Episode 1104
Chapter 257: The Demon Army’s Assault (8)
As Rondo gritted his teeth, someone approached and shrugged their shoulder beside him. It was a woman wearing a white mask and a hood.
“Number 677, this world is truly special in many ways, Lord Rondo.”
“…Lady Silin, when did you arrive?”
Silin Ziphl was a first-class officer of the Demon Army. Though Rondo held the higher rank of special-class officer, he cautiously gauged Silin’s expression.
He had no choice. Silin wasn’t part of his direct chain of command, so her rank was technically lower, but very few within the Demon Army had achieved more than she had. Even Rondo, who had successfully completed conquest wars across countless dimensions, couldn’t compare to her.
Rondo regarded Silin as someone who effectively evaluated and supervised him.
“I just arrived a moment ago. You requested reinforcements from all dimensions, after all.”
“Ah.”
“She’s a formidable enemy. I’ve been through many wars, but I’ve never seen such meaningful and fierce resistance.”
“That’s true. Lord Kelliac saw through it from the start, but I’m ashamed I didn’t understand it immediately during that meeting.”
“There’s no need to be so hard on yourself. He’s naturally far ahead of us. It’s fortunate that the right judgment was made, even if belatedly.”
To Rondo, those words felt like a warning. Since the “right judgment” had been made, failure this time would come with a heavy price.
“…Though we’ve lost many troops to unexpectedly fierce resistance, the situation isn’t as dire as it seems. Siron’s sword is fading, and while Ban is present, I don’t believe he can suppress our forces more effectively than Siron.”
“Is that so?”
“Even if Ban’s combat power surpasses Siron’s, that’s the limit. Our remaining forces outnumber the losses by at least four times, and reinforcements keep coming. Above all, with Lady Silin here, how could they possibly turn the tide?”
“Hmm, that’s strange.”
“What do you mean by strange?”
“The Rondo I know is far more astute. Perhaps you’re speaking complacently because you’re watching my reaction.”
Silin’s calm voice sent a chill down Rondo’s spine. But he quickly steadied himself and met her gaze. Behind her mask, her black eyes gleamed.
“Lord Rondo, the enemy has reached the last legacy of Solderet. It’s a legacy we’ve never properly confirmed in any world. And now, they will reach it in just four and a half days.”
“…Four and a half days?”
“That means time is running out.”
Four and a half days. Rondo wondered if his fleet could finish off the enemy within that time. It seemed possible, but he couldn’t be certain.
“From the start, it seems you were unaware of this information before I arrived. How could you speak so complacently? Judging by your cautiousness toward me, it seems fear has somewhat paralyzed your reason.”
As Silin’s harsh assessment continued, she lightly patted Rondo’s shoulder, as if to ease his tension.
“But deciding to throw your troops as a shield was a wise choice. Time isn’t entirely on our side, so investing all our forces was the best move, even if it’s extremely inefficient.”
Rondo silently breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s good to hear. By the way, Lady Silin, do you have other matters to attend to?”
“Yes. I came because I have some information to relay to you.”
She had other business.
The reason Rondo and other high-ranking officers of the Demon Army revered Silin was that, beyond conquest wars, she had earned the most credit for suppressing the ‘rebels.’ Unlike the Orgal of each dimension, who fought only within their own worlds, the Demon Army faced resistance spanning multiple dimensions.
They mostly operated passively, moving between dimensional pathways, but tracking those pathways was far more dangerous than conquest wars. One wrong step could trap them in the infinite space of dimensional corridors, unable to live or die.
Few had succeeded in more than three pursuits of dimensional pathways, but Silin had hundreds of successful pursuits under her belt.
“…It seems the remnants have finally revealed themselves.”
“Yes. I must find and eliminate them. Unless their movements are deeply connected to this war, I won’t be directly involved in the fighting.”
“Understood. Four and a half days left, the appearance of rebels… Is there any other information you need to share?”
“The last is Lord Kelliac’s recovery status.”
“He’s finished recovering!?”
“No. He said it would take about five days. Four and a half, five. It’s strange that the enemy will reach the legacy almost simultaneously with Lord Kelliac’s recovery… It almost feels like something unseen is aiding the enemy.”
Rondo nodded gravely. Luck and coincidence seemed unusually favorable to Dimension 677.
Kelliac would not participate in this war. Rondo had never expected him to join directly, but if the situation turned against them, it meant one less hope.
“I will fight with that in mind.”
“Very well. I will trust you, Lord Rondo, and take my leave.”
Siron’s secret technique had ended, and twelve more hours had passed. Exactly one day since the battle began.
Even after Mu Wonkyung disappeared, the fighting never once paused. Fierce clashes continued without a single second’s respite, and now the alliance was suffering casualties in earnest.
“Huff, huff, gasp…!”
Vanessa exhaled heavily, staring ahead. There was Elona of the Holy Water Sect, bound in restraints. Number 45—the eighth Elona the alliance’s superhumans had successfully sealed.
“Vanessa, are you alright?”
“Getting old, I guess. My body just can’t keep up.”
“We’ve been through relentless battles since the Black Sea. It’s only natural.”
“Return to the flagship Sara briefly to recover your strength.”
Hedo couldn’t bring himself to say that to Vanessa. More Elonas were still appearing, and if she left, the allied losses would only increase.
The enemy fleet now held over a thousand ships, steadily encroaching on the front lines. They could use the Pluto Cannon to wipe out the enemy once, but it had to be conserved. If they never fired it and held out until reinforcements and Quaul arrived, they could maximize the number of shots.
Besides, firing the Pluto Cannon now would be tantamount to slaughtering their own troops infiltrating the enemy lines.
‘But if necessary, it’s a choice we must accept.’
Bang, crackle…!
Suddenly, a heavy roar erupted above Hedo and Vanessa. A golden ship struck by the enemy’s Changseong magic beam and the White Fleet’s main cannon split in two and exploded.
“Ha…”
The golden ship belonged to the Tikan 3rd Fleet. Though not a flagship, it carried over fifty allied members. Every single one of them was about to meet death.
It was the first time a golden ship had been completely destroyed.
They had defeated over ten thousand enemy ships while losing only one, but like a sturdy wall developing a small crack and collapsing, golden ships would now begin to fall to the ground one after another.
Within a minute, a second golden ship was destroyed, followed by a third and fourth falling simultaneously.
Though golden ships fought like one against a hundred, they were reaching their limit. No matter how many they destroyed, the White Fleet’s endless stream emerging from the dimensional gates was overwhelming.
Hedo and Vanessa dodged the falling debris and naturally advanced deeper into the battlefield. They sensed the energy of a newly arrived Elona.
“…I wish our commander didn’t know this.”
“Impossible. The So Gaju is Changseong. He must have perceived it more clearly than us, standing just below the destroyed golden ship.”
That was true.
“Lord Bran of the Seven Lords, and countless allies—they just left. They’re leaving…”
Jin sensed the deaths of their comrades far more precisely than Hedo and Vanessa. The expressions, voices, and attitudes of those caught in the explosions felt as if they had happened right before his eyes.
That was why everyone worried about Jin, but he showed no sign of pain or hesitation.
Until the war was completely over.
Not just the battle here in the Black Sea, but the entire war against the Demon Army. All sorrow and guilt had to be buried deep inside.
Even if those dying before him were not just acquaintances but his most beloved.
Because of that resolve, Jin did not rush to support Vanessa and the superhumans fighting for their lives every second in the rear battle.
Even if a moment’s respite came, he did not go. Instead of helping the superhumans, he had to recover briefly to prepare for the next Changseong.
“Charge! If the shields fall and we retreat, it’s over! Close in on them and tighten the front lines!”
At Jin’s shout, the golden fleet replaced the destroyed first line with new ships and accelerated.
The Mingwang brothers would be the first to die. But they did not resent Jin’s orders. They were people who would die for each other at any time.
“Let’s go, brothers!”
Only three days remained.
The war dragged on slowly and cruelly for both the Demon Army and the alliance.