The war room of the Phoenix Kingdom was filled with an air of quiet intensity. The torches flickered, casting deep shadows against the towering golden pillars. The polished marble floor reflected the weight of the mont, mirroring the tense expressions of the young warriors who had gathered.
At the head of the room stood iyo and Kouki Chikara, the destined rulers of the Phoenix Kingdom. Their gazes burned with purpose, their presence alone commanding respect. Before them sat the six noble heirs of the Phoenix Vanguard—Akari Himura, Kaito Nakamura, Aka Takahashi, Duck Yoshida, Rika Suzuki, and Hakashi Tanaka.
It was a montous occasion. The first true move in the war.
And they would be leading it.
A massive map of the Demon Empire's Inner Castle and its surrounding lands floated above the table, constructed entirely out of Omni Energy, constantly shifting and updating with intelligence reports. The enemy's fortifications. Their troop formations. Their defenses. Everything was displayed before them.
iyo, always the composed one, was the first to speak. Her voice was cool, calculated, absolute.
"This war is inevitable. We all know that. But what matters is how we win it. The Phoenix Kingdom will not charge blindly into battle like common soldiers—we will strike precisely, surgically, and without hesitation."
She turned, her crimson eyes scanning the faces before her.
"Our first target is the Demon Empire's Inner Castle. This is not just a fortress—it is their center of command. Taking it would send a ssage to Maou-sama's forces and break their morale before the war even begins."
Kouki leaned forward, his arms crossed, a smirk curling at his lips.
"Good. Let's burn the place to the ground and mount their heads on pikes. Let's show them that the Phoenix Kingdom doesn't take prisoners."
Akari Himura, the Soulweaver, let out a soft chuckle, running a delicate finger along the table. "Kouki-Kun, as much as I adore your enthusiasm, brute force alone won't work against the Demon Empire. Their magic defenses are too strong. If we attack head-on, we'll be fighting on their terms."
Kaito Nakamura scoffed, arms folded across his chest. His blood-red eyes glead with anticipation. "Then what's the plan? We can crush them from the inside out if we take control of their commanding officers."
Aka Takahashi, the Mindseer, sighed dramatically. "You think they don't have counterasures for mind attacks? Demons aren't fools. Their generals are resistant to ntal intrusion. Even if I could manipulate them, it would take too much ti."
"Enough," iyo cut in sharply, her gaze flickering with impatience. "We don't need brute force, and we don't need prolonged battles."
She turned toward Rika Suzuki, the Shadowshifter, her expression unreadable. "We have sothing they can't counter. The Shadow Realm."
The room fell into silence.
All eyes turned to Rika, who simply smiled, resting her chin on her palm. "Oh? Are you finally recognizing my greatness, iyo?"
iyo ignored the sarcasm. "Your ability to pull people into the Shadow Realm is the key to this mission. The space in the Shadow Realm doesn't align with the physical world—it is its own dinsion. That ans if we travel through it, we can reach the Demon Empire's Inner Castle without crossing the battlefield."
Kouki's smirk widened. "Heh. I like this."
Rika tilted her head, amused. "Of course you do."
Duck Yoshida, the Soundbound, raised an eyebrow. "Hold on. You're suggesting we bypass the entire army and go straight for Maou-sama himself?"
"Exactly," iyo confird. "With Rika controlling the space in the Shadow Realm, we can shorten the distance. What might take days in the real world could be re minutes in the Shadow Realm. And once we erge, we will be right inside their inner sanctum."
Hakashi Tanaka, the Lifewalker, frowned. "And what then? Maou-sama is not a weakling. Even if we surprise him, we won't be able to take him down easily."
Kaito scoffed. "You're thinking too small. If we kill him quickly, the entire war collapses before it begins. We won't need a prolonged battle. We cut off the head, and the body dies."
iyo nodded. "Exactly. We will not get another chance like this. If we successfully assassinate Maou-sama, the Demon Empire will crumble before the war even starts."
Rika stretched her arms, her expression unreadable. "A risky plan, but... I like it. Dangerous. Unpredictable. Chaotic. My kind of thing."
Kouki grinned. "Then it's settled. We move in through the Shadow Realm and strike before they even know we're there."
Akari's eyes glowed faintly as she ran a hand through her long, silken hair. "This is either genius or suicidal. Probably both."
iyo turned back to Rika. "You control the Shadow Realm. You decide how the distances work inside it. How long will it take to move from here to the Inner Castle?"
Rika's violet eyes glead with mischief. "I can make the journey instantaneous. But there's a price."
Kouki narrowed his eyes. "What price?"
Rika's grin widened. "You have to trust . And more importantly... you have to let have a little fun along the way."
iyo exhaled, already tired of the theatrics. "Fine. Just get us inside."
Rika chuckled darkly. "Oh, darling, you'll love where I take you."
Kaito rolled his eyes. "Enough gas. When do we leave?"
iyo's gaze hardened. "Tomorrow night. Under the cover of darkness. The Phoenix Vanguard will strike first."
Kouki grinned, his blood boiling with excitent. "And when we do—Maou-sama dies."
Akari leaned into Kouki much Kaito jealously. "And then the world will know my mans greatness."
"It was iyo-Chan who thought off this." Hakashi said.
"Yeah well we will win because Kouki-Kun not ito." Akari fud.
"But that makes zero sense it was Maiyo-Chan brilliant and unparalleled mind that thought of the plan." Hakashi stated.
ito was smug but noticed Kouki about to attack her man for talking to his girl and like making him look bad in front everyone
A pulse of Omni Energy erupted in the war room, shaking the very foundation of the Phoenix Kingdom. Catching Kouki attention.
"Enough. Hakashi-Kun you are right but don't fracture the team." iyo said as she turned to Kouki.
"And you my dear brother better not hurt him. I'm not Noboru i will fight you." she added.
Kouki refused to back off as iyo teleported him to a provate room.
"Look i know your prides hurt but if you break the team with your anger and jealously we all lose and the you won't be king." iyo said knowing the best way to manipulated Kouki. She knew him well in case she has to get rid of so she put on the scared little sister act.
"Please brother you promised you will protect us."
This was it.
The first move in the war.
And if they succeeded—it would be the last.
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