The Kind of Evil

It had been a whole week since they got rid of the revolutionary parties, however, they were more on the edge than ever because they knew the real danger was about to come. Since the words of warning had spread across Neva, a few figures came to assist, and a few of them were Lenin, the Great Sage, and Agnesia, the Sorceress. The remaining were volunteers of great warriors from East and Central Neva who wanted to assist them in eliminating evil.

The Alliance faction was powerless in the presence of the greats, they held no power at the table because they didn't achieve a lot compared to what the South Neva Union did. They couldn't demand anything as they had proven nothing to the world about their might and influence. Especially when Xena decided to join hands with the South Neva Union, weakening the Alliance faction's position in South Neva.

The South Neva Union had sent hundreds of scout teams to find the location where Kiel and the demons were. However, they failed to find them even after a whole week, as if the demons had disappeared and left the continent. They knew it was just a trick to make them lower their guards, and they didn't want to give the demons what they wanted.

"We need to pressure them, find them, and get rid of them. We can't just wait here doing nothing," Duke Gerald from the Alliance faction said as he looked at the powerful figures at the table.

"Like what, Duke? Can you elaborate on how we are going to do that without risking the enemy from growing in numbers since they can turn humans into their army by possessing their bodies or turn them into Corrupted?" Lenin glanced at Duke Gerald with cold eyes. "If you want us to do so, then at least contribute something other than words and suggestions, Duke," she added.

Duke Gerald clenched his fists under the table, not wanting the others to see his frustration. He was frustrated because the Alliance had become beggars, rather than an influential figure at the table. The hard work, the schemes, and the things they had done to reach this height were completely destroyed because they had done nothing but act like parasites who took the wealth and territories of the nations that the revolutionary parties took.

"You're disgusting for a human being," Agnesia stared directly into Duke Gerald's eyes. "You greedy pigs. Keep your head lowered and sniff on the crumbs you find on the ground," she continued with a cold tone.

Duke Gerald, Marquess Wilfred, and Duchess Adelina, the representatives from the Alliance faction, were enraged, but the moment they glanced at the other figures at the table, they realized they all thought the same thing as Agnesia. Their greed was written all over their faces, and they couldn't do anything, not even leave the table, because that only made their status more insignificant.

"We have contributed a lot to this war. Without us, the South Neva Union wouldn't even have the courage to make a move and wage a war against the revolutionary parties! We might be greedy, but we were the ones who brought all of us here in this moment!" Duke Gerald said, raising his voice a bit to the point that his voice echoed throughout the hall.

‎"You did, and that's why we still acknowledge the Alliance status here on the table. If we didn't, we wouldn't invite all of you here at the table," Thalior responded calmly. "It's not that we don't respect your status, it's you who asked for more than what you have contributed," he continued.

‎Rasmus silently listened to the unnecessary arguments with his eyes closed, and his cheek rested on his fist. He found the whole thing like childish banter. The Alliance, which was still blinded by greed and power while Thalior was acted high and mighty once he got enough footing to stand up for himself.

‎Lenin glanced at Rasmus and noticed that he was the only one who didn't want to stay at the table. It had been a year since the last time she saw him, and he never changed one bit. A man who didn't care much about anything except for the things he was after.

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard, and everyone became quiet except for Thalior, who allowed the person in. It was Grayson, and he walked straight to where Thalior was, and gave a scroll to him without saying a word. Thalior grabbed the scroll and began to read the report while Grayson excused himself and left the room immediately.

Everyone was silently watching Thalior read the report from the scout team, and they noticed the change in his expression. There was a grim in his eyes and the way he ‎flinched his brows or how his eyes twitched when he read the report further.

"We might have found where the demons are, and possible Kiel as well," Thalior said as he put down the report and stared at everyone at the table.

"How many of them, Your Grace?" Astrea furrowed her brows, preparing herself for the answer.

"Fifty thousands, and even more," Thalior answered as he clasped his hands together and put them in front of his mouth. "There's another thing. Grayson himself witnessed an abomination, something that that didn't belong to this world other than demons," he added as he stared at Astrea.

Everyone furrowed their brows, waiting for Thalior to tell them what it was.

"Your Holiness, this being called Nephia, how big is it?" Thalior looked at Astrea with a serious expression with fear in his eyes.

"Based on the records, it should be at least twenty times or even fifty times taller than humans. It was said in the records that Nephia's hands could reach the sky and its wings could cover the sky, turning day into complete darkness..." Astrea answered.

Everyone who didn't know anything about Nephia was completely taken aback by what had just happened. They didn't know anything about demons, moreover about Nephia, something that they had just heard for the first time.

"The good news is that the Nephia that Grayson found was nowhere near what the records had depicted. It appears that they failed to create a perfect Nephia in a short time," Thalior said as he stared at the report on the table. "However, it's still big enough to destroy a whole nation on its own in a single night..." he pointed out.

"What is a Nephia, Your Holiness?" Lenin asked with her brows furrowed.

"A Nephia is a being that is said to be against the will of God. Demons, humans, angels, they all exist because God wills it, but this thing, it's an abomination, a calamity that can erase a civilization in a single night," Astrea answered as she clenched her fists, staring at the table with a blank stare. "We need to kill this abomination, and more importantly, kill the one who's capable of creating this abomination..." she continued and stared at everyone's eyes.

Everyone shared a look at each other, wondering if they were even capable of killing a Nephia, not to mention there would be a lot of Prime Lords, Demon Kings, and not to mention, Kiel, and the other masked being that was suspected as the mastermind behind the creation of Nephia.

"Where is it, Your Grace? The location of the demon army?" Rasmus asked as he stared at Thalior.

"Far west near the Verdnan Kingdom, and there's another report that the Verdnan Kingdom has disappeared from the face of Neva. If we can assume, the demons had invaded that nation, taking all its people and turning them into Corrupted," Thalior answered.

The Verdnan Kingdom was only a five day journey using horses, too close from danger. The Verdnan Kingdom was the last three nations that existed on the west side. The Bastios Kingdom was on the north-west and the Frelan Republic was on the south-west of the continent. They were basically at the front line where the enemy's full force was right in front of them. However, before they could completely absorb the danger they were facing, someone knocked on the door rapidly.

"Let them in," Thalior looked at the knights that guarded the door.

As soon as the knights opened the door, a knight raised his right hand with a letter in it.

"Your Grace! The Bastios Kingdom and the Frelan Repbulic nation has fallen! The news just came in! Both nations got obliterated five days ago! The demons... they took those two nations in a single night!" The knight reported with shaky breath.

Everyone jolted from their seats because they couldn't believe that the two nations had fallen at the same time in a single night.

"The clock is ticking, Your Grace. The masked being might have on his way to create the perfect Nephia while we are sitting here doing nothing," Rasmus warned as he glanced at Thalior.

"We don't have the luxury to wait..." Thalior put his hands on the table as he stared at the powerful figures in front of him. "We are going on an all-out war, those who don't answer the call will be treated as an enemy in the future. Bring every soldiers here, and we will march on the seventh day, and I hope the enemy won't make a move on that day," he said with a serious expression.

Everyone nodded with understanding and then left the hall hurriedly to inform the other nations or to prepare their soldiers, except for Rasmus, Aris, Novia, Lenin, Astrea, and Thalior who stayed behind.

"Count, we need your help," Thalior looked at Rasmus with a serious expression, a lump formed on his throat as soon as he said his plead as if he didn't want to say it.

"To answer your pleading, yes, I'll help," Rasmus said as he stood up. "You should pray to the God you believes in, because you need it for protection," he continued before he lowered his head at the powerful figures in front of him and left the hall.