Their eyes blazed with zeal, as though a dawn of demon rule had already broken. The escape of demonic souls thundered through level six, and within an hour, everyone had gotten wind of the news.
In the Dark Forest, a circle of beast race cultivators sat roasting meat over an open flame.
The sudden turbulence in the air made their fur bristle, glancing upward, they gaped at black rain coughing from lightning-split clouds.
Terror quickly stampeded through the gathering. A guttural shout broke the dull hush.
“What in the world is that?” the voice cracked, raw with a fear it could not hide. A burly bear beast cultivator, his chest heaving beneath patch-worked armor, thrust a trembling paw toward the horizon.
There, black vapors rolled like an ocean of ink. The stench of malice riding that wind felt thick enough to choke on, far darker than anything stirred during the ancient Demon Rebellion. Each breath the bearman drew sounded like it might be his last.
“Such a thick and strong demonic aura… It’s even more terrifying than when demons wreaked havoc back in the day!”
Someone gasped as the nightmare gradually took shape. “It’s the demonic souls! The hundred thousand demonic souls that legend says Roaring Storm Church had sealed away! They’ve escaped!”
A nearby fox beast cultivator went deathly pale. “The Demon Gathering Token has already swept across level six, and all demonic cultivators are racing for Celestia City. If we don’t flee now, those demonic souls will devour us whole!”
Her warning struck like a whip. In the space of a heartbeat, the cultivators of Blackwind Stronghold scattered, boots and talons pounding in every direction, leaving only overturned crates and a swirl of dust to mark where they once stood.
***
Meanwhile, inside Rose Cloud Sect’s main hall in the Northern Frontier, lamplight flickered across grim faces.
The sect leader and several elders stared through the open skylight at the twisting shadows staining the firmament.
A messenger knelt below, voice shaking. “News just arrived, Roaring Storm Church’s seal has shattered! A hundred thousand demonic souls are storming straight toward Celestia City, and every demonic cultivator is also answering to the call of the Demon Gathering Token!”
“If Celestia City’s defenses fall and those demonic souls flood the world, the entire human race will bleed for it, ours first among them,” the grand elder said. his tone rumbling like distant thunder.
The sect leader’s brow tightened. “Relay my order! All disciples of the Rose Cloud Sect are to reinforce the defense formation at once and lock the gates. No one is allowed to leave! At the same time, send scouts to Celestia City to check on the situation. If the city’s in danger, we will decide whether to render assistance or not!”
***
In the Myriad Beast Valley of Western Frontier, the leader, Talon, stood at the valley entrance, his stripes gleaming under a sickly purple sky.
He was a white tiger that had roamed the earth for thousands of years, and even was fraught with worry as his golden eyes tracked the distant plume of demonic haze curling above Celestia City.
“The demonic souls have broken free…” growled, every syllable a low quake. “Level six is about to burn…”
Claws scoring the earth, roared orders that rattled the trees, “Warn every beast race! Draw the borders tight and hold them. We are not to meddle in the fight between humans and demons. But if even one stray demonic soul crosses into our realm, rip it apart!”
With the demonic souls released, panic seeped through humans and beasts alike, spreading faster than wildfire in dry grass. And in Celestia City itself, order had already collapsed into shrieking chaos.
***
Ieuan had barely dragged the abducted Lorraine through the gates of the Prime Minister’s Office when a shudder rippled through heaven and earth.
He looked up, only to be greeted by black clouds swarming overhead, lightning veining their bellies. Far beyond the city walls, an oncoming sea of translucent wraiths swept forward like a tidal wave, causing to turn pale.
“H-How can this be? Why have the demonic souls broken out early?” His entire frame quivered.
He had planned to use Lorraine as leverage to force Aurelius to surrender the Ritual Manual. But with Celestia City itself on the brink of annihilation, every scheme had so carefully spun unraveled in an instant.
A breathless advisor skidded across polished stone. “Sir, what do we do now? The Demonic Soul Army is almost at the gates! The Guardian Army is panicking. Many are already deserting their posts!”
Ieuan clenched his teeth. “Quit panicking! Seal all four city gates. Order the Guardian Army to the ramparts. There will be no retreat and no excuses! It’s just a handful of demonic souls, so they won’t be that strong. When the time comes, I will meet them myself, along with Mr. Hemato from Malevolent Path Hall. Perhaps we can persuade them to join our cause!”
Even now, as the sky itself seemed to scream, Ieuan’s mind clung to its twisted fantasy, command the Demonic Soul Army, conquer level six, and crown himself master of all surveyed.
***
Somewhere else, news of the Demonic Soul Army’s emergence had just reached Aurelius, and the weight of It hammered across his features until every line of his face looked carved from stone.
“King Aurelius, the Demonic Soul Army is heading straight for Celestia City. Demonic cultivators are also flooding in behind them by the minute. Celestia City is on the brink of danger,” a breathless patrol officer reported, voice cracking with dread.
“King Aurelius, reinforcements from Sunset Pass and Purdina Barracks are still on their way. They will need several more hours at least,” Rylan added.
Aurelius drew a slow lungful of air, forcing the knot of anxiety back into its cage. “Relay my orders immediately! Every regiment is to proceed to Roaring Storm Church. Find Mr. Chance. I need to know the church’s condition this instant.”
***
Meanwhile, Celestia City was already In full panic mode. Streets once brimming with vendors now churned with panicked citizens hauling children and elders toward any promise of safety. Wails mingled with frantic screams, echoing through alleys like wind through broken chimes.
Desperate clusters tried to reach the city gates, only to be driven back by ranks of the Guardian Army. Shields locked and spears leveled, the soldiers forced the tide inward, yet fear bled through the city with every heartbeat.
