Chapter 18: Premonition of War.

Meanwhile, in the central city...

The air already seemed thicker than usual. A grayish fog covered the streets and made the cathedral bells echo in a strangely mournful way.

In the distance, in the castle tower, the queen watched from the window, her hands touching a ring with ancient inscriptions. Near her, an alchemist whispered words in a forbidden language, and on the ground, circles of blood began to slowly form.

Harpya and Hindal investigated the farm and realized that no one was there.

Harpya: -Don't you find it strange, Hindal? They send us to investigate and there's no one here.

Hindal: -Harpya, return to the city and escape now. I'll make a brief report on the location, and you can evacuate with the other scouts.

Harpya agrees and returns to the city.

Harpya walked through the silent alleys, observing the queen's guards patrolling with tense looks. Something was wrong, he felt it. Since Isz had been imprisoned and released, everything seemed out of place, as if the city itself was waiting for something terrible.

He returns to the farm area to warn his friend.

In the alchemists' workshop, Jako notices this movement and some magical forces and orders the alchemists to be on alert.

Norbit: -Jako, I'm going to the castle, Gray must know what's going on.

Jako: -Why are you wearing your battle uniform, Norbit? Don't tell me that...

Norbit: -Yes, I think conflict is inevitable, keep all units on alert, not just the alchemists.

Jako calls everyone in the city, even the priest's shields, and warns that something bad is coming.

Norbit heads to the castle with an immaculate-level relic, a sword that sealed the soul of everyone at the cost of the user's life and that cut even the loudest voices.

In the castle, he hears a party or ritual taking place there; a demon attacks him, but is cut in half.

The guards were killed before Norbit arrived, and he advances to the main hall.

Norbit sees the queen surrounded by demons and profane circles of blood in the middle of the hall. He senses two presences in addition to those already present.

The presences were the Voice of Despair and the Voice of Lust, who looked on mockingly while kissing the queen's mouth and neck.

Norbit: -What's happening? Queen, what's the reason for this ritual?

Zhofia: -Hahaha, I can't believe you managed to enter the castle, congratulations priest, do you want to gain honors?

Norbit: -What would your father think of something like this? You making a pact with these demons, what do you intend to gain from it?

Norbit, furious, with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Zhofia: -Ah, you're talking about the old man, right? HAHAHA, you should have seen his face when he saw his little daughter having sex with a demon while tearing out his bodyguard's throat ahahahahaha everyone thinks he died of illness, but I killed him ahahahah.

Norbit is shocked and doesn't believe what the queen said and says: -So you dishonored your father, your dead mother, and everyone who gave their lives for peace and the kingdom?

Zhofia: -Dishonored my mother? No. She was a Lith of lust, just like me, she infiltrated and made my father fall in love with her, they say she was possessed, but that's a lie.

Your friend Jako killed her thinking she had been possessed, my father gave her a high position thinking he had done the right thing, but that only made me hate that old man.

Norbit: -So that's it... In the name of all the Knights of Vein, I will put an end to your cult.

Norbit wields his sword, he attacks several demons and kills them, using light magic he blinds them all by exploding their eyes. Zhofia gets angry and shows her demon wings and lunges forward. Norbit cuts off her arm and tears off one of her wings.

Zhofia: -Grr, you bastard, you won't stop my plan.

The Voice of Lust attacks and is effectively confronted, praising the priest. Then she speaks invocation words and summons demons throughout the city. Immediately after, she retreats from the castle and goes into the city to spread chaos.

Norbit looks to the side and sees Gray with the queen. He attacks the Voice of Despair using a magic that distorts the field and manages to land a blow regardless of the enemy's distance.

The Voice of Despair's shoulder is torn open and doesn't regenerate, leaving an empty hole. She wonders what she hit and is angry at the queen for not dealing with the priest.

The city is filled with demons, Devilhands, undead, and specters.

And then, the night of Vein was filled with screams. The sound of the cathedral bell echoed once more... announcing the beginning of the war.