Chapter 912
Episode 228: The Fierce Battle at Grosh Fortress (Part 8)
The tone was less a warning and more a clear order.
Koon didn’t bother hiding his displeasure as he glared at Luna. Within Ziphl, aside from Veradin and Elona, no one else dared speak to him so disrespectfully.
“What’s with the bossy attitude? So what if you’re a White Commander? Who do you think you are?”
Luna kept her expression blank, unfazed by Koon’s hostile gaze.
‘Wait a minute… Didn’t they just say they want to avoid conflict with us as much as possible? Then why are they picking a fight?’
With every passing second, Koon’s mind raced with all sorts of thoughts.
‘What’s going on? Are they really planning to fight if I don’t back down? Damn it, that’s a lot of pressure. Disobeying the family head’s orders… But more importantly, can I even win if it comes to a fight? I thought I could handle it based on rumors, but seeing her in person… she’s tough. What kind of monster is that? Are you sure she’s not from Changseong?’
He felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
Koon was beginning to regret locking eyes with Luna. He should have just brushed off the provocation and ordered his troops to retreat with a calm, confident attitude. But now, backing down would be a huge blow to his pride.
“Hey, Koon. Didn’t the First Commander hear me? Want me to say it again?”
When Luntia spoke up, Koon nearly flinched.
Unlike Luna, Luntia radiated a chilling aura of lethal intent, as if she could tear Koon apart on the spot. The very shields of the Ziphl fleet trembled under that deadly energy.
Koon took a deep breath to steady himself and shook his head.
“Hmph! What is this, some kind of thug act? We’re both in no position to fight each other before taking down the common enemy, but you’ve got zero manners.”
“Ziphl and Luntandel aren’t exactly known for their manners either. We’re both thugs to each other, aren’t we? Right, Little Palace Lord?”
“…That’s correct, Third Commander. The First Commander only gave Ziphl a chance to preserve their fleet, but this one is overreacting.”
“Ugh! Fine, fine. The more reasonable side always has to back down, huh? All fleets, fall back. We’ll regroup and re-enter the battle once the front lines are stabilized.”
In the end, Koon gave the order. Cold sweat trickled down his back. As the fleet withdrew, Luna smiled at him.
“A wise choice. I’ll remember this day, Koon.”
Koon said nothing and returned to the bridge of his flagship, the Fistoro.
“Well done, Commander Malyung.”
The water dragon Tiel stood beside Koon and spoke.
“Phew, at least most of our troops are bio-golems, so our pride isn’t completely shattered. The rest—the dragons and humans—Tiel, you need to keep them quiet. We managed to talk our way out of it, but anyone watching would think I chickened out.”
“Since the White Commanders passed fifteen, a saying has spread among Ziphl: Never fight Luna Luntandel directly. Only fight when she makes a fatal mistake herself.”
As Tiel finished speaking, hundreds of streaks of meteor showers rained down beyond the bridge. The violet shield surrounding the entire right defensive line shattered like glass, and most of the demons who came out to counterattack were swept away by the meteors and shockwaves, disappearing without a trace.
“Oh, damn… Is that Elona? She’s insane, absolutely insane.”
“So don’t feel ashamed. Retreating appropriately against a White Commander is actually commendable.”
Luna didn’t stop at the meteor shower—she unleashed a devastating charge that instantly shattered the demons’ shields.
In just over ten seconds, the entire formation in front of the right defensive line was completely broken. The massive shockwave even battered the shields of the Ziphl fleet far behind.
If Koon hadn’t withdrawn his fleet to save face, the outcome would have been obvious.
“I feel a bit relieved hearing that from Tiel. Well, since they’re willing to do the dirty work for us, there’s no reason to refuse.”
“Exactly, Commander Malyung. The bear does the tricks, and we take the money… or rather, the bear does the tricks, and we get the credit. We just need to step in at the right moment and claim the biggest victory.”
Koon and Tiel chuckled foolishly, clapping their hands. But whenever a heavy impact shook Luna’s side, their laughter abruptly stopped, and they jumped in surprise.
“Clear the way. The low-level grunts can’t stop us anyway.”
Luntia shouted, sending a blade of energy slicing through the air. Three demon fleets from the True Demon Realm were cleaved in half, their power cores exploding and the resulting inferno consuming nearby demons.
The battle unfolded with Luna and Luntia each breaking through one side, unleashing a one-sided massacre.
Siris, positioned behind Luna and Luntia with Mote, tirelessly formed ice platforms beneath their feet. Occasionally, she summoned blizzards to herd enemies into kill zones for the riders.
It might seem like a minor role, but it wasn’t. Predicting the speed and path of the Luntandel riders and creating footholds at every moment required exceptional battlefield insight.
“Hold them! Use your bodies to block them! Delay those humans’ advance by even a second!”
The general who gave the order was quickly located by sound and met a swift death. The riders didn’t just slaughter enemies indiscriminately—they always targeted commanders first, eliminating them to disrupt enemy orders.
Without command, even a massive army is just a disorganized mob.
Realizing this, demon commanders hesitated to issue orders. Any sound could give away their position, leading to instant death or being torn apart.
Bang! Boom!
The demons resorted to signal flares, but even those were cut down before their meaning could be conveyed.
Hundreds of demons fell every second in the chaotic melee, replaced immediately by fresh troops, yet Luna and Luntia never lost track of the flares’ locations.
In other words, despite the sheer numbers gathered at the right first defensive line, the demons couldn’t communicate at all. It felt like being trapped in darkness rather than a battlefield.
Moreover, the right defensive line was manned by relatively weaker demons.
The Bamel Alliance, Lutero Magic Federation, and Kinzel’s main forces were focusing on other defensive lines.
Though the demons’ total numbers reached into the billions, most hadn’t yet escaped Hell.
So the forces on the surface were insufficient to fully defend Grosh Fortress.
“You’ve been pestering us with your numbers and dimensional rifts, but it seems your true strength is finally showing. Even with Inse attacking Grosh Fortress directly, the number of rifts in our territory hasn’t increased.”
Luna spoke as she slashed the back of a fleeing general. The red blade pierced his wounds like a plague, tormenting him.
“Arrgh…!”
“Judging by the pain, you must be a general. But where exactly were you trying to run off to, leaving all your subordinates behind?”
The general couldn’t answer, overwhelmed by the agony invading his body and mind. Luna didn’t care—she wasn’t asking for a response.
“Grosh Fortress? Even if you teleport inside with your fancy magic, you’ll end up facing me again. Or your real base underground? Even if you run there, you’ll meet me again.”
“Ugh…”
“There’s nowhere left on this world—above or below ground—where you can escape and survive. So, if possible, fight me honorably and die. Wouldn’t it be a shame if your last memory was just running away?”
Her low voice suddenly amplified, echoing across the entire battlefield. Not only the demons but also the cautiously advancing Ziphl fleet behind them heard it clearly.
“I know none of you will beg for mercy or surrender. You’ve already rejected the chance our family head gave you. So raise your swords to me with pride. Prove to me that among you, there’s at least one worthy enough to be cut down by this Krantel.”
Before the body of the fallen general shattered under the red power, two more generals fell to strikes from Luna and Luntia.
Swish!
The blades spread like a tidal wave, cutting down countless nameless soldiers. Most demons didn’t even realize the riders’ swords were killing them—they only heard Luna’s voice clearly.
Despite cutting down so many enemies, neither woman showed any sign of fatigue. Their hair remained dry, their breathing calm.
Within a radius of over a thousand steps around them, not a single living demon remained. Only burning or disintegrating corpses drifted like indifferent sea foam.
But even demons a thousand steps away were within striking distance—already marked for death.
The riders slowly advanced, stepping onto the icy path that Siris had created. Each time the two of them drew closer, the demon soldiers on the front lines retreated like frightened beasts.
Before the riders even swung their swords, the enemy ranks began to crumble, and the commanders still couldn’t bring themselves to shout orders.
“Runtia.”
“Yeah, sis?”
“Let’s pick up the pace from here. The youngest squad looks like they’re about to break through the third line of defense soon, so we need to keep up. Besides, this area is mostly held by the weaker ones.”
“So, no giving Zipple a chance to steal the spotlight. Got it. After all, we’re supposed to be the heroes who cleanse the Demon Realm in history.”
Luna and Runtia exchanged calm, determined looks and readied themselves once more. As they began to draw on their energy in earnest, the sea trembled, and massive whirlpools formed all around them.