The early hours of the morning in Vailor were silent.
But now that silence felt strange.
Heavy.
As if the kingdom itself was holding its breath before something happened.
I remained standing on the mansion's balcony, watching the city while demonic mana lingered almost invisibly throughout the air.
It was faint.
But real.
And that changed everything.
Behind me, I heard the girls' footsteps slowly approaching.
Scarlet was the first to stop beside me.
"Do you think they'll attack today?"
"I don't know."
My answer came out quieter than I expected.
Liriel looked toward the still-dark horizon.
"The demonic mana is still increasing."
Lyannis immediately became serious.
"Then the dream wasn't just a random vision."
"No."
I took a deep breath.
"He's really coming."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms as the wind stirred her hair.
"Finally."
Elara looked at her.
"You say that like you're excited."
"I just hate waiting."
Vespera remained silent as always, but her gaze carefully watched the entire city.
For several minutes, no one spoke.
We simply watched Vailor.
The lights were still on in some of the more distant streets. Guards walked along the walls, unaware of what was happening.
People slept peacefully in their homes.
Children were probably dreaming, never imagining that a war was beginning.
That bothered me.
Because I knew.
If the First General truly advanced...
Many people would die.
I slowly tightened my grip on the balcony railing.
Scarlet noticed.
"You're overthinking again."
"Maybe."
She sighed.
"You always get like this before a major battle."
I looked at her.
"Because I know what could happen."
"And yet you always win."
Before I could answer, Liriel spoke again.
"The demonic mana isn't concentrated in a single location."
Lyannis immediately nodded.
"They're spread out."
That confirmed what I had already suspected.
The demonic army wasn't simply approaching.
They were slowly surrounding territories.
Preparing routes.
Applying pressure.
It was exactly the kind of strategy the First General would use.
Elara rested her arms on the balcony.
"So what are we going to do now?"
"In the morning, I'll go to the guild."
Rai'kanna looked directly at me.
"And after that?"
"Then we'll prepare."
Vespera finally spoke.
"Do you think Vailor will be attacked first?"
I took several seconds before answering.
"Yes."
Silence immediately returned.
Because they all understood what that meant.
If Vailor fell...
The entire human kingdom would become vulnerable.
Scarlet then let out a small laugh.
"Good."
I looked at her.
"Good?"
"If they want war, they picked the wrong place."
Even at a moment like that, she still managed to inspire confidence.
That helped more than she probably realized.
Little by little, the sky began to brighten.
Sunrise was still some time away, but the darkness of the night was slowly fading.
The cold wind drifted through the mansion gardens as I watched the horizon.
Then I felt it again.
The sword.
Golden mana began to faintly emerge from inside the room behind us.
Everyone noticed immediately.
I slowly turned around.
The sword was glowing once again.
But this time the glow was different.
Calmer.
Heavier.
I walked back into the room while the girls followed close behind.
The golden blade remained on the table, slowly radiating mana.
Then the voice appeared.
"The final war has begun."
The room fell completely silent.
Even though I had expected to hear those words...
The weight of them was still immense.
I looked directly at the sword.
"So there's no turning back anymore."
"No."
The voice sounded even more serious than before.
"Demonic movements have already begun in multiple regions."
Lyannis narrowed her eyes slightly.
"So they're truly attacking multiple locations at the same time."
"Yes."
Liriel closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to sense the mana around us.
"They're spreading fear."
The sword spoke again.
"The First General intends to destabilize the kingdoms before the main assault."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"A strategist."
"Dangerous."
I finished.
The golden light intensified slightly.
"He has observed you for a long time."
That immediately caught my attention.
"What do you mean?"
"The First General studied your battles."
My expression became serious.
"The dungeons."
"The kingdoms."
"The dragons."
"The giants."
The sword continued.
"He analyzed everything."
Scarlet slowly exhaled.
"So he's preparing something specifically to face you."
Probably.
And that wasn't good news.
The sword spoke once more.
"You have changed as well."
I looked at the blade.
"What do you mean?"
"The Dragon's Breath."
"The evolution of your mana."
"The alliances you have built."
The voice became quieter.
"You are no longer just an adventurer."
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Then I realized.
It was right.
Everything had changed.
At the beginning, I only accepted missions because I was trying to survive in that world.
Now...
Entire kingdoms trusted me.
Giants.
Dragons.
Humans.
Cyclopes.
Elves.
They were all slowly becoming connected.
And perhaps that was exactly what the demons wanted to destroy.
Elara sat down on the edge of the bed.
"This is starting to become really frightening."
Lyannis took a deep breath.
"Because this is no longer about isolated battles."
Liriel looked at me.
"It's a real war."
I slowly nodded.
"Yes."
Vespera then asked:
"And us?"
I looked at all of them.
Scarlet.
Liriel.
Elara.
Vespera.
Lyannis.
Rai'kanna.
They had all fought beside me until now.
They had all risked their lives countless times.
And even now...
None of them seemed willing to back down.
That made me smile faintly.
"We're going to fight."
Scarlet smiled immediately.
"Now that's a good answer."
Rai'kanna also smiled faintly.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
The sword suddenly shone brightly once again.
"From this moment onward..."
Golden mana filled the entire room.
"There will be no more peace."
The glow disappeared shortly afterward.
And finally, the room fell silent once again.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Then I heard the first sounds of the city awakening outside.
Merchants opening their shops.
Carriages rolling through the streets.
Guards changing shifts.
Life continued as usual.
But I knew.
Nothing would ever be normal again.
I slowly walked back to the balcony.
The sun was finally beginning to rise over the horizon.
Golden light gradually illuminated all of Vailor.
For a brief moment... the city seemed peaceful again.
Almost tranquil.
But now I could see beyond that.
The war was coming.
And it might become the greatest battle that world had seen in centuries.
The girls walked over and silently stood beside me.
No one needed to say anything at that moment.
Everyone understood.
I watched the sunrise as I slowly raised my hand.
Small draconic flames began to appear between my fingers.
The golden fire moved gently in harmony with my mana.
Far more controlled than before.
Far stronger.
I slowly closed my hand, extinguishing the flames.
Then I quietly spoke as I gazed toward the distant horizon.
"Then come..."
The wind swept across the balcony at that very moment.
Demonic mana could still be felt in the distance.
And this time...
I had no intention of waiting any longer.
"I will destroy all of you."
And so...
The war had finally begun.