“Commander! Where is the commander!”

“Get in order, don’t lose your cool in this situation! Those in the front stop the amalgamations!”

“Fuck! How many must I kill for them to stop coming?!”

“Oh Mother Earth, please help us in these desperate times!”

“Why is it always night when these damn things attack!”

The crowd was losing control, with countless people moving through the half-destroyed streets in a wild manner, trying to escape the rampaging demonic apparitions.

Many folk who were caught in the crossfire were devoured by the apparitions, becoming part of creatures known as amalgamations. Amalgamations were humanoid masses of flesh, constructed by countless dead bodies.

“Just where is the commander?!”

“Shit! Don’t bother with that coward! How many do you think have died since he became the commander?”

“I hate to admit it, but that dimwit is saying the truth.”

The armored soldiers on the back line couldn’t help but argue amongst themselves, not prepared to join the others on the front line.

“If you’re not gonna engage in battle, at least help out the common folk, bastards.”

At this moment, the deep voice resounded from behind that, as a giant figure emerged from one of the half-destroyed buildings, its body covered in heavy armor.

The cowardly soldiers shuddered after hearing his voice, recognizing it.

“Fuck, it had to be Jeffrey. Why isn’t the dog with his master?”

One of the soldiers couldn’t help but mutter, prompting the armored giant to look directly at him.

The soldier immediately cowered back as soon as the giant’s glowing eyes became visible.

“Useless dead weight shouldn’t be allowed on a battlefield.”

The giant muttered, extending a hand forward and conjuring a gravitational pull on the palm of its hand.

The soldier’s figure immediately shot up, its head being caught by the giant’s hand despite their distance. The soldier's head was held like a ball, completely covered by the giant’s hand.

“Deadweight should be eliminated early.”

With a single line, the giant clenched his hand and crushed the soldier's skull as if he were squeezing an orange.

The other soldiers looked at this scene in horror, some freezing on the spot, while others immediately ran away in fear.

“Trash…”

The giant exhaled from his nose, throwing the now-dead soldier’s body to the side in disgust. He couldn’t care less for those who were only going to die in the end.

“KILL!”

He shouted, charging towards the demonic apparitions with blazing hatred in his eyes. With his two hands extended, a whirlwind of gravitational pulls was formed, sucking in the surrounding destroyed buildings.

Front-line soldiers were all relieved when his figure appeared on the battlefield.

The chunks of debris formed two large pillars which were effortlessly held in his two hands.

The figure smashed the pillars towards the demonic apparitions, while at the same time controlling the gravity around them, creating craters with each hand movement.

“DIE! DIE! DIE!”

The giant laughed in glee, as he watched the demonic apparitions in front of him get decimated and the amalgamations destroyed. However, the incoming mob was endless. With each attack, he would kill hundreds, but it was still not enough for him to hold back the creatures.

"Damn you Jeffrey! Couldn’t you have waited for the rest of us? Will is probably gonna scold you again!”

At this moment, another figure appeared in the sky, its frame falling towards at the demons with incredible speed.

“Shit, I have to use my aspect at a moment like this…”

The figure muttered its silhouette vanishing mid-air, and reappearing next to the giant as if it was always there.

“Man, my aspect is so useful. Who else can manipulate reality like this gentleman?”

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Laughing lightly, the figure turned towards the giant’s back and began performing weirdly unique movements, slowly manifesting dozens of clones of itself.

“If you’re gonna help, at least do your job correctly, you damn trickster!”

The Giant screamed in displeasure, its open-palm hands turning into fists, as it launched a concentrated gravitational punch toward one of the amalgamations.

“I know, you giant buffoon!”

The trickster figure continued to manifest clones, soon unleashing them on the battlefield. Each clone mirrored the figure’s movements perfectly. As the clones multiplied, they spread out across the battlefield, engaging the demonic apparitions with quick and agile movements.

“Did this fort’s commander kick the bucket, or what?”

The trickster couldn’t help but ask the giant, a hint of worry in his eyes.

“That coward was killed when trying to escape. He has long become part of an amalgamation. I thought William told you already.”

“Shit… Talk about useless. We have to clean up another’s mess again.”

“Stop complaining and keep fighting. There shouldn’t be too many left.”

The two bickered with one another while fighting the overpowering horde as if this was just a daily occurrence.

“Man, once the situation is finally over, I just want to go to a brothel and enjoy myself. You know my aspect is useful for dodging the payment.”

“Disgusting bastard.”

The two fought the hoard while bickering amongst themselves till daylight broke the horizon.

The ground was loitered in countless corpses of demonic apparitions and amalgamations, with a few special demonic slaves scattered amongst them. The place stank with the smell of decomposition, while the surviving soldiers were barely able to stand or stay alive.

“Fucking hell…”

The Giant muttered, his gaze falling on the dead common folk, mostly women and children. The scene was one of devastation and despair, with the aftermath of the battle leaving the streets littered with death and destruction.

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Inside the commanding building of the destroyed fort, a middle-aged man with long brown hair with hints of silver examined the scattered documents, while a few other figures eliminated the remaining demonic slaves that were imprisoned and interrogated.

“I didn’t expect another to betray us so soon. The seal broke not too long ago, and yet here we are struggling. The rulers have completely neglected my suggestions and most of them have either been killed or entered seclusion.”

The man muttered to himself, rubbing the unkempt beard he was currently growing. His sharp green eyes scanned the surroundings, deducing the situation from the small hints he could acquire.

“It’s a succubus this time.”

As soon as he said those words, all the other figures in the room paled, except for a woman dressed in a light green mage attire.

“Lord, are you sure it's a succubus? If that’s the case maybe we should let Lottie handle the situation…”

Before the voice could continue with his speech, the man interrupted him.

“Not gonna happen. You lot are forgetting that succubi can change into incubi whenever they desire. Though it’s true that Lottie is a natural counter to them, that doesn’t mean we have to cower. The succubus is injured, Oscar alone should be enough.”

Turning towards his subordinates, the man spoke.

“It’s right below us at the moment. Oscar, you can attack.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The man named Oscar moved his battle-hardened face and scar-covered hands, showcasing his years of experience. In a swift second, Oscar’s appearance changed into something more animalistic, resembling a mix between a dog and a human.

Oscar coated his fists in Aura and punched directly where the man had ordered him. The floor beneath immediately shattered and the emaciated figure of a woman appeared before them, its body covered in scales, while countless tentacles formed its head.

“As disgusting as ever…”

Oscar muttered, his gaze staring at the creature with pure hatred.

Not hesitating for a second, he launched an attack towards the succubus, ending its life before it could even react or fight back.

Usually, succubi relied on their natural demonic charm that mentally affected those around them, but Oscar was not an opponent it could handle, especially thanks to his aspect, [Iron Dog].

Dragging the corpse of the succubus along, Oscar brought it over to the others.

“It was weaker than I thought. It must have been starved for a long time for it to be this wild.”

Oscar commented, his eyes focused on his Lord.

“Good job Oscar. Let Lottie handle the inspection of the corpse while we wait for the others to return. The battle should be over by now. The succubus is just a tool the demons used to control the commander of this fort. We will take every strategic resource of this place and move.”

The middle-aged man nodded in acknowledgment of Oscar's success before turning his attention back to the scattered documents on the table. His sharp gaze scanned the information, piecing together the story behind the Commander’s incompetence.

"Contact the neighboring forts and inform them of the situation. This fort is done for after this attack and the survivors should be moved. Eugene take care of the remaining children and women, making sure they are all right. Do not worry about the alchemical materials, you are free to use any resources you can find in this fort."

Eugene's eyes brightened when he heard his words, immediately springing to action with fervor. He was always in need of alchemy materials after all.

The man sighed heavily, his brows furrowed. The amount of responsibility he was currently shouldering was placing a great strain on him.

"It seems our situation grows more dire with each passing day."

He muttered, his voice heavy with concern.

“My Lord, Jeffrey and Floyd are on their way back.”

At this moment a figure appeared from the man’s shadow, its appearance concealed.

“Thank you, Eddie. Can you please inform them to get here as quickly as possible?”

The shadowy figure nodded silently before disappearing once again into the darkness.

The middle-aged man sighed, his shoulders slumping with weariness. Despite the victories on the battlefield, the toll of the ongoing struggle weighed heavily upon him. Since his own strength wasn’t sufficient, he had to rely on tactics and cowardly maneuvers to gain an advantage against the demons.

Even though he possessed a brilliant mind, the current rulers didn’t think much of it and only used him as a chess piece in their battles.

At that moment, the sound of someone breaking through a wall sounded, as the giant figure of a man appeared in the room.

“William, all of the insects have been killed! Awaiting further orders!”

Jeffrey screamed at the top of his lungs, prompting everyone who was still left in the room to cover their ears.

Floyd on the other hand just silently made his presence known by waving from behind Jeffrey’s massive frame. while William just smiled at the scene, not knowing what to say.

“Great job, Jeffrey, Floyd. If you still have energy left over, go help out Eugene.”

William's voice was calm and steady, a stark contrast to Jeffrey's booming proclamation. He appreciated their efforts, but he knew that there was still much work to be done.

Jeffrey nodded enthusiastically, his expression filled with determination. He turned to leave, his heavy footsteps echoing through the room as he headed off to assist Eugene.