The Demon Lord Has Come

“Truly easy to manipulate, this Hero Garen.”

Bishop Lester watched as the expeditionary army departed, standing atop the fortress walls, gazing at the long, winding column.

His expression was indifferent, his gaze icy.

It was as if all these lives were nothing more than pawns on a board.

“Lord Bishop, you summoned me.”

A deep, thick voice that seemed to absorb all sound suddenly rang out from behind Lester.

The source of the voice was not the empty rampart but the deepest, darkest corner woven from the crenellations and the tower’s shadow, pressed right against his back.

There, the space seemed to distort slightly, and a breathtakingly tall figure appeared silently, as if stepping out of the shadows.

The newcomer wore the same wide white robes as an ordinary high-ranking cleric, but the bulging contours of the muscles beneath stretched the fabric, a symbol of sanctity and forgiveness, taut to the point of tearing.

The lines of every muscle were incredibly clear, conveying a sense of explosive power even through the thick cloth.

His face was covered by a pure white mask with no markings, not even revealing his eyes.

The mask merely reflected the external light with a cold sheen.

And this imposing, sturdy body strangely made not a single footstep, even his breathing seemed to have merged with the wind.

“Follow them.”

Bishop Lester didn’t turn around, his gaze still locked on the receding figure of the Hero Garen.

His voice was as calm as if he were giving an order for a trivial matter.

“If the Hero Garen fails, ensure that the Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian, is… erased.”

He paused, and for the first time, a note of unquestionable gravity entered his cold tone.

“It is highly likely that the Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian, has come into contact with the core secrets of our Holy Church.

No matter the cost, she must completely disappear from this world.

If Garen’s sword of light cannot purify her, then you… will bring eternal silence.”

“Yes.”

The reply was a single syllable.

Short, clear, and crisp.

No questions, no hesitation, not even a ripple of a living creature’s aura.

The moment the word fell, the disturbingly sturdy figure silently melted into the shadows behind him.

One moment, a clear presence; the next, completely gone, as if he had never been there, leaving only the shadow, which seemed a few shades deeper than before.

The wind on the walls still howled, the sunlight still harsh, as if the brief exchange had been nothing more than a figment of Bishop Lester’s imagination.

And by this time, the expeditionary army had completely left the fortress, the column winding its way toward its destination.

Bishop Lester slowly withdrew his gaze from the rear of the army and slightly lowered his head.

He tightly gripped the cross hanging on his chest, inlaid with a holy gemstone—he closed his eyes, his lips moving, his voice suddenly becoming incomparably pious and sincere.

“O Lord, Father Most High, may Your light protect these loyal children.

May Your power be infused into their swords and their faith—may they be ever-victorious on this journey, sweeping away all before them, cleansing the darkness with holy fire, and utterly eradicating our enemies—may Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

“Amen.”

The bishop’s prayer was carried away by the wind.

…

The wind brought the smell of death.

Vivian stood on a high ground, her iconic deep purple dress, which outlined her perfect curves, fluttering violently in the strong wind like a burning violet.

Her hair danced wildly with the gale.

She looked at the grand army slowly advancing in the distance and couldn’t help but let out a heavy breath.

A full twenty thousand strong army was marching mightily toward the Territory of Evernight.

The number was double what Vivian had expected.

“Probably… one squad of 【Gospel Holy Knights】, a thousand from the Holy Church’s knightly order, four thousand regular soldiers, five thousand fanatics, a few hundred battle priests, and the rest are noble private soldiers, adventurers, mercenaries, and logistics personnel?”

Vivian’s long fingers subconsciously stroked her chin as she looked at the advancing expeditionary army, murmuring to herself.

Three days ago, after receiving the warning and reminder from the Winter Demon Lord’s messenger, Lorlu, she had made plans overnight, evacuated her personnel, warned the surrounding villages and towns, and rushed to the border with her elite troops without stopping.

Finally, she had locked onto their position before they officially set foot in the Territory of Evernight.

In the past, an army of this scale would naturally pose no threat to the Territory of Evernight.

After all, the territory had at least hundreds of thousands of Evernight troops on standby, not to mention countless cannon fodder servant armies like goblins and ghouls, as numerous as the tide.

An expeditionary army of twenty thousand?

It was merely an appetizer served to the Demon Lord, not even enough to get stuck between her teeth.

But now, Evernight City had only five thousand remnants of a defeated army.

After excluding other personnel and selecting only the elite and battle-hardened, the number dropped sharply to two thousand.

“Two thousand versus twenty thousand?

Interesting.”

Vivian grinned—this was quite a test for her.

Of course, the enemy was not a solid twenty thousand.

The core main force was still the ten thousand or so personnel from the Rhine Holy Church, and the accompanying… Hero Garen.

This was the biggest challenge, but Vivian never intended to face Garen head-on anyway.

Although the enemy’s spearhead was clearly aimed at her Demon Lord’s Castle, 【Evernight City】—as long as she had no home, she had nothing to fear!

But she couldn’t rule out the possibility that the enemy’s target might be other remote and hidden towns… but regardless, this battle had to be fought!

There was no room for discussion!

“Lady Demon Lord, everyone is ready.”

The wind continuously lifted Vivian’s purple dress, her long hair fluttering freely in the breeze.

And at that moment, Elia appeared from behind her and said respectfully.

“Then… let’s begin.”

Vivian took a deep breath, then looked at the advancing expeditionary army in the distance and, without reservation, unleashed her aura and pressure as a Demon Lord to its fullest extent.

And then, one second, the expeditionary army was still marching on the main road, a nearly picnic-like relaxed atmosphere pervading the ranks.

Hymns were sung loudly, soldiers whispered about post-war rewards and the girls back home, noble knights chatted and laughed, and mercenaries boasted to each other about their past “achievements.”

But the next second, all sound ceased abruptly.

Silence fell.

Because they felt it—the almost tangible, incredibly thick malice of humanity’s enemy.

In an instant, the warhorses whinnied in terror, while the ordinary soldiers felt a chill originating from the depths of their souls shoot up their spines to the tops of their heads, making their scalps tingle and their teeth chatter uncontrollably.

It was the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord had come.