The Magic Empire for 20,000 years

Chapter 285 Zariel's Demon Legion
Atop the jagged, rocky mountain, a fierce wind howled.

The Wind Demon King Pazuzu folded his four enormous wings, his eagle-like sharp gaze piercing through the blood-red clouds, surveying everything on the distant wasteland:
"Look, the foolish prey have already entered the hunting ground."

Behind him stood the last eight lesser lords of this wilderness.

The various great demons—a giant whose body spewed magma from its cracks, a bloated monster with many different monstrous heads, a Baloro Flame Demon and a Wolf Serpent Demon that were stronger than normal, and so on—stepped forward and followed Pazuzu's gaze.

In the distance, the River Styx, its pitch-black waters meandering beneath the blood-red sky, resembles an ugly scar on the earth.

On a relatively flat wasteland by the river, a demon army was building a makeshift outpost.

That is the banner of Ratu the Fire Demon.

— Belongs to that traitor who defected to the magic empire of Eldoron!
"Great Wind Demon King, your plan is truly brilliant." The middle gnoll-headed of the lesser lords, who possessed many monstrous heads, spoke in a fawning tone:
"Let the legions of the Magic Empire of Eldoron and the bastards of hell fight each other to the last drop of blood on our land!"

“Yes…” Artina Shi, who had reddish-brown skin and had only recently been rescued from the [Amber Coffin], also stepped forward, arms crossed, a sly smile playing on her lips:
"The demon legions of Eldoron and Latour are still basking in their glory at having taken control of the vast majority of the land on this plain."

"But little did they know that Zariel, the lord of the first level of Hell, and her demons were about to venture deep into this plain."

"These annoying outsiders can help us draw the attention away from those nasty devils."

"Once they are both severely weakened, this wilderness will ultimately be ours!"

Yes.

This is the new plan devised by Pazuzu after the previous action plan failed!
As the mortal enemies of the abyss demons, the hellish demons, representing "lawful evil," also launch attacks on the [Abyss Plains] from time to time, attempting to control this crucial transportation hub in the abyss.

The Plains of Ten Thousand Abyss, a land connecting hundreds of layers, is a strategic location fought over by military strategists in the abyss!

This is also a major reason why no true demon lord has emerged in the Abyss Plains for many years.

Any secondary lord powerful enough to take control of the entire floor will become the primary target for the demons of hell to eliminate!
Not long ago, Pazuzu unexpectedly received news that "hellish demons are about to invade."

Without a doubt, this time, with the goal of "controlling the entire first layer of the abyss," the demon legions of hell and the magic empire of Eldoron will engage in an inevitable great war.

"When the main forces of Eldoron's Legion and Zariel's Demon Legion are both severely weakened, that will be our time to step in."

Pazuzu withdrew his gaze from the plains below, revealing a haughty chuckle:
"Now, enjoy the opening act."

……

On the banks of the River Styx.

Ratu the Fire Demon brandished his blazing whip, lashing it across the back of a slow-moving berserker, sending sparks flying.

"Hurry! Hurry! You lazybones. Stand up the obsidian prism. The human mages need this to stabilize the teleportation array."

He roared impatiently.

This newly occupied land is rich in resources, but it is far from the nearest Abyss base.

His Majesty Elion ordered him to establish an outpost here to facilitate the future development of the Styx resources and to monitor the movements of the secondary lords and Pazuzu on the distant Stone Mountain.

Everything went so well.

The nearby lords fled at the mere sight of the enemy, encountering no real resistance whatsoever.

Latour even found it somewhat boring. The conquest had lost its challenge and become dull.

However, at the very moment he lost focus, something unexpected happened.

Click!

Without warning, the sky to the east of the outpost appeared to be torn open by an invisible giant hand.

There was no thunder or flash of light, only a chilling darkness that spread rapidly.

Immediately afterwards, a series of perfectly synchronized figures emerged from the darkness.

Tapping.

Tapping.

The heavy impacts were eerily synchronized, as if there were only one footstep.

Amidst the rising dust, a well-organized army came into view.

Their entire bodies were covered in dark red hellish iron armor. They wielded standard longswords and shields engraved with runes, forming impenetrable battle formations.

There were no roars, no chaos, only a solemn killing intent that pressed down on them as if it were a tangible force.

"This is……"

"Which lesser lord..."

"Wait, that's not right!"

“The devils… are the legion of Aphrodite (the first layer of hell)!” screamed a six-armed serpent demon beside Latour, his voice trembling with fear.

Latour's heart skipped a beat.

The army of Grand Duke Zariel, the demon of the first level of the Nine Hells!
Did they attack the Plains of Ten Thousand Abyss at just this time?

There was simply no time for him to think.

The next moment, the legions of hell, like precisely meshed gears, immediately sprang into action and launched their offensive.

Seven or eight legendary Hellfire Demon Generals flew into the blood-red sky and fired huge fireballs at Latu's demon legion.

Rumble.

Rumble.

A fiery meteor exploded.
Screams erupted as many low-level demons were reduced to ashes in the fiery explosion.

The battlefield instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire.

But the real terror has only just begun.

"Flame coverage complete."

"Legion Demon Vanguard, attack immediately."

"For the glory of Lord Zariel!" A roar echoed from the demonic battle formation.

At the forefront stood a large horde of demons, clad in identical armor and wearing the same masks, like clones, having completely abandoned their individuality and merged into the collective. They launched a sudden charge.

——【Legion Demon】!
Their bodies seemed to be a unified whole, sharing a common soul. When the longsword of one of the six-armed serpent demons under Ratu's command slammed into one of the Legion Demons, no blood splattered. Instead, a barely perceptible scratch appeared on the skin of every Legion Demon in the entire legion.

——【Damage Sharing】!
These thousands of Legion Demons, all dressed identically, together constitute a "Legion" in the occult sense.

Damage to any individual will be distributed equally among the entire legion.

No legion will suffer any casualties until the entire legion collapses completely!
Meanwhile, a large number of Legion Demons separated and quickly formed battle formations of 10 people each.

Some were responsible for raising shields to block the demons' attacks, while others were responsible for piercing with spears and halberds. Axemen guarded the flanks of the battle formation, protecting the sides. They continued to advance in an orderly manner.

In contrast, although the demon legions were more numerous, they fought without any order, each acting independently.

In the very first wave of battle, a large number of demons were routed and fled the battlefield.

"What kind of monster is this?!"

Latu was filled with shock and rage, and unleashed a [Firestorm] that hurtled towards the demon army.

However, after the flames, powerful enough to melt steel, swept over the demon legion, when the sparks dissipated, the demons, though their armor was scorched red-hot, remained completely unmoved, as if the intense heat had merely given them a lukewarm bath. "I almost forgot, demons are completely immune to fire."

"Among demons, apart from a very few types like me, such as fire demons, who are immune to fire, the others only have a certain degree of resistance to fire."

"Wait, flames, could it be..."

Latour looked around and then, to his surprise, discovered—

The flames have already covered most of the battlefield and are continuing to spread.

The demons under his command are screaming and wailing in the raging flames.

The demons, completely unafraid of the flames, advanced in an orderly fashion under the cover of the fire.

The Demon General of the Deep Hell in the sky continued to unleash fiery meteors and other fire magic, filling every area of ​​the battlefield with flames.

Latour suddenly realized:

"No wonder these hellish demons set up fires on the battlefield in the first place."

"So cunning!"

The Balrog lord gripped his lightning-fast longsword tightly.

Compared to the chaotic and disorganized demons fighting alone, this demon legion, though small in number, knows how to cooperate, and every tactical action has a clear purpose.

—This is the biggest difference between hellish demons and abyssal demons!

"No, we must stop those few Hellfire Demons in the air. We can't let them continue to unleash flames."

Without a second thought, Latu transformed into a crimson fire meteor and hurtled toward the several Hellfire Demons high in the blood-red sky.

Whoosh!
A striking figure stood in front of Latour.

She was tall and slender, covered in magnificent, jet-black plate armor. The lines of the armor possessed both angelic elegance and devilish ferocity. Behind her, two pairs of tattered wings slowly unfurled. Above her head, instead of hair, were blazing flames. Her eyes burned with a pure, warlike fire.

—Zariel, the Fallen Angel, the Demon Grand Duke of the First Layer of Hell, the [Daughter of Destruction], the War Lord!
"An evolved version of the Balrog, much larger than its normal size?"

"Of this rabble, you are the only opponent who can interest me even slightly."

"Don't disappoint me too much..."

The next moment, Zariel's greatsword sliced ​​through the air and slashed straight down at Latour.

Latour only had time to hold the lightning sword horizontally in front of him.

clang!
A deafening explosion.

Zariel's Hellfire Sword slashed at his Lightning Sword, unimaginable power surging forth like a tsunami. Ratu's thick arms groaned under the strain.

His [Flame Aura] burned wildly at his opponent, but Zariel only let out a light laugh of enjoyment, as if it were just a warm bath.

"Too weak." Her voice was cold and tinged with mockery. "Looks like your skill level is just average."

Before she finished speaking, her attack came like a storm.

Clang clang clang.

Each sword strike was powerful and heavy, precisely aimed at Latour's vitals. Hellfire and lightning intertwined and sparked, completely suppressing Latour, who could only desperately hold on.

Latour tried to attack Zariel with every spell he was good at, but they were all easily neutralized by the opponent.

This is not even a fight on the same level!

At the same time, his demon army suffered heavy casualties.

The demonic battle formation was like a highly efficient meat grinder. The Legion Demons, with their collective damage-sharing ability, became the most impenetrable bulwark. The Steel Demons and Bearded Demons attacked in an orderly fashion, crushing wave after wave of demons. The Chain Demons' chains danced wildly in the air, precisely ensnaring flying Florian Demons, dragging them to the ground and dismembering them.

"Retreat! The entire army retreats!"

Latu parried Zariel's heavy slash with all his might, roaring as he did so.

The demons were already terrified. Upon hearing the order, they fled in disarray, crying and screaming, with no semblance of formation.

Zariel did not pursue. She flapped her black wings and flew in the air, watching the routed demon army and the Balrog Ratu disappear in a burst of fire.

"An evolved version of Balrog, a mid-tier legendary?"

"A boring warm-up..."

The demon grand duke, the lord of the first level of hell, shrugged and gave an order to the demon legion below, which was spread out in multiple ranks but still maintained a delicate order:
"Let's take over this Styx region first."

"This time, we must completely conquer the entire [Abyss Plains] and seize this crucial hub of the abyss!"

Below, in the demon legion, demon soldiers of various shapes and sizes immediately set up temporary camps on the banks of the River Styx.

Compared to the demons who needed whips to keep them from working, the devils were undoubtedly much more diligent, quickly getting to work and setting up a makeshift camp.

Of course, compared to human mages who possess magic for building infrastructure, the demons are far less efficient at constructing temporary camps.

Two tiny devils, no bigger than a fist, flew around carrying small items, whispering and talking in hushed tones:
"Lord Zariel says this every time he sends troops into the Abyss. He says he'll definitely be able to conquer the [Abyss Plains] this time, but he's never succeeded."

"Either the army's rear was attacked by the Wind Demon King Pazuzu on the stone mountain, or demon lords from other layers of the abyss came to disrupt the situation."

"I think the warlord—Lord Bell—is right. We should just stay here and guard the bronze fortress on the first level of Hell."

"What kind of offensive defense is this? Taking the initiative to attack the abyss is just asking for trouble."

The other little devil turned pale with fright and immediately covered the mouth of the first little devil:
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you!"

"How dare you question Lord Zariel's bloody battle decision? Do you want to be demoted to the lowest rank of lesser demon?"

The first little devil pulled his companion's hand away and whispered in protest:

“I’ve heard that Lord Overseer Bell might replace Zariel and be promoted to the new Lord of the First Layer of Hell. I think we should curry favor with the new Lord Bell as soon as possible…”

…………

On the distant mountaintop of the rocky peak.

"Haha. That stray dog ​​Latour has run away!"

The lesser lords watched the projection of the Latour Legion's defeat, their excited chatter rising and falling:
“Zaril…she’s still as ruthless as ever…”

Pazuzu stood quietly before the tower, a smile playing in his sharp, eagle-like eyes.

"Notify them."

He spoke slowly, his voice drowning out the howling wind:

"All secondary lords, keep a close watch on your troops. Stay in the mountains for the time being and keep a low profile as much as possible."

"No one is allowed to go into battle without my order."

"Our two groups of enemies—both harboring ambitions to conquer this level—have only just begun to clash."

"All we need to do is wait patiently."

The Wind Demon King, the king of evil flying creatures, spread his four wings, his figure merging into the blood-red sky:
"Wait for them to bleed their last drop of blood..."

(End of this chapter)