Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 145: Tanya’s thanks

Meanwhile, the fortress defenders cheered. The White Devil Eagles, leaderless and fraught with panic, scattered in all directions.

Some were cut down by the fortress’s archers and mages, while others simply fled for distant skies. Arcadia’s West Fortress had staved off disaster for another day.

The Totem Serpent roared one last time, as if to proclaim the city safe. Then, it turned, slithering back into the night.

Though it had grown beyond expectations, it retained the mysterious aloofness that marked all totemic guardians.

And so it vanished, leaving behind only the stunned defenders and the broken corpse of the Silver Dome Lord.

"He...he saved us," breathed one soldier, collapsing with fatigue.

"Yes... the serpent... is truly our city’s protector," murmured another, tears at the corners of her eyes.

Standing amid the battered ramparts, Zack Reed drew himself up and declared solemnly, "Effective immediately, all prior orders against the serpent are revoked. No one is to harm it in any way. This is a direct command from the Judgment Council. Anyone with questions can see me."

He shot a pointed glance at Victor Hale, who nodded in agreement, shame and respect mingling in his gaze.

Victor Hale added, voice ringing clear, "The City of Arcadia stands because of the serpent’s intervention. Let no one doubt that any longer."

The men around them, exhausted yet jubilant, broke into applause and cheers, emotions too high to contain.

Back at the foothills, Luke gently patted a rock outcrop near the massive eagle’s carcass. He could sense the serpent receding.

"Thanks, big guy," he whispered again. "Arcadia owes you—and me, I guess. I’ll handle the rest."

He had no illusions that the city’s politics would suddenly vanish. If anything, new debates would arise over the Totem Serpent’s rightful place, or whether certain factions might still fear its unprecedented growth. But for now, the immediate threat was gone, and the serpent’s deeds had, at least, earned it a crucial reprieve.

As dawn threatened the horizon, Luke gazed at the fortress one last time. The cheering that echoed across the walls carried a single message: We survived. The monstrous avian horde had shattered upon the Serpent’s might. The city’s gloom had lifted, replaced by a fervent hope.

All around White Town, the night sky still bore the faintest glimmer of moonlight. Fires from the earlier explosions had mostly died down, and a group of exhausted soldiers slumped against scorched ruins, trying to catch their breath.

Over in the distance, a colossal figure glided away from the battlefield—the Totem Serpent, a thousand-meter-long guardian that had just vanquished the Silver Dome Lord. Its giant shadow stretched across the horizon, a silent farewell to a city it had chosen to protect.

Meanwhile, at a vantage point overlooking the ruined stores of blood agent, Walter Murphy peered into the sky, his eyes brimming with awe.

He stood alongside a few other survivors from White Town, many still nursing coughs from the remnants of plague-like toxins.

Yet their spirits soared, for the monstrous threat that had loomed over Arcadia was gone, dispelled by the serpent’s might.

"That thousand-meter serpent... so it’s real," Walter said softly, gaze locked on the shape vanishing into the clouds.

"That ’totem beast’ Mentor Luke always hinted at—turns out he spoke the truth. It... it truly protects Arcadia!" He practically trembled with excitement.

Around him, some other tutors and students who had once listened to Luke’s lectures—particularly those from Arcadia Academy—looked on in wonder. Word of the serpent’s victory had traveled fast. Although they had initially been fearful of the giant reptile, that dread was now replaced by admiration. In the face of a monarch-level demon incursion, the Totem Serpent had intervened decisively on humanity’s behalf.

"For a creature so enormous," one teacher remarked in a hushed tone, "it has shown more heart than many a human politician. Think how easily it could have destroyed us if it chose... but it hasn’t. It’s never done so."

Many nodded, awe-struck. Understanding dawned on them: power alone does not make one a demon. The serpent’s strength was immense, yet it had chosen to defend, not devastate.

Elsewhere, the city of Arcadia had largely evacuated non-combatants to safer zones, bracing for what they assumed would be a catastrophic invasion.

Families huddled in designated shelters, hearts pounding in dread for the worst possible outcome.

Then, like a blessing, the magical emergency sirens ceased sooner than expected. The monstrous threat ended abruptly at the West Fortress, sparing the city from direct attack.

From the shelter’s open-air windows, some evacuees glimpsed the silhouette of the departing serpent.

None were entirely sure what had happened, only that the dreaded demon birds had failed to push deeper.

An elderly woman, wrinkled and shaky, folded her hands in prayer toward the serpent’s distant figure. "Thank the heavens," she breathed. "Our...our guardian..."

Her quiet reverence quickly caught on. Dozens—then hundreds—mimicked her gesture, bowing in the serpent’s direction.

For years, rumors circulated about an ancient snake said to appear in times of dire peril. Now, that legend had taken unmistakable shape. People wept in gratitude.

Tanya Reed, stationed on the city’s outskirts to oversee civilian protection, clutched her phone in one trembling hand.

Through the makeshift command center, she had learned that the Totem Serpent had indeed triumphed against the Silver Dome Lord. No mass destruction had befallen Arcadia.

Tanya’s tears glistened on her cheeks as she gazed out to the fortress. She knew the serpent must have sensed the city’s crisis and acted of its own accord. "Big guy," she whispered, voice thick with emotion.

In her mind, she remembered first bonding with the serpent, forging a closeness that few humans could understand.

She felt a distant, comforting resonance, as though the serpent’s huge dark eyes found her in the crowd, silently assuring her that it had done its duty.

She pressed her hands together in relief, tears slipping down her face. "Thank you... for everything," she murmured.

"And...thank you, Luke, for believing. For setting this in motion." She recalled how Luke had assured her that the serpent would be hailed as a hero.

Now, seeing the city’s reaction, she realized everything had come true—the serpent’s name was fully cleared.