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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Demon Realm.
There were those who were sharing the gaze of the high-ranking demons currently advancing on the sea.
The strategist of the Demon Realm.
Celiel, a vampire and duke of the Demon Realm, doubted his own eyes.
“What the hell is that bastard?”
The Demon Realm did not yet know about the existence of Yuma.
There was no way for them to know.
It was natural, as they lived in an entirely different world, not just a different dimension on another continent.
Unlike the demons currently sharing their gaze, the remnant demon beasts in the Forest of Demon Beasts were all of the lowest rank, so they couldn’t share their vision.
Fraud, another strategist beside Celiel and a devil-type demon, furrowed his brow.
“Looking at the attack principle, it seems to be a counterattack… but it’s not a simple counterattack. It contains several times the skill of the attacks launched by the demon army.”
Celiel nodded at the words of the red demon with a large circular horn on his forehead.
“Right. When he first killed the giant demon, it didn’t even seem like a counterattack…”
Fraud’s eyes gleamed with a different light.
“Yes, that one felt like he just received the attack, created an opening, and then struck with a powerful qi filled with destructive power.”
They still didn’t fully understand the principle behind Yuma’s attacks.
Celiel, the male vampire with platinum blonde hair, furrowed his brow.
“Anyway, what’s clear is… that guy is extremely dangerous.”
Grind—
Fraud gritted his teeth.
Just now, about 500 demons had died instantly at that guy’s hands.
“Let’s change the plan.”
The great devil Fraud spoke while looking at Celiel.
“We’ll create a gate and move a large number of demons to the airspace above the Astes Empire.”
There was a limit to the total number of demons they could deploy.
And just now, two demons that the demons called 1st-rank demons—called Grand Masters in the middle realm—had died.
They had disappeared like dust, not even leaving a trace.
All because of one unidentified human riding that griffin.
So Celiel concluded that they needed to change their strategy of trying to consume the sea and land of this Mullen as their first conquest.
Celiel tilted his head.
“The only army we can send out today are the 2nd and 3rd ranks. There are a few 1st ranks, but only about four… Is it possible to swallow the empire with an army mainly composed of them?”
2nd rank corresponded to Master level in the middle realm standards.
3rd rank belonged to high Expert level.
Fraud spoke decisively.
“This force is enough. It’s extremely rare for humans to enter the 1st rank. If that human is from the empire, we need to end this before he arrives. We’ll devour the empire within 6 hours. It’s just a matter of time if we swallow the imperial palace first, where the strong ones are concentrated.”
If choosing Mullen was due to geographical reasons, choosing the Astes Empire was a strategic issue.
Humans were one of the weakest in terms of average military power on the continent, on par with the Mullen race.
That’s why they were a priority for conquest from the demons’ perspective, given that they held the largest chunk of land despite their weak military power.
“The human race cannot change much with just about a thousand years of time. They are merely lower mortal beings who cannot live long.”
Fraud looked again at Yuma reflected in the rippling mirror before his eyes.
“That human is just exceptionally special.”
The notion of Yuma’s uniqueness and dangerousness firmly took root in the minds of the two demons.
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The sky had already started to turn red with the sunset.
The invasion that had begun before noon was finally over.
The princess of the Mullen race, Tisha, a mer-folk with sky-blue skin and hair, looked at Cloney, the mage beside her.
“Thank you for coming to help.”
Tisha lightly embraced Cloney’s shoulders.
“Y-Yes… I’m glad… Tisha.”
Yuma landed next to Yercur, the king of the Mullen race and mer-folk, riding his griffin.
“You’ve been guarding the sea well.”
Yercur nodded at Yuma’s words.
“Grand Duke, we were able to hold out completely thanks to the forces you sent.”
In truth, they couldn’t say they had held out completely.
It was war.
Countless Mullen warriors had died.
And dozens of mages in the rear had also perished.
Nevertheless, the damage was less than expected.
Yercur now looked at the great sea of Mullen, which had finally been cleared.
The clear blue sea was now polluted with thick black blood.
Yercur glared at the demon realm’s gate in the sky, which was fiercely emitting purple haze, with a hardened face.
“Is this as far as it goes for today…?”
At Yercur’s mutter, the other Mullen warriors also loosened their grip on their weapons.
It was at that moment.
Rumble—
A strange disturbance occurred in front of the demon realm’s gate.
The eyes of the warriors and mages, including Yercur, widened.
“Is it starting again…!”
Tisha and Cloney, who was next to him, also furrowed their brows.
And Arielre, the great mage of the Mullen race in front of them, slowly shook her head.
“No… it seems they’ve opened a gate portal to a different place.”
At Arielre’s words, Cloney’s golden eyes widened.
“A different… place?”
“Cloney.”
A deep voice was heard from behind Cloney, who was questioning.
Cloney hurriedly turned around.
It was Yuma’s voice.
“It seems they’ve opened a gate portal in the airspace above the Astes Empire. I didn’t expect this.”
The round signal device Yuma was holding had just rung.
The alert for number 1, which signified the Astes Empire.
The only good thing was that only the red light, which meant they had arrived, was lit.
The blue light, which signified urgency, was not on.
Yuma turned his head to look at Tisha.
“They might not have given up on Mullen yet. Guard your sea.”
Tisha’s blue eyes met Yuma’s blue eyes.
“…Be careful, Yuma.”
“I will.”
Yuma mounted Ethan, the griffin, first.
Cloney quickly said goodbye to Tisha.
“When it’s all over. I’ll come play in the sea.”
“Okay, Cloney. Make sure you do.”
After finishing her brief farewell, Cloney hurriedly mounted the griffin.
“Hold on tight.”
“Yes!”
Cloney answered vigorously to Yuma’s words.
Grrrr!
Ethan let out a cry and kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky.
They had to return to the Astes Empire quickly.
An unexpected situation.
But Yuma wasn’t that flustered.
‘Hold out.’
He was confident that those remaining in the imperial palace of the empire now would be able to fend this off.
Whoosh!
Ethan increased his speed at Yuma’s command.
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The night was deepening.
On the mountain behind the imperial palace of the Astes Empire.
Crack—!
The gate of the demon realm opened at the peak of that vast and enormous mountain.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The demon army poured down from the mountain peak like an ebb tide.
From afar, it looked like a swarm of insects, an innumerable force.
The imperial army had gathered up to the middle of the mountain since the purple vortex had started spiraling, showing signs of the demon realm’s gate opening at the mountain peak.
Forces numbering over ten thousand were deployed on the huge mountain.
There was no fear in anyone’s eyes.
This was because the soldiers knew how great those at the vanguard were, after training together for three months.
And they also believed in their own efforts to follow them.
Shing!
Bell drew her sword.
Whoosh—!
And like a lamp illuminating the darkness, she emanated sword energy.
It was a blue flame.
Whoosh—! Whooosh!
And that blue flame continued to rise behind Bell’s back.
A clan born with innate talent for the sword.
All the warriors of the White Night Clan had gathered on this land of the Astes Empire, passing through the barbarian country of Pineon.
Haven, who had the same sky-blue hair as his sister Bell, and Luke, the head of the clan, stood beside Bell.
Behind them, dense blue flames swayed.
Casiella, the captain of the Dawn Knight Order, drew her sword.
Her long red hair, spread out like a lion’s mane, fluttered in the mountain wind.
Shing! Clang!
At the signal of Casiella’s sword draw, all members of the Dawn Knight Order, Yuma’s first knight order, drew their weapons.
Whoosh!
Starting with the red sword energy that bloomed on Casiella’s sword, various energies surged.
Highgelt, the empire’s 2nd seat, raised his huge spear, his weapon.
All members of Highgelt’s mercenary group, the Hollow Mercenary Group, handled their respective weapons.
Roar! Caw!!
The demon army, enveloped in demonic energy from head to toe, charged towards the imperial army with fierce battle cries.
Leading the vanguard of this demon army was a 1st rank demon.
A white-haired vampire with Grand Master-level power.
A giant vampire lord clad in black armor all over his body.
Black Cerphek
Cerphek’s long tongue licked his lips.
An eerie voice spread ominously across the mountain.
“Quite a lot of delicious prey, isn’t there…?”
Blood energy blazed like flames from the huge greatsword in Cerphek’s hand.
“Let’s grant these primitive species a worthy rest.”
Red energy and black waves simultaneously flowed out from tens of thousands of the demon army.
Thump! Thump! Thump—!
The distance between the imperial army and the demon army gradually narrowed.
The imperial army did not slow their advance at all despite the ferocious energy emanating from the demon army.
A massive light burst forth from behind the imperial army.
As if the sun had risen in this deep night.
It was a golden light.
“The light above the crown embraces the warriors below the crown.”
The emperor of this land.
It was Brigitte’s voice.
“Warriors of the empire, may the light of Astes protect you.”
The Emperor’s Song.
A great power granted to the bloodline of Astes, who created their own destiny and awakened true imperial blood.
“—Raise your swords.”
The golden sun that had been like a halo behind Brigitte’s back grew larger and larger.
It covered the dark mountain with light.
It spread out so vastly that even the stars in the dark sky lost their light.
The demons’ battle cries and shouts echoing on the mountain instantly ceased.
This was because the entire army’s breath was choked off in an instant.
On the other hand, the morale of the imperial army soared high due to the Emperor’s Song.
Whoosh—
As high as the blue flame-shaped sword energy of the White Night Clan standing at the vanguard.
The imperial army’s battle cry struck the mountain.
“Make them clearly understand.”
Brigitte’s words continued.
While focusing all her mental energy on maintaining the Emperor’s Song, she spoke words to raise the morale of the imperial army.
“Whose land they are daring to trample upon.”
Thud!
Bell stomped the ground fiercely.
The targets of Brigitte’s Emperor’s Song protection were the White Night Clan members running at the vanguard.
Physical abilities.
Maximum mana utilization.
Mental strength.
Combat sense.
All of these instantly surpassed their limits.
A cold light flickered in Bell’s eyes.
An extreme horizontal slash.
A sword path beyond the extreme that Bell had envisioned flashed in her mind.
A great sword path that could only be unleashed upon reaching the Grand Sword Master level, which she faced as a wall.
She felt confident that she could unleash that great sword path now.
Now, when she was receiving the protection of this land’s emperor.
Bell pursued the ideal beyond.
The final form of the Cherten style.
Heaven’s River unfolded.
Crack!
A heavy flesh-cutting sound echoed across the mountain.
The vampire lord, Blark Cerphek, felt his vision tilting.
Cerphek felt his consciousness fading away.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Vampires have strong vitality.
That was an undeniable theory and truth.
However, there was one variable.
That was the head.
Even if their heart was pierced, they would recover in half a day, but if their head was completely severed, that was the end.
The head flew off.
As the vanguard leader, as the king of his clan, he died without being able to do anything.
The head of the demon army’s vanguard commander tumbled down onto the mountain of the empire, covered in light.
“For the empire.”
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For the Emperor!