The Lion King 4

The imps surged forth like a billowing black ocean, their sheer incomprehensible numbers gaping in disbelief.

It manifested doom itself incarnadine approaching the Alliance’s domain with grim inevitability – a truly ghastly spectacle.

“Each of those…”

“You mean those truly rival elite Apostles in might…?”

Generals, knights and soldiers alike froze in abject horror as if beholding some waking nightmare rather than grim reality itself. At this point, they would have preferred facing a couple Vanguard Commanders instead as a merciful deception.

Amidst the mass despair, only Doyun alongside his fellow warriors scrutinized that swarming blackness with somber conviction rather than outright panic.

Without warning, those endlessly writhing imp legions flooding forth like a rising tidal surge suddenly halted outright in eerie unison.

That colossal churning ocean solidifying into ominous stillness represented an inherently grotesque phenomenon itself.

The setting sun’s waning crimson rays shone across that stationary obsidian expanse.

Shortly after, backlit by those vermillion hues while flanking either side:

“…!”

Immense presences manifested amid that dim horizon.

Even battled-hardened warriors could no longer maintain composure this time – that living nightmare had only just begun unveiling itself through those imp swarms alone.

Four distinct existences materialized hovering against that twilight backdrop above the vanguard ranks.

“Those are…!”

Dwarfed by the larger demons and imps massing below, those four humanoid silhouettes appeared relatively minuscule in direct comparison.

Yet their immense auras flared outwards individually eclipsing those oceanic imp legions combined with ease.

“Th-, This cannot be…!”

“What am I even witnessing right now…?”

The Vanguard Commanders’ very presence had been anticipated from the onset, true.

Yet this unprecedented revelation represented a horrific contingency nobody could have fathomed whatsoever.

“The Vanguard Commanders… How could there be…”

Four of them.

An astounding quartet of Vanguard Commanders had arrived onto this battlefield all at once.

Lounging atop a vast demonic entity drifting listlessly overhead like some inflated grotesque balloon – a slender boyish silhouette reclined languidly with apparent boredom.

“Seriously, how many times do I keep coming back to this damned place…”

A youthful yet annoyingly handsome young man muttered acridly under his breath.

Yet from his elbows and knees downwards, inhuman demonic appendages indescribable as remotely humanoid protruded in coarse obsidian flesh.

The undisputed supreme commander overseeing this oceanic imp horde – Vanguard Commander Satan himself.

Soon after, a sultry feminine voice slithered from his side in taunting suggestion:

“Well, I suppose emerging from that Demon Citadel for the first time in decades still feels utterly invigorating, no? Mmm?”

Accompanied by exaggerated seductive sways that jiggled her ample cleavage quite graphically while subtly revealing intimate curvatures otherwise – those deeply alluring feminine charms harbored lethally sultry venereal energies potent enough to drown any mortal man in irresistible carnal ecstasy upon merest exposure.

The Queen of the Night, Lilith the Succubus Sovereign herself.

“My age doesn’t matter, I just wanna get this shit over with already! Just looking at those damned walls is making me nauseous!”

“An overwhelmingly oppressive power…”

Responding to those hushed raspy exhalations, Satan and Lilith both turned towards its source.

“What?”

“Power… Nigh incomprehensible levels of sheer power…!”

A skull protruding an elongated snout clattered its jaws repeatedly while mumbling those words hoarsely.

Though enfeebling at first impression, viscous demonic miasma seeped outwards with each heated exhalation.

Having spent millennia solely researching magic itself surpassing even dragonkind’s mastery over the elemental arts – the ultimate arcane savant who transcended mortality itself, Oz.

“So what’s different from before?”

Aside from their Demon Lord’s presence, Oz represented the sole Vanguard Commander capable of wielding both demonic miasma alongside mana concurrently.

Though unable to sense mana as acutely, Satan still inquired dismissively while Oz could only rattle his bones erratically as if malfunctioning:

“Power…! Su-, Such overwhelming power…!”

“Hey, hey! Ah shit, my blood pressure… This lizard is senile again.”

“Do not dismiss his warnings so readily, Satan. He embodies the very culmination of millennial wisdom after all.”

As Satan griped while clutching his forehead, that fully-armored knight murmured lowly in measured tones yet unable to placate the boyish commander’s petulant irritation.

“You’re all not even half my age combined, you dried up desiccated fossils lecturing your betters?”

Despite the youthful petulant sneers exposing fanged teeth, that armored knight simply gazed forth stoically without any visible reactions.

Fwhoosh-

Icy miasma exhaled outwards from between his visor slits crystallizing into black frost shards suspended in midair.

Too distant for the Alliance soldiers to overhear directly. Yet they could sense those Vanguard Commanders exchanging idle banter nonetheless.

A casual nonchalance starkly contrasting against their own grave tensions.

“Goddammit…”

Someone murmured in despairing resignation.

Not only did they face overwhelmingly innumerable imp legions surpassing imagination itself.

But the Demon Lord’s paramount elite Vanguard Commanders had arrived numbering four altogether – unprecedented throughout history on catastrophic scales.

Literally ‘unprecedented’ meaning no previous records existed concerning repelling invasion forces of such ludicrous magnitudes before whatsoever.

“Just… what is this…?”

“B-, But why? If four Vanguard Commanders arrive, wouldn’t the energy expenditure just bypassing the Holy Barrier’s defenses alone cripple the Demon Lord’s entire army?!”

“Hmm!”

The still avuncular Lion King grunted while folding his arms with satisfaction:

“Satan must have abstained from the battlefields for decades specifically to further develop through the System.”

At his statement, the generals and warriors all nodded their heads pensively.

A mere hypothetical speculation, true. Yet quite plausible nonetheless considering those staggering imp numbers overwhelming even Berthe’s legion from their last encounter by incomprehensible margins.

Undoubtedly by avoiding frontline deployments far longer than his counterparts, Satan must have accumulated sufficient enhancements through the System alone with the Demon Lord allocating all resources towards further empowering him as their paramount wartime combatant.

“That Rockenmeyer incident with small imp raiding parties around seven months ago represented mere experimentation then.”

“Ah…!”

So those seemingly inconsequential raids serving no discernible purpose had actually foreshadowed this escalation all along.

“This offensive represents genuine intent on conquering Muspelheim outright, not any ulterior agendas. With our unrelenting frontline advances thanks to Apostle Doyun alongside unprecedented Vanguard Commander casualties and the Apophis Plains defeat – they finally grew wary enough to strike while timing fortunately coincided with Satan’s own enhancements. In that case…”

Doyun strode over towards where the contemplative Lion King stroked his chin:

“Then those Vanguard Commanders must have remained immobilized within the Demon Citadel throughout their enhancement periods.”

The Lion King glanced sideways before nodding:

“Indeed.”

Differing systemic traits not applicable towards Alliance Apostles – revealing crucial insights into the Demon Lord’s System’s inner workings.

Heineken furrowed his heavily calloused brow before speaking up:

“Which means excluding newer additions like Berthe, the only Vanguard Commander remaining unaccounted for besides tho…”

“The Death God – she alone.”

At their exchange, Doyun shook his head firmly:

“No.”

“Hmm?”

“The Death God perished at the Demon Lord’s own hands.”

“…Excuse me?”

All eyes turned towards Doyun at that sudden declaration as the Lion King peered deeply into his eyes:

“…Hmm. You do not lie.”

“What? You’re serious?”

“But… the Death God died? Wasn’t she the strongest Vanguard Commander? Why would the Demon Lord…?”

“Just how does Apostle Doyun know such intimate details beyond those Vanguard dossiers from our briefings?”

Hushed murmurings erupted chaotically before the Lion King maintained decorum by speaking up casually:

“Well it seems we shall be exchanging many revelations after this war’s conclusion, no?”

“Indeed.”

Undoubtedly Doyun would be explaining numerous matters once this pivotal battle ended.

As the Lion King defused the situation smoothly, the generals coughed awkwardly while retreating from that tangent given the urgent circumstances involved.

“Lilith, Satan, Oz… Former Vanguard Commanders even from Commander Enoch’s era.”

“Vastly more experienced than Berthe alongside sufficient time accumulating Systemic enhancements.”

The Alliance scrutinized each newly arrived Vanguard Commander analytically until gazes finally settled upon the final silhouette:

“…A knight?”

Wearing a visor faceplate and full-body armor – a sizeable sword belted at the waist.

Though featuring weathered equipment and indistinct appearance altogether, its sheer overwhelming presence represented unmitigated Vanguard might.

“Likely some recent turncoat like Berthe.”

“Wielding blades suggests close quarters specialization, though intel remains limited…”

“Then a duelist optimized for one-on-one engagements. Heineken should handle that one…”

Generals exchanged opinions while the warriors listened intently.

Yet Doyun paid them no heed whatsoever – eyes widening in outright shock while intently glaring at that armored knightly silhouette alone.

‘That one…!’

Doyun immediately recognized its identity without any doubts remaining.

All four represented former Vanguard Commanders who had clashed against Enoch himself throughout this entire 18th regression cycle over a century ago.

Especially that anonymous weathered knight…

‘How did he…?!’

The Death Knight Lancelot whom Enoch himself had beheaded to end his unnatural existence once and for all.

Doyun’s gaze sharpened with dismayed realization upon recalling Berthe’s final words before her demise:

‘The Vanguard Commander Revival Project.’

Did that statement truly indicate some initiative to resurrect deceased Vanguard Commanders altogether…?!

As Doyun stared aghast at the reincarnated Lancelot, the Lion King folded his arms observing the warrior’s reactions intently with a meaningful gaze from the side.

At that very moment:

[Ahem. Mic test.]

That voice echoed directly into their minds.