Adrian Lewin POV
I reached the battlefield with the Commander.
I had never been to one before, and I didn't want to diminish morale, so I copied how the Commander sat.
I hope no one noticed.
Soon, a captain came to us and invited us to where the other captains were gathered.
While we were going, I saw a part of the skirmish.
I smelled the smoke, saw the flesh, heard the cries, felt the vibrations, and tasted the air.
Right now, I regretted having Omniscient, but the thought quickly disappeared.
Soon we reached the tent.
Inside, a map with pins inserted was placed on the table. I observed it even though I didn't understand much.
I asked, "Tell everything from the start, even if it's already been mentioned."
The captain bowed low before me, his face streaked with soot and sweat, armor battered but intact.
"My lord," he began, voice steady despite the exhaustion visible in every line of his body, "allow me to report the situation from the past three days."
He gestured toward the crude map spread on the table, pins marking positions across the plains.
"The enemy moved swiftly, but not without hesitation," he said, pointing to the eastern ridge. "Their previous general—the one responsible for your predecessor's death—was eliminated in a skirmish before this assault. It momentarily disrupted their coordination, giving our forces a brief advantage. However, they quickly reorganized under a new commander—the Thirteenth Demon General. Intelligence indicates he is stronger, more cunning, and far more disciplined than the last."
The Thirteenth Demon General… he's a strong opponent.
He paused, taking a deep breath. "On the first day, our line endured heavy attacks. Ground demons surged over our forward positions, while flying units harassed our flanks and disrupted the archers. Casualties were significant, but Torren and our senior officers managed to maintain cohesion, rallying the troops repeatedly."
"The second day saw more coordinated assaults. They probed for weaknesses continuously, striking simultaneously at multiple points. Shields splintered, formations faltered, but our infantry, including the mixed-race units, held. Discipline and endurance were the only reasons we did not collapse. By the end of the day, exhaustion had set in, yet morale remained intact—largely thanks to the leadership of Torren and the captains."
"On the third day, the Thirteenth General refined his strategy. Assaults intensified, yet our line continued to hold. Our scouts report that casualties on both sides are mounting rapidly, though the enemy remains unbroken. And now, my lord, your presence—along with the Commander's—has reached the front. Troops recognize your authority, and hope has begun to return. Your leadership will be the deciding factor in the coming engagements."
The captain bowed again, eyes meeting mine with a mix of respect and urgency.
"That is the current status, my lord. The plains remain contested, but the line stands. All we need now is direction from you."
Too much flattery, and too little information, I'd say.
I asked, "Have you spotted the Thirteenth Demon General?"
The captain bowed. "No, my lord."
I thought for a moment, then said, "Let the information spread—I am here. I'll ride a wyvern. And let everyone know that lord rides a wyvern.Don't stop the spies; let them gather information."
The captain looked at the Commander.
The Commander shrugged. "If I refuse, do you dare go against the lord?"
The captain swallowed hard and nodded.
Soon, the next day came.
We let the troops we brought rest.
I, too, rested well.
Then I went to the skies on Aero.
The war had started, and I'm pretty sure everyone must have been wondering why I wasn't fighting.
By the way, I had gathered Nature Mana for one hour and thirty minutes before coming to the sky.
Also, I had given the order that if the demon general appeared, the whole army was to retreat.
Soon, I saw someone leaping hundreds of meters each time, reaching the front line.
The Thirteenth Demon General had finally appeared on the plains.
Eyes widened and fear etched itself onto every face.
I didn't flinch. I simply watched.
He was humanoid, yes, but every inch of him screamed lethal precision—dark, mottled skin stretched over powerful muscles, jagged horns curling back from his forehead, and eyes like molten amber, glowing with a fire that could intimidate most men. His presence radiated a pressure that made the air itself seem heavier, as if the ground recognized his power.
I could feel the miasma clinging to him—the sickly scent of sulfur and decay, the kind that made lesser beings falter, hearts pound, and resolve crumble. Most soldiers instinctively recoiled, yet I remained perfectly still.
Fear? That was a luxury for the weak.
I didn't feel it. Instead, I felt… anticipation.
A creature like this—cunning, intelligent, and cruel—would test everything I was capable of.
He moved with uncanny grace—calculated and deliberate. Every step, every slight turn of his head, seemed measured to convey dominance. He wasn't rushing; he was observing, analyzing. Even from a distance, I could sense his mind working—probing for weaknesses, weighing our formations, judging not just skill but courage.
Yet I wasn't concerned. Let him judge. He would soon find that I was no ordinary target.
The aura of arrogance around him was palpable, a silent claim that the battlefield itself obeyed him.
Even his reputation didn't shake me.
I've faced challenges that would make ordinary warriors kneel.
This was just another test—and I welcomed it.
My focus didn't waver, and my thoughts didn't scatter.
He might be a demon general, a strategist, a weapon forged through countless battles—but he was still a being of flesh and will.
I exhaled slowly, the wind carrying the distant shrieks and cries of his forces.
Let the battlefield bend under his power.
Let him test the limits of men and beasts alike.
I would not flinch.
I would not falter.
Whatever the Thirteenth General's strength, whatever terror he inspired—
And so, I went to where both sides were clashing.
Any attack that came my way, I simply evaded using Blitz.
Soon, he came too.
I activated everything in my arsenal, just in case.
"Sixth Sense—activate."
"Omniscient—activate."
"Regeneration—activate."
"Blitz—activate."
Then I gave the signal for the army to retreat—very, very slowly at start then run as fast as possible.
The presence of the Demon General made the demons nervous too, so the war paused.
The Thirteenth Demon General looked at me and said,
"So you are the new lord."
I smiled. "In the flesh."
He said again, "I will kill you later. Right now, I'm strategizing. I had a bet."
I asked, "Is that so?"
He nodded.
I said, "Well, that's good and all—but you hurt my army a lot."
He laughed. "Consider it my gift."
I said, "Then it's my responsibility to give you a gift too."
He smirked. "Don't bother, brother. Everyone gives according to their capabilities."
I laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I won't overexert myself. Maybe just a little."
By then, the soldiers had retreated a fair distance.
I raised my hand slowly.
He tilted his head but didn't lower his guard—I could tell he had activated some kind of defense.
I shook my head.
"Apocalypse."
The plains stretched endlessly—golden and unbroken—yet something unnatural was moving across them. The land itself seemed unable to resist, each patch of soil yielding as the force pressed onward—unstoppable, uncompromising.
Birds scattered in terrified flocks. Animals fled in every direction, yet nothing could truly escape the advancing tide. Even the wind seemed caught in its path, whipped into spirals and gusts that swept across the exposed fields.
The movement wasn't chaotic, though it appeared so at first glance. There was a rhythm—an order underlying the apparent destruction. Sections of the plains were swallowed, then the wave shifted slightly, adjusting as though sensing resistance—flowing around obstacles only to flatten them moments later.
The force stretched endlessly across the horizon, a continuous, undivided expanse. For over a thousand kilometers, the land disappeared beneath its unstoppable march. Shadows flickered and stretched as it passed, the sun glinting off tremors in the soil, illuminating the raw, unyielding power that moved without pause.
Even the air carried its presence. Dust, smoke, and an almost imperceptible vibration in the atmosphere heralded its advance. The sound was distant but constant—a low, resonant rumble that traveled across hills and valleys, reaching ears long before eyes could catch sight.
Everything felt heavy, as if gravity itself was altered in its path. A pressure pressed down on anyone standing in its trajectory. The plains no longer seemed safe—every step, every breath felt measured against the inevitability of what was coming.
And yet, despite the scale, it was smooth. No obstacle stopped it. It flowed over the plains like water, consuming everything, stretching to infinity. Dust clouds rose higher than mountains, but the movement never wavered. It was as if time itself bent around it—allowing no pause, no retreat.
For a thousand kilometers, the plains were transformed. Nothing resisted; nothing slowed it. It did not rage.
And as it continued across the land, it left behind only trembling soil and the haunting awareness that nothing could halt its motion.
The demons?
No one knew if such beings even stood there before.