Volume 2 chapter 7
Two Days Later. Sector Nine.
Prince Abner rode his horse slowly up to the highlands of Sector Nine.
Or what was left of it.
Three mountain peaks had been sheared off, erasing over a hundred meters of vertical rock. Although the demons had resisted with suicidal ferocity, the Alliance had finally taken the ground.
Over the past two days, the demons had poured in over 100,000 reinforcements. On this small patch of land, barely a hundred square kilometers, they had repulsed the Alliance vanguard three times.
But regrettably, the high-end power of the Alliance was an insurmountable wall.
Under the relentless assault of a dozen Eighth-Rankers and over fifty Seventh-Rankers, the demon defenders were slaughtered to the last. The Alliance finally secured the sector. Casualties: barely 20,000.
"I didn't expect this..." Archduke Edwin sighed, riding beside the Prince. "I thought the Demon Race was reduced to a few stray cats. I never imagined a few hills would hold us for three days and cost us twenty thousand men."
"They are a race that has stood against the entire continent for tens of thousands of years. No matter how weakened, they still have teeth..." Abner said softly, his gaze complex.
"Look! The sky!! Something is there!!!"
Suddenly, a knight beside them screamed, pointing upward.
Abner looked up—and saw the sky darken with a swarm of strange objects.
The Fall of the Hammer.
The loss of Sector Nine was a fact. The Demon Command realized that sending more ground troops would only result in a piecemeal slaughter.
Understanding this, the Laptara Air Command launched everything they had.
Operation Rolling Thunder.
Three Bomber Groups—162 aircraft in total—took off from three separate airfields, forming a single massive formation. Their target: the amassed Alliance forces in Sector Nine.
Cruising at 15,000 meters, the bomber fleet saw the ruined peaks of Sector Nine appear in their sights. In unison, the bay doors opened.
The Type-1 Bomber, modeled directly after the Griffin, had a payload capacity of 33 tons.
As the bays opened, thousands of high-explosive aerial bombs—each weighing 500 kilograms and packed with 240 kilograms of enchanted explosives—fell like rain.
RUMBLE...
The Alliance troops below hadn't even processed what the objects were before ten thousand bombs landed on their heads.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A continuous, rolling thunder of explosions erupted across the sector. Shockwaves swept the land, visible to the naked eye. Mushroom clouds rose one after another, merging into a wall of fire and dust.
The dust blotted out the sun. The heat was terrifying, rising thousands of meters into the air.
Whoosh!
In the first instant of the bombardment, Archduke Edwin reacted. He grabbed Abner, shielding the Prince with his own mana, and blasted out of the kill zone at supersonic speed.
RUMBLE...
For a long time, the terrifying explosions continued. After dropping every single bomb, the bomber fleet banked and began their return flight at full speed.
"What... was that?" Abner stared at the sky, his voice lost, unable to accept what he was seeing.
"I don't know..." Edwin watched in silence, his face grim. "It seems the demons are not just fighting back... they are an opponent we cannot underestimate."
_______________________
Laptara Fortress Command Center.
Plum (Winged Demon) and Seraphina (Ice Demon) were two of the sixteen chosen to ascend to the Seventh Rank. Now, they were the Supreme Commanders of the Fortress's Air and Ground forces, respectively.
"Bombing mission successful. Reconnaissance assessment confirms Sector Nine has been turned inside out. Estimated Alliance casualties: at least 100,000!"
Plum reported with pride.
"We also lost over 100,000 soldiers holding them there... Plum! It is too early to celebrate!" Seraphina poured cold water on his excitement. "Furthermore, the Alliance's Ninth-Rank powerhouses haven't shown themselves. You know why."
Plum's smile vanished. "Her Majesty..."
"Exactly. Their primary target remains Her Majesty. With Space Saint Brand present, the moment Her Majesty's location is revealed, he will teleport the Saints and Ninth-Rankers to besiege her instantly! They want to cut off our hope!" Seraphina said coldly, though her clenched fists betrayed her inner turmoil.
"Sigh... even knowing that, we can't do anything..." Plum sighed. "Let's focus on holding Laptara..."
"The minefields in the outer perimeter are laid. The 400mm Fortress Guns are operational. Let them come!" Seraphina looked at the map with icy determination. "No matter what, I will drag at least one Ninth-Ranker down with me here! If it relieves even a fraction of the pressure on Her Majesty, I will gladly sacrifice this entire fortress!"
"Count me in!" Plum grinned, baring his fangs. "Don't forget, we are in charge of this place together!"
"Hmph..." Seraphina smirked. Before she could retort, a messenger burst in.
"Report! Grand Duke Cossette and Grand Duke Lilith have been found in Sector Six!"
"What?!"
Both commanders froze. Weren't the Nine Grand Dukes all dead? How did two of them suddenly appear?
"Is it true? Are you sure?" Plum asked urgently.
"Confirmed! I verified their magical signatures myself!" the messenger affirmed.
"Quick! Invite the Grand Dukes in immediately!" both shouted.
"Yes!"
Moments later, Cossette and Lilith limped into the room.
Seeing the wretched state of the once-mighty Grand Dukes, Plum and Seraphina were shocked.
Cossette, the Winged Demon Lord, had lost one and a half of his magnificent wings. His body was covered in scars so deep the bone was visible. Lilith, the Succubus Queen, was even worse off—one horn broken, wings gone, and her tail severed halfway.
"Subordinate Plum / Seraphina! We greet the Grand Dukes!" They stood and saluted.
"Sit..." Cossette waved his hand weakly. "You are the commanders of Laptara now?"
"Yes. I command the Air Force; Seraphina commands the Ground Forces," Plum replied.
"Where is the Alliance?" Lilith asked directly.
"They have breached the outer perimeter, but their advance has been temporarily halted," Seraphina answered truthfully.
"Ah..." Cossette and Lilith exchanged a glance. They thought the offensive hadn't started yet. Already breached? How did this fortress hold with such meager forces?
"Never mind. Is the teleportation array operational? We need to report to Her Majesty!" Lilith blinked, abandoning the tactical questions. She could ask Her Majesty later.
"Yes! It works! I will prepare it immediately!" Plum said, rushing out.
"Grand Dukes..." Seraphina took a deep breath, feigning calm. "I wish to ask about the charge on the Wall of Despair. And... my grandfather, Ice Demon Grand Duke Field, and my father... did they truly fall?"
Silence filled the room. Cossette looked at Lilith. Lilith looked at the hope in Seraphina’s eyes.
"I'm sorry... Little Fina," Lilith said softly. "Field... he is truly gone. We were besieged by eighteen Ninth-Rankers from the Church, the Association, and Thebes. Of the Nine Grand Dukes... only Cossette and I survived..."
Seraphina’s body trembled. She steadied herself, inhaling sharply. "Is that so... I understand! Time is short. Plum should be ready. Grand Dukes, please return and heal your wounds!"
"We will." Lilith agreed. At the door, she couldn't help but look back. "None of us regretted it. Field didn't either."
"I know... I understand..." Seraphina turned her back to them, her voice suppressed and shaking.
"..." Lilith looked at Cossette, but he shook his head.
"Let's go. Leave her be... We don't have much time either..."
Lilith took one last look at Seraphina's trembling back. A thousand words died on her lips, turning into a sigh. She followed Cossette out of the room.
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