The Unified Army, with the assistance of the Angels, bombarded the huge metal doors that sealed the entrance to the Underground City with spells.

Rythar rested his hand on his chin and watched from his shining golden throne in the sky. As the God of Might and, more importantly, righteousness, an outsider may have thought for him to interfere. After all, there had to be some innocent among Ira’s flock. It was unfortunate that righteousness wasn’t justice. As long as Rythar believed his actions to be on the morally upright side he wouldn’t see any contradictions in what he did. Thus, he ordered the slaughter of any of all who lived in the Underground City.

Though, it was hard to say if the Unified Army could actually carry those orders out. As soon as the heavy metal doors fell, the Dark Elves retaliated with spells of their own except they were aimed far above. Explosions erupted at the canyon and as a result, rocks began to tumble down and slam into the army of millions.

Screams and cries echoed into Rythar’s ears and his face showed an unpleasant expression. He flicked his hand and the rockslide stopped immediately, allowing the Unified Army to press forward.

“Disappointing.” Rythar’s approval of the mortals fell with their display of weakness. He looked to the Angels nearby and snapped his fingers. “Harith.”

“Yes, Lord Rythar.” The worshipping look on Harith’s face showed that if he could properly bow mid-air he would without pause. Still, the slight falter of Harith’s body didn’t escape the eyes of a God.

“Hm? You’re injured?” Rythar raised an eyebrow curiously.

“...Yes, my Lord. A Valkyrie, one close to the Avarus, possesses some type of divinity. I was unprepared and she managed to leave me with an injury but not before I also left her with one.”

“Oh? Is she down there now?” Harith leaned forward with a lively expression.

“No, she thoroughly exhausted herself during our fight. Even with divinity, she is still a mortal in the end.”

“I suppose you’re correct.” Rythar settled down and then beckoned for Harith to approach. The Angel did as instructed and that’s when a ball of golden light flew into his chest, repairing some of his wound in an instant.

“T-Thank you for your graciousness, my Lord,” Harith spoke in a flustered manner but Rythar maintained a nonchalant expression.

“Be happy her divinity is constrained by the Mortal Realm. If it wasn’t for that fact you’d be known as an Angel who succumbed to a wound caused by a Mortal.” Rythar glanced to the Tartarus which was constantly spewing black mist. Its rapidly spinning segments gave a clear indication that it was working hard to keep Ira contained but that was to be expected given the nature of the Void.

“Hurry on with this assault. I want to bring the Avarus back to the Divine Realm as soon as possible.” Rythar’s voice turned grim.

“Of course.” Harith nodded and flew down to make sure that no errors were to occur.

…

Inside the Underground City, chaos erupted. Most homes were already evacuated so there was no worry of citizens dying, but a fight in an enclosed space was bad for both parties. Thankfully, the Valkyries formed a plan to have the defense spread out over a wide area to avoid confusion. There were several key areas around the Underground City that served as defensive fortifications. The Valkyries and the Dark Elf Army fought a tough battle as wave after wave of enemies attacked. They couldn’t hold them all as there were millions, so some managed to slip deeper into the city.

And when they arrived, there was another line of defense waiting for them.

“Hmph!” Gerald grunted as he swung his mace. It smashed a human soldier apart, sending what was left of his body flying onto the side of a house.

“Aren’t you supposed to be holding the barricade behind us?” Aldis asked while resting his hands on the pommels of his swords.

“No one makes it that far,” Gerald responded curtly.

“I understand,” Aldis replied with a sigh.

The number of people who made it to the second line of defense numbered a few dozen at first. Since the fight was just beginning, the stragglers who made it through still weren’t enough to warrant a large battle.

“Eyes up!” Amy shouted.

Just as Aldis was thinking the fight was going unexpectedly slow, thousands of soldiers came marching. At their front was a famous swordsman by the name of Cyprian Aurell. Blood dripped from his sword indicating that he had taken his share of lives in order to get through.

Before the fight between the two groups could begin, Cyprian raised his hand and stopped the soldiers behind him.

“Aren’t you Ira’s brother-in-law?” Cyprian looked closely at Aldis.

He fit the descriptions of one of the close to Ira so there was no mistaking it. Randolph and Clark had given knowledge on what they knew of Ira to the Angels long ago. So it was reasonable for generals and important figures within the Unified Army to recognize Aldis.

Aldis slowly drew his two sword and cold air began to drift off the surface of his blades. Amy twirled her spear while green fire covered her metal arm, showing she was also prepared to fight. Gerald grunted and slammed his massive shield on the ground.

Behind them, a group of half-dragons was stationed behind a wooden barricade with their swordspears at the ready.

“I guess I have my answer,” Cyprian spoke. While he didn’t have a particular problem with Ira, there was no way to avoid the wrath of the Angels if he didn’t participate in the fighting.

Just as tensions were reaching their highest. A boy jumped down from a rooftop.

“Hup!” He let out a quiet exclamation as he landed before moving to stand between the two opposing forces.

“You…” Cyprian was taken aback at the boy’s appearance.

Neat black hair, bright yellow eyes that seemed to carry drowsiness, and a thin smile that was all too familiar to anyone who had seen Ira. He was wearing a simple black leather chest plate and dark grey pants that were tucked into similar black leather boots that stopped just under his knees.

Valeryn didn’t say anything to Cyprian he just drew his rapier, a weapon with small scratches and a rusty hilt that made it seem cheap, and stabbed it into the ground. He placed both hands on the pommel and then made no other moves.

“You’re Ira’s child?” Cyprian asked carefully.

“Valeryn, what are you doing here?” Aldis asked in a panic. “Weren’t you supposed to be with Raveria?”

Valeryn didn’t answer either of their questions, only replying with a short yawn. He even blinked his eyes languidly as if he was seconds away from falling asleep. It was hard to believe he was on a battlefield.

As the strange stalemate took place, the sound of fighting grew closer and the group behind Cyprian grew in number. The odds of winning for the Aldis’ group became slimmer and it was likely that Harper and the other’s were off somewhere else fighting their own battle.

In just a few seconds, whispers of Valeryn’s origins began to spread and some soldiers couldn’t contain their excitement. The Angels promised rewards to those who captured Ira’s family alive so they grew restless. The rewards given by the Rythar wouldn’t be light and there was no need to guess how prosperous the lucky recipient would end up. Some people got the idea in their heads that they would be future kings so long as they captured him.

“Come here, kid!” A human man rushed out to grab him followed by others who couldn’t contain themselves.

Valeryn tightened his grip around the pommel of his rapier ever so slightly before twisting it into the ground and they all stopped dead in their tracks.

“Ah…” The closest man fell to the ground while clutching his chest. Blood spurted out a small hole that tunneled directly through his heart.

He collapsed onto the ground with a loud thump and so did the others who tried to grab Valeryn.

“I see...So you’re a monster just like your Father.” Cyprian drew his own sword. His words sounded harsh but they were a compliment in a way.

“Everyone else can take care of them, I’ll handle Ira’s son!” Cyprian shouted as his eyes narrowed.

Valeryn’s eyes also sharpened as he saw Cyprian as a skilled opponent rather than the ones he just killed.

Without any hesitation, Cyprian’s group charged forward, shouting at the top of their lungs. They ran around Cyprian and Valeryn who were sizing each other up.

“Was it Ira who taught you how to use a sword? Your Mother? Or perhaps one of the Valkyries?” Cyprian asked.

“No one,” Valeryn answered. It was the only reply he gave as he rushed forward.

He thrust the rapier a single time but Cyprian suddenly found himself faced with several attacks at once and none of them were illusions. Valeryn’s rapier didn’t just aim at one spot but many different vital points and all at the same time.

Cyprian’s control over spirit magic showed its worth as he raised his power to the fullest extent and fended off each attack. Valeryn continued in attacking in what looked to be a light and effortless manner but his technique astounded Cyprian.

Valeryn attacked, feinted, parried, and guarded himself simultaneously. The worthless looking rapier in his hand seemed to withstand all of the power behind Cyprian’s attack.

Just as it seemed the intensity of their fight was increasing, Valeryn thrust the rapier in a very slow manner.

Cyprian couldn’t think about how strange it was for someone of Valeryn’s skill to suddenly make such a weak attack but he moved to block it while trying to anticipate the next attack but that didn’t happen. As soon as the two weapons collided, a metallic sound echoed through the air and Cyprian went flying into a house, crashing through it.

Valeryn stopped moving and stabbed his rapier into the ground, waiting for Cyprian to emerge. His usually relaxed expression took on the form of a slightly vicious grin and focused eyes. Like a wild animal tasting blood for the first time. The blood of an Avarus and a Valkyrie made his instincts run wild while fighting someone strong. Valeryn found it was a pleasant feeling and wished for Cyprian to recover faster. The sounds of the fight behind him were nearly drowned out as most of his attention went to his front.

It seemed as if he didn’t notice a few soldiers creeping up behind him but he stabbed his rapier into the ground once more and they dropped dead with gaping wounds filling up their chests.

Others who stuck around to see if they could get the drop on Valeryn was discouraged from approaching any further and returned to the larger battle.

“I’ll admit...I underestimated you due to your age...Let me correct that now.” Cyprian dusted off his white robes as his spiritual power stirred underneath him.

His words made Valeryn’s grin turn into a full smile, like a kid who was given treats.

Cyprian moved forward and their fight began once again.

Above the streets where the fight was taking place, Raveria watched over Valeryn. Technically, it was one of her doppelgangers but the information would be transmitted to her main body. And if things looked like they weren’t going in Valeryn’s favor, she would interfere immediately. But as it stood, she didn’t want to interrupt her brother’s fun.

“Didn’t you promise father you wouldn’t try to fight?” Raveria mumbled to herself before remembering Valeryn’s response to that question.

‘Trying is different than doing.’ His voice seemed to echo in her mind at that moment causing her to frown.

“Too troublesome, Ryn.” She muttered again. Glancing into the distance, she could see hundreds of soldiers floating into the air before being hit with lightning bolts. Their metal armor made it incredibly easy for Zephyr to stop their attacks and since Rhys stuck close to him, all she had to do was fire off some lightning and kill them while they were helpless to respond.

“Haaa.” The doppelganger of Raveria sighed as if she was bored but shifted her attention back to Valeryn.

…

Two women in black veils stood with Sylun. She had come to know their names as Zella and Juliana and they were important figures in her eyes. The “Veiled Maidens” had become two people Ira consulted a lot before the battle and it was clear they knew a lot more than they would ever say.

“Do you know when the Keeper will return?” Sylun asked as they walked toward the throne room. People were scrambling to adjust to the ongoing attack and she was no different as she was dressed in armor and prepared to join the battle.

“We do,” Zella answered. “But that isn’t something that we can say. You’d risk changing fate just by hearing it.”

“I understand. I don’t plan on going against the Keeper’s will.” Sylun nodded.

“Ah!” Zella suddenly exclaimed. “I think it’s best if you stand still for a moment...She is quite upset.”

“What?” Sylun inadvertently stopped to ask a question but she received the answer before she could even speak.

The doors to the palace went flying past her and it was clear that if she was a few steps ahead she would’ve been hit.

“Who–” Sylun suddenly got choked up as she looked at the person standing at the entrance.

Avery was standing in the doorway with a bloodlust that seemed palpable.

“Where. Are. My. Children?” Her voice was laced with pure anger and her eyes were the epitome of unforgiving. Blood seeped through her grey robes because of her injury but she didn’t seem to notice it at all.

“Keepress, your wound! You should be resting.” An attendant tried to rush to Avery’s side but fire began to rise from the floor preventing anyone from approaching.

“Answer me.” Avery seemed as if she would erupt at any second if an answer wasn’t provided.

Luckily, Zella stepped forward with the knowledge required for a response. “They are fighting among the Dark Elf Army. I can’t see any danger befalling so there is no need to worry.”

“Take me to them.”

“But Keepress–” Sylun tried to convince Avery not to push herself but there was no way that could happen.

“Now,” Avery demanded.

“...As you wish,” Juliana replied.

She, along with Zella, began leading Avery toward where the children were fighting.

"We'll follow along and protect the Keepress!" Sylun ordered the guards around her before they moved to catch up.