Attrition
Before the Glabrezu leader's live demonstration, these usually reckless Glabrezu finally stopped and lingered outside the minefield.
These extremely warlike and simple-minded creatures are not afraid of death, but they also cherish the opportunity to enter the Prime Material Plane — the Glabrezu enjoy the ultimate pleasure that destruction and slaughter bring them.
But unexpectedly, the bombings in the sky were not static; what they thought was a safe haven could be struck by lightning at any time.
Behind the Imperial Wall, the Embers of the Burned Empire's artillery legions immediately adjusted the elevation of their cannons, covering the location of the Glabrezu Legion.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
The earth trembled, artillery fire raged, and shrapnel flashing with dazzling golden light flew everywhere, instantly killing dozens of Glabrezu.
"Ah—damn Material Plane insects!"
The Glabrezu howled and roared, but were powerless to resist, which made them feel extremely frustrated.
Ahead lay an extremely dangerous minefield, and behind them surged waves of Quasit; they had nowhere to hide.
Moreover, the shells falling from the sky this time were even more terrifying, with each shrapnel emitting a golden light—these were shells tempered with Holy Water, possessing a radiant power.
"This nauseating smell—"
"Damn it, it's Holy Water!"
Shrapnel soaked in Holy Water easily ripped through the Glabrezu- like skin, and the holy explosion engulfed the Glabrezu's massive, ugly body.
"Whoosh—"
Rays of sunlight burst forth in mid-air, making the bombardment seem quite sacred.
This batch of ammunition was manufactured by the Technology Department in collaboration with Ingrid, a specially appointed Cleric of the Empire. It is specifically designed to target demonic creatures and is known as the "Exorcism" series of ammunition.
However, after a few rounds of bombardment, the once-fierce Glabrezu army suffered heavy losses, with less than half of the demons retreating back into the Magic Tide.
Leo looked up at the dense network of firepower in the sky, then looked down at the minefield full of landmines, and was instantly enraged.
Half a day has passed, and he hasn't advanced the battle line even an inch!
It's important to understand that transporting such a large number of demons is a huge drain on both the Abyss and Jerrazak. If he can't destroy the Empire as soon as possible, his own fate will certainly not be good.
The Embers of the Burned Empire's attrition tactics of Fire Coverage and blocking minefields were indeed very effective, but their opponent was the Abyssal Devil!
He could easily use the numerical advantage of the Quasit to force his way through the minefield and eventually break through the Empire's defenses.
With that thought, Leo Bosk raised his long whip, spread his broad and powerful wings, and roared at the lower demons.
"Charge!"
"Crush the enemy in front of you!"
Waves of intense heat rapidly expanded from Leo's center, unleashing the terrifying pressure of a high-ranking demon that sent shivers down the spines of all the lower-ranking demons.
Driven by this instinct to submit, the Quasit marched through the fierce gunfire, surging into the minefield like a tireless tide.
"Aww—"
A piercing, cacophonous scream emanated from the Magic Tide, filled with hatred for all things. When countless demons screamed simultaneously, even the most powerful beings would tremble.
Unfortunately, they faced no enemies; instead, they were met with a barrage of explosions.
"Boom!"
The arcs of artillery fire in the sky intertwined, weaving a dense network of firepower. Shell after shell exploded among the demon horde, instantly turning thousands upon thousands of Quasit into dust.
But this time, under Leo's control, these Quasit became even more unafraid of death.
They were oblivious to the explosions around them and the mangled remains of their own kind. As long as they had a breath left, they would tirelessly and endlessly move forward.
There was even Quasit whose right arm and both legs had been sliced off by shrapnel.
It dragged its body with its last remaining arm, slowly moving across the scorched ground, still struggling to move north—until flying shrapnel severed its head.
Even those Quasit who managed to break through the artillery barrage didn't fare much better; in fact, their fates were often far more tragic.
"Boom!"
As soon as a Quasit stepped onto that land, the landmine beneath its feet suddenly exploded, sending dirt flying everywhere.
In the violent explosion, the Quasit was blasted several meters into the air before crashing to the ground, leaving behind only a mangled, charred corpse.
As the war progressed, more and more Quasit risked their lives to enter the minefield, only to be blown up by landmines shortly afterward. Some demons even triggered cluster bombs, taking hundreds of Quasit with them in their graves.
"Clang, clang, clang"
The dull thud of hooves and the scraping of metal armor filled the air as demons resembling knights charged across the wasteland, breaking through the artillery barrage.
These monsters have the robust bodies of horses, and the sickly arms and faces of humans.
Their upper bodies were pale and bloody, oozing painful pus. Thick horns protruded from their foreheads.
It wore a complex, jet-black full suit of armor, with a few tufts of short, stiff hair peeking out from the gaps in the armor.
—These are the Iron Cavalry Devil, demonic heavy cavalry who charge into enemy lines with uncontrollable bloodlust and rage, often speeding across the wasteland and bringing death to every creature they see.
The leader of the Iron Cavalry Devil led his many Iron Cavalry Devil across the battlefield, dodging explosion after explosion.
They were lucky; they sped for hundreds of meters without triggering any landmines.
"Charge--"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
Iron Cavalry Devil wildly swung his flail, attempting to display his prowess on the battlefield—however, the commander failed to notice the impending danger.
"Whoosh—"
The tripwire hidden in the weeds suddenly rose up, and the charging Iron Cavalry Devil didn't notice it at all, and was tripped and fell to the ground.
Damn it!
It rolled several times, kicking up clouds of dust on the ground.
However, immediately afterward, the Iron Cavalry Devil felt a cold metallic touch beneath its torso, and its expression changed drastically.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, the Iron Cavalry Devil was blown in two on the spot; the man's upper body and the horse's lower body were charred into pieces and scattered in all directions.
Immediately afterwards, the surrounding landmines were triggered one after another, and the Iron Cavalry Devil that followed were also annihilated in the flames, leaving only scorched ground.
"Aww—"
The Quasit flapped their wings high in the sky, striving to fly towards the Imperial Wall, forming a dark cloud-like Magic Tide in the sky.
To avoid the intersecting artillery fire from the sky, they flew hundreds of meters into the air, attempting to cross this impenetrable defensive line in this way.
But inside the Imperial Wall, the anti-aircraft soldiers stroked the two cold, nearly four-meter-long barrels of the anti-aircraft guns, pressed the firing mechanism, and revealed eager smiles.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A crisp sound, somewhat different from the previous shelling, rang out.
One after another, shells streaked into the sky with dazzling flames, followed by even more spectacular explosions.
The arcs of these artillery shots were far denser than those of the previous heavy artillery, creating a deathly concerto high in the sky.
In an instant, countless Quasit were engulfed by the flames, and charred, shapeless bodies fell from the sky.
On this day, similar things have happened countless times, and those demons who try to force their way into the empire's defenses always meet a miserable end.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The intense bombardment continued without a moment's pause, as the empire poured all the ammunition it had accumulated over the years onto the demons.
Moreover, under this state of national preparedness, almost all imperial factories were producing ammunition day and night. This supplies were continuously transported south by train, providing strong logistical support for the Imperial Wall.
As the sun set and darkness fell, the wasteland was devastated, with scorched earth and bomb craters scattered across the land.
In the areas where the artillery fire was most intense, the hills were leveled, and the corpses of demons filled the ground, even piling up in several layers to form new "soil".
From day to night, under the Empire's relentless bombardment, the demon legion failed to break through the Empire's defenses even after a full day.
As night fell, beams of light streaked across the sky, weaving a dense network that illuminated the ground as if it were daytime.
However, this was merely a mutual probing between the two sides. The Empire was testing the power of its weapons, while Leo Bosk was using the cheapest demons to deplete the Empire's ammunition.
"You will eventually be destroyed."
In the darkness, surrounded by a horde of demons, Leo stared at the brightly lit Imperial Wall in the distance, his face contorted with rage, his eyes gleaming with chaotic fire.
For the demons transformed by Jierlazarax, hatred is the source of their power.
This former Grand Duke Bosk, for over a decade, has been constantly thinking about destroying the empire and killing the Red Dragon.
To this day, this hatred has reached its peak, even becoming deeply ingrained in his very bones.
Suddenly, a Quasit was flying unsteadily flapped its wings and staggered into his line of sight.
Leo's face darkened with anger. He casually grabbed the head of the Quasit, veins bulging on his thick arm, and his five crimson fingers gradually applied pressure.
"Aww~"
The Quasit let out a painful howl, but due to the suppression of the higher-ranking demons, it dared not even struggle.
"Bang!"
The little devil's head suddenly exploded, spraying viscous brain matter and purplish-black blood everywhere.
Leo's anger subsided slightly. He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and casually tossed aside the mangled remains of the Quasit.
The nearby Quasit immediately rushed over and devoured its remains.
For demons, the flesh and blood of their fellow demons are equally delicious, and in some ways even more tempting.
Leo looked down at the bloody and chaotic scene, a ferocious smile suddenly appearing on his face as he chuckled softly.
"Hehehe, Keosius, just wait, this will be your end too."
In the darkness, the eyes of hundreds of thousands of demons gleamed with an eerie light, and their piercing, erratic howls echoed across the wasteland.