Horace had spoken the truth.
He had indeed overestimated the Storm King-or rather, underestimated the gap in strength after becoming the "God of Restraint."
He had thought this would be an evenly matched war, so he had prepared golems, Albinaurics, mixed units of mages, Inquisitor Knights... He had even set up a barrier beforehand to keep the Storm King from escaping.
He had prepared a whole pile of Great Runes. If necessary, he had even planned to ask the Formless Mother for help.
He had also kept plenty of contingencies in reserve. If the front line faltered, the Dragon Girl, the Black and White King, and even the magic professors and Caria Knights stationed at the Academy and Caria Manor could reinforce it at any time.
And the result?
The Storm King had not even survived his first burst of authority.
Most of those preparations had amounted to window dressing.
At the bottom of the crater, the Storm King understood.
He froze, and then...
"Ha... hahaha..."
He began to laugh, his voice hoarse and flecked with bloody foam:
"So... that's how it is..."
"It wasn't that I was too weak... you were too strong... strong beyond all reason..."
He tilted his head back and looked at the sky.
"Manipulated by an Outer God... toyed with by a 'god'..."
"My defeat... was a fucking farce..."
The Storm King's laughter gradually faded.
He looked at Oleg and Engvall at the crater's edge, at the Storm Knights gathering around, and at the Stormhawk King nuzzling his arm.
Then he made a decision.
"All of you... withdraw."
"My king!" Oleg wanted to say something.
"That is an order." The Storm King's voice brooked no argument. "Go back... if possible... take everyone home."
The two knights' eyes were red (don't ask me how anyone could