Far from Asgard, and far from Odin's army, which had already begun its march toward the battlefield...
Events across the entire world were accelerating.
On the continent of Mira, the dragons managed in a short time to assemble a massive army from the many races of the continent, until the plains and mountains were filled with warriors arriving from every direction.
That great army then set out toward the Fallen Islands, where it would establish its position in preparation for the coming war.
Leading the army were the kings of the various races and the mightiest members of their peoples, while the Dragon King himself marched at the front with his usual majesty, his eyes fixed upon the horizon where the treasure awaited.
Far from the movements of the dragons...
The Demon King sensed everything that was happening within the continent of Mira.
The moment he realized that the dragons had begun moving before everyone else, his fury ignited, and his demonic aura expanded in a terrifying manner.
He said in an irritated tone,
"So... they will be the ones to begin this war!"
He immediately rose from his throne and ordered all of his forces to assemble.
He also summoned his wife, Bloody Mary, along with all of his followers and commanders.
Within a short time, the demonic armies had begun their march as well, heading toward the Fallen Islands under demonic control, preparing for the next stage of the war.
Elsewhere in the world...
The Archangel stood upon a special island that the angels had long used as a base for their movements during great wars.
He gazed upon the vast army before him, thousands of armored angels whose white wings filled the sky.
A cold smile appeared on his face as he declared sharply,
"The time has come..."
"For the world to witness the cruelty of the angels and their wrath when they march."
The moment he finished speaking, he rose into the sky.
Thousands of angels followed behind him, while the entire island itself began moving with them toward the region of the Fallen Islands, sending a clear message to every race that the angels would take part in this colossal war, no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the ocean...
The giants also began to move.
Their steps were slow, yet every movement shook the depths of the sea as they advanced toward the Fallen Islands.
Surtr, who had been raised by the Asgardians, marched among them.
Along the way, the Elder Giant Woman constantly offered him advice.
She looked at him and said,
"Be patient in the coming war."
Then she added seriously,
"And do not rush your actions."
"A war is not won only by the strongest."
"It is also won by the one who knows the right moment to act."
Surtr listened calmly and nodded respectfully before continuing to march beside his people.
As for the long-awaited island...
The one that everyone wished to claim...
It suddenly underwent a strange transformation.
An immense layer of light gathered above it until it seemed to cover the entire island.
Then that layer slowly began to fade away.
And as it disappeared...
Ancient and overwhelmingly powerful auras burst forth from the island, so intense that everyone nearby could sense them.
When the Fallen Angel felt those auras, an overwhelming desire arose within him to rush forward immediately and seize the treasures hidden there.
But he understood very well that any reckless move would attract the attention of the entire world.
It would also make him a direct target for all the great powers.
Therefore, he used his abilities to conceal himself completely and hid in a nearby location, waiting for his master to arrive while continuing to guard the island from afar without revealing his presence.
Yet the appearance of those auras did not merely increase everyone's greed...
It also fueled the ambitions of those with secret aspirations.
Especially those whose strength was still below the level of the world's greatest powers.
In a place not far from the island...
The Crown Prince of the Human Empire flew through the sky, staring at the island with eyes filled with greed.
He dreamed of obtaining the treasures hidden there.
His father had departed with the army led by the Dragon King and the other kings of the races.
But he...
Had slipped away unnoticed and come alone to this place, hoping to find an opportunity to seize some treasures before anyone else.
He thought to himself,
"It is enough for me to obtain just a few things from that island."
"Even a single treasure could change my entire future."
Nor was the Crown Prince of the Human Empire alone in thinking this way.
The son of the King of the Demi-Humans was there as well.
The Princess of the Mermaids.
The son of the King of the Giants.
The daughter of the Queen of the Dwarves.
And the successor to the Saintess of the Elves.
All of them silently watched the island, waiting for the perfect moment to move.
Each one wished to claim a share of that priceless "cake" before the others.
But...
None of them dared to make a move at that moment.
They all understood that taking a single step now would mean nothing but death.
For the island had become the focus of every great power in the world, drawing the attention of kings, heroes, and monsters alike.
Therefore...
Each of them carefully concealed their presence and waited patiently for the right opportunity.
For everyone knew that the great war had not yet begun...
But its first spark was about to ignite.
On the Fallen Islands...
The greatest powers in the world suddenly gathered in that place, making it seem as though the fate of the entire world would be decided there.
The Demon King stood atop one of the islands and raised his head toward the sky, where the armies of the angels hovered in formation, ready for battle.
He then shifted his gaze forward, where the armies of the Continent of Mira, led by the dragons and their allied races, had taken their positions.
After that, he lowered his eyes toward the ocean, where the giants were gathering in the depths, preparing to emerge at any moment.
The Demon King let out a short laugh and said with great excitement,
"This will be a legendary war."
The moment he finished speaking, he waved his hand forward, signaling his armies to attack.
Immediately...
The demonic legions surged forward at once, flying through the sky and racing across the surface of the sea with terrifying speed until they became an enormous black tide advancing toward their enemies' positions.
In the distance...
The Dragon King calmly watched the horizon.
Suddenly, he noticed the black shadows gradually appearing.
He smiled mockingly and said,
"Prepare to defend the territory."
Then he turned to one of the elders and ordered,
"Inform all the races under our command to stand their ground against this assault."
"And do not allow them to abandon their positions."
The elder immediately nodded and shot away at tremendous speed to carry out his king's orders.
After a brief journey across the various islands, he delivered the instructions to all the kings and commanders leading the armies of the Continent of Mira.
The order was simple and clear:
"Defend the territory."
"Do not attack."
None of them objected to the Dragon King's commands.
They all knew that the dragons regarded the other races as the first line of defense—or, as some secretly called them,
"Cannon fodder."
Therefore, everyone obeyed without question.
Several hours after the Demon King gave the order to attack...
The demonic armies finally reached the islands belonging to the Continent of Mira.
Battles quickly erupted across the various islands.
However, the armies of Mira managed to defend their positions with relative ease.
The demons' first assault was merely a test of their enemies' strength rather than a full-scale offensive.
On one of the main islands...
The King of the Giants stood in the middle of the battlefield.
His foot rested upon the head of a demon as he crushed it with overwhelming force until its body was completely destroyed.
He then looked at the remaining demons with contempt and said,
"Are these weaklings all that the Demon King sent?"
Afterward, he ordered his soldiers to remain where they were and not move.
As for himself...
He walked forward alone.
Along his path, he single-handedly slaughtered thousands of low-ranking demons, as though they were nothing more than insects before his power.
Then he gripped his gigantic sword with both hands.
With tremendous force, he swung it toward the demonic army.
In a single instant...
A colossal wave of cutting energy erupted from the blade and raced toward the demon ranks at terrifying speed.
Everyone caught in its path...
Was annihilated instantly.
Not a single one survived.
When the attack finally ended, it left behind a horrifying mark upon the island.
The ground had been split apart across an enormous distance.
The scar continued until it reached the surrounding sea.
The force of the strike even divided the waters of the ocean into two for several moments before they rushed back together, closing the massive chasm created by the Giant King's blow.
The demons stared at the scene in obvious fear.
Yet despite their terror, they did not dare disobey their king's orders.
So they charged once more toward the King of the Giants, fully aware deep within themselves that their fate would be death.
Within only a few minutes...
The King of the Giants completely destroyed the entire assault force threatening the island.
As soon as the battle ended, his soldiers erupted into cheers, shouting his name and raising their weapons in celebration of his victory.
Yet the King of the Giants showed no sign of joy or pride.
Instead, he quietly lifted his head and looked toward the sky.
He thought to himself,
"I hope the other islands are just as fortunate."
Then he sighed softly and continued,
"And that the enemies there are as weak as these."
No one heard his words.
But his soldiers noticed his calm gaze and serious expression, realizing that he was thinking about something of great importance.
And so...
Silence fell among them once again, while the sounds of war continued to echo across the Fallen Islands, declaring that the beginning of the battle was merely the first spark of what would become the greatest war the world had ever witnessed.
(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]