat. I frowned at their greed and lust.

While Gwen was renowned as the Sorceress of Twilight, I was inversely infamous as the War Novice. The Jester of a Hero that had somehow lucked into the Heroic Legion.

They would never know how Gwen and I danced on the knife’s edge of life and death. Of how often we risked our lives to battle large creatures. Of the losses, we suffered to survive in this crazy land of might and magic.

Thus it was no surprise that we were invited in. Tested and measured. Gwen was a Captain grade hero. Her powers and knowledge outstripped most Akajinn. It was only her dislike of public speaking that she accepted the Vice-Captain rank. I was simply sorted into her battalion.

They looked at me and saw the jester. The lucky one that made it in despite my glitch as a permanent Novice class Akajinn. Did they not know that I had fought The Hero Julian Asgarr to a standstill. That I had a 33% chance of victory with each fight?

Julian was a Paladin, a third class Akajinn that held the prominent title of Legion Master. The Hero of Raygaia. The chosen one.

This probably meant that the Legion Master’s Sigil was in Gwen’s item box. It was one of the few things that could be transferred during death. The rest of the Akajinn’s belongings would dissipate with their owner.

I stared at everyone. Only those five seemed the shiftiest. Everyone seemed more collected as they stared at us. We two gold stars were now the highest-ranking heroes here and by default their current leaders.

We really were lucky to make it out. Our other friends, and family? From a thousand heroes, only we remained. How sad.

I stared at the empty throne room. The ceremonial fire had to be lit. We Akajinn vanished with death. Dissipation spared no one. No dead bodies. No gear. Only photos and the items they stared back in HQ.

Each hero had a will written down. Copies were given to each Captain, Vice-Captain, and the Legion Master. Some preferred to be called Commander as it sounded less edgy. Two fancy titles for the price of a lot of paperwork.

A final copy was left with the Red Wagon. The mobile headquarters that we had earned during the Bedrock Siege of the Underlands. Fun, but icky times to be honest. I hated the smell of moss and mold almost as much as goblins and undermonsters.

All we needed to do was return to the Red Wagon, and then carry out the wills as much as possible. Though this was going to bankrupt the Legion. Reparations were going to suck. What was left would then get divvied up as rewards for us survivors.

If there was solace in this damned quest was that I wasn’t factoring in the Alliance rewards. With those, we were going to be among the richest in the land. Even with the mountain of reparations.

We were the best that the Alliance of the Thousand Nations had to offer. We, the Akajinn, who was summoned to this world from so far away and used as soldiers. We that had to balance out the tide of monsters that had swept across the lands.

Akajinns was something very interesting to dig into. From what Gwen had found out, there was more than one Earth. More than one reality. We were all pulled from those lands into this one.

All summoned here, to Raygaia. The new land that was unlike any other. All summoned here to fight in their desperate war. One that had lasted for the entire history of this land.

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A war that we had ended. Tomorrow would be exactly 100 years since the official start of the crusades. Everyone could return to peace and we could all settle down. No more wars. No more Demon Lords.

“Keep the gear close Gwen, we don’t know if it's all cursed. Better safe than sorry,” I said out loud. I didn’t trust the five from being stupid. 

Greed had the strong magic of making the foolish brave. There was a reason the gold stars were carefully handpicked. It wasn’t just about levels, but combat experience, and potential. The rest was simply a good potential for growth.

The five were probably some levels between 300-400. I started this fight at 600. Factoring in the experience gain, I would still outstrip them. Level suppression was a real thing and it sucked to be on the receiving end.

Balthasar shows that power was a certain method to ensure one’s future. Hard to starve when you had the biggest fist around. He was also powerful enough to kill with one blow. An unexpected problem since his generals were far weaker than he was.

The five shuffled but stopped eying Gwen. While I didn’t know them personally, I knew these people. Their characters were far from rare. 

Heroes one and all. Dedicated to the odd creed that we all shared. Which included a heavy dose of self-interest. Heroes were only good because our interests aligned with those in power.

Stability was what the Alliance desired. Fortune was their carrot, and the Demon Lord their stick. Now we just had to go back and get our golden carrot.

Gwen nodded and placed the three objects into a wooden box. Then she placed it into her Akashic System provided item box. 

I noted that everyone watched her do it. Their eyes focused on the potential prize. Even if they were cursed, they probably wanted them. How primitive our minds were.

I sighed as I stared at them. Heroes. Bah.

Including the five, the rest was a mystery to me. We were of the same legion, but I could only trust in their character and skills. Trust that the Captains and Vice-Captains had not made mistakes when filling their ranks.

“Looks like we earned ourselves a nice vacation. Good job everyone. Does anyone still hurt? Any healers left?” I asked as I looked over the others.

They all shook their heads. Yet while I did not recognize them, they recognized me. Getting their cooperation was always like pulling teeth. At least this was an unchanged fact.

Were they not injured? Or not severely injured? Or did we not have any healers?

“Let's head out then. We cleared the end boss! We can celebrate and then relax. In a year or two, we will all be either retired lords or back home!” I said with a smile.

The others perked up. Unlike the cursed items, gold was a language we all spoke. I was not immune from its luster either.

After fighting for some eighty years, I could do with a lot of retirement. The blessings of Akashic meant that I would be energetic enough to enjoy it as well.

Gwen gave me a grateful smile. Despite being the only one who was still a ranking officer, she hated pulling rank. She rather that I do all the speaking, and she was fine with the paperwork.

Which was why Captain Feraleigh loved having Gwen as second in command. I hoped that her dissemination was quick and painless. Unlike Balthasar’s hour-long event. I hope that the bastard felt every cell leave him.

Gwen looked ready to pass out. She was the type that preferred the musty book room over the battlefield any day. That was not to say she was weak. She was far from weak.

She should have been the 3rd Captain but hated the position. Leaving it to Faraleigh, the Golden Knight. My last memory of our Captain was of her screaming at the top of her lungs and leaping into danger. She had died as she had lived. Full of piss and vinegar.

“Alright, let's meet up with the Second Legion, and set up the party!” I said as I turned around and looped an arm around Gwen. The sorceress smiled as she leaned into me and we began to walk to the throne room’s door.

The others cheered. The promise of warm food, chilled drinks, and beds was like a siren’s call. A silver lining in this horrible, no good, awful day.

I saw past their brittle smiles. I had a similar expression on my own face. We had to or else reality would punch us in the face again. Damn Demon Lord.

A hundred years and this was the worst losses ever recorded for us. We Akajinn did not die easily, and today we had lost thousands. We had taken the majority of our numbers on this final push. Some ten Legions.

A light made me stop. Made all of us stop and stare. Gwen’s crystal began to pulse with a red light. Long, short, long.

I frowned. SOS.

That was an emergency signal. From what? Balthasar was dead, and we had cleaned up the surrounding land before we broke the defenses and stormed in.

I stared at the others. They stared back. I quickly glanced around. We were not in danger.

The only ones would be either the other legions or our support camp. The Akajinn who were not great at fighting, but very good with other skill sets. Smithing, Artificing, Engraving, Cooking, Clothing, etc.

Then the world went white, and I lost hearing as the echoes of explosions filtered into my senses. 

[BOOM!] [BOOM!] [BOOM!] [BOOM!] [BOOM!]

The moment sight returned, we all hustled over to the shattered, transparent walls. Some of the crystal material was still upright but we huddled around a section that was simply missing. This gave us an impressive view of the craziness of the world below.

I coughed, spat out a glob of phlegm and blood. Gwen pulled me closer as I straightened back up. It took a few moments for our minds to comprehend it. To understand what we saw as the world outside lost reason.

The iconic flag of the Alliance stood high and proud. The simple, white circle over the yellow background represented the light and the unified nations. Over a thousand nations had contributed to stopping the Demon God’s advances.

The Alliance of the Thousand Nations was currently attacking those that bore the emblem of the Akajinn. The simple red flag with a white circle. This showed the world that we were Otherworlders summoned via the Akashic Rituals.

We had toiled on behalf of the people here. We who sacrificed everything to ensure their future…

I growled as my face contorted into a sneer. Betrayal. How quaint.

I stared at the carnage below. Even from our high vantage point, I could hear their screams. The support crew. The camp followers. The volunteers.

I watched as a battle line quickly formed between the Alliance and our clustered Legions. Others immediately fled and I saw a chaotic stampede of people leaving. I approved it. This was a bad situation and their loyalty should not have been rewarded by friendly fire.

The Heroic Legion’s encampment was gone. Where there was once were tents and wagons, there were ruins and the iconic Red Wagon. Did they use some sort of orbital bombardment magic?

Hmmm, the magic of that caliber… I looked over to Gwen and she was already deep in thought. She probably knew what they used, and was already thinking of possible countermeasures.

I was surprised at my lack of shock and rage. It was probably my eighty-odd years of life in this world. Or it was simply weariness of the long fight we had just endured. The losses we had already suffered.

It left my mind free of stray thoughts. Looking at it now, the timing was perfect. It made sense that they would strike like this. We were too powerful. 

No single nation could stop a tide of so many Akajinns. Our unique powers would be a blessing for any nation. Heck, our surviving 42 could topple several nations without issues.

So it made a sick kind of sense to stem the issue from ever rising. I am also sure the reward money was a sticking point as well. Wars were not free. 

It cost resources across all parts of the nations to support such endeavors. Especially with a war that lasted a hundred years and stretched across the lands.

The promised reward was a title of nobility, a castle, staff, and wealth. I wonder how much of it was the truth, and how much of it was lies.

I spat out the window. The second red glob of phlegm sailed out and dropped harmlessly onto the rocks below.

“Let's regroup with the second legion, and we can go show these nice people why Akajinns is not simple sheep for slaughtering,” I growled out and the other nodded. 

In times like these our training kicked in. Follow the orders of the next highest in command and you had a higher chance of living. We had drilled extensively for this and experienced it on the battlefield. 

I held onto Gwen as I walked to the doors. We needed to regroup before we did anything else.

The Second Legion was the next best Akajinns. While the First Legion was the thousand best, they were next thousand. Not as strong, but still a very powerful force. The Legion Master Elric was no slouch and chose the Second Legion due to the allure of the position over a simple Captain rank. Chapter Masters were well rewarded for their support.

While we were fighting the Demon Lord, their job was to create the path for the First Legion. Then they were to hold and wait. They would then either step in to continue the fight or escort the victors back out.

While I didn’t know how many survived, at this point any would help the 42 of us left. I know that they had taken some heavy losses carving a path open but at least most had to have survived.

The best-case scenario was that more than 75% were alive. Worse case was something like 50%. Either way, it would increase our numbers by at least tenfolds.

My grim face was mirrored on everyone present. We thought we could relax, and now it was some sick game of survival of the fittest.

Then the doors to the throne room opened, and I resisted the urge to scream in frustration. Some of us did let out their emotions as the new people entered.

Lights flooded the room as the Venerated Knight Force walked in. Their armor was rough, and I could tell the blood splatters across their steel-like surface.

Lady Rita Redhawk smiled as she made her way in. Her Brass Armor sounded delicate, but it was more for its color rather than its density. Her visor was pushed up so that she could see us clearly.

The illusionary plain-looking armor was strong enough to ignore any mundane attacks. Physical blows didn’t do anything.

One needed more spiritual attacks. Aura strikes. Martial Arts. Magics. Then after you broke the armor, you could strike the wearer.

Rumors were that the armor had some very strict repair costs. Blood of innocent. Flesh willingly given. All rumors of course.

Gwen never did find any validation to those rumors… but then again the church was tight-lipped on the matter. Their secrets had secrets.

Judging from her various dents, gouges, and even chipped parts, I wondered what these repair costs would entail.

“I take it that the Second Legion is no longer with us?” I yelled out.

I rather talk from afar rather than close up. Her sword and sword arts gave her a five-meter range. My yelling was closer to ten meters.

“Dealt with? That sounds so harsh,” Lady Rita pouted. It looked cute despite the blood splatter across her face. “We are simply fulfilling the initial promise given to you when you all arrived.”

Her face took on an insane look. “We are sending you all home!”

I stared at her. I took a deep breath and let it out. So the truth came out.

I stared at her again and asked my question. “So those rumors are also true then? We are summoned not from life, but from a time after death?”

“It takes a full Grandia Crystal to summon even one of you. It would take dozens to summon a living being. It's simply cheaper to call in a freshly severed soul,” Lady Reeta said with a smile.

Her guards were silent as they moved with her. Their stomps of metal on marble echoed in the chamber. They looked intimidating but the Venerated Knight Force was supposed to be a Legion in number. I doubt they had even two hundred left.

The problem was not just numbers but something more practical. We were exhausted, and they were probably just tired.

There was only one visible way in or out. Was there another way out aside from leaping into those dark rocks below?

Visible way. Wait where was Gwen?

I stared at Lady Rita, and her smile faltered. She tilted her head to the side and brushed at an errant strand of her blond hair from between her eyes. 

Then her smile came back brighter than before. Her eyes were more emotional than before. “You cannot run, or hide!”

“Lady Rita Redhawk, it has been a pleasure. However, it seems that we must part ways!” I bowed and we were grouped up.

The smart thing was to spread out, force them to divide their forces. They encircled us to prevent any attempts at breaking away.

“Huddle up!” I commanded and the others responded. 

Rita smiled as she could feel the incoming bloodbath. Elric had gotten her blood flowing and she had nothing but high expectations for the best of the best Akajinns.

Gwen smiled as she raised her staff, and angled it towards our camp. Towards our Hearthstone. The anchor which we used for large scale, active teleportation.

The palace had anti-teleportation protections in place. Gwen’s unique homestone also worked with her line of sight. A circle appeared below us. The magic in the air became far denser.

“NOOOO!” Rita screamed as she rushed forward. Her sword was drawn and she seemed to glide on ice as her footwork allowed for very quick movement.

I smiled and held up my hands. They were bare as magic worked best without material impedance. A magical focus would have been better but my stuff was simple, ineffective wands.

I gathered in my magics, simple as they were. A dozen little marbles of magic formed around me.

I flicked my fingers at Rita. As if I was flicking away excess water. I aimed at her eyes.

The marbles shot forth, and the woman had to raise her sword. 

The magic harmlessly broke against her blessed weapon. It also blocked her vision.

We all vanished as she could not cover the distance between us quickly enough while defending from my magical attacks.

I could still hear it though. The first guttural sound of her rage.

————

Chapter 01: Death of the Demon Lord Balthasar