Chapter 440 The Prelude To The War (2)
Although Dwarves had immense physical strength, their short stature was a big disadvantage. They also couldn't move agilely with their bodies, so they were easy targets on a battlefield. of course, that doesn't mean that they couldn't fight in a war. With their brilliant minds and splendid craftsmanship, they invented Golems that they could man.
They used the Golem in every war they partook in. It had become the nightmare of the battlefield; one deemed it a guarantee of loss as soon as one saw it.
Bang!
As the projectile that one of Dantalion's Monsters hurled the Dwarves hit the Vanadium shield that was erected before them, Atheron shouted, "Don't falter! Trust in our masterpiece and charge at the enemy!"
They were preparing the Golem that they would man. Since the battle had started suddenly, they had to prepare it during the battle. The shield was to protect them during the set-up but the onslaught was strong enough to almost render it useless. Because of that, they were in a hurry.
When all of them were inside their Golems, they controlled their Golems to move out of the shield. The projectiles that were being hurled soon hit their Golems. Luckily, they had anticipated it, so they had their built-in shields ready to block the projectiles. They were pushed back yet they received no damage.
Their Golems kicked the ground and charged at the crowd of Monsters in the distance. They were the ones hurling projectiles at the army—the most annoying Monster—so the Dwarves wanted to eliminate them first.
Sing!
The Golems which looked like a group of armoured gigantic Dwarves drew gigantic swords from their backs and swung them to the side. The blade immediately turned red as the heat distorted the surrounding air.
Anything that came at them was cut to pieces in the blink of an eye, meanwhile, those who dared to block their paths were reduced to smithereens as the sturdy Golems crashed into them. The piloted Golem was unstoppable and there were hundreds of them scattered throughout the battlefield.
When they reached the line of Monsters hurling projectiles at the army, the Monsters were immediately eradicated.
On the frontmost line, a lone Golem was also eradicating Monsters. This Golem was small compared to the Golems that the Dwarf manned yet far more destructive. This Golem looked human. It didn't look just like any human but Basil Pacifer, the leader of the newly formed faction.
The resemblance didn't stop there; even the way it fought and the decisions it made heavily resembled Basil. One would say it was him if it wasn't for the fact that it had six arms holding six different swords which were all High-Grade relics.
Boom!
"Darn it! That thing is Basil without a will, isn't it?" Iliana remarked after seeing the Golem shoot a beam out of its mouth.
"They are both technically killing machines," Ione replied. "What makes them different is the fact that our Basil knows how to love."
Slash!
Iliana cut the Demon that was trying to get close to Ione. Ione didn't even say thank you as she immediately sent a Mana sphere to the Demon that sneaked behind Iliana, killing it instantly. She covered them with a Mana Barrier in the next moment, protecting them from a Minotaur's axe. Iliana thrust her spear at the Minotaur, puncturing a big hole in its chest.
The Barrier dispersed as they retreated. Another group of Demons crowded over them immediately but they took the Demons out fairly quickly.
"It's clear! Mages, step forward!" Iliana shouted as she lifted her spear.
The army that she and Ione led roared before the Mage within stepped forward. The Knights also adjusted their positions, following the Mage. Some positioned themselves before the Mage to defend them, meanwhile, the others helped Ione and Iliana clear the way. They were well-coordinated.
On the other side of the Battlefield, the mixed army that the former Pacifer's servants led—Xander and his fellows—were advancing at a mind-boggling pace. They didn't only have good coordination with each other but also a commendably strong commander.
They left a trail of blue blood—Demon's blood—on the way they had passed. Demon's corpses littered the sides of their paths. They didn't stop even for a second; no Demon was strong enough to stop them yet. Whenever they encountered a troublesome Monster, they would team up and defeat it in a very short time.
Boom!
Xander's Spell brought an end to a Peak Middle-Class Hobgoblin, who had foolishly jumped at him. Having killed stronger and more fearsome Demons, he didn't feel the need to rejoice. He was, however, wasn't calm about it either. He had a frown on his face as he noticed something that many people overlooked.
"There are far too few Demons sent to the battlefield," Xander said as he looked around. "The battlefield is filled with too many Monsters. That bastard Dantalion must be planning something."
Looking at how things were going, he could easily say the battle was in their favour. The army was advancing at a rapid pace, decimating Monsters here and there.
What made him worry was the fact that he didn't know how many Monsters Dantalion had in his disposals. He was afraid that Dantalion was using the Monsters to tire them out before sending all of his Demon subordinates to the battlefield.
He tried to be positive and hoped that it wouldn't be the case yet that was exactly how it turned out. On the second day of the war, when the army was exhausted from fighting the endless wave of Monsters, tens of thousands of Demons entered the battlefield.
The army was, of course, extremely baffled. It happened so suddenly that thousands of them fell in a very short time. In the blink of an eye, the situation was reversed. The army was forced to retreat as the Demons were advancing rapidly.
"Bloody hell, mate! Things escalated absurdly quickly," Anthony cursed.
"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Manfred laughed boisterously, yet one could tell he was nervous. "I smelled something fishy on the first day, so I can't say if I didn't expect it. I mean, come on. Sir Xander had addressed this matter the night before. We've all seen this coming, haven't we?"
"Yet, we still didn't do anything. No…we couldn't do anything," Alphonse remarked bitterly.
The two Kings and one former King had never felt the same even though they had been on the same battlefield a long time ago. Now that they were standing on the same side, given the situation, they felt the same bitterness and had the same look on their faces.
Their armies had become one. They considered everyone as their army, so they couldn't help gritting their teeth in anger as they watched them get butchered by the Demons. Just like how it had been on the first day, they couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't save everyone and also had to retreat.
Roar!
Their hearts shook as they heard the thunderous roar. The Demons rejoiced; their expressions darkened. An overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield, making their souls tremble. They kept running but they didn't think it would mean anything as they looked up.
With a body resembling a lizard, a gigantic creature was flying in the sky. Its wings spanned over 100 metres, meanwhile, its body was 45 metres long. It was covered in black scales that worked as armour. Blue veins decorated the scales and lightning sparkled from time to time.
After two millennia, the world witnessed the appearance of a Dragon again.
"We are doomed, aren't we?" Tinuviel remarked helplessly. She had stopped running.
She reached into her pocket and fished out her Transmission Talisman. Basil had forbidden them from calling their Empress to help but they had no choice. An Empress shouldn't leave her Empire carelessly as it would endanger her Empire. Alas, given the situation, even if she stayed, her Empire would be endangered regardless.
Flying beside the Dragon, Dantalion's six Generals smirked to themselves. They were overwhelmed with mirth as they looked at their fear-stricken enemies.
"Our Great Duke has managed to lure them into his trap. No, he gave them no other choice than to walk into his trap," one of the Generals remarked proudly.
"Great Duke Dantalion's brilliance was known throughout Hell. Did you even consider these pests to stand a chance against him?" another one retorted.
"Of course, not. I just wanted to express how much I admire our Great Duke."
At this point, the army had stopped running. The Demons had also stopped chasing. There was no more need for the Demons to chase them. The Dragon would be able to decimate more than half of the army with a single attack. The army was aware of it; they knew they wouldn't be able to outrun the Dragon, so whatever they did would end up the same.
A complete checkmate.
Swish! Swish!
At least, that was the case until everyone saw thirty or so swords, struck Dantalion's six Generals and killed them all at once. Everyone was extremely baffled by the situation. They remained silent as their eyes followed the fall of the Generals' lifeless bodies. The silence was only broken by the Demons when the bodies touched the ground.
Enraged by the development, they charged at the army which was still too baffled to react. They were awakened from their daze immediately the moment they noticed movement but they still didn't have to move.
Stab! Stab!
The Demons were stopped in their tracks as thousands of them turned into a mist of blood in the blink of an eye. Thousands of swords were planted in the ground before them, exuding an extremely fierce aura that made them want to run away.
The eyes of the people in the army lit up as a smirk crept up their faces. They looked around in excitement, looking for the person that they had been waiting for.
Boom!
The ground before them rose into the air as something fell from the sky. A strong wind swept the entire battlefield, swaying their bodies slightly.
Standing before them was a tall woman clad in tight-fitting black clothes suitable for fighting. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail, billowing gracefully in the air.
"Stop staring at my butt, you useless perverts," the woman said, blessing their ears with her heavenly melodious voice.
Everyone coughed uncomfortably as if they were caught red-handed. The woman quickly turned around and frowned, astonishing them with her otherworldly beauty.
"They really…" she muttered in amusement. "Here I was trying to joke."
Seventy figures flew her way and then kneeled before her, prompting her to turn around.
"Welcome back, Mistress!"
"Ah, I am back."
Basil Pacifer…the female Basil Pacifer had returned.
"The Goddess is with us!"
Everyone rejoiced, sure of their victory. All they could see before their eyes were Basil and victory; the Dragon and Demons were conveniently ignored.