Volume 2 Chapter 83
After Helms rallied the troops and began infiltrating the Alliance's rear in small squads, the Alliance's advance noticeably slowed.
Clyris generously distributed a massive amount of communication equipment, ensuring nearly every squad of ten to twenty demons had a radio. This allowed them to maintain constant contact with the rear command.
When they encountered small Alliance units, they set up ambushes, devouring them with mortars and heavy machine guns. When they encountered larger forces they couldn't handle, they called in the Air Force.
Against fighters equipped with rockets, only Eighth-Rank Knights could put up a fight. Seventh-Rankers were already hard-pressed to defend themselves.
When a squadron of six fighters roared in, their combined firepower was enough to critically injure an Eighth-Rank Knight!
To maximize the delay, Clyris mobilized all remaining air power from the West, plus a portion from the Dark City—totaling over 1,800 fighters. They scattered across the Western Theater like vultures. They didn't just respond to ground calls; any small Alliance unit spotted—be it a supply convoy or a patrol—was hunted down without mercy!
The main Alliance army couldn't advance quickly either. Only a single reconnaissance team reached Forgrave City, and before they could even probe the defenses, they were blown to pieces by a bomber wing and forced to retreat.
However, not all news was good. The fall of Picard's City and the subsequent loss of territory meant the demons lost five out of six airfields in the West. Hundreds of aircraft couldn't take off in time and were destroyed on the ground.
Although the remaining planes and some aircrews relocated to the Dark City, a massive number of ground crew, mechanics, and soldiers were slaughtered.
The main Alliance army swept through like a plague of locusts, leaving not a single demon alive. Within days, hundreds of thousands of demons were butchered, and numerous western cities were razed to the ground.
But these precious few days allowed Grayson to dig trenches, lay minefields, and set up heavy artillery outside Goron City!
When Clyris arrived, the city wasn't a fortress yet, but it had some defensive capability—enough not to be breached by a single charge from a Seventh-Rank Knight.
But... it was still not enough!
Relying on a dozen hastily mounted Small Fortress Cannons—Large Fortress Cannons couldn't be installed in time—was insufficient to stop the main Alliance army. Let alone the War Behemoths or Ninth-Rank charges!
Just a few Eighth-Rank charges could flatten this city!
Because Goron City only had a Seventh-Rank Defensive Array! Its defense rating was even lower than Picard's!
Just as Clyris arrived at Goron, another piece of bad news struck—The Eastern Front was breached!
The Demon Territory had a specific topography: high in the Southeast, low in the Northwest. The East and South bordered the Dragonspine Mountains, making the terrain rugged and unsuitable for large-scale marches. Transportation was difficult.
The West and North, however, were vast plains, perfect for army charges.
After the fall of Laputa Fortress (in the East), the Alliance had been blocked by a chain of mountain cities: Nazelle, Smoke, and Elbaran.
Built into the mountains, these cities occupied perilous terrain. A few fortress cannons could lock down key transport routes. The Alliance had to gnaw through them one by one, filling the valleys with lives to advance.
This caused massive casualties. The mountainous terrain was also perfect for guerrilla ambushes. While the main Alliance army wasn't threatened, the soldiers of minor nobles, recon teams, and supply convoys suffered heavy losses. This high cost had convinced the Eastern Alliance army to abandon the mountain route after taking Laputa and join the Southern Army to attack Abbys Fortress.
At the same time, the horrific cost of taking Laputa made them wary. They dragged their feet, not eager to attack. Seeing the humans slacking off, the Elven army assigned to the South also refused to exert full effort, leading to a stalemate at Abbys.
Only after the Southern Army broke its teeth at Talisk Fortress did the East regret its decision. But by then, attacking Abbys was futile. Abbys had completed its fortification with dense turret networks, becoming a hedgehog far tougher than Laputa.
After a few probing attacks, the Eastern Army lost heart and settled into a stalemate outside the fortress.
However, with the awakening of the Saints and the return of the War Behemoths, the Alliance finally had the means to defend against Fortress Cannons. Under the orders of the Saints, the Alliance launched another offensive.
The direction of the attack—The East!
They considered the difference between Abbys and Picard. Picard was merely a satellite fortress city with an Eighth-Rank array; breaking it wasn't hard.
But Abbys was a proper fortress with a double-layer Ninth-Rank Defensive Array (like Laputa), massive cannons, and narrow terrain that prevented large troop deployments. Storming Abbys would cost the Alliance dearly.
After weighing the options, attacking the small mountain cities in the East became the most suitable target!
While the terrain of these cities was treacherous, preventing large army deployment, their defenses were weak. A Seventh or Eighth-Rank array, three to five fortress cannons, and twenty to thirty wall guns were the limit. The garrison would only be 30,000 to 50,000 strong.
Most importantly—they were dispersed! Though connected by roads, they could easily be cut off, preventing mutual support. So the Alliance made their move!
First, Ninth-Rank Knights led teams to sever communications between the cities. Then, War Behemoths advanced. Within days, Nazelle and Smoke fell. Now, they were threatening Elbaran City!
"Your Majesty! The Alliance wants to pincer us from East and West... cutting off our connection to the fortresses!" Grayson looked at the intelligence report anxiously. "What should we do?!"
"Calm down! Grayson! Calm down..." Clyris comforted him, though she herself was flustered, frantically calling Charlo on the radio.
Clyris: "Are you there? Are you there? The Alliance is pincering from East and West. We can't hold them! What do I do?!"
Charlo: "Calm down! What happened?"
Clyris: "The Alliance used War Behemoths to break Picard's City. The Eastern line is also breached. Now they are thrusting from both sides. My two major fortresses are going to be encircled!"
Charlo: "Wait, wait... What's going on? Why like this? Also, what are War Behemoths? Not the ones from the history books?!"
Clyris: "Yes, the ones from the history books! So what do I do now?"
Charlo: "..."
Charlo: "Sorry! Can't save you! No way out!"
Charlo's blunt refusal made Clyris's blood boil, her chest aching with anger.
Clyris: "Can't you think of something?"
Charlo: "Really no way... It's not that you aren't trying, but the Alliance has Gundams! In open field battles or sieges, do you have anything that can stop the War Behemoths? If not, then retreat honestly! Pull out of the encirclement before it closes to reduce losses!"
Clyris: "Is it really... the only way..."
Flames of rage burned in Clyris's heart, but she had nowhere to vent them. In the end... she was too weak!
If she could ascend to Saint... she could slaughter the Alliance's Eight Saints, then lead the Demon Army to massacre the Alliance! And then...
Clyris started, hurriedly suppressing the insane thought in her heart.
"Phyllis's influence... is it still there?"
Clyris whispered. Even though she had expelled Phyllis's will, she couldn't avoid the influence. The fusion of wills wasn't just an exchange of memories; it was a mutual infection of personalities.
In the beginning, it wasn't a problem because her own will was filled with hatred and anger, and Phyllis was asleep. Aside from madness, there was little influence.
After being heavily injured by the Saint, she regained her reason from the Demon Lord's power. This was a good thing. As her injuries healed, her control over the power increased, preventing the brutality from making her lose control.
But Phyllis's awakening interrupted this process. The descent of the Demon God's Will restored the Demon Lord's power to Dark Age levels, meaning her control over it didn't increase proportionally.
Clyris's heaving chest rose and fell as she took deep breaths to calm herself.
Clyris: "Alright... But I still need to hold the Alliance for a while to give the two fortresses time to retreat!"
Charlo: "That's manageable. Let me tell you..."
And so, the two began to discuss the Demon Race's next strategic moves...
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