In the East, the Chintamani Empire...
King Omas sat upon the main throne of his grand royal court. His crimson royal robes shone as though blood itself dripped from them. The gleam in his eyes was like that of an eagle soaring high above~sharp, far-sighted, and terrifying. Every glance he cast filled the hearts of those present in the court with unease.
Yet the ones who were most frightened were Arjun and Lela.
The two of them stood together in the middle of the court. Fear had driven them so close to one another that they seemed like two statues pressed together again and again. Although the trembling of their bodies made no sound, the fear in their shaking eyes and pale faces could not be hidden from King Omas.
Humbha Yakshini sat within the court, wearing a suit of battle armor over her black garments. Her entire presence gave the impression that she might erupt with overwhelming force at any moment. Such brilliance shone in her eyes that anyone looking at her would immediately understand that the Yakshini before them possessed extraordinary power.
Seated beside her was her host, Mascar. Arrogance overflowed from his face to such an extent that it seemed as though he might burst from it.
Even so, King Omas, Humbha Yakshini, and Mascar~all three remained silent. Not one of them spoke.
They simply sat there calmly, yet even that silence carried a terrifying pressure. Deep within, they all knew they needed more cultivators. Their strength was still immense, but the challenge rising before them had become a thorn lodged deep within their hearts, one they could no longer ignore.
At that moment, the King's messenger, seated upon a throne to one side, spoke. His entire body was concealed beneath black robes, making him appear like a living shadow.
In a deep voice, he asked, "For what purpose have the two of you come here?"
Lela trembled slightly, bowed her head, and replied respectfully,
"Your Majesty... we are Lily's sworn enemies. We believed that our place in this great war should be here. That is why we have come before you. If Your Majesty grants us a place within your army, it will be our greatest honor."
King Omas remained silent. A thought crossed his mind. "In this war, Humbha Yakshini will serve as my supreme commander... her host, Mascar, as deputy commander. And my messenger has already become a Sixth Stage cultivator. These days, he governs the kingdom much like a minister."
"However, I have personally ended the lives of many of my own cultivators... especially those young women whom I first kept as maids or servants. It would be wise to keep these two with me. Perhaps they may prove useful as commanders of the army."
Throughout his life, King Omas had lured countless young men and women with promises of high positions, only to lead them toward tragic ends.
Today, he no longer possessed the magnificent court that had once been filled with capable officials. But that did not mean he had become weak.
Before the King could speak, Humbha cast a sideways glance at the two of them and asked,
"Can the two of you perform better than Kyra and Nayla?" There was no hesitation left in Lela's mind.
She clearly remembered how those two female cultivators had died during the Battle of Mehan Mountain. Their swordsmanship had been unmatched, yet even they had failed to obtain the Divine Water.
Without hesitation, Lela lowered her head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will fight for you until my very death."
Arjun also nodded in agreement. Yet he still lacked the courage to meet Humbha's eyes.
It was as though he had once fallen victim to a Yakshini's charm... and had paid a terrible price for it.
King Omas's stern voice echoed throughout the court. "From today onward, the two of you shall serve as the chief commanders of our army."
Joy spread across Lela's face. She immediately knelt and bowed before the King, then rose and stood beside Arjun.
At that moment, King Omas rose from his throne. He extended his hand.
In the next instant, an old, worn, and narrow carved box appeared upon his palm. The moment it appeared, everyone's eyes in the court were fixed upon it.
Humbha asked in surprise, "Your Majesty... what is inside it?"
King Omas floated the box through the air toward Humbha and calmly replied, "This is the very Divine Water... that you failed to find."
Humbha caught it at once. Looking toward her host, Mascar, she said with delight,
"Perhaps we won't even have to wage war anymore... this game of strategy is becoming far more interesting."
A faint smile appeared upon King Omas's lips. The next moment, a powerful gust of wind swept through the court, and his body vanished along with it.
For a few moments, only tiny black particles floated through the air before scattering away with time.
Likewise, even Humbha failed to notice when the King's messenger's throne became empty.
Yet as she stared at that old, weathered box, Humbha understood one thing clearly~King Omas was still thinking two moves ahead of everyone else.