Chapter 457: A Battle to Be Relished
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Aerymian fleet was powerful against the natives of this world, but they were not invincible. The races in Y'zaks' old home were clearly hardened veterans of many wars, and their spells were nothing to scoff at. You could not even come close by comparing it to a conventional warfare. The Aerymian fleet also needed to escort and protect that behemoth of a spacecraft, which was several hundred kilometers in size. The pace in which it was chugging at left the Aerymians with little to no leeway. Thus, Y'zaks and Hao Ren needed to figure out a way to take out their enemies, or at the very least, those annoying cannons.
The firepower of arcane cannons were second to none, but these cannons were slow, lumbering pieces of equipment. Hence, they were only a threat towards the hulking ship. The Aerymian escort fighters had quickly dispatched the cannons. Demonic cannons on the other had, were quick in locking onto their targets and they had an unmatched rate of fire. Those were Y'zaks' targets.
"Come with me! Charge!" Y'zaks drew his Black Sword as he charged headlong into the demonic host. The five-meter-tall lava demon was the most eye-catching of targets, and under his scorching red glow, the demon king's army was at its peak. The very sight of Y'zaks sent shudders amongst the demonic host. As he swung his blade, the magic runes on his sword released a shockwave so strong that a ballistic missile would pale in comparison. Before him, all the lesser demons were nothing but floating ashes and dust.
Obsidian colossals marched forward in huge footsteps. They may have looked like lumbering creatures, but their advance was steady. Nothing the enemies unleashed could stop their inexorable march towards their target. Their crimson cyclopean eyes shot out scorching energy rays, annihilating everything in their path in one sweep. Chainsword welding demons in heavy armor followed their king, slaying everything before them in total silence.
They were Y'zaks' last remaining troops, the loyalists who stood guard over Helcrown even as the demon king's army crumbled years ago. The demonic veterans had scars all over their body, and the flames of war had fully anointed them, leaving them almost unrecognizable from their original form. But being the veterans that they were, even though scarred throughout, they fought like true demons. With their chainswords hewing and roaring, they reaped a bloody toll across the ranks of the demonic host!
The demon king's army, the fearsome primal force that ruled the world for hundreds of years; even if they were to go out, they would go out standing victorious in combat!
Wave after wasve of Serathon's personal guards charged towards Y'zaks, determined to protect the demonic cannons with whatever courage they had. But as they went in one after the other, all were reduced to nothing but ash. Y'zaks was like a flaming giant, stepping on gnats as he advanced. He grabbed one of the stronger demons and smashed it into the ground, the latter crumpling into a ball. "You deem yourself worthy to stop me?!"
The demon king's roar shook the battlefield, and a score of demon guards froze before shattering into molten rocks.
Trudging steps suddenly came from the side and Y'zaks instinctively parried the blow with his Black Sword. The land around him immediately shattered and left a deep crater about 20-m wide. Serathon's warglaive grinded against the Black Sword's blade and sparks flew all over the place. "You old fool, your time is over!"
The Black Sword's runes glowed green in sequence as Y'zaks pushed the glaive aside. "It's not your time either!"
*Boom! Boom!*
A thunderous clash followed as the two demons exchaged blows. The immediate area around them shook violently as dust and smoke gathered. It was almost as if a dimensional sphere had formed around them, and it was being shaken to its core. Their attacks were simple yet brutal, a slash here, and a thrust there, almost elementary. But with each blow, the entire place was closer to falling apart. Most of the guards of the demonic host had fled the area, and slower ones were instantly turned into dust by the shockwave. The lesser demons further away simply burned up as they heard the roar of combat. The demon lords were reaping the life energies of the lesser demons around them, and the inexperienced fodders all turned into fuel to power the massives attacks of the Black Sword and the warglaive.
The Allied Army that was scattered under the aerial bombardment of the Aerymian fleet had noticed the massive quakes as well. A group of cavalry that had wandered off to close to the demonic encampment after dodging streams of plasma blasts were enthralled by the combat. A few of the younger soldiers turned towards Y'zaks and Serathon, and as they breathed, they breathed their last, falling limply from their horses. Their skin ashen, their bodies shrivelled and petrified.
"Don't look!" A veteran cavalryman yelled as he struggled against the enthrallment. "Your souls will be consumed!"
And once more the massive weapons collided as Y'zaks and Serathon's silhouette parted. The area around them had shown signals of a dimensional distortion, mirror-like glitter started appearing in the air, the hallmark of a oncoming dimensional rift.
"Old man, you're weak!" Serathon wreathed fire as he breathed. Flames bursting out from his armor, yet nary a scar. "I can feel... your drive to rule the world had disappeared. You have lost your motivation.... You are just an old fool struggling to survive... you are no match for me...."
Y'zaks looked down, and nonchalantly lifted his sword again. "You're wrong... I still have yet a motivation...."
As he finished, the giant lava demon disappeared.
Serathon suddenly felt his muscles shudder, and instincts told him that danger was imminent. But his massive frame reacted just too slowly. A thunderclap later and the giant salamander demon was thrown a few hundred meters away, his lower body slowly turning into molten ash. Y'zaks Black Sword had driven deep into his waist, and had almost cleaved the demon in two.
"... To bring my daughter home."
Serathon struggled, but it was futile. He could not restore his body that was slowly turning into volcanic ash. The demon lord was overconfident, and he now paid the price. Y'zaks pulled the sword out of the dying demon, and took it's head off in one fell stroke.
"... You're in the way."
Serathon's demise had thrown the demon host into confusion. Without needing to look, Y'zaks knew that the battle was won. He swatted the ash off his blade and looked towards somwhere. A crimson -skinned demon was standing before him. The burning demonic blood all over him was testament of the brutal battle he had making his way here. The crimson demon was much bigger than before, but that scar on his face was immediately recognisable.
Y'zaks nodded. "Lamadenor, I thought you'd give this a pass."
The demonic general, whom all thought had left long ago, had reappeared on the battlefield. He gave Y'zaks a courteous nod. "One last battle."
"You're sure on not following me?"
"The place you mentioned sounds great." Lamadenor turned and left. "But not for me."
One the otherside of the battlefield, Hao Ren was facing a giant bug the size of a hill.
Banuklaak's appendages skittered around, and a series of grating clacks came behind it's carapace, almost as if was laughing. Hao Ren stoood on top of Lily's head. The werehusky had turned into her beast form. Hao Ren felt he was starting to get used to this odd-ball fighting style.
Hao Ren was nothing but a gnat before Banuklaak and it was only after Lily transformed that he was able to match size for size.
His alloy spear flickered, but it seems like the weapon was not effective against that giant bug demon. Lily too let out a threatening growl, before hissing slightly. The werehusky had tried to take a bite out of the demon earlier, and her fangs were aching now.
"Don't just bite something anyhow." Hao Ren tapped his spear on the tip of Lily's snout. The latter replied with an growl. Hao Ren then looked up into the air and saw a streak of blue flight approaching.
"Buggie," Hao Ren laughed at Banuklaak. "Let me show you something nice."
A second later, Banuklaak was assaulted by a sudden daze.
"Let's have some fun in space."