Chapter 501: Commander Krov
Ahead of the five demon battalions stood a single man who immediately distinguished himself from the soldiers behind him. He was more than nine feet tall, his enormous frame covered in an armor bearing the motif of a dragon, with every edge carefully outlined in gold that caught the faint light surrounding the Stone Gate.
Unlike the ordinary soldiers behind him, there was something distinctly commanding about his presence. He stood at the forefront of the formation with his hands resting calmly at his sides, his posture straight and unwavering as he watched Damian and the others approach.
What surprised Damian most was not his appearance but his composure. The man was not a demigod. Damian could tell immediately. Yet despite standing directly in the path of a Prince who had already slaughtered hundreds of demons and openly defied Kaizer within his own realm, there was not even a trace of fear on the man’s face.
Damian continued walking until he was close enough to study the formation properly, then decided to test the commander before making his move.
"Illusionary Domain!"
The familiar power erupted from his body, and a vast pink ripple spread outward across the surrounding landscape, yet the moment the expanding domain reached the nine foot tall man, something unexpected happened.
The pink energy struck an invisible barrier surrounding him and immediately recoiled, dispersing into the surrounding air without affecting him or the soldiers behind him.
Buzz!
Damian’s eyes narrowed for the briefest moment before his expression relaxed again, the surprise quickly replaced by a calm smile. The commander had prepared for him. The man seemed to notice Damian’s reaction and calmly folded his arms across his armored chest.
"While it’s surprising to find your majesty here when all information points to your presence being in the western province, my God Killer Squadron has dealt with several demigods and Gods in the past and even once fought the Prince of Gluttony to a standstill during the early point of his reign... It’s only natural we have set up a False Domain Array ahead of time just in case."
The commander spoke without arrogance. He was simply explaining the reason Damian’s technique had failed, as though discussing a standard military precaution.
Damian raised a brow in surprise, and a puff of purple smoke suddenly erupted from his shoulder. Rin appeared within it, her small body settling comfortably against him as he glanced toward the commander and then toward the invisible barrier.
’False Domain Array, like the word indicates, is a false domain which only purpose is to create the security of a domain for its users. Basically, preventing another domain being cast upon them while it’s active. It’s a very popular way of dealing with demigods and Gods.’ Rin informed through telepathy to hide the fact Damian knew nothing about this.
Damian’s eyes flashed with realization as the information settled into place. He had never encountered such an array before, and his initial surprise had made that obvious, but rather than feeling embarrassed, an impressed smile slowly spread across his face. Compared to the two unprepared legions he had annihilated when he first entered Cinderfall, this force was operating on an entirely different level.
Damian finally understood why he had sensed more danger from these soldiers than from some of the demigods he had already killed. Their individual strength was not what made them dangerous. It was their preparation, discipline and ability to combine their powers.
"Do you think a domain is the only way I can kill you, commander?" Damian asked, his smile widening slightly as he studied the man.
"Commander Krov of the 31st Regiment of Cinderfall, Sire, and yes. Domains and territories are what sets deities apart from warriors like myself." Commander Krov replied without hesitation.
His tone contained no disrespect and no attempt to provoke Damian. He simply stated what he believed to be an established truth. To him, a demigod or God possessed domains and territories that could fundamentally alter the battlefield, that has always and will always be their greatest strength.
Before Damian could respond, two violent ripples suddenly erupted from the rear of the formation. The ground beneath their feet trembled as enormous amounts of demonic energy surged through the battlefield, and Damian’s expression changed when he sensed the scale of the arrays forming around them.
Before he could react, two enormous formations expanded from the backline of the 31st Regiment, spreading outward until they covered an area spanning dozens of miles. The arrays overlapped perfectly, their combined influence descending upon Damian, Fulgur, Loth and Loyd simultaneously. Their expressions immediately turned ugly as the supernatural pressure settled over their bodies.
"Nil Gravity Demonic Array!"
"Murky Swamp Demonic Array!"
The effects were immediate. Damian felt as though he had suddenly been submerged beneath the bottom of an ocean. Every movement became unnaturally difficult, the air itself seeming to thicken around his body as though invisible currents were pressing against every limb.
Yet that was only half of the problem.
His body simultaneously became extraordinarily heavy. His muscles remained perfectly capable of moving, but some invisible force was constantly attempting to drag him toward the earth.
Damian flexed his fingers and immediately understood what the two formations were designed to accomplish. The Nil Gravity Demonic Array was not truly removing gravity. It was creating a supernatural force that interfered with his ability to leave the ground, making flight extremely difficult or impossible, while the Murky Swamp Demonic Array restricted movement by creating resistance around his body. One array kept him grounded while the other slowed him down.
They were not trying to overpower him.
They wanted to take away the advantages that made him difficult to fight and force him into a battlefield where five legions of trained soldiers could coordinate their attacks against him.
Damian’s eyes slowly travelled across the formation as he watched the soldiers move into their predetermined positions. Every team seemed to know exactly where it needed to be. There was no panic, no shouting and no unnecessary movement.
The moment the arrays activated, the soldiers simply adjusted their formation and prepared their weapons. Damian could almost feel the invisible net closing around him.
Then, unexpectedly, he began clapping.
Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!
Commander Krov’s expression revealed a slight trace of surprise as Damian continued clapping with a genuine smile on his face. The commander had expected resistance, anger or perhaps an attempt to break the arrays immediately. Instead, the Prince seemed genuinely pleased. Krov could not understand why an enemy who had just been deliberately slowed and grounded would look happier than he had moments earlier.
"In just a few seconds, your army has posed a greater threat to me than any other force I have come across in the Underworld, be it individual or group wise. I’m really impressed." Damian admitted without the slightest embarrassment.
There was no sarcasm in his voice. He genuinely meant it. The admission caught Krov off guard, because Damian was essentially complimenting the army that had been assembled to kill him. Fulgur and Loyd exchanged a brief glance, equally surprised by Damian’s reaction. Most powerful beings would have been offended by the attempt to restrain them, but Damian seemed almost delighted to have finally encountered opponents who had prepared properly.
Commander Krov paused before giving a slight bow. "I’m pleased to know my God Slayer army has impressed your majesty."
His voice remained respectful, and Damian nodded in response. The Prince’s eyes then shifted across the soldiers once more before settling on Krov. An idea had already begun forming in his mind.
"To purge all the rebels in my realm, I have been forced to murder all my capable generals loyal to the noble families of Velmora. How about you join me and take the title of Great General of all forces of Velmora?" Damian asked as he casually extended one hand toward Krov.
The offer was so abrupt that even Krov was momentarily speechless. Several soldiers behind him exchanged confused looks, though none dared break formation. The position Damian had just offered was not some minor military appointment.
The Great General of an entire realm’s armed forces was one of the most influential positions that could exist beneath a Prince, and under normal circumstances, such a position would be reserved for someone who had at least reached the demigod realm. That was precisely why Krov, despite commanding the 31st Regiment and possessing enough military knowledge to lead thousands of soldiers against supernatural opponents, remained merely a squadron commander.
His lack of demigod strength placed a natural ceiling over his position.
Krov’s expression eventually settled into one of firm resolve. He lowered his head slightly before answering.
"Unfortunately, Sire, I must reject your kind request. As a proud Draconian, my allegiance belongs to the Crimson Throne and whoever sits upon it. It is my duty to live and die serving the realm."
There was no hesitation in his voice. He did not reject Damian because he feared Kaizer. He rejected him because his loyalty was attached to Cinderfall itself and the throne that represented it. Even if another dragon eventually replaced Kaizer, Krov would still serve the throne.
Damian let out a disappointed sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly before he slowly nodded. He had genuinely hoped the commander might accept.
"God, why are all the amazing demons outside Velmora?" He chuckled bitterly, looking almost genuinely frustrated by the situation.
His words carried more truth than humor. Damian had been forced to eliminate much of his own military leadership because so many of his capable generals had been loyal to noble families rather than to him personally. He needed people with talent, discipline and absolute competence, yet every time he found someone who possessed those qualities, they seemed to belong to another realm.
That was one of the reasons he had been willing to take the enormous risk of entering Cinderfall in the first place.
Fulgur and Loyd had watched the entire exchange from several steps behind Damian, and both were staring at him with surprise. Even Krov appeared slightly taken aback by Damian’s statement. The image of the Prince that had been circulating throughout the Underworld had been radically different.
The press across the realms had repeatedly portrayed Damian as a young ruler following in the footsteps of Sol, another ambitious Prince who intended to dominate those beneath him through fear and violence. Reports about his executions and the destruction of entire groups had made him appear like a tyrant who viewed every other demon as disposable.
Yet what they had witnessed in the past few minutes did not fit that image. Damian had crossed into an enemy realm to rescue Fulgur, a rebel who had no reason to be treated kindly by him. He had spoken respectfully to Krov despite being openly challenged, praised an enemy army for its competence, and even attempted to recruit its commander rather than simply killing him.
Fulgur could not help but reconsider everything he had heard about the young Prince. If Damian were truly the monster the reports described, why would he go this far for someone who had no blood relation to him?
Why would he praise an enemy instead of humiliating him?
There was clearly more to Damian than the stories being circulated throughout the realms suggested.
Even Krov, despite refusing the offer, could not deny that he had developed a different impression of the Prince standing before him. The news outlets had tried to paint Damian as nothing more than another tyrant waiting to rise into the position once occupied by the most feared rulers of the Underworld.
But standing before him now, Krov was beginning to wonder whether those reports had deliberately misunderstood the man.
Perhaps the Prince of Lust was far more attentive than the Princes those very same newspapers constantly praised.