The sky above the Ashen Wastes tore open, raining crimson fire across the jagged battlefield.
In the heart of the Demon Realm, the civil war raged on. Malakor, the elder demon brother with horns like jagged obsidian, swung a battle-axe the size of a carriage. It smashed into the earth, creating a shockwave that sent hundreds of lesser demons flying.
Through the dust and ash walked Kaelen, the younger brother. His armor was sleek, his eyes glowing with dark, calculating magic. He deflected the massive shockwave with a lazy flick of his shadowy wrist.
"Give up the throne, brother!" Malakor roared, his voice shaking the mountains. "Father is dead! The humans assassinated him in their cowardly lands! I will take the crown, crush your forces, and then burn the Human Kingdoms to the ground!"
Kaelen sneered, drawing two curved, venomous blades. "You lack the intellect to rule, Malakor. I will take the throne, and I will be the one to torture the human kings who took our father's life."
They lunged at each other, ready to clash and shatter the landscape once again—
Suddenly, both demon lords froze.
A terrifying, oppressive pressure washed over the entire continent. It was distant, originating from the human lands, but it was so unfathomably dense that the raging fires around them flickered and died out. The lesser demons collapsed, foaming at the mouth from the sheer spiritual weight.
Malakor lowered his massive axe, his red eyes wide with genuine horror. "What... what was that?"
Kaelen's hands trembled. "That aura... it dwarfed Father's. Did the humans summon a god?!"
Meanwhile, in the Human Realm.
"A little to the left. Yeah, right there. Use the ice spell again, my shoulders are super tense."
King Aldric, Sovereign of the Western Realm, stood trembling in the corner of his own throne room. He watched in pure agony as his Grand Court Mage—a man who had spent eighty years mastering the arcane arts—was currently using a forbidden, high-tier Cryomancy spell to gently chill the air around Maya like a magical air conditioner.
Maya was lounging on the Royal Throne of Aegis, which had been tipped back slightly to resemble a pool chair. She was wearing her sunglasses indoors, sipping a bright pink potion out of a legendary holy chalice.
Leo was wandering around the grand hall, poking at ancient tapestries and tapping on suits of armor. He was wearing the Knight Commander's mythical cape over his floral shirt like a beach towel.
"I gotta be honest, Al," Leo said, tossing a priceless mana crystal in the air and catching it. "This place is a bit gloomy for a honeymoon suite. No windows, lots of stone. Gives off major 'dungeon' vibes. Do you guys have a pool? Or maybe a hot spring?"
King Vane, who was currently holding Leo and Maya's luggage (two rolling suitcases and a duty-free bag), swallowed hard. "O-O Mighty Heroes! Please! The aura you released earlier... the Demon Lords will surely sense it! We must prepare for war! We must discuss strategy!"
Maya lowered her sunglasses, glaring at the King.
King Vane instantly flinched, hugging the suitcases for protection.
"Look at me," Maya said, her voice dripping with annoyance. "Do I look like I want to discuss strategy? I have been planning a wedding for fourteen months. Do you know how hard it is to get two families to agree on a catering menu? I fought in the trenches of bridal seating charts. A demon war sounds like a vacation compared to my mother-in-law."
Leo chuckled, wrapping an arm around a petrified royal guard. "She's not wrong, man. The rehearsal dinner was a bloodbath. Anyway, about that pool?"
King Aldric wiped the sweat from his forehead. "W-We do not have a pool, Great Ones. But... the Elven Kingdom to the North! Yes! They possess the Sacred Moonlit Springs! It is said to be the most relaxing, rejuvenating water in all the Eight Kingdoms! It is a paradise of nature!"
Maya perked up, slipping her sunglasses back into place. "A spa in the forest? Now you're speaking my language."
Leo clapped his hands together, grinning. "Perfect. Book us a chariot, Al. And tell your kitchen staff to pack us some snacks. If I have to fight a goblin on an empty stomach, I'm taking it out on your castle."