Dancing on the golden ashes

But all good things have to end someday. At least for me, I know there cannot be a happy ending. Today—so many years after our wedding—we have gathered once more, this time to march against the angels and their allies. Perhaps I am rushing fate, perhaps not, but one truth is certain: if I do not kill the Creator, he will one day find a way to destroy the life I have built. And if that day comes… everything will be lost.

From the high ground I look down at the sea of my kin, one hundred billion demons assembled after millions of years of slow, patient growth. The sight stretches beyond horizons, a living tide of black flames and scarlet eyes, their roars rising together like thunder that shakes the marrow of the world itself.

The earth trembles beneath their gathered weight, the skies warp from the pressure of their aura, and even the air feels thick enough to choke with the raw pulse of so much power. Half stand at the very peak of cultivation, while the rest linger just short of it, their strength already pressing at the gates of the Immortal King realm or even the Immortal Realm itself. A force to be reckoned with.

I cannot allow the angels to destroy this. That is why we will strike first, dragging them from their radiant towers into the shadows. Let them call us cowards, let them spit on us as losers, it matters little. We demons will never falter. We will fight in whatever way we must, until the angels are nothing but dust and memory, until their name itself is erased.

"Empress, we have finished all preparations. Shall we move out now?" Min-jeong stands beside me, her pink hair rippling in the wind like a thousand butterflies—beautiful at first glance, yet lethal, each wing sharp enough to kill with a single touch. This girl had become a beast in disguise. Even I sometimes feel a flicker of fear when I see her fight. She has grown so powerful that I no longer keep her behind the lines. Now she belongs at the very front, unshaken and unafraid. She has come such a long way.

"Thank you. Tell the others to ready themselves. I will unlock the spatial portal, and we will strike directly at their capital. It is all thanks to Ji-hoon. Without his infiltration, without the knowledge he risked everything to bring back, we would never have been able to plan this attack." He had been fearless when he first declared he would slip into the angelic world alone, find out everything, and return.

At first, I thought it nothing more than a suicidal dream. Yet after he stepped into the Immortal Emperor's realm, I felt the weight on my chest ease. His abilities evolved into perfect concealment. Even I cannot sense him anymore unless I reach into the powers of the fourth dimension. He was born for this, a natural assassin. And if he wills it, anyone—angel, demon, or god—will eventually fall prey to his daggers.

"Yes!" she says happily in a high-pitched voice and runs off to Ji-hoon. I swear those two are sweet on each other… perhaps after this war, we will see another wedding. I watch them chatting, her leaning close to whisper, and Ji-hoon's eyes flicking toward me before his cheeks redden, making Min-jeong giggle like a girl caught in mischief.

"Gaon, I'm ready to lead the first squadron. Tell me when to move out!" A powerful, enthusiastic voice strikes my ears, the ground shuddering as Eun-woo lands beside me. His body radiates strength like a living star, burning and ready to crush anything foolish enough to block his path.

"Thank you. Please grab my useless husband on the way. Where is he, anyway?" I scanned the field for Seong-hoon, but of course, he had vanished this morning, taking our little girl with him somewhere.

Ah, I forgot to mention… ahem. I might have given birth to the cutest little girl, named Kim So-yeon. A living legacy of our love. I adore her with everything I am. Her hair is as white as winter's first snow, and her eyes shine green like the brightest jade. She is a treasure beyond all measure. But today she will remain here, guarded by one of our strongest, while that fool Seong-hoon likely sneaked off to train her again.

"I think I saw him a few hours ago with So-yeon, haha! Don't worry, I can feel his aura. He's on his way, he'll be here in minutes. I'll grab him and have him carry the second squadron with me to the frontlines." Eun-woo pounds his chest with the pride of a warrior. Though his helmet hides his face, I can still feel the sorrow in him. To this day, he has never stopped loving me. But those feelings... I can never return...

"Thank you so much. Without you here, this entire group would be a mess." With that, he vanishes into the ranks.

I look down from the high ground. Every single commander stands ready in position.

Eun-woo, leading the first squadron, blazing with the power to shatter mountains.

My useless husband, Seong-hoon, finally appearing with that infuriating smile that dares to pretend he hadn't vanished for hours. He leads the second squadron.

Jieun, at the head of the third. Her aura burns like immortal fire. If I had to guess, she has already surpassed me in raw strength. A frightening girl, but the most loyal and still the most mysterious even now. She gives me a warm smile, her eyes filled with respect. I nod back.

Min-jeong, with the fourth, her thorned power dancing around her like a crown of death, always ready to strike.

Ji-hoon, commanding the fifth. He meets my gaze with a steady nod, and in an instant his squad of assassins vanishes into the shadows. A silent storm waiting to fall.

Min-jae, leading the sixth, his body burning with the raw force of space and time. Almost my equal in that domain. His eyes shine with readiness, even if it means death. This fool… no dying is allowed. Not today.

Seo-yeon, at the seventh, cold as ever since losing her love, her grief frozen into a sharp edge that makes the heavens tremble. She bows, her entire squad bowing with her like falling snow.

And lastly, my little fox, Malrang, standing at the head of my demon beasts. Ten billion strong, their presence swells the tide of our army until it feels endless. Her body glimmers with power vast enough to swallow the world, and the bond between us burns unbroken. We don't need words. We understand. Today we fight to the death if that is what it takes. Me and her, always.

"Let's move out!" My voice thunders across the legions as I raise my hand to the sky. A crack tears open in the void, light spilling through, and a brilliant cream-colored world emerges beyond it. The city below shimmers like a jewel of false heaven.

I'm coming for you, Creator. Today, you will die by my hand once and for all...