369 Premature Star

"Are you completely sure about this?"

As two big blobs of shining purple fire floated in a very vast void of darkness, a very large number of much smaller blobs kept flying around them like restless little kids as they seemed to listen to the conversation taking place.

"Yes. That dog of mine wouldn't have abstained from contacting me for this long, especially with how close we were, something must have happened…"

"But does this really call for starting everything immediately? Complete synchronized communication hasn't been set up and not all the battalions are completely ready, we just have to wait one more week and everything would be ready…"

"The chances that the last disposal mission might have gone completely wrong is high. The target was too much of a thorn on our side because we feared he would cause something like that. We are currently blind about the situation, even waiting one day more might put in a few nails to the coffin of everything we prepared for this moment."

"Are you sure it's not just that your dog is playing around? I did receive a quick message from mine through the sacred mark and he did mention that 'Dark Fire' was acting up once again, shouldn't I be the one who is angry as I didn't even receive the body of my lineage's killer?"

The fire blob that asked the very first question seemed to intensify as if it was a pot of water put under boiling temperature…

"You really think he would act so unruly knowing how critical the situation is? Waiting any longer will only cause harm by this point, besides…"

The 'angry' blob of fire finally calmed down as it grew fainter, producing its last words, "I know, I know, no need to flaunt your authority. We will commence the cleansing wave immediately as you wish," before it vanished from the dark void if it was put out, followed by most of the small restless blobs, turning the space back into its lightless nature…

`~~`~~`~~`

'It's always like this!'

Sitting on a small throne, a human-like creature with dark purple skin, a well-proportioned body and three horns protruding out of its head opened its eyes which immediately revealed visible signs of anger.

'This wasn't what I signed up for…'

As the commander of the sacred army hidden within the Nature Domain who had to carry all the responsibility on his back, Shred thought that he would at least have absolute command and authority that would naturally come with the position. However, it didn't take long before one of the 'Lords' was assigned to the domain…

Being a 'Lord' naturally gave him the priority in all decisions, even though he wasn't present in the body, he was still the one who would have the last word.

'Well, his guesses are still usually correct most of the time…'

Letting out a small sigh as the anger in his eyes subsided, Shed shook off the unpleasant feelings he had. As annoying as this lord's interference was, it usually brought positive results and managed to salvage a few important parts of the big picture, even stopping several events that would have exposed their reality in the few last years.

"Blood!"

Returning his face to its usual cold state, Shred finally called out as he discarded his thoughts, if this was really another correct guess then leaving early was indeed the correct answer.

"Yes, sir."

"Prepare the key and notify the main battalion, we will head out in ten minutes."

"Understood."

As the slim red-haired subordinate left the small throne room, Shred stood up and opened the tall closet at one of the room's corners.

'This better be correct as well.'

Picking up the tall halberd that emitted intense killing intent, Shred asked the Demonic Sovereign to give him strength. Whether he liked it or not, he didn't have any choice since that lord already decided. So, unlike the earlier events where he usually wished for his guesses to prove wrong, this time, he wished for it to be correct. Otherwise, they would have just diminished the army's combat strength for nothing…

`~~`~~`~~`

"Everything is ready, sir."

"Good job."

Standing before long lines of demons under his command, Shred took off the pearly necklace he had around his neck as he put it in front of the black corruption core…

"Store..."

As he uttered the word followed by a few incomprehensible sounds, the color of the core started to fade as the white pearl necklace started to change in tandem. It didn't take more than a few seconds before the spherical core turned completely grey except for a little hint of black that stayed at the center.

Tshhaarkk!

As soon as Shred put the necklace back around his neck, the red-haired Blood, who held a sword using the fear-filled human's hand, rammed it at the spherical core as it immediately lost its shape and shattered into pieces!

"Hah...hah…"

The other hand of the human who couldn't mutter anything and only panted in fear which held a clear transparent crystal shook as the crystal's color changed and almost got thrown to the ground, but Blood had already caught it by then.

"Good."

Receiving the mystically colored crystal, Shred took one last glance at his vast number of subordinates before he in turn crushed the small crystal.

Swish!

The fragments flew out of his hand as it started to form a ring of the same color as the changed fragments. The eyes of the demons shown with great fervor, the gate to the surface has finally appeared! The day they have been preparing so long for its sake was finally here!

"Though our schedule has been changed due to the possibility of some foreseeable circumstance, what was decided is still as it is. Today is the day we enlighten those inferior species and show them the true sacred path!"

"For the Sovereign!"

"For the…"

As the repeated war cries resounded in the underground space, the demons flooded into the gate as if they were a horde of wild creatures. A path was opened in the middle of them as Shred simultaneously marched into the gate as well, only that the first thing he was met with was...

Zssshhhbooom!

Imminent lightning was falling from the vast sky!