The Vermilion Royal Capital was the largest city in the Vermilion Kingdom and the entire human domain as a whole. There were about thirty districts and hidden underground tunnels and shelters that were unknown to the public.
It was rumored that these tunnels were built by the second king of the Vermilion Kingdom, Bloodbane Vermilion II, also known as the most ruthless king in the world.
The people of the human domain commonly referred to him as the Demon Lord of the Human Continent.
During his reign, the kingdom waged so many wars with the neighboring five kingdoms. Though millions didn't die in this war like the Great War of Rebirth, the deaths easily surpassed five hundred thousand.
The wars had become so intense that King Bloodbane had instructed the kingdom's [builders] and [architects] to build the tunnels and underground cities to safeguard the kingdom's valuable treasures and relics.
In order to keep the tunnels and cities secret, King Bloodbane had slaughtered all the builders, leaving the secrets to remain only with his trusted subordinates.
Hence, for generations, the citizens had remained clueless about the tunnels and cities beneath them. The only ones who had information about these places were the royal family and a very limited circle of experts.
Inside one of these tunnels, a group of cloaked figures moved silently, their feet echoing against the cobblestone floor that had withstood the test of time and now had several cracks on its surface.
The figures shared no words and soon arrived at a double door with golden engravings at the sides. Upon entering the door, they were greeted by a long table with eight figures already seated.
As the door shut close, the red flames on the wall flickered before becoming still again, casting shadows on the crimson banners embroidered with the flaming rose insignia.
When the two newcomers sat in the remaining seats, the meeting officially began.
"The demons have moved again," said a man cloaked in black, his features obscured by a hood as he sat at the end of the table. Though they all looked the same technically, this man emitted a profound aura, one like a raging inferno compared to the others.
As soon as the words left the man's lips, low, uneasy murmurs erupted.
"The demons… so they finally fell to their greed."
"I knew it was a matter of time. It's still surprising that they took this long to make their move."
The hooded man slammed his fist on the table, immediately silencing the others. He said in a sharp voice, "But this is actually to our advantage. It would be the perfect revenge for destroying one of our strongest trump cards."
The room darkened further, and eyes darted toward the largest figure.
The hooded figure who seemed to be the leader stood, towering over the table. A giant 2 was burned into the back of his black cloak. His entire presence was intimidating, like a ticking nuclear weapon.
"Let the demons advance," he said, calm and calculated, with a hint of amusement. "We'll let them stir chaos in the human domain. Let them kill themselves."
"And then?" one of the figures asked, their eyes practically glowing.
A cruel smirk appeared on the leader's face as he coldly uttered, "Then we strike. Directly."
Silence. Heavy silence swallowed the entire chamber, the only sound coming from the flickering shadows. Then one of the figures asked:
"To the Vermilion Kingdom?"
The man with the 2 turned. He placed a massive hand on the table, leaning forward.
"The Vermilion Kingdom would be vulnerable. They'll be busy fortifying against demons, no doubt."
"And you suggest we attack while they're distracted?"
"Isn't that obvious?" The figure's tone turned mocking. "We wait for the demons to reduce their forces. To open their gates. Then, we burn it to the ground."
A figure slammed his fist on the table. "That's dangerous! The demons might turn on us just as easily!"
"Fools," the man with the 2 snapped. "The demons don't care who dies. They care only for carnage. They only want to conquer the human domain. Let them wreak havoc… and we'll sweep in and do our thing."
Everyone present exchanged glances across the table, calculations and hesitations flickering within them.
The hooded man leaned back and laughed. "The kingdom won't see it coming."
Then he turned to the banners on the wall. Flaming roses glowed beneath the flames. He stared at them without blinking.
"Vermilion has been untouchable for too long," he growled. "Arrogant. Complacent. We'll carve through their lands before they even know we're there. If their very best show up, we'll cut them down."
"But what if the Big Four show up?"
"Let them come. I'll cut them down." He paused and added, "If they don't die at the hands of the Five Great Demon Generals."
A chill swept through the chamber despite the heat emitted from the flames on the wall.
No one opposed what the man with 2 said, and every one of them nodded in agreement. The death of the Emperor-tier hybrid five years ago had dealt a devastating blow to the entire organization.
The Flaming Rose had sent targets to the culprits: a Valkyrie, a mysterious woman who gave off the aura of death, and most importantly, one of their organization's most wanted individuals—Nox Aegis Cromwell.
However, every time they tried to assassinate these people, a man with silver hair and a blindfold always showed up like a ghost, spoiling their plans.
Maybe with this event, they'd finally have a chance to get their revenge.
"So, it's settled," the hooded man said, folding his arms. "We let the demons press forward. We ready our forces. When Vermilion's walls crumble, we strike."
The man with the 2 turned away, his crimson cloak flaring behind him.
"Prepare the troops," he said over his shoulder. "This time, we take no prisoners."
But before he finally left, he had one more thing to say.
"Also, my useless daughter has already infiltrated the most prestigious academy in the kingdom."
Inside the academy's special classroom, the full-bodied swordsmen watched the newcomer, a strange glint in their eyes.
Back in the dark chambers, the man with the 2 turned to his subordinate and declared, "She alone will be able to deal with the students."