In the peaceful kingdom of Gwarga, the morning sun rose slowly, covering the land with a soft golden light. Birds chirped sweetly, the wind gently moved the trees, and everything felt calm and quiet. It was just another peaceful day for the people.
Especially for King Leonidas.
Ever since he finally sat on the throne of Gwarga, Leonidas felt like all his dreams had come true. He had worked so hard for this moment… sacrificing many things—his pride, his friendships, and even his honor. But in the end, it didn't matter. He got what he wanted.
The crown.
Not only that, he went a step further. He had drunk several expensive magical medicines that slowed down aging and made his skin look younger. Those potions were rare and hard to find, but they gave him at least fifty more years of life. His face looked younger, his body stronger—even though inside, he was still an old man.
Humans, unlike demons, could never live forever. Even the strongest and most legendary hero of all time, Viktor, died in his early thirties for reasons no one ever discovered. He just vanished one day and was never seen again.
And the last famous hero, who lived about two hundred years ago and once shook hands with the Third Demon King to slay a terrifying twin- true dragon… even he died at the age of two hundred from old age.
That's why Leonidas didn't care about being a hero. He didn't want to fight or struggle anymore. All he wanted now… was to enjoy the rest of his life in luxury and pleasure.
He had already married ten more women and taken all of the previous king's concubines for himself. His palace was always full of laughter, music, food, and beauty.
Yes, there were people in the kingdom who hated him. Some were even secretly planning to remove him. But they couldn't do anything. Not as long as he had the support of Scarlett Nova. Unless someone stronger than her appeared, his position as king was untouchable.
Right now, Leonidas was sitting on his throne, smiling lazily as a beautiful woman fed him grapes with her soft hands. Her perfume filled the air, and her gentle voice made him feel like a god. Everything was perfect.
But then—
BANG!
The throne room doors swung open with a loud sound, and a knight ran in quickly. His face was full of panic, and his breathing was heavy.
He dropped to one knee in front of the throne and spoke loudly, "My liege! We have terrible news! Soldiers on the border have spotted a giant army approaching Gwarga!"
Leonidas sat up straight, confused by the sudden report.
The knight continued, "We sent scouts to get a closer look, and they reported that it's an army of demons and monsters—shouting the name of the Fifth Demon King, Noir!"
Leonidas's eyes widened in shock. His heart skipped a beat. "An attack?! But… why? Our kingdom isn't even close to Noir's territory! Why would he come all the way here?!"
His voice was filled with disbelief, almost like he couldn't accept what he was hearing.
He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Then, in a deep, strong voice, he asked, "How big is the army?"
The knight looked up, his voice shaking slightly.
"Half a million soldiers…"
Leonidas's whole body froze. A heavy chill ran through his spine.
"Half a million…?" he whispered, almost in disbelief. His voice trembled, but his muttering was loud enough that the knight could clearly hear him. "If such a huge army was coming on foot, we would've heard of it days ago. We should've had enough time to prepare!"
The knight, his face pale and tense, slowly shook his head. "There are signs that a large-scale teleportation spell was used," he said, his voice filled with worry.
Leonidas's eyes widened in shock. "Teleportation…?" he whispered again, his mind spinning. His throat went dry, and sweat started dripping from his forehead. "Teleportation on that level... there's only one kind of being who can do that... a Demon King."
The truth was now clear. There was no more guessing. This wasn't a bluff or a misunderstanding. It was war.
Trying to stay calm, the knight said quickly, "W-we still have some time. The army has just arrived. The distance from the teleportation spot to our border is still long. Maybe a few hours before they reach us. Our border walls are strong and we've placed soldiers there. They might be able to hold them off."
But Leonidas didn't respond right away. His thoughts were elsewhere. He knew how things truly were.
Yes, there was an agreement between all six human kingdoms—to support each other in case of a demon invasion.
But Gwarga had made a terrible mistake in the past.
The previous king of Gwarga had foolishly waged war against Scarlett Nova.
And in return, Scarlett had destroyed their entire army in a single attack. Wiped out everything.
Now Gwarga was left weak and broken. They had barely recovered. Their numbers were low. Their defenses were weak.
Before… maybe they could have survived this kind of attack.
But now…
"What should I do…?" Leonidas thought, his mind filled with panic. "What should I do…?"
No answers came.
He turned to the kneeling knight, his voice shaky but trying to stay strong. "How many soldiers can we gather right now?"
The knight quickly replied, "Around fifty thousand, Your Majesty."
Leonidas gave a quick nod. His hands were shaking, but he clenched them into fists.
"Then listen closely," he ordered. "Send out messages to all nobles. Have them inform the other kingdoms about the attack. We need their help."
"Gather every soldier we can. Hire mercenaries. Call in adventurers. Anyone who can fight. Do whatever it takes."
The knight nodded and placed his fist on his chest with respect.
"Yes, my king!"
"Now go!" Leonidas commanded, his voice firm.
As the knight ran out of the throne room, Leonidas slowly sank back into his throne. His face was pale. His fingers trembled. The smile he wore earlier, the joy of grapes and girls—all of it had vanished.
Leonidas sat alone on his throne, his fingers shaking slightly as he thought deeply. The only answer was to get help from Scarlett.
She was strong—strong enough to turn the tide of any battle—but Leonidas knew better than to count on her. Scarlett would never help easily. Even if she did decide to step in, it wouldn't be for free. There would be conditions, and knowing her, those conditions might cost him more than just gold or land.
And that wasn't even the main problem. Sending a message to her, waiting for a reply, going through her terms… it would all take too much time.
Time he didn't have.
He had to hold the enemy off until reinforcements from the other kingdoms arrived. That was his only chance. But even that plan was full of risks. What if they came too late? What if the kingdom fell before the sun even set?
He buried his face in his hands, helpless.
But then—
Like a spark in darkness, something clicked in his mind. His eyes widened as if someone had lit a fire inside them.
"How could I forget? I can use him!" .
---------
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Darwitz…
A quiet morning had turned into chaos. Unlike Gwarga, where the demon army appeared suddenly, something completely different had happened here.
Without warning, a large flying beast smashed through one of the royal palace's enchanted mirrors.
It had the body of a wyvern, but its head looked like a giant black bat. Its thick fur was pitch black, and dark mist clung to its wings.
But what truly terrified everyone was the rider on its back.
A tall woman, graceful and cold, stepped down from the creature. Her hair was long and black, her skin pale and smooth like polished marble. Two small horns poked out from her head. She was Seraphina.
And the moment she landed in the middle of the throne room, everyone froze. The air became cold and heavy.
King Arnold S. Darwitz sat frozen on his golden throne. His eyes were wide with fear, his hands trembling as he gripped the throne's armrests tightly.
"H-How?!" he gasped, losing all sense of calm. "How did a demoness get in here? Where are the barriers? Where are the guards?!"
But nobody answered. The room was silent. No one moved. No one even breathed.
Seraphina stepped forward slowly, her heels tapping against the smooth marble floor. Then she gave a mocking bow and spoke in a voice that was soft but sharp, like a dagger wrapped in silk.
"How could foolish little humans ever understand the power of demons?" she said, her black eyes fixed on the king.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Seraphina, loyal servant of the Fifth Demon King—Noir," she introduced herself with pride, not even blinking.
"My king has declared war," she continued, letting her words hang in the air. "Surrender now and beg for mercy in front of my king... or be destroyed."
The entire hall was silent, like time had stopped.
"You humans have been living in peace for too long," Seraphina said with a smirk. "It's time you remember your place. Darwitz is just the beginning!"
Then, she laughed. A wild, mad laugh that echoed through the hall like a nightmare.
And just like that, her body turned into thick black fog. She and her flying beast disappeared into thin air, leaving behind only silence and fear.
Even though she could use teleportation, She purposely came all the way here to show that, Forget about demon king, No one can even stop her.
King Arnold wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still breathing heavily. He looked around the hall. No one dared to speak. No one moved.
Then, breaking the silence with a heavy voice, he gave his orders.
"Prepare for war!"
His voice echoed like thunder in the room.
"Send word to the Hero Academy. Tell them the time has come. The summoned heroes must be ready—this is why they were brought here!"
He paused, then continued more firmly. "Also, gather the strongest elites of the Hero Academy. We need our best—now more than ever."
Everyone rushed into action, the sound of footsteps and shouting filling the palace. But even then, a deep fear remained in the hearts of all.