Steel screamed across the battlefield.
Veyrion's chain-cane snapped into spear form as he blocked another strike, twisting away from a demon's claws while deflecting a human soldier's sword. Sparks burst across the ruined ground.
He slid backward, breathing hard.
"Yeah… this is bad," he muttered.
Humans on one side.
Demons on the other.
And him?
The third side.
Both armies were fighting each other, but every few seconds someone tried to kill him too.
"Fantastic," he said under his breath. "Two armies and I'm the target practice."
Above the battlefield, unseen but watching, the gods spoke into his mind.
"Choose."
The voice echoed.
"Humans… or demons."
Veyrion spun the spear and knocked aside another attack.
"Choose?" he barked. "Bro, I don't even know where the hell I am!"
The whisper of the ninth god, Selynth, slid quietly into his mind.
"You can survive this. Think carefully. Play along."
Veyrion's instincts screamed something different.
No.
Something is wrong.
These people are playing games.
He kept fighting, calculating, watching everything.
Then suddenly—
The battlefield went quiet.
Demons stopped attacking.
Humans stopped attacking.
Both sides slowly stepped back.
Veyrion frowned.
"Oh great… what now?"
A human stepped forward from the ranks.
Heavy armor.
Calm steps.
A massive war hammer resting on his shoulder.
A general.
The soldiers behind him began shouting.
"General Arkhaven!"
"Honor battle!"
"Let the warrior fight!"
Even the demons began cheering.
They could feel something inside Veyrion now—demonic energy. The gods had already infused him with it.
To them, he looked like a newborn demon champion.
Veyrion looked around slowly.
"Ah… hell."
He sighed.
"Yeah… I'm cooked."
The general stopped a few meters away.
His voice was deep and steady.
"Demon warrior," he said. "Face me."
The armies circled them.
Thousands of soldiers watching.
An arena made of war.
Veyrion rolled his shoulders and lifted his spear.
"Look man," he said casually, "I don't even know how I got here."
The general swung the hammer into his hand.
"Then learn."
He moved.
Fast.
Faster than Veyrion expected.
The hammer crashed down like a meteor.
Veyrion reacted instantly, spear flashing forward. Metal screamed as the spear hooked the hammer's handle and ripped it from the general's grip, sending it spinning through the air.
The crowd roared.
But the general didn't stop.
He stepped forward and drove a burning fist into Veyrion's chest.
Fire exploded.
Veyrion flew across the battlefield, smashing through a stone building and crashing through another wall.
Dust filled the air.
He stood slowly.
"…okay," he coughed.
"That hurt."
Then something inside him awakened.
Metal.
Everywhere.
Broken swords.
Spears.
Armor fragments.
Shields.
Chains.
Thousands of pieces.
They began rattling.
Shaking.
Rising into the air.
The entire battlefield trembled as metal lifted like a tidal wave.
The soldiers panicked.
"Magic!"
"Control magic!"
The general's eyes narrowed.
He slammed his hand into the ground.
A powerful magnetic field erupted around him, forcing the metal to halt.
The two forces clashed in mid-air.
Metal shaking violently between them.
But the battlefield had already changed.
Veyrion smiled slowly.
"Oh… I get it now."
He stepped forward.
The metal around him moved like a living storm.
"This place…" he said.
"…is basically my playground."
Blades launched from every direction.
Spears spun through the air.
Chains whipped like serpents.
His chain-cane transformed constantly—
Spear.
Sword.
Gun.
Chain.
Every movement precise.
Every strike technical.
The general blocked several attacks, but the pressure kept rising.
Metal from every direction.
No pattern.
No predictability.
Finally the general stepped back.
He raised his hand.
"RETREAT."
A massive portal opened behind the human army.
One by one, the soldiers vanished through it.
Within seconds—
They were gone.
Silence returned.
The demons erupted in cheers.
"Demon champion!"
"Brother!"
"Warrior!"
Veyrion blinked.
"…what the hell just happened?"
The sky warped.
Seven of the gods appeared above the battlefield.
The space-manipulating god smiled.
"You entertained us."
Veyrion shrugged.
"Yeah. It was fun for a moment."
He spun the spear lazily.
"Been a long time since I fought someone strong."
Another god leaned forward.
"Do you accept your role now?"
Veyrion shook his head.
"No."
The gods paused.
"You refuse?"
"Yeah," he said simply. "I refuse."
"Then you are prepared to die."
"No," Veyrion said calmly. "I'm not prepared to die either."
The gods exchanged looks.
Then a mirror appeared in the air.
Inside it—
His family.
Back home.
Normal.
Alive.
One god spoke softly.
"We could erase them with a snap."
Veyrion froze.
"…okay," he said quietly.
"Let's negotiate."
Selynth's whisper returned.
"Now you see their game. Play along."
Veyrion looked back at the gods.
"Fine," he said.
"But if I'm doing this… I want rewards."
The gods smiled.
"What do you want?"
"If I survive… I join you."
They leaned forward.
"You want to become the tenth god?"
"Exactly."
The gods laughed.
"Interesting."
They agreed.
Power surged into Veyrion.
Demonic energy flooded his body.
Stronger.
Faster.
Deadlier.
Veyrion smirked.
Then suddenly—
He attacked.
His spear blasted forward like lightning.
One god flew backward.
The others stared in surprise.
Veyrion turned to strike another—
But suddenly he couldn't move.
One god held him effortlessly in the air and slammed him against a wall.
"You are still powerless against us."
Veyrion coughed.
"…seriously?"
The god released him.
"We are not saying you are weak."
"We are simply too powerful."
Veyrion wiped blood from his mouth.
"Yeah… I noticed."
Selynth's voice whispered again.
"Finish their game. Kill the Demon Lord. Then come speak to me in your kingdom."
Veyrion stared at the gods.
If he refused—
He dies.
If he obeys—
He survives.
Maybe protects his family.
Maybe learns their secrets.
"…fine," he muttered.
The gods opened another portal.
"Your mission begins now."
"Kill the Demon Lord."
Veyrion picked up his spear.
"…great," he sighed.
And stepped through the portal.