Chapter 48
"This is it?" I asked Ozzy. There were over three thousand of my own forces and about half that from the Ennead. Not that I expected them to match me. I’d been preparing for a war, while they’d been trying to remain unnoticed.
Our forces had converged on a small town with simple adobe homes that honestly looked better than many of the ramshackle structures I’d seen in Vein City. But as I stared out over them with a pair of binoculars, the longer I stared, the stranger everything appeared.
I turned back to Ozzy. "They're not farming or working to survive in any way." I had expected to see them fetching water or doing other mundane tasks to maintain themselves. Instead, they just seemed to be waiting.
Ozzy, however, shook his head. "Most towns don't worry about things like that anymore.
After all, spatial rings might as well have been a massive technological advancement.
But that alone isn't the strangest part. We had several of our people use summons to check out the community and immediately had their golems attempted to be possessed by demons. I guess that’s a sign they were good for scouting. Of course, we handled the problem."
"They're that aggressive in converting?" I asked, decently surprised. After all, simply converting anyone and everyone who got near the community was like strip mining. It wasn’t sustainable.
The short-term benefits were exceptional, but long-term there was nothing left for the demons to harvest. Such practices were banned by demonic generals, and perhaps even by the Demon Lord himself, in my past life.
Ozzy shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm just passing on the reports. But you've been able to spot them at a distance. What does your ability say?" Ozzy asked.
I used Soul Gaze, which had no problem determining the truth of the situation.
"Demons," I confirmed with certainty, my eyes tracing back and forth through everyone present, growing wide at the sheer number presented before us. "Lots and lots of demons. Even that cat is possessed."
Simone tilted her head curiously. "They can possess animals?"
"Yes, but it's like an insult to them," I explained quickly. "And I can almost assure you the second that demon gets a better target, he'll leave that cat. And then most likely kill it out of frustration or shame."
"I'm not a cat person, but that seems like too much," Simone said, shaking her head. "Alright, so, plenty of demons here." She glanced toward Ozzy. "Where are the others?"
"This is one of three towns we found in the region, and though we don't have hard proof yet, we suspect the others are also largely converted.
That then brought up the concern that the city between the three of them has been converted as well.
This is what I meant, Bran, when I said they felt our absence and moved quickly," he told me.
I couldn't help but nod in understanding.
"It's too much. I think if they've been this aggressive, you're right.
One of the nearest cities most likely is already a hive of demons.
In fact, any leader most likely would find that an interesting seat of power.
" I frowned and glanced out at the town.
"We'll proceed with the assumption they're all demon-infested. "
Ozzy paused, grimaced, then nodded along. "I was afraid of that. This is the cost of my people turning their back on the region," he said, taking much of the blame for himself immediately.
I put a hand on Ozzy's shoulder. "You couldn't have done anything about it.
If anyone were to blame, it's your clan.
" I had half a thought to return and show them how exactly I felt about all this but shrugged it off.
There would be time for atonement later.
Right now, I needed to focus on cleaning up the mess that had been made.
As they said, there was no sense crying over spilled milk.
"And the city is where we're most likely going to find any leader behind all these demons." I stood up, signaling to the Mul Branova with a raised hand, pointing one finger into the air and swirling it around to tell them to surround the area. They broke away from our group at a sprint.
Simone stood with me. "If you would like, we can kick this off." She grinned, and I wondered what exactly she wanted to show off this time.
"We move immediately from here to this nearby city. Don't exhaust yourself," I cautioned, and Simone curtsied.
"Of course not, Lord Bran."
I rolled my eyes at her antics, especially with Ozzy standing nearby. But then again, Simone was comfortable in her skin and not one to ever make herself less for somebody else.
She held her hands up into the air, her eyes suddenly crackling with a terrifying glow.
A moment after lifting her hands high, she brought them down with a swift chop.
The sky above rumbled before the clouds cracked.
Piercing pink hearts similar to the kind she would often launch from her hand came down en masse from the sky.
First, one landed, then two, then dozens.
I watched with surprise as she bombarded the town with hundreds of Heartbreaker spells.
They were usually beams that knocked people around, but it turned out that when impacting the ground, they were incredibly concussive, throwing out shockwaves of force that ripped the buildings apart like they were made of little more than grass and hope.
I stared at the bombardment for a moment, then turned slowly to Simone, who grinned like a loon at the chance to show off. Even Ozzy turned to her with a slack jaw.
"I have Bran's spirit stat, and spirit is the most important one for a Saintess's spells." She clasped her hands in prayer. "In Lord Bran we trust," she said, my eyes tracking back over to the town, which was now a crater-pitted wound on the landscape.
Meanwhile, our forces collapsed on the space, crushing the last of the disoriented demons that were shaking off the aftermath of having been bombarded. Which, to be fair, they had been.
"You know," Ozzy said, pointing a finger at Simone, "she might be more powerful than you."
I squinted. She had my stats, so somehow that felt like it should be impossible. However, I also understood my stats were better allocated for her use.
Winnie jogged over to our group and dipped her head toward Simone. "Saintess, you should have warned us if you were simply going to resolve the issue yourself."
Simone just beamed at her. "Half of my intention was to surprise Bran. Declaring my intentions would have ruined the fun."
"In that case, were you successful?" she asked politely.
I narrowed my eyes. Winnie was being far more polite than usual.
The Winnie I knew from my past life was a frosty bitch.
Then again, I had just learned a valuable lesson with Eve about placing my conceptions from my past life on a pedestal.
This Winnie could become a very different person, especially with her curse muted by her Monarch title.
"Oh, very." Simone bobbed her head excitedly.
I turned to Simone. "Could you do this on a city scale?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"Not yet. Perhaps in the future. After all, I'll continue to work on your spirit." Simone beamed, leaving me to simply shake my head.
"And, of course, the best way to do that is to increase the Mul Branova, isn't it?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, I'm so glad you understand." She let out a relieved breath as she patted her chest. She was beautiful enough that, at times, I forgot just how smart she was and how devious she could be with that intelligence.
"Oh, yes, I certainly understand many things. There’s a change of plans.
We’ll clean up here. We're going to send Simone off with a smaller contingent to wipe out the other two towns while the rest of us encircle the city, so they don't get a chance to run away before we collapse the net.
And then we'll bring in Merlin and Venthra to start sweeping the region. "
Ozzy nodded along with my words. "Consider it done. My forces will move on the city at once." He bowed very respectfully to Simone. "Lady Heros, thank you for allowing us to join you on this mission."
Simone covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. "Oh, don't be silly, Ozzy. You're welcome anytime. We like you." Her words seemed to make the leader of the Ennead Clan relieved.
"Good luck, Bran." He patted me on the shoulder and rushed off.
I turned to Winnie. "Let's go." She tilted her head until I glanced at Simone, who had a massive pout and was crossing her arms while glaring at me.
"Showing off wasn't supposed to get me moved away from you," she emphasized, in frustration. Those bright green eyes of hers nearly broke me, but we had more important things to do.
"Now that you're an effective siege weapon," I smiled, "it means I have to use you wisely."
"Siege weapons are big, ponderous things." Simone frowned. "I am not fat."
"I didn't call her fat?" I repeated to Winnie as a question, afraid I had accidentally done so.
"No, you didn't," Winnie said. "Simone is simply trying to get you to bring her with you by making you think you owe her," she explained, then bowed to Simone. "I'm sorry, but I will always take Bran's side above all others."
Simone paused and considered Winnie’s statement as she frowned. Then she tilted her head to the side and finally let out a heavy sigh. "You get away with it for now"—she pointed a finger at Winnie—"however, I expect you to put your sister second, next to Bran."
"Of course," Winnie answered reflexively.
Simone couldn't seem to find anything else to pick on Winnie about and simply huffed before turning her back. "I'm going to get going now," she said, looking over her shoulder one last time, as if hoping I would call her back to me.
"Shoo." I waved my hand. "And hurry up. I don't like sending you away. Make sure to keep your rockie-talkie in your pocket. If you need me, I'm but a call away."
Simone perked up at that concept. She shot me one last brilliant smile before she bounced off and began barking orders to organize her Mul Branova.
"She has grown quite powerful," Winnie commented.
I looked back over at the ruined town, clearly remembering that Simone’s class was largely support-focused. "Just think how powerful her shields and healing have become."
Winnie paused, then nodded in understanding. "She truly is fit to be the one standing beside you."
"You're all fit to stand beside me. If she starts to bully any of you with her newfound strength, let me know," I said quickly. "But I don’t imagine that will happen. Now, let’s focus on our job while she takes care of hers.
We need to get to the city," I said as I began marching with the rest of the troops.