Vlad smiled as the surge of strength coursed through his body, the massive influx of Origin Force from Lamorto’s defeated form reinvigorating him. Although the golden force was far from enough to push his body beyond Level 15 and enter the Guardian Tier, it granted him the physical power needed to continue fighting.
With a deep breath, Vlad’s muscles surged with renewed vigor. His senses heightened as he gazed across the battlefield, the A.I. Chip showing every single detail.
The forces of the Xaos Kingdom were cutting through the demons with brutal efficiency from every front, with more than one hundred and forty thousand demons killed by this point. However, despite that massacre, there were still a lot of demons left, and the longer it dragged on, the greater the risk of casualties.
Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he activated the full power of his Inferno Comet Runic Set, covering his body in demonic flames full of explosive might. Lightning crackled violently across his form, his energy bursting forth as he prepared for the next phase of the battle.
Meanwhile, Jormungandr, leading the charge of the three hundred Champions, moved like a blur. Every swipe of his claws obliterated scores of demonic beasts. Deep in the fray, killing everything in his path without pause, his A.I. Chip suddenly pinged with an urgent message. Pausing for just a moment, the small yellow cat took a deep breath and focused his energy before roaring:
"Battle Strategy Number 3. Now!"
The command echoed like thunder across the battlefield. No further explanation was needed—the soldiers knew exactly what to do. The three hundred Champions immediately shifted formation with precision, grouping tighter and forcing the demonic beasts back to create a clear defensive perimeter.
The same command reached the vikings and Xaos soldiers battling in the center of the warzone. Brigadier General Mitchel and Grey Hawk immediately took control, their voices booming as they directed their soldiers to pull back, herding the demonic horde into a tighter area.
The soldiers began repelling the demons from three directions, forming an impenetrable wall with their shields and weapons. Tens of thousands of demons were driven into the center of the battlefield, trapped like rabid beasts, snarling and bloodthirsty. They scraped the earth with their claws and howled in rage, desperately trying to break free and attack.
The sight was nightmarish—a mass of monstrous creatures, frenzied and violent, their glowing eyes filled with madness. It just needed a flaw in the soldiers’ formation, and many would die.
Luckily, before the demons could find their opening, a figure engulfed in flames and lightning descended from the sky like a meteor.
The impact was cataclysmic. The figure collided with the mass of demons, generating an explosion so powerful it shook the entire battlefield. Flames and lightning surged outward in a violent burst, engulfing the demonic horde instantly. The fire raged through their ranks while arcs of lightning crackled through their bodies, obliterating them within seconds.
The destruction was absolute. Thousands of demons were blasted apart, their bodies torn to pieces by the raw power of the explosion. Charred, broken remains were scattered across the battlefield, barely recognizable as the once fearsome beasts they had been. The air thickened with the stench of burning flesh, and the ground was littered with the mangled corpses of the fallen.
The soldiers and vikings, who had pulled back in preparation for the explosion, braced themselves against the shockwaves. Positioned just outside the blast radius, they held their shields steady and weathered the impact without harm.
The instant the explosion subsided, the soldiers lunged forward, charging into the remnants of the demonic horde. The advancing warriors quickly dispatched the surviving demons, dazed and disoriented. Swords, spears, and axes hacked through the stragglers, ensuring no demon would escape the slaughter.
Jormungandr, seeing the battle on this side nearing its end, spread his fiery wings and ascended into the air, blazing with power as he soared toward the back of the mountain pass.
Though his recovery abilities were overwhelming thanks to his Depravita Ability, Jormungandr had been holding back, saving his energy for a larger purpose. He had refrained from using High Champion-level spells during the battle, knowing they would be more useful against the demon Champions at the rear.
"Grand Lightning Chain!"
Even before reaching the battlefield, Jormungandr’s impact was felt. A massive arc of lightning, as thick as a car, shot from his form and struck a demon Champion two hundred meters away. The lightning obliterated the Champion instantly, but it didn’t stop there—it leaped to the other demons nearby, killing most and severely injuring the few who resisted. The weakened survivors were no match for the elite soldiers around them.
Standing at the center of the explosion’s aftermath, Vlad surveyed the battlefield. His soldiers had gained control, and with Jormungandr’s arrival, the elite forces had completely suppressed the demon Champions.
’How far we have come.’ That thought crossed Vlad’s mind as he saw the might of his power. Just a few years ago, it took months of planning and the full power of his entire organization to take care of twenty thousand demons. Now, they took care of ten times that many enemies with little time to prepare and less than thirty percent of his military force.
Only after confirming that everything was under control did Vlad focus on the fresh wave of Origin Force flooding into his Soul Dimension. The power seeped into every fiber of his being, enhancing his Depravita Constitution and further strengthening his physical might.
Despite the immense energy flowing through him, exhaustion weighed heavily on Vlad. His body ached, and his breath came in short, ragged gasps. While Origin Force helped stave off fatigue, it couldn’t erase it completely.
With a deep sigh, Vlad sat down on the scorched ground, the heat from the explosion still radiating around him. His eyes scanned the battlefield one last time, watching his soldiers mop up the remnants of the demonic horde. The battle was nearly over, and for now, that was enough.