Upon transferring with an army of over 200,000 in front of Ranleo’s Kavir Fortress, the Ranleo army stationed there awaited them.
“This is truly immense,” thought General Sebus, the commander of Kavir Fortress, as he witnessed it with his own eyes.
Even the strongest in Ranleo, Barra, could perhaps only handle a hundred. Having such a powerful mage as an ally this time was incredibly reassuring. Every Ranleo soldier wholeheartedly wished that their Princess Barra would marry him and remain their ally forever. After a brief, informal greeting, Sebus relayed the approaching demon army’s numbers, albeit gradually.
“Approximately 1.5 million. Around 1.3 million of them are Undead.”
Marius thought that hearing numbers on the battlefield was different. It must be possible for a Demon to control millions of Undead. Zofi had also said, “There are surprisingly many things that only a Demon can do.” She added that one would likely face trouble if they tried to apply human common sense. The humans receiving her advice took it with utmost seriousness.
“The other fortresses are likely in a similar situation. Please, Marius-sama.”
Responding to Barra’s request, Marius transported the respective armies to their designated positions. He no longer bothered to conceal his actions, performing them without incantations. He reasoned that since they had to defeat a High Demon eventually, it was only a matter of time.
“I’ll leave the command to General Sebus.”
Yaders, who remained at Kavir Fortress, stated this. They realized they wouldn’t stand a chance unless they unified their command structure. Sebus swallowed nervously, the weight of the responsibility palpable, and nodded with a grave expression. The approaching demon army numbered a total of 3.5 million, while the defending Human Allied Forces numbered around 400,000. The five Demons were all formidable individuals capable of handling forces of tens of thousands without difficulty, and their soldiers were primarily Undead, impervious to normal attacks. Simply comparing their combat power, humanity seemed to face utter despair.
However, there was a reason humanity faced them with hope. It was Marius, the mage who had defeated the Demon Lord and numerous Demons. If he could defeat the High Demon, they had a chance. The three Succubus girls who sided with him were also valuable assets. Humanity’s chosen strategy was not complicated. Mages would handle the Undead, the strongest humans would engage and delay the Demons, the Succubi would provide support, and they would somehow hold out until Marius defeated the High Demon and came to assist elsewhere.
Bearing the immense responsibility that everything would end if he failed, Marius appeared remarkably calm and reliable to onlookers.
“They’re here!”
The lookout shouted loudly, and everyone’s gaze shifted forward. The soldiers gasped as they saw the vast numbers stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. While they couldn’t attack all at once, it was more than enough to instill fear.
“Can… can we win…?”
When someone mumbled this, anxiety spread through the surroundings. The crowd mentality was taking a turn for the worse. Marius let out a sigh and lightly descended from the fortress.
“Huh?”
The soldiers couldn’t comprehend what had happened. The mage, who had stunned his allies, calmly unleashed magic towards the enemy army.
“【Radius】”
Radius, a first-class light magic spell, was an offensive spell with the added effect of purifying Undead, making it incredibly powerful. A torrent of white light erupted, spiraling to engulf the Undead units, and when the light vanished, their numbers had significantly decreased. Marius had reduced the enemy’s combat power with a single spell. He was confident that if he had cast it from closer range, he might have annihilated them all. A great cheer erupted from the Kavir Fortress soldiers who realized this.
“Th-that’s amazing!”
“We can do it! If Marius-sama is here, we can do it!”
Soldiers, for better or worse, were simple-minded creatures, and seeing their ally decimate the enemy reignited their courage. Marius, hearing the great cheers, felt his plan had succeeded and exhaled lightly. Such feats were within his capabilities. His original mission was to defeat the High Demon, but if they advanced so leisurely, there was no need for him to wait. He reasoned that if he annihilated their soldiers and lesser demons before they reached Kavir Fortress, his allies’ casualties would be drastically reduced.
Just as he thought this, a tingling sense of instinct warned him, and Marius instantly used “Warp” to move above the fortress. The next moment, something shot out from the ground where Marius had been standing. If he hadn’t evaded, Marius, who was only a mage, might have died instantly.
“Tch, you’ve got good instincts, haven’t you.”
Emerging from the ground was the Demon Albert. Following him, Demon Franklin also appeared. Their leisurely advance was merely a diversion.
“I am Franklin, and this is Albert. Marius-kun, would you be amenable to a two-on-one battle?” Marius agreed to the proposal, but not without setting a condition.
“Fine. But only if we move to a spacious area.”
“It’s decided then.” Franklin chanted “Trip,” and the three of them teleported. Marius was inwardly surprised by this. Previously, when facing magical attacks, he had used “Dispel” to nullify them. This wasn’t because the enemy’s attacks were superior, but rather to conceal the performance of his “Infernal Robes.” In other words, the performance of the “Infernal Robes” as defensive gear was quite high. Of course, considering he could have allies cast spells on him, his resistance to non-offensive magic might not be as high. He couldn’t be sure without further verification, but it was wise not to let his guard down.
They arrived at a pile of rubble. It seemed reasonably spacious and might have once been a prosperous area, Marius thought.
“Shall we begin?” Albert said, and his entire body’s outline began to blur. It wasn’t just Albert; Franklin was the same. They abandoned their human forms and transitioned into their monster forms, where they could exert their maximum power. There stood a Griffin and a Sphinx, each several times Marius’s size. Both were considered top-tier monsters, and in this case, both were High Demons. The battle between the maximum forces of both sides, which would decide the fate of the Taliant Continent, was about to begin.
Meanwhile, at Fort Karville, the demon army, led by the Undead, was surging forward.
“It’s sickening,” Yaders spat out, and it was understandable. The Undead were men in tattered clothes with missing body parts, or half-naked women. Among them were also figures clad in what appeared to be Berganda army armor. There was no need to ponder their origins.
“Scum,” General Sebus groaned. The Undead attacking were undoubtedly the people of Berganda who had been annihilated. The traces of what they must have endured in life were still present as they attacked, a sight that would break the heart of anyone with compassion.
Humanity was fighting surprisingly well. This was because the demon army’s attacks were monotonous, making it easier for the defenders. This wouldn’t be impossible if a Demon was commanding them. It was unlikely any Demon specialized in siege warfare. If this continued, the destruction of Berganda would likely be attributed to the swift fall of the imperial capital, leading to confusion in the command structure, and the overwhelming power of the Demons. However, casualties were unavoidable when constantly attacked by a fearless horde. It seemed necessary to defeat the Demons as quickly as possible to eliminate their command structure.
“Pal! Aren’t you here?” Surprisingly, Zofi astutely sensed this and provoked Pal, who was commanding the demon army.
“Of course I’m here, Zofi. Traitor.” Pal responded readily. It was exactly as Zofi had predicted; he would easily fall for her provocation. To the Demons, Zofi was an unforgivable traitor.
“What led you to betray us? The resurrection of the Demon Lord was our cherished wish, wasn’t it?” Pal was unusually agitated. He had a strong sense of camaraderie with those working towards the same goal, so being betrayed naturally evoked strong feelings. Zofi scorned her former comrade’s feelings.
“Of course, I attached myself to a superior man. Rubens is no good. Far worse than my master.” The bewitching beauty’s blatant disdain for her former superior irked Pal.
“What did you say? How capable is this Marius of yours!?”
“The best. I still can’t fathom my master’s limits.”
“You whore!” Zofi listened gleefully to Pal’s vulgar insults.
“For a Succubus, that’s a compliment,” Zofi shrugged and scoffed. She was deliberately using phrasing that would provoke Pal. Considering humanity’s strength, defeating Pal was the priority, but even if not, she just needed to distract him and prevent him from focusing on commanding. Indeed, the demon army’s attacks had slowed, and humanity was beginning to gain some breathing room.
However, this was not Zofi’s idea; it was El’s suggestion. Though she was annoyed that a portion was claimed for “contributions to master,” Zofi readily discarded her pride to achieve the best outcome for Marius. His happiness was her top priority. Unfortunately, Pal was not short-tempered and simple like Rebera or Albert. He saw through Zofi’s tactic of engaging him in a verbal spar to give humanity an advantage.
“How insolent. I will bury you and put an end to humanity’s breath.”
“Do you know the phrase ‘counter-attack’?” Zofi retorted bravely and flapped her wings.
“I will kill you in the forest. What do you say, do you have the courage to follow?” Pal took the bait. He glanced at the battle below, judging that while they couldn’t issue new orders at a distance, it would be sufficient against humans. He saw that humanity was indeed gaining some breathing room, but their numbers were too great. If he eliminated Zofi, he could join the attack himself and crush them in one go. Pal made this judgment and followed Zofi. He hadn’t underestimated her. Zofi was weaker than him, and even if she had powered up, she was still a Succubus. He believed he, a pure warrior, held the advantage. Pal’s prediction was that Zofi’s goal was to buy time until Marius arrived.
(That’s if she survives against Lord Albert and Lord Franklin.) He had complete trust in the two High Demons, whose strength was far beyond his own, and didn’t think they would lose to Marius. The ones Marius had defeated so far were weaker than Gastark and Rebera, or a Demon Lord who had just been resurrected and weakened. He couldn’t possibly stand a chance against High Demons, who could shatter armies of hundreds of thousands with a single blow. Zofi, being an alluring beauty, might become the target of desire for Rebera or Albert, but Pal had no such inclinations. He intended to kill her outright.
Otherwise, he would become the same as the selfish, self-serving, and nauseatingly unpleasant humans he was trying to destroy. He had always let Rebera do as she pleased, but Albert was someone he couldn’t argue with, so he had kept it that way, but he refused to be complicit. Reporting that he had no room to hold back would likely only result in some sarcastic remarks. Pal, a Demon of his caliber, would never be forgiven by Rubens if he killed him.
“Will this suffice?” Zofi landed in one of the forests in Berganda territory. It had a name, Phile Forest, but they didn’t know or care about it.
“I’ll tell you one thing before I kill you,” Pal said abruptly.
“I am an intermediate Demon. Far stronger than Gastark or Rebera.” Zofi did not flinch upon hearing this.
“I already sensed it. A Succubus’s discernment of the opposite sex is life’s work.” She said this with a defiant smile. It was precisely because Pal was much stronger than Gastark and Rebera that Zofi wished to fight him. He was a dangerous opponent whom others might have annihilated. Zofi had already resigned herself to her fate. However, Pal laughed at her.
“Discernment of the opposite sex? I am a subspecies of the Black Owl, an Onyx Owl… I am hermaphroditic. Therefore, the charm-inflicting attacks you specialize in will not work.” This was because the Succubus’s charm effects were only effective against the opposite sex.
“I will make this your grave.” The battle between Pal and Zofi began.
