The following morning…
Vani woke up, his eyes slowly fluttering open.
He then sat upright, his hand slowly moving the strands of his silver hair that were obscuring his sight.
'Ugh, my head really hurts.' He gripped the side of his head, his eyes barely open.
[That is because you ended up giving all three of your commanders a true name. Impressive.]
Vani paused.
'True. I didn't think I could do it, but I guess it checks out.'
[Would you like to see their stats?]
[You fell right asleep after discussing the war strategy with them; you didn't get the time to view them.]
Before he responded, Vani scanned the entire tent.
There was nothing in sight, which meant most of the weapons and items had already been moved.
'Sure, keep it brief.'
Vani stood up and walked towards the bowl of water on the small table near him. Most likely, Alice had left it there for him.
He then knelt, using the cold water to wash his face and rub himself down with a rag while the system announced the stats.
[Shisha's Stats]
[Role: Daughter and Leader of the Snakeite Army
Rank: SSS-rank
Special Skills: War Maiden, Sword God Amastue, Beast Enslavement
Other Skills: Combat Mastery, Death Mistress, Speed God, Aim Mist]
'As expected of her.'
[Terra's Stats]
[Role: Little Sister, Leader of the Vampire Army
Rank: SS+-rank
Special Skills: Crimson Dominion, Domain Summon, Hell Gates
Other Skills: Immortal Body, Blood Demon, Ultimate Speed, etc.]
[Rebecca's Stats]
[Role: Little Sister, Leader of the Demi-human Army]
[You also earned 3000 good points for upgrading your generals.]
Done cleaning himself, Vani wiped his body with a towel and then faced the system.
'It seems Shisha was the only one to attain the triple-S rank. If she gets stronger, she could venture into the god rankings, maybe.'
He tossed the towel to the side.
'I can worry about that later. For now, I have a lizard nation to conquer.'
Vani threw on his cape and strode out of the tent.
Upon stepping outside, the sunlight glared down at him, so much so that he had to raise a hand as a visor.
After a moment, his eyes adjusted, and he was able to fully see the sight before him.
Lined up, just as he had instructed, were the soldiers preparing for war.
The sight was impressive.
The Snakeite army, a formidable force of reptilian warriors, stood in tight, disciplined ranks, their scales gleaming under the morning sun. Their spears, tipped with razor-sharp obsidian, glinted menacingly.
Beside them, the vampire legions, clad in dark, flowing cloaks, presented a stark contrast. Their eyes, a chilling crimson, betrayed their bloodthirsty nature, yet their formation was precise and unwavering.
Finally, the demi-human army, a diverse collection of wolfmen, catmen, foxmen, and more, stood ready.
Not too far from where he was, he could see Alice standing to the side, her head bowed.
"Good morning, Lord Vani. I hope you slept well."
"As well as I could. Has it been done?"
"Yes," she replied. "The three generals have each given their strongest soldiers a true name and an iron weapon. They have also discussed the plan."
Vani smiled. "Good. Let's march to victory."
As he said those words, he moved forward, with Alice following behind him.
In time, the soldiers spotted them and quickly began chanting his name.
For the first time in about sixty years, the Demon Lord Vani was going to accompany them to war.
The Nation of Farglo
The lizard nation of Farglo was located in the southern part of the continent, right next to the nation of Darkin and the Elven Kingdom.
Their leader and patriarch was Lord Agis, the man known as the Lizard King.
He was a man said to be ruthless and powerful.
No other nation had dared to challenge him, other than the nation of Darkin, of course.
Still, that was of no concern to him, as he knew he would destroy them in battle, something he had been waiting years for.
"Open the gates!" yelled a guard from inside the watchtower.
The two guards standing before the giant gates did as they were told.
As the gates opened, soldiers poured out like rampaging beasts, each riding a chariot and carrying the nation's flag.
"To battle! We shall conquer the enemy!"
They yelled triumphantly, the earth shaking under their massive numbers.
Citizens were outside their homes, watching as the soldiers headed out to war.
In their history, they had never lost a single battle in over a hundred years.
Their most recent victim was the Nation of Asmoth, which was inhabited by goblins and orcs.
As such, they were almost certain they would win against the people of Darkin. It was a given.
Finally, riding out of the gate on a double chariot was the leader of the lizard people himself, Agis.
He was huge, with biceps the size of a regular person's head. With green skin and the eyes of a snake, one could say he was as deadly as his name implied.
Right beside him was his royal advisor, Luhar, who was a bit tamer in appearance.
"Luhar, don't you think we are going overboard here? It is the nation of Darkin we are facing; two thousand men might be overkill," Agis said with an arrogant glare.
"I think it is the right amount, My Lord, considering you plan to overtake the kingdom as well. If we manage to push them back to their walls, it will be easier for us to surround them with more men."
"And then I challenge their lord to a one-on-one battle. I like that." Agis grinned. "I heard that bastard is an S-rank. Demon Lord or not, I don't have any problem beating him to a pulp, even if I am only an A-rank."
Luhar turned his gaze to the army before them.
"I don't think that will be necessary, My Lord. The Demon Lord is indeed strong, but his forces are not. As planned, their army will most likely be waiting for us to arrive at their front door. This allows us to surround them and enter from all their borders, giving us the advantage to head for the Demon Lord himself," he explained.
Agis shrugged his shoulders. "As long as I get to fight, I don't care what they do. It's about time we took their land from them. It's rich and going to waste; it will be better in my hands."
"Worry not, My Lord. This victory is ours for the taking."