Terror seized the Valley of K'iol as the Demon King jumped into the armies's center. This action was not one made out of blind pride, but a calculated move to prevent ranged attacks. The blood swords chained to his arms were perfect for ambush situations as they extended for several meters ahead of him with each strike. This wide range allowed him to sweep away scores of approaching enemies before they could get close.

"He seems to be doing well, Aileera," Freya, an old Mage, remarked from his vantage point on an overlooking cliff. Five famous guildmasters flanked him on either side, their respective gazes trained on the battle in the valley.

"It is of no consequence," Aileera, the Mage who had confronted Razznik in the mist, replied. "Those blades, while powerful, possess a fatal flaw."

"And what, pray tell, is this flaw?"

"It shall present itself soon enough," she calmly replied.

Contrary to her words, several minutes passed, and the weakness refused to present itself. Razznik continued to slaughter his way through the armies with ease. Chaotic wildfires burned around the Demon King as his swords unleashed his burning wrath on the masses. However, despite the Demon King's seemingly inevitable victory, the military did not waver in the slightest, for they had numbers and glory on their side.

Razznik had not expected the haphazardly combined armies to retain their morale for so long. He examined the combatants before him with a heavy gaze. To his surprise, he recognized the enthusiasm in the adventurers' eyes. It was one that had shone in his eyes for the longest time.

Yes, the look in the Warriors' eyes was one that could only be brought on by a seemingly insurmountable wall. It was not so much the final victory that was so exciting, but the journey needed to reach a level where you could break down that wall with your strength. It was a journey that usually required a person to throw everything they had at the wall. It was a mission that oozed blood, sweat, and tears. Despite all this, it was an enticing journey precisely because of the promise that just beyond that wall laid your greatest desire.

Those with that look were able to stay in the fight because they knew that while it may take a long time, eventually a crack would appear in that wall. And when it did, it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down.

A Pugilist dodged to the side as Razznik's swords smashed into the earth. He signaled a Mage close by, who cast a spell on him that significantly increased his speed. The Pugilist kept his body low and dashed forward, shamelessly using his fellow adventurers as cover whenever the swords swung down.

Soon, the Pugilist arrived under the Demon King's nose, and before Razznik could retract his swords, the young Pugilist launched an uppercut. Mana exploded underneath Razznik's feet and sent him sliding backward, barely dodging the attack.

"Impressive," Razznik praised as he came to a stop. The short respite caused by that blow granted the adventurers enough time to close the gaps Razznik had opened. The Demon King decided to change his weapon. The swords vanished in a flash of light, and a black staff took their place. The staff was another one of his favorite creations.

Just as the excited Warriors lunged at him, he stomped the butt of the staff on the ground, creating a shockwave that repelled them. His wielded the staff with his right hand, which he placed behind his back, and motioned for the Warriors to charge at him with his left.

Enraged by the Razznik's taunts, the adventurers did just that — and soon regretted it.

"His swordsmanship is truly impeccable," Freya remarked as Razznik cleared subsequent waves of adventurers. The Demon King's lightning-fast reflexes were on full display as he repeatedly dodged attacks at the last second before unleashing a devastating counter-attack to dispatch scores of Warriors.

"That's not all," Borg, a lycan Warrior, stated. His brown fur ruffled with impatience, signaling an itch to join the battle. "He isn't defending any of the attacks from his back."

"You noticed," Aileera said. "That cape he bears once belonged to the previous Demon King. It is said he never sustained an injury at his back until the day of his defeat."

"Then it is charmed," Freya remarked with a low chuckle. "He truly is a frightening fellow."

"Aye," Rono, a pirate from the Eursian seas, said. Unlike the other people on the hill, he was not a guildmaster. However, he ran the greatest pirate crew in all the seas. No one else among them had the same amount of experience facing large monsters, so they enlisted his help. "He faced off against the worst of Jone's Locker alone. That man is no ordinary chap."

Aileera rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a small, clear sphere the size of a marble. It was called a Rink, and it was their primary source of communication in the land. "Focus on the cape," she said into the sphere, and she soon got a shaky 'Yes Sir!' from her contact in the valley.

"Hm?" Razznik said when he noticed a group of people hacking away at his back without a care as to whether it was futile or not. "They have a good commander..." he mused as he spun the staff above his head, "... but her strategies cannot overturn my might!" he roared and struck the staff again on the ground.

The adventurers braced themselves for the shockwave, but when none came, they snickered at Razznik, who they thought had finally weakened. However, he exuded a chilling calm as he pointed at the sky.

The Warriors looked to the sky, instantly turning pale as they gazed upon a frightening sight. Unnaturally dark clouds blanketed the night sky, heralding the chaos to come. Terrifying peals of lightning tore through the clouds and illuminated the battlefield.

"I suppose it is safe to assume that is his doing?" Freya asked.

"Hey, hey. Just how much has that guy mastered anyway?" Rono asked as he balked at the size of the approaching storm.

"This is where his advantage lies," Aileera said calmly. If the approaching storm had any effect on her, she surely was not showing it. "We cannot afford to use any area spells because we might hit our allies, but he may fire off as many as he wants."

"He's gotta run out of spells some time, right?" Miles, the youngest in the group, spoke up. He was the best Archer in the realm. Rumors claimed he could strike down a fly several miles away, hence his nickname.

"He surely will," Aileera affirmed. "Send in the summoners once the storm is past," she said into the Rink.

On the valley, Razznik continued his one-man battle against the armies as the rain began to pour down. It started with a light drizzle, but it soon turned into a terrible storm with thick curtains that robbed the Warriors of their sight.

Well, most.

The Pugilists and Archers, who been trained to fight with terrible sight, quickly surrounded Razznik. The Archers fired off their arrows, using the rain to mask the whistling sound as they flew through the air.

Razznik answered the challenge by switching out his staff for a pair of black gloves. The arrows made no sound as they rained down upon him. Razznik remained unfazed, despite being faced with these bolts he could neither see nor hear. Instead, he slammed his hands against each other. A shockwave exploded out of his closed palms and shattered the incoming arrows.

"He appears to be well versed in area attacks," Freya observed, impressed by Razznik's continuous counters.

"It's only natural," Aileera said, unimpressed. "He fought a lot of his battles alone and needed to prevent himself from being surrounded."

"Missy, you've got a mighty beef against the lad, don't ya?" Rono said with a laugh.

In reply, she gave him a cold glare that froze the laughter in his throat.

Almost instantly, a bolt of lightning struck the valley, burning everything around its landing spot.

"The true horror of the thunderstorm spell begins," Freya remarked just as a translucent barrier formed around the group, protecting them.

Freya's remark proved to be true. Pandemonium descended onto the valley as hundreds of random lightning bolts repeatedly struck its inhabitants.

Most of the Warriors present were not seasoned veterans. Some had never experienced a tense situation in all their battling years. It came as no surprise then that the motley band, who were already balanced on a knife's edge during the rainstorm, completely fell apart during the thunderstorm.

Panicked Mages quickly set up their barriers without any strategy. As a result of this, they ended up only protecting those who were lucky enough to be close to them. Unfortunately, most of the shoddily casted barriers were unable to resist the Demon King's lightning judgment anyway.

"Tis scary 'n' all, but won't the lad be struck down by his own spell at this rate?" Rono asked. It was a valid point. The random lightning strikes had a high chance of potentially hitting their caster.,

"I doubt it will hit him," Freya declared confidently.

"How's that?"

"He cast it," Freya answered simply.

"Aye," Rono acknowledged as he watched Razz. "He's a fearsome one, he is."

The Demon King plowed through the disorganized armies, dodging at the last second every time a bolt crashed down close to him. The gloves he wore imbued him with the strength of a hundred men as he broke through armor, shields, and some low-level barriers.

This advantage did not last long, though, as Aileera rapidly sent out a series of orders. The Warriors below collectively cheered as they finally had a direction to follow. The embattled military swiftly carried out their commander's orders.

The spear-bearers amongst the armies stabbed the tail end of the longest weapons in their inventory into the earth so the blades pointed at the raging sky. These extended weapons acted as conductors. The lightning bolts struck the edges and traveled down the shafts into the soil. The adventurers cheered their commander's brilliance. With only a few words, she rendered the great threat completely harmless.

Aileera's second order saw a regiment of Mages gather at the back and begin casting a spell to counter Razznick's storm. Her third and final order, however, was the most effective.

Troops consisting of Knights and Marauders surrounded the Demon King with the intention of holding him at bay. While they held him off, the remaining adventurers merged into small parties of five to seven.

"This is a tactic used in major battles against numerous foes. To think we would be forced to employ it against a single man," Freya said with a chuckle.

"He is by no means an ordinary man," Miles said, and unconsciously tightened his fist around his bow. This action did not go unnoticed by the others, but they could not say anything because they all felt the same way.

Razznik noticed the change in the atmosphere around the adventurers and was doubly impressed by their commander. Their relentless attacks had managed to crack his armor in several places. The legendary Demon King's cape was also no more, reduced to tatters by the desperate Warriors.

Despite this, Razznik remained unnervingly calm, almost detached from his dire situation. This confidence, based on results both he and the world were aware of, struck fear into the hearts of his opponents.

At this point, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield. A ray of moonlight pierced through the dark clouds and descended on the silent Demon King. To the Warriors, it was like the goddess Aethir had shot down an arrow of light to rescue them from the perpetual darkness.

Razznik looked up at the clouds, a bemused look in his gaze. He turned to look at the people standing on the overlooking hill. Honestly, to think a commander could make this much difference in a war. Razznik was someone who almost always fought his battles solo. He had never experienced what it was like to be led by a competent commander.

Contrary to the fascinated imaginations of the Warriors, it was the Mages gathered at the back of the army who had finally broken the spell. The excited Mages did not forget to cheer for the Marauders and Knights who had not hesitated to put their lives on the line to buy their comrades enough time to complete their mission. They had lost over half of their numbers in that brief period.

Razznik watched the survivors return to their respective parties where they received quick healing and praises from their friends. The Demon King could not help but wonder if he had missed something in his quest to become the strongest. Were the sacrifices he made worth the result?

Unfortunately, time was one thing he would never be able to control. And even if someone granted him that ability, Razznik was not entirely sure he would change anything. He did not hate who he had become.

The armies, oblivious to the Demon King's musings, readied themselves for the second round of combat. This time, however, the military would function as a cohesive unit. A frightening prospect made even worse by the sounds of howling coming from the rear.

"Damn," Razznik cursed. The howls came from a tribe called beast-tamers. Their attacks primarily stemmed from the beasts they defeated and tamed. These beasts could range anywhere from direwolves to griffins and, in some sporadic cases, dragons!

Flying beasts, however, were of no use in a one-vs-many battle. In this kind of fighting, it was nigh impossible to target a single person within a sea of people accurately. There was a much higher chance that they would only end up striking their allies. Flying beasts could only be used in large-scale army battles, one-v-one battles or a battle against a colossal or flying monster like an ogre or dragon.

That left only a few choices, and sure enough, the howls, accompanied by roars and hisses, rushed closer through the masses.

"A magnificent display," Razznik complimented the adventurers, "I shall show my respect by going at full strength from here on out." As he said so, his armor cracked to pieces and fell to the ground. Instantaneously, a bright light enveloped his body. It soon disappeared, revealing the Demon King in his new attire.

Gone was the full-plate armor, replaced by a sleek, black trench coat on a similarly colored pair of leather pants and combat boots. Faintly glowing runes lit up the jacket, trousers, and boots, a subtle hint to the real power within. A pair of slim, twin swords Razznik twirled like kitchen knives replaced his gloves. Even his mask had changed to a pure white one, with claw marks that ran from the bottom left to the top right.

If compared in painting, most would claim the Demon King's heavy armor was far more intimidating. But to those who stood there in front of him, Razznik had never appeared scarier than he did right then.

"Prepare yourselves," Aileera said to the guildmasters. "Our role shall soon be upon us."

"Indeed," Freya confirmed. Even he could not stop the feeling of goosebumps, which should be impossible for one such as he.

An assortment of direwolves, spirit-wolves, chimeras, all species of giant cats, and a rhino (what the hell!?) burst through gaps in the formation. The beasts quickly surrounded Razznik and then lunged at him.

In response to the threat, Razznik snorted and dashed towards the rhino. He grabbed the beast's horn and instantly brought its charge to a sharp halt. A loud crack rang out as the rhino's neck snapped under the strain. Razznik paid no attention to the rhino's death throes. He grunted and swung the corpse around himself, knocking over several monsters like dominoes.

Razznik released the beast mid-swing, and it crashed into a group of adventurers. The rest of the creatures, undaunted by his display of strength, continued their attack.

Razznik's red eyes blazed within the mask as he placed the hilts of his swords together. The swords merged into one at their grips and formed a dual-ended sword. Razznik swung the weapon around himself as the monsters arrived. Blood once again poured as if from a fountain as he repeatedly tore through flesh like paper.

Whoosh!

Razznik's one-sided massacre was interrupted by an arrow that whizzed by him just as he dodged a lunge from a dire wolf. A couple of bolts and spells launched at him in the most promising moments alerted the Demon King to their intentions. The armies used the animals as bait and aimed for those moments when he was in the middle of dodging an attack. These moments were the best time to aim at him as it would be challenging to execute a follow-up dodge. Indeed, with over one hundred projectiles aiming for him at that one moment, some were bound to hit.

Clever. Very clever. Their commander was truly one of a kind.

The ranged attacks increased in intensity as Razznik slaughtered the beasts. He soon decided it was about time he evened the odds.

Still occupied by the beasts, Razznik started a chant that increased in pitch and intensity with each word that passed. "Servi Domini, Meisque invocant. Ego te in certamine vinci..." he started.

"Impossible!" Freya screamed when the chant started, his relaxed demeanor shattered by the new revelation. His reaction was shared by everyone else as they realized a daunting truth.

"...Formatum est ex sanguinibus convenant usque in finem dierum. Circumdederunt undique hostes, Et quaerunt animam meam..." the chant continued, uninterrupted by the beasts lunging at Razznik.

"He is a summoner too," Miles muttered.

"Runemaster, Master-crafter, Swordmaster, Sage, Healer, Battle-King, Knight, Marauder, Rogue, Assassin..." Rono counted.

"And those are just the ones we know of," Miles continued. "What kind of monster is he?"

"That is not all," Aileera said calmly.

"What do you mean?!" Blorg growled as his fur stood on end. His eyes turned dark yellow, a sign he was already preparing for combat.

"As planned, he has been forced to use his trump card," Aileera replied. "You shall witness his full power soon, as well as the reason why I requested you all wait behind."

"Nunc impleret pactum quod fecimus, percutiat inimícos meos," Razznik continued, his pitch and voice rising higher and carrying through the crowd.

"Whaddaya reckon the beast will summon?" Rono asked.

"Something we have yet to witness," was Aileera's terse reply.

"Ut Quod Reatus Sanguinis Pretio Ut Possit Dissolvi In Sanguine, Ubi Facta Fuerit!" Razznik yelled as his sword pierced through the final chimera's mouth and ripped its jaw off. Purple mandalas suddenly appeared randomly all over the field.

Roar!

A host of demons and undead rose from the newly opened portals. These creatures formed the Demon King's Army, their allegiance forever tied to the Demon King. Razznik had never summoned the entire army to battle. He praised the adventurers for forcing him to use this move.

The spell's immediate result was that the adventurers could no longer solely focus on Razznik. However, this reality did not break their spirit. Since they were already in small groups, they treated the demon horde as a regular raid squad would.

"These are not as bad as we thought," Freya sighed with relief. Overestimation was always a part of battle. They just never thought that word could be used in tandem with Razznik.

"No, it is not over," Aileera refuted with a frown. "The true threat just arrived."

A roar like a thousand thunderclaps accompanied by the unmistakable beating of wings tore through the land and could be heard quite clearly several leagues away. A shadow larger than any had ever seen blocked the moonlight, and everyone trembled in fear as Skyrm, the King of Dragons, descended upon one of the mountains overlooking the valley.

Skyrm was the epitome of what it meant to be colossal! His wings, when unfurled, could blot out the sun over most cities. Dirty gold scales tougher than the highest-level steel gleamed menacingly under the moonlight.

The King of Dragons roughly perched on the mountain and a pair of bright yellow eyes burned with flames as they scanned the battlefield. Those eyes finally rested on Razznik, towards whom they showed equal parts contempt and respect.

"I see," Skyrm boomed. "I shall end everything," he declared, and mana began taking a physical form as fire in his mouth, increasing in size every second.

Cries of 'What now?' and 'It's over!' could be heard among the adventurer's ranks as they fell to their knees in despair. But once again, Aileera spoke, not through her Rink, but out loud, using magic to project her voice around the battlefield.

"Stand up!" Aileera yelled. "You are all gathered here for different reasons. For honor, for power, for glory, for fame! Whatever your reasons, I implore you. Forget about them for a second and look at yourselves. You are all still alive. Not by your power, but through the sacrifices of those before you. Now look to your side. To the Mage or Warrior by your side who fights with you. Indeed, the foe is powerful. True, his power is immense. But there is one thing that sets you apart from him! One strong power you possess that he does not! That is the strength of a party. Those you have banded with to raid, rob, and drink. Those who agonized with you when you lost something precious. That is your strength. So, when next you feel like you can't go on, look to your partner and rememeber one thing. You are not alone. So fight! Abandon fear and fight! Protect your partners and fight! And at the end of the day, if you fall, you shall fall with a smile. We stand with you; you stand with us. Together nothing can defeat us," she finished softly.

"A sword in one hand and a beer in the other!" Rono yelled, following Aileera's lead.

"A sword in one hand and a beer in the other," someone repeated in the valley.

"A sword in one hand and a girl in the other," another shouted causing laughter to erupt around him.

"A sword in one hand and gold in the other," a third shouted and soon various chants rose and echoed all over the valley. The Warriors' spirits rose to a fever pitch as their collective roars surpassed even Skyrm's roar. The wind carried the armies' fierce desire to the neighboring countries.

Citizens of various nations all around the world knelt on the ground wherever they were and offered their prayers to the goddess Aerith. "Watch over our children. Grant them the strength to conquer the Demon King."

The prayers of a united world could not be ignored. Pillars of light burst from the ground and enveloped all the Warriors in the valley. The adventurers cheered as they felt their Strength double — no, triple. Filled with vigor, they charged at the Demon King.

Razznik gazed at the pillars of light with a complicated expression. He gazed up at the skies and muttered, "Do you hate me that much?" The Demon King let out a wry chuckle as he looked down at the charging adventurers. No matter how one looked at it, wasn't he the bad guy in this scenario?

Not that it mattered, but their camaraderie opened a wound in Razznik's heart he did not know existed.

It angered him.

Annoyed him.

Frustrated him.

Why did they get to be so happy? Razznik refused to accept that his choice was wrong. He became the strongest in a world where the powerful ruled. What gave them the right to smile like that!?

"RaaaaaAAAAAAWWWWRRRRR!!!!" Razznik let out a rage-filled roar filled with defiance. The whites of his eyes turned red as he descended into berserker mode. As if sensing their master's rage, the infamous twelve series appeared around him.

"Let's go!" Aileera ordered, and the masters were launched towards Skyrm by her magic.

A host of fighters who had been waiting on the hillside for her orders also jumped into the valley and made a beeline for Razznik.

"No more mercy," Razznik growled as a black aura emanated around him, and suddenly he was gone. Half a second later, a cry was heard on the other end of the battlefield as Razznik's hand pierced through a Warrior's chest.

Razznik threw away the already dissipating body and disappeared. He appeared for a brief second in front of a young female Mage and made to impale her, but two men stopped his strike, and a third ran a sword through his stomach.

"You've had enough fun," one of them said.

In the end, it did not matter who spoke because Razznik had already marked them all for death. He spun his hand around, launching one of the men into the sky and the other headfirst into the ground. Before they could recover, he drew out the sword in his stomach, twisted around, and decapitated the one that had stabbed him. Without wasting a breath, he finished his spin and beheaded the one on the ground before the weapon dissipated. He grabbed his black bow from the twelve weapons circling him and shot an arrow that pierced through the skull of the Warrior in the air, instantly claiming his life.

The corpse dissipated before it reached the ground.

"I said no mercy," Razznik stated coldly, butthe adventurers no longer balked at him. Spurred by their commander's voice,they jointly rushed him with everything they had. "Truly an annoying commander,"he said through gritted teeth as he rushed to greet them.