The Battle for Leyta

Dromer - Fresh start

As the angels left the heavenly realm, they landed in a dense forest to regain some strength before leaving to help the humans repel the attack of the demons.

"Trey, Vert, we have to part ways. If we stay grouped up, we'll never be able to save the human realm" Dromer said.

Vert nodded and then said:

"You speak the truth, but... I don't think we'll be able to save this realm. We should've stayed and attacked together with Verdactius. Maybe then we would've been able to kill the traitor and the Demon King. After that, we'd be able to rid the human realm of the demons"

After a short pause, Trey spoke up:

"By the way, Dromer. What's the situation in the heavenly realm right now? Can you contact Verdactius?"

Dromer didn't want to say anything, but Trey kept pressuring him:

"Come on! Answer me, goddamnit! TELL ME, CAN YOU CONT-"

Trey was about to finish his demand, but then Vert stopped him:

"Calm down. Can't you see that Dromer has already tried and failed? You know what that means, don't you? Verdactius was like a father to him. Since he can't contact him, he's been killed."

Trey looked at Dromer. He had only anger and sadness on his face and eyes. As soon as Trey saw that, he apologized:

"Sorry, Dromer... I-I don't know what came over me... Again, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We knew he wouldn't be able to kill both Revirius and Perfentius... We have to keep our heads high and set our sight to the future."

Dromer said that, but he couldn't do it himself. He was putting up a front so the two of them wouldn't feel obligated to stay by Dromers' side.

20 minutes later, Dromer spoke up:

"We have to go our separate ways from here on. Again, if we stay grouped up, we won't be able to repel the attack of the demons. Since Perfentius and Revirius might be trying to find us using the "All-Seeing Eye", we have to change our appearance. That would also spare us from the anger of humans since we didn't come to help them immediately."

Trey and Vert both agreed and then changed their appearance to match that of a human.

Dromer spoke:

"Alright, Trey and Vert. This is my final order to you as the leader of "The Council of Ten". Travel to the closest human settlement and join the Adventurers Guild. That way, you'll be able to help the humans fight off the demons, and stay hidden from Revirius and Perfentius at the same time. I will do the same. Good luck."

Trey and Vert both stood up, saluted their leader, and took off each in their direction. Dromer stayed behind and watched them as they slowly left his vision. After he lost sight of both of his subordinates, he set off in his direction.

After 2 days of traveling, Dromer got out of the dense forest and saw a beautiful scenery. Mountains and plains as far as the eye could see. A small river flowed through the middle of the field and went between the mountains. On the other side of the river was a huge human settlement that looked like a castle from afar. It was surrounded by walls. In the center, Dromer could make out a silhouette of a tower.

'That tower must be the palace itself... I'm surprised the human realm has advanced so much in these past years'

Then, he saw a huge group of creatures moving towards the settlement. It was a part of the Demon King's army.

'Shit... That army looks quite big... I have to move or the settlement will be destroyed.'

Dromer poured all of his mana into his legs and started to sprint. By pouring his mana to any part of the body, he could gain strength that rivaled even Verdactius, but if he had to fight, that mana would get depleted very quickly. Since he poured all mana into his legs, he could run 5 times faster than a horse.

He reached the river in 3 hours and then stopped beside it. He could see the Demon Kings army much better.

'Holy shit... The army numbers at around fifty thousand... I don't know how big the human army is, but I sure as hell know that one demon has the strength of two hundred humans.'

Then, he leapt over the river and continued to run towards the settlement. He knew he could destroy the army single-handedly, but if he did that, he'd attract unwanted attention. Half an hour later, he was 20 kilometers away from the Demon Kings army and 100 meters away from the settlement's gate. He went to the gate and was stopped by the guards there.

"Halt! State your name and your business in the capital city of the Great Empire."

'I can't use my real name. I have to think of one on the spot.'

"My name is Dorian. I'm a traveler. I came out of the forest to the north here and saw the city. Although I would love to chat for longer, I'm afraid there is no time. From afar, I could see a huge army heading this way. They're about 20 kilometers away as of right now. Since the city is on higher ground, I think it should be visible from the top of the wall."

The guard looked at Dromer and said:

"Alright, Dorian. You can enter the city, but telling me lies about an army is unforgivable. You'll have to pay a fee."

Then, a bird landed on the guards' shoulder with a message.

The guard opened it and started to read it. The further down his eyes went on the piece of paper, the wider they got. His face got paler and his forehead started to sweat.

"I-I guess you didn't lie to me after all. Go inside. The army you spoke of is now 15 kilometers away."

Dromer started to head inside, but then stopped, turned to face the guard, and spoke:

"I can help you with the army if you so wish. Apart from being a traveler, I'm also a capable warrior."