141. Prelude to the Counterattack (3)

Keuooooooo-

The surrounding atmosphere was vibrating.

It was the storm created by the ancient dragon Aquaritea.

The surroundings were already filled with the sound of fierce winds tearing through everything and the noise of torrential rain, but the current vibration swallowed even that storm.

A dragon clad in massive, jet-black armor.

The dragon, called a Demon Dragon by the demons, was now taking flight.

“Our Lord is taking flight!”

The High Knights shouted. At his words, the soldiers all raised their swords to the sky.

“The great Yulian-sama is with us!”

“Lord Yulian! Lord Yulian!”

Their shouts became a massive roar, piercing through the downpour and spreading outwards.

These were all demon knights.

Not only elves and dwarves, but also a considerable number of dragons were mixed in. This meant that they weren’t human soldiers who would get excited over the flight of a mere dragon.

“An ancient dragon… His Highness has truly reached the realm of the ancient dragon.”

Aitekeia murmured in a surprised voice.

Krien, standing next to him, nodded.

“The General is surely feeling it too. The massive demonic energy pressing down on this area.”

Krien’s words were correct.

The leader of the great White Dragon clan.

Even he, who had reached the realm of the ancient dragon, was now staring blankly at Yulian.

‘As a human, as a swordsman, His Highness has already reached the realm of Grand Master. And even as a dragon, he has reached the realm of the ancient dragon.’

Among dragons, the most ferocious clans were known to be the Demon Dragons and Red Dragons.

But Demon Dragons were even rarer than Red Dragons. Usually, they couldn’t control their ferocity. They often became insane, rampaging dragons and were killed by their own clan.

But Yulian was perfectly controlling even the madness of such a Demon Dragon.

‘He is definitely an Apostle of Yunir. He has reached the realm of transcendence.’

It could be felt through the demonic energy that Yulian was emitting.

Clearly, that hostility was directed towards the enemy lines of the Beast Army.

‘Just facing that demonic energy would make one instinctively feel death.’

But to his allies, it only inspired endless awe. It was a demonic energy that felt almost sacred.

At that moment, Aitekeia thought.

‘Even Ustina, another ancient dragon, would never be able to confidently claim victory against His Highness in his current state.’

Pajijijijijik-

At the same time, thunder rumbled around them as if lightning was striking.

But it wasn’t lightning created by the storm.

It was the sound of Yulian’s massive dragon form. The massive demonic energy surrounding him was creating sonic booms as it clashed with the surroundings.

And Aitekeia clearly saw the space distorting near the base of Yulian’s long neck, where it connected to his back.

‘That’s definitely… the reverse scale.’

The proof of an ancient dragon.

And an aggregation of demonic energy that in itself becomes a high-level Mana Heart.

Massive demonic energy was being concentrated there.

Keuwoooooooooong-

The entire area emitted a resonant sound as if screaming. And Aitekeia sensed it instinctively.

“Royal Knights! Prepare for impact, everyone!”

Everyone snapped to their senses at the General’s roar.

They focused their demonic energy to fix their bodies to the ground.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang-

Yulian unleashed his breath.

And at the same time.

The world shook.

*

*

Silence flowed around them.

I briefly surveyed the scene created by my breath.

“His Highness’s breath… has created a path!”

And at the same time, all 500 Royal Knights shouted in unison.

As they said.

The Demon Dragon’s breath, unleashed by concentrating all demonic energy into the reverse scale.

That ferocious projectile of ancient dragon energy. That breath had erased everything in its path.

That wasn’t a metaphor.

“It seems that everything within a 1km radius has been vaporized.”

And as a reaction to releasing all that demonic energy at once, Aitekeia and Krien hurriedly approached and stood beside me as I, in my dragon-human form, descended back to the ground.

The two of them looked at me with incredulous expressions.

But I calmly replied to Aitekeia’s words.

“It might have been a bit much. The breath of an ancient dragon has great power in itself, but it’s not very efficient. It seems I’ll need more time to use my breath again.”

As I spoke as if it was nothing, the two of them were at a loss for words.

“His Highness isn’t even surprised by this level of achievement.”

And looking bewildered, Aitekeia looked at Krien.

But soon, he regained his usual expression and said to me.

“His Highness has opened the path as promised. This powerful attack must have broken through the enemy’s first line of defense.”

Krien’s expression brightened.

“Even though we’ve been trying to break through with separate elites, we haven’t even been able to approach the outermost line of defense! But now we’ve seized the opportunity to enter the depths of the enemy camp!”

Krien was right. It meant it was a golden opportunity to inflict a major blow on the Beast Army.

“Then, as promised, it’s our turn. Will you give the order to charge?”

At Aitekeia’s words, I recalled the outline of this operation again.

The Western Demon King Army’s strategy was a blitzkrieg.

As I had just done, once I broke through the outermost line of defense. All 500 knights were to charge in unison as promised.

Also, as a signal of that breath, the rest of the Demon King Army soldiers led by Ramiela were to launch a full-scale attack.

A total war concentrating all forces in a short period.

The ultimate goal of this battle was to take advantage of that momentum and immediately capture Aquaritea’s nest.

I examined the knights’ expressions.

The 500 knights. Their morale had reached its peak.

“His Highness… His Highness vaporized the Beast Army’s forces with his breath!”

“Until now, all we could do was get caught up in that Beast Army and run away… but now His Highness is with us!”

“Everyone, draw your swords! Now is the time to show the pride of the Royal Knights!”

“Lord Yulian! It’s time to give our lives for our Lord!”

The commanders and knights were all shouting in unison.

I could feel their awe directly with my body.

Although my demonic energy had been overdriven to the point where my Dragon Heart was temporarily empty.

The dragon tattoo on the back of my neck. Demonic energy was rapidly gathering again in that reverse scale.

The awe towards me was turning into dark divinity, demonic energy, towards me.

Even Aitekeia and Krien, who had surpassed the Master level, felt the same awe.

I realized through the reverse scale. The meaning that my existence had for them.

I shouted to the knights.

“It’s time to show the Beast Army the pride of the demons!”

At those words, the knights all called out my name in unison.

“Praise the great Demon Dragon, Lord Yulian!”

“Lord Yulian! Lord Yulian!”

I proved it once again.

As the form of an ancient dragon that could never deny being a demon.

My qualification as the new Demon King.

I shouted loudly to my knights.

“Charge into Aquaritea’s nest!”

The 500 knights crossed the outermost line of defense and entered the Beast Army’s headquarters.

***

“Three Upper-Tier Beast units have been annihilated!”

Aquaritea’s Beast Army. Their headquarters were in great chaos.

“What happened?! The outermost line of defense is an absolute defense line! We deliberately placed Upper-Tier beasts at the outermost edge! Even if the Western Demon King Army’s elites made a surprise attack, they couldn’t even inflict minor damage, so how could…”

The Beast Army’s Chief of Staff, Mitiel’s expression turned pale.

Rasriel’s feelings were the same.

If the defense line collapsed like this, the headquarters would be right in front of them.

‘Damn it! We can’t even hide our forces in Aquaritea’s nest right now.’

Aquaritea had made the entire Drotheil Gorge highlands her territory.

She had expanded her nest to the scale of an empire, turning the Dungeon into reality.

So she succeeded in summoning a large number of Upper-Tier beasts to the outside of the Dungeon all at once.

But as a result, she consumed a large amount of demonic soul power, and the size of the Dungeon itself was greatly reduced.

In other words, the Dungeon’s area was only the boss area where Aquaritea stayed.

‘We have nowhere to run.’

It was unbelievable.

Rasriel also felt that terrible demonic energy.

It was as if divine punishment was happening here. She couldn’t help but feel it as that thunderous sound echoed loudly in the gorge.

‘How… how can a human and demon hybrid become an ancient dragon?’

She already knew about Yulian von Reinhardt, that brat, from the great Apostle Yuraness.

The half-blood of the saintess Agnes and the ruthless Demon King Lucifiel.

That fact was a secret that was not known anywhere in Isrand.

But he had contacted the will of Knoia several times, so he said he had realized that information.

‘That half-breed… how… how…’

Even if a demon was a hybrid, they had evolved to have the constitution of one species expressed predominantly.

It wasn’t strange for them to grow into dragons even if human blood was mixed in.

But since human blood, not demon blood, was mixed in, they should have become incomplete dragons.

But according to the scout’s information, that Yulian guy had become an ancient dragon and unleashed his breath.

With that single breath, 30% of the Beast Army’s forces were annihilated.

That meant that the remaining Beast Army’s forces were only about 700.

“The Royal Knights have broken through the final line of defense!”

Rasriel clenched her fist in anger. But that report wasn’t the end.

“A large number of Western Demon King Army soldiers have additionally invaded our camp!”

Clearly, they were on the defensive.

No matter how powerful one Upper-Tier beast was compared to 10 ordinary soldiers.

The Western Demon King Army. And the elites of the Royal Knights were not to be underestimated.

She knew it well because she used to be a Royal Knight. At this rate, the Beast Army could be annihilated in an instant.

“Buy time! I will awaken Aquaritea’s will!”

“Ra, Rasriel-nim! You can’t do that! No matter how much of a demon she has become, an ordinary demon can’t recklessly control the will of an ancient dragon…”

“Mitiel! Are you looking down on me?! I am a Master! A stronger one than even Remiela! Controlling that lizard is nothing to me!”

“Rasriel-nim!”

“And no matter how much of an ancient dragon she is, if she used that much breath, she won’t be able to use her power recklessly! Until I return, do whatever it takes to stop that man named Yulian!”

Rasriel shouted that and turned her body. And the depths of the headquarters.

She headed to the nest where Aquaritea’s boss area was located.

Kuaaaaaaaak-

The ancient dragon was there where she had rushed for a long time.

A blue dragon with a sharp demonic soul stone embedded in her forehead like a spear.

That blue dragon was roaring, scattering demonic soul power in all directions.

Her spine chilled for a moment. But it was already irreversible.

‘If I have the power of this ancient dragon… I can face even if the opponent is an ancient dragon!’

Kyaaaaaaaak-

Rasriel stabbed her sword into Aquaritea’s Dragon Heart.

At that moment, a storm of fierce demonic soul power erupted to the point where the blood vessels in her eyes burst.

But she endured the pain with her intense anger towards Remiela.

She tasted the pain of her whole body being torn apart for those few hours. But Rasriel was once a strong person who competed with Remiela for the top of the Royal Knights.

“Remiela…”

Finally, scales began to grow on the dark elf’s skin. Her tiara was dyed with the color of eerie demonic soul power.

Keuooooooo-

And the nest began to shake massively as if an earthquake had occurred.

The will of the ancient dragon that Rasriel had taken out was in sync with her.

The ancient dragon, who had become a demon, left the nest and flew into the sky.

“Kyaaaaaaaak-“

Rasriel, who had become one with Aquaritea, stopped in mid-air.

She had only emptied the headquarters for a few hours. But the Beast Army’s headquarters were burning.

It seemed that Remiela’s Western Demon King Army, whom she wouldn’t be able to relieve her resentment even if she tore her limbs apart and killed her, had already attacked deep into the headquarters.

“Remiela!!!”

Keuooooooo-

Aquaritea, on which Rasriel was riding. Lightning was raging around her.

The demonic soul power that was in sync with her was rising to its maximum.

Rasriel was planning to use all of Aquaritea’s demonic soul power to blow away the Western Demon King Army along with this Beast Army’s headquarters in the worst case.

But at that very moment.

A dragon blocked Rasriel’s path.

“Is it you? You impudent bitch who’s playing with the remains of a great ancient dragon.”

A young man was riding on top of that dragon.

Rasriel widened her eyes.

A blonde man. Rasriel instinctively realized the identity of that young man.

“Yulian von Reinhardt!! How dare you speak so carelessly…”

At the terrible anger that Rasriel was emitting. That man continued to speak.

“Ah. Sorry. And just in case I’m saying this, surrender is useless. I have no intention of accepting the surrender of a demon who has succumbed to a beast.”

“Shut up!”

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang-

The lightning created by Aquaritea covered Yulian as it was.