CHAPTER 70 #2
Anastacio finally spoke. "Master, you're right. If she truly wants to destroy Arcadeya, I don't think she would rely on her own strength alone."
Napatingin si Rassia sa kaniya. "Then what do you think she'll do?"
"She could create an army. Kung ganoon na katagal si Erishkigal at ganoon kalaki ang kapangyarihan niya, there's a possibility that she can create or gather countless demons under her command. She doesn't necessarily need the Seven Demon Princes. She could find lower demons, upper demons,
or even powerful beings willing to serve her."
Lucy Pearl slowly nodded at Anastacio.
Umayos ng upo si Rassia at pinagsiklop ang kaniyang mga kamay habang nakapatong ang mga siko sa kaniyang mga tuhod.
"One thing, Master. Demons are afraid of the sun. Nagiging abo sila kapag natamaan ng araw. Even the Upper Demons cannot survive direct sunlight. It is one of the few things that demons cannot simply overcome with their strength or abilities. Kahit gaano pa sila kalakas,
the sunlight remains dangerous to them. Lower demons usually cannot withstand it for long, while Upper Demons may be able to resist it slightly longer, but eventually, the sunlight will still destroy them," ani Anastacio.
Bahagyang yumuko si Lucy Pearl, her voice becoming quieter as she explained something more serious.
"Rassia, hindi umaaraw sa Infernov. It's the opposite of Gadesea, where the sun is eternal. Hindi sanay ang mga demonyo sa liwanag ng araw dahil ang mundong iyon ay nababalot ng dilim. Kaya kahinaan nila ang araw, at kahit ang pinakamalalakas na demonyo ay hindi kayang basta labanan iyon,
" paliwanag ni Lucy Pearl.
"Sa Infernov, darkness is what they're accustomed to. Doon sila lumalakas at doon sila malayang nakakagalaw. But the moment they enter a world where the sun constantly shines, their bodies won't be able to handle it.
Kaya kung sakaling makalabas ang mga demonyo mula sa Infernov at makarating dito sa Vermeleyon, the sun could become one of our greatest advantages." she continued.
"Pero hindi ibig sabihin na magiging madali ang laban. Alam din ng mga demonyo ang sarili nilang kahinaan. If they ever realize that the sun can destroy them, they will do everything they can to avoid it." singit ni Anastacio.
Umigting ang panga ni Rassia habang tahimik na nakikinig sa kanilang paliwanag.
Lucy Pearl is a fallen angel. No wonder she can withstand the sun. But that also means she is different from ordinary demons. Her experience in Infernov could become one of our biggest advantages.
We indeed have an advantage... ngunit hindi ibig sabihin noon ay dapat akong maging kampante.
Knowing their weakness doesn't mean we've already won. Demons are unpredictable, especially the Upper Demons. They have different abilities, different ways of thinking, and enough intelligence to adapt once they realize what we're trying to do.
If they know we're relying on the sun, they'll simply avoid it. Which means I can't let them know what I'm preparing.
I need to be unpredictable too.
I can't rely on one weakness. I need multiple strategies, multiple escape routes, and different ways to fight them depending on the situation. If one plan fails, I need another one ready. If they adapt, I need to adapt faster.
Tahimik na napatingin si Rassia kay Lucy Pearl.
"I see, the sun is their weakness..."
Ibinaling ni Rassia ang kaniyang tingin sa kaniyang kamay bago niya iyon binuka. Ilang sandali pa ay lumitaw ang kaniyang apoy sa palad at marahan niya iyong pinaikot-ikot. The flames moved quietly between her fingers.
Anastacio looked at Rassia with an uncertain expression, his golden eyes briefly shifting toward the Eternal Flame dancing quietly in her palm.
Then Rassia looked back at him meaningfully.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply stared at each other, as if they had arrived at the same thought without needing to say it aloud.
Anastacio's gaze returned to the flame, and Rassia noticed it immediately.
There was no need for either of them to ask what the other was thinking.
They both seemed to understand the same possibility.
"Master..."
"What?"
Umiling si Anastacio. "Nothing."
Muling napatingin si Rassia sa apoy sa kaniyang palad.
The sun...
Tahimik na pinagmasdan ni Rassia ang Eternal Flame na umiikot sa kaniyang palad.
Hindi na siya nagulat sa posibilidad. She already knew that her Eternal Flame carried the power of the sun.
Alam niyang hindi lamang ordinaryong apoy ang kapangyarihang nasa kaniyang katawan, at matagal na niyang alam kung gaano ito kalapit sa liwanag at init ng araw.
Bahagya niyang pinaikot ang kaniyang kamay, at agad namang sumunod ang apoy sa kaniyang galaw.
The Eternal Flame can burn through demonic power. It can overwhelm darkness, purify what it touches, and produce a light that demons cannot easily withstand...
Bahagya siyang ngumiti.
If the sun is their greatest weakness, then I already possess something that can bring that weakness to them...
I didn't use the Eternal Flame at its full power when I fought Aryo because I didn't need to.
There was no reason to reveal everything I had against him. If I released the full power of the Eternal Flame from the beginning, I would only be wasting mana and showing my enemies something they could eventually learn to counter.
Besides, Aryo wasn't strong enough to force me to use it. I still had other abilities I could rely on, and I wanted to keep the true extent of my Eternal Flame hidden.
But against Erishkigal... that might be different...
If the sun is truly the greatest weakness of demons, then she will eventually have to face the full power of my Eternal Flame.
And when that time comes, I won't hold it back...
Even Lucy Pearl and Anastacio knew their master well.
Alam nilang kaya ni Rassia na madaling talunin at patumbahin si Lord Aryo at ang apat pang lords kung gugustuhin lamang niya.
They had seen enough of her abilities to know that she was never fighting at her full strength against them.
Alam nilang nag-e-explore lamang si Rassia, studying their abilities, movements, and weaknesses while deliberately keeping some of her powers hidden.
She wasn't trying to prove that she was stronger than them.
She was gathering information. And both Lucy Pearl and Anastacio understood that once Rassia finally decided to stop holding back, the outcome would have been very different.
Kaya rin nilang lumaban sa tabi ni Rassia, but they knew exactly how overwhelming the difference in power could become once she decided to stop holding back.
May mga mamamayan din sa loob ng Mysarea, kaya hindi rin basta-basta maaaring gamitin nina Lucy Pearl at Anastacio ang kanilang buong kapangyarihan. If the two of them joined the fight seriously, their mana alone could already put the city at risk.
If the three of them ever fought seriously, it wouldn't take long. One minute would probably be enough for Rassia to end the fight if she truly wanted to.
"If they can't stand the sun, still we can't treat it as an instant victory. If even the Upper Demons can't survive direct sunlight, then they'll obviously know to avoid it once they enter Arcadeya."
Rassia closed her palm, and the flames immediately disappeared.
"We will be fighting fucking demons. Even if their weakness is the sun, they are still powerful. Kakailanganin natin ang kapangyarihan ng Holy Cathedral. Labag man ito sa aking loob, kailangan munang magkaisa ang lahat ng nilalang sa Vermeleyon."
Bahagya siyang sumandal sa sofa habang pinag-iisipan ang susunod niyang mga hakbang. Hindi sapat na malaman lamang nila ang kahinaan ng mga demonyo. She needed to think beyond the battlefield.
King Drakkon said there is a possibility, but he already seemed certain that Vermeleyon would become the battlefield. Dahil ito ang pinakagitna ng mundo ng Arcadeya, there's a high chance that the war will reach every corner of that continent.
Nabasa ko rin sa libro na kapag ang kontinente ng Vermeleyon ay bumagsak... the other continents will fall in just a minute. It's common knowledge in the academies whenever creatures begin invading Arcadeya.
Vermeleyon is called the Heart of Arcadeya, after all.
If the heart falls, everything connected to it will eventually follow.
I need to think about the citizens too. If Erishkigal finally appears, I can't simply focus on building an army and preparing the strongest fighters. What happens to the people who can't fight? the children, the elderly, the families living in the cities and villages?
I need evacuation plans. Safe territories. Food supplies. Medical resources. Places where civilians can hide if the war reaches their homes.
I can't protect Vermeleyon if I only prepare for the battlefield. I have to prepare for the people who will be caught in it.
Ngunit kailangan ko munang magtagumpay sa pagpapahina ng impluwensya ng Holy Cathedral before I can take Erenhal Sartorias. And most importantly, I need to talk to Lurtheron.
Kung hindi ko hawak ang Erenhal Sartorias, they won't be able to prepare properly. Mas lalo lang lalala ang kalagayan ng imperyo habang patuloy na lumalawak ang impluwensya ng Holy Cathedral.
Revenge? hell, it can wait.
I can deal with Megan, the Holy Cathedral, and everyone else who has wronged me later. Right now, I have something far more important to think about.
The people.
"I don't like the idea of working with them. After everything they've done, the last thing I want is to stand beside them. But this isn't about my hatred anymore. If Erishkigal truly intends to destroy Arcadeya, then personal conflicts have to come second."
Rassia let out a quiet sigh as she leaned back against the sofa.
"The Holy Cathedral may have too much influence, but they also possess resources we cannot ignore. They have priests, sacred artifacts, and people who have spent generations studying demonic forces. Kahit ayaw ko sa paraan ng paggamit nila ng kapangyarihang iyon,