Chapter 528: Battlefield
"The Third War Zone?"
"Understood."
Putting down the flickering communicator, Alger guided his giant eagle to the front of the formation, effortlessly circling high above.
"I'm sure you've all seen it—these Abyssal bastards stand no chance against the might of the Empire!"
"But we must not let our guard down. Greater trials still await us! Everyone, march west along the Hall Mountains! Head to the Third War Zone!"
Instantly, the Crimson Scaled Conquerors, fresh from a grand victory, became even more eager. They could hardly wait for the next battle.
For these warriors of the Empire, the battlefield brought not just scars and death but also glory and power.
Waving their banners, they erupted in cheers like crashing waves, their voices echoing through the sky.
"Advance!"
"For the Empire!"
After wiping out the Abyssal Dragon Beast legion, under Alger's command, the Ember Empire's dragon horde regrouped and collectively set off westward.
Their destination was the most intense front of the battle—the Third War Zone—where they would launch a flanking assault on the demons.
Isthalia Grand Altar.
"Its strength isn't bad, almost on par with an ordinary adult Red Dragon... But its brain is still lacking."
Cassius lay sprawled upon his throne, watching Smaug roar triumphantly while standing atop the Abyssal Dragon Beast leader's skull. His voice was indifferent as he made his judgment.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the battle in the Hall Mountains.
The Crimson Scaled Conquerors were his sharpest blade, and Smaug—having undergone multiple bloodline blessings—possessed strength comparable to a true dragon. Dealing with Abyssal Dragon Beasts was well within their capabilities.
What truly captured Cassius' attention was the Third War Zone.
This war zone was directly overseen by Imperial Marshal Dolo, where the most formidable armies of the Ember Empire stood ready for battle.
Beyond it lay vast open plains, home to military strongholds such as Blackstone Fortress and O'Nell City—some of the most critical strategic locations within the Empire's defensive wall.
This was also the designated site for the "Final Battle" planned by the Imperial Military.
The demons, too, seemed to recognize this. A surging tide of Abyssal creatures had engulfed the plains before the defensive line. Just this one war zone alone housed hundreds of thousands of demons, among them many formidable beings.
Some of these demons emitted an aura that even Cassius found vaguely dangerous.
Cassius was well aware of the Empire's weaknesses. Due to its relatively short existence, its mid-to-high-level powerhouses were too few, and its lower-tier armies relied too heavily on weaponry. This left them vulnerable to magical countermeasures.
However, this shortcoming was supplemented by the Empire's allies, and Cassius had absolute confidence in his own vassals.
For the Empire, this was not only a war of survival but also a brutal trial by fire.
Only by enduring the intensity of such high-stakes warfare could the Empire truly establish itself on the continent of Feanso—and perhaps even conquer the vast Southlands.
"Huff."
Scorching white smoke billowed from Cassius' nostrils and between his teeth, coiling around the Red Dragon's body.
He gazed at the endless swarm of demons across the battlefield. A faint golden light flickered in his pupils, as if piercing through their grotesque forms to glimpse the deep-set eyes lurking behind them.
"Jezal Slak, will you still hold back once your Abyssal legion is utterly annihilated?"
A chilling smirk curled at the corner of the Red Dragon's lips.
Within the magical projection, the sky was filled with endless artillery fire, as the Empire's elite forces clashed fiercely with the demon horde.
"Boom!"
A shell detonated amidst the demons, erupting into a fiery explosion that engulfed hundreds of them.
"Quick! Fire support! We can't let them take the high ground!"
George continued to fire into the horde while shouting urgently.
With the aid of the Dragon Scale Monks, his war zone had mostly repelled the Abyssal assault and cleansed the nearby demons.
However, he had just received orders to lead his most elite troops to the Third War Zone—where the battle was at its fiercest.
On this brutal battlefield, demons and Imperial soldiers were dying every second. Over a million troops from both sides were engaged in a merciless slaughter upon the plains.
The land was scarred with craters and trenches, drenched in demon blood, forming rivers of dark purple.
George and his thousand elite troops had a singular mission—to hold the western high ground and slow the demon advance.
"Boom—"
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the battlefield. A deep fissure cracked through the ground as a powerful, cylindrical soundwave surged toward the densely packed Imperial soldiers.
"Ahhh—"
"No! It hurts!"
Under the sonic onslaught, over a hundred soldiers were flung into the air, their shields shattering, blood spurting from their ears and noses.
That was a Roar Spell!
George's eyes burned red with fury. He fired several rounds into the demon horde and shouted hoarsely, "Spellcaster! Scatter! Don't stay clustered!"
"Boom—"
Yet another soundwave burst forth. The ground quaked, rocks crumbled, and dozens of Imperial soldiers on the high ground were instantly slain.
Just two spells had already inflicted hundreds of casualties, cutting George's forces in half and leaving their defenses dangerously exposed.
Looking ahead, George saw several towering, grotesque figures emerging from the mist, accompanied by guttural, raspy growls.
"Roar."
These demons stood nearly three meters tall, their bodies covered in rotting sores and patches of short bristling fur.
Their pale ram-like heads bore massive curved horns, their cold eyes gleaming, their lips revealing needle-like fangs, and thick saliva dripping from their maws.
Their serpent-like tails coiled and twisted, ending in a knotted metallic barb.
Though lean, these beasts wielded massive tridents with unsettling grace.
"Bulezau."
George gripped his rifle tightly, muttering grimly.
He had seen these demons in Imperial intelligence reports. In the Abyss, they served as heavy infantry, reveling in the slaughter of flesh and the spilling of blood.
But that alone wasn't what made George nervous.
The true threat was their innate spellcasting abilities, capable of using Command, Roar, and Fear magic.
Bulezau excelled in melee combat. They typically opened engagements by casting Roar Spells upon the densest enemy formations. If the battle took place in open terrain, they would use Heavy Fog to block escape routes.
According to the Empire's official classification, Bulezau had a challenge rating of 9—and there were thirteen of them before George.
He knew his few hundred elite soldiers stood no chance against them. All he could do was stall for time and wait for reinforcements.
He grabbed his radio and urgently called out, "Requesting support! Requesting support!"
"Thirteen Bulezau sighted at Hill 014! Thirteen Bulezau!"
But the Bulezau had already begun their charge.
A chilling roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Awooo—"
Over a dozen Bulezau sprinted forward, rushing toward the Imperial defenses.
Their massive ram-like heads twisted into cruel grins, their snake-like tails writhing behind them, metal barbs clattering noisily.
Though they appeared diseased, their sickly forms were a deceptive guise, masking their true strength and brutality.
76. "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The Imperial soldiers on the high ground continued to fire relentlessly, bullets raining down, but the Bulezau swung their massive tridents with ease.
Suddenly, thick smoke erupted in front of them, obscuring the soldiers' vision. They could only make out faint, fast-moving shadows darting through the haze.
Bullets fired into the smoke felt as if they had been swallowed by the void, making no impact.
Then, out of nowhere, tall and gaunt figures shot forward with incredible speed, leaping high into the air and crashing into the Imperial defensive lines.
"Shoot! The demons have broken through!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The Imperial soldiers, panicked, fired wildly, while others drew their spears, preparing for close combat against the monstrous invaders.
"Swish—"
The leading Bulezau swung its colossal trident in a sweeping arc midair, its seemingly thin arms bursting with unimaginable strength.
Instantly, the heavy shield of the foremost Imperial soldier was cleaved in half, and his skull was split apart, sending blood and shattered steel flying.
Another Bulezau raised its trident, aiming at the cluster of Imperial troops, and unleashed a devastating sonic blast.
"Boom!"
Dozens of Imperial soldiers instantly clutched their heads in agony as blood streamed from their ears. Even those who managed to endure through sheer resilience felt their bodies grow weak.
The Bulezau sneered cruelly, seizing the moment to charge into the Imperial ranks, swinging its massive trident wildly, relishing in the carnage.
Behind them, hordes of Dretches and Mane Demons surged onto the high ground, overwhelming the Imperial defenses.
"Bang!"
A bullet struck, but it failed to penetrate the thick hide of the advancing demon. What followed was the bloody gleam of a trident.
Similar scenes played out across the entire front, as the Bulezau treated the battle like a game, breaking through the defenses from multiple directions.
Smoke blanketed the high ground as the Bulezau darted through it, slaughtering freely.
"Spread out!"
"It's that spell again!"
"I can't see anything—this mist is everywhere!"
"Damn it! There's no way to fight back—these goat-headed bastards—ugh!"
In less than a minute, George's defensive position was on the brink of collapse. The Imperial lines were crumbling, and even signs of retreat began to emerge.
"So this is the Abyss' heavy infantry..."
George's grip on his gun trembled slightly as his eyes lowered.
He had followed the Empire's expansion through one overwhelming victory after another, but for the first time, he was tasting true defeat.
They were too powerful.
Whether in melee combat or spellcasting, these Bulezau utterly outclassed his Imperial troops.
This was no longer a battle—it was a massacre, reminiscent of the slaughter of peasants by nobles he had once witnessed as a serf.
Those Northern nobles had ridden on horseback, gleefully slashing down terrified farmers as though it were sport.
George gritted his teeth, sweat trickling down his forehead, blood pooling in his mouth as memories of the war in the Northern lands and his time in the military camp surged through his mind.
At last, his thoughts settled on the towering figure of the Red Dragon Emperor, wings unfurled.
He would never forget the day, nine years ago, when he first won his freedom. That moment had changed his destiny.
"No..."
"I... I am a blood descendant of the great Red Dragon, a baron of the Ember Empire! I am no one's prey!"
He abruptly lifted his head, his eyes blazing with determination as he glared at the rampaging Bulezau in the midst of his troops.
Something deep within him—something dormant—had finally awakened.
George's teeth clenched so tightly that they cracked, blood spilling from his mouth, but he no longer cared.
Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a high-explosive round, skillfully loading it into his rifle before taking careful aim at a Bulezau swinging its trident.
"Bang!"
A single gunshot rang out, and the bullet pierced the Bulezau's eye before detonating violently, blowing half of its skull apart.
Amid the chaos, George roared, "Everyone—
These Bulezau are not invincible! We are the children of the Red Dragon, warriors of the Ember Empire! We do not fear these Abyssal bastards!
And we are not alone! The Empire's reinforcements are on their way! All we need to do is hold them here!"
Drawing his officer's longsword, its blade adorned with dragon-wing engravings, he raised it high, shouting with all his might, blood spilling from his lips.
"For the Empire! For His Majesty Cassius!"
"For the Empire!"
"For His Majesty Cassius!"
George's battle cry reignited the morale of the Imperial soldiers. His voice carried a mysterious power, akin to the roar of a dragon.
They, too, shouted fervently, forming tight ranks around the Bulezau, pulling their triggers even as they fell to the demons' tridents.
Yet George's cries also drew the attention of the demons.
To them, if they could eliminate this defiant human, the rest of his troops would crumble back into cowering lambs, awaiting slaughter.
"A human with dragon's blood... an interesting prey."
A Bulezau sneered, lifting its trident and hurling it with tremendous force.
"Swish—"
The trident tore through the air.
"This is... bad! Danger!"
Sensing the incoming attack, George instinctively dodged, rolling across the ground several times.
The trident missed him, embedding itself deep into the ground.
But the Bulezau leaped forward, yanking the trident free and swinging it down at George, its ram-like face twisted into a cruel grin.
To the demon, this human officer was seconds away from death. It relished the thought of his blood splattering across its face.
Just then, George felt his heart pounding, pumping searing dragon blood through his veins. His skin bulged with coursing veins, and faint scales surfaced on his forehead.
Power—far beyond what he had ever wielded—burst forth from within. It was the Ember Emperor's blessing!
George drew his longsword in an instant, his arm muscles bulging, releasing bursts of steam.
With all the might surging through his body, he swung his sword without hesitation.
"Clang—"
The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed, but the Bulezau's grotesque goat face twisted in shock.
Its massive trident had been knocked from its grasp! In a contest of strength, it had been bested by this mere human!
George, despite his relatively small frame, had unleashed an unbelievable level of power.
Roaring, he leaped forward with all his might, plunging his sword into the Bulezau's skull.
"Die, Abyssal scum!"
"Swish—"
The blade mercilessly pierced through the Bulezau's eye socket, tearing through flesh and bone, skewering its ram-like head.
The Bulezau toppled backward, its purple-black blood soaking the ground.
"Huff... Huff..."
George, still gripping the sword buried in the demon's skull, gasped for breath, using the weapon for support as exhaustion overtook him.
He had burned through nearly all his Red Dragon bloodline just to gain the strength to match a Bulezau.
Suddenly, a violent gust swept across the battlefield, dispersing the thick fog.
It was a smoke-clearing spell.
"Roar—"
A deep dragon's roar echoed.
Summoning the last of his strength, George looked up to see silver-scaled dragons soaring in the sky.
Satisfied, he collapsed onto the ground beside the demon's corpse, slowly closing his eyes.
He knew—the reinforcements had arrived.