Chapter 529: Chaos
In the sky, the leading silver behemoth, its body gleaming with a metallic sheen, spread its massive wings and unleashed a freezing hurricane with a thunderous roar.
"Roar—"
"Demons! You do not belong here! In the name of Melward, crawl back into the Abyssal gutter where you belong!"
"Swish—"
With a piercing howl, the icy winds dispersed the Heavy Fog Spell cast by the Bulezau, exposing the grotesque goat-headed demons lurking within.
The Bulezau immediately noticed the silver dragon in the sky.
"Awooo!"
"Kill those reptiles!"
But they were already consumed by bloodlust. They lifted their heads and roared, spewing foul saliva. Their rotting fur, matted with filth, was soaked in dark blood and gore, riddled with bullet holes, oozing purple-black pus.
Under the fierce resistance of the Imperial forces, they had been wounded.
When a Bulezau is injured, it enters a berserk state, attacking wildly until either it or its enemy is dead. Even in the face of a being as powerful as a silver dragon, they showed no fear.
"So, Bulezau. Troublesome creatures."
"For mortals to last this long without collapsing—and even manage to kill one—is quite the feat."
The silver dragon extended its claw, and with a slight spatial ripple, a beautifully engraved mithril scepter materialized from the void.
It began chanting an ancient and intricate Draconic incantation, causing the magical crystal atop the scepter to emit a blinding radiance, illuminating the entire high ground.
Flapping its wings, the silver dragon extended its neck. "Since you insist on invading the Prime Material Plane, you will suffer our wrath and pay the price!"
"Tomb of Light! (Draconic)"
With a thunderous command, over a dozen beams of light descended from the heavens, striking the Bulezau and forming ethereal gravestones around them.
Under the sacred glow, their twisted forms began to smolder, their fur scorching with a sizzling sound.
"Awooo—"
The Bulezau howled in agony, unable to move.
Their sinful nature was being judged by the spell, pinning their contorted forms to the spot.
"Now is the time! Annihilate them! Show no mercy to these filthy demons!"
The silver dragon roared and, with unmatched ferocity, dived from several hundred meters above.
He was none other than Adroville, a battle-hardened silver dragon from Melward, a veteran of the "Scales of Vigilance," an order dedicated to repelling Abyssal incursions.
"Boom!"
Adroville crashed down onto a Bulezau, his massive body pulverizing the demon into a mangled heap of flesh.
Leaping off the corpse, he pounced onto another immobilized demon.
With a powerful swipe of his enormous silver claws, he cleaved the ram-like head clean off, sending it rolling across the ground.
"In the name of Melward! Eradicate the demons!"
A sharp cry rang out as another massive dragon landed gracefully. She exhaled an icy breath, freezing a Bulezau solid.
Her silver-white scales shimmered beautifully under the light.
She was Genesis, an adult silver dragon from House Melward and the diplomatic envoy for this campaign, known as the "Jewel of Korda."
Behind them, more silver dragons descended from the skies, diving into the chaotic battlefield.
The silver dragons tore into the Bulezau, their fangs and claws rending through demon flesh, their mighty tails sweeping foes aside. Some soared low, exhaling freezing breath that encased clusters of demons in ice.
With the arrival of the silver dragon reinforcements, the tide of battle shifted instantly.
The once-dominant demons now crumbled under the relentless assault of the silver dragons. Even the mighty Bulezau were swiftly dispatched.
After all, Adroville, Genesis, and the Melward silver dragons were seasoned warriors, well-versed in countering these heavy Abyssal infantry.
"Look! Captain George was right—we held on!"
"Thank the gods! Reinforcements!"
"Counterattack!"
"For the Empire!"
The embattled Imperial soldiers saw hope for victory.
Their war horns blared the call to counterattack. Following the silver dragons, they charged, driving the demons back down the slopes.
Many soldiers, consumed by rage, threw themselves at the demons, unleashing their pent-up fury.
Before the silver dragons arrived, they had been utterly suppressed.
The Bulezau, with their monstrous physique and spell-like abilities, had dominated the battlefield, mercilessly butchering their comrades.
But now, vengeance was at hand.
"Kill these Abyssal bastards! Slaughter them all!"
"Avenge the captain!"
"Keep pushing forward! Let them taste our wrath!"
The battlefield was filled with Imperial war cries, demon wails, and the roars of silver dragons.
From above, Adroville flapped his wings, surveying the chaotic battlefield.
Watching the Imperial soldiers relentlessly hacking through the demon horde, his gaze landed on the officer lying beside a Bulezau corpse. He couldn't help but mutter, "This army is truly..."
After a long pause, he found the perfect word: "Resilient."
His astonishment was justified. Though the Bulezau had fallen easily before the silver dragons, how many silver dragons existed on this continent—let alone this world?
For mortals, a Bulezau horde was an utter nightmare, an unstoppable harbinger of death.
This was just a standard Imperial infantry regiment. Apart from their dragon-blooded captain, they were merely well-trained but ordinary humans.
Adroville had witnessed over a dozen Abyssal invasions. In other nations, human armies collapsed at the sight of such horrors, surrendering without resistance.
To the Bulezau, wiping out a thousand-strong mortal army was nothing more than a routine slaughter.
Yet this Imperial army had stood its ground against them—not merely through superior weaponry but through sheer unyielding will.
He was deep in thought when Genesis' voice suddenly called out behind him.
"Adroville, have you noticed? This invasion is... abnormal."
Turning, he saw his cousin's solemn expression as she stared into the distance. He immediately followed her gaze.
At the far end of the battlefield, in the rolling mountains, thousands of Abyssal Dragon Beasts flapped their tattered wings, darkening the horizon.
On the ground, colossal demons—Gorgons, Demon Spiders, and Abyssal Giants—stomped forward, shaking the earth. Behind them, millions of lesser demons surged like a tidal wave toward the Empire's defensive line.
Adroville's pale blue pupils widened in shock.
"Cross-planar summoning is incredibly costly. By all logic, even an Abyssal Lord shouldn't be able to send such an army to the Prime Material Plane. Unless..."
In unison, Genesis and Adroville spoke in grim realization: "The Abyssal Lord has descended in person."
In the sky, obscured by Abyssal Dragon Beasts, Quasits, and Vrocks, dense black mist surged forth, as if the heavens themselves had been torn apart.
"Genesis, hurry and inform the elders of our clan! Summon all our allies! This Abyssal invasion far exceeds our expectations. This isn't just an assault on the Ember Empire—it's likely a long-planned planar war aimed at engulfing the entire Material Plane!"
Adroville shouted before diving into the frontlines with a dozen adult silver dragons. His draconic face was filled with urgency and grim determination.
If the Abyssal Lord managed to seize control of the Ember Empire, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Artillery fire thundered, sending explosions rippling through the demon horde. Bullets, arrows, and spells rained down like a torrential storm.
Within the Imperial defenses, chaos reigned. Messengers darted through the trenches while the cacophony of battle was punctuated by the desperate shouts of officers.
"Quick! Keep up the bombardment! Do not let up!"
"By Cassius—"
"Hill 26 has fallen!"
But even with their efforts, the demonic advance remained unstoppable.
In the distance, within the surging tide of demons, enormous spiders the size of war elephants reared up on their four hind legs. Their eerie, glistening eyes shimmered with an unnatural light, and viscous venom dripped from their fanged maws.
—These were Demon Hunters, monstrous arachnids bred from demonic flesh and blood.
Not all constructs were forged from lifeless stone, wood, metal, or dead flesh.
In the dark recesses of the Great Beyond, certain powerful Abyssal Lords had mastered the grotesque art of molding Abyssal protoplasm into monstrous creations.
These abominations possessed no life, no emotions, and no will of their own—the loathsome Demon Hunters were among the most infamous of them.
Abyssal Lords employed these creatures to hunt down those who dared to betray them or flee from their servitude, ensuring obedience among the lesser demons.
To an Abyssal Lord, Demon Hunters were treasured assets, often unleashed during the endless internecine conflicts of the Abyss.
And now, over a hundred of them had appeared on the battlefield!
These towering spider monstrosities advanced like moving fortresses, crashing against the Imperial defenses with terrifying force.
Within the Imperial ranks, Olivia, in her silver-haired human form, raised her staff, closed her eyes, and chanted in Draconic.
"Meteor Swarm! (Draconic)"
"Boom!"
A barrage of meteors streaked across the sky, slamming into the demon horde.
Instantly, radiant beams erupted from the impact sites, incinerating hundreds of demons in holy light. Their bodies blackened and crumbled into ash.
She opened her eyes, spotting the massive arachnids swiftly closing in, their compound eyes gleaming ominously. She urgently shouted, "Dodge! Those are Demon Hunters!"
Olivia attempted to cast a protective spell, but she was too late.
"Swish—"
The Demon Hunter's eyes flashed with eerie brilliance, unleashing several deep-gray beams of energy.
The hundred Imperial soldiers caught in the beams froze in place, their movements ceasing instantly.
Some had been mid-firing their guns, others were shouting commands or running for cover—but all of them had turned into stone statues!
—Petrification Rays!
Olivia's mind raced as she swiftly constructed the spell matrix for Stone to Flesh.
But before she could complete it, another Demon Hunter fired two searing beams of flame, sweeping across the petrified soldiers.
"No—"
Olivia's face twisted in anguish as she watched her comrades, who had been fighting bravely moments ago, shatter into lifeless rubble.
And she could do nothing to stop it.
"I will make them pay..."
Gritting her teeth, Olivia raised her staff once more, gathering her energy for her most powerful spell—Corona of the Stars.
"Quick! Blast those spiders apart! We cannot allow them to keep firing those beams!"
"Requesting fire support! Requesting fire support!"
The Imperial commanders had also realized the threat posed by the Demon Hunters.
They urgently relayed orders to the rear artillery units and the wyvern riders circling above, coordinating precise bombardments against the monstrous arachnids.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Shells rained down upon the demon horde, but not a single Demon Hunter was slain.
These massive spiders moved swiftly on their eight legs, making them difficult targets to hit.
Their bodies were crafted from the hardest demonic flesh and carapace, naturally resistant to fire. Unless directly hit, conventional explosions had little effect on them.
"Boom!"
More fiery beams shot from the Demon Hunters' eyes, piercing through thick fortress walls and annihilating the Imperial troops sheltering behind them.
With the Demon Hunters leading the charge, the demonic assault intensified, shattering sections of the Imperial defenses.
In the distance, Adroville and his silver dragons raced toward the battlefield. Once again, he was struck with disbelief at the scene before him.
"So many Demon Hunters... How?"
"This is highly irregular," Genesis muttered, her brows furrowed as she soared toward the fiercest part of the battle.
Adroville growled, "Genesis, inform Marshal Dolo that he must deploy the blue-scaled ones. This is the only time those filthy, greedy Blue Dragons will be of any use."
"Our strength alone isn't enough to stop this many Demon Hunters."
The last time Demon Hunters had surfaced on the Material Plane was fifty years ago, when they targeted the Kassand region of the Holy Faedran Empire. Adroville had fought in that battle.
Back then, the Holy Faedran Empire was at its peak and had no fear of such demons.
They withstood the Demon Hunters' assault with an army of steel golems, and the angelic scions wielded divine power to eradicate the grotesque arachnids.
But the Ember Empire was still young—it lacked the magical foundation of Faedran and had no constructs like steel golems to fall back on.
The Imperial army was formidable, but against an entire legion of Demon Hunters, even the silver dragons held little hope.
Moments later, Genesis received a response, though her tone carried a note of surprise.
"Marshal Dolo says he is already aware—and that he is about to launch a full-scale counterattack. He told us not to worry."
"Boom—"
The whirring of engines and the sharp blare of horns echoed across the battlefield as thick steam billowed into the sky. The ground trembled beneath a rhythmic rumble.
The silver dragons turned toward the battlefield as the fortress gates swung open.
From the rolling steam, massive iron beasts emerged, leaving deep tracks in the earth as they charged forward.
—The Empire's steam tanks had arrived!