Ch.187Flame (4)

# The Greatest Warrior of the Demon Realm.

The most devoted believer among angels.

Their duel created a rift in the sky. Divine power and demonic energy collided, unleashing a storm.

It bestowed madness upon the soldiers forming battle lines on each side. The shock became heartbeats, bolstering courage.

“General. The Celestial Knights are moving!”

Demons are a race that rides momentum.

Instead of leading the vanguard, Durin, who had been assessing the flow of battle, caught the movement. Angels always followed similar patterns. In a tense battlefield, they sought victory through the tremendous impact of their knight brigade.

“Stop them before they crash into our right wing.”

“Everyone mount up!”

“Prepare to charge!”

Durin’s border legion also moved to the front. The demonic beast cavalry, covered in black armor, would face the knight brigade.

Whoever breaks through the flank and plants their spear in the enemy’s side will seize the advantage in this war. Not even a single step backward was tolerated.

The cavalry charge that shook heaven and earth held destiny in its grasp.

“Hyah!”

“Ha!!”

The uniform speed gradually accelerated. They prepared to crush their opponents with gathering momentum. The wind rushing past their ears felt like a roar.

“Spears forward!”

Bwooooo-

With the sound of horn trumpets, the demonic beast cavalry simultaneously aimed their spears forward. The knight brigade did the same. The two armies burned with fighting spirit as they prepared for the imminent collision.

“For God!!”

“The Legion is great!!”

When they drew close enough to see each other’s faces, thunderous battle cries erupted. In a world that seemed to move slowly, as if time had decelerated, the legion aimed for the enemy’s heart.

Crack!

Thud!!!

A spear pierced through armor and penetrated an angel’s heart. Before red blood could even spurt out, the body was thrown back and trampled by the knights following behind.

“Become martyrs! Offer your flesh to God!”

Though greatly pushed back in the first collision, the knight brigade did not retreat. Their blind faith in God overcame fear. The demons’ momentum was impressive, but the celestial forces also displayed tremendous might at that time.

Praise Him.

For the great light envelops you.

God shall save the world from evil.

As hymns echoed, pure white divine power poured down from the sky. The knights’ shoulders radiated light, burning all the demons who were boldly attempting to break through.

“Argghhh!”

“Don’t retreat! Do not fear death!”

The cavalry commanders resisted, spewing demonic energy. They filled the space with battle aura, making the divine power murky. Black smoke rose from all directions, staining the battlefield with dark patches.

“It’s an even match.”

“We must strike now to break through.”

“Please give the order.”

The reserve forces pleaded desperately. They told Durin, who was still observing, that this was the moment to seize the advantage.

“Not yet. We must not advance.”

Durin remained cold and calculating. He kept his eyes fixed on the ever-changing battlefield. Fierce battles raged on the right flank and center, but the celestial forces had not yet shown their true hand.

War Commander Krazael and his elite forces.

While they faced the Demon King, they had sent out the knight brigade, so it was reasonable to question if that was all they had.

However, Durin, who had fought against the celestial realm for hundreds of years, knew better.

He knew that the celestial realm’s true dagger was elsewhere.

“The high angels haven’t moved yet. They are the key.”

Just as the Demon King’s castle had its Golden Guard, there was a separate guard that protected the archangels. Not lower-class angels, but higher beings, each with four pairs of wings.

The celestial blades waiting for their day to ascend to archangel status.

The moment they arrived would be when the decisive move was made.

“But at this rate, our legion will suffer heavy losses. Even if they are defeated, they only need to retreat to the northwest, while our army still has to conduct a siege.”

“That’s why we maintain the beast legion despite its high cost. We will deploy them now.”

Durin gave a hand signal. A waiting soldier waved a large signal flag.

Peeeeee-

The legion promptly obeyed the command. The moment they responded to the order, a black swarm rose into the sky from the reserve forces.

“Wyvern riders will make a wide turn to the flanks! Cut down the voices of the celestials singing their blasphemous songs!”

“Ground beasts will go with their handlers to the right wing! Support the cavalry and drive back the knight brigade!”

The sorcery battalion stepped forward to summon demonic energy, and tens of thousands of beasts instantly surged from the ground. They arrived in the world with a bloody aura, creating another shock on the battlefield.

“Advance.”

Ludmila pointed toward the front with her black hand.

The handlers responded with battle cries, and the beast legion began its charge. Though disorderly, their overwhelming mass pushed into the battle line.

The knight brigade, which had broken through the demonic beast cavalry and was heading toward the center, was instantly crushed by them and met their death. Not even bones remained where they had passed.

-B-block them!

-Where is the knight brigade?!

The priests who had been singing hymns began to worry about the wyverns. They maintained an appropriate distance, wary of divine power bombardment, and shot arrows from afar, making it impossible to provide support.

The celestial army hurriedly sent pegasi from their reserves to block the wyverns, but the riders were cunning.

“Retreat!”

“There’s no need to engage them.”

“We just need to cut off their voices!”

The wyvern riders mocked their opponents and promptly withdrew. The pegasi who had risen to the sky with swords drawn were left hanging.

A momentary gap appeared due to the unexpectedly quick retreat.

Durin did not miss this fleeting opportunity.

“Begin bombardment.”

“Fire!”

He waved the signal flag to give orders to Ludmila. The sorceress’s black hand now pointed to the sky.

By diverting some of the forces supporting the Demon King to reinforce firepower, all troops positioned on the right wing were exposed to black demonic energy.

“General. The enemy’s spearhead has been broken.”

While the celestial forces attempted to break the center around Krazael, Durin deployed his troops to push back the right wing. Though the celestial knight brigade’s numbers were still sufficient to prevent a flank breakthrough, they could now threaten the enemy’s center.

“Do not slow the deployment of beasts. This is not yet a perfect victory. We must continuously press them to prevent them from fully projecting their forces to the center.”

“I will relay the order to the sorcery battalion.”

“They should be prepared for annihilation. Even if the beast farms become temporarily inoperable, we will have a chance to recover once we win this northwestern battle.”

Even if they couldn’t gain territory, successfully reducing the number of celestial knights would force the celestial realm to lie low for a while.

With the troubles in the human realm added to this, the demon realm could prepare for what would come after Kaldrago.

“However, this is as far as I can go.”

Durin looked at the center.

Demon King Kaldrago facing off against Krazael, emitting golden demonic energy.

He had to succeed.

“His Majesty must show us a magnificent finish for fate to take interest in us.”

Since he was not the ruler of the demon realm, the direction of everything rested with the Demon King, so waiting was all that remained for Durin.

#

“Your Majesty. Please endure a little longer.”

“Our warriors are holding the line. We will slaughter these false ones!”

The limit had come long ago.

Having entered the battlefield with an unwell body, this was expected, but the situation was more serious than anticipated.

Kaldrago exerted all his strength to emit demonic energy. Golden demonic energy swirled, continuously encouraging the legion. He drove them into deadly situations. He spread the sweet temptation of a glorious battlefield.

“My King!”

“We will advance!”

The warriors did not refuse. They considered it a glorious death. Having lived their entire lives with nothing but fighting spirit, they rejoiced.

Even as their bodies melted from divine power, they swung their swords once more.

With legs reduced to bloody pulp, they pounded on the solid celestial shields.

Corpses became obstacles, blocking the path forward and preventing the powerful celestial infantry from advancing.

“We can kill them!”

“Swing once more! Isn’t glory right before your eyes?!”

In the midst of the desperate battle, they clung to their will. Demons never yielded in spirit. From the moment the Demon King stood behind them, the legion fought as one.

“Your Majesty! We hear that the cavalry on the right wing is pushing back the knight brigade.”

“The beast legion is keeping even the priests in check, so they will soon come to support the center.”

Good news flying in from all directions stimulated the legion.

Hope of victory blossomed. Having struggled in despair that had hung like dark clouds until now, the reversed elation was intensely powerful.

“Victory is within sight.”

“We are different from the Red Horns. Istria will never fall!”

The battle line strengthened around the Green Horns.

Their determination not to repeat the mistakes of the Red Horns was strong. If they failed now, the enemy would attempt to usurp the center, so there was no turning back.

“We must win at all costs.”

“We need results. Enough to silence the Red Horns.”

At that moment, a drop of obsession seeped in.

Fate listened and smiled.