Ch.52Green Hell (2)

The Western Army was pathetic compared to the Central forces.

Their fighting spirit was as abundant as anyone’s, but that alone wasn’t enough to bring victory.

Even with familiar terrain, more manpower, and the advantage of supplies, they were barely holding the front line at a stalemate.

They were weak. They would rush in blindly where divine power flashed and end up burning to death.

But their lack of fear made them acceptable. Above all, under the training of Durin and the Southern Army who had arrived at the front, they were gradually building up their strength.

They had cultivated enough demonic energy to withstand the punishment sent by the God of Light.

Their formations, which were beginning to fall into sync, were transforming them into a proper legion.

The tips of their spears grew sharper with each thrust.

As they were rapidly growing into elite soldiers, Durin welcomed them as comrades without formality.

He recognized them as worthy members of the excellent legion that would defeat the angels.

With the Regent personally welcoming them, their morale rose even higher, accelerating their achievements.

Even as they heard the news that Azakiel was bringing over 100,000 troops from the demon realm, they did not stop.

They prepared to tear out the angels’ throats.

#

“Commander! Why can’t we break through? Angels are struggling against these worthless natives!”

BANG!

Azakiel slammed the table. His sharp anger was directed at his staff officers.

The white-winged ones, with their high pride, would normally add their opinions in such situations, but things were different now.

Tens of thousands of angel forces had arrived in the demon realm, intending to shock the stagnant western front.

Advancing toward the center was difficult with countless fortresses blocking the way. No matter how chaotic the demon realm was with a new Demon King rising, they couldn’t avoid struggling when the demons united in resistance.

The number of troops in Azakiel’s grasp was also a problem. It was enough to consume one continent but insufficient to break through to the center. If Durin arrived with elite troops, they would have to halt their advance immediately, and their future of being devoured by reinforcements from other continents was obvious.

So they concentrated. To escape the swamp and use the western continent as a bridgehead, they mobilized their entire army to pressure the front line. They tried to reverse the situation and make the newly established Demon King feel rushed.

But he realized it the moment he arrived here.

Angels had a major flaw.

“Hardly anyone wants to advance to an inglorious battlefield.”

“Everyone wants to maintain the status quo. They say the filth of the swamp lowers their dignity.”

“Some non-commissioned officers were dismissed for refusing to go to the front line. Just for your reference.”

Their pride was too high. They lacked the will to fight and win.

They only wanted to recreate scenes from mythology.

Ironically, their lack of fear of demons had made them complacent.

Since arriving here, he had struggled to capture the northern region and slain countless demons, but it was all for nothing.

Only his personal guard among the dispatched angels would step forward. The rest responded lukewarmly.

“If we stay here too long, we’ll be the ones in danger. What do you plan to do if the Demon King’s main force arrives?”

“We should force a decisive battle there instead. Otherwise, the soldiers won’t move.”

“Are there not enough followers of the God of Light? Are you truly angels representing God’s will?”

“General.”

One of the officers stood up and bowed to him. He was the highest commander of the existing angel garrison. He showed maximum respect to Azakiel who had come from heaven. But his following words made Azakiel uncomfortable.

“While we’ve been holding this bridgehead, wasn’t heaven in a similar situation? When the Demon King disappeared, opinions favoring war were prevalent. With the Demon King’s demonic energy gone, the fortresses were weakening—it was a perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand.”

“That was because the Demon King went to the human realm, so we needed to convene the Archangel council…”

“General. We only needed two Archangels.”

He spoke sharply. Anyone witnessing this would be shocked by such disrespect. Indeed, Azakiel’s hands trembled. He expressed his will to behead the man immediately.

But that was all.

“The entire demon realm was engulfed in rebellion, and the western front was also affected by the aftermath. Though it was more stable than other areas, we judged that we could break through with just our forces.”

“…I received reports that we gained advantages in border regions by dispatching detachments.”

“But that was it. We couldn’t overcome them with insufficient numbers. Even hidden ancient demons appeared on the western battlefield to maintain the front line.”

As the conversation continued, he ran out of things to say. The other side was making logical arguments, and he had no counter except to get angry.

“General. What more should we do here? With Durin’s arrival at the front, this battlefield is essentially beyond our soldiers’ control.”

There was no excitement like when Durin had arrived.

The prolonged battlefield had sunk him deep into despair.

A sword was in his hand, but he felt no glory.

They were pushing him.

Resenting the high-ranking angels who had created this situation, he raised his sword hilt.

“I was too heated. I apologize, Commander.”

“Not at all, General. I spoke strongly because you are the only angel who can break this situation.”

“Very well. Let’s see if we can overcome this.”

He summoned his fighting spirit.

He showed everyone the power he possessed as an Archangel. He wanted to make the stagnant front line glorious once more.

“If the soldiers cannot find glory, I will plant it myself.”

“I beg you. Breathe victory into this blocked impasse.”

“I will do so.”

Azakiel steeled his resolve.

“I will defeat Durin without fail.”

#

Berdia, Yoannina, and I gathered in one place.

“The northern front is essentially an impenetrable fortress, so we need to maintain a solid defensive posture.”

“I’ll send all the newly trained forces there. As before, if it comes down to a numbers game, we’ll eventually push them back.”

“And I’ll provide support, so you won’t need to worry about this place. Even if Azakiel appears, I can buy time.”

“Azakiel won’t go there, Yoannina.”

Durin pulled out a map. He showed the two the war situation.

“The current situation is deadlocked, where both sides need to grind down forces to occupy high ground. We have the capacity for that, but the angels don’t.”

“While 60,000 troops is impressive, if this drags on for a couple of months, they’ll quickly face a crisis.”

“That’s right, Yoannina. They’ll have no choice but to draw their swords. To avoid feeling the pressure of the approaching main Demon King’s army, they’ll try to break through this front.”

He pointed to one specific location.

It was the fiercest battleground, but the only area where neither side could push the other due to evenly matched forces.

The central road. It had become virtually a no-man’s land that no one dared to covet.

Both sides were just pointing spears at each other, praying the other would cross first.

“Compared to other areas, the ground is solid and there’s less toxic gas, making it suitable for large-scale troop movements.”

“But the same applies to the angels. They’ll surely bring out their holy knights.”

Berdia objected. Durin immediately provided an answer.

“That’s what I’m counting on. I’ll make their forces gather there.”

“You’re setting up a battlefield?”

“Yes. Demons and angels are similar in this regard. They want to be protagonists in legendary battles. They don’t want to become corpses in this filthy swamp.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

“Berdia. Send messengers right now to inform the warlords everywhere. Tell them to gather elite units and converge on the center. Sound the war trumpet.”

War! That short word made Berdia’s heart pound.

The southern demon immediately rushed out of the tent. The atmosphere outside began to grow chaotic instantly.

“So you’ll send quality troops to defensive areas through military training, and gather dispatched forces and those who’ve been in the second line for a major confrontation?”

“Just as the Demon King is a threat to angels, the Hero is a spark waiting to ignite for us. We need to settle this before he awakens.”

“Are you thinking of ending it all here?”

“Hardly. Do you think the angel forces would be that easy?”

“No, I thought you might think so. You tend to push all the way once you start something.”

Yoannina smiled at Durin.

“If not now, you’re looking to the next opportunity… planning to finish them with the approaching main force from the Demon King’s castle?”

“While they’re bogged down on this front, I’ll keep applying pressure with the main force.”

“If things go badly, it’s one of two outcomes: a quick decisive battle for breakthrough, or a misjudgment born from pressure.”

“They still have leeway now, so they’ll try to settle this. That’s what I want too.”

“If we win the major battle first, the war’s outcome will essentially be decided. This will be interesting.”

The old demon clapped his hands in delight.

Two sides clashing with no way back. A war where the side that becomes even slightly impatient loses.

Angels who need results before the Demon King ruins the human realm, and demons who want to use the Hero next time.

The patience for all preparations had now ended.

Durin’s eyes suddenly blazed.

“It’s been a while since I’ve faced you, Azakiel.”

He looked forward to the coming battle.