Someone from the monster side whispered in disbelief, their voice trembling.
"C-Commander Hover… is dead…?"
Everyone froze. Then, slowly, they all took a step back, their eyes wide and filled with shock. It didn't make any sense.
Commander Hover Hivermind—one of the most powerful soldiers under Xulgorath, the demon king. The same Hover who could tremble mountains with just one swing of his massive hammer…
Was now gone?
Just like that?
The silence didn't last long.
"You should be gone too!" Scarlett shouted, her voice echoing like thunder as she raised her hand towards the remaining monsters.
"Nuclear Magic!" she declared, her eyes glowing with power.
But this time was different. Last time, she had used her full power and caused a huge explosion that destroyed everything—even the sky seemed to crack. But now, she was controlling it. She used her magic like a flamethrower, a focused stream of burning fire. There was no deadly radiation this time—she made sure the nearby humans wouldn't be harmed.
A massive wave of fire shot out from Scarlett's palm. It moved like a living beast, swallowing everything in its path. The monsters screamed and tried to run, but it was useless.
In just seconds, they were turned to ash.
The air was filled with the smell of burning flesh. The ground was blackened and covered in flames, and only small piles of ash were left where the enemies had once stood.
Leonidas and his soldiers stood frozen in place, cold sweat running down their backs.
"No matter how many times I see it… it's terrifying," Leonidas thought as his throat went dry. "Why don't we humans have power like this…?"
He knew better than to try to speak. He quickly stepped down from his horse and fell to his knees, ready to beg for forgiveness.
Scarlett wasn't calm yet. Her anger still burned inside her. She cracked her knuckles and turned around with a wild, dangerous grin.
"You better be ready with an explanation," she growled as she started walking towards Leonidas and Carl.
Leonidas didn't waste even a second.
He bowed deeply, falling face-first to the ground, his hands together like he was praying.
"The Fifth Demon King Noir has launched a sneak attack without warning—" he began to explain.
But suddenly, Scarlett stopped.
A sharp sound—crack!—echoed inside her head like glass shattering. It was like someone had forcefully entered her mind.
She gasped and touched her forehead.
A voice.
A male voice.
[Scarlettttttt...]
It echoed in her mind, deep and familiar.
Without a doubt…
It was Aoto.
[The Fifth Demon King has started a war with Darwitz. As the hero… I have to go too.]
Scarlett suddenly stopped her pacing , Her mind was racing. First she heard that the Fifth Demon King had attacked Gwarga… and now Aoto was telling her that Darwitz was in danger too?
[Wait for a minute. I'll talk to you again.] Scarlett replied through telepathy, then cut off the connection to Aoto for now.
She had been about to punish Leonidas and Carl, but this wasn't the time for that anymore.
She stormed over to Carl, grabbed his collar with one hand, and pulled him close.
"If you dare summon me again, No matter the reason, I'll give you a death far worse than you can imagine!" she growled, her voice sharp like a dagger.
Then, with a rough push, she let go. Carl stumbled back, completely terrified, though there was also relief in his eyes. He had barely escaped with his life.
Scarlett turned her gaze to Leonidas, who now looked like he had aged backward in fear. He didn't even dare to meet her eyes.
"Same goes for you," Scarlett said coldly. "You're lucky I have more urgent things to handle."
And with that, she vanished—teleporting on the spot.
She could have flown back with her six wings, but that would take too long, and she didn't have time to waste—especially since she needed to talk to Aoto again.
Scarlett appeared back inside her royal palace.
Not much time had passed. Lunatic and Reiza were still there, waiting for her return.
As soon as Scarlett reappeared, Lunatic smiled brightly and said, "See? I told you she wasn't in any danger!"
But Scarlett just smirked and added, "Well, I think someone else might be in danger now."
Reiza raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Scarlett shook her head. "It's nothing. You two go change first and call the others too. I'll talk to you all later."
Without waiting for their reply, Scarlett walked back to her room, slipped into the first outfit she found, and sat down on the edge of her bed.
She closed her eyes for a moment and then used telepathy again.
[You can explain now. What happened?] she asked.
Aoto's reply came quickly.
[Where do I start? This morning, one of the Fifth Demon King's subordinates entered the royal palace and declared war. It's about to begin. Since I'm the Hero, I'll have to join the battle when the time is right… but what really matters is that sooner or later, I have no choice.]
Scarlett chuckled quietly and leaned back a little.
[So, are you scared?] she teased.
[Well… kind of,] Aoto replied, his voice a bit nervous. [This is my first time in something this big. And… I feel a little guilty.]
[Guilty?] Scarlett repeated, raising an eyebrow.
[Yeah. I tried to sneak into the Fifth Demon King's territory. I didn't do anything, but a demoness named Seraphina stopped me. She's also the same one who came into the palace to declare war. I know they've been planning this for a long time, but… it feels like I lit the spark that set everything off.]
Scarlett was silent for a moment, then asked with a bit of softness in her voice, [So, what are you going to do now?]
Aoto took a deep breath before replying.
[That Chiyoko Hiiro… although he is from the Kingdom of Almeida still he's eager to rush into battle and gain fame. So I don't have a choice. I have to go too.]
His tone was low and serious now.
\[What do you think? Are you stronger than a demon king? Even if not, at least keep me alive until the holy knights arrive or the battle ends, okay?] Aoto said, half-joking but clearly nervous.
Scarlett almost laughed.
\[Of course I'm stronger than him! And why are you being so awkward while asking for help? We're friends, right? Of course I'll help you!] she replied with a soft chuckle.
Aoto's voice turned quiet.
[Well… things aren't like how they used to be. So many things have changed.]
Scarlett didn't miss a beat.
[The world might change, but our friendship won't. I'm coming. I was aiming for the Third Demon King anyway, but now… let's go beat that Fifth Demon King's ass first!] she said with a confident smirk on her face.
[Heck yeah. I still have to get revenge on someone who made me run like a coward back then,] Aoto replied before ending the telepathy.
---------
After talking to Aoto, Scarlett waited until everyone had gathered. Then, she finally entered the meeting room.
As she had ordered earlier, almost all of DreadHaven's main members were present. They had already been preparing for Lilith's arrival today, so when the situation changed, they quickly gathered here instead.
On one side of the table sat Li Feng, Baron Nova, Arpeus Nova, Cryptus, and Semiath. On the other side were Xao Feng, Reiza, and Lunatic.
Sierra and Yumi weren't present because there was no reason to involve them in this meeting.
Scarlett placed her hand firmly on the table, ready to speak—
But just then, the door opened.
"I apologize for entering without knocking, but the door was open," said a calm and familiar voice.
It was Lilith. Her face was expressionless as always.
"Oh? You're already here?" Scarlett asked with a hint of surprise.
"Yes. So, when do we start?" Lilith asked, her voice as calm as ever.
Scarlett shook her head, her expression a little regretful.
"I'm really sorry to waste your time, but something urgent came up. We'll have to postpone the training session by a week."
"What emergency?" Li Feng and Baron asked at the same time, looking concerned.
"The Fifth Demon King, right?" Lilith said, as if she already knew.
Scarlett was briefly surprised. Then she nodded. "Yeah… he attacked Darwitz. And since my best friend is there, I need to go help."
As soon as they heard this, everyone in the room stood up at once.
"Then we'll go too!" Everyone said simultaneously, Even Li Feng looked completely serious now.
But Scarlett raised her hand and shook her head.
"No. All of you stay here and protect DreadHaven. I can't make the same mistake again. Don't worry, I'll call for help if I need it."
"But still—" Semiath started to say something, but Scarlett's sharp glare cut him off.
Even though she wore a blindfold, her gaze felt heavy and piercing.
"No more questions," she said in a strong, commanding tone.
But then, Lilith spoke again, her voice calm and clear.
"You're underestimating humans, aren't you?"
Scarlett turned her head toward her. "What do you mean?"
Lilith didn't blink. Her red eyes stared straight ahead.
"Humans aren't as weak as you think. If they were that fragile, they wouldn't have survived this long. The demon kings would've made them their slaves long ago."
Scarlett didn't respond.
Lilith continued, "It's been over two hundred years since the last demon invasion. Just leave them be. If you step in now, they'll get used to it. They'll depend on your help all the time. And if one day you say no, they'll curse your name for abandoning them."
She wasn't angry or harsh, but her words carried real weight.
Scarlett clenched her fists.
"But… I can't take the risk. What if something happens to him?" Scarlett said in a soft voice.
Lilith looked calm and unbothered as always. "Then how about this? Just make sure your friend stays alive… and you focus on defeating the Demon King yourself."
Scarlett blinked, a little surprised.
Lilith continued in her cold, clear tone, "Since you're already trying to show yourself as friendly toward humans, this is your best chance. If you defeat a Demon King, your name will rise even higher. Everyone will see you as a true hero."
She paused for a moment and added, "Leave the rest of the army to the holy knights. I'm sure they can handle it."
Scarlett nodded slowly. It actually made sense. Her fame would increase, she could protect Aoto, and she wouldn't have to risk her own forces. But there was still one thing bothering her.
"Why did you say 'defeat' and not 'kill'?" Scarlett asked, narrowing her brows.
Lilith gave a small sigh. "Well… it's embarrassing to admit, but even a Demon King can run away if he realizes he can't win. It depends on how much pride or ego Noir has. If he's the arrogant type, he might stay and fight even when he's losing."
Then, for the first time, Lilith's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"But if you can kill him… that would be even better. It would be the first time in ten thousand years that a Demon King has actually died."
She leaned back slightly and continued, "Since he's the one who started the attack, his main forces are probably already in battle. That means his palace might not be well-guarded right now. And I'm sure he's underestimating you. That could be his biggest mistake."
Her voice went quiet again.
Scarlett stood still for a second, thinking deeply. Her heart was beating faster—not from fear, but from excitement. She liked this idea. It was bold. Risky. Dangerous. But it was also something only she could do.
But then Scarlett turned to Lilith, her brows slightly furrowed and gaze filled with confusion.
"Wait… won't the other Demon Kings have a problem with this?" she asked, her voice uncertain. "I mean, what if they try to take revenge on me or something?"
She paused, thinking about the things she had read and seen in her past life.
"I remember in stories and movies back in my world… when someone kills a political leader or a king, it always leads to bad things. Like wars, chaos, and sometimes even worse leaders. Killing isn't always the right answer," Scarlett explained, a little doubt creeping into her tone.
Lilith, however, didn't seem bothered at all. She let out a soft, calm chuckle and shook her head slightly.
"This is not how it works here," she said simply.
Then she looked at Scarlett with her usual unreadable red eyes and added, "The fewer Demon Kings there are, the better. No one's going to cry over one less of them."
She crossed her arms and continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "And besides, the Demon Kings aren't friends. They're not united. They don't trust each other, and they don't care about each other. Each one is like a lone beast and stranger to each other, Even lord Avion and Zephyrion are not that close"
Scarlett thought deeply and then, with a determined look, she nodded.
"Then it's decided," she said firmly. "I'll take Aoto with me and go straight to the Demon King's castle.",