Somewhere in the Main Continent of Solterra…
Arundel sat on his throne with his head resting over the palm of his hand.
Suddenly, the gem on the ring of his hand glowed faintly, making him arch an eyebrow.
The Majin Prince then snapped his fingers, summoning a round mirror that was over two meters tall.
He stared at it, keeping the same lazy pose he currently had, and waited until the connection stabilized completely.
A moment later, an underground cavern appeared in the mirror, making him smile.
"Well, then, Paven. Do you have something to report to me?" Arundel asked. "Are the Tigerkins perhaps ready to go to war?"
"Not yet, Your Excellency," Paven replied before lowering his head respectfully. "An accident occurred, and the Granaries in three Major Cities were set ablaze by unknown individuals. I believe that this was done by a Barbarian Raiding Party who had managed to infiltrate deep within the Sumatran Kingdom.
"Due to this unexpected event, the King is forcing us to prioritize this incident over the war preparations. However, do not fret. Although this is indeed a setback, I will use this incident as propaganda to incite the Tigerkins to wage war on the Barbarians."
Arundel snorted. "My patience is limited, Paven. You promised me that the war would start in a month. Yet, because of this incident, the war will be pushed back again. I'm very disappointed in you. If you were only as capable as Gael, things would have been over by the next full moon."
"Forgive me, Your Excellency. This servant is truly incompetent," Paven bowed repeatedly. "Although it will be difficult, I'll do my best to start the war within two months. This, I swear!"
Arundel clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Two months, Paven. If you are unable to start the war within two months, I will start it myself."
"Yes! Leave it to me, Your Excellency!" Paven pressed his fist over his chest and bowed deeply to the Majin Prince, making the latter nod.
When the Tigerkin could no longer be seen in the mirror, Arundel clicked his tongue for the second time.
"I can't wait any longer. The Ostara is almost here," Arundel waved his hand, and the scenery around him changed.
The Majin Prince arrived on a different plane of existence, where other powerhouses like him gathered to hold a conference.
There were thirteen thrones placed around a round table, representing the Seat of Power for each Prince and Princess part of the Order of the Apocalypse.
While they didn't consider each other close friends, they did not treat each other as rivals either.
Only those who had the power could snatch one of the thrones in their Order, and the only way to prove their strength was by killing one of their members.
The moment they died, the Token imbued in their body, which was proof of their membership in the Order of the Apocalypse, would be transferred to the person who defeated them.
This had been a rule of their Order since it was first created, and among them, only six Majins had managed to keep their position until now.
The rest had been replaced by others, and Arundel was one of its newest members.
Because of this, he wanted to prove that he was a very competent member of their exclusive group, whose goal was to challenge the Deities and finally bring Solterra under their rule.
"Arundel, the Spring Equinox is almost upon us, and you promised to annex the Domain of that wretched Sea Monster, Forneus, before Ostara is over," a Giant Demi-human Red Bat, which was at least three-meters tall, said in a mischievous tone. "You were so confident when you made that declaration, so I thought that it was already a done deal."
"The Spring Equinox is still three months away, Camazotz," Arundel replied calmly. "I have more than enough time to conquer the Valbarra Archipelago."
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Rookie." Cmazotz smirked. "If you need help, don't hesitate to ask. I'll only take half of the Valbarra Archipelago as payment."
Arundel didn't even bother to reply and simply shifted his attention to the Majin Princess, who was looking at the countless stars in the sky.
Her hands moved in graceful patterns in front of her as she used the heavens as her own personal Astral Chart, trying to discern what the future held.
She was none other than Kamrusepa, the Majin Princess of Prophecy, who sat in the Tenth Seat of the order.
It was her whom Arundel asked to prophesy whether Forneus, the Sea Serpent and one of the Seven Fiends, would come to the aid of the people of the Valbarra Archipelago if he were to conquer it.
Kamrusepa had answered her that Forneus wouldn't come, which gave Arundel the confidence to set his sights on the lands in the distant sea.
"Hey, Kamrusepa. Do you think Arundel will succeed or not?" Camazotz asked. "Why don't you check the stars, and see the outcome of his farce."
"No," Kamrusepa answered without even glancing at the Giant Bat, whom they called Camazotz the Untamed, his title coming from the fact that he did whatever he wanted without care for the consequences.
"Awww, you're no fun." Camazotz chuckled. "Do you perhaps find knowing the outcome boring?"
"No," Kamrusepa replied. "Whether he succeeds or not is of no importance to me."
Unlike the other Djinns and Majins, Kamrusepa disliked conflicts.
However, she was still interested to see the end of the world, which was why she had a seat in the Order of the Apocalypse.
She was one of the Thirteen Original Founders of the Order, but now, only six of them remained.
The others had already been defeated by Arundel, Camazotz, and the other new members who were now part of their order.
The Order of the Apocalypse only has one motto.
"The end of the world is only a moment away."
They, who had the power to destroy, as well as rule were at the apex; second only to the Deities, whom they didn't dare to offend at this point in time.
However, that didn't stop them from eyeing the other worlds, where the Dimensional Gates opened from time to time.
There, they would send their minions, as well as trusted servants, to create a stronghold for them.
Kamrusepa was well respected and recognized in the group because she had already made a foothold on the world called Pangea.
Her second-in-command had long conquered the Continent of Antares, which was located on the Northern side of Pangea.
Camazotz had already set things in motion and was targeting the Continent of Cygni, which was located on the Western side of the World.
Arundel and him were the two Rookies of the Order of the Apocalypse.
But Camazotz dared what Arundel didn't, and that was to set his sights on the world of the Wanderers, whom the hateful Laplace Demon had chosen to fight against them.
"Don't forget our bet, Arundel," Camazotz snickered. "If you fail to conquer the Valbarra Archipelago within the promised time, I'll be getting the wager that is in Kamrusepa's safekeeping."
"Sure," Arundel sneered. "And if I win, I'll be getting the Arcana that you promised."
"Heh~ talk after you win the bet, Rookie."
"Look who's talking. You only became a member two months before me."
"Since you're the last to become a member, then you are the Rookie," Camazotz shrugged. "Well, then. I'll go now. There's still a Continent waiting for me to conquer."
After saying those words, the Giant Red Bat turned into countless red bats that flew toward the center of the table before disappearing completely.
There were only two people left in the conference room, and yet, neither of them spoke to the other and simply waited for the other members to appear before them.
