Reincarnated as the Demon King's Son

The sudden return of the demon vessels cast a shadow over the worlds that had just begun to taste freedom. The guerrilla fighters, moments ago buoyed by hope and the thrill of rebellion, found themselves exposed and vulnerable under the open sky.

The demons, far from engaging the Dawnbreaker in a distant battle, had executed a cunning feint, turning their full might upon those who dared stand against them on the ground.

Aerin, among the trees with her band of elven and human allies, felt a chill run down her spine as she saw the dark silhouettes of the vessels blot out the sun. "Ambush!" she cried, her voice a clarion call that was all too late. The air was rent with the sound of demonic artillery, a cacophony of death that descended upon the fighters with merciless precision.

Corin, rallying his troops in the heart of a city's ruins, barely had time to shout a warning before the world around him erupted into chaos. The ground shook with each impact, buildings that had stood as silent witnesses to the struggle crumbled, and the air filled with the scent of blood and fire.

The guerrillas, taken by surprise, fought desperately but the disparity in power was all too evident. Lasers cut through their ranks, leaving swathes of destruction in their wake. Explosions sent bodies flying, life extinguished in the blink of an eye. The cries of the wounded and dying melded with the roar of the battle, a grim symphony of despair.

"Fall back!" Corin yelled, his voice ragged with fury and frustration. He grabbed a nearby fighter, pulling her away from the line of fire. "We need to regroup, find cover!"

But the demons gave no quarter. Their assault was relentless, a tidal wave of destruction that sought to crush any resistance. The fighters scattered, their unity shattered under the onslaught. Some sought refuge in the ruins, others fled towards the forests, but all knew the grim reality: they were outmatched, and survival now hinged on evasion, not confrontation.

Aerin, her bow in hand, loosed arrow after arrow, each one imbued with the magic of her ancient lineage. But for each demon that fell, ten more took its place. "To the woods!" she ordered, her heart heavy with the knowledge that this was a retreat, not a tactical withdrawal. "Protect the wounded, move!"

As the guerrilla fighters dispersed, seeking the meager shelter offered by the landscape, the demons advanced, their laughter a cruel echo that filled the air. They hunted the fleeing rebels with a savage joy, reveling in the destruction they wrought.

Aldred and Shinari observed these massacres.

Aldred only had a look of realization and slightly impressed.

Meanwhile, horror plastered on Shinari's countenance.

"So that's his strategy," Aldred said. "They are using us."

Shinari also realized it. After years of battles with Aldred, she knew a lot of tricks and deception of war.

The demon let Dawnbreaker wreck havoc in their territory, fooling everyone that humanity was winning.

They knew the Dawnbreaker was merely a distraction. The real hassle was the guerilla fighters who had been fighting in the shadow for decades. Like rats and cockroaches, they always appeared out of nowhere.

The Dawnbreaker gave them a chance to lure these rats out and exterminate them once and for all.

Aldred fell right into their trap.

However, his lips turned into a wide-sinister grin.

Shinari noticed it and was surprised as she had never seen Aldred made that face before.

"All the guerilla fighters in the demon world will be obliterated. We won't have as many informants as before. The fog of war becomes darker and thicker," Shinari said.

"That makes it more exciting isn't it?"

"Exciting? Aldred, we are in a war. Millions will die."

"It doesn't matter. Millions. Billions will die even if there is no war. Diseases, natural phenomena, accidents, and many more."

The tension in the room was palpable, a stark contrast to the chaos that reigned outside. Shinari, visibly unsettled by Aldred's grim acceptance of the casualties, paced the length of their makeshift command center, her steps echoing in the silence that followed his statement. She stopped, turning to face Aldred with a look of fierce determination.

"You can't possibly believe that," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil she felt inside. "Yes, death is an inevitable part of life, but to dismiss those lives so cavalierly—"

Aldred raised a hand, signaling her to pause. "You misunderstand me, Shinari. I do not dismiss the value of life lightly. Each loss is a tragedy, a potential unfulfilled. But we must face the reality of our situation. We are at war, and in war, death is a constant companion."

Shinari's expression softened, understanding dawning. "And you believe that accepting this is the only way to win? To embrace the chaos and use it?"

"Exactly," Aldred replied, his gaze drifting to the maps strewn across the table. "We cannot afford to be paralyzed by the fear of loss. We must act, and act decisively, if we are to have any hope of victory."

Shinari nodded. "I am not paralyzed by the loss. I have been in many battles. Casualties are inevitable."

"Yes. But you only see death in the dozens. Have you witness billions of lives vanquished before your very eyes?"

Shinari looked at the multiple screens projecting the demons burning and chasing all the fighters.

"We did this," Aldred said. "Because of our plan, these fighters came out of hiding and got themselves killed."

Shinari frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"Avenge them of course. I need to let everyone know that we are not losing. I will go to each and everyone one of those planets."

"That's too dangerous. There might be a trap."

"Everything we do is dangerous." Aldred smiled before he vanished immediately.

Shinari's heart hammered against her ribs, fear and determination fueling her swift movements as she exited the command center. The thought of Aldred, alone, facing potential traps and insurmountable odds, sent a cold shiver down her spine. Her resolve hardened; she couldn't let him face this peril without support.

Racing through the dimly lit corridors, she reached the hangar where her sleek spacecraft awaited, its metallic surface gleaming under the artificial lights. Without hesitation, she boarded and set the coordinates for the floating giant vessel, home to the brilliant minds of the Celestial Platoon.

The vessel, a marvel of engineering and technology, floated in the quiet expanse of space, its size dwarfing the spacecrafts that buzzed around it like flies. As Shinari's ship docked, she was met with the sight of scientists and engineers in a frenzy of activity, the urgency of their tasks palpable in the air.

Guards, vigilant and unwavering, stood at their posts, a testament to the importance of the work being done within these walls.

Navigating through the maze of corridors, Shinari arrived at the lab of Salamander, the genius engineer whose inventions had turned the tide of many battles. The lab was chaos incarnate, with blueprints and holographic displays scattered across the space. Amidst the chaos, Salamander stood, a figure of calm as he surveyed his domain.

"Salamander," Shinari began, urgency lacing her voice, "we face a dire situation. Aldred has set off alone, seeking to avenge our fallen allies. He's walking into unknown dangers, and I fear for his safety."

Salamander turned, his gaze intense, absorbing every word. "Aldred is a formidable force, but even he is not invincible," he acknowledged, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "You seek a solution that can strike back at our enemies while ensuring Aldred's safety?"

"Exactly," Shinari confirmed, her eyes pleading for understanding, for hope.

After a moment of contemplation, a spark of inspiration lit Salamander's eyes. "I may have just the thing," he said, moving towards a secured cabinet. From it, he retrieved a small device, no larger than a fist, its surface sleek and inscribed with intricate runes.

"This," he began, cradling the device in his hands, "is a prototype I've been developing. It's designed to autonomously gather materials, even from the debris of battle, and construct explosives. These can be deployed in strategic locations to disrupt our enemies without risking more lives."

Shinari examined the device, its potential immediately apparent. "Could this be programmed to target specific facilities? To cripple their operations without direct confrontation?"

"Precisely," Salamander confirmed, a hint of pride in his voice. "And it operates with such stealth that Aldred's intervention would be unnecessary. He could remain safe while this device carries out the mission."

The relief that washed over Shinari was palpable. "This… could change everything. How soon can we deploy it?"

Salamander's response was immediate. "It's ready now. All it needs is a target."

With a newfound sense of purpose, Shinari took the device, its weight light in her hands but heavy with significance. "Then let's bring our fight to the enemy's doorstep, without risking more of our own. Thank you, Salamander. You may have just saved countless lives today."

"Or end them." Salamander chuckled.

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