Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

981  Chapter 981- Unexpected Interference

Before they could fully react, the human soldiers and mercenaries, descended upon them in a relentless wave.

The Viscounts' powerful stats and magic made them formidable opponents under normal circumstances. However, even a Demon Viscount bleeds when overwhelmed by sheer numbers and caught off guard.

Magic cast, flames swirled, barriers deployed and all sorts of manoeuvres were conducted. Even while spilling blood and seeing the comrades in front of them die, the human forces still progressed forward and soon their blades reached the neck of a demon viscount.

With the weight of the numbers slowly chipping down at their defences, one demon viscount soon fell down. This moment turned out to be the turning point for the human army.

The Demon Nobles who were seen as the incarnation of power and magic were finally brought down and that too by none other than an ordinary soldier. The amount of boost it gave to their morals could be imagined.

 While the human army's motivation was at its peak, the demon army's spirit was at the dirt quite literally.

Not only was their ace in the hole stopped and destroyed without achieving any effect, but even the top officers, the adjutants of the Demon Earl Melkan were being taken down one after another.

 Even for these monsters who are driven by instincts, they had enough sense to realise their situation. The momentum of the battle had shifted completely. The demons' ferocity dulled, their once-relentless march slowed, and hesitation crept into their ranks.

Usually, in a situation like this, it was the responsibility of the leader to rally the troops, restore order, and reignite the fire of battle. However, Melkan was no leader and lacked all the qualities of one.

He stood frozen at the backlines, his face contorted in a mixture of rage and disbelief.

As one would expect, the demon army crumbled running in any and all direction making them easy prey.

.

"He should soon be making his move" Watching the chaos ensue, Simon muttered. His eyes darted towards the backlines of the demon army where a single Demon Earl stood.

With his ace in the hole destroyed, army in shambles and adjutants defeated, he must be getting quite anxious. This was a chance for him to rack up some contributions and raise his level in the Demon Lord's faction.

Given Melkan's character, he would join the battle himself to salvage the situation.

"Now then, it's going exactly as planned…"

He was in the midst of his internal monologue when his instincts suddenly rang alarm bells at him and his eyes couldn't help but dart towards the direction where he felt that strong sense of suppression from.

"No way…"

There high above the clouds, two figures floated, their presence suffocating even at a distance. One of them was a familiar face—Demon Duke Vordanaz, his regal, imposing form unmistakable. But the other…

Simon's blood ran cold "Why is he here…?"

BOOOM… Before he could fully process the implications, the battlefield was shaken by a deafening explosion. The explosion tore through the fortress, sending debris flying and creating a massive mushroom cloud.

A portion of the wall collapsed under the assault, sending plumes of smoke and ash billowing into the sky. Kindles of fire spread rapidly, consuming everything in their path.

The crackle of flames and the groans of crumbling stone filled the air as Melkan stood in the heart of the demon army, his hands still raised and glowing with the remnants of mana.

That attack earlier was from him. Seeing the army he got from the Demon duke get annihilated like that, he was finally forced to step onto the battlefield himself.

To make an example and to remind the humans what they were up against, he used a large AOE intermediate tier magic to get things started.

However, it might seem that he had underestimated the abandoned fortress the human repaired a little too much since even after receiving his attack, it was still standing and only a small portion of the wall crumbled.

"Doesn't matter, I have decided to kill them all myself" Enraged and fearful of what was to come for him if he lost the war, he took a step and jumped into the heart of the battle.

.

Cough... Cough.. inside the fortress, soldiers and mercenaries sprawled on the ground covered in dust, coughing as they tried to prop themselves up.

Just moments ago, they had been manning the walls, shields and spears in hand, valiantly holding the demon army at bay. Then came the explosion—a blinding light that overwhelmed their senses.

Now, they lay amidst the rubble, disoriented and struggling to breathe.

Dravik staggered to his feet, his face smeared with dirt and blood. He looked around at the soldiers and commanded with a hoarse voice.

"Get up! This isn't over! Regroup and form ranks!"

The tall wall that they were standing on, the defensive line that had been stopping the monster, was now gone. However, they still had to hold them down here. That said, it might have been too hasty for him to say that as another shockwave hit the fortress.

This time it was… the commander of the demon force himself.

Melkan landed with a thunderous crash, his claws tearing into the ground as his rage-fueled aura erupted outward.

[Demon Earl's Intimidation]... BANG… Soldiers stumbled back, fear gripping their hearts as the Demon Earl's imposing form rose before them. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"H-H-He… He is…" one soldier stammered, barely able to form words.

"Fall back" Dravik and Rothgard stepped forward, their faces calm but resolute as they squared off against the enraged Demon Earl.

Melkan's gaze locked onto them, the pressure he was emitting grew suffocating by the moment, causing even the air to ripple.

"It's just like he said" Rothgard looked at Dravik, a smile crept at the corner of his lips.

"Can that man see the future? How did he know it would turn out exactly like this?" the latter chuckled.

The two shared a brief laugh before their expression was soon replaced with seriousness.

"Shall we do this?"

 Dravik nodded.