Chapter 1105
Episode 257: The Demon Army’s Assault (9)
There was no end in sight.
Since the exact size of the enemy forces was unknown, the Balmur Alliance was bound to wear down mentally as time dragged on.
No matter how many they killed or cut down, within ten minutes a new White Fleet would appear to fill the gaps.
Moreover, the Golden Fleet’s defenses were gradually crumbling, and with each breach, casualties mounted faster.
Yet, the alliance members did not lose heart.
It was thanks to the fierce fighting of the Changsung and superhumans on the front lines—not inside the Golden Fleet itself—that morale held firm. Among them, it was the Changsung who especially bolstered the alliance’s spirits.
The Demon Army had already sent dozens of Changsung to the battlefield. But none had made as significant an impact as the alliance’s own Changsung.
From the start, many had been reduced to ashes by the Myeongwang Cannon, barely survived only to be overwhelmed by the alliance’s combined attacks, or died unable to overcome the Mu-won Mirror.
Even now, with both the Myeongwang Cannon and Mu-won Mirror gone, the situation hadn’t changed much.
That was why Siron, Ban, Jin, and Luna combed through the enemy Changsung like hunters, picking them off one by one. In other words, the Demon Army’s Changsung had yet to find their footing.
“Siron, that ship!”
It was Ban.
Unlike Siron, she hadn’t unleashed the final technique of the Divine Warrior, the Myeongwang Gunlim Sword. If she did, she could sweep away the enemies in an instant like the Mu-won Mirror, seizing control of the battlefield for at least two hours.
But after unleashing the final chapter of the Myeongwang Gunlim Sword, she wouldn’t be able to fight in full strength like Siron. So she needed to conserve it for the variables still to come. After all, the war still had four days left, and even after that, it was uncertain if Jin, who was on deployment, could return immediately.
Instead, Ban used her exceptional senses and insight to instantly pinpoint the location of every Demon Army Changsung that appeared on the battlefield.
“Understood!”
Before Siron could even respond, Ban’s single slash thundered down on the targeted ship. Siron followed up by swinging Barisada at the same spot, and the ship split cleanly in two, disintegrating.
Aside from the sharp crackle of lightning unique to the Myeongwang Sword, there was no explosion—just the ship breaking apart like grains of sand scattered by Siron’s blade.
Out of over fifty crew members, only three survived: two 10-star mages and one Changsung. The alliance’s superhumans nearby rushed to engage the mages, while Jin and Luna took on the Changsung.
“Ugh!”
Five seconds. No, three seconds. For the Demon Army Changsung, holding out just three seconds could mean finding an opening. The White Fleet’s supporting bombardment and magic rained down on the alliance members, and another Changsung who had retreated a bit further could intervene within that time.
“Die!”
But the escape route he saw was no secret to the alliance Changsung. That’s why Jin and Luna clung to him like demons.
They didn’t fear injury. Even as the Changsung mage’s retaliatory beam grazed their eyes, they accelerated their attacks explosively, swinging their swords more boldly.
Changsung.
Those who reach that level tend to imagine fighting opponents who have reached the same heights.
A battle between two warriors honed to the extreme would likely last a very long time, with no gaps or openings—unless one clearly held the advantage, like Siron or Ban.
But a battlefield with multiple Changsung was an unimaginable realm even for them. In all of dimensional history, so many Changsung had never gathered in one world.
When everyone at a similar level faces a situation for the first time, the side that adapts faster gains the advantage. Changsung were no exception.
In that sense, the alliance’s Changsung were gaining experience far more effectively than their enemies. They abandoned the “perfect and solid fight” framework, instead relying on wild, beast-like, all-out attacks.
In other words, the alliance’s Changsung were gambling every moment—betting that two or even four of them could kill an enemy Changsung in one swift strike.
Crack!
The axe-sword Krantel slammed down on the Changsung mage’s staff. As the blade pierced halfway through the staff’s shaft, the mage feigned a counterattack on Luna and fired a beam at Jin rushing in from behind.
Neither Jin nor Luna could fully read that move. Normally, the right choice would be to retreat and wait for the next move, but the siblings pressed their swords forward to the end.
The beam bounced off Bradamante and grazed Jin’s cheek deeply. Luna pulled Krantel back and punched the mage’s face.
Zheeeeng!
The mage raised a shield to absorb the impact, but his face was crushed grotesquely like dough. It was a fatal blow, and with the follow-up strikes and Jin’s thrust, he died before his three seconds of resistance were up.
“Haah…!”
At first glance, it seemed they had taken down a Changsung without much damage, but either Jin or Luna could have easily been seriously wounded in that exchange.
That scenario had already played out a dozen times. Jin and Luna barely avoided serious injury, and that was largely due to luck.
But now, on top of luck, they had gained experience. The alliance’s Changsung were starting to get a feel for the fight, while the Demon Army’s Changsung remained lost.
“If just two, no—three of them find their footing, killing enemy commanders like this would be impossible.”
If two or more Demon Army Changsung ever secured their positions simultaneously, the front lines would immediately start to falter.
Behind Jin and Luna, the White Fleet’s bombardment poured down, followed by a delayed fire magic explosion from another Changsung mage.
When the siblings emitted their sword auras to withstand the attack, Siron and Ban, who had been closing in, charged through the fire and bombardment to strike the enemy Changsung again.
Then their roles would briefly switch. Ban would continue locating enemy Changsung, while Jin and Luna created openings for Siron to break through.
But even as they fought, their allies behind them were dying relentlessly. Golden ships exploded, knights were slaughtered, and superhumans were gravely wounded.
The worst war in Balmur Alliance history.
From the Sword Emperor War, the Fiend War, the True Demon War, the Red Name War, to the final battle with Ziphl in this world—never before had the alliance suffered so many casualties.
“Gah…!”
This time, Siron and Ban’s swords pierced the enemy Changsung’s neck and chest. Unlike Jin and Luna, they launched reckless attacks without sustaining much injury.
If this momentum continued, the alliance would be able to penetrate deeper into enemy lines and hunt down the next Changsung.
But the tide of war was always ready to mock the alliance. Even with Siron and Ban, the two overwhelmingly powerful Changsung leading the charge, they couldn’t maintain the upper hand forever.
“Youngest!”
It was Siron’s voice. A beam from a Changsung mage who had just emerged from a dimensional gate, still undetected by Ban, was falling toward Jin’s head.
It was light-element magic—restored from the lost Chenmi’s spells in this world. Jin barely raised his sword like a shield to block the beam, but couldn’t absorb the full impact.
“Ugh!”
Spitting a mouthful of blood, Jin was thrown back a hundred steps. He quickly assessed his internal injuries and got back on his feet.
No follow-up attack came. Siron, Luna, and Ban were already pressuring the mage who had targeted Jin. Jin shook off the dizziness and scanned his surroundings.
He was in the thick of the superhumans’ melee. Knights and mages of at least 9-star rank, along with Elonas from the Holy Water Corps, were shaking the battlefield with their combat.
At the center were Hedo, Vanessa, and the entire Black Knight squad. Had they failed to hold the Elonas, the superhuman battle would have long since tipped in the Demon Army’s favor.
Gathering his strength, Jin prepared to leap back toward Luna—but then he caught sight of a figure’s back.
Ghost Captain Rata Prochi, his most loyal subordinate and comrade, was already fighting off the surging Demon Army superhumans with one arm lost. Left like that, survival was impossible.
Reflexively, Jin tried to send sword energy toward Rata, but gritting his teeth, he changed direction.
Spending a few seconds to help him could cost the entire alliance hours of suffering.
“…A wise decision, my lord. Go quickly!”
Even the Ghost Fleet, now commanded by his younger brother, Fey Prochi, wasn’t supporting Rata. Fey shared the same resolve: it was right for Jin to pass by.
“Rata, survive!”
Rata didn’t reply, only smiling quietly as he watched Jin’s retreating back.
The moment Jin reentered the Changsung battlefield, Ghost Captain Rata Prochi became someone who would never answer again.
Rata’s death shattered the balance of that front. The Demon Army superhumans broke through the path he had held and began charging directly at the Golden Fleet. Jin noticed the shift and blinked once. For now, that was the only time he could spare to mourn Rata.
“Huff, huff…!”
Luna exhaled heavily and looked at Jin. Her expression said it all: the Demon Army’s two Changsung had finally found their footing at once.
“…Youngest, you have to choose. Either bring more superhuman forces here despite the fleet’s damage, or we take greater risks and keep fighting ourselves.”
The right choice was the former. Jin had no choice but to make a heavy decision immediately. At this moment, the condition of the Changsung was more important than any other force except Laprarosa.
Just as Jin was about to call for more superhumans in utter despair, he suddenly spun around to look behind him.
Whoooosh!
Above the floating fortress Laprarosa, a massive golden dimensional gate was opening. Pokal and Silkia had returned, leading their reinforcements.