The Demon King looked at his wife, then let out a soft laugh and said in a voice filled with confidence,
"The time to make our move has come, my dear."
He rose from his throne and continued with a broad smile,
"Let's go, so we don't miss the excitement from the very beginning."
Bloody Mary listened to her husband's words, but she frowned slightly before turning her gaze toward the distant horizon, as though carefully calculating the time.
After a few moments of silence, she calmly replied,
"There is still some time before the treasure comes into existence."
Then she looked at him and asked,
"Do you intend to leave now?"
The Demon King nodded confidently and answered,
"We must arrive early."
"I want every race to know that we will fight together in the coming war."
"Our mere appearance side by side will be enough for everyone to realize that the power of our kingdom has become greater than ever before."
But Mary shook her head in refusal and said coldly,
"I will not go now."
Then she crossed her arms and added,
"We will wait until the moment the treasure appears."
"And then we will go together and surprise everyone."
The Demon King looked at her for a few moments before smiling without arguing. He knew her nature well and understood that once she had made a decision, she would not change it easily.
Far away from the plans of Mary and her husband...
On the continent of Mira...
The Dragon King stood within his magnificent hall while the Three Dragon Elders stood before him, awaiting his commands.
A solemn silence filled the chamber before the king began explaining what he expected to happen in the near future.
He spoke in a calm yet resolute voice,
"The war is approaching."
"Therefore, we must begin our preparations now."
He then explained his strategy in detail, stating that messengers should be sent to every race on the continent of Mira, ordering them to prepare their armies as quickly as possible so that they would be ready to participate in the coming war.
Afterward, he turned to the First Elder and said firmly,
"Go."
"And summon the armies of the Giants and the Dwarves."
Then he looked at the Second Elder and said,
"As for you, go to the Elves and the Humans and inform them to begin preparing their forces immediately."
Finally, he turned to the Third Elder and said,
"And you..."
"Go to the Demi-Humans and the Merfolk."
He paused for a moment, as though remembering something important, before continuing,
"And also investigate the attacks on the cargo ships bound for the Fallen Islands."
"I want to know whether the Merfolk have anything to do with those attacks."
The elder bowed respectfully and asked,
"My King..."
"If the Merfolk are indeed responsible, shall we punish them?"
"Or shall we ignore the matter as though we know nothing about it?"
The Dragon King fell silent for a few moments, thinking carefully before answering.
Then he said calmly,
"If the Merfolk are truly responsible..."
"Then it is acceptable."
"Their goal may simply be to recover their fragmented crystal, which we previously distributed among the various races to facilitate the transportation of supplies and communication between them."
Suddenly, his expression changed.
His eyes turned frighteningly cold.
A heavy killing intent spread throughout the hall, making even the Dragon Elders feel as though they could barely breathe.
He spoke in a low voice filled with overwhelming authority,
"But if the Merfolk are not responsible..."
"I want you to investigate the matter personally."
Then he continued,
"Throughout the past twelve years, numerous unjustified attacks have been carried out against cargo ships traveling to the Fallen Islands."
"And if there is an enemy hiding somewhere on the continent of Mira without our knowledge..."
The Dragon King stopped speaking.
He did not need to finish his sentence.
The three elders had already understood his meaning.
If an unknown enemy had been operating in secret throughout all those years, it could threaten the entire continent and even alter the course of the coming war before it had begun.
Therefore, the elders bowed respectfully before departing to carry out the missions entrusted to them.
Far from the Dragon Kingdom and its preparations for war...
In the middle of the ocean, near Asgard...
The leaders of the Giants had gathered upon the sea, discussing what they would do when the coming war began.
Their faces were grim, and their conversation revolved around their mightiest warriors and the weapons they would use.
During the meeting, the Giant Elder looked at the Giant Chief and asked seriously,
"Chief..."
"Will we allow Surtr to participate in the coming war?"
The moment Surtr's name left her lips, silence fell over the entire council.
The Giants exchanged uneasy glances with one another.
The Giant Chief fell silent for a long moment and did not answer the Elder's question immediately. Instead, he slowly shook his head, a conflicted expression appearing on his face, before saying in a calm voice:
"I no longer know how powerful the child Surtur has become."
He sighed before continuing:
"We have only met him a few times, and those meetings were brief, throughout the past years."
Then he looked toward the horizon, where Asgard lay, and said:
"He lives there among its people, and the Asgardians are the ones raising and educating him."
The Elder nodded in understanding. She knew that the years had passed quickly and that the child they once knew had changed greatly.
Then she said seriously:
"No, Chief."
"It is true that he has not yet reached the strength of a fully grown Giant, but he is no longer the child he once was."
She looked at the others gathered around her and added:
"He has already gained power that should not be underestimated."
Silence once again filled the gathering as the Chief pondered her words.
After a few moments, he nodded in agreement, then looked at his people and declared firmly:
"We will participate in the coming war."
"And we will strive to seize the treasure that will soon be born."
Whispers spread among the Giants after hearing his decision. The Elder then turned her gaze toward the distant island of Asgard and asked in a low voice:
"Should we go to Asgard and gather its warriors and rulers to join us before heading to war?"
The Chief smiled faintly and shook his head.
"There is no need for that."
"I believe they already have their own plans regarding this matter."
Then he added confidently:
"They are our allies."
"And if we ever need them, they will answer our call."
Looking out across the vast sea before him, he continued:
"There is no need for us to interfere too much in their affairs."
Far from the Giants and their plans for the coming war...
Asgard was also preparing for what lay ahead.
Inside the grand council hall, Odin sat alongside his brothers, while their sons and grandchildren—the new generation of rulers—were seated beside them.
Everyone was discussing military strategies and preparations for the coming war, and the atmosphere in the hall was filled with seriousness and anticipation.
Breaking the silence, Odin turned to Volund, the son of Hades and the Ruler and Master Smith of Weapons, and asked:
"Have you forged the weapons we will use in the coming war?"
Volund rose respectfully, bowed slightly before Odin, and replied in a steady voice filled with confidence:
"Yes, Lord Odin."
"We have."
Then he continued proudly:
"And we did not forge weapons alone. We also crafted armor, bows, and every piece of equipment that the warriors of Asgard will need for the coming war."
A satisfied smile appeared on Odin's face. He let out a soft laugh and said:
"Excellent."
He then turned toward Hades with a smile and added:
"You made a wise decision when you had this child."
"He is truly a great asset to us."
Hades laughed as well and looked at his son with eyes full of pride and satisfaction.
Not stopping there, he turned toward Poseidon and said in a boastful tone:
"Of course."
"He is my son."
Then he smirked and added sarcastically:
"And I believe he is far better than the children of certain individuals who spend all day playing with water."
Poseidon looked at him and was about to respond with an equally sarcastic remark, but before another argument could begin between them...
Athena raised her hand and interrupted the conversation completely, showing no interest in the usual rivalry between Hades and Poseidon.
She looked directly at Odin and asked seriously:
"Will all of the rulers participate in the coming war?"
She paused for a moment before adding:
"And will we take all of Asgard's warriors to the battlefield?"
Then she looked around at everyone gathered in the hall and asked her final question:
"And who will lead the vanguard in the coming war?"
Silence fell over the council chamber.
All eyes turned toward Odin, waiting for his answer, for the response to these questions would not only determine Asgard's strategy—it might determine the fate of the entire war.
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
🔍 Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]