Chapter 285: Holy war 23

Entering a modest room, Adrian observed the intricate runes inscribed on nearly every surface.

From the corridors to the walls, the floor, and even the closed windows, the room was meticulously prepared to contain and manage Elena's radiating divine energy.

Light elementals and divine energy were integrated seamlessly into the runes, ready to activate in case her power began to leak uncontrollably.

Adrian was somewhat surprised by the thorough preparation. He had assumed his aunt would still be busy overseeing the war efforts.

"Did you and aunt prepare everything beforehand, sis?" Adrian asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Hnn~? No... this was done just recently when is aw Elena's situation manipulating creation isn't exactly my forte but I do manage to get things done..." came the reply.

A small doll appeared, creaking as it moved. It was his sister, Nyarla, who immediately turned her attention to the sleeping Elena. "I watched her through your eyes, so I was a bit worried that my assessment was wrong. But looking at her now, it's a relief that nothing's wrong with her."

Adrian nodded at Nyarla's comments, a sense of relief washing over him as well. He gently approached the empty white bed and carefully laid Elena down. Her breathing was steady, but she looked utterly exhausted.

After ensuring she was comfortable, Adrian turned his attention back to Nyarla. With a tender motion, he lifted his sister into his arms, her tiny form light as a feather.

"Thank you for your help, Nyarla," he said softly. "Your precautions were perfect."

Nyarla's doll-like face managed a small smile. "It's the least I could do. Elena is important to you, and by extension, important to us. We must protect her."

Adrian glanced back at the intricate runes, appreciating their craftsmanship and the powerful magic they contained.

'She'll be safe here' he murmured, mostly to himself.

"What's the situation there, sis?" Adrian asked, though he didn't really want to return to the battlefield. He preferred to stay and watch over Elena until she woke up. However, if his presence was truly needed, he would gladly go.

He had promised himself to kill every lost dove, but those were tasks assigned to his subordinates. Besides, there were more doves above and an entire pantheon in the heavens he could destroy when the time came. For now, his priority was Elena.

Nyarla's eyes glowed slightly before she opened her doll-like mouth. "Everything is going as planned. Luwanal, the god of thunder and lightning, is already dead. No, he ceased to exist as he fought Fenrir. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, along with Schwi, Sasha, and the other demons, are taking care of the angels."

Adrian nodded, absorbing the information. "Good. It sounds like everything is under control. They can handle the cleanup."

Nyarla continued, "Elizabeth is particularly having fun with the two seraphs you might want be acquainted to.

Meanwhile the remaining doves are trying to escape, but our forces are ensuring that none get away.

Your subordinates are performing admirably."

Adrian sighed in relief. "That's reassuring to hear. They're strong and capable. I trust them to finish the job."

He glanced at Elena, her peaceful expression offering him a sense of calm. Despite the war raging outside, this room felt like a sanctuary.

Adrian gently stroked her hair, feeling the warmth of her divinity pulsating beneath his fingers.

"Are there no retaliations from their side? Surely the goddess would notice immediately the moment Luwanal died," Adrian questioned.

After all, gods and their souls were directly connected to their pantheon, so if a god suddenly ceased to exist, all the primordials of that pantheon would know almost immediately.

Nyarla shook her head in response. "No. It seems they are too afraid to act as Fenrir is still there surveying the battlefield."

"I see..." Adrian murmured, understanding the logic.

It made sense. It was the most rational move on their part. Even if the goddess sent down one of her elites or probably even her entire pantheon, none of it would have mattered in front of a beast of the apocalypse like Fenrir.

Fenrir's entire destiny was to bring down an entire pantheon.

Of course, that didn't mean Fenrir would automatically win in a fight, but there was more to lose than to gain when fighting that big bad wolf.

Adrian's thoughts drifted back to the pantheon above. If the gods were smart, they would remain in their realm and not risk a direct confrontation.

They knew Fenrir's power and the chaos he could unleash.

Fighting him would be a gamble with their very existence at stake.

Returning his focus to the room, Adrian felt a wave of exhaustion. The effort to heal Elena had taken more out of him than he realized.

Yet, seeing her resting peacefully was worth every ounce of energy he expended. He gently stroked her hair, her presence grounding him amidst the turmoil.

Adrian smiled and began to take off his suit.

"Adrian?" Nyarla wondered what was going on, but as she watched Adrian approach the bed and gently hug Elena into his chest, she understood and nodded.

"Do you wish to sleep?"

"Oya~?" Loki exclaimed, genuinely surprised by the sudden appearance of a portal next to him.

As he observed the doll-like figure emerging from it, he tilted his head slightly, hovering above a map-like monitor projecting the entire continent below.

"You're here early, Nyarla. Is Adrian and Elena okay now?" Considering the presence, he felt entering the castle a while ago was Adrian's, he assumed Nyarla would stay by her brother's side, comforting him.

"Yes... Adrian wanted to take some rest together with Elena," Nyarla explained, taking a seat in an empty chair nearby.

"I see, so they're already back to baby making, huh? The youth are seriously energetic these days, eh~?" Loki quipped with a mischievous grin.

"... He wanted to rest," Nyarla replied, her expression unchanging.

"Pfft~ hahahaha! I know, I know. Man, you really can't take a joke, huh, Nyarla?" Loki waved his hand dismissively, laughing hysterically at Nyarla's overly serious answer.

He then whisked his hand in the air, projecting a scene on the screen before them.

"So, our forces have fallen back?"

On the screen, a scene unfolded showing the demonic forces they had sent deep into the empire suddenly retreating, pulling back almost all the way to the border once more.

"Hehe~ I didn't expect this either, Nyarla. I thought the damned lizards were just going to stay neutral, but I guess they're properly joining now."

Up above in the skies on the screen, hundreds of dragons could be seen assisting the humans, working together to wipe out the demons.

Although this wasn't exactly a surprise considering the imperial family's connection to the previous Dragon Lord, it was still quite the hassle.

Dragons weren't opponents to be underestimated, and their active participation in the battle wasn't something they had anticipated.

"How much are the losses, Loki?"

"Well, at the moment, we've lost over 200,000 demons, at least. Including the angel slaves we sent, we've basically lost almost 300,000 if we round it off."

"I see...." Nyarla's expression remained stoic, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

The sheer number of losses was staggering, and the involvement of the dragons complicated their plans significantly.

Loki continued, "The dragons joining the fray changes the dynamics. Their strength and coordination with the humans are proving to be a formidable challenge. We need to reassess our strategy."

Nyarla nodded, her mind racing through various scenarios. "We'll need to bolster our defenses at the borders and reinforce our troops with more powerful entities.

The dragons' aerial advantage is significant, but we can counter it with our own aerial units and anti-air defenses."

Loki smirked. "I was thinking the same. I've already ordered the deployment of our wyverns and gargoyles to intercept the dragons. We'll also enhance our ground troops with more resilient units to hold the line."

Nyarla's eyes glowed slightly as she reviewed the battlefield. "We should also consider deploying some of our elite units.

The Valkyries and Nightstalkers can create havoc behind enemy lines and disrupt their coordination."

"An excellent idea," Loki agreed. "We'll also need to keep an eye on their movements.

The dragons' presence might be a precursor to something bigger."

As they discussed their strategies, Nyarla couldn't help but think about Adrian and Elena.

Despite the dire situation, she trusted that her brother would rest and recover.

His newfound strength would be crucial in the battles to come.

As they continued their discussion, Loki suddenly spoke up. "Should I send Fenrir there next?" he suggested, his smile widening with a hint of mischief.

Nyarla shook her head. "No. Fenrir's presence would only add more energy to the causalities on the goddess's side and might interfere with our initial plans."

"Okay~" Although Loki wanted to let his little cutie pie have some more fun, he let it go. He knew Fenrir was fairly satisfied fighting someone of similar power to Thor.

Even if Luwanal was like a Walmart version of Thor, a god of storms was still a god of storms.

Luwanal might not have been up to par, but his existence as a god made him somewhat worthy enough to be killed by Loki's beloved child.

Loki could only wish that Jörmungandr and Hel were here as well.

A holy war like this would've been a very good reference for the future Ragnarok that was next to come after this.

He envisioned the chaos, the destruction, and the ultimate fulfillment of their destiny.

The thought of Ragnarok filled him with a sense of anticipation and excitement that was hard to contain.