Episode 1099
Chapter 257: The Demon Army’s Assault (3)

The battle escalated.

Perhaps from the very beginning, the conflict between the Balmel Alliance and the Demon Army wasn’t just a localized skirmish over the Anbae’s control.

It was a war for survival.

Especially for the Balmel Alliance, there was no room to retreat.

“That power I sensed within the Anbae… if the enemy manages to seize it, the war ends that very day.”

An immense, nameless power.

To enter the Anbae and claim that power, the conditions were Temar’s body and Barisada.

“There’s no guarantee that the Demon Army, which has conquered entire dimensions, doesn’t possess those two. In fact, it’s highly likely they do. Even if the Anbae’s entry conditions are unique to our dimension, their power should be capable of analyzing it thoroughly.”

Of course, if the Anbae was prepared solely for Jin, even meeting the conditions might not guarantee obtaining it—but certainty was impossible.

Jin had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Now that the Demon Army’s true strength was beginning to reveal itself, Jin knew that securing that power was the only way to turn the tide.

Before the third Meongwang Cannon exploded, the Changsung moved closer toward Laprarosa.

“Focal, Silkia, we need to call for reinforcements.”

Jin briefed Focal, Silkia, and the allied forces as concisely as possible on the current situation.

With only four Meongwang Cannon shots left, it was highly likely they’d have to endure fierce battles for five consecutive days.

[…We can open a dimensional gate to send one ship to Inse. Silkia and I will make the trip. Large-scale spatial jumps back here will take time, but we’ll finish as quickly as possible.]

“We’ll wait.”

Only the bare minimum forces remained in Inse.

Jin decided to summon nearly all the superhumans and key troops left in the Sword Garden, Tikan, and the Empire, including Kinzel.

There was no luxury to leave forces behind.

[I’ll return quickly.]

Kwaaah…!

The golden ship carrying Focal and Silkia slipped through the newly formed small dimensional gate just as Laprarosa fired the third Meongwang Cannon.

Fortunately, their firepower hadn’t diminished yet. The cannon once again unleashed a golden tidal wave that swept through the enemy’s dimensional gates.

“They’ve already killed seven Changsung…”

No one could even estimate how many superhuman-class soldiers had fallen. The White Fleet had already lost about three thousand ships.

“I thought I’d never see forces like this again after the Jin Demon Realm, but these lunatics… even a fly’s life is more precious than this.”

“The problem is, they’re incomparably stronger than the Jin Demon Realm, Murakan.”

“That’s true, Luna. One Keliak alone is overwhelming, and then there are his subordinates. This is madness beyond madness.”

As the golden tidal wave began to subside, the enemy casually sent out new fleets through the dimensional gates.

This fact was slowly driving the allied forces insane.

“Still, they can’t have infinite troops. And as we’ve seen, even without the Meongwang Cannon, we hold the advantage in fleet battles.”

“Exactly, Brother Ban. Above all, the fact that they’re only sending fleets is somewhat reassuring. If they had the completed Demon Stone here, they wouldn’t be engaging in such a costly war of attrition.”

“It must be due to dimensional interference.”

Fourth, fifth…

Morganyel’s domain had already been flooded five times by the golden tidal waves, yet the enemy showed no sign of faltering.

The allies stared at the dimensional gates with bloodshot eyes, nerves taut. Please, just stop now. Please, let the enemy cease appearing.

That hope was shattered in less than five minutes.

“Ugh, disgusting bastards.”

Once again, the White Fleet emerged from the dimensional gates. But there was a difference.

‘The fleet, which usually numbered over a thousand ships, has been cut in half.’

Even at a glance, the number of sacrificial ships had decreased.

Until now, the Demon Army always sent at least three Changsung aboard each fleet, but now only one presence could be felt.

“Are they starting to feel the pressure?”

“Even if it’s a diversion to use the Meongwang Cannon more efficiently, it’s clear they’re feeling the strain.”

From the Demon Army’s overall perspective, the damage they’d taken here wasn’t significant.

Compared to Malugia’s recent attack on the entire dimension, it was just a drop in the bucket.

But they couldn’t immediately pull all their forces from every dimension into Morganyel’s domain.

Many dimensions damaged by Malugia were still undergoing repairs, and they had no time to lift dimensional interference.

“What will you do, Brother Jin?”

Even if the enemy fleet is halved, should we still fire the Meongwang Cannon?

If we fire, it might bluff the enemy into thinking we have plenty of shots left; if we don’t, it hints that our ammo is running low.

“Cease firing Laprarosa’s main cannon. Until more than a thousand enemy ships appear, continue fighting with auxiliary weapons only. Golden Fleet, resume bombardment.”

Bluffing only gains a little time.

They’d have to fight most of the remaining five days without the Meongwang Cannon. So the two remaining shots must be used only when they can inflict maximum damage.

“Prepare for ground combat. All superhumans aboard the fleet will deploy. And Boras, brother.”

{Yes, Brother Jin.}

“If we delay using the Meongwang Cannon, can the hull’s overload be repaired?”

{Depends on the time. If delayed by a day, I alone can manage one more shot. But if reinforcements like Dr. Kwaul arrive, repairs will be much faster.}

“Understood.”

Now, the enemy’s reaction was critical.

If they saw us holding back the cannon and sent fleets of a thousand ships again, buying time would be impossible.

“It’s about time we start moving.”

Srrrreeeek…!

As the engines of the flying ships roared, shaking the sky and earth, the sound of Barisada’s sword sliding from its sheath stood out sharply.

Normally, no one would hear it, but both friend and foe alike were caught in the illusion that the faint, eerie scraping echoed right beside their ears.

For a moment, everyone was overwhelmed by Siron’s presence.

Even those aboard the ships, including non-combat personnel focused on maintenance, felt it.

He was different.

As he confidently declared, not all Changsung were the same.

The one who felt this most keenly was a Changshung mage aboard the Demon Army’s White Fleet.

‘Is that… Siron Runkandel?’

Andrei Ziphl, Wind King of the 144th Dimension.

He had witnessed Siron’s death firsthand in his own dimension.

He had been dispatched to other dimensions several times, where he either faced Siron at his Changshung level or witnessed his demise.

But the Siron who now drew his sword was different.

He wasn’t soaked in demonic energy, nor was his body weakened from long solitary battles.

He wasn’t temporarily radiating stronger energy from a demonic rampage.

‘And beside him… ah, is that Ban, the Meongwang clan’s warrior?’

Ban had never been fully freed in any dimension except this one.

Thus, his power was only spoken of as a legend even among the Demon Army.

Moreover, Ban’s exploits in this dimension hadn’t yet spread widely among the Demon Army.

‘And Jin Runkandel, Luna Runkandel, Murakan… It wasn’t just the bombardment that was the problem. Even if we endure that, we still have to defeat them in the end…’

The gap was enormous.

Having crossed countless battle lines to reach Changshung, Andrei immediately recognized and accepted the difference between them and himself.

‘It doesn’t matter. The enemy’s bombardment has limits, and our fleet and Changsung will keep coming. I’ll avoid close combat and buy time. The enemy Changsung won’t be able to close the distance recklessly. The bombardment is about to begin.’

The Golden Fleet and White Fleet exchanged volleys.

Andrei expected the shockwaves to prevent the allied Changsung from advancing recklessly.

Unlike them, with many Changsung waiting behind the dimensional gates, the Balmel Alliance had only five.

As if on cue, both fleets began bombarding each other simultaneously.

The sky and earth twisted instantly with thunder qi and magic power, and every time the main cannons clashed, the shockwaves were strong enough to shake the fleets.

‘Deploying all five Changsung at the front line this early is an extremely risky tactic for the alliance. Besides, each of them can launch fleet-level long-range attacks on their own. Close combat was never going to happen…’

Just as Andrei thought this, he flinched and looked beyond the bridge.

“Sir Andrei?”

His officers didn’t understand his sudden reaction but followed his gaze.

All they saw was a massive explosion where Laprarosa’s auxiliary weapons’ solar energy, the Golden Fleet’s thunder qi, and the White Fleet’s magic power collided.

But amidst the chaos, Andrei sensed the enemy Changsung’s energy approaching—fast.

So fast, it could have been mistaken for running across open ground rather than charging through heavy bombardment.

“Evade immediately to the rear! Brace for impact…!”

Sshhhk—!

Suddenly, a streak of sword energy tore through the flagship’s bridge where Andrei was stationed, leaving a sharp trail.

That trail didn’t vanish after slicing the flagship diagonally in two; it remained glowing in place.

It was Siron’s single strike.

“Andrei Ziphl, it seems you’ve found some kind of enlightenment in that world. But in the end, you’ve met me here—so for you, this is a dead end.”