The Fourth Army Group was completely annihilated.
The news swept through Ursus like a tsunami, and was spread throughout the Daichi by spies.
The myth of invincibility shattered by the bloody battle in the Higashi was once again shaken. The people, who dreaded the massive war machine of Ursus, suddenly discovered—
Ursus has truly weakened.
Excitement, fear, panic... the gazes of numerous dignitaries were simultaneously fixed on the royal palace at Holy Steed Castle, awaiting the emperor's response.
However, the emperor himself was overwhelmed by this sudden bad news, and even the most oblivious nobles realized something was wrong at this moment.
Countless spies suddenly appeared, Fyodor was shocked to discover that one of the palace maids was actually an Assassin.
Internal Guard, Warlock, Central Intelligence Agency...
Despite Holy Steed Castle's best efforts, the news still inevitably got out.
Even before His Majesty the Emperor issued the order to guard the border, the major army groups had already begun their operations.
But instead of heading to the border immediately, these guys went to the Silent Point of Signal and started fighting over the legacy of the Fourth Army Group.
Coincidentally, the nobles who had once served under Andrian began to search for their new masters.
Overnight, a duke's vast territory was completely divided up.
The intelligence agencies, which often boasted about the strength of their motherland, suddenly discovered that the order that the spies had failed to disrupt had been thoroughly exposed by their own dukes.
That morning, Fyodor received a warm greeting from the Duke of Victoria.
The true extent of the warmth of this greeting remains unknown, but judging from the Emperor's decision to remove all his Internal Guard from Holy Steed Castle and his earlier actions in Vanya, this long-benevolent Emperor was indeed enraged.
A simple investigation revealed that nine out of ten mines beneath the Andrian Ridge were empty.
Besides the disappearance of numerous mineral veins, the Internal Guard discovered hastily buried massacre pits.
In just a few years, these pits will transform into new mineral veins due to the crystallization of the corpses. But by then... even the most lowly Infected will no longer be willing to submit.
If news of this were to spread, Fyodor foresaw consequences even more terrifying than those for the Fourth Army Group.
The Infected will no longer have any illusions; they will truly become the enemy of Ursus.
A new Great Rebellion could erupt at any moment.
There was no time to be wary of the movements of other army groups; Fyodor activated Central Army Group, and nobody knew where they were headed.
But compared to the emperor's next move, the nations, including Ursus, were more concerned with another issue.
Who destroyed the Fourth Army Group?
Based on the on-site investigation, this was a sudden Catastrophe.
However, Catastrophe of this scale was far from enough to tear the fleet apart, much less bury its wreckage hundreds of meters underground.
Could a powerful earthquake and a natural Catastrophe like climate occur simultaneously?
It's not impossible, but judging from the inspection results, the Fourth Army Group seems to have lost its ability to resist instantly.
Like the self-righteous Vanya, many people thought of Kazdel's long-lost Gargoyle King Court.
Many nations that participated in the siege of Kazdel have documents stating that the Children of Earth and Stone worked together to build walls that could also bury enemies in the soil.
Considering the celestial phenomena that had recently emerged from Kazdel, the Kazdel Extermination Army, which had not united for a long time, suddenly showed signs of resurgence.
However, Victoria, who usually takes the lead in making statements, has remained silent this time.
He was busy establishing diplomatic relations with Kazimierz and introducing potential partners to the Duke Caster, whom he had discovered as an outstanding younger generation.
The Duke Wellington, now advanced in years and seemingly lacking in competitiveness, is busy building Tara and following in the footsteps of the Gods' People.
Duke Windermere guards the northern border, keeping watch on Leithanien, Ursus, and other regions.
The three most powerful dukes were all busy with their own affairs, and in the end only Duke Cavendish, known as the "wise and just," sent some of his men to investigate the truth.
At the same time, the duke questioned his colleagues in the neighboring region.
"Don't tell me your demon buddies over there know nothing... that's what they said."
Facing the unfriendly glances from the Sarkaz, the elderly Duke Stafford calmly waved his hand.
"Don't look at me like that. I've felt I've treated you with the utmost courtesy since inviting you to my territory... Or is it that the Sarkaz don't even have basic gratitude?"
Waving to stop the soldiers who were about to attack, Theresis said in a deep voice:
"There's no need to harbor excessive doubts. If Kazdel truly possessed the power to annihilate an army group without being detected, the Military Commission wouldn't be here."
Stafford gave a cold snort, which could be taken as agreement.
Of course he knew, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to invite the Military Commission into his territory with such confidence.
The throne has been vacant for a long time, and I am getting old.
Believing that there was no possibility of anything more if he didn't take any further steps before he died, Stafford accepted the Military Commission that had left Kazdel and prepared to forcibly occupy Londinium with them.
Before the operation, the Duke Caster next door was almost wiped out by the Gods' People, and the Kazimierz Flame Demon.
Stafford initially believed that the Flame Demon was chasing after the Sarkaz, and his prepared offensive was halted.
To appease the Sarkaz, who were eager for revenge, he had no choice but to lend out part of his territory to house these demons.
Stafford's eyes flashed with disdain as he looked at the silent Theresis.
What about the leader of the Military Commission? He could easily die if the city's defensive cannons were aimed at him.
Those damned demons don't care about the cost of food at all; they even broke into their own factory and threatened the workers to make equipment for them.
If it weren't for the need for their strength in subsequent operations, Stafford would have already thought of blasting them to smithereens with the city's artillery.
"How much longer are you going to prepare? Kester is seriously injured, Windermere is too busy to fight. Right now, we only have the Iron Duke as our enemy."
Stafford kept pointing to the location of Londinium on the map.
"As long as you settle in Londinium and grant me the title of new king, I will allow you to attack the territory of Kester, and all its wealth will belong to the Sarkaz."
"You should know that war is not child's play. To take that city at the lowest possible cost, my soldiers need the most basic equipment."
Here they go again, those greedy demons! Isn't the equipment they stole from the factory enough for them?!
Stafford was furious, but outwardly remained magnanimous, saying:
"Sure, but I have an additional condition: after I take up residence in Londinium, the Steam Knights might return to defend, and you will need to wipe them all out!"
Some of the Sarkaz soldiers glaring at Stafford had strange expressions on their faces; if they remembered correctly, the Steam Knights were supposed to be the backbone of Victoria.
Theresis showed no sign of distress and calmly accepted the exchange.
Stafford nodded in satisfaction.
Even though high-speed warships are gradually replacing the old Steam Knights, no one will underestimate these heroes who have made great contributions in battle.
Stafford knew his actions were wrong and that those loyal knights would become his enemies.
It's a pity, but we had no choice but to eliminate this force.
Imagining such a wonderful future, Stafford felt sleepy and waved to Theresis.
The Sarkaz left the mansion and walked the streets, feeling the fear in the residents' eyes.
A guard stepped forward and whispered:
"General, why don't we kill that fat pig?"
"We need a name."
Name?
The Sarkaz soldiers didn't understand, but they didn't ask. The general was right; as long as they could get revenge, they were willing to obey orders.
Theresis remained silent.
Stafford invited Sarkaz for reasons far beyond strength; he also wanted to make someone take the blame after a success.
The new regime of Gu is bound to be unstable, but as long as he creates an enemy to divert attention from the problems, the rest will be simple.
Theresis wanted to remove the Sarkaz from their identity as invaders; they were merely accomplices, at least on the surface.
We shouldn't give Kazdel any more attention...
Arriving at the Sarkaz's base and returning to her office, Theresis looked out the window; a large wad of old cloth was floating outside.
"... I remember the gate has been modified, teacher."
"At least when it comes to transportation, we shouldn't be too harsh on an elderly person, don't you think?"
Nachzehrer drifted into the room, Theresis frowned:
"Shapeshifter?"
"Hmm, why can you always see through our disguises?"
Nachzehrer's body throbbed, and he transformed back into a green-haired boy.
"We even imitated that rotten smell perfectly; Nachzehrer himself didn't notice anything wrong."
There was no reply; Theresis directly inquired about the military report.
"How is the infiltration of the city garrison going?"
"That's about it. We can take over the city at any time, as long as you give the order."
The Shapeshifter sat on the windowsill, swinging his legs.
"Imitating those guys is really not easy. They have to deal with more than a dozen lovers every day. How do those officers manage to do it?"
"Is there anything else?"
Seeing that Theresis had no intention of chatting, the Shapeshifter jumped off the windowsill out of boredom.
"The Dead Souls has gone mad again, probably because of that dream again. Nachzehrer has already taken care of it."
Theresis stopped writing, and the Shapeshifter casually said:
"This is a headache~ We can't truly die, nor can we enter the All Souls. What exactly were you dreaming about that even Nachzehrer was so agitated?"
"Some Sarkaz dreamt that someone cleaved the Catastrophe in two with a sword, some dreamt that Kazdel grew arms and legs and stood up, and others dreamt that the Demon King was about to give the Crown to an unknown Sarkaz, but was refused."
The Shapeshifter recounted what he had seen and heard during his investigation, making no attempt to hide his curiosity.
"Was a new Demon Lord born while we were gone? What about Theresa? The Sarkaz didn't hear the Demon Lord's lament; she should be alive."
"It has nothing to do with us."
"What?"
"What's happening in Kazdel right now has nothing to do with us."
Theresis raised her head and gazed in the direction of her homeland.
"You should understand the real reason why the Military Commission left Kazdel."
The Shapeshifter scratched his head.
Although nominally they were fleeing from the Flame Demon, it's clear from the Sarkaz they were taken away by the Military Commission that they were actually a team seeking revenge.
Those extreme Sarkaz who craved war were taken away; those who remained in Kazdel were the ones who truly desired peace.
The real reason the Military Commission left was to avoid the continuation of the civil war and to shift the conflict outwards.
Leaning back in her seat, Theresis closed her eyes and recalled that beautiful dream once more.
Sarkaz from all ages gathered together, sharing their beautiful wishes.
The king, crowned with Golden Crown, dispelled the gloom and led the Sarkaz to rebuild their city-state.
The Sarkaz scattered across the land returned to their homeland, and flowers bloomed once more in the wasteland of Kazdel, as the people rekindled their dreams of rebuilding their homes.
Wendigo ventured northward beyond Ursus, burying the fragments of the spirit deep within the soil.
The Vampire traveled south to Iberia, turning the deep blue sea into a blood-red ocean.
The colossal Flame Demon stepped into the center of the scorching earth, and the flames that once burned the world ceased their destruction, becoming a blazing sun that illuminated the abyss.
Pegasus, Draco, Aslan... former enemies no longer oppose Kazdel, but stand guard beside the Sarkaz.
Amidst the joyous celebration of the entire Daichi, Teekaz returned to his homeland...
"It sounds like someone has a mental illness. No wonder you don't want to talk about it; it's too fake."
The Shapeshifter's sharp wit shattered Theresis's beautiful dream.
Perhaps.
Theresis did not refute, and, seeing no reaction from the Shapeshifter, left in boredom.
"Hurry up..." Theresis sighed softly.
All the countries that previously besieged Kazdel had their own internal conflicts to deal with, making this the best of times for the Sarkaz.
The hatred has been taken away by the Military Commission, the Babel Tower, or perhaps by that unknown king.
Hurry up...
As we draw the gaze of this Daichi, before the flames of the Avengers are extinguished.
Reunite the Sarkaz.
"[Sarkaz profanity!] Am I dreaming?"
Kazdel, Rhodes Island Main Ship --
After the anticlimactic Catastrophe subsided, Theresa and the Babel Tower resumed communication.
While issuing orders to deliver aid to the cities where the refugees were being sent, a shocking announcement was also made.
"Well, it might sound strange, but I'm no longer the Demon King."
Babita immediately saw it as a threat to the Demon King and prepared to organize a small team to launch a strong attack to rescue the Demon King.
Fortunately, the Elite Operator, including ACE, who returned later, explained the whole story to their colleagues.
Even so, a large number of operators still cannot accept it.
"Aren't we the legitimate successors of Kazdel? How did we suddenly become remnants of the previous dynasty?"
Mechanist straightened Scout's crooked helmet and hooked it around his shoulder.
"I didn't believe the rumors that you were going to switch jobs, but I never expected you to actually do it."
"I didn't expect this myself," Scout said in a low voice.
Compared to Theresa's voluntary relinquishment of power, his act of leaving Babel Tower to join the new king seemed more like atonement.
Although he was being controlled, it was indeed he who pushed Vera into the furnace. Even though Vera herself said she didn't care, Scout felt he couldn't just let it go like that.
"Oh, I see. Well, there's nothing we can do about it then."
Everyone understood Scout's reasons, and as for Logos, as the ruler of the Banshee King Court, supporting the new Demon King was also understandable.
"And what about you, ACE?"
Misery looked at the silent ace.
"You are neither the Royal Court nor the Sarkaz. Have you also been controlled and done something wrong?"
"Uh, no, after all, I was facing that Vampire Lord back then."
"Vampire Lord? It's amazing you managed to hold out until the rescue."
Outcast's exclamation was not a dig, but a genuine compliment to the ace.
"No, after all, he was the ruler of the Royal Court. I simply lost and had my head chopped off."
ACE's explanation surprised everyone, and the Mechanist tried to understand.
"You've been beheaded? Are you dead? What's standing in front of us now is Logos's magical projection... poof!"
ACE delivered a powerful elbow strike to the Mechanist's abdomen, confirming to the latter that the person in front of him was indeed real.
Faced with the probing gazes of the crowd, ACE simply stated the reason.
"I was resurrected, so I figured my second life should be under her control, so I decided to switch jobs with Scout."
After a long silence, Outcast said seriously:
"... Pith, is there any sign that ACE is being controlled by magic?"
ACE: "Uh, it's true..."
Pith: "The lack of detection could also be due to my lack of expertise."
ACE: "I'm saying..."
Mechanist: "Is it possible that the ACE in front of us is a robot in disguise? Should we take it apart and see?"
ACE: "Hey!"
After brushing aside the dirty hands of the Elite Operator been groping around, ACE said helplessly:
"It's true, there are people like me everywhere in the city, Logos can attest to that."
The Banshee Queen nodded, and the Elite Operator fell silent, processing this horrifying fact.
The sword cleaves through Catastrophe, resurrects the dead, and unleashes the Demon King's COVID-1
Any one of them could become a legendary epic, and all three are attributed to the same person.
"...So what should we do?" Pith broke the silence.
"What are Your Highness's thoughts? And what is the new king's attitude towards the Babel Tower?"
"The new king is very friendly; you've met him, he's the leader of the mercenary group."
Is it her?
The Elite Operator were quite impressed; more than Vera's personality, they were struck by her extravagant spending.
"We shouldn't lack funding anymore, right?" some operators thought.
"Well, at least there hasn't been any bad news like Closure becoming the new Demon Lord. So what is Your Highness doing now?"
ACE opened his mouth, unsure whether he should explain to the other party that Closure had become the new Vampire Demon Lord.
Forget it, let's not escalate the impact for now.
"Your Highness is currently busy working as a tailor."
"The tailor?"
"Because the resurrected Teekaz don't have costumes and their body shape is different from normal Sarkaz, they have to be custom-made."
"Thinking of something," ACE added.
"This wasn't forced. His Highness seemed quite happy, and the new king also offered generous compensation."
"Is that the point? What the heck is this about Teekaz being resurrected!?"
After receiving a series of messages that challenged their worldview, some operators began to wonder if they were dreaming.
After a brief but intense discussion, the Elite Operator unanimously agreed that—
Since His Highness has not yet given any instructions, he may seek answers from me.
ACE nodded, agreeing with the suggestion.
"So where is the Doctor? Why haven't we seen him?"
"Um, the Doctor fainted after seeing the crack in the sky and hasn't woken up yet."
"In that case, how about we go check out the new city first?"
"A new city?"
"It is Kazdel, but the new king gave it a new name to distinguish it from the country."
"A new name? What's it called?"
"Camelot."
ACE recalled Vera's explanation and relayed it to everyone.
"Meaning: the Ideal City."