Chapter 502: God Slayer Army
Damian nodded slowly as he shifted his attention toward Fulgur, Loyd and Loth standing several steps behind him.
The three had already understood the situation from the moment the arrays activated. The Nil Gravity Demonic Array was keeping them grounded while the Murky Swamp Demonic Array made every movement feel like they were struggling through an invisible ocean, and with five organized legions positioned before them, attempting to fight alongside Damian would accomplish nothing except getting themselves killed.
"Stand back, I would prefer to handle this alone." Damian said calmly, his gaze never leaving Commander Krov and the army behind him.
Fulgur hesitated for only a moment before nodding. Loyd immediately followed, and Loth eventually followed last.
None of them needed to be told twice. They began retreating toward the forest they had emerged from, moving as quickly as the oppressive arrays allowed until they reached a position where they could watch the battlefield without becoming a burden to Damian.
Fulgur looked back several times as he moved, his expression carrying a mixture of concern and disbelief. He knew the strength of this particular squadron in Cinderfall.
There is a reason they were the ones stationed at the gates after the last two legions were destroyed.
Once they were far enough away, Damian returned his attention to Commander Krov. He stared at the commander for several seconds before deciding to make one final attempt.
"If I defeat your army and take you away from here, will you submit to me?" He asked.
The question caused a visible ripple of surprise through the formation. Several soldiers exchanged glances behind their shields, clearly unable to understand what they had just heard. Never in their lives had they seen someone put this much effort into recruiting a warrior who was not even a demigod.
Even Krov was momentarily shaken by the absurdity of the proposal. He studied Damian’s face carefully before eventually recovering his composure. A friendly smile appeared on his face as he shook his head firmly.
"Unfortunately, I must refuse your offer, Sire. As a proud Draconian and commander of such a capable force, I have sworn to live and die with my soldiers. It is my duty to defend the interests of the Crimson Throne till the very end." He said with a small bow.
The words immediately affected the soldiers behind him. Their expressions hardened, and the previously quiet formation suddenly came alive as soldiers began striking the edges of their shields with their weapons.
The rhythmic clanging quickly spread throughout the five legions, creating an increasingly electric atmosphere that echoed across the forest and Stone Gate. Damian watched the soldiers raise their shields and weapons with renewed determination, and rather than feeling threatened by their display, he smiled. There was something deeply satisfying about seeing a commander whose loyalty could inspire thousands of soldiers to willingly stand before an enemy who had already demonstrated the ability to slaughter demigods.
If Damian had someone like Krov commanding the forces of Velmora, he doubted he would ever need to worry about the loyalty or competence of his military again.
"Very well then... Show this God what your God Slayer army is capable of!" Damian said as he threw his hands apart, his voice carrying across the battlefield.
Commander Krov nodded once before turning around. The shield wall behind him opened just enough to allow him through, and he stepped backward into the formation before disappearing behind rows of armored soldiers.
The moment he vanished into the defensive line, the entire army seemed to transform. Soldiers lowered their bodies behind their shields while archers stepped forward in coordinated rows.
The bowstrings were drawn simultaneously, and thousands of arrows were raised toward the sky. Several seconds passed before Krov’s first order came from somewhere behind the formation.
"Combustion arrows... Looooose!"
SWOOSH!
The sound of thousands of bowstrings being released simultaneously shook the battlefield. An enormous cloud of arrows erupted into the sky, rising so densely that the morning sun was temporarily obscured by the mass of projectiles.
Damian looked upward without moving, his hands slowly returning behind his back as the arrows reached their highest point and began descending toward him. He could already feel the destructive energy packed into each projectile.
He immediately released his purple demonic force, and an enormous dome formed around him, completely enclosing his body beneath a translucent barrier. The first wave of combustion arrows slammed into it.
Boom!
The barrier trembled.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Damian’s eyes narrowed as explosions began erupting across every section of the dome. The destructive power of a single arrow meant practically nothing to him. Even several dozen were manageable.
The problem was that there were thousands, and the army was not firing them randomly. Every volley was being concentrated directly onto his position, ensuring that the cumulative force was continuously battering the same defensive structure.
Smoke flooded around the barrier as more arrows descended, each explosion adding another layer of pressure. Damian could barely see beyond the wall of detonations surrounding him, and the barrage showed no indication of stopping.
One volley ended only for another to immediately replace it, followed by another and another, until it felt as though the sky itself had become an endless source of explosives.
"If you are going to survive this, you need to close the distance as soon as possible." Rin advised from behind him, her expression carrying a cold frown as she watched the endless barrage.
Damian nodded and began walking forward while maintaining the barrier around himself. Every step was difficult. The Murky Swamp Demonic Array resisted his movements from every direction, while the Nil Gravity Demonic Array constantly pressed against his body with supernatural force.
His legs felt heavier than they should have, and each movement required significantly more strength than normal. Yet Damian continued forward, forcing his body through the invisible resistance as explosions continued hammering his barrier.
The moment Commander Krov saw Damian beginning to advance, one hand lowered.
A mounted soldier immediately understood the signal and raised a red flag high into the air.
"UNLEASH THE HEAVEN SUNDERING CANNONS!"
"UNLEASH THE HEAVEN SUNDERING CANNONS!!!"
The command was repeated through the formation, and the cries of the soldiers tore across the battlefield. Damian’s face twisted slightly in surprise. He had expected another volley of arrows, but before he could understand what they intended to do, a violent explosion erupted from somewhere ahead.
BOOOM!
Something extremely heavy slammed into his barrier.
The entire dome shook violently, and cracks immediately spread across its surface. Damian’s body jerked backward from the impact despite the barrier absorbing most of the force. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at the damage. The attack had not simply been powerful. It had carried enough concentrated demonic force to rival an attack from a demigod.
Damian immediately poured more demonic force into the barrier, forcing the cracks to begin repairing themselves.
Then five more attacks arrived.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Five compressed shells of demonic force slammed into different sections of the barrier simultaneously, each one detonating upon impact. Damian’s body was thrown backward another step as cracks spread across the dome in multiple directions.
The explosions overlapped with the constant bombardment of combustion arrows, creating a continuous storm of destruction around him. The battlefield had become almost impossible to see through the smoke and fire.
"You need to move fast!" Rin warned, her voice becoming increasingly urgent.
Damian’s face twisted in irritation.
"Do you think I’m moving slow on purpose?!" He yelled back at the fox spirit.
"Well, if you don’t, you will be the first Prince in thirty thousand years to be killed by a small contingent of five legions! You chose to do this, now charge!" Rin yelled back, her voice struggling to remain audible beneath the continuous explosions.
BOOOOOOM!
Another volley of Heaven Sundering Cannons slammed into Damian’s barrier. His entire body jerked backward from the impact, and this time a thin stream of blood rolled from one of his nostrils.
He wiped it away with the back of his hand and looked at the blood for a moment before raising his eyes toward the army. The entire barrier was now covered in cracks. Some were thin and already repairing themselves, while others were deep enough that the surrounding energy flickered dangerously around them. Damian could feel the strain of maintaining it increasing with every passing second.
At this point, he understood that relying solely on his demonic aura was no longer enough. The attacks coming toward him felt as though five demigods were continuously striking him simultaneously with their strongest techniques.
The soldiers themselves might not possess demigod strength, but the arrays, artillery weapons and formations had effectively allowed them to combine their power into attacks that could threaten someone far above their individual level.
Commander Krov stared through the smoke at the distant barrier, his expression remaining calm as he watched the cracks multiply across its surface. He could not see Damian clearly, but the damage being inflicted was obvious enough. He raised his hand, and an artillery team immediately began moving forward from the rear formation.
Several soldiers pushed a massive black and crimson ballista into position, its body reinforced with demonic metal and decorated with the grotesque face of a demon frozen in a permanent expression of agony. Its mouth had been carved open, and from within it protruded an enormous black bolt covered in glowing crimson runes.
The soldiers moved fast, locking the weapon into position and feeding it with an immense amount of demonic energy.
Krov’s eyes remained fixed on the cracked barrier.
"His barrier has been battered. Fire the Devil Ballista." He said firmly.
"FIRE THE DEVIL BALLISTA!"
The command echoed through the battlefield.
Damian’s eyes narrowed as he sensed something different approaching. He immediately thrust his hands forward, pouring more demonic force into the barrier in an attempt to reinforce its weakest points. The cracks began closing, but the sound that reached his ears made his pupils contract.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the smoke. Damian turned his head but it was already too late.
KRASH!
The enormous bolt slammed directly into the barrier with devastating force. The entire dome shattered upon impact, fragments of purple energy exploding outward like broken glass as the Devil Ballista’s projectile tore through the remains of the defensive structure and continued straight into Damian’s body.
The bolt pierced his abdomen.
For an instant, Damian stood completely still, his eyes wide with genuine shock as he looked down at the massive projectile protruding from his belly. Blood slowly began spreading across his black robes while the remnants of his barrier continued crumbling around him.
Beyond the shattered defense, thousands of combustion arrows were already descending through the smoke, while more compressed demonic force shells raced toward his exposed body.