I was Drafted Into a War as the Only Human

'I see, Vorn... you've broken free from my control, haven't you?' Ithriel mused, his voice low and sharp inside his mind as he sat upright on his towering, jagged obsidian throne.

From his high vantage point, the God of Control watched the duel unfold below with narrowed eyes, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. The wind howled through the black spires behind him, stirring the Icy blue banners that hung like ghosts from broken poles. Below, the clash between his top general and the human echoed across the battlefield in bursts of thunderous impact.

At first, the slow pace of the battle hadn't alarmed him. Vorn Cain—his most trusted and powerful general—was known for his cruel amusement in dragging out fights. He delighted in breaking opponents piece by piece, rarely finishing a battle quickly. But this time, this was different. The prolonged conflict lacked purpose. It wasn't dominance—it was restraint.

A dangerous thought crept into Ithriel's mind.

'This is no longer a game... Vorn, you've reclaimed your will.'

His expression darkened as obsidian cracks formed around the arms of his throne, his divine pressure leaking through his control. 'You must know, once this war is over, you will be mine again. So tell me, what are you after? What is it you're trying to do?'

Down on the battlefield, the obsidian beneath Lucy's feet shimmered with residual heat and scattered blood. His boots scraped against the glassy surface as he steadied himself, breathing hard. Bruises bloomed across his arms and torso beneath the battered silver of his armor. Fist-sized dents marred its surface—a testament to the punishment he'd endured.

But his hands were glowing now.

Ever so slightly, wisps of white mana trickled along his forearms, spiraling up like veins of light under his skin. He had finally reached page 4 of 100 in the mana circulation manual.

It had not come easily. It took more than twenty skull-shattering punches from Vorn—each one a lesson etched into his body through sheer agony—before his mind had begun to click into place. His lungs screamed. His muscles trembled. But his mana was flowing faster now, stronger.

Pain still surged through every joint, but the difference was clear.