CHAPTER 422: 422

The battlefield raged with chaos as snow and blood mixed into a chilling storm. Rein stood at the center, his robes whipping in the cold wind.

His eyes glowed faint blue, and the runes around him pulsed like living veins of light. He moved his fingers slowly, and circles of ancient symbols began to form around his body.

Before him, the evil group followers stood in a twisted formation.

Each one wore tattered black robes covered in ancient sigils that crawled across their skin like worms. The air around them reeked of decay and sulfur.

Their auras were suffocating, dark as midnight, mixed with heavy whispers of unseen beings that were squirming around.

One of them, a tall figure with a horned mask, raised his hands and spoke in a deep guttural tone. "Ritual of the Abyss, awaken the Withering Gate!"

A huge rune appeared beneath his feet, glowing in a faint green hue. The ground cracked open, and black mist poured out, spreading like oil. From that mist rose ghostly arms, pale and writhing, reaching for anything alive.

Roosevelt’s expression fell slightly.

"So that’s how you want to start?"

He flicked his hand, and a blazing circle spun in front of him. "Majestic Burst!"

A beam of white-blue energy exploded from his palm, tearing through the green mist and shattering the rune beneath the dark mage’s feet. The mage screamed as his own spell backfired, and his flesh dissolved into black smoke.

But more of them came. They chanted in unison, their voices low and unsettling. "Blood of the dead, shadow of the void, heed our call!" Their eyes rolled back, and red veins covered their faces.

The air itself turned colder, the sky dimmed, and twisted creatures began crawling out from cracks in reality—long, thin beings with multiple eyes and jagged mouths.

Martina, Roosevelt, and Hans charged forward.

"Stay close!" Roosevelt shouted as he drew his sword. The blade shone faintly, reflecting the dim light of the battlefield. "Imperial Swordsmanship—Form One: Majesty’s Dawn!"

His aura burst out, golden and radiant, spreading warmth through the air. The golden light enveloped him completely, and his hair turned into shimmering strands of gold. Every step he took echoed with divine power.

The corrupted mist near him sizzled and vanished.

The dark mages hissed as the divine presence burned their flesh. One of them screamed and unleashed another spell, "Eyes of the Abyss!"

A dozen black eyes appeared in the air and began firing crimson beams.

Roosevelt moved faster than the eye could follow. His sword sliced through the beams, shattering them one after another. The divine energy radiating from his body made his movements graceful yet unstoppable.

.....

Kael stood on a half-shattered boulder, the bitter wind brushing against his coat as snow and blood danced together in the air.

The ground trembled beneath him, echoing with endless clashes of steel, roars of monsters, and cries of agony. He watched everything unfold with an indifferent gaze, pulling a cigar from his coat pocket.

"Utterly chaotic..." he muttered, clicking his tongue in irritation.

Everywhere he looked, soldiers screamed and spells exploded. Demons clashed with humans, and in some places, they even tore into their own allies by mistake. Flames lit the sky, and shadows twisted along the ground. The battlefield was no longer a war. It was madness wearing the mask of purpose.

He lit his cigar slowly, ignoring the explosion that erupted a few dozen meters away.

"My Lord!"

Kael turned his head at the call. Vic was tumbling down the snow-covered slope, coughing violently.

His armor was broken and half of his face burned.

"Vic?" Kael raised an eyebrow. "How did you get here?"

"That fucker..." Vic groaned, spitting blood into the snow. "He just fired a spell without aiming properly. These bastards are all crazy!"

Kael exhaled smoke, watching it rise lazily into the dark sky. "Hmm."

Vic dusted himself off and froze. Kael was standing calmly on the rock, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the cigar like a noble in the middle of a festival rather than a battlefield.

"Lord! What are you doing?" Vic asked in disbelief.

Kael blinked slowly, then gave a half-smile. "I’m observing the battle properly."

"Observing?" Vic’s face twisted in confusion. "Why do I feel like you’re just tired and bored?"

"Of course I am," Kael replied without hesitation. "Just look at this pandemonium. Like hell I’ll throw myself into that nonsense."

Vic followed Kael’s gaze and finally understood.

The entire field below was pure insanity. Humans and demons had completely lost their coordination. Their spells and attacks overlapped, exploding in wild bursts that didn’t distinguish friend from foe. A demon’s fireball struck a human squad, and a human lightning spell electrocuted half a demon battalion in return.

"I wonder which son of a bitch wrote this script," Kael muttered. "These magicians are either blind or just born stupid. Thankfully, the stronger ones seem to know what they’re doing."

"So... should I just watch like you?" Vic asked, rubbing his temples.

"What do you mean?" Kael said, turning his eyes on him. "Go and fight. You need more experience."

"But I’m already experienced enough!" Vic protested, frustrated.

"Oh really?" Kael said lazily, offering him the cigar. "Then Here... Have a smoke."

"I don’t smoke," Vic refused immediately.

Kael stared at him blankly, then shrugged. "Then go and fight. And stop eating my head."

Vic sighed heavily, clearly regretting his life choices, and ran back down the slope. Kael chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing as the air around him trembled with the clash of power from the frontlines.

....

Not far away, Martina, Roosevelt, and Hans were already locked in a deadly confrontation with the cloaked figures.

The first clash shattered the ground. Martina’s sword moved in a bright silver arc, slicing through the mist that surrounded one of the enemies. Her strike met something invisible, and sparks exploded in the air. The cloaked man moved with an eerie stillness, his body flickering like a shadow.

"Be careful!" Hans warned, stepping beside her. His own sword gleamed with golden aura. "They’re manipulating space!"

Martina’s eyes flicked to the side as another enemy appeared behind her. Before he could strike, she spun her blade backward and parried, her aura bursting out like a flash of moonlight.

Roosevelt charged into another group, his sword radiating violent flames. "Out of my way!" he shouted, swinging downward. His attack split the ground, sending a wave of molten fire toward the cloaked figures.

But they didn’t burn. The flames passed through their bodies like smoke.

One of them raised his hand, and a mass of black liquid rose from the ground, forming a monstrous arm that lashed toward Roosevelt.

He blocked it with his sword, causing the sparks to fly as the dark arm slammed him back.

"What the hell are they?" Roosevelt growled, blood dripping from his lip.

"They’re not humans," Martina said grimly, her eyes narrowing. "They’re using forbidden powers."

The cloaked figures moved in unnatural ways, their bodies twisting and splitting apart like illusions.

One stretched his neck unnaturally, eyes glowing with red symbols as he muttered words that made the air hum. Another summoned a swarm of shadowy hands that reached from the ground, clawing toward Hans.

Hans slammed his sword into the ground.

"Holy Barrier!" one of priests shouted.

Golden lines erupted from beneath his feet, blocking the shadows. The light crackled and hissed as the dark hands melted away, leaving only ash.

Martina used the opening to step in. Her sword glowed white, cutting through one of the enemies. But instead of blood, only black mist poured out. The figure simply laughed, reforming his body out of the same mist.

"Can’t even die properly," she hissed.

Suddenly, another cloaked figure raised his staff, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "The gate of madness opens..."

A ripple of distortion spread across the land. The snow melted instantly, and the sky twisted into a vortex of colors. Everyone felt their minds spin for a moment as whispers filled their ears.

Roosevelt gritted his teeth and shouted, "Cut the caster!"

He blurred forward, fire trailing behind him. His sword ignited again, burning through the shadows. The caster tried to dodge, but Martina appeared from the opposite side, her sword flashing in perfect timing. Together, their attacks struck true. The figure screamed, the distorted world cracking apart as his body disintegrated into black smoke.

The remaining cloaked figures hissed and backed away, their forms flickering like candlelight.

From a distance, Rein watched it all, his face calm and eyes glinting with amusement. A faint smile curved on his lips as his hands weaved silent symbols.

"Hmmm..." he murmured softly. "Since I can’t win, I’ll make sure to mess up everything so that in the end, no one walks away as the victor."

As his spell circle began to glow beneath him, the ground itself shuddered again.

Kael flicked his cigar aside and sighed.

"This day just keeps getting worse.This guy is really muddying water."

"With the ways things are going,I am sure it will end up with no result."