"We won!"
Excited cheers rang out from the barrier. The surviving warriors, overjoyed to have made it through alive, embraced one another in tears, a far cry from their earlier resolve to fight to the death.
Many of the warriors noticed the Shrine Maiden standing alone in the center of the battlefield. They hurried to gather around her, sharing in the joy of victory.
Bai Wei, drained by the energy clash with the Nine-Tails, barely managed to keep herself upright as she smiled and met their excited gazes.
Yes, they had won.
Surrounded by warriors who were usually stern and unsmiling, the Shrine Maiden felt the familiar sunlight on her cheeks and murmured to herself.
But this was no time to relax. She raised a hand to rub her stiff cheeks and called loudly to the warriors around her, "The enemy before us has been sealed, but there may be other demons lurking in the Land of Demons. Warriors! Our battle is not over!"
Standing atop the rubble, the Shrine Maiden waved her tattered sleeve, rallying everyone once again.
Boom!
The warriors stood at attention and, as one, brushed their hands over the long swords at their waists. After bowing to the Shrine Maiden, they directed their subordinates to fan out from the Shrine.
They would be the Shrine Maiden's eyes, gathering a clear picture of everything happening across the country and reporting it accurately back to the Shrine.
After sending out all her personal guards, Bai Wei was left alone on this battered land. Now she could finally let go of her disguise.
She was a Shrine Maiden, but her high position in the Land of Demons had also taught her many worldly lessons.
A country that had enjoyed a long peace would inevitably fall into brief chaos after