Ch.295296. Imperial Front (2)

The sudden appearance of a high-ranking warrior in the sky seemed to momentarily confuse the “Demon,” but that didn’t last long.

[[[[[[[■■■■■■■■■■■■■■───────!!!!!!!]]]]]]]

The “Demon,” with what clearly appeared to be a human head opening its jaw grotesquely wide, let out a bestial roar and immediately moved its enormous body to attack the Black Chain Knight.

‘…Dan…ger…ous…!!!’

Hermann, whose body was devastated by the sound waves mixed in the roar, thought this as he watched the scene through his blurred vision. The other soldiers felt much the same.

Even if they were classified in the same high rank, it was natural for there to be a hierarchy of power among the high-ranked beings. They assumed that “obviously” the small humanoid knight would be at a disadvantage against that gigantic “Demon” standing over 20 meters tall.

And this was, in fact, one of those rare cases where common sense aligned with reality.

From a certain level of advancement, magical power and aura allow one to ignore differences in weight class to a reasonable degree, but even that has its limits.

A giant monster the size of a small building instinctively uses aura to support its body, so no matter how much a small human enhances their physical abilities, a head-on confrontation would be not just foolish but pathetic.

While it’s inevitable that larger beings move more slowly, they can attack in terms of area rather than points or lines—meaning their normal attacks are area-of-effect.

[[[[[[[■■■■■■■■■■■■───────!!!!!!!]]]]]]]

So as the “Demon” continuously emitted sound waves while lifting its leg to stomp down, Hermann widened his eyes, expecting to witness a terrible slaugh…ter…?

At that moment, what entered his vision made Hermann doubt his own eyes—

———————Clank-clank-clank-clank!!!!

Just as the “Demon” raised its foreleg to crush the knight, black iron chains suddenly shot out from the ground in all directions, binding the “Demon” tightly!

“……..?!!”

Hermann could see at least 50 chains, and they were as thick as a human torso, completely restraining the “Demon’s” body.

‘…Did we… win?’

Perhaps because of how thoroughly the “Demon” was bound, making Hermann secretly wonder if they had won, the knight also pointed his sword at the enemy and was about to swing it———

———————KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!!

※ ※ ※

“Power” erupted from the body of the “Demon”—this monster created by the fusion of seven Demon Lords—in the form of a shockwave.

The earth split, clouds were pushed away, and the surrounding terrain shattered into pieces as everything in the area was pulverized and overturned.

Naturally, the iron chains that had been binding the “Demon’s” body broke into fragments and scattered in all directions. The pieces of black chain that fell to the ground soon disappeared as if dissolving into the air.

Even the walls of the Human Empire, nearly 800 meters away, were cracking and partially collapsing despite the protective magic cast by the Golden Hand Holy Knights.

“……..Kuhak!”

Thud!!

“Hey, hey! Stay conscious!!”

When people hundreds of meters away were coughing blood and collapsing from just being grazed by the weakened shockwave, even a high-ranking “Knight” couldn’t remain standing.

Not only was the knight pushed back about 500 meters by the shockwave’s recoil, but this happened despite having apparently tried to resist by stabbing his sword into the ground.

And the “Demon” was not so dull as to miss this opening in its only worthy opponent.

The “Demon” once again stood on its hind legs and raised its forelegs toward the sky.

It prepared to release a shockwave concentrated in its legs, but unlike before, it raised four of its eight legs, multiplying its destructive power several times.

“……….N-No….!!”

From what Hermann could infer by watching the “Demon’s” movements, this attack would send out shockwaves through the ground, destroying the terrain and blasting away everything in its path.

Even if the “Knight” could withstand a direct hit from the shockwave, the fortress behind him certainly couldn’t.

If the shockwave reached the fortress, overturning the earth on its way, the fortress would undoubtedly collapse completely, and if that defensive line broke… the Empire would be finished.

With the Empire already struggling to suppress the uprising of demon worshippers, it had no resources left to withstand an assault from external demons.

So regardless of Hermann’s inner cry of despair, the “Demon” should have stomped down and released that shockwave, but…??

At that moment, the “Knight” moved.

Whoosh——KWAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG!!!

Slash———Slash———!!

——————FWOOOOOOSH!!

Hermann couldn’t comprehend what was happening before his eyes.

The knight sliced the oncoming shockwave in half with his sword, then swung his blade once more, somehow slipping between the “Demon’s” legs and driving his blade into the monster’s thin underbelly.

While someone with the limited perspective and tracking ability of a high-lower rank might not have been able to grasp what happened, the reality was both simple and beyond common sense.

The “Knight” absorbed the magical power composing the shockwave and “cut” the physical force to nullify it, then cut the “distance” between himself and the “Demon,” instantly moving to the underside of the monster.

The “Knight”—or rather, Peter—could freely wield the power of his magic sword to cut anything, even concepts or phenomena, as long as they could be observed or perceived in some way.

Using this method of cutting the “distance” between himself and specific points, Peter moved as if teleporting in all directions, gradually slicing and carving away at the massive “Demon’s” body.

In truth, the power of this “Demon” was indeed transcendental.

Though it was a failed experiment by the “Morning Star” to combine seven different Greater Demons—high-ranking demons—into one entity, its combat power approached that of Rank 0—nearly godlike—given its origin as seven Greater Demons fused into a single being.

Each of its seven heads could use the evil powers granted to each demon at several times their original output, and with power infused into every simple movement, it was essentially a walking natural disaster where motion equaled destruction.

Every step released shockwaves that tore up the ground and devastated the earth, while mental waves emitted in rhythm with its heartbeat confused the minds of ordinary people, throwing them into panic.

It could focus its gaze on specific targets to apply spiritual pressure that lowered their overall abilities, and when it exhaled deeply, the breath became a shockwave erupting from its entire body.

Though its intelligence had disappeared in the process of forcibly merging seven souls, its power remained intact.

However, wasting such transcendental power would drastically reduce its summoning duration in the material world, so constraints had been placed on its power, operating it at roughly the level of a top-tier Rank 1 monster for the invasion…

This judgment had proven to be fatal poison, at least this time.

As Peter’s slashes decapitated the heads one by one, now only the central head of the original seven remained.

[[[■■DIE■■■YOU■■■, YOUUUU───!!!]

The last remaining head of “Pride,” a pure white dragon head complete with a halo above it, had it finally regained its senses? Or perhaps shocked by the collapse of its power advantage that had been the basis of its pride, it abandoned its composed attitude and became disgustingly enraged.

It opened its maw so wide it seemed its jaw might tear off, and began to condense an enormous amount of holy energy and magical power inside its mouth.

A overwhelming sphere of power created by pouring in everything, even the matter composing its own body.

Tearing away part of the magical coating that maintained it, the Greater Demon of “Pride” was about to exhale its breath toward the enemy before it———

———Slash!

In that moment, the demon’s vision suddenly dropped as if collapsing to the ground.

Wondering what had happened, “Pride” heard a voice in its ear…

“…You’re slow. Even in falling.”

Only then could the Greater Demon of “Pride” face its own death.