Devouring Dragon Heir

The ground was already shaking. A low, rhythmic thudding, growing steadily louder, signaled the approach of a massive demon army from a few miles away.

Caesar, the general of Riverdale's army, stood on the fort's highest wall, his heart beating quickly.

He panicked internally. His soldiers were completely exhausted and out of rations and supplies, having fought a brutal battle just hours ago. They hadn't taken even a moment of rest, and many were even fatally injured.

"Oh, divine lord, have mercy and help us in these perilous times," he prayed as his gaze was fixed on the distant, ominous dust cloud that rose from miles away. He knew their situation was dire, and today might be his last day.

Klaus looked at Caesar, a faint smile on his face. He saw the general's fear, his desperation to save his men.

"Caesar," Klaus called out with a calm voice, "ask your men to stay inside the fort. They will not be sufficient for this battle."

Caesar's brows tightened with worry; he thought Klaus was telling him to abandon the fort and run away.

"My lord..." he began, about to suggest that their meager forces were all that the kingdom had and that abandoning the walls was madness that would lead to complete destruction of the Riverdale kingdom.

But then he stopped speaking. He saw Klaus making a gesture, a subtle movement of his hand telling Caesar to follow him.

Without a word, Klaus turned and began to descend the fort's stairs.

Together with Caesar, Klaus descended from the fort into the barren land below.

The ground here was rough, covered in sparse, dry grass and loose rocks. Behind his back was the imposing fort of Riverdale Kingdom, its stone walls a symbol of their last stand.

"Caesar, do you know why they call me the Messenger?" Klaus said, his voice was low, but there was a confident smile on his face.

He intended to show off a bit. After all, he was being called the Messenger, the prophesied savior. He might as well inflate the legend about himself in this world to establish his authority and inspire awe.

"I don't know, my lord," Caesar replied, his expression that of confusion.

To him, it was never mentioned who the Messenger was, his origins, his intentions, or any other information.

According to the prophecy, they just knew about a messiah, a savior who would elevate the human race out of its pains and struggles against the demons.

"Look carefully, Caesar," Klaus spoke in a hushed voice. He then spread his arms wide, facing Caesar and the soldiers who were spectating both of them from the walls of the fort. His posture was one of absolute command.

Suddenly, the environment around Klaus became cloudy and ominous. A thick, black fog-like energy appeared, swirling outwards from Klaus's body.

The ground got blanketed under it, and slowly but steadily, a few shadowy forms started manifesting within the darkness.

Behind Klaus, a number of shadow-like figures began appearing, growing in size and number slowly and steadily, shocking the onlookers on the fort walls.

Their forms were indistinct at first, then solidified into recognizable, yet terrifying, shapes.

Before anyone knew it, a whole army of death monsters, having eyes that glowed with malevolent energy, appeared behind Klaus's figure.

They were silent, and their presence was chilling.

And almost instantly the black fog cleared, revealing the vast legion.

The army of 12,000 monsters, now transformed into death variants, kneeled in perfect unison in front of Klaus, their heads bowed, their weapons resting on the ground.

Klaus, meanwhile, smiled. He looked at the shocked figure of Caesar, whose face was pale with a mixture of fear and profound awe.

"I am the Messenger of Death."

Klaus declared in a voice that was both calm and terrifying, echoing across the barren battlefield.

His words reached almost every ear present, from the terrified soldiers on the fort walls to now-stunned Caesar.

Caesar was shaking with an intensity as if he had seen the god of death himself manifest before his very eyes.

The sheer display of power and the instantaneous summoning of such a massive, terrifying army was beyond anything he had ever witnessed.

A few minutes later...

The demon army, led by the generals of Krazinok, the Demon King of Ruin, ranked 35th among the 100 demon kings, was on the move.

Krazinok's presence was said to erode matter and meaning, as he was known to have control over a terrifying concept of decay.

The Riverdale Kingdom was now being invaded by the Demon King's four demon generals, who led the army against the kingdom.

A week ago, they had successfully set up a camp a few miles away from the border areas.

Since then, they had been invading in waves, slowly tiring out the kingdom's morale and forces.

Today, it was the turn of the first general, a powerful demon named Vile fang, who decided to use the strongest of men from the demon army to deliver a decisive blow to the Riverdale Kingdom before they came again to collect the scraps of a broken kingdom.

Klaus stood at the forefront of his newly transformed Death Legion, now an army of S-ranked and SS-ranked monsters, with the Necrolord at SSS-rank standing just behind him whispering something into his ears.

The demon army, led by the First General, Vilefang, a colossal demon with a body of hardened obsidian and eyes burning with green fire, marched towards him.

was a Pseudo-Transcendent, an EX-rank equivalent, and his presence radiated immense power and malice.

He commanded a legion of A and B-ranked demons, their forms grotesque and terrifying.

Klaus did not wait.

He activated Flaming God's Fury (SSS) and Glacial Overlord (SSS) at the same time.

His body transformed, one half covered in shimmering, razor-sharp ice, radiating intense cold, and the other half erupting in roaring, incandescent flames.

He looked like a mutated ice and fire god, a being of pure, dual elemental chaos. He took flight, soaring towards the approaching demon army like a streaking comet of ice and fire.

The battle began. Klaus's Death Legion, infused with dark energy, charged forward.

Transformed Ice Golems, now B-ranked, slammed into the demon ranks.

Meanwhile, the S-ranked monsters, like the Orcs and Lizard men and lava hounds, charged with renewed ferocity, their bodies glowing with death energy.

The SS-ranked bosses engaged multiple demons.

These were some SSS-ranked and SS-ranked monsters around the general, maybe his special men. Klaus decided to target them as he flew past everyone, slaying the monsters he set his sight on with his sword.

He was waiting for that notification to appear now.

As soon as a few kills were completed, a notification rang.

[ding!! Congratulations, host, for advancing to the SSS rank.]

A smirk appeared on Klaus's face as he diverted his flight and flew towards the center of the demon army formation again, this time targeting the demon general himself.