Melee
In the sky, the leading silver behemoth, its body gleaming with metallic luster, flapped its broad wings, stirring up a cold hurricane, and let out a roar.
"Roar--"
"Demons! You do not belong here! In the name of Mellward, get back to the gutter of the Abyss!"
"Whoosh—"
With a whooshing sound, the biting cold wind dispelled the Heavy Fog Spell cast by Bazuite Devil, revealing the hideous demonic bodies of the goat-headed demons that were moving through the mist.
At this moment, Bazuite Devil also spotted the Silver Dragon in the sky.
"Aww!"
"Kill these reptiles!"
But they were already bloodthirsty, roaring with their heads raised, spitting out foul-smelling saliva. Their rotting fur was covered with dirty blood and bits of flesh, riddled with bullet holes from which purplish-black pus gushed.
They were wounded in the fierce resistance of the Imperial army.
The wounded Bazuite Devil will enter a state of rage, attacking wildly until it or its enemy is dead, showing no fear even when facing Silver Dragon that are more powerful than itself.
"So it was that troublesome guy from Bazuite Devil."
It's quite remarkable that these mortals have managed to hold out for so long without collapsing, and even managed to kill one of them.
The Silver Dragon reached forward and clenched its claws. With a slight ripple in the space, it retrieved an exquisitely carved Mithril Scepter from the void.
He chanted ancient and complex Draconic incantations in a low voice, and the magic crystal embedded at the top of the scepter suddenly released a dazzling light that illuminated almost the entire highlands.
The Silver Dragon flapped its wings and stretched its neck. "Since you insist on invading the Prime Material Plane —then you must bear our wrath and pay the price you deserve!"
"Tomb of Light (Draconic)!"
Accompanied by a thunderous shout, a dozen beams of Beams descended from the sky, projecting onto the Bazuite Devil and forming illusory tombstones.
Under the holy light, billowing gray smoke rose from these demons, and their fur was scorched, making a sizzling sound.
"Aww—"
The Bazuite Devil let out painful howls, but they were completely unable to move.
Their sinful nature was being judged by this spell, and their twisted, emaciated demonic bodies were nailed to their spots by the Tomb of Light.
"Now! Wipe them out! Show no mercy to these filthy demons!"
With a roar, the Silver Dragon swooped down from hundreds of meters in the sky with unparalleled ferocity.
He is none other than the robust Silver Dragon from Mellward, the "Guardian Scale" —Adelovel, who has been stationed on the front lines of resisting the invasion of the Abyss for many years!
"Boom!"
Adelovel slammed into a Bazuite Devil, smashing it to pieces with his massive dragon body.
He stepped on the demon's corpse and leaped onto another immobile demon.
The Silver Dragon swung its massive silver claws with all its might, severing the ram-like head along with its neck, causing it to roll to the ground.
"In the name of Mellward! Annihilate the demons!"
A slightly shrill roar came, and another long, winding dragon landed on the ground. She spat out cold frost, freezing a Bazuite Devil into a block of ice.
The silvery-white scales covering her entire body reflected a beautiful luster in the light.
—This is the adult Silver Dragon of the Mellward Family, and also the envoy representative for this cooperation, known as the "Pearl of Kolda," Jennycis.
Behind them, one after another, giant dragons, their bodies shimmering with silver light, descended from the sky and joined the chaotic battle.
The Silver Dragon pounced on the Bazuite Devil, tearing at them and sweeping them with their thick, massive tails, or swooping down from the air while spewing out frost-covered breath, freezing swathes of demons in their wake.
With the arrival of the Silver Dragon reinforcements, the battle situation instantly turned around.
The initially menacing demons were rendered utterly vulnerable by the Silver Dragon 'Silver Dragon overwhelming offensive, and even the powerful Bazuite Devil were easily defeated.
After all, the Mellward Silver Dragon, led by Adelovel and Jennycis, had extensive combat experience and were very familiar with how to counter the heavy infantry among these demons.
"Look! Commander George was right, we made it through!"
"Great! They've arrived as reinforcements!"
"Counterattack!"
"For the Empire!"
The Imperial soldiers, entangled with the demons, seemed to see the dawn of victory.
They also sounded the horn of counterattack, charging alongside the Silver Dragon and forcefully driving back the demons that were about to occupy the high ground.
Many soldiers were bloodthirsty, rushing towards the demons like wild beasts, venting their long-suppressed rage.
Before the Silver Dragon reinforcements arrived, they were fighting a very frustrating battle.
With their powerful physiques and Spell-like Abilities, the Bazuite Devil achieved a near one-sided crushing victory, mercilessly slaughtering their comrades who had been with them day and night.
Now, the opportunity for revenge has arrived.
"Kill these Abyss bastards! Slaughter them all!"
"Avenge the battalion commander!"
"Keep charging! Let them know how powerful we are!"
The battle cries of imperial soldiers, the wails of demons, and the roars of Silver Dragon mingled on the battlefield.
Adelovel flapped his wings high in the sky, overlooking the chaotic battle.
He watched the soldiers hacking and slashing through the demon horde, and looked at the officers lying beside the corpses of the Bazuite Devil, and couldn't help but sigh, "Such an army is truly..."
He remained silent for a long time before finding the most suitable adjective: "Resilient".
It's no wonder he was so shocked. Although these Bazuite Devil seemed utterly vulnerable in the face of the Silver Dragon dragons, how many Silver Dragon were there on this continent, or even in this world? But for mortals, the legion of these Bazuite Devil was a complete nightmare, a nightmare that brought death.
Keep in mind that this is just an ordinary infantry regiment of the empire. Apart from their regimental commander who has a dragon lineage, all the others are just ordinary mortals who have only undergone military training.
Adelovel had experienced more than a dozen demonic invasions. The mortal armies of those kingdoms were almost instantly defeated when faced with demons of this level, without any intention of resisting.
These Bazuite Devil can take the lives of mortals with a mere gesture, and slaughtering armies of thousands is nothing more than a daily occurrence for them.
This army, however, managed to fight against demons with mortal bodies, relying not only on superior weapons but also on their unwavering will.
As he was thinking, he suddenly heard Jennycis's voice behind him.
"Adelovel, have you noticed that the scale of this invasion is unusual?"
Adelovel turned his head and saw his cousin staring into the distance with a solemn expression. He quickly followed her gaze.
At the edge of the battlefield, amidst the undulating mountains, thousands of Abyss Dragon Beast waved their tattered wings, obscuring the distant sky.
On the earth, colossal Abyss monsters such as Gorebull Devil, Demon Hunter Spider, and Abyss giants strode forward, causing the ground to tremble. Millions of lower-level demons swarmed in, like a surging tide rushing towards the empire's lines.
Adelovel's eyes widened, his pale blue pupils revealing astonishment.
"Interdimensional teleportation is very costly. Normally, even Abyss Lord cannot teleport a demon of this size to the Prime Material Plane."
unless"
Jennycis and Adelovel said in unison, their voices heavy, "This Abyss Lord has descended upon the Material Plane in his true form."
In the sky obscured by the Abyss Dragon Beast, Quasit, and Vrock, countless thick black mists surged forth, as if a huge crack had appeared in the sky.
"Jennycis, quickly inform the elders of the clan! Summon allies from all over! The intensity of this Abyss invasion far exceeds our expectations. This is no longer just an invasion against the Embers of the Burned Empire; it is very likely a long-planned interdimensional war intended to sweep Material Plane!"
Adelovel shouted, then led a dozen adult Silver Dragon into the front lines of the battle, his Dragon Face filled with anxiety and solemnity.
If the Abyss Lord's true form were to take over the Embers of the Burned Empire, the consequences would be unimaginable! "Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
The cannons roared, unleashing a series of violent explosions amidst the throngs of demons. Countless bullets, arrows, and spells rained down like a storm.
The empire's defenses were bustling with activity, with messengers moving through the trenches and officers shouting urgently amidst the sounds of artillery fire.
"Quickly! Continue the firepower! We cannot let our guard down!"
"Keosius above"
"Hill 26 has fallen!"
However, this still could not stop the demon's offensive.
In the distance, amidst the surging Magic Tide, spiders the size of male elephants stood on their four hind legs, their eyes gleaming with an eerie light, and thick venom dripping from their fang-filled mouthparts.
—That's the Demon Hunter Spider, a giant spider monster nurtured from the flesh and blood of demons.
Not all constructs are made of inanimate stone, wood, metal, or dead flesh.
In the shadowy corners of the Great Other Shore, certain powerful Devil Lord are skilled at shaping the proto-physical bodies from the Abyss into deformed works of art.
They have no life, no feelings, no will to resist—and the ugly Demon Hunter Spider is the most famous of them.
The Devil Lord use Demon Hunter Spider to find those who dare to betray them or escape their enslavement, and to keep the lower-ranking demons loyal.
For the Abyss Lord, the Demon Hunter Spider is a valuable asset, often used in the endless battles within the Abyss.
Now, there are over a hundred Demon Hunter Spider on the battlefield!
These enormous spider monsters, like mobile fortresses, posed a tremendous challenge to the empire's defenses.
Within the Empire's territory, Olivia, now a silver-haired girl, raised her staff, closed her eyes, and chanted a Draconic spell.
"Dragon Star Cluster (Draconic)!"
"Boom!"
Instantly, streaks of meteors streaked across the sky and fell into the demon horde.
In an instant, countless Beams shot out from the meteorite, Purification hundreds of demons with the radiance. Their bodies emitted black smoke, turning them into charred remains.
She opened her eyes and stared at the enormous spider monster moving rapidly in the distance, especially its flashing compound eyes. She quickly warned, "Get out of the way! It's Demon Hunter Spider!"
Olivia tried to cast a protective spell, but it was too late.
"Whoosh—"
The eyes of the Demon Hunter Spider gleamed with an eerie light, from which several dark gray Beams of light shot out.
The hundreds of imperial soldiers who were swept by the Beams all remained frozen in that instant.
They were either firing guns, shouting, or hurrying along, but their bodies had all turned into stone sculptures! Those were Petrification Ray!
Olivia's brain raced, rapidly constructing a spell model for [Dispel Petrification].
However, two blazing Fire Ray shot from the eyes of the other Demon Hunter Spider, sweeping across a large group of petrified soldiers.
"No"
Olivia shook her head sadly as she watched helplessly as the soldiers who had been fighting bravely just moments before turned into rubble in an instant.
But she was powerless to do anything about it.
"I will make them pay."
Olivia gritted her teeth, raised her staff once more, and unleashed the most powerful [Crown of Stars] she possessed.
"Quick! Blow those spider monsters up! We absolutely cannot let them unleash their beams!"
"Requesting fire support! Requesting fire support!"
The empire's commanders also discovered the terrifying nature of these Demon Hunter Spider.
They called upon the artillery in the rear and the Wyvern Knight circling in the sky, waiting for an opportunity to bombard them, and continuously subjected them to targeted fire.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Shells rained down and exploded among the demon horde, but not a single Demon Hunter Spider was killed.
These enormous spider monsters move swiftly across the ground on eight legs, making them very difficult to hit.
They are made from the hardest flesh and shell of demons, and are naturally fire resistant. Unless hit directly, ordinary explosions are unlikely to kill them effectively.
"Boom!"
More Fire Ray from the eyes of the Demon Hunter Spider, piercing through the thick city wall and killing all the Imperial soldiers behind it.
Under the charge of the Demon Hunter Spider, the demon legion's offensive became increasingly fierce, and some of the imperial defenses were even completely breached.
In the distance, Adelovel was leading his flock of Silver Dragon toward the battlefield, and he was once again astonished by the sight before him.
"How can there be so many Demon Hunter Spider?"
"This is indeed very unusual."
With a furrowed brow, Jennycis flapped her wings and flew toward the site of the fiercest battle.
Adelovel said, "Jennycis, go and remind Marshal Dolo that we must send those blue-skinned ones into battle. This is the only place where those filthy, greedy Blue Dragon can be put to good use."
"With our strength alone, we can't stop so many Demon Hunter Spider."
It's worth noting that the last time the Demon Hunter Spider appeared on the Prime Material Plane was fifty years ago, when they targeted the Kassand region of Holy Fadlan, and Adelovel participated in that battle.
At that time, the Holy Fadlan Empire was at its zenith and had no fear of these demons.
With their powerful legion of Iron Golem, they withstood the onslaught of the spider Demon Hunter Spider, and were subsequently destroyed by the divine power of the Angel Divine Descendant.
The Embers of the Burned Empire is, after all, a newly established nation. Without the profound magical foundation of the Holy Fadlan, it would be difficult for it to create a national treasure like the Steel Behemoth.
Although the Empire's army was powerful, Silver Dragon believed that it had little hope of withstanding the onslaught of the Demon Hunter Spider Legion.
Jennycis received a reply quickly, but her tone was somewhat surprised.
"Marshal Dolo said he already knows and is about to launch a full-scale counter-offensive, so we shouldn't worry."
"Boom--"
All that could be heard was the sound of engines running and sharp whistles, as billowing steam filled the battlefield, and the earth trembled slightly.
The Silver Dragon all looked toward the battlefield, where the iron gates of the fortress opened, and one after another, steel behemoths burst out, crashing through the thick steam and leaving deep tracks on the ground.
Those are the Empire's Steam Tank!