Chapter 868
Episode 216: The First Golden Ship (4)
Near the former imperial capital, five rifts had formed in total—one massive rift and four smaller to medium-sized ones. Had they been detected earlier, specialists with rift-sealing abilities would have been dispatched without question.
And the number of demons pouring out from these rifts? It was staggering.
From the very first small rift alone, over a thousand demons had already emerged. Across the mountain ranges, fortresses and strongholds of the Demon Realm had taken shape, and nearly a dozen warships hovered ominously in the sky.
No matter how formidable the capital’s defenses were, such an unprecedented surprise attack inevitably inflicted damage. Even if superhumans like Dante and the Empire’s knights scrambled to respond immediately, subduing the enemy without any casualties was impossible.
Yet, the technology of the Balmur Alliance was turning the impossible into reality.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Kwauhl’s hearty laughter echoed through the comms. Today was the happiest day of his life as an engineer. Leet and Kashimir, listening through their communicators, let out sighs of relief.
“We must focus on the battle now, so this will be the last transmission. I will report back once the situation is resolved!”
{Understood, Dr. Kwauhl. Still, just in case, I’ll have the palace lord and Mort on standby.}
“Very well, Steward Leet! If something too overwhelming appears, I’ll contact you again. Though I doubt that will happen—ha ha ha!”
With a single blast from the Golden Ship’s cannon, over ninety percent of the demons that had emerged from the first rift vanished without a trace.
The five summoned fortresses were shattered before they could even make an impact, and only one or two of the Demon Realm’s warships remained afloat.
And this wasn’t even the ship’s full power. Kwauhl’s eyes gleamed as he fixed his gaze on the next rifts to be targeted.
“…Is this really the destructive power achievable purely through technology, without any superhuman strength?”
Dante had no time to even feel anger at the ambush.
At first, memories of the nightmare during the Dipus incident flashed through his mind, and he worried about innocent civilians being slaughtered again. But witnessing the Golden Ship’s overwhelming might left him utterly speechless.
“That’s right, Sword King!”
[It’s not just pure technology, Dr. Kwauhl. Have you forgotten that my divine power and my brother’s energy are reinforcing the storm cannon?]
“Well, in a broad sense, that still falls under the realm of technology, doesn’t it, Lord Feitel?”
[True enough. Hey, it looks like another rift is about to open. Let’s give it a proper thrashing.]
“Increase output! This time, sixty percent!”
“Yes, sir!”
The crew of the Golden Ship responded promptly to Kwauhl’s command.
Currently, Dante was the only superhuman aboard. The rest were non-combat personnel, and Dante hadn’t even infused his energy into the ship’s power system.
Just as Jin and the Balmur Alliance had long hoped, a device capable of unleashing transcendent power using only ‘ordinary people’ had finally been completed.
Though Kwauhl was the captain, operating the ship didn’t require knowledge on his level.
Kruuuuuuu…!
The Golden Ship’s engines emitted a crisp yet heavy roar, like a colossal beast bellowing. Kwauhl and the crew felt a shiver run down their spines.
And the demons freshly summoned to the surface, facing that sound, were gripped by terror.
“W-what is this… General Grine? Didn’t the demons from the 17th Fortress just get annihilated by a single strike from that ship? Monte has been confirmed dead as well.”
One demon soldier’s words hung in the air as Grine could only stare back and forth between the Golden Ship and the devastated battlefield. Grine was one of the Demon Realm’s commanders, leading the vanguard of this surprise assault.
Monte, who had just fallen, was the same. Two more commanders and their forces were scheduled to be summoned from the remaining smaller rifts.
Sssshhh!
The lightning crackling around the Golden Ship distorted the nearby space. Grine recalled the terrifying ancient legends passed down in the Demon Realm.
‘The Sky Fortress operated by the Mingwang clan… so such things existed on the surface as well?’
Grine had never lived through those times. But whether this monstrous ship surpassed those airborne fortresses or not, one thing was clear:
Neither the commanders nor their troops had the power to suppress this ship.
“Scatter… scatter!”
“Huh?”
“Every unit, scatter! The disruption mission has failed. We must survive until Beacon is summoned.”
Grine couldn’t bring himself to say the last two words.
Suddenly, his vision brightened. The Golden Ship’s second blast erased Grine and over two thousand demons in an instant. Most of them didn’t even realize the moment they died. One moment there was a flash of light, and then—nothing.
“…Now I understand why Jin was so desperate to obtain the Golden Ship. I’m just relieved that such technology belongs to Jin and the Balmur Alliance. If it fell into the hands of Ziphl, Kinzello, the Red-Eyed clan, or the Demon Realm, we might not even need knights like us anymore.”
Dante shuddered, imagining how things might have turned out if the Golden Ship had been wielded by their enemies.
“Heh heh, Sword King. Even if the Golden Ship begins mass production, superhumans like you will always be necessary. There’s a limit to suppressing those lunatics with machines alone. When the big rift spews out its forces, the Golden Ship’s power alone might not be enough. That’s when you’ll step in.”
The third rift was also wiped out with a single cannon blast.
If the demons were merely ordinary beings dragged unwillingly into war, Dante might have felt uneasy. After all, thousands of lives were lost with each strike.
But there was no such figure among the demons. Ameris had analyzed the rifts and explained that Zito’s summoning magic was possible only because of his immense power—and the intense desire of those summoned.
Only demons consumed by the desire to plunge all of Inse into suffering and devour the surface could use that summoning circle.
There was no room for mercy now. Those threatening the peace of the Balmur Alliance and the lives of Inse’s people had to be wiped out without hesitation.
“Of course.”
Only three rifts remained: two medium-sized and one massive.
It had been barely five minutes since the battle began. The surviving demons clenched their teeth as they looked up at the Golden Ship.
No matter how powerful that ship was, once Beacon was summoned, there would be no stopping him…
The demons clung to that hope. The moment Beacon emerged from the great rift, the tide of battle would turn instantly, and the imperial capital would be filled with human cries, laments, and screams.
The third and fourth medium rifts opened simultaneously.
Having witnessed the fate of the demons before them, the newly summoned commanders prepared to scatter immediately upon arrival.
‘There’s only one cannon barrel. Whichever side is attacked first, the other will scatter and attempt infiltration…!’
The newly summoned commanders made that calculation. If they could sacrifice one side and hold out just a little longer, Beacon’s support would allow them to push through.
“Full power—ten out of ten—but split to strike both rifts simultaneously.”
But no sooner had Kwauhl given the order than the Golden Ship’s cannon split into two barrels.
“Damn it! Why split the firepower!? Hit that side! Hit this side!”
Each barrel precisely targeted one of the newly formed rifts.
“Using full power against non-superhumans is a bit wasteful, but farewell!”
At Kwauhl’s command, the twin barrels unleashed piercing blue blasts. It was already proven that even half power was enough to obliterate the commanders’ rifts.
Once again, two commanders and their elite troops vanished, along with their summoned fortresses, strongholds, and fleets.
It was a crushing victory.
By now, even the remaining demons, who pinned their hopes on Beacon, couldn’t help but feel shaken. Could Beacon really turn the tide against that?
That doubt stabbed at their hearts like a dagger.
Dante shared the same thought.
“…Do I really need to step in? It seems only a superhuman of my caliber or higher could turn the tide for the demons.”
“Exactly. These Demon Realm bastards aren’t as formidable as we thought.”
“The Golden Ship’s destructive power is just too overwhelming.”
Finally, Beacon and his forces emerged from the great rift. The scale of his summoned army was unlike anything seen before.
Estimated at over ten thousand troops, a hundred warships, and one demon that caught Dante’s careful attention.
Beacon immediately scattered his demonic energy, flaunting his power.
“I am Beacon Raudio, general of the Demon Realm. I have come to deliver Lord Zito’s command. Humans, listen with solemn hearts.”
“What nonsense is this? You don’t seem to grasp the situation. Guys, show him the full power of our cannons.”
The cannon barrels merged back into one, unleashing a colossal strike that seemed to split the sky in two. The heavens and earth trembled briefly as Beacon’s demonic energy formed a protective shield.
The cannon blast failed to pierce his shield. Beacon became the first demon to withstand the Golden Ship’s fire.
“Oh, as expected of Lord Beacon…!”
“Lord Beacon! Please avenge us!”
Beacon stood tall atop the summoned fortress, looking much as he had at his arrival.
But inside, he was unsettled. Though the shield had prevented any damage, if such attacks continued relentlessly, even he might find no answer.
“…I’m pretty sure none of the Inse’s ships we received before the invasion had anything like this. What is this? There’s no way they can fire a cannon like that again, right?”
But the Golden Ship’s power remained intact. The might of Thunder God Gram and Storm God Feitel wasn’t something that would be drained after just a few volleys.
“Come on, let’s fire one more shot and send them straight back to hell. Looks like today the Sword Emperor can just watch and head home.”
Kwauul grinned and ordered the power to be cranked up again.
In the end, Beacon—who had carried the hopes of all the demons summoned to the Empire—was utterly annihilated after the fourth blast, letting out a final, agonized scream. Along with him, the entire demon city summoned from the underworld was reduced to ruins.
Meanwhile, Jin watched the Sacred Kingdom’s descent ritual unfold, receiving updates on everything, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“I was worried I might have to move before meeting Ayula, but it seems both Hupester and the Empire have been cleaned up nicely.”