God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Chapter 448: The Devil Horde Marches.

The world had since fallen into a state of stagnation...

Ever since the Celestials who ruled it consolidated their rule, it would be fair to say it didn't move forward, or backward.

The Devils had been defeated, driven to a forgotten corner of the world, and left to lick their wounds. If they knew what was good for them, they wouldn't attack ever again.

However, as the season changes, so do the dealings of mortals...

At some point in time, the Devils had found a way to propagate themselves on this planet.

Now, hordes of these once mighty creatures attacked the human settlements. But to what end?

Almost every single time they attacked, they were either soundly defeated or were forced into a disgraceful defeat.

However, the Devils had a reason for these periodic attacks...

"Well, two reasons, actually..." The old man said, rubbing his temple.

Cain and the old man had spoken for some time now. He was finally coming to understand more of this world they were in.

It was a very delicate thing to deal with. He couldn't tell what was wrong and right. On one hand, there were the Devils, Thousands of years ago, they had marched on this planet, intent on destroying it and consuming its inhabitants.

But that was in the past. Now, these Devils were fighting for a chance for the future.

Circumstances were the root of all change. Even bloodthirsty creatures could develop something akin to a moral compass if the times dictated so...

"The Devils attack because they need resources. Food, water... Energy. Every living being requires these things. Out there, resources are scarce."

The old man's eyes became dark,

"The other reason they attack, is in defense, as stupid as it might be."

Cain sighed. He got the gist. The human armies were too strong. So strong, that the Devils couldn't do anything against them most of the time.

The reason Cain and the others were still alive, was because the vast majority of Duskmore's military personnel were not garrisoned in the capital city.

Instead, they were posted to the borders, where they frequently engaged in battle with the Devil Hordes. The might of the Devils was nothing to laugh at. However, the might of the human army was far scarier.

The army frequently led excursions into the wilderness, seeking out Devil Settlements to wipe out. In response to this tyranny, the Devils tried fighting back as much as they could.

But it was ultimately for naught.

At least, until today...

Cain looked up at the old man.

The old man took a sip of the tea in front of him,

"The city's administration has little knowledge of this, but as we speak, the Devil horde marches towards Duskmore."

Steve reasoned, "Could it be you have people helping you at the border?"

The old man nodded with a smile.

Steve fixed him with a questioning glare,

"Just how deep does your network run?"

The old man sighed, "Deep enough. For years, I have played all these pieces. It's time for everything to come together. I'm putting all my trust in you, Cain."

Cain was in conflict. Truthfully, he didn't trust this old man. He didn't know if all he told him was the truth.

For all he knew, this man could very well be a Devil agent sent to bring down this human capital.

'There's just too little information.'

He had already concluded that there would be more than one way to end this trial. However, he could still fail the trial if he took the wrong step.

He had to make a choice...

Trust the old man, or not...

Sometimes, destiny depends on the choices an individual makes. Fate, an unchangeable concept, could very well be a vast net of nexuses, each one representing a choice, a decision...

Cain stood on the precipice of one...

"Old man, tell me one thing..."

"How much are you willing to sacrifice towards your goal? Would you give up everything for it?"

Everyone was taken aback by this question. The old man chuckled,

"That's quite the question. To put it simply, no, not really..."

Cain seemed surprised, "You really won't put your life down for your goal?"

The old man chortled, "Who said my most precious thing is my life?"

A sigh rang out from his old lips, "Truly... A man must come to realize one day, that his achievements, his own life even, aren't his most precious things. What a man deems most precious, are the people he would sacrifice all these things to protect."

Cain and the old man locked eyes,

"Cain... How much do you think I am willing to sacrifice?"

Cain could see the conviction on the old man's face. Even till now, he didn't know the old man's name. However, he knew his conviction was real...

There was nothing else to be said. He rose to his feet,

"Tomorrow, before the break of dawn, we will begin."

The old man smiled, "Once the Devil Horde strikes, we will."

***

The moment they stepped out of the old man's unassuming house...

"I don't trust him," Steve said, his eyes fixed on the road.

Sue snorted, "You don't trust anyone!"

Jenny seemed to agree with Steve,

"Cain, I can understand some things, but working with Devils is... a bit counterintuitive, don't you think?"

Cain sighed, "I know..."

Manny yawned as they walked down the less crowded street,

"If you ask me, it isn't about trusting the man himself. Do we need to trust him to know if what we do is right or wrong?"

Everyone stared at Manny like he was an imposter.

Manny looked a bit offended, "What? I'm not THAT dumb... Even I can tell what's going on from time to time..."

Cain chuckled, "Well, Manny is right. I feel that we can trust the old man's words. For some reason, I trust these Celestials way less than the Devils.*

Steve sighed, "So attacking the temples it is, right?"

Cain nodded, "We will attack the Temples. However, there is one thing we should avoid doing from now on."

Jenny was curious, "And that is?"

"Taking lives..."

Everyone fell silent. Cain continued,

"I tried convincing myself that all this wasn't real, that this was all some illusion conjured up by the system. However..."

"Even if it is... There are some things we just shouldn't do."

Cain wasn't a hero. But he wasn't a psychopathic murderer as well. If they could solve all these issues without any more bloodshed, he would count it as their win.

Manny seemed a little downcast,

"Boss Cain, don't you think that would be a bit... difficult?"

Cain snorted, "This is a trial. Do you expect it to be easy? Alright! Enough of that..."

Without saying a word more, Cain released his mana. Space around them trembled before it broke to reveal a tear. All five were sucked into it, disappearing.

***

Evening, In the woodlands just outside of Duskmore...

A massive Devil Horde the likes of which had never been seen before stood in wait beneath the canopy of leaves.

If any human saw this, their hearts would immediately be consumed with dread. After all, the Devils were public enemy number one.

If Cain or any other member of his cohort were to see these Devils, they would be shocked.

Because these Devils looked completely different from what they were used to.

All Devils transformed or evolved based on environmental stimuli. This helped them take advantage of any terrain they found themselves in. That way, they would not be at any disadvantage when trying to defeat the locals.

But these Devils, they were different. There was little difference between them and regular humans in terms of appearance. They still possessed horns, scales, and some tails even. However, they were no longer the towering, lumbering beasts of chaos anymore.

The leader of this Devil Horde sat upon a large eight-legged Devil Beast. The beast was diverted in an extremely tough exoskeleton, as well as layers of armor. Normal weapons would not be able to penetrate such defenses.

This Devil Horde leader could be considered attractive in human eyes if one ignored the black scales on his body. He would have been considered a {Speed Devil}, but with their defeat, and the destruction of every broodmotjer on the planet, his bloodline was no longer as pure as it should have been.

But that didn't matter...

Right now, they had lost. Countless Devils had lost just like them, and most of them were completely annihilated. Some were turned into breeding projects to produce the famed Fiend Steel just like them. But they didn't want that anymore.

The sins of the previous generations were being put upon their heads, but they saw no need to bear it anymore.

As their connection to the Devil Source waned, so did their violent tendencies and manner. They were quickly shedding the essence of their Devilish nature, and would soon become something else. Once that happened, their captors would no longer have any use for them.

Saladin, the leader of the Devil Horde sighed. He looked around him...

This was all the able-bodied Devils he had been able to gather. Right now, they were roughly sixty percent of all the Devils in the realm, the rest being a few women, the elderly, and children.

By having their female consume parts of the deceased Broodmothers, they had become miniature Broodmothers themselves. While not as powerful, they were able to birth new Devils with the aid of the male Devils providing their own genetic information, much like how humans would.

"My King... The Horde is ready." A voice called out to him. The Devil horde commander turned to face a huge female Devil with the bloodline of a {Hulking Behemoth}.

Despite standing at over eight feet in height, it would be easy to tell she was female judging from the curves of her body and beyond bountiful assets. This was his wife...

"Scarlet. What do you think?" Saladin said, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

The huge She-Devil snorted, "We do this so our children may have a chance at life. We have been cast out of everything we have ever considered home. They call us defective. That can't happen anymore."

Saladin nodded, "You are right. Should you fall in this battle, I want you to take on the mantle I leave behind."

Scarlet threw him a side glance. There was nary a change in her expression,

"If you die, I will follow right after you."

Caressing the side of her face, Saladin turned back to gaze at the human capital, the place the Celestial Beings his race detested had created...