{ You want me to apply the barrier? } Mjurran silently responded to the message she received from her master. For many years now Clayman had held possession of her heart, forcing her to follow his orders without question. If she refused, she would get her heart crushed and die. 

 

In truth, she knew this was coming; she had infiltrated Youm’s party just to get inside Tempest, but that didn’t make the decision any harder. She had no choice, after all.

 

{ Yes, our goal is to cut off their communication and lock them inside. If all goes well, nobody will be left when that demon gets there. } Clayman responded as Mjurran silently rushed into a nearby alley.

 

Mjurran silently walked, deeper and deeper between the many homes that lined the street, finding a rare place of solitude as her master continued { A great war is about to break out… One unlike any the world has ever seen. A war to end all wars they say… It's a very interesting concept indeed. Whoever wins this war shall have the world in their hands, so long as they can keep a hold of it. }

 

Finding a silent spot to cast the spell, she let go of her cover, allowing her true appearance to surface. Slowly, magicules began to swirl around her, increasing in speed and power as a purple hue began to glow around her.

 

As she continued, she noticed Youm coming from the side of the alley. He looked stunned as he reached out, shouting out her name. It was too late now, she could only stand by and look at him, muttering “I’m sorry… Youm…”

 

The purple hue around her formed a glowing beam that reached high into the sky above. Slowly, a purple hue began to surround the town in an anti-magical barrier set up around the town. Mere moments later, four beams of light each coming from the forest converged into one location as a blue hue connected them, forming a pyramid-shaped barrier on top of the one she placed.

 

She didn’t know of this second barrier, but it wasn’t from her, nor from one of Clayman’s minions. Whoever placed the other barrier was unknown to her, but it mattered little. Soon, it would all be over. If she survived, she would live to see another day.

 

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“You’re sure we even need a tank this big? It seems excessive.” Weiss muttered as he gazed at the TRI’s latest invention; what could only be described as a ‘massive fucking tank’ as Gabiru had put it. 

 

Weiss, as a mage, never had many direct encounters with tanks in combat. For him, most were oversized targets for them to shoot at, so making one larger just seemed unnecessary. Sure, the armor was thicker and the cannon was bigger, but with magic now used to a large degree in most of the tanks, the power and defense of a tank could be increased without increasing its size to a certain extent.

 

Still, the Dark Orcs seemed rather proud of the invention, and with the magical aspects scaled up with the tank, it meant that though the size change was mostly unnecessary, the power the tank had was nonetheless more than any other tank in Tempest’s arsenal. It was a glorified show of force, clearly designed to incite fear in whoever it approached. If one were to give even just one of them to the Empire in his old world with enough magical power to last the war, it probably could’ve single-handedly won it if used right.

 

Yet here Otto was, showing off three of them that they had designed and produced for basically fun. Rimuru was pretty insistent that Tempest’s military had ‘enough toys’ already, though that didn’t seem to stop the TRI from going crazy as soon as Rimuru left for a while or Tanya gave the thumbs up. Even Tanya’s absence seemed to have just given them the green light to go crazy with projects that even Tanya would’ve considered unnecessary, such as this one.

 

Whatever the case was, Otto spoke proudly of his new invention, “There is no armor in the world that could easily withstand a direct hit from this tank. Especially no armor that’s on any enemy tank.”

 

“There are no enemy tanks. We’re the only ones with tanks.” Weiss muttered.

 

“No matter! If they had tanks, they would be scared of our tanks!” Otto clarified.

 

Weiss sighed as he folded his arms and shook his head, “Whatever you say, just do-” he was suddenly interrupted by a loud siren coming from the machine to his left.

 

The machine was a computer Tanya had helped to create. It was fairly basic in its systems, mostly running on pre-programmed protocols, but it was nonetheless capable of locating a target, tracking it, and shooting it down. At least it was sometimes.

 

The tech was still new, and in most cases, its accuracy was poor. Creating such advanced technology that surpassed what even Weiss’ world could do clearly wasn't such an easy feat, but the foundations were there. Optimally, according to Tanya, she wanted all the tanks, aircraft, and everything involving war to be remotely controlled from a safe distance, leaving physical soldiers as a secondary resort, but one step at a time had to be taken.

 

Now the machine was blaring, red lights flashing on just about every screen and signal they could. The two rushed over to the computer to see what it was alerting them of as they noticed the bright red text of the alert blaring on the screen.

 

[Missile Threat Inbound]

[Missile Threat Inbound]

[Missile Threat Inbound]

 

Switching over the screen showed a crude map of the nearby area, showing the mostly repetitive forest terrain of the Jura Forest as three dots appeared on the screen. Immediately, the anti-air systems went into effect as the missiles approached at high velocity.

 

The missile in the front was the first to be shot down, a small explosion graphic appearing on the map as the dot then disappeared. The missiles continued, passing where the anti-air was located as the second one was shot down next. The anti-air continued firing at the third the whole way until a loud explosion rocked the research facility, the entire cave seemingly shaking as the sounds of an explosion rocked the outside. Most of Tanya’s defenses had failed.

 

Again the screen blared red text;

 

[Nuclear Strike Detected]

[Barrier Integrity Critical]

[Diverting Remaining Power to Radiation Defense]

[Preparing Retaliation…]

 

Otto and Weiss were quick to rush outside, standing at the top of the wall that protected the entrance to Veldora’s cave. Standing there were many soldiers all looking in awe at what the two quickly noticed was a large black tower of smoke, forming up like a mushroom into the sky.

 

As some of the smoke subsided it was clear that the city had been spared a direct hit. The missile had blasted the defensive barrier placed around Tempest a while ago, and the city was already mobilizing. As the screen had explained, however, the attack had weakened it down to critical levels as it was now focused on stopping radiation which was apparently created by the blast.

 

Despite not being hit, there was another problem as Tempest was surrounded by two barriers of foreign nature, neither created by the TRI for Tempest’s defense, both clearly designed to weaken the village, perhaps to make it more vulnerable to such a strike. 

 

After a few seconds of looking in awe and shock, more sirens blared from the cave behind them as a rumbling began within the forest. Suddenly a tower of metal erupted from the ground, a bright light towards the bottom as it soared into the air before turning towards where the other missiles had once come from.

 

It seemed that was the ‘retaliation’ the computer spoke of. Had Tanya anticipated this? Did she know what that was? Did she have one of those bombs herself? Many questions filled the minds of the soldiers who didn’t know what to make of the situation. However as Weiss heard the roaring of planes overhead, he looked to see a line of American bombers flying towards Tempest.

 

There was no good stalling any further. War had begun.

 

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The sound of roaring engines filled the sky overhead as streaks of flame began to erupt where their bombs landed. All across the mostly wooden city of Tempestia, roaring fires erupted from the bombs dropped from the planes above, scorching everything in sight. Even the forest beyond the barrier wasn’t spared as the flames burnt aggressively through the town and the forest around it.

 

The entire city was in a state of panic, with towns erupting into flames suddenly and the entire nation in a state of war without so much as a warning, the people fled as far as the barrier would allow them as the soldiers and beasts of steel began rolling in. Weapons that were once believed to be used solely by Tempest now rolled past the barrier that was restricting them. 

 

Humans armed with guns and rifles joined in ranks behind the tanks, firing upon anyone, civilian or soldier, that they came across. In just the first minute alone, dozens, if not hundreds, died from the onslaught of bullets from the invaders' weapons, not to mention the wave of flames brought upon the fragile homes of Tempestia.

 

As a bomb brought yet another house into the firestorm, a young goblin mother quickly hurried to get her children out of their collapsing home, running through the smoke that engulfed much of the city before freezing in fear upon seeing the barrel of a tank staring her down.

 

She cowered, protecting her kids with her body as she turned away, hearing the bang of tank fire before turning to see Shion standing with her sword firmly planted into the ground.

 

Shion turned to the mother with a smile as she took it as her cue to flee. Shion lifted her massive sword out of the ground as she rushed towards the tank. Again, the tank fires as Shion barely deflects it with the firm blade of her sword. However, as she regained her balance from the blast, machine gun fire erupted from the tank’s secondary gun and from the soldiers behind it, ripping through her body like nothing had before. Shion’s hold on her weapon falters as it falls to the ground. Stumbling around, she struggled to stand, before collapsing onto the floor in a pool of her own blood.

 

From the flanks, goblins mounting wolves launch from numerous sides, some getting quick kills on some of the soldiers before machine gun fire turns onto them, killing most as only a few manage to flee in time. Some remain injured, struggling to retreat, often becoming subject to more fire as they did so.

 

The tanks, unfazed by this all, moved forward as any hope for a quick and easy defense of the city was crushed in one swift attack.

 

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“Old man, what are we going to do?” Gobta questioned the wise swordsman as the two hid in the cover of an alley in front of the approaching army.

 

Ignoring his squire’s comment on his age, and after a brief glance back at the tanks and soldiers, Hakurou commented, “There are two main roads that lead to the center of town from that direction. I believe they’re trying to secure both. If they can take the plaza, they’ll be in too good of a position. We need to stop them from reaching that point, so we must stall them here, if nothing else.”

 

Gobta nodded as the two quickly launched into battle. The three tanks approaching Hakurou fired shells at the old man, destroying the road around him. Though the barriers above him weakened from the impact he brought his sword up, deflecting the first shell back into the tank that fired it, causing severe damage. The second shell was deflected as well, though it missed and impacted the ground below the tank.

 

As his sword went to block the third shell, the deflection failed, causing a massive explosion that sent him flying against the wall of a nearby building, causing him to tumble to the ground, unconscious but not yet dead. 

 

Gobta looked in anger at his fallen master as he charged at the tanks, trying to replicate his master’s deflection of the shells, only to detonate one, knocking him out as well as he was sent flying into nearby debris.

 

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The formation of soldiers and tanks continued uncontested through the streets, razing homes and parks alike to the ground. By now, most surviving civilians had begun to flee away from the carnage of the battle, hiding out wherever they could find shelter as fire-bombing raids continued overhead. Tempestian soldiers evacuated who they could, but not many had managed to flee. 

 

As the soldiers continued their slow but steady approach to the center of town, they noticed a single person approaching them. Closer inspection revealed it to be a heavily armored Orc, approaching them all on his own.

 

The soldiers, upon hearing this, had a good laugh that such a weak race was being sent at them alone. As they slowly inched closer, the tanks finally stopped, the frontal one slowly aiming its cannon down at the Orc before firing.

 

A loud clunk sound was heard as the smoke subsided to reveal the orc still standing, shield raised as he seemed otherwise unfazed. The soldiers looked stunned as the tank was heard readying another round. Before they could fire again, however, the Orc slowly raised his sword, and in a mere second, several rockets were launched from nearby windows of seemingly abandoned houses.

 

One by one the tanks in front of the soldiers erupted into flames as gunfire rained upon them from the houses all around them. It didn’t take the soldiers long to take cover and return fire into the nearby homes. The Orc, meanwhile, dashed past the smoldering tanks and into the front lines, slicing his oversized butcher knife through several soldiers at once. Despite being weakened, it was clear that his gear was more than capable of tearing through flesh, and his sheer muscle mass once laughed at brought enough force to cleave a half-dozen at once.

 

Bullets rained upon him, but with his shield protecting his unarmored face and heavy armor protecting the rest, they failed to do little more than bounce off his heavy armor. Soldier by soldier, he slowly cut and slashed his way through the armies.

 

Before long, as the soldiers' fire intensified on the nearby homes as their positions were noticed by the soldiers, the Tempestian fire slowly stopped as the gunners either fled or were killed in said homes. The Orc too was quick to flee as the soldiers began readying their heavy weapons, retreating into a nearby alley where the soldiers couldn’t easily pursue.

 

As more tanks rolled up to continue the spearhead, driving around the smoldering ruins of their former front line, the soldiers came to a sudden realization; that this would not be the easy victory they were promised. Victory was still possible, sure, but they would have to fight tooth and nail for every inch going forward.

 

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As the sounds of rockets and gunfire are heard by the second army, they soon find themselves locked in an intense firefight with defending Tempestian forces. Well entrenched and hidden within houses or behind hastily built cover, countless Tempestians returned the soldier’s gunfire with their own.

 

The only saving graces for the invading soldiers were the tanks that tore through the flimsy defenses with ease, rolling over wooden constructions and blasting through others. However, after one tank was taken out by an anti-tank rocket launcher, the remaining tanks had to take a more cautious approach other than simply rushing in.

 

As the tanks began firing on yet another position, the soldiers glanced up in horror as one of their tanks was flipped high into the air, quickly crashing back down onto the one parked next to it as both became engulfed in a large explosion. Where the tank was once standing was now a feline beastman in full plate armor, as dark as the smoky night sky.

 

The feline leaped to the next tank, which failed to turn its turret in time before the turret was ripped straight out of the tank itself, being hurled onto the soldiers below. The beastwoman reached into the tank, shredding its drivers and gunners to shreds before leaping back out, much to the horror of her spectators.

 

The woman eyed her next prey as the soldiers opened fire on the cat, their bullets doing little to her armor as she leaped at the first unfortunate victims. Her claws tore through flesh like butter as she moved from soldier to soldier, tearing them to shreds. As she leaped for yet another group, her momentum was suddenly stopped as she was propelled backward, an anti-tank rifle having successfully landed a hit right into her stomach.

 

As the girl stumbled up, a massive hole in both her armor and chest was evident, blood practically gushing out as the armor on her crumbled, her eyes fluttering as she collapsed, dead on the floor. While the cat’s rampage had allowed Tempest to gain some ground following the tanks’ destruction, her death quickly saw much of its forces on the retreat as the soldiers struggled to punish the retreating forces.

 

As the soldiers regrouped and reorganized, they mentally prepared themselves for what was likely going to be the hardest part ahead of them. They would struggle, but if all went well for them, they hoped they would persevere.

 

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As the invading force neared the center of town and began to spread out, the civilians were once more dragged into the carnage. Yet another firebombing raid began overhead as machine gun fire echoed throughout the entire city, nearly drowning out the cries of countless caught in its crossfire.

 

For the soldiers marching down the road, there were mixed feelings. For some, the cries of monsters, creatures whose existence was a sin of its own, were a warm and welcome song. To others, they had little care, they had heard such cries countless times, this wasn’t their first war, even if it was one in a world they were unfamiliar with. Others, meanwhile, could hardly carry on.

 

Most of the soldiers were summoned there, brought away from their countries and into one they had never heard of, into a world that was completely foreign to them. Bound to this kingdom by their very souls, each one marched on knowing they had no choice otherwise. Some found enjoyment, satisfaction, and even purpose in what they did. Others regretted every second of it. But as they continued their march, for many, their only goal was now their own survival, and their survival, unfortunately, hinged on obeying the order to massacre every monster and demihuman they saw.

 

As the tanks continued, they began to approach what seemed to be a child crying in the street, clinging desperately to their likely already dead mother. Most soldiers looked away as the tanks continued rolling forward, the central one aiming its cannon down, preparing to fire and continue on its path.

 

All that was heard was a bang as the soldiers looked up, jumping back in shock as it was not the child who was hit, but rather the tank itself. The tanks driving on its flanks suddenly stopped, beginning to turn their turrets around before, one by one, the three tanks leading the spearhead were destroyed by shells fired at them from behind.

 

Before any reaction was made, machine gun fire tore through the soldiers from behind. After a few seconds, bullets started coming from ahead of them as well. Within just a few moments, they were now stuck between two hell storms of bullets coming from two sides. Tanks painted in a blueish-gray color rushed at them from behind as the remaining soldiers dashed into the alleyways to find an escape route. From there, many were bombarded with further attacks, ambushed, or even trapped by guerilla fighters hiding throughout the town. Tempest’s leaders had designed the city to work for the defenders as long as possible, something the ragtag military forces exploited as they downed soldier after soldier.

 

As the soldiers began to flee, weaving through networks of monster forces, they glanced up to the sky to hear the roaring of engines crashing into the ground. Above, the planes that once reigned terror and flame onto the city below became themselves engulfed in it. Mages soared overhead, pummeling the aircraft with bullets and spells until in a matter of seconds they were destroyed, one by one. Air superiority meant nothing when your engines were clogged with fireballs and your pilots blasted by bullets, after all. 

 

In mere moments their army had been routed, yet still, the soldiers had one priority, one that took greater importance than their orders to kill; their own survival. If they fled, so be it. 

 

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One second the Falmuth army, consisting of mostly forcibly enlisted otherworlders brought along when their base found itself in another world, was leading a successful quick offensive into the heart of the enemy’s capital. The next, they were all running for their lives in scattered groups, lone individuals or small formations trying their best to make it out alive.

 

Their retreat was as staggering as their initial offensive had been successful. The ‘Quick Victory’ that was hoped for to end the war before it even began had been crushed, even with the severe damages they had inflicted. What was supposed to be a swift occupation had turned into a siege, one which the soldiers no longer had the absolute confidence that they could win.

 

They were told they would be fighting an outdated force, one that would have a few guns or other modern weapons lying around, sure, but never to the extent that they now faced. The army they fought was a fully modernized and fully equipped force. One which, while perhaps not fully prepared for such a modern conflict, was no doubt more than determined to hold their city to the last man. It would take many more soldiers and equipment to lay siege, even with their initial resounding gains.

 

With each skirmish that was paid for, through blood and lives, to push the front deeper into the capital, the defending force fought fiercer and more effectively. Now, with reinforcements arriving from seemingly nowhere from the forest and underground at times, the soldiers were out-gunned, outnumbered, and completely surrounded.

 

The spearheads that they formed and blitzed with had shattered, the paths to retreat occupied by numerous hostile entities, all that was left was to scatter and pray that you could find a way out. For some soldiers, it was as easy as that. Others had to stand and make a desperate fighting retreat into the forest beyond, and many perished before they could even see the supposed safety of the treeline.

 

Even those who managed to escape to the forest weren’t safe yet. Separated from their units, they struggled to meet up and fall back to the rest of the army waiting deeper into the forest. With no sense of direction and few comrades to aid them, many wandered aimlessly, looking for any sign of their fellow soldiers. Most were slain by somehow more ambushes the moment they left, presumably reinforcements for the city.

 

For the majority, however, they were sitting ducks for more units hiding out within the trees, the parks, and the trails. As soldiers scattered and fled deeper into the forest and closer to their HQs, they were harassed every step of the way. Dozens fell, not knowing whether it was a bullet or a blade that severed their spines.

 

Of all the men, tanks, and equipment they sent into Tempestia, none of the tanks would return, only ten percent of the equipment would return–most badly damaged–and only sixteen percent of the men. A tremendous loss for what was ultimately supposed to be the backup plan, should the nuclear option fail to wipe out the city.

 

Of the survivors of the raid, about half would soon find themselves falling ill as the radiation from the nuclear blast still lingered beyond the city’s barriers, causing yet more casualties to the men.

 

The Battle of Tempestia was a tremendous loss for Falmuth, but they weren’t completely thrown out yet. The unit that was sent in was but a fraction of their larger army and soon, they believed, Tempestia would inevitably fall.

 

Though the confidence of Falmuth’s leadership rang high, despite the ever-decreasing morale of its forces, Tempest had proven that it wasn’t going down without a fight. Most of its citizens had somehow managed to flee and were accounted for, despite the wails of children-turned-orphans, widows and widowers huddling under bunkers, and soldiers bleeding out on the streets, never to see their families again.

 

Still, the resilience of Tempest held firm. Its guns were loaded, sights aimed, and it was only a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ they would strike back.

 

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“Will you be returning to Blumund now, Lady Tanya?” The young blond-haired woman asked with a curious smile. The girl’s mind was, as Tanya put it, ‘fucked,’ a direct result of her own meddling with her soul after she foolishly sacrificed most of it to try and kill her.

 

The girl, Mariabell, was now her glorified puppet, though it would be more accurate to say her mind had been altered to adore Tanya with the utmost respect, admiration, and loyalty afforded by her human mind. It was for this reason alone that Tanya had decided to not completely tear the Rosso family off of its foundations.

 

The Rosso family’s sphere expanded into most human nations, controlling entire markets at a time. If she could control the Rossos, she would control much of humanity, at least in theory. The Holy Church would still be a problem nonetheless, but the threat they posed could be alleviated with the Rossos as a buffer. The Rossos also served as another arm to attack, if the Ruberios church were to make a move, given their economic near-stranglehold on several key raw materials for most kingdoms.

 

With Granbell Rosso dead at Tanya’s hands, Mariabell was reasonably the next in line to controlling the Rossos, so long as she played her cards right at least. While Tanya altered many things in Mariabell’s mind, she made certain to keep her skills as a noble, at least in regards to the political game, intact, and for the most part her incredibly high intellect. Mariabell would have no issue securing herself as the head of the Rossos, especially considering the reputation her father gave her among her family and contacts.

 

The problem was now how to explain Granbell’s death. A powerful human that had been around for millennia doesn’t suddenly die off, but after hearing more of his past and connections from Mariabell, Tanya did have an idea, “Yes, I’ll be returning to Blumund to finish up a few things before using Parallel Existence to work in both Blumund and Tempest. In the meantime, you focus on seizing control over the Rosso family and blame his death on a demon that managed to sneak in from the north to kill him before fleeing back to the frozen wastelands. Best if that insect friend of his starts hunting in the opposite direction for eternity.”

 

The insectar that Granbell had befriended was certainly a threat, but so long as he was misled into going on a crusade in the far north for who knows how long, he could be dealt with later. Best-case scenario, he died at the hands of Demon Lord Guy, possibly even weakening the latter.

 

“Very well, Lady Tanya, I shall do my best!” Mariabell exclaimed with glee, delighted to serve her new mistress.

 

Tanya still thought it somewhat jarring to hear those words out of someone with a face like hers, but nonetheless, she left the manor in Mariabell’s hands as she leaped up into the sky, beginning her flight toward Blumund.

 

Her flight initially was mostly uneventful as she took the time to begin contemplating how spatial magic worked, so she would not need to spend so much time flying from place to place. With Rimuru having seemingly figured it out, she reckoned that she could as well, her [Sage] having rarely failed her before.

 

Her studies were rudely and suddenly interrupted by a distant boom sound. Continuing her flight, she stared in the direction of the explosion with curiosity. She considered a few possibilities, some more dramatic than others, but still wasn’t certain what the noise even was. As she contemplated it, she received a Thought Communication from Mia; { Tanya did you see that? }

 

{ See what? Are you referring to that boom? You can hear it from where you are? }

 

{ Not just hear, I can see a black cloud of smoke in the far distance. I can’t really make it out much, but it's definitely quite far away. It came right after some weird meteor hit the ground. What’s strange is that the meteor came from the south northward, and only came after three similar meteors came from the north southward.}

 

Tanya was confused by the explanation but her eyes widened as she changed course. { Change of plans, I’m going straight to Tempest. }

 

{ Huh?! What’s happening? } Mia asked with a confused shock.

 

{ War. I can’t explain it all now, I just need you to- }

Tanya stopped as she noticed an impending beam of magical power behind her. Quickly applying her barrier, the beam knocked her to the ground, forming a small crater upon impact.

 

As she steadied herself back on her feet she noticed a barrier being erected in a large dome around her. { T-Tany- Wh-a-a- h-p-p-n ? } Mia’s communication phased out as the barrier disrupted all forms of communication. Furthermore, she felt her power become slightly drained by it, no doubt a deliberate attack against her.

 

‘Did Granbell live?! Was this some sort of failsafe for his death? What is it?!’

 

Her questions were soon answered as a figure rapidly landed within the dome several meters ahead, kicking up tons of smoke into the air, hiding the figure’s details and only showing the silhouette of what appeared to be a young girl holding a rifle.

 

Suddenly the eyes of the figure glowed a bright gold color as it shone through even the cloud of dust. Slowly, she began to inch forward step by step, gripping tighter to the rifle in her hands.

 

After a few moments she stopped, staring straight ahead in sheer anger and rage, yelling at the top of her lungs only one sentence; “YOU DEVIL!”

 

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“You’ve come at a very interesting time indeed, Guy. Soon enough, I’ll know whether this timeline will bring my victory, defeat, or the seemingly inevitable reset that awaits me every timeline.” The demonic figure made a gentle smile as Guy took his seat across from her.

 

Even he was vaguely familiar with what she was on about. During the past few hours, war had effectively begun between Tanya and her country versus Falmuth and in effect, Clayman. Supposedly, even other nations are beginning to mobilize, most likely against Tempest.

 

With so many enemies it wasn’t impossible to see that Tempest was in a critical situation. The being he was speaking to though, who was no doubt on Tanya’s side in the whole affair, seemed rather cheerful about it all. Considering the sheer scale of the war that was about to break out, he would’ve expected a much different emotion from the being. No matter, he was here to learn more about her past, not about the current affairs with the continent. He had his doubts that he could stay out of the latter forever, but so long as the world itself wasn’t under threat he had no reason to get involved just yet.

 

“Well then, I suppose I should get started, shouldn’t I?” The being began, “You see, now with Athena, a powerful manas, the Argent was finally able to beat the Storm Dragon into proper submission. The two created a pact of friendship, allowing the Storm Dragon to become a sort of ceremonial ‘protector’ of her nation, if nothing else, to allow him to still claim the Jura as his domain.

 

Now with peace in her own country secured, Argent began focusing domestically and foreignly. Her country saw a period of rapid expansion in all fields, and before long her nation was opening up to the human world. The silver family, wanting ever more finances and power for their economic ambitions, created a new demonic summoning ritual, one not founded on a need for souls, but rather a need for money.

 

Over time, the silver family gained a better reputation compared to the other families. Rather than being seen as deliberately evil or malicious, they were seen as greedy, if anything, but rather negotiable and friendly so long as you avoided agitating them. This reputation served them well, and before long the nation of demons became a soaring beacon of prosperity and stability.

 

Many human nations regarded demons as their equals, and many began to adopt or base their currency on the demonic one, considering it to be the most stable and reliable of their options. With the silver demons taking a staunchly neutral approach to human politics, many nations saw them as a mediator or neutral party in most conflicts. Many treaties and negotiations took place within their borders, and many banks operated out of their country.

 

With the strength bolstered by their leader, let alone the army they had enlisted, created, and reinforced, no human nation nor coalition of human nations dared aggravate the nation of demons. So long as they remained neutral in conflicts, nobody really had a reason to.

 

After many years of conflict, Argent had finally achieved what she had hoped for; a nation of demons living in prosperity. But she was smart, she knew that good things couldn’t last forever; she knew her nation would inevitably face trials that would decide whether her country would stand the test of time…”

 

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Thanks to various editors and helpers on the Discord who helped with things like plot decisions, grammatical errors, and other aspects of the chapter:

 

Dragon1008, Terraman60, Ultra, Dr. Rx

 

To join the discord for chatting, discussion, updates, or to apply to be one of the credited helpers, join the link below:

 

https://discord.gg/xcCvpSxmA7

 

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Alphas and Beta Comments Deluge!

 

Dr. Rx - KILL KILL KILL KILL BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD UNLEASH THE HOUNDS OF WAR GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO