Realms of Magic: Demon Invasion

107. Clash of Sovereigns

"Merango! Grandma is-"

"I know. Vio, I just recovered my memories. All of it." He sits down, his knees shaking.

"Alright, alright. What happened then?"

Merango brings me to the site of the battlefield. What was previously a swirling mass of unidentified enemies is now clear. Some of the creatures are simple undead, some abominations created by combining several at once. Some of them are insectoid or avian, some not even having an identifiable form.

"Holy shit!" I gasp. "What are those?"

"In the ancient past, us demonkind paid tribute to the Seraphim; the so-called gods. They wielded powers beyond our imagination," he begins his tale. "Yet as our magical arts evolve, we rapidly began to realize that they were no gods; merely another race more advanced than we were."

"We stopped worshipping them and paying tribute. This was during the reign of Queen Arabella III. She led our people and expelled the Seraphim from our realms. We thought they were extinct."

"Are those things the Seraphim?"

"No. They are their creations. The surviving Seraphim retreated to a pocket dimension and sealed themselves, building their strength. They have returned; initially we had no problem dispatching their minions, but over time they became stronger and more numerous."

"So the civil war is caused by this?"

"Yes. We found out about the existence of your realm. That split us into two. Most of us wish to trade technology and find allies to destroy the Seraphims. But my brother Marengo and his ilk have other ideas ... invade your world and populate it with demonkind, then seal off our own world."

"He wants to move all demonkind to my world?" I gasp.

"As time passes the disagreement erupts into a civil war. Initially my faction prevailed."

He brings me to the throne room. "Until this happens."

"Lady Hua, how is the situation in the Orie region?"

"We have formed an uneasy truce with the rebels under Lady Caitlyn to fight off the most recent Seraphim invasion. I've been manipulating her so that more of her men fall rather than ours; so far, she hasn't noticed."

"Very well. How about their navy, Lord Kai?"

"Their main fleet suffered badly, but their splinter fleets have been rather active. I am currently hunting them down."

"So the only rebel Lord left is Lady Caitlyn. But what about Marengo himself?"

"I am here, brother."

Marengo walks in carelessly to the shock of the Lords. "Have you lost your mind, O madman?" Lady Hua mocks. "You have come to your death."

"I doubt it." Marengo rubs his emerald ring. "Soon you will all serve me!"

The scene fades. "He used a strong mind control artifact to turn my loyalists against me. Lady Jessica, Lady Hua, Lord Luke, Lord Kai, Lord Abel, Lord Eugene, Lady Sakurako, and many more ... they are controlled to fight against me."

"This is wild," I comment. Merango clenches his fists. Suddenly, I feel strong surges of energy inside me. Marengo's memories enter me: his tactics, his spells ... and his pain.

"Go, Vio," he says. "We have achieved the balance, but if I get out now both of us will be physically exhausted. Instead, I will temporarily power you up with my magic. Destroy him!"

I am pulled back to reality.

And in front of me, Marengo beheads Grandma. Her frail body falls to the ground with a splash of blood. "Grandma!"

I break free with sheer power. "Mass Blood Restoration!" In the messy battlefield I see my spell healing the gravely injured. Even Madam Fron, nearly dead after burning her soul, rises once more.

But not Grandma.

"Marengo ...."

"This power!" he gasps. "Merango?"

"Blood Maelstrom!"

A storm of blood momentarily sweeps away Marengo's defences. He hastily conjures walls of metal and ice, saving himself. I attempt to blast him with red thunder, only for him to deploy his own thunderbolts.

He's stronger than he looks, Marengo!

Why, of course. He's the second strongest person in the whole Empire. We're stronger, slaughter him!

I smirk. "Today's your end, Merango!" I unleash a powerful shockwave that knocks him back.

"Impossible! You are but a human!" he roars. "You are not supposed to be able to use that much power! Unless ...."

Merango grits his teeth. "I see. Marengo has been inside you for many years, subconsciously transforming your body into one more fit for his blood magic."

"I don't need your lessons," I declare. "It is irrelevant. Marengo and I will crush you and break your mind control over the Lords."

"Funny how sympathetic you are towards the Lords whom you have hated your whole life."

"They're but innocent pawns in your game," I say. "Today, I'll undo what you have done."

"Then Marengo have told you the truth."

"Indeed."

"He is a fool. He thinks we demonkind can emerge victorious against the Seraphim! They have been hiding, nurturing their power for more than ten centuries!" he shouts. "Who knows what horrors they have at their disposal?"

"Enough. I have heard enough. You are but a rambling madman."

"I will save demonkind from extinction. Godkiller!" A fist of many elements charged from the sky. I clap my hands, conjuring a wall of bones and decaying flesh. I dash forward, lacerating his arm with a swing of my blade.

As his flesh squirms to replace what I had just destroyed, I extend my arm. "Curse of Decay."

His regeneration slows down, tentacles of meat barely growing. "Blood Vortex!"

"Typhoon!"

Swirls of blood and wind clash against each other, gnawing at one another like beasts. Eventually the former prevails, engulfing the demon king in a sphere of red blood.

"Tiger's Roar!"

A tiger of blazing flames charge at me. "Blood Shield!" I flick my fingers, creating a thick wall of blood that repels the fiery beast.

"You know it's over, Marengo. We are too formidable for you to defeat."

"I don't like this, but I suppose I have no choice." He closes his eyes. In an instant, his army freezes. They all raise their hands, supplying him with mana.

Damn it!