Morning arrived, but King Alvert had not truly slept.
Throughout the entire night, the same terrifying vision replayed endlessly in his mind.
A brilliant pillar of white light…
Suddenly consumed by an endless darkness.
The black light stretched all the way to the moon itself.
And within that darkness stood a single man…
His face twisted with unimaginable rage.
— Soon, the royal council assembled inside the throne hall.
The nobles immediately noticed the dark circles beneath the king’s eyes.
It was obvious he hadn’t rested all night.
The Prime Minister stepped forward and respectfully bowed.
“Your Majesty…
what has happened?” “You seem deeply troubled.” King Alvert slowly raised his head.
His voice was heavy.
“…The seal is breaking.” Silence.
Then he uttered the words that froze everyone in the hall.
“The Demon God…
is about to awaken.” For a brief moment, the entire throne room fell into absolute silence.
No one even dared to breathe.
Then…
“What?!” “The Demon God?!” “Impossible!” Fear spread through the hall like wildfire.
Even the royal knights standing guard couldn’t hide the terror on their faces.
King Alvert raised his hand.
“Silence!” The hall instantly became quiet again.
“Instead of panicking, think of a solution.” The Prime Minister lowered his head.
“Your Majesty…
if this were merely the Demon King or even the Demon Lord, humanity might still have a chance.” “But this is the Demon God.” “He is a threat to the entire world.” “We cannot face him alone.” “We must immediately contact the rulers of the other four human kingdoms…
as well as the King of the Half-Human Nation.” He paused before asking, “But…
may I ask who informed Your Majesty of this?” King Alvert answered without hesitation.
“God Himself.” “He appeared before me in my dream last night.” The hall erupted once again.
“God…?” “Was it truly a divine revelation?” “Or…
merely a dream?” King Alvert slammed his hand against the armrest of his throne.
“Are you accusing your king of lying?” Instantly, the hall became silent again.
The Prime Minister quickly bowed.
“Never, Your Majesty.” “I know you would never speak such words without reason.” “But if we are to convince the other kingdoms, we will need evidence.” “We must investigate the condition of the Seventh Seal.” Before anyone could respond, the Commander of the Royal Knights stepped forward.
“Your Majesty…” “May I report something?” King Alvert nodded.
“Speak.” “The information is true.” “Our scouts have recently reported frequent earthquakes near the location of the Seventh Seal.” “And with each passing day…” “The tremors are becoming stronger.” The expressions of everyone present turned pale.
“So…
it’s true…” “The seal really is breaking…” “Are we…
doomed?” “Can anyone stop the Demon God?” The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy.
At that moment, one of the senior nobles stepped forward.
“Your Majesty…” “I have a proposal.” King Alvert looked at him.
“You may speak.” The noble bowed respectfully.
“We have secretly gathered almost all the magical energy required to summon Heroes from another world.” “There are only twelve years remaining before the ritual can be completed.” The Prime Minister’s expression changed instantly.
“Mr.
Daniel!” “Do you realize what you’re saying?” “The Hero Summoning Ritual was declared illegal over two hundred and fifty years ago.” “Every record, every book, and every piece of research related to it was destroyed.” “How could you even attempt such a forbidden project?” Daniel calmly rubbed his hands together before replying with a faint smile.
“And do you have a better plan, Mr.
Prime Minister?” The Prime Minister fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally sighed.
“…Even so, we cannot make this decision alone.” “We must first discuss it with the rulers of the other four kingdoms…
and with the Half-Human Nation.” Daniel smiled.
“Then let’s call a World Council.” King Alvert slowly rose from his throne.
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
“So be it.” “This is no longer the problem of a single kingdom.” “It concerns the fate of the entire world.” “If summoning Heroes is the only remaining hope…” “Then we shall summon them.” He looked at every noble gathered before him.
“Prepare invitations for all five human kingdoms and the Half-Human Nation.” “A date for the Grand Council will be decided immediately.” No one objected.
The fate of the world had begun to move.
After the royal council ended, King Alvert returned to his private chamber.
He sat alone, leaning forward with both hands pressed against his forehead.
The weight of the world’s future rested heavily on his shoulders.
A gentle knock echoed from outside.
“Come in.” The door slowly opened, and the Prime Minister entered the room.
Unlike the formal atmosphere of the council, there was no need for ceremony here.
King Alvert looked at him and gave a tired smile.
“So, you’ve come…
my younger brother, Reon.” He sighed deeply.
“I’m sorry for not listening to your opinion during the council.” Reon shook his head with a calm smile.
“It’s alright, Brother.” “I know how much pressure you’re under.” “And on top of that…” “Our granddaughter was swallowed by the White Dimensional Portal.” King Alvert closed his eyes.
“You’re right.” “I’m getting old.” “These days, carrying so many worries only gives me headaches.” He slowly stood and walked toward the window.
“I’m relieved that our granddaughter is alive…” “But another matter troubles me even more.” He looked out at the city below.
“The forbidden Hero Summoning Magic…” “Our great-grandfather banned it two hundred and fifty years ago.” “Yet now…” “It is being revived.” Reon quietly nodded.
“And sadly…” “We have no other choice.” King Alvert clenched his fists.
“Exactly.” “If our enemy were merely a Demon King…” “Or even the Demon Lord…” “I wouldn’t be this worried.” “Our Four Mana Magicians would be more than enough to defeat them.” Reon smiled faintly.
“That’s true.” “And now we also have the Infinite Flash…” “And the Water Queen.” “They are among the strongest mages alive.” King Alvert remained silent for a long moment.
Finally, he shook his head.
“Even so…” “They still cannot stand against the Demon God.” His voice became heavy.
“The Hero Summoning Ritual isn’t a guaranteed solution either.” “Even Heroes may not be powerful enough.” He looked toward the dark sky beyond the palace window.
“But if the Heroes, our greatest mages, and every kingdom fight together…” “Our chances of survival will at least increase.” He slowly closed his eyes.
“The greatest problem is that we know almost nothing.” “We don’t know how much stronger the Demon God has become during all these centuries.” “We don’t even know whether all our efforts will be enough.” Silence filled the room.
For the first time in countless years, even the mighty King Alvert felt powerless.
After a while, he opened his eyes once more.
“If this truly is the end of the world…” “Then I will fight until my very last breath.” “I am the King of the Sun Kingdom.” “And as long as I still live…” “I will never abandon my people.” Reon looked at his elder brother with pride.
He knew the road ahead was filled with despair.
But no matter what awaited them…
They would face it together.