Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

Elric was the one who had summoned William and the others to this world. He was a powerful man, responsible for teaching many things to the summoned heroes.

But what was he doing in a fight that happened so many years ago? That battle was not recent. It was something from thousands of years in the past.

How had he lived so long? Lucas had mentioned that Elric was dead. Yet, seeing him there on the battlefield, William began to wonder if any of this was real.

Just seeing Elric's face again made William's blood boil, his fists clenching involuntarily. His teeth ground together so hard he feared he might crack one.

"He's hiding something. That bastard!"

The trial, which had initially been just about seeking the benefits of the demonic lineage, had become something more. Now, William wanted to understand more about Elric.

The demon prince, who was the current commander of the fight, took the lead, turning to all the warriors gathered before the gate.

He was mounted on a horse and held a large banner in his hands, which he planted in the ground.

"Soldiers, these humans want to conquer our city," the demon prince said, his voice carrying to every corner, "and of course we won't let these bastards get anywhere near it!!!"

The soldiers responded with roars, raising their swords. William, in their midst, did the same. It was almost without thought. Something inside him compelled him.

The prince continued.

"Together, we will win this battle and enter history as the civilization that resisted against all odds. Together, we will become legends!"

The charge began from both sides. The soldiers fighting up close ran toward the enemy army, while the artillery on both sides fought from a distance.

William ran alongside the soldiers. Everyone there activated their demonic energy, entering a transformation similar to the one William could use.

But it wasn't Stage 2, only Stage 1. Even so, the power they possessed was considerable.

The demonic lineage was what made the demons prosper for so long, and at the same time, it was the reason for their downfall.

William's squad captain was with him. Each part of the battlefield had a captain to organize things.

They all ran together, the sound of their footsteps making the ground tremble. Adrenaline surged through William's body. He knew this was a test. That the battle wasn't really happening right now. But even so, it was hard to contain the anxiety in his body.

His hand trembled as he gripped his sword.

The captain turned to his squad. "Our objective is to circle around and attack the artillery from behind. Remember that. We're not going straight to the front line. Follow me."

Earth magic. The captain could use Earth-type magic. He placed his palm on the ground, and a hole formed immediately, like a tunnel.

His squad entered the hole. William and nine others. After that, the captain sealed the tunnel entrance and kept digging.

Deeper, and deeper still. He had to go deep, or the enemy might sense them below.

After reaching a safe depth, the captain began digging the tunnel in a straight line toward the hill where the human army was positioned.

"A soldier with the demonic lineage capable of using Earth magic... that's rare. Most can use fire magic," William thought, watching the captain's back.

Indeed, the captain was one of the few demons who possessed the ability to use a type of magic different from fire magic.

And the same was true for the other captains. They were all chosen for various reasons—be it strength, leadership, and of course, after having completed many missions with ordinary soldiers.

But one thing was certain: they all had to possess a special ability. That was what made each squad different.

Anyway, they ran through the tunnel. The captain led the way with his palm extended, and the earth around them shifted. This allowed them to always have a path to run along.

Since the human army was large, they not only had to reach the hill but also pass through all of them. After all, no one wanted to emerge from the tunnel right in the middle of the army. That would be madness.

"We're getting closer and closer," the captain said to the soldiers. "When we come out, things are going to get hot. They'll want to kill us, but we have to attack and retreat."

The plan was to appear behind the human army and act like predators stalking their prey. They would attack the artillery or whoever was closest, and when the enemy retaliated, they would flee.

The idea was to split the enemy's front. Even while fighting on the main front, the soldiers' minds would be preoccupied with their backs: 'Will we be attacked from behind again?'

That was the thought they wanted planted deep in the enemy's mind. It would certainly diminish their combat power.

But of course, that wasn't the only focus. The squad had to kill as many humans as possible, especially those who used long-range magic.

When the captain stopped moving, the soldiers present knew it was time to leave the tunnel and start fighting.

There was no hiding it: tension hung in the air. One of them was trembling, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

William noticed this and tried to calm the young man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," William said. "We're all in this together. We'll protect each other. Our mission is important to save all our comrades who are fighting right now."

The soldier looked to the side, meeting William's smile and his comforting words. That finally made him calm down.

All the others who still had any doubt in their minds grew calm as well.

The captain stared intently at William.

"He seems… different? This soldier was never one to talk so much."

He didn't know it, but that soldier in his squad was a completely different person at that moment…

"Ready, soldiers? We'll exit as discreetly as possible. Our first strike will be crucial, so let's avoid being spotted right away."

The tunnel exit opened, and they all emerged without haste, scanning their surroundings.

The captain went first. He felt it was his duty to protect his squad, and of course he would be the first one out.

"We're near the forest," the captain whispered, looking around. "Doesn't seem like anyone's here."

Everyone was crouched low, using the surrounding trees for cover. From there, they could see a portion of the army.

The human soldiers who used area and long-range attacks were positioned at the rear. That was obvious. There was no reason for them to be on the front lines.

Those were the soldiers they needed to kill.

"We have to get closer and coordinate our first strike to take out as many soldiers as we can," the captain said. "This initial attack will be the easiest we'll get. After that, they'll be more alert and send soldiers after us."

They needed to get closer. And that wasn't too difficult with the help of the surrounding forest.

Besides, all the human soldiers were focused on the front line. The army's artillery had to respond to the demons' artillery fire. In other words, their minds were not at all focused on their backs.

Slowly, they drew closer to the human army. The sounds of battle were loud. They could hear it from there.

The clash of swords, cries of pain, the sound of magic tearing up the ground. Not only that, but it was possible to see fire, water, earth, wind—various types of magic rolling across the battlefield.

Seeing all that, the soldiers in the squad grew anxious.

"We have to hurry. Otherwise, we'll be too late," one of them said.

The captain shook his head. "Relax, this fight is going to last a long time. I understand you want to go now to save our comrades, but we have to think about the battle as a whole. If we succeed here, our chances of victory will increase a lot."

That was the difference between an inexperienced soldier and a captain. In a battle like that, letting emotions dictate your actions was the worst thing you could do.

At that moment, William was itching to join the fight. He had all the powers of his real body, meaning he was far stronger than any soldier there.

In fact, he was much stronger than the captain leading them. Not only that, but this body had both arms! He wasn't limited in any way.

It was the healthiest version of William in a long time. But he held himself back from doing anything rash. The first coordinated strike was the most important, and he followed the captain's orders.

Eventually, after about ten minutes, they got very close to the human army. From that position, they could hit them with magic fairly easily and take out a good portion of their artillery.

The captain ordered the combined attack.

"You all know fire magic," he said. "So I want the most powerful long-range fire spell you can muster. I'll attack too. Together, we'll weaken their army."