"Something wrong, sister?" Xue'er asked, gently taking Meilina's hand. "If you've got troubles, talk to me—don't bottle it up. It's tough. You're new here, but you'll settle in time."
"Thanks, Xue-jie. Just tired from arriving. Nothing else," Meilina said humbly.
"Good. I was worried you were carrying some burden," Xue'er said, relieved.
Demon Realm
"Majesty, Princess Meilina sent word from the human realm," a court guard knelt before the Demon King. "Speak," the Demon King snapped, his mood sour. Since humanity's defeat, nothing's gone right. That damned God King just loots while we're down, and now gods and demons are locked in a stalemate.
The guard shivered. "Her Highness reports humans executed many officials, possibly sparking chaos. She asks if we should act, fan the flames, and pave the way for another demon invasion."
"Enough. Leave," the Demon King said, waving irritably. His millennia of experience told him Meilina sent this to check a box. He didn't like this daughter, but knew her well. If she thought it viable, she'd report results, not ask permission. She's passing the buck—let him take the blame if it flops. He gave a bitter laugh. Father and daughter, scheming against each other. She's a jinx, bringing bad luck wherever she goes.
"Guard!" he barked. "Here, Your Majesty," the same guard knelt again. "Tell the princess to decide herself and… to be careful," he added, softening oddly. Was it fatherly instinct? Ugh, why's he getting sentimental? Among his many children, only Meilina could handle big tasks—others just party. Yet she's a jinx. If not for her birth, his beloved consort wouldn't have left him alone.
"Majesty, the gods are attacking again," another guard reported, snapping him from his thoughts. "What?" he mumbled, then jolted. "You said the gods attacked again?"
"Yes, Majesty," the guard repeated cautiously.
"Damn them! They're too much. We didn't provoke, yet they strike on our turf!" the Demon King roared, fuming. "Our losses?"
"Over ten thousand wounded. Gods lost maybe seven or eight thousand," the guard said, sweating, glad he had details or the Demon King's mood might've cost his life.
"What? That many?" The Demon King was shocked—not at the deaths, but that demons lost more than gods. The last war's tolls dwarfed this, counted in millions. "Order the Four Demon Generals to hit back hard. I refuse to believe we can't crush those gods, damn it!"
"Yes, sir!" The guard fled, soaked in sweat. Outside, a cold breeze made him shiver.
Outside Yelu City, dense demon armies gathered. Demon Generals Yuri and Lalan stood before the city walls, not for the first time. "Lalan, any bright ideas to take it?" Yuri asked, weary. Since warring with gods, they'd only scaled the walls once, at the start. Every battle since was a meat grinder, weakening them while gods expanded to a dozen cities, gaining a foothold. As a demon general, Yuri was stumped. Where'd the gods learn these tricks? Before, battles were simple—line up, charge, done. Now, gods turtle in cities, shamelessly using demon civilians as shields. Despicable.
"You're asking me? No clue. If we could stomach slaughtering millions of our own inside, we'd have lost without them lifting a finger. Their tactic's vicious—they know we won't go all-out on our land," Lalan sighed, helpless.
"His Majesty'll lose it again. He's been testy since the human defeat. Never saw him rage in millennia before. Trank's got it rough too," Yuri said, mournful. Mighty demons, reduced to being invaded, humiliated by humans of all races.
"Speaking of humans, I'm still puzzled. Where'd their weird weapons come from? None early in the war, then boom—tons. Even if they invented them, producing so many so fast? Odd. And those weapons aren't magical, yet feel off," Lalan said, tilting her head.
"Yeah, without those, Trank wouldn't have fallen so quick. Even against gods, we weren't this pathetic. I doubt their strength too. How'd our human realm spies miss such a huge, elite force? Hiding hundreds of thousands without a whisper is tough," Yuri said, rubbing his temples, exhausted like never before. Past god wars fueled his fire—now, he's drained. Was invading humans a mistake? No, demon life's too harsh—fighting for scraps while lowly humans hog the best lands. Memories of demons thriving on Flying Dragon Star haunted him. The Creator ruined it. Why not banish gods to the demon realm too? Gods, those hypocrites, covet human lands and wealth, building temples to smear demons as evil savages. Nothing can change it now.
"If we could snag human weapons, especially those flying ships Trank mentioned—blasting advanced magic nonstop, maybe even forbidden spells," Lalan said, wistful. Yuri grunted, silent. Wishful thinking. They don't even know where humans store them, let alone steal them. The barrier's sealed—a pipe dream. If humans can invent that, why can't demons? He sighed at their sorry state—another fantasy.
Lalan's gorgeous face, now weary, pained Yuri. Her beauty was undeniable, the only female among the Four Demon Generals. Yuri, Trank, and Lang Wuyu all fancied her, but she never showed interest. Despite her flirty facade, she was pure—maybe even a virgin. After millennia together, Yuri knew her well. He smirked. "If we had those, we wouldn't be racking our brains."
"Report! His Majesty orders you to crush the gods hard," a guard knelt. "That's it?" Yuri asked, stunned. The Demon King's mood must be volcanic to issue such a vague command. He knew his lord's temper—without that order, Yuri wouldn't spare the gods anyway.
"Dismissed," Yuri waved. To Lalan, he said, "No need to stress—His Majesty's command's here. Now what?" Back to square one. He, a top general, was out of moves. "Still no idea," Lalan said, brushing back her hair, her allure stunning Yuri. He swallowed hard, snapping back, glad she didn't notice. What a vixen. His many wives paled beside her charm.
While Yuri and Lalan fretted, the gods in Yelu City's lord mansion—their headquarters—grew anxious. "Sir, what's the demons' next move?" Gaga asked Archangel Keled, the commander.
"What tricks could they have? No offense to Yuri or Lalan, but both sides are slogging through. They've played every card—charging's suicide," Keled said, tense despite his bravado. A million god soldiers' lives rested on him. Demons hadn't gained ground, but gods were stuck too. Early on, exploiting demons' human-war distraction, gods seized nearby areas for breathing room. Without that, one city couldn't hold against demons this long. Demons don't know god numbers, but gods can't expand either. Demons encircle three of Yelu's walls with a million troops—breaking out offers no edge.
Demons can wait on their turf; gods can't. Keled promised the God King to conquer humans and demons in three years. Over a year in demon lands, and unification's a distant dream. He'd planned to profit from the human-demon war's fallout. Demons crushed, easy pickings—yet here he was. Had he chosen humans, it'd be simpler. As a god, humans would've bowed fast. A racial supremacist, Keled underestimated humans, chalking their victory to luck and demon incompetence. If he'd led, no such mess. If he knew humans lobbed missiles in god realm, leaving his revered God King half-impotent, what'd he think?
"Sir, to break this, we need the 'God Special Forces,'" Gaga suggested, seeing Keled's worry. "Must we really use them?" Keled's eyes probed. "It's the only way," Gaga affirmed.
Keled turned, weighing the plan. Using them could deal demons a blow, but their elite 'Demon Beast Legion' hasn't moved. A short-term win won't shift the war. But doing nothing gains nothing. Strike first, seize the edge. Gods and demons lack population but are all soldiers. "Report our situation to the God King. Request the 'God Special Forces.' Hint it's them or nothing—don't let those old councilors send some ragtag unit," Keled ordered.
"Right away, sir!" Gaga said, thrilled. Watching Gaga leave, Keled questioned his odds. Slim, but hope demands action. The 'God Special Forces'—Power Angels with god realm beasts—are fearsome, one against a hundred. Only a hundred thousand exist. How many would the God King send?
Demons have a similar 'Demon Beast Legion,' formed of varied demon beasts—flying, crawling, all sorts. Also about two hundred thousand, limited by scarce beasts and tough training. Human-beast synergy takes time, keeping both races' elites small.
Reader's Corner: Yo, readers, the gods and demons are gearing up for a cosmic showdown! Think Meilina's report will spark a demon invasion, or is Xue'er about to bust her? And those 'God Special Forces'—game-changer or overhyped? Drop your predictions in the comments—let's see who's calling this war's next twist!