BXBX NOVEL Chapter 736: Some Of The Truths Of The World [Part 2]
If not for the fact that he had first seen Joanne\'s Dream, he wouldn\'t have been able to recognize who the middle-aged man was.
"Hundreds of years ago before you were even born, there was an existence that terrorized the world," Fortis Dud said softly. "Back then, everyone thought that he was an evil being who was meant to be purged. Even I thought the same way."
Fortis Dud pointed to the left side of the Battlefield, where his younger self was fighting against a Giant Shadow Monster while riding on the back of his Golden Dragon.
"Many feared him not because of who he was, but because of what he could do," Fortis Dud added. "An existence whose power broke the balance of the world. That\'s the reason why everyone was fearful of him."
A mighty roar reverberated in the battlefield as Fortis Dud\'s Golden Dragon and the middle-aged man\'s Black Dragon simultaneously unleashed a Dragon Breath, which soon collided in the center of the battlefield…
Creating an explosion that blasted away everyone near the point of impact.
"Almost everyone fears the unknown," Fortis Dud stated. "Especially if that someone had the strength to conquer the world. Even if he didn\'t move, Monsters and other ambitious individuals rallied to his side.
"Various people conquered cities, pillaged villages, and razed towns under his name. And yet, he never ordered any of that. Those who wished to see the world burn were the ones who used his name to do evil deeds. Soon enough, those evil deeds accumulated until the world could no longer tolerate them.
"Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Beastkins, and even the Fae arranged a grand crusade. All of them rose up in arms and annihilated the Monster Armies who fought under his name.
"After subjugating those foul beasts, we marched to his stronghold, Caer Arianrhod. It is a fortress-like no other, and yet, only Shadow Monsters and Gargoyles lived in it. Back then, we heard rumors that there were four Clans who were supporting this man.
"However, they were nowhere to be found when we started to siege the Fortress of Arianrhod. Back then, I thought that they decided to escape while they still could and hid themselves from the world.
"It was said that these Four Protector Clans were loyal to a fault. But, many believed that their fear of death overcame their loyalty, so they abandoned their Master, leaving him to his fate."
Fortis Dud chuckled before shaking his head helplessly.
"We were fools back then," Fortis Dud sighed. "Drunk by our consecutive victories, we thought we were invincible. After all, nearly all the Heroes of the world gathered together on that fateful day. We asked for a battle, and a battle we did fight. But, it was a battle that nobody expected."
As if waiting for that moment, while the Dragons, Gargoyles, and other Magical Beasts were fighting in the sky…
"While the Shadow Warriors and the forces of all the races of the world waged war on the ground, a resounding crack sounded in our ears.
"When we raised our heads, we witnessed something incredible.
"The sky above our heads cracked.
"The crack spread until part of the sky shattered, falling on the ground like giant pieces of glass."
The world seemed to come to a standstill as Ethan saw the changes on the battlefield. It was as if he was watching a movie, and Fortis Dud\'s narration was giving him a clearer picture of the event that was unfolding in front of his very eyes.
"And from that crack, they came," Fortis Dud said in a hoarse voice as if the replay of that scene made him remember the horrors that followed him until he breathed his last.
Horrors both familiar and unfamiliar to Ethan descended from the sky, forcing everyone on the battlefield to make the right decision.
"We all knew then and there that these creatures mustn\'t be allowed to roam the world, for they would destroy everything we held sacred." Fortis Dud\'s voice reached Ethan\'s ears, but the hoarseness was still there.
It was as if he was forcing himself to say the words that he had kept for a long time.
"While everyone was still trying to comprehend whether we were dreaming or not, the Demon Lord, Balthazar Azael Valentin, let out a loud roar and commanded his army to fight the monsters who had invaded us from other planes of existence."
Ethan watched as his Grandfather charged at the biggest monster on the battlefield with a fearless grin on his face, holding a great sword the size of his entire body.
The young man witnessed how the Giant Monster used his flaming sword to slash at the Human who dared to face him.
But, that flaming sword was sliced in half, and a few seconds later, the monster\'s head was severed from his body.
The Gargoyles and the Shadow Monsters under Balthazar\'s command disengaged themselves from fighting the Allied Forces and concentrated their attacks on the invaders who had planned to conquer Midgard.
Nightwalkers, Balors, Nephilims, Jinns, and many others found themselves facing off against an individual who possessed great strength akin to that of a Demigod.
"It was the greatest war that was ever fought."
Fortis Dud\'s voice once again reached Ethan\'s ears, making him glance at the Founder of Brynhildr Academy, who was standing beside him.
"In hindsight, I think we were all deliberately gathered by the Demon Lord in that place so that we could fight that one great battle," Fortis Dud said. "If the greatest forces of Midgard hadn\'t been congregated in that one place, we wouldn\'t have stood a chance."
"This world might have already fallen into their hands.
"Our most hated and feared person became our strongest and staunchest ally. If not for him and the heroes who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day, this world would have already fallen to ruin.
"This is one of the Truths that only those who were present that day witnessed firsthand. However, it was also one of the secrets that we all decided to keep. And this secret is now known to you, Ethan."
Fortis Dud made a gesture for the young man to continue watching so that Ethan would understand what it was like to fight a battle that no one could afford to lose.