NOVEL NEXT Chapter 405: Southern Corp’s Final Fight Part 1
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/FIRE!/
It was a moment of glory for the Corps and despair for its enemies, like a divine oracle from the heavens, it heralded the beginning of the end.
Glory to the Southern Corps! The Soldiers shouted in unison, be it in their minds, hearts, or out loud.
A devastating marvel of Magic Engineering, a machine designed for annihilation and utter obliteration of anything and everything it fell upon.
It was no ordinary weapon, but a devastating force of destruction. Known simply as 'THE' cannon as no ornamental names were needed, it was the epitome of their arsenal, capable of erasing a single target with unparalleled precision and power.
It was a weapon of last resort, a rarity in its deployment. But when it was, it never faltered in its mission to bring destruction to its foe... And a few dozen hectares of land, nonetheless, that was but a mere detail, and even then, amidst a decadent battlefield devoid of life, nothing would change if a mountain vanished or two.
/PIERCE!/
The cannon's shot was a testament to its power. It pierced through the colossal body of the Great Ent, Testros' great fear and emotional scar that plagued his mind for decades... It was nothing but paper, leaving a vast gaping hole that a battleship could easily pass through.
/Creak... Crack.../
Like the echoes of a tree falling, the Ent slowly tumbled forward atop the marching armies of Devils, annihilating tens of thousands with its fall.
The aftermath was a scene of utter devastation, with the fallen Ent crushing tens of thousands of Devils under its weight and size.
/CHEERRSS!!/
Meanwhile, the soldiers erupted in a cacophony of cheers and screams, their excitement and energy palpable. It was another great victory for the Corps, another resounding step forward in their successful resistance.
Bellow, within the battlefield, the Devils began to scatter, the aura of the Ent too intense to bear, almost toxic, preventing them from living while near it.
This made a hole in their advancement, causing their momentum to break as they pushed their bodies against each other in a vain attempt at evading the Arch-Devil's presence.
"..."
The Commander, his arms firmly behind his back, watched the unfolding chaos with a mind filled with a myriad of thoughts. He was trying to anticipate and understand his enemy's movements, a task that carried the weight of the entire battle.
It was time for him to appear, the Commander of the other side, the creature pushing these Devils towards them and likely the reason behind many of the waves they experienced in the last few years to maybe even decades.
After all, it had always been like that; decades ago, another Commander faced the same hurdles, defeating the leader of the opposing army and achieving peace for a while.
Devils of Higher Ranks and sufficient intelligence can compel lower-ranked devils to move, either by authority or mere manipulation, like a human changing the course of a buffalo horde by scaring its leader into running in another direction.
But above it, the only creature that could inherently control Devils were Demons... His biggest concern.
Demons were catastrophes embodied. Their abilities and forms are usually too complex to be understood and cataloged, as more often than not, one would never resemble the other.
In rare cases, Demons could bend together to form 'Clans' and pass down their bloodline; those were by far the most dangerous instances of their appearance.
To face one Demon alone or an entire clan, there isn't much to think about it.
The Commander's greatest worry was to define which of the two he was facing, and above all, regardless of which one he faced, he had to understand his enemy's abilities, goals, and mindset.
Otherwise, it would all end up with their defeat.
It was a continuous cycle; a Demon would appear, control the Devils, and march down the Sunken Archipelago, and each had their own goals and motivations to do so... Sometimes, the Devils made the journey on their own without any reason whatsoever.
Many times has, the Corps tried to figure out their source; why were the Demons trying to invade this Continent? Was that even the right word to use? Maybe it wasn't an invasion but something else completely...
But they could never figure things out, and maybe, they never would...
He knew of their condition, of the tactics of this particular Demon. Were it not for one inconspicuous recruit, things might've turned for the worse by now.
His help was invaluable in maintaining order within the Wall. The very thing they lost moments after the army began its invasion.
This Demon used numbers to weaken them; its patience spanning decades wore them out until this very moment... Planning on exterminating them swiftly and without much resistance, regardless of the losses on its side.
'... He's coming.'
The Commander felt a change in the air, an unusual movement in the army of Devils.
Like the sea parting, the Devils made way, making haste as something slowly approached them.
/Shua shua!/
He wasn't the only one who felt the change, as a dozen different individuals rushed to his position moments after.
Testros recognized most of them, all division commanders and their successors, together with a few individuals, and he could only infer who they may have been.
... Before everything went down the drain, a group of priests wearing blue-white clothes were likely responsible for maintaining Resko's Church.
Amidst the chaos of the war, they all fled the South, leaving behind their Relic to maintain the seal of the Church.
Of course, he had little to say as he ran away, powerless to change anything.
But that was where their similarities ended, as while the priests could've returned to maintain the seal, they did not, leaving Resko to degrade over time...
At this point, he was unaware of the 'truth' and Qrubin's presence underneath the Mage's tower, though it likely wouldn't have changed much.
"Is everyone here?" The Commander asked as he kept his sights on the approaching Demon
"Aside from that nasty sea girl, that muscle head in the frontlines, and that egomaniac of a mage, everyone is here, although I wouldn't say they're in one piece." Welxa replied as she scoffed, waving her hand as she cleaned it of blood
"Put some faith in them, theymay not be the most reliable when it comes to social interactions, but they're all honest and hard-working; they'll be back, I'm sureofit." Ferdinand spoke on the side as he looked away, although there was some wavering in his tone
And how could it not? Given the size of thisarmy, how was anyone supposed to survive out there?
Maybe the Navy Division survived by steering away, but Testros was unsure if they managed to survive, given they never returned.
He knew Sarferato managed to return, fighting deep within enemy lines, he eventually came back victorious... Although, how did he manage to evade and survive that Demon is... Not something he knew.
Maybe they were lucky, or that was within Sarferato's calculations at the time; he was a Division Commander, after all.
Lastly, Qrubin was a mystery to him, but he knew a Division Commander of such fame wouldn't run away, not when his family stood behind the Wall.
"Then... There's little more to say."
The Commander pointed his sword forward, saying:
"This War is ending; their Commander is ever approaching, overconfident in its power."
"Our task is simple, take its head off its shoulders. You are all to treat this enemy as your highest priority, a legendary beast that surpasses even the legends of the past."
"From this moment forth, I permit the use of the Catacombs!"
"If we can't kill it today,thenwe'll seal it forever, just like our ancestors did to their foes!"
"To seal a Demon of such might... Looks like the Catacaboms will require some refurbishing..." The cloaked person said as they thought about the process
"We can think of the details later. Go prepare, and when you do, prepare again."
"It has been an honor, soldiers." The Commander said as he turned his back to face the soldiers
But when he did...
/FLASH!/
""?!?!""
The Demon vanished from the battlefield, reappearing before them, its large hand reaching for the Commander's head...
/STRIKE!/
At that moment, a dozen attacks flew by Testros' head, reaching toward the beast simultaneously.
/Turn.../
As smoke rose from where everything hit, the Commander turned around calmly.
He had already predicted this; he trusted his soldiers, and they delivered his faith, protecting him from the ambush.
By setting himself as bait, they prompted the Demon to strike first.
It was now within their territory!
/Crack.../
/Assemble.../
To the left and right of the Commanders, dozens of Elite Soldiers gathered, getting into a formation as they changed and channeled their energies through the environment.
Meanwhile, the Commanders got ready for a tough fight... And Testros' understood he was in deep shit.
He really wasn't meant to behere,amidst them all.
"Child, quickly, to me." One of the Priests said as he waved his hand at him
"It's going to start soon, don't leave our side."
"..."
Testros recognized his robes, thisman was the Archbishop in charge of the Ju-Arkesian Church in the territory.
He represented the Church as the highest authority within the land, in name and power.
/Clang!/
/Chant.../
Dozens of people began to chant in unison; this was the beginning of the Corp's final battle.
If a group of ordinary Knights could efficiently dispatch Devils if in formation, then what about the entirety of the Army's Upper echelons?
Right now, Testros was witnessing a legendary battle that happened once every century, a War of powerhouses, monsters of this world...
So he kept his eyes wide open, for his part was already done; now, he only had to witness...
The true power of the Southern Corps.
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Notes