"So, what should we do?"
Velzard said, "Even knowing she's safe, now that I understand the situation, I can't just sit idly by."
The relationship between the two sisters was quite complex.
They often clashed over how to handle Veldora's upbringing.
But they were sisters, bound by blood and kinship. Velzard couldn't remain indifferent to her sister being deceived.
"This is a good opportunity."
"What?"
"Clayman's plan."
"Huh?"
Velzard frowned in confusion. "A guy like that isn't even worth paying attention to, is he?"
Clayman, after all, was just a Demon Lord seed... a mere 400,000 magicules at best.
To put it bluntly, Velzard could wipe him out with a single breath.
"Of course, it's not about him."
With a wave of his hand, Damien transformed the ground before them into a small-scale sand table.
The map it depicted outlined the situation in the eastern part of the continent, including the Jura Forest.
"The Eastern Empire lies northeast of the Jura Forest, bordering Clayman's territory."
"Our goal this time, aside from absorbing the Puppet Nation of Jistav, Beast Kingdom of Eurazania, City of the Forgotten Dragon, and Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia…"
Damien pointed to the border of the Eastern Empire. "…is to find a way to lure out Velgrynd and bring her into my Void World!"
"You want to use this to free her from control?"
Velzard understood. "Right, once she enters your Omnipotent Domain, breaking her control would be a mere thought for you!"
"Exactly."
The Void World operated under rules independent of the outside world.
Even ultimate skills from the Cardinal World's framework couldn't breach its barriers to affect Velgrynd inside.
Not to mention, Damien possessed the nigh-omnipotence power in his domain.
Within his domain, he was invincible.
"What do I need to do?"
Velzard knew that if Damien was telling her this now, he must have a role for her.
"Originally, I planned to send Veldora."
"But on second thought, that didn't feel right."
Damien wasn't looking down on Veldora.
Well, alright, he was looking down on Veldora.
Among the True Dragon, Veldora was the weakest link.
Even if his presence appeared at the border, it was unlikely to draw Velgrynd out in person quickly.
A clarification was needed here.
In the Cardinal World, there existed a skill called Parallel Existence.
Simply put, it was a cloning ability.
Unlike Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique, however, each instance of Parallel Existence was directly controlled by the original, akin to multitasking.
Velgrynd excelled at manipulating Parallel Existence.
She could manifest hundreds of clones simultaneously, appearing across various parts of a battlefield.
"I need to ensure that the one who comes to investigate is Velgrynd's true body."
If it was just a Parallel Existence clone, what would be the point of Damien expending effort to capture it?
Per the Void World's rules, a Parallel Existence clone would likely dissipate instantly upon entering, severed from its connection to the main body.
"So, I need a heavyweight opponent to force Velgrynd to show up in person!"
Without question, Velzard was the ideal candidate.
Velzard and Velgrynd were both True Dragon.
Moreover, when the elder sister visited, how could the younger sister send a mere clone? It would be improper.
Veldora?
His lack of presence was almost pitiable.
"That's quite devious, Damien-chan."
Velzard gave a playful smile. "But I can't bring myself to dislike it."
"However…"
Velzard's tone shifted. "Even so, there's no guarantee she'll come in person."
"True."
Damien admitted there was an element of chance.
But he could certainly try.
If he lost the gamble, Damien would lose nothing.
At worst, it would only reveal that Velzard had been to the Empire's border.
Aside from Guy, no one could prove Velzard's connection to Damien.
But if he won…
Then Velgrynd would be his!
---
"Lord Clayman…"
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the Jura Forest, on a plain turned barren by the rise of the Ord Lord…
The majin Gelmud clutched his staff, staring at a crystal ball with a scrambled signal, muttering to himself, "If this continues, I'll really end up dead."
Cut off from Clayman, with the clowns expelled from the Jura Forest, Gelmud was now deep in enemy territory, fighting alone.
His only allies were the Ord Lord he had named and the over 500,000 orcs under his command.
"No, I can't go on like this."
Gelmud steeled himself. "I have to save myself!"
He had considered taking to the skies and crossing the Jura Forest directly.
But it was futile.
The Jura Forest was enveloped by an invisible barrier.
Neither flying nor burrowing could breach its isolation.
After several failed escape attempts, Gelmud made up his mind and ordered the Ord Lord to march north.
Their target: the lizardman tribe, with its tens of thousands of inhabitants.
Powerful kijin had appeared in the Jura Forest.
This was the "latest" intelligence Gelmud had gleaned from the clowns Footman and Tear.
Multiple kijin... a group of A-rank peak monsters.
If they discovered him, Gelmud's fate would undoubtedly be death.
"But I still have the Ord Lord!"
"As long as he continues to evolve and becomes a Demon Lord!"
Gelmud gritted his teeth, no longer caring whether attacking the lizardmen would draw the kijin's attention.
This battle was one he could only win, not lose!
If he won, all would be well.
If he lost, forget what the kijin would do to him... Clayman alone would execute him for the plan's failure.
"They're moving."
Unbeknownst to Gelmud, on a distant cliff, several kijin were observing the orc army, which surged like a black tide.
These kijin were elite members of Souei's Shadow Squad.
"This is the Ord Lord's starving army?"
Through Souei's projection, Damien and his allies at the Monster Kingdom's headquarters had a clear view of the orcs' movements.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising fate fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Fate/Max Level Returner]
Synopsis:
What if you took your max-level account and replayed the entire story from the beginning?
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