Chapter 183: Decisive Battle (3)

After the meeting ended, they returned to Calderic, and the march towards the Great Plain proceeded at an astonishing pace.

As commander-in-chief, the Overlord was in charge of all the Lords’ armies

In this war, the Lords did not have the authority to directly command each of their own forces. This was true except for the forces of the Fourth Lord, the King of the Dead, and the Eighth Lord, the Black Sea Empress.

“Fight with all your might. We will achieve victory.”

Woahhhh…!

Standing before the numerous troops of the Seventh Lord, I delivered a speech that was far from heartfelt, despite my brave words.

Honestly, I hardly felt the sense of being the leader of these cheering masses before me.

Well, how different could it be with the other Lords?

Truth be told, I had no idea what even the Overlord was really thinking, and I suspected that the only who had genuine nationalistic feelings for Calderic was the First Lord.

My mind was filled only with thoughts of how to slay the Demon King and about Kaen.

Calderic’s responsibility was the demon forces to the north of the plain.

To the northeast of Calderic lay a massive mountain range.

From the east of Calderic, the combined forces of all the Lords gathered and started their march, advancing along the northern borders of Santea.

“Hey, Seventh Lord. In your opinion, which direction do you think the Demon King is in?”

Three days into our march, the Mad King came up beside me and asked.

I answered vaguely.

“In the center.”

“Why?”

“Just a feeling.”

North, center, south. When you thought about it casually, there was no choice but to have a feeling that the Demon King’s location would be in the center.

Well, because it’s the center.

However, I hoped that the Demon King would be in the northern direction where Calderic’s forces would be.

Only then would Kaen avoid facing the Demon King alone, without me.

Moreover, on this side, we had the Overlord, the mightiest force, apart from the hero.

Hence, having the Demon King appear in the northern army was the optimal strategic move.

Given the situation where the exact strength of the Demon King’s forces couldn’t be determined, the key question remained whether the army going to the north could hold on until Kaen’s arrival.

Naturally, regardless, if the Demon King was indeed in the northern sector, Calderic would suffer significant losses.

But that wasn’t my concern.

Whether it’s Santea, Calderic, or Adessa, whichever side confronted the Demon King was bound to incur substantial losses.

It’s merely a matter of which one of the three it would be.

And, for me, the utmost priority wasn’t about preserving Calderic’s strength.

It’s about commencing the battle with the Demon King under the most favorable conditions.

Even if I held the title of Calderic’s Lord, whether the greatest casualty of this war became Calderic or not was a trivial matter, if it is for that cause.

I fleetingly glanced beyond the numerous soldiers to catch a glimpse of the Overlord’s figure on the opposite side.

While her true intent remained elusive, nonetheless, in this war, she would undoubtedly exert her utmost effort as an ally.

Defeat equated to Calderic’s demise.

If, by chance, the Demon King is in the troops going to the central or south…

At that juncture, I must swiftly conclude matters here and relocate – even alone, if necessary.

If Kaen had accepted my proposition, I wouldn’t find myself amidst Calderic’s faction; I would remain at her side.

Since it aligned with the hero’s wish, neither the Overlord nor Santea could intercede, regardless of whether I stood with the hero or not.

However, Kaen rejected the proposal as firmly as a sword. So, there was nothing else to be done.

Therefore, my options were limited.

“By the way, the Demon King is undoubtedly stronger than someone like Fogwigg, isn’t he?”

The Mad King muttered, then said in a nonchalant tone.

“Seventh Lord, if there’s ever a life-threatening situation for you in this war, I will save you at least once. I’d wager my life for it, even.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I still haven’t paid my debt for what happened at the Great Forest. That’s what I mean.”

I hadn’t really labeled it as a debt, but it was a good deal, so I didn’t argue.

“More importantly, isn’t this war an opportunity for you too, White Moon Tribe? The position of a Lord might become vacant.”

The Mad King grinned and tapped the back of Asher, who was beside me.

She was referring to the scenario where any of the Lords died, leaving a vacant seat.

With Asher’s abilities, she could have easily become a Lord.

“I’ve never thought about it that way.”

“Heh, set aside the boring talk and tell me once. Among the Lords, who would you want to see bite the dust? Me?”

Asher gave the Mad King a sidelong glance, as if she was annoyed, then answered.

“If I had to choose, I’d pick the Eighth Lord.”

“…Oh?”

The Mad King seemed surprised by the unexpected answer and asked again.

“Why the bug bitch, do you have a grudge against her that I don’t know about?”

“Because she’s the most antagonistic Lord towards Sir Ron. There’s no other reason.”

…Was she talking about what happened back at Gadfalk?

Since the Mad King wasn’t ignorant of the incident either, she nodded in understanding, then alternated her gaze between Asher and me before chuckling.

“You’re always so polite, and now you’re so openly bitchy. Are you saying that you have nothing to fear in this situation, or has something else happened?”

“Why don’t you go back and lead your troops instead?”

“Tsk, look at you. Got it. I’ll go.”

The Mad King said to me for the last time.

“Now that you mention it, watch out for the Eighth Lord during the battle. She’s a demon bitch by birth. Who knows what kind of trick she might pull during this chaos?”

Even without a warning, I would still have been careful. After the Mad King left, I asked Asher.

“Asher, were you concerned about that?”

“Yes. She’s a dangerous woman, isn’t she?”

“That’s true.”

Asher said firmly.

“I will do my best to assist you. Please, don’t push yourself too hard in the war.”

“I have no intention of risking my life to fight. Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself instead.”

“Yes. I will do that. After all, I need to hear Sir Ron’s real name.”

A promise made in the heat of the moment, swept away by the atmosphere. It was an awkward statement, so I let out a small laugh.

The massive army, numbering in the millions, continued to advance.

Across the plains, towards the approaching enemies on the other side.

And about a week after the march began, we finally reached the end.

I could see them.

It was felt from afar.

A disturbing sense of foreboding that covered the entire other side of the plain.

I confirmed the vanguard of the demon army revealed on the horizon, and our march came to a halt.

It was approximately a distance of 10 km.

Since they didn’t stop on their end, the battle seemed to start immediately.

Shoooosh.

At that time, the Overlord suddenly soared high into the sky.

Amid the gaze of the soldiers, a massive flame rose around the Overlord.

It was not merely a simple fire magic, even though the amount of magic power was immense.

The crimson flames converged into dozens of spheres, forming a long tail, and flew towards the demon camp like meteors.

Roar······!

Huge pillars of flame rising one after another from the enemy’s lines.

The power was so overwhelming that even though the distance was significant, the frontline soldiers staggered slightly from the delayed shockwave.

“Now, it’s the beginning of battle! If we lose, we’ll face total annihilation, and if we win, we’ll survive! Fight!”

The Overlord’s amplified magical voice resounded throughout the entire army.

There were no words, but the tearing roar revealed how high the morale of the army was. The Overlord’s preemptive strike had worked.

There was no immediate counterattack from the demon camp. They continued to advance.

The sky was hazy, as if rain could pour down at any moment. The rumbling of millions of soldiers’ footsteps on the ground, accompanied by shouts.

Monstrous creatures of all kinds, leading the demon forces, collided with the Calderic army.

In that instant, thousands of lives seemed to be on the brink of death, but the war had only just begun.

The center formation of Calderic consisted of regular soldiers.

Soldiers armed with spear-swords stood at the front, and mages supported from the rear with their magic.

Knights swung their swords, surpassing the demons, and magic bombarded from all directions.

On both sides of the formation, the Undead Legion of the King of the Dead and the Insect Legion of the Black Sea Empress fought separately from the regular army.

Given their monstrous strength, they fought like how monsters naturally would.

The Undead Legion continued to fight tirelessly, even rising up repeatedly with bodies torn to shreds until they could no longer move.

From the sky, the King of the Dead, riding an undead wyvern made of bones, observed the battlefield as he waited for the moment he would no longer move.

I was commanding the army.

The legion of bugs near the Black Sea Empress looked the same as before. Bugs poured out incessantly from the tower stationed at the rear, killing demons and replenishing their forces as they died.

The number of towers was just under twenty. After our confrontation before, it seemed she managed to replenish them quite a bit.

War. It was a massive battle on a scale incomparable to what I had seen at Gadfalk.

I flew on the back of Ti-Yong, observing the battlefield at a glance.

The Lords didn’t engage in combat immediately. It was the order of the Overlord.

There were archdemons on the other side too.

And the presence of the Demon King was still uncertain.

And for sure…

Even at a glance, Calderic’s overall forces were overwhelmingly greater.

Of course, it was natural.

The demons divided their forces into three, while this side remained as a whole.

No matter how powerful Altelore was, a third of their force couldn’t compare to Calderic’s entire might.

So, it was the demons who were falling behind. Until the archdemons intervened, there was no reason for the Lords on this side to engage first.

Especially noteworthy were the battle golems seen in the First Lord’s command.

The golems began to be deployed onto the battlefield after a certain amount of time, and their power was substantial.

They advanced steadfastly against most attacks, sweeping and trampling the demons with their massive forms.

They also fired magical shots from the magical cannons mounted on their central bodies.

Several mages were on top of the golems, consistently replenishing its mana source. The soldiers nearby naturally cleared the path and fought while escorting the golems.

Of course, the demons weren’t just passively succumbing either.

The most annoying ability of the demons was their power.

Whether it’s spraying armor-melting poison or summoning spirit-like creatures, more advanced demons can unleash their powers to shake up the battlefield.

Quaaang!

Attacks were even launched towards me as I flew into the sky.

It was a serrated, spinning sphere of magic.

Before I could do anything to stop it, Asher unleashed a sword strike. The pure white sword energy cut through the serrations and exploded on the ground in the direction the attack had come from.

“I’ll leave the defense to you, Asher.”

“Yes.”

I heightened my senses and focused solely on detection.

No matter how heightened my senses were, in a battlefield where millions of soldiers fought, the dispersion of those senses was significant.

The target of my detection, of course, was the Demon King. Or perhaps the first one in the hierarchy of archdemons.

I couldn’t find anything particularly foreign or powerful that felt like the Demon King’s presence.

Of course, it was possible for the Demon King to conceal his presence, so I couldn’t be certain.

Found it.

How many archdemons were left in the Demon Faction’s forces?

Detrodemian, Akasha, Mephiros, Kargos, Oxytodus, and two lower-ranked that I knew Aindel killed during the surprise invasion.

Only seven were known to be definitely dead.

As for the archdemons Aindel killed alone in Altelore, the exact number could not be determined.

Moreover, it could not be conclusively determined that only the existing archdemons were all there was.

There were also high-ranking demons who were driven away by Azekel, despite their strength rivaling that of archdemons.

Among them, it was uncertain whether some had rejoined the demon army.

But one had just been confirmed.

The ninth ranked archdemon, Farkkuli.

He had the power to self-destruct demons under his control.

The stronger the demon, the more destructive it was, as it exploded all of its magic and life force.

Just now, he simply detonated the lesser demons to destroy the golem.

“I’ll handle it.”

I scanned the area for other archdemons and slowly descended into the chaos of the battlefield.

At least at first glance, Farkkuli was not with the other archdemons.

However, he was surrounded by many high-ranking demons as guards.

“Asher.”

“Yes.”

“That long-necked demon over there, in the center of the circle. We’re going to kill him from this point on.”

Asher nodded with a slightly stiff expression.

“What is your plan?”

“I’m going to jump off the top of his head and ambush him. You will join me only if I fail to kill him in the first strike, or if another high-ranking demon appears.”

“Understood.”

Demons with flight abilities, a handful of wyverns ridden by high-ranking knights and mages, undead and insects, and even magical forces flying from all directions on the ground—engaged in battle. It was quite chaotic. Due to this chaos, I didn’t stand out particularly.

Farkkuli also didn’t seem to be aware of me.

It would be best if I could finish it in one surprise attack.

Descend around that bastard and finish him with blood magic and Instant Kill.

If I failed, I could retreat under Asher’s protection and buy time until the other Lords joined in.

There’s no reason for me to face the guy alone.

Lowering my altitude, Asher mowed down the demons in the path.

As I got closer to the ground, I leaped alone over Farkkuli’s head.

Hooong.

When I was about halfway there, Farkkuli, who was controlling his subordinates, seemed to notice me and raised his head.

One of the demons around him waved his hand and launched an attack towards me.

I fell defenselessly until the last possible moment, then unfurled a floating veil to defend against the direct hit.

This distance should be enough.

And then I immediately initiated a series of spatial leaps.

Blood scattered in all directions, exposing Farkkuli and the other demons to the blood mist.

Narrowing his eyes, Farkkuli reached out his hand.

Whispering softly from above the guy’s head, I said.

“Die.”

Farkkuli died without being able to put up any counterattack.

And dozens of demons as well.

Since my abilities weren’t completely hidden at this point, the demons might have had some guesses and precautions, but I succeeded more easily than I thought.

I didn’t know if he didn’t realize I was the Seventh Lord, or if he was caught off guard, but either way, I killed him, which was probably a good thing.

The place I fell was in the middle of enemy territory, so the demons quickly swarmed in from all sides.

But a baptism of sword energy that rained down from the sky quickly dispersed them.

It was Asher.

I had just recovered the cooldown time of my spatial leap and was about to jump onto the back of Ti-Yong, that had landed nearby.

“…!”

A giant blast of cold came from the other side, freezing the area.

I defended using the floating veil.

I blocked the attack, but I was trapped under the ice.

Asher used her special ability and tried to break the ice by swinging her sword.

But it only caused cracks and didn’t completely shatter the ice.

Ranked sixth among archdemons, Yukesil.

With this much mana and ice-based abilities, it could only be him.

Damn it.

I was caught off guard.

I didn’t sense his presence, so when did he get this close?

As a high-ranking archdemon that used magic, he was dangerous.

No matter how well equipped Asher was, she was not his opponent.

I wanted to retreat, but I was in the middle of my floating veil, so it was impossible.

Once the floating veil was withdrawn, the cold would instantly permeate from all directions.

In a critical moment, Asher’s sword, once again soaring, finally succeeded in creating a small opening in the ice prison.

Without missing the opportunity, I immediately used spatial leap as soon as I released the floating veil.

And I succeeded in escaping outside through that opening.

“Sir Ron!”

I barely made it onto Ti-Yong’s back and looked down at my frozen left arm.

It had only been touched for a moment, but it seemed to have frozen to the bone. I couldn’t feel it at all.

Now is not the time to worry about my arm…

I quickly searched for Yukesil’s location.

Since the immense mana was flowing again, I could find him right away.

The one preparing to attack again, emitting cold waves from a distance.

“Go up! Quickly!”

The situation wasn’t favorable.

Even if I blocked it with the floating veil, the surroundings were all frozen, making it an incredibly bothersome ability to be trapped in.

If we stayed like this, the three of us would become a friendly trio of ice statues, so I tried to distance ourselves quickly…

Wooong!

Suddenly, a shield flying from somewhere stopped abruptly in the air, spreading iridescent waves of energy.

I realized whose ability that was and instinctively shouted to Asher, who was about to swing the sword.

“It’s fine! Let go!”

The waves that covered the surroundings perfectly blocked the oncoming cold.

The area outside that range was all frozen.

Of course, none of the demons swept up in it survived.

The First Lord jumped down from the wyvern above and landed on the frozen ground of the battlefield, retrieving his shield.

“Prepare yourself, Seventh Lord.”

…He came at an astonishingly opportune time.

I sighed and followed Asher down to the ground.

Clad in armor, sword, and shield radiating a prismatic aura, the Wiseman looked in the direction where Yukesil was.

I spoke to him.

“Farkkuli is dead. The attack just now belonged to Yukesil.”

“Understood. Any other archdemons?”

“Other than those two, there’s been no confirmation.”

“Then let’s finish this swiftly. I’ll handle the perimeter guard.”

The Wiseman seemed ready to confront Yukesil personally.

With an explosive leap, the Wiseman flew toward Yukesil in an instant.

“Asher, hold off the demons around.”

“Got it.”

Leaving the ground to Asher, I rode on Ti-Yong and soared into the sky.

In that moment, I sensed an unusual energy from another side and turned my head.

From the source of the energy, a shape resembling a giant caterpillar was crushing and rising over the surrounding demons.

It was immensely large.

【Lv. 95】

…What was that?

I didn’t remember that type of demon.

It’s a demonic power I didn’t recognize.

The caterpillar turned its head toward the direction of Yukesil and the Wiseman, and from its wide-open mouth, an unfamiliar magical energy began to gather.

As I hurriedly moved to intervene and prevent the interference, there was someone who rushed towards the creature from the ground before me.

“Hee-hee! Where should we fight?”

The crimson mana that crushed all the blocking demons and cleared a path in the midst of the enemy lines belonged to none other than the Mad King.

With a swift rise, the Mad King swung her greatsword at the caterpillar’s head.

With a tremendous sound, the creature’s head spun around.

Crack!

Furthermore, the Thunder Lord began to release lightning strikes from the sky, and suddenly, the King of the Dead, who had approached this way, also began to unleash his magic.

Other Lords began to join the battle in earnest as well.

If the three over there were fighting, there’s no need for me to intervene.

I turned my attention back to Yukesil, who I judged to be more dangerous than the caterpillar creature.

The battle between the Wiseman, the oldest and strongest Lord, and Yukesil, the sixth strongest demon.

The Wiseman was indeed powerful.

His battle had a solid feeling, much like an impregnable fortress.

Amidst the frozen hell, he relentlessly countered even the biting cold, pressing on without hesitation.

Even Yukesil seemed to falter, struggling to keep up with the Wiseman’s approach rather than maintaining his offensive.

When an opportunity arises, I’ll finish him.

Although the surroundings were completely covered in the boundary of cold, it seemed that the energy was gradually waning.

As the Wiseman continued to pressure, a gap would soon reveal itself.

At that moment, I would approach and end it swiftly.

Waaa!

But the fight ended before I could intervene.

Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the Wiseman’s retreat, a burst of blue light blew away one of Yukesil’s arms. It was a sniper shot from the Heavenly Archer.

The Wiseman didn’t miss that perfect opportunity.

The shockwave emanating from his shield immobilized Yukesil’s movements, and the sword blade severed his head in an instant.

It’s over.

Confirming Yukesil’s demise, I turned my gaze towards the other Lords.

At best, the caterpillar could muster the strength of a mid-level archdemon.

As multiple Lords combined their forces, the outcome on the other side was determined swiftly as well.

Engulfed in the clash of intellect and magical power, the twisted figure convulsed and was dealt a final blow by the Mad King, splitting its body vertically.

Was this somewhat the end?

Three archdemons were dead.

Seeing that it’s still quiet, it’s safe to assume that the Demon King wasn’t here.

If there are no more archdemons remaining, the victory definitely belongs to Calderic.

With all the Lords remaining unscathed, all that’s left now was to clean up the remnants of the enemies.

That’s when it happened.

“…!”

With a chilling aura, a massive green light emerged from beyond.

It was the direction of the Insect Legion, where the Black Sea Empress was located.

***

From her perch atop her tower, the Black Sea Empress laughed at the carnage beneath her feet.

“Sweep them all away, my children. Opportunities to feast like this don’t come often.”

Even the demons who did not fear death and were crazed by bloodshed had no answer to the onslaught.

An absolute difference in quantity was an element that could not be overcome unless there was an overwhelming gap in power.

And the archdemons were on the entirely opposite side of her battlefield.

The Black Sea Empress indulged in slaughter without going there to fight unnecessarily.

There was no Demon King here. If that’s the case, the war on this side was the triumphant victory of Calderic.

The Black Sea Empress felt a slight regret at that fact.

Her gaze turned in the direction of where the Seventh Lord was.

Her eyes were filled with malice and bloodlust.

If the war had flowed in a much fiercer manner, there might have been a chance to kill that human in the midst of chaos.

“Well, let’s wait and see.”

The battle here might be over, but the war wasn’t.

Following this flow, after dealing with the leftovers, they would assess the situation in Santea and join them.

There were still opportunities left.

It was when the Black Sea Empress was having such pleasant thoughts.

“What are you thinking? You look delighted.”

Suddenly, a voice was heard.

The Black Sea Empress turned her head in surprise.

Right beside her stood a demon.

When? She hadn’t sensed a thing. Her instinct sent shivers throughout her body.

The demon who had been looking down at the battlefield under the tower gestured.

At the same time, a green energy swept the ground and burned tens of thousands of insects to ashes.

And all the other towers as well, except the one where they stood.

It was just a mere moment.

The frozen Black Sea Empress soon realized the identity of the demon.

A- Azekel.

She was going to die.

Swiftly, a massive hand appeared over the head of the Black Sea Empress, who had leaped from the tower.

Snap.

Her body was snatched up like an insect and crushed with a bloodless sound.