Ch.180Final Memory (2)

The war recorded in the scriptures was a history of victory.

As in previous battles, the two armies that met on the field fought, unleashing holy power and demonic energy.

The Heavenly Realm at its peak and the Demon Realm in its resurgence.

It was a collision of unprecedented scale, never seen before or since. On the ground, black and white forces intermingled in unyielding battle formations, while in the sky, wyverns and pegasi clashed violently.

With each beat of war’s heart, countless souls evaporated. They cut and slashed at each other until death seemed ordinary rather than glorious.

“We shall erase the past here!”

“They have no future. Crush them!”

Above the battlefield where destinies were contested, a black wyvern and a golden pegasus took flight.

The commanders representing each side had drawn their swords.

The final duel to determine victory or defeat unfolded at the cost of the vanguard’s lives.

“Durin!! I’ve come to kill you!”

The young archangel.

Azakiel charged forward in extreme excitement. With the battlefield situation at a stalemate, he rushed in determined to overturn the tide.

Durin welcomed the challenger with enthusiasm.

“Let me see your skill. Come!”

The two warriors, gripping their reins tightly, charged ferociously. Their sword strikes crossed with intense impact against the backdrop of the ashen sky.

#

“…We’ve won.”

Azmosa, watching the battlefield situation from the rear, couldn’t hide her joy. The black-tailed comet entered the eyes of the woman who represented Istria.

“Having successfully repelled this offensive, the Demon Realm now has another opportunity. The Heavenly Realm’s ambition to advance from the northwest front to the center will be thwarted for the time being.”

“And we’ll use that opening to seal off the northwest front with a barrier, right? So they’ll wither away completely.”

Rudmila, Azmosa’s adjutant and the most promising sorceress in the Demon King’s castle, showed confidence.

“Durin has achieved great merit, so now it’s my turn. I’ll definitely prove my abilities here!”

Her youthful vigor was evident in her clenched fist. Rudmila waited only for Azmosa’s command.

“That’s a task for the elder sorcerers.”

The young demon’s wish remained unfulfilled. Disappointment appeared on Rudmila’s face.

“I can create barriers well too, Azmosa.”

“Your specialty is bombardment. You’ve already excellently overwhelmed the Heavenly forces with firepower in this war.”

“That’s why I…!”

“Blocking holy power requires life force consumption, so it’s appropriate for older sorcerers to handle it. You are the future of the Demon King’s castle.”

Azmosa tried to appease Rudmila.

“It’s good that you’re striving to achieve merit, but it’s still too early. Fate will bestow purpose upon you someday, so exert yourself then.”

The oldest sorceress of the Demon King’s castle said this as she left her seat. Her destination was the battlefield where Durin would be.

“…When will that day come when fate bestows its purpose?”

The young Rudmila’s lament, left alone, lingered in her ears.

#

“The warrior general?”

“He fled. However, his injuries were so severe that he may die at his garrison.”

A field full of corpses.

Durin swallowed his regret as he looked at the bodies of tens of thousands of angels.

“I could have beheaded him, but his resistance was fiercer than expected.”

“When their formation showed signs of collapse, they mobilized elite troops and charged straight in. Defeating all of them is already a remarkable achievement.”

The red-horned adjutant who accompanied him praised him. Though it might sound like flattery from a sycophant, it was the reality that had unfolded before their eyes.

The high-ranking troops that had followed the Heavenly warrior general were all sprawled on the ground with their wings torn off. Their number was five thousand—the personal forces led by the archangel had perished here.

It was a loss they would struggle to recover from for some time.

“Good. We’ll use this opportunity to begin encirclement.”

His plan was to trap and strike them to reclaim the northwest front. By blocking the path to the center with a barrier and launching endless ambushes from the treacherous western swamp passages, they could achieve one-sided victories.

The Lizardmen living in the western continent.

It was entirely feasible to conscript these locals who navigated the swamps like their own homes and use them as troops. Their value had already been proven through countless defensive battles throughout history, so there was no hesitation in executing the plan.

“When Azmosa arrives, we’ll immediately mobilize the sorcery corps.”

“I’ll prepare the escort forces.”

The red-horned adjutant moved quickly. There was no time to waste—they couldn’t give the enemy a chance to regroup.

“General!!”

There were many messengers coming and going. Just as Durin was about to move to issue various orders and reorganize the troops withdrawing from battle, another soldier prostrated himself before him.

“What is it?”

This one had green horns. It meant he was a messenger from the central region.

“Urgent news from the castle.”

“Has something happened to the King?”

The expression on the lower demon’s face revealed devastation. It was a look that should not have appeared when they had just won a victory and were preparing for the next steps.

Durin felt a sense of unease at that moment.

“Well…”

“Answer quickly!”

As his voice rose, the attention of the surrounding troops gathered. Everyone focused on what had happened at the castle. After hesitating several times, the messenger closed his eyes tightly and shouted.

“A hero! A human hero has invaded the castle!”

An unexpected event severely twisted the flow of the era.

#

Heaven’s strategy was not singular.

While the demon’s main forces focused on the frontal battle, they dispatched a small separate detachment to the rear.

A hero.

A being chosen by the Heavenly God from among humans and granted power rivaling that of the Demon King. Though the power gap varied depending on the era, there was no denying that they were extremely powerful.

Above all, their most fearsome quality was their indomitable will.

Even when crushed and killed by force, they would resurrect and charge again. Even the mighty red-horned descendants of the primordial bloodline had fallen to heroes before, so the green-horns had no chance of overcoming them.

“Did the royal guard fail to stop the hero?”

“It seems they also employed a diversionary tactic at the castle. While a fake hero attacked the main gate, the real one climbed up another part of the castle wall.”

“The border forces are relatively weak, so they would have fallen to the hero.”

“What follows is as written in the report. They broke through to the King’s hall, killing three high-ranking demons and two sorcerers. Fortunately, the King personally intervened with the Golden Guard to repel the hero, but…”

“With the center breached, the castle’s authority will have plummeted terribly.”

Those currently in charge of central defense were the green-horned Istrians. Since all the red-horns had been placed in border regions during the last subjugation war, they would have to bear full responsibility for the breach.

“Istria will be greatly shaken once more.”

“We should also note the fact that the Demon King deployed the Golden Guard rather than using his true power. Since he couldn’t overwhelm the hero with his mighty strength, there will be a perception that he might fall next time.”

Given the experience of how many Demon Kings had fallen, anxiety would arise. The most painful aspect was that the momentum, most crucial for demons, had been broken.

“Our reason for being here has also disappeared.”

Though they should have encircled the northwest front and launched an offensive, the central region was becoming increasingly unstable. High-ranking demons would be gripped by fear and request the army’s help, so there was no choice.

If only there were orders from the King, they could remain here, but…

“Yes, withdrawal orders have been issued. We are to complete only a brief ceremony for war merits and then enter into strategy meetings.”

It had come to this. Durin raised his head and looked at the northwest front.

“If we had advanced just one more step, we would have had it.”

They had failed.

Durin could only inwardly dwell on his regret.

#

Despite achieving a historic victory, the atmosphere was unsettled.

The breached Demon King’s castle had left a great wound on the Demon Realm. The deaths of two high-ranking demons in the attack was significant.

Since they were all from the red-horned faction, the voices from Killahal’s side grew louder.

“What were the green-horns doing? We sacrificed ourselves for the King, but I doubt whether you fought properly.”

“How dare you speak such nonsense! We green-horns fought more fiercely than anyone on the front lines!”

“You mean the commotion you caused against a fake hero? It’s truly lamentable that you couldn’t even identify the enemy due to your dull minds!”

Waves of attacks continued in the King’s hall.

The red-horns were driving the green-horns into a corner. In truth, both colors shared similar responsibility, but since the one sitting on the throne was green-horned, they had to bear all the blame.

Moreover, the deaths of the two red-horns were portrayed as martyrdom, emphasizing their infinite loyalty to the castle, leaving no room for argument.

“Everyone, calm yourselves. Though a hero infiltrated the Demon King’s castle and caused discord, we ultimately repelled them, and in the north, Durin drove them back to the northwest front. This is not a crisis but an opportunity, so all houses must unite and focus their efforts on driving out the Heavenly Realm.”

Caldragoth, seated on the throne, calmed the assembly. Since they had indeed achieved a great victory, there was no objection to this. Though some confusion remained, even that could be completely controlled once Durin’s forces returned.

The King had one remaining task.

To restore his damaged authority.

“From now on, I declare a hero hunt, and all commanders of the castle shall bring me the hero’s head.”

First, he intended to erase the blemish.

“I will personally take charge of this matter.”

The stain of having used the Golden Guard to repel the hero was his top priority.