The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

As the redirection of the Styx River engulfed much of the battlefield deep in Avernus, tunnels collapsed, and the faltering demon offensive crumbled away on its own.

This was perhaps the fastest medium-scale encounter in Barto Hell's many years of bloody conflict, from onset to conclusion.

David and his party of dragons, who had successfully broken free from the bloodbath by breaching the Styx River, also suffered heavy losses, with a string of their vassals' heads hanging around their necks.

The ambition forgotten in his youth had, after more than a decade, led him to successfully cosplay as the 'Awakened Dragon above the Ming River'.

Yet, at this moment, no one could muster a laugh; their faces and eyes were filled with exhaustion and numbness. David, his voice hoarse, said,

"Don't stop. We've caused such a commotion; that devil commander won't let this go so easily."

He could feel that devil commander's pride.

And possessing the Authority of Arrogance, he knew well the by-product of such pride:

When such arrogance is offended, it often turns exceedingly petty.

And this pettiness is often fatal.

Being of the same "avenge before nightfall" mindset, he had exploited the Styx River to save himself while simultaneously laying a substantial trap for the other side.

But Attilicia, the dragon father who had just experienced a near-death escape, found it somewhat irrational.

"But didn't we also fulfill his strategic objective by successfully flooding the tunnel the demons were pouring in from?"

In his mind, shaped since childhood by the 'righteous education' of the Silver Dragons from Dragon Island, any sacrifice was worthwhile as long as it achieved the great and correct ultimate purpose.

Even if the sacrifice required his own life—and indeed, he had once ventured alone to the Gloomy Region for his son's sake.

Therefore, he found it somewhat hard to understand. Although David hadn't acted as the devil commander had anticipated, he had successfully stopped the demons' assault! More than half of his vassals had died for this. Wasn't demanding more a bit too excessive?

If this were on a material plane like Elariya, the name David Uthos might have been honored as a hero for thwarting the demonic invasion, commemorated with a monument, and forever engraved in history.

David opened his mouth but was too weary to speak. It was the dragonkin succubus beside him, equally ragged and blood-caked, who sighed and explained,

"Uncle Attilicia, you might not be fully aware of the situation in Barto Hell. For devils, partial victories in the Blood War have become commonplace since it began eons ago. Devils believe they are destined to win regardless of the circumstances, sooner or later. Since victory is assured, achieving it with the fewest losses becomes the standard by which every devil commander is judged and honored. Procedural justice is also a crucial criterion."

In other words, David's action of diverting the Styx River to flood the battlefield was somewhat unconventional, especially for someone not part of Barto Hell's military personnel.

The terrain of Avernus is extremely complex. No one could predict whether breaching the Styx River would truly achieve the strategic objective or cause even greater damage and loss to Avernus.

For example, what if the redirected Styx River ended up washing away the Bronze Citadel?

Who could have anticipated that?

This was equivalent to a tremendous gamble.

Only David won his gamble; the devils of Avernus and the demons of the Abyssal Depths both suffered bitter losses.

As she spoke, she glanced at David, who clearly didn't want to talk.

"This time, Avernus's losses are also significant, especially since the Styx River changed course. Until the riverbed stabilizes, the retrieval process for Avernus's Soul Shells will become highly unstable. This will affect Avernus's war potential to the point where they cannot compensate in a timely manner by mass-promoting lower-rank devils. Instead, they must temporarily deploy reinforcements from other layers of Hell to mitigate the risk of a major war zone in Avernus running short on troops. Such a large troop movement will inevitably alert the lords of each layer of Hell and affect their interests.

"It could even... possibly reach... the ears of His Majesty, the Lord of the Nine Hells.

"David Uthos, we—especially you—must be prepared for this."

David narrowed his eyes. "It seems I might need to pay a personal visit to Her Majesty, the Chromatic Dragon Queen."

After all, for such a massive blunder, even my Red Dragon ancestor Ephelomon might not be able to handle it.

"Indeed. I fear I must also return to Malboggi, the Sixth Hell, to seek an audience with Lady Glaciya. Whether Her Highness wishes to protect us or not, at least if the worst scenario occurs, I will have tried to arrange for a Defense Demon Group in advance through my family."

David suddenly laughed. "So, we might end up facing a military tribunal after all?"

"Under certain extreme circumstances, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. This is Barto Hell, the place with the most stringent rules and laws. We must be prepared for the worst."

David didn't show much reaction to this, but Attilicia and the dragon sister beside him were completely dumbfounded, their minds in a haze.

One had come to Barto Hell to do business, the other had followed her brother to study. How could it be that in less than a month, they were already facing a military tribunal?

And as the accused, no less!

Soon, a whistling sound came from the sky.