BANG…
Even the Commander of the Thunderstorm Brigade, a level 9 knight, was hurled backwards.
"Don't even bother. I know the knight orders and the commanders are very strong. That is why I brought this with me," the demon cackled, flashing a black compass swirling with a sphere of rotating sigils.
The moment the item came up, the sky around the capital darkened.
"That is!!"
Six of the seven great commanders all took sharp breaths. Their eyes which fell on the compass, immediately took on a grave expression.
In this world, there were seven heavenly treasures of unparalleled strength left behind by the old gods to counter the demons. Likewise, there were also Seven Ultimate Demonic Treasures of immense strength created by the Demon Lord to counter those heavenly treasures.
The compass was one of them.
"Abyssal Compass?! How the hell did they get their hands on that?" Brutus, the Commander of the Order of the Blazing Sun, questioned.
With chaos ensuing all around the seven great commanders banded together to come up with a solution.
"The Abyssal compass should have been lost to the demons after one of the previous seven great orders sacrificed their lives fighting one of the heavenly kings and hiding the compass from their hands".
Vanessa answered "Looks like they found the compass again".
"Tsk, are you telling me that our predecessors died for nothing?"
The commander of the Thunderstorm Brigade clicked his tongue. He was a man with a muscular build, carried a lance, and had short spiky blue hair that sparked with electricity.
On his face that was average, he grew a prided moustache that he caressed every now on then. The name of the commander was Zargues, and just like all the other commanders except for Reinhardt, who came in his training gear, he was fully decked out in armor. However, his was built to provide more agility than defence.
"That is not necessarily the case," Vanessa shook her head.
"As we all know, that compass is capable of creating and trapping its target in an endless labyrinth where they would be slowly drained of their strength, willpower and sanity, eventually becoming mindless demonic husks"...
"However, the demon did not use that function, or perhaps he could not. He only trapped us inside this hastily made barrier using the powerful space wrapping ability of the compass. That is to say, the Abyssal compass has not gained its full power yet. Our predecessors' efforts were not for naught".
"Even if you say that, this is still a barrier made by one of the Seven Ultimate Demonic Treasures. If it wants to trap us, we can't do anything".
As everyone had seen before, even a powerful level 9 knight commander was sent flying back by the barrier.
"Hmph, I was not serious back then. If I use the full power of my Thunderstorm Skills, I can break out of this barrier" Zargues snorted. He slammed a gauntleted fist into his palm. Lightning exploded around him, scorching the ground.
"You better not" Vanessa stopped him before the former could do anything reckless.
"Your powers are far too violent and indiscriminate to both your allies and enemies. If commanders like us use our full strength in an enclosed space like this, we risk embroiling others in our power storm. There are many civilians here, as the commanders of the seven great order we need to make level headed decisions".
"Vanessa is right" Brutus nodded "As Seven Great Commanders, we need to set an example. What good will it do if we panic? In any case, the first thing we need to do is appease the citizen and show them that we are in control and can protect the capital".
As the commander of the strongest knight order, Brutus' words clearly held more sway than anyone else. All the other knight commanders nodded and sent their subordinates to calm the citizens.
"You all are right to be cautious," chuckled an old man. He had long white beard and a sword cane in his hand. At a glance, he gave off a sagely appearance.
However, I cannot fall for his look for he was the commander of one of the Seven Great Knight Orders, Knights of the Enduring Spirit. A knight order comprising fully of commoners and peasants.
"Did you all forget? I have seen that item before."
"Sir Conrad, you are the wisest of us all. Do you know a way to break past the barrier?" Vanessa asked.
"Haha, Dame Vanessa, your words are too serious. I'm a knight like you all who has just lived a little longer. That said, if it's the Abyssal Compass, I do know a thing or two about it; after all, the commander who took down one of the heavenly kings and hid the compass was my friend".
The latter answered, reminiscing about the old times. As one would expect, his knowledge of being a commander from a generation before Reinhardt and the others came in clutch.
"My friend who fought the heavenly king who possessed the Abyssal Compass told me this. The Abyssal Compass is indeed powerful, but it also has a glaring weakness. It requires absolute stability to maintain its space wrapping ability"...
"If it is shaken, disturbed, or even slightly moved from its fixed position, the illusion shatters, freeing those trapped within. Its power is rooted in stillness, any disruption weakens its grasp and dispels its dark labyrinth".
'Absolute stability, no wonder the demon wasn't moving from its place. It just stood there since the beginning and let its minions do the work for it. It was not because it didn't want to move but because it couldn't. If the demon moves from its place, the barrier will break' Reinhardt thought to himself.
Silence hung for a moment. And then understanding burst across every face.
A grin spread across Brutus' face. "So simple… and yet so deadly. The previous commanders were true geniuses."
Zargues twirled his lance, sparks crackling around him once again. But this time, his grin matched the rumbling of the thunder. "So all we have to do… is make it flinch?"
The commanders' eyes gleamed with shared resolve.
And just as the plan began to take shape...
"If I may interrupt, Seven Great Commanders," a rough voice cut in. Guren, the commander of the order of the Iron Wolf, stepped forward,