332 Chapter
The true body of a spirit has stepped into this world.
Though it was an incomprehensible event, there was no need to strain to understand it. The expedition’s strike force had already encountered and crushed countless bizarre foes since entering the Demonic Realm. Whether it was the true body of a spirit or something else entirely, as long as a blade could pierce it, there would be no issue.
In fact, compared to the usual spirits that were difficult to neutralize, the true body might even be easier to deal with.
Still, the “means” by which the spirit’s true form was brought into this world felt unsettling, but their immediate mission remained unchanged.
The strike force began its march toward the deepest parts of hell to fulfill their given mission.
As they advanced, the wind spirits Karga and Eila conversed seriously in their own language while aiding the strike force’s progress.
Soon, with one more step forward, their target would enter the range where high-tier magic could deliver ultra-precise strikes.
And then, Alexander stepped onto the ground of the Demonic Realm, seething with malevolence, and sneered.
“You finally show yourselves, cowards.”
The enemy forces, judged to be the main group, finally revealed themselves from beyond.
While the strike force continued to expend their resources, the demons who had replenished their strength on the blessed land above grinned wickedly at the approaching prey.
Alexander pressed forward without slowing, assessing the enemy’s full strength.
At first glance, there were twenty visible demon foes. More likely, others lurked behind or hidden out of sight.
Considering the extreme battlefield of the Demonic Realm’s core and all variables…
Every single demon currently in view possessed power comparable to a near-Lord rank.
Was this truly the enemy’s main force? Or were these merely bait? Such concerns didn’t matter to Alexander.
If these turned out to be nothing but bait, the expeditionary force would inevitably face annihilation anyway.
“Annihilate them.”
With Alexander’s command, Anthonyus at the front unleashed the radiant glow of the Sacred Sword.
BOOM!!
Over the dark, decaying ground, translucent blue marble spread, covering everything.
Centered around Anthonyus, fragments of light danced through the air, purifying the atmosphere and spreading blessings.
As the Sacred Sword’s power was unleashed for the first time, all relics held by the strike force resonated with it, driving back the darkness.
Anthonyus moved forward confidently, wielding his sword and shield.
Though the radiance that could have covered an entire region on the continent was now being consumed to purify just a small battlefield, this was expected.
SHING!!!
The sharp edge of the shield pierced the chest of the nearest demon.
The demon’s crossed arms, raised to block the attack, crumpled completely and fell off.
Anthonyus swiftly followed up by binding another demon attacking from the side with chains of light and swung the Sacred Sword.
When the Sacred Sword struck the demon’s shoulder, a thunderous sound echoed as if a massive hammer had crushed steel.
As the demon was sent flying, Alexander leapt down from the air and stamped on Anthonyus’ shield from above.
Another thunderous sound rang out as the demon beneath the shield was cleaved in two, and Alexander immediately aimed to finish off another demon.
However, just before he could, two spearheads, dyed black and traveling far faster than the speed of sound, shot toward Anthonyus.
SHING!!!
Anthonyus managed to block the spears with his shield, but the shockwave pushed both him and Alexander backward.
Cracks appeared on the upper part of the shield, a top-tier relic, after blocking only a single attack.
Alexander glanced at the demon whose body had been bisected.
Already, with help from someone else, the demon had retreated and was regenerating its severed body.
“Troublesome.”
Alexander immediately deployed his Absolute Domain.
To support the divine barrier Anthonyus was generating and the spells cast by allied mages without disrupting them, the mana control phenomenon caused by the Absolute Domain had to be carefully adjusted.
Though this was no easy task, it had to be done now.
“All weapons and means are authorized. Annihilate the enemy.”
Time was not on the expedition’s side.
The elite forces gathered from across the continent revealed their hidden strength and clashed with the demons.
Within the Absolute Domain, Alexander attempted to dominate the mana emitted by the demons.
However, the demons had prepared for the Absolute Domain, thoroughly refining and controlling the mana within their bodies. Moreover, the Blessing of the Dark God was mixed in.
Even with the mana domination effect of the Absolute Domain, it was difficult to meaningfully restrain the demons.
After all, the Demonic Realm itself was practically a miracle akin to the Absolute Domain for the demons.
Alexander briefly furrowed his brows before looking upward.
Magic spells manifested to kill each other collided and canceled out explosively in the sky above the battlefield.
The main firepower of the strike force, lighting up the heavens, came from Ramenta.
More specifically, Ramenta was the one who ultimately manifested the magic, while Luna provided support.
Though it appeared as though Ramenta was casting the spells alone, the actual division of labor was fifty-fifty.
This form of cooperation was one of the agreements made between Ray and Ramenta before they parted ways after visiting the World Tree.
Thanks to the efforts of Ramenta and Luna, the strike force perfectly countered the firepower unleashed by the demons deep within the Demonic Realm.
And as the canceled-out magics evaporated, uncontrolled mana overflowed in the sky.
When Alexander clenched his fist, a luminous sword formed in the sky and bombarded the ground.
KABOOM!!!
The demons, who were hit by the bombardment one-sidedly, were pushed back by the advancing strike force.
With two Lord-level individuals leading the charge, the demons were forced to retreat repeatedly.
CHUNK!!
Alexander slashed the leg of a demon nearly ten meters away with a sweeping cut.
Taking the opportunity, Anthonyus accelerated forward and plunged the Sacred Sword into the demon’s chest.
Even with its heart shattered, the demon thrashed about, refusing to die. However, Anthonyus drove the Sacred Sword deeper, releasing holy energy in all directions.
“AAAHHH…!!!”
The struggling demon soon turned to ash and disappeared.
So far, they had managed to kill only two demons.
They had inflicted mortal wounds on over ten demons by human standards, but those cursed demons easily recovered from their injuries.
Even when trying to finish off a fallen demon before it healed, concentrated interference made it difficult.
Meanwhile, one member of the strike force had fallen, and another lost an arm—irreparable losses for the strike force.
Damn this Demonic Realm.
The frontline fighters gritted their teeth in frustration.
Alexander muttered under his breath.
“Pushing it too far.”
It was a prearranged signal and tactic.
Ray, who had been restraining the demons from an intermediate position using Leaping Sword Energy, prepared to accelerate his Core and Circle.
Simultaneously, the Absolute Domain centered around Alexander dissolved.
“Huh?!”
“…?”
Both the demons and most members of the strike force were taken aback by the sudden change.
How could they possibly win now that the Swordmaster’s Absolute Domain had disappeared while the situation was already unfavorable?
However, those on the battlefield soon realized that the Absolute Domain hadn’t disappeared—it had been compressed.
The Absolute Domain, which had previously affected a radius spanning several kilometers, hadn’t vanished but was instead compressed.
The demons belatedly realized that the Absolute Domain, now compressed to nearly the size of a fist, floated above Alexander’s grasp.
The Absolute Domain rapidly compressed, drawing all the mana it originally controlled into a space the size of a fist.
The mana, compressed to a density that was impossible to maintain under normal circumstances, retained its shape momentarily thanks to the mana domination of the Absolute Domain.
Realizing the danger, the demons hurriedly tried to retreat.
But in that instant, the Absolute Domain, shaped into a sphere, transformed into the form of a sword.
“Really… pushing it too far.”
This was Alexander’s personal secret technique, unknown to outsiders, and a devastating move that required him to endure immense backlash.
Since it couldn’t be used consecutively, he had wanted to save it, but damn this Demonic Realm.
Clenching his tongue internally, Alexander swung the Absolute Domain shaped like a sword.
!!!!!!!!!!
Space itself temporarily warped due to the massive, super-compressed force.
An overwhelming, deafening roar spread through the battlefield, disorienting everyone present.
And as the Absolute Domain traced its trajectory, everything along its path began to vanish.
Alexander pulled his arm inward, resisting the tearing force, and drew a semi-circular arc.
KABOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Senses slowly recovering, the ears were assailed by the deafening sound.
Five demons were completely annihilated by the previous strike, and twelve demons were almost formless.
Had this not been the ‘core’ of the Demonic Realm, those twelve demons would have undoubtedly been destroyed as well.
But because this was the core of the Demonic Realm, even that couldn’t be guaranteed.
Thus, Ray stepped in.
The sword clutched in Ray’s hand, fixed in reality after transcending into a higher dimension, tore apart not only the already shredded bodies of the demons but also their souls.
CRACKKK!!!
In an instant, Ray shattered the souls of five demons.
Had there been enough time to blink, the remaining seven souls would have been obliterated as well.
But interference came before that.
“!”
KA-KA-KACHAK!!!
Having barely blocked a surprise slash attack, Ray was pushed back dozens of meters while focusing solely on defense.
Though Ray’s swordplay had reached a relatively complete stage, the attacking foe was technically superior to him.
BOOM!!!
Dodging a kick from above, Ray barely blocked it with the hilt of his sword.
The demon, still retaining much of its humanoid form, sneered down at Ray.
“Is this the level at which you claim to have inherited Harshia? It’s a disgrace and an insult.”
“Yeah, it’s a disgrace and an insult.”
Ray smirked back in agreement.
“How ironic. That the only beings who properly remember his legend are you bastards.”
ZING!!!
Two Royal Guards intervened simultaneously, driving the demon oppressing Ray away.
Though the demon retreated while delivering fatal blows to the Royal Guards, it failed to achieve its purpose due to the slicing sword aura that split the air.
Regaining his composure, Ray tightened his grip.
‘This guy doesn’t seem to possess any clear transcendent abilities like the Absolute Domain, but here, he displays power comparable to a Swordmaster.’
He had anticipated that there would be a few such enemies lurking.
Moreover, hidden reserves of the Demonic Realm were emerging, attempting to block the collapsed battlefield orchestrated by Alexander.
“We push forward.”
Though not overwhelmingly dominant, the strike force currently held the upper hand.
Just as Ray was about to unleash his full power, Alexander’s voice echoed in his ear.
“Outposts 19 and 17 have collapsed.”
“So soon?”
It was an important outpost with considerable forces allocated.
Though Ray was surprised, he quickly understood upon hearing Alexander’s explanation.
“Apostle Arundel is on the move.”
“Fucking hell. He avoided Ulte and retreated to the rear.”
On the bright side, that meant Arundel wasn’t present on this battlefield.
“We don’t have much time. The forward base won’t hold out long either.”
“Split up?”
Ray immediately grasped the suggestion Alexander was conveying.
Tactics to divide the strike force in anticipation of such situations had already been prepared.
With a Lord-rank individual as the center, sub-Lord-rank forces would sacrifice themselves to block the enemy, while the remaining strike force advanced to eliminate Preches.
It was a tactical consideration worth examining given the current situation.
“I’ll stay behind.”
Upon hearing Alexander’s words, Ray paused briefly in thought.
But then the demon, assessed to possess power comparable to a Swordmaster, burst into laughter.
“Your tricks are obvious.”
But.
“Will it be that easy?”
“…?”
Ray hastily turned his gaze toward the horizon.
The entire horizon was engulfed in flames.
The fire spreading nearby was advancing toward the battlefield at a rapid pace.
Karga’s voice, filled with shock, anger, and fear, echoed in Ray’s ears.
[Surely the ruler of our clan isn’t…]
“…”
The Spirit King.
That was the name given by humans to the entity now approaching.
(Reproduction 4)
