Arriving a short while after the Fifth Legion was a contingent of the Beastman Race, led by the God of War, Gulf himself!
The spectators erupted in a thunderous roar. I could feel the entire atmosphere of the parade shift in an instant.
Next came the High Elves. A few onlookers fainted on the spot and were quickly carried off to the relief stations.
Then came the main event: the Inferno Wolves.
I told myself I’d be fine. I wouldn't cower. I was determined to witness their majesty with my own eyes. Or so I thought, but...
There were so many of them. An absolutely incredible number. It wasn't just ten; there had to be at least two hundred. They were marching in such perfect formation that they were actually easy to count.
Honestly, I was just left staring, wondering what on earth I was seeing. No voices rose from the crowd around me; we all just stood there in silence, watching the Inferno Wolves' procession pass.
As if to rebuke our stunned silence, the Angel Race and Harpy Race soared through the sky above. They were fully armed. They were flying too high for me to see the details, but their equipment gleamed with the luster of gold. I thought they looked beautiful, but the elderly folk around me began screaming and fell into a blind panic.
Right—they had actually fought in wars against the Angel Race in the past. Voices shouted from all sides, "It's all right! The Angels are our allies!" but the words didn't seem to reach the ears of those panicking. They were frantically searching for anything that could be used as a weapon.
...Wait, were they actually panicking, or were they being remarkably composed?
The parade security rushed over and told them to calm down, but... ah, they were pinned. It looked like they were being forcibly escorted to the relief stations. Thanks for the hard work, guys.
Despite the chaos, the parade marched on. Following the Angels and Harpies was a group from the Devil Race.
...Wait.
Those weren't just ordinary Devils. They were Ancient Devils! The legendary race said to have once ruled the entire world! Why were they here? And why were there so many of them?
The crowd around me descended into an even greater frenzy than they had for the Angels. I was losing my mind, too. History books claim the Demon Race rose to power by defeating the Ancient Devils, but there’s no way that's true. The Ancient Devils simply vanished of their own accord, and the Demon Race filled the vacuum they left behind. Everyone knows that.
So why were those Ancient Devils participating in the parade? Did this mean the Demon King had truly brought them under his command? Was this their formal debut? Was it the same for the Angel Race earlier? Was this entire parade held for that very purpose?
Looking closely at the group of Ancient Devils, I recognized a familiar face at the front. It was Prada-san! Oh, Prada-san!
Wait, what? Prada-san was an Ancient Devil?
I was still trying to wrap my head around why Angels and Ancient Devils were in the parade when a massive tremor cut my thoughts short.
Dragons.
Too large to fit through the Shrine’s Main Gate, the enormous dragons had flown from behind the mountain where the shrine stood and landed nearby. The impact of their landing was the source of that massive vibration.
I’d known the dragons were supposed to participate, but I couldn't even process the thought anymore. I just froze. I forgot to even breathe.
Dragons.
Even a single one was enough to make you realize what a terrifying existence they were, yet there were more than a dozen of them. Each one was significantly stronger than the ones present during the rehearsal. Overwhelmingly so. I didn't have the slightest clue just how powerful they were, but I got the feeling that the dragons at the rehearsal might have actually been children. That was how huge the gap in power felt.
I realized then that these were beings I could never hope to win against. Their status as living creatures was on a completely different level. Was it even okay for me to be looking at them? Shouldn't I be prostrating myself?
Even as the thoughts raced, I couldn't move. I couldn't even twitch a finger. I felt death so close... yet life felt so vibrant. What was this feeling? Gods?
Yes, the dragons before my eyes were gods.
Tears were streaming down my face. I was simply overwhelmed by the majesty of such beings. I saw a dragon with many heads—it was a bit terrifying and even larger than the others. Then, I spotted a dragon that occasionally visits Village Five. It was waving to us, but I was so struck by its divinity that I remained rooted to the spot.
You're usually much more approachable, aren't you?
Ah, geez, what was going to happen next? While shedding silent tears, I simply watched the dragons' procession pass by.