Spirit lady Merene drifted down onto the main castle's entrance, the guards at the portal—Monarch level guards—bowed to her as she approached. Outwardly, she kept a stoic expression, but inside, she was doing everything she could not to squirm at the extreme awe and nigh worship she saw on their faces. She might have been old by Monarch standards, but no amount of experience, in her opinion, could prepare anyone for such level of reverence, especially from those who, not so long ago, had been her peers.

"We greet the Spirit lady." Intoned, their eyes almost watering. Although she felt uncomfortable by it, she couldn't fault them. Until recently, the kingdom of Camlen had had only two Spirit lords to their name, an extremely low number for a kingdom considered as one of the giants of the continent. If not for their abundance of Monarch realm wielders and the protection of the grey-eyed Calamity, their kingdom would have long since been conquered by the ever-encroaching Solaria. Now, though, the kingdom of Camlen was proud to boast a total number of eight Spirit lords, a mind-boggling increase to their previous number.

One would have wondered why, with the number of Monarchs available to Camlen, alongside the blood bath of a war that had begun, the numbers seemed so... Little?

She knew how hard it was to advance to Spirit lord—the requirements. She knew some people who'd been there before her advancement into the Monarch realm and who were still stuck in the realm to this moment. The level of challenges one would be required to put themselves through, alongside several delicate circumstances to help strengthen the soul and spirit, would have seen most Spirit lord candidates dead before they could reach anywhere.

Aside from her job as a scout, which usually saw the most attention from enemy Spirit lords, since they usually made sure to curb out any eyes that would prove a problem to their movements, she also acted as a shield for the stray Spirit lord techniques that were sure to devastate the lower realmers should they be as unfortunate as to be in a direct path of one. This job alone had seen the more Monarch Wielders death than most. All it took was a single misstep for instant annihilation. No second chances.

She had to admit that even with all that, she hadn't come close to the threshold, only the risk she'd taken during her previous battle had proven the push she'd sorely needed.

Most people failed to realize that a single Spirit lord was more than a full army could handle. They were walking calamities, and her nation—she thought with pride—had just gotten eight more.

She strutted down the hallway, having stepped out of the internal portal system. Walking with her head raised high, a sudden bout of pride building up in her. She also made sure to acknowledge everyone who stopped to bow. She might have just joined the highest ranks on the planet, but she wouldn't let that change her view of those lower than her. She'd once been in their position, and she would not forget that.

When she walked into the council room, she shouldn't have been surprised by those in attendance, and yet, she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she laid eyes on the true powers of the alliance. She might be a Spirit lady now, but there were different levels of Spirit lords.

Queen Fenore stood on one side of the large, round table at the leftmost side of the room. She appeared to be in a deep conversation with her right hand, Spirit Lady Helera, but both still paused to acknowledge her with a subtle nod.

King Brunos was in a conversation with some unfamiliar individuals she hadn't gotten the chance to meet yet, and judging by the wide-eyed look most of them had, they were definitely newly ascended. She did notice the absent presence of his immediate students, though.

Next was Spirit lord Danor. He didn't look much, by Spirit lord standards. But she also knew that looks could be deceiving, so she didn't put much weight on his appearance. He was dressed in a simple shirt and pants with a brown coat over it all. His appearance was that of a simple unawakened farmer, but the sword hilt peaking out of his coat proved the contrary.

Next to him were three newly ascended, also judging by their wide-eyed look. They were all dressed in flamboyant silks that looked expensive enough to put some nobles to shame, and all had swords with crystal-encrusted hilts. Someone unaware would have assumed them the masters and lord Danor the servant.

The man, himself, seemed to be listening in to what King Brunos was saying, gesturing here and there to different positions on an illusory map hovering above the table.

All three leaders were considered amongst the most powerful Spirit lords on the planet, with multiple legendary deeds to their names.

"Fenore," King Brunos suddenly spoke up. "Any response from Damien?"

The queen shook her head, "I was only able to get in touch with Keilan. Damien was unavailable."

"That's fine. Keilan will inform his brother."

King Brunos then turned towards Helera. "The Great families?"

"They are still cleaning out the remaining defiled from their territories, but they did promise to send in a couple of Spirit lords or so for assistance."

Lord Danor frowned. "Why can't they just deploy their entire cache of Spirit lords to wipe out those infestations? That sounds faster."

"Danor, you know very well the destructive level a Spirit lord could reach. Deploying their entire cache would basically be stabbing themselves in the stomach simply to remove a tumor that could be best left to wither and die."

"So they're trying to keep their losses at a minimum, then?"

"Yes. Although we should be expecting the attendance of the head of the house, Fyre, Trenor. Oh, and also, another complication has just come up there. The clan chiefs, alongside their Great chieftain, have been sighted on Aesland."

Merene frowned. She knew who the great chief was, but apparently, she didn't know enough, seeing as she was suddenly left perplexed as to the sudden ease of tension in the room, like a weight had suddenly been lifted from their shoulders.

"Well, that's a somewhat positive news I never thought I'd be hearing." SwordLord Danor said. "Slera might be a recluse, but she is no doubt, still a powerhouse. Having her somewhere in the continent with Solaris looming over us would have been deadly."

"I also agree." This time, the queen was smiling. "I also want to inform you that the Viper queen isn't the only one recently sighted on Aesland. Muktit has also made an appearance."

Danor suddenly began clapping, a thundering clap that caused tiny strands of lightning to flash across the room. No one, except the newly ascended, paid any care to it. "Positivity upon positivity. The absence of Slera, alongside Muktit, will go a lot in lifting a burden of our hands."

"But this makes me wonder, though." King Brunos spoke up. "Why would the Solarian Emperor weaken himself so, sending away two of the Spirit lords among some of the most powerful on the planet?"

"He's confident in taking us on alone. That should be obvious. I'm sure that, just like us, Solaria has also been bolstered by its own recruits of Spirit lords."

Brunos waved his hands in dismissal. "The recruits would have been plausible, had it not been certain that aside from their clear threat to our armies, the only thing they could provide right now would just be the numbers." Merene might have taken this as an insult if the man hadn't then turned towards them. "And this should serve as advice to you newly ascended. You might be Spirit lords, but do not let your pride deceive you. You will die if you go up against any old-timer. Even amongst Spirit lords, there are levels."

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Merene nodded, taking the advice to heart. She'd seen the powers of her Queen, and also her right hand. And she'd also witnessed that of King Brunos. And if they, Spirit lords who'd reduced entire mountains to rubble could defer to another?... She sighed. 'I need a way to recognize when I'm out of my depth.'

"As I was saying. Their newly ascended Spirit lords could be used to batter us like flies, but we also have ours to keep them contained. So I think something else is at play here, and coming from Solaris?" The man looked at everyone gathered. "I hope you all are as worried as I am."

***

Damien appeared over the city of Cirin, Keilan behind him. The city was noisy, more than the usual, and bustling with extreme activity as people hurried from one place to another.

The capital of Camlen was a megacity with a population of close to seventy million residents. It was the center hub for all sorts of activities in the entire kingdom, with skyscraping infrastructures of gleaming silver and pale blue glass. Blocky, rectangular buildings lined the residential section of the city, and a river ran through the center of the city, pathing a direct route down from the Dragon Sea on the right side of the city and into the land, going for as far as the eyes could see.

Damien had seen this a hundred times, and knew the entire layout of the city from the back of his head. What drew his attention, though, was the population.

The entire population of Cirin was being evacuated.

Hundreds of Troop ships rested on the river and raised platforms connected through to the concrete sidewalks that had been hastily modified to contain the crowd of people waiting to board.

Damien knew full well that those troop ships, great in numbers as they were and capable of carrying more than a thousand passengers comfortably, would be almost insignificant compared to the city's population. Thankfully, he could see the forms of more coming into the city from the south, presumably from Gandor.

Those could help, but like the ones already lining the river, they wouldn't be enough to transport the full population of Cirin.

Fenore must have also predicted that, because from another section of the city, large purplish black pillars rose into the sky, wide and brimming with spatial essence. And into it went thousands of people as they made their way to some of the locations that had been hastily propped up to hold them.

"I see Fenore isn't holding anything back." Keilan whistled, his blond hair dancing to the slowly awakening wind.

"It's only wise," a voice joined in as Fenore stepped out. "Wealth could be regained, but the lives of my people are a different thing."

She was dressed in a newly acquired armor made of an unusual kind of pale emerald crystal that streamlined down her body like a simple form fitting attire. Her green eyes stared down at the quickly emptying city with a grim expression. "This city was built to withstand the destructive powers of Spirit lords, at least long enough for reinforcement to come. However, I know your power, Damien, and I also know that of Solaris, witnessed it, infact. And I won't be foolish enough to think my city capable of withstanding that."

Damien stared into the eyes of the Princess who had been made queen before she'd been ready. Her father, King Dorion, had been a benevolent enough king, at least compared to the rest. Damien hadn't met the man since he'd died before Damien had even been born?

Anyway, Dorion's reputation had been one of the major reasons he'd agreed to the mutual defense pact that had been proposed by Fenore and Brunos.

"Everything's going to be fine." Damien tried to console her. "The battle won't even take place in the city."

"How sure are you of that?" a voice cut through the air, coming from a far distance, yet close. Soon, space tore and a man stepped through. Solaris.

Instantly, everything changed. Damien summoned Gray in spear form, and his old armor appeared around his body.

The air roiled as Keilan immediately tensed, battle ready. His bleeding emotion caused the air to subtly tremble, a feeling that was no doubt felt by the other Spirit lords.

All over the city, lights flashed as multiple presence made themselves known. Brunos stepped through a roiling circle of fire to appear behind Damien, alongside Danor. Both their newly ascended Spirit lords—at least the ones they could spare— appeared behind them.

The sky darkened and thunder rumbled as another presence appeared in a flash of lightning. He was a man of imposing stature, with a silver, silky hair and wearing a simple white robe. On his hand was a metal staff that brimmed with barely contained power, tendrils of lightning snaking up the staff and into his body.

His blue eyes took in Solaris calmly. "Solaris."

"Ahhh," the emperor smiled. "Trenor, it's been a while. I heard you went into seclusion after our last... Meeting. I hope you're feeling well now, though? Enough for round two?"

The man, Trenor, who was obviously the head of the Fyre Great family, said nothing, but the tightening in his eyes and fist was answer enough.

Behind the man were almost a dozen Spirit lords, dressed in armor emblazoned with the insignia of the house, Fyre.

Alongside them also appeared the cultists. Merene was attired in her usual blue white priestly robes. Her eyes calmly took in all that were gathered, a reassuring smile appearing on her face when Damien met her eyes.

That seemed to calm him a little.

Appearing beside Menoe was another figure, also with a power comparable to the most elite Spirit lords on the planet. Desane, high priestess of the nature cult was kind of a mysterious figure, In Damien's opinion. This was the first time he was seeing her, but that didn't mean he hadn't gotten her description beforehand. Like the Winter Cults, Desane was a reclusive figure, always in the forest surrounding the cult's temple. Her natural domain.

That was why it was always warned to steer clear of the southern forest whenever one was traveling. The Nature cult might be somewhat inactive, but that didn't mean they couldn't bite in a instant.

Since he didn't have any relationship whatsoever with the cult, he wondered why they were here. This war, no matter who won, would not affect the cults. Their power was unquestionable.

All through the appearances of the multiple powerful figures, Solaris remained calm. Unbothered. His eyes took in everything with an indulging smile. It was until they were finally done did he begin to speak, and he never even addressed their show of power.

Damien became worried.

"You know," Solaris began, looking at Damien. "When I promised to make you suffer, I couldn't seem to find something that'll torture you enough."

His hands were folded behind his back, and a patronizing smile on his face.

"I thought of capturing your brother here," he continued, gesturing at Keilan. "And simply killing him, but that would have to be quick and wouldn't deliver the level of pain I wanted. I don't just want you to see the corpse of your brother, Elason, I want you to watch him slowly die."

"Wow," Keilan said dryly. "Don't you make a man feel so special?"

Solaris didn't even glance at him, continuing as if no one had spoken. "Now, I want you to know that while I might have chosen that, I've decided to add another to it.

"You see, I've studied you, watched you for any weaknesses I could smash my hammer into. Simply killing your brother wouldn't be enough. No, that would be too much of a mercy to you."

He chuckled darkly, his fiery eyes blazing.

"You see, I've noticed that whenever you do battle, you tend to avoid places crowded with people, places that could easily accumulate massive casualties. And if you are then forced to battle there, you always seem to have ways in which to minimalize the level of damage done, mostly through employing other Spirit lords as protectors, shielding the population from harm. And other times you simply evacuate them, just like now. " Solaris smiled. "It is admirable. Heroic, even. But that naivety has left a hole in your mental armor for my weapon to penetrate. So thank you, Elason, for helping me find the perfect punishment for you."

And in an instant, he moved. Damien, already tense from the beginning, had been watching for this moment, so he was able to react immediately to the attack. Unfortunately, that was not what occured.

From the body of Solaris, something seemed to spread, immediately enveloping everyone gathered in fiery energy. And from the expressions of the clergy and Trenor, he quickly summarized that this wasn't something good.

[A Domain,] Gray whispered, shock and fear evident in his tone.

Time hadn't been affected, but Damien felt his body still, unable to move as something held him firmly in place. He couldn't even turn his head, as even the ambient energy around his surroundings vanished, replace with the sole essence of Sunflame. Despite his inability to move any part of his body, from the corner of his eyes, Damien watched as Solaris appeared, not before Damien, but Keilan.

Damien's heart froze and his eyes widened in terror as Solaris stepped close to his brother.

"I told you, Elason, I will make you suffer." And then he slammed his hammer onto the Keilan's chest plate. And Damien watched his brother vanish in a roiling of spatial energy.

Damien mustered all his strength to struggle against the constraints holding him down. He flooded his body with energy to muster his essence well. Used his willpower to flood his body with mental energy to remove any foreign influence. He even attempted to remove the foreign influence around his body. All was futile.

His attention snapped back to reality as Solaris appeared before him, a calm smile on his face.

"Trust me, for what I have planned for your brother, you will crawl to me for mercy. Luckily for you, I don't want you dead, yet. So I'm going to be sending you away, too. Do try to stay alive."

And in another spatial roiling, Damien's vision darkened.