Chapter 316 - Despair

Kretos arrived at the battlefield and saw that the battle was nearing its end. The humans were being decimated as their screams echoed throughout the canyon. From a distance, Kretos spotted that there were also some dead demons, but compared to the humans there weren't many dying demons. 

As Kretos was scanning the surrounding area, he felt a powerful aura from behind him. Kretos quickly drew his sword from his shadow and was about to attack the one behind him. The moment he turned around he saw the smiling face of a golden-haired fox. 

"You miss your dessert. I wonder, was the main course too much for you?" Tsukiko smiled mischievously at Kretos and was not bothered by the sword that was pointed at her face. 

Seeing Tsukiko smiling c.o.c.kily at him, Kretos shrugged his shoulders and placed his sword on his shoulders. 

"Yeah, the main course was better than I expected. As for the dessert who knew that you were such a sweet tooth. It would seem like I underestimated you." 

Kretos was now showing his vicious smile. The moment Tsukiko saw that smile, she immediately responded before Kretos could speak more. 

"Nope, I will not be fighting you. I won't even think of sparring with you. I surrender, I admit defeat, the demon lord Kretos has bested me." Tsukiko made exaggerated movements as she spoke. 

"I haven't even said anything yet." 

"It's all over your face. But sure what is it you wanted to say? If it's about fighting, you already know my answer."

Hearing what Tsukiko said Kretos was speechless. No words came out of Kretos's mouth and without warning he slashed towards Tsukiko's face. Tsukiko didn't even flinch as Kretos's sword swung past her. 

"Oh Come on, just a little bit should be alright, just a little taste." 

"Nope, I won't do it," Tsukiko responded without hesitation. "If you were going to eat me in another way I might've allowed it," Tsukiko mumbled to herself. 

"What did you say, did you agree?"

"No." The demons who were clearing the battlefield saw that the strongest demon lord and the former demon lord were arguing while walking away from the battlefield. 

...

Some lucky ones from the Sliral Kingdom were able to escape from the clutches of the demons. From the fifty thousand, only a dozen or so men were able to return. When the King of the Sliral Kingdom heard their report his face looked like it grew older by a few years. 

The remaining Generals that weren't among those that went to battle also had a pale expression. Even if the survivors reported that they had lost, these battle-hardened Generals wouldn't react this way. They only reacted this way because it wasn't just a loss, it was a devastating one. Their whole army was decimated and only a dozen survived, while the demons had little casualties. 

"This wasn't how it was supposed to play out. This wasn't how it was supposed to play out." One General kept muttering the same thing over and over again, while the other had nothing to say. The King was silent for a moment as well, trying to calm himself down. After he was able to somehow get a hold of himself he asked.

"What about the hero and his companions what happened to them?" 

"We've lost contact with their group a few hours ago, and..." The one giving out the report hesitated as he didn't want to say the next words. 

"AND WHAT?!" The King who was already tensed up shouted at the person reporting. The person then flinched before answering the King.

"The Arch Stone which could sense the mana signature of Court Mage Jeter, it stopped operating. It could no longer sense Court Mage Jeter's mana signature." 

When the King heard that report he slumped down onto his chair, and looked like the blood in his body was drained. The death of Jeter could only mean one thing. 

"The hero has failed, it's over..." The whole war room turned silent and no one could utter another word. 

...

The news of the failed invasion of the Sliral Kingdom was leaked out and spread throughout the other Human Kingdoms. The news was spread by those that survived the ordeal and couldn't stop themselves from telling others the horrific tale. 

When the other Human Kingdoms heard of how badly the Sliral Kingdom was defeated they too grew even more afraid. There was no longer anyone thinking about fighting over who gets to invade the demon lands first. The people who also thought that the demons wouldn't attack them changed their minds. 

Now that the Sliral Kingdom provoked the demons, it was obvious that those war-crazed demons would counterattack. Still, there were some even thought that once the demons get revenge on the Sliral Kingdom they will stop. Yet most of the Human Kingdoms started forming large alliances getting ready for the invasion of the demons. 

...

In a small village, Jun was waiting for his brother's return. His village was in a pretty remote region so the news about the annihilation of the Sliral Kingdom's army hasn't reached this far yet. 

Day in and day out Jun waited for his little brother. His wife who was pregnant was also waiting for Marlo's return. To her, Marlo was already like her real little brother. She was about ready to give birth any day now. 

One day the two of them were waiting outside their house and saw two knights on horses in the village. They were passing a letter and a pouch of gold coins to each family that sent out their sons to battle. 

When the families read the letter they all started screaming and crying. Some of them were even violent as they wanted to attack the knights while the others were holding them back. Seeing this scene Jun and his wife grew nervous. 

The knights finally arrived in front of Jun and his wife. Like all the others the knight handed them a letter and a pouch of gold coins. Jun shakingly took the letter and opened it. He knew how to read a little, and got the gist of what was written. The royal family was apologizing for their loss, and as compensation for the fine warrior that has fallen in battle, they were given enough gold coins to last their lifetime. 

Jun's wife Katrice was able to read better than Marlo, and when she saw the contents of the letter she started sobbing. Jun, on the other hand, couldn't believe what he had read at first, but after a while, a burning rage filled him. He threw the pouch of coins at one of the knights and shouted at them. 

"I don't f*cking need this gold coins! You better give my brother back to me! He was just a young lad, he hasn't even had his first love yet! He hasn't even fulfilled his dreams of traveling to different places! He hasn't even had the chance to hold my child in his hands..." 

Jun knelt on the ground trying his best to hold back the tears. Katrice hugged his husband as she continued to cry. "Please, please at least bring his body back to me." 

One of the knights got off his horse took off his helmet and started picking up the scattered gold coins. Once he was done picking up all the coins the knight approached Jun looked at him eye to eye and spoke. 

"I may not have met your brother, but I'm sure that he had fought bravely and honorably. His body might not be here, but I'm sure his spirit is in here." The knight tapped Jun's chest pointing at his heart. "You should take the money, I'm sure your brother would want you to have it." 

The knight then stood up and saluted Jun, he then saluted the other villagers as well. Once he was done he and his companion left the village. 

...

After learning of Marlo's demise Jun and Katrice seemed lost. They became lethargic and unsteady, the only reason they could keep going was because of their unborn child. They needed to be strong for this child. But as if fate was mocking them, on the day Katrice was to give birth some complications had arisen. 

The midwife had no idea what to do, as she hasn't encountered such a thing before. The doctor who could help was in another village on that day. The midwife tried her best but in the end, she couldn't save Katrice nor the unborn child. 

Jun was devastated and wanted to kill himself on the spot, but the villagers stopped him. He then screamed at them. 

"Marlo is gone, Katrice is gone, my child is gone! What more can be taken from me?! What more reason is there for me to live?!" 

Jun begged the villagers to let him go, he begged them to kill him. Yet the villagers who treated Jun like he was part of their family didn't want Jun to die. 

...

A few days had passed since the death of Katrice and the unborn child. The two had been buried in the village's cemetery. For the first time since they were buried Jun visited them. He stood in front of their graves looking lifeless. It started to rain as Jun knelt in front of the graves. 

One of the graves had an empty coffin, this was the grave of his brother, beside him was Katrice's grave, and the one next to that with the unnamed tombstone was the grave of his unborn child. 

"Why?! What did I do to deserve this?! Where did it all go wrong?!...." Jun was silent for a moment and then his lifeless eyes started burning with fury.

"It's all because of those demons if they didn't start the war none of this would've happened. If only I had the strength if only I had the power to fight them." As Jun was wallowing in despair, he suddenly heard a deep sonorous voice.

"Do you wish for power?" 

"Who's there?!" Jun looked around and so no one.

"Answer me, do you wish for power? Enough power to have your revenge?" Jun couldn't understand who was talking to him, but he still answered. 

"Yes, I want power, overwhelming power to destroy those that took everything away from me!" 

"Go to the Temple of the God of Water, you will find the power you seek there." Once that was said the voice no longer spoke. At the same time, the raining stopped and the sky cleared up. Jun looked at the heavens above, gritted his teeth, and clenched his fist.