“I see that you've stolen not only souls but also the mark of a messenger” - I informed the demon with my deduction. – “Let Rabator deal with your fate, but the accomplices of this vile crime will be my prey.”
I focused for a moment and used one of the most penetrative paralyzing spells I knew. The glowing orb pierced through the magical shield like paper, and the envoy convulsed in spasms. The spell combined paralysis, physical nerve destruction, and electric shock. Although the biophysics of demons differed significantly from protein-based life forms, the spell worked well on them.
“Deal with this rabble” - I commanded to my two companions.
The spiders charged forward, casting deadly spells on the go. Out of the eight remaining demons, three were also soul holders. But this didn’t help them much. Had the previous inhabitants been here, even as a group, they wouldn’t have been able to inflict any real harm on the three. The magical cores of spider-demons were notoriously weak, and all the souls from the last war had been confiscated after a large group of punishers had eliminated the excessive power of the wild demons. However, my two warriors were veterans, hardened by years of daily training and sparring. They cut through the demons like a hot knife through butter, leaving only mutilated bodies barely clinging to life.
The demons tried to flee, but no one made it more than a couple of hundred meters. I issued another command, and five warriors set off in pursuit of the second group, which was already running away at full speed. But they had no chance. Over the past few days, we had confirmed that the only defense of the local inhabitants was their legs and their ability to move quickly. So, I had developed and taught my companions a spell that significantly increased running speed. As a result, the spiders raced through the wastelands at racing car speeds, with no obstacles in the terrain.
The spoils that fell into our hands were substantial: eighteen still-living demons and twelve souls of various intelligent beings - from goblins to elves. We dragged the envoy further into the wastelands, where we left him to recover. The mark placed on him was an excellent protection from the wild, as it indicated that this demon was an envoy of Rabator, and thus, attacking him was the best way to ensure eternal and unimaginable suffering.
The next ten days were dedicated to preparing for the daring operation to capture an entire city of demons. It was our only chance, so my companions had to either succeed or die trying. As a clone, I wasn’t afraid of such a fate.
The plan was simple and bold. It was based on the fact that none of the demons had ever heard of such energy as chakra. Magic was ubiquitous here, but energy from a biju’s tail was unknown to the locals. And I still had a mega-bonus from my days as Naruto - my 'genjutsu'. I intended to get close to Rabator within line of sight and subjugate his mind. Every inhabitant of the demon city, either directly or through a commander, had sworn allegiance to the archdemon’s deputy. As a result, Rabator could, with a mere mental effort, kill or paralyze any of his vassals. That’s what I planned to use.
After subjugation, the demon would paralyze the entire population of the city and order all forms of magical protection to be removed. Then my companions would cast a mass paralyzing spell. After that, it would only be a matter of opening a portal to our world and starting the collection of souls. Of course, within a few minutes, Rabator would die, and the oath would cease to be effective, but that time should be enough to give us the necessary advantage. Paralysis would provide even more time, and on the other side of the portal, over a hundred thousand warriors, armed with the latest magical technology, were waiting their turn. We had to forgo almost all artifacts to avoid drawing attention. However, our main forces were capable of matching even the demon army in their home city.
I used all the captured demons to train my ability. The first test subjects died in agony, but the last ones were completely under my control and managed to last not two but the full ten minutes. Compared to humans, demons were far more resilient.
And so, the day of reckoning arrived. Our squad ran through the desert at the speed of an average demon, and ahead loomed the massive city. From a distance, the structure resembled a mountain-sized anthill or a very, very abstract pyramid. As we got closer, it became clear that the 'construction of the century' was still ongoing. Demons were busy building new walls, roads, and rooms in places.
When we were about five kilometers from the city wall, we were surrounded by a crowd of a hundred demons, each glowing with magic like a Christmas tree.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
“Where are you going?” - asked one of them, judging by his behavior, the squad leader.
“To meet Rabator. He invited me to become the greatest general of his army.”
“Ha, the greatest? Well, follow me. There were special instructions regarding you.”
The demon didn’t explain the essence of these instructions. I, although I doubled my vigilance, continued to exude confidence. We reached the city, and I could assess the scale of the structure up close. A solid vertical wall rose a hundred meters around the perimeter, transitioning higher into a stepped surface, with windows, doors, and passages here and there. The wall right in front of us had gates. From a distance, they seemed like a small gate, but up close, it was clear that even a tank could fit through them.
The doors swung open outward, revealing their thickness. Over a meter of enchanted metal glowed with magic from the spells embedded within it. It seemed I had been too hasty in thinking that this structure could be destroyed with a thermonuclear bomb. Technically, it was possible, but there was a decent chance it could split the planet in half. On the other hand, it would soon all be mine. I looked around smugly, surveying my future real estate.
Under vigilant guard, we were led through a labyrinth of convoluted corridors and staircases. I even got a bit bored during the process. The journey was quite long, ending somewhere near the top of the anthill. Finally, the next doors opened before us, and we entered a richly decorated hall, at the far end of which sat... a rather shabby-looking demon. The memory of the enslaved demons suggested that this was Rabator.
We moved forward, and I discovered that the local ruler was separated from us by a powerful magical barrier. Similar barriers covered the walls, floor, and ceiling. Most notably, our escorts did not enter with us but remained standing in the corridor. It seemed like a trap. In other words, my trap had closed, snagging the prey on the hook.
“So, this is what you’re like...” - Rabator drawled vaguely.
“Yes, that’s us” - I confirmed. From the very first second of being in the room, I began saturating the demon’s mind with chakra. Unfortunately, overcoming his natural resistance required time. The demons I tried to subjugate too quickly died before I gained control over them.
“When the portal’s attendants informed me of the successful infiltration of scouts through the wandering portal, I kept wondering who the audacious ones were. And it turns out that they are the very creatures who deceitfully destroyed my army. Let me guess, it was Ighural who suggested the portal idea to you.”
“Ighural? This is the first time I’ve heard of him. You must be referring to the demon who led a herd of zombie mammoths?”
“Mammoths? Ah, yes, he controlled a squad of siege beasts from the forest elves. It seems he managed to outwit you” - the demon sneered unpleasantly.
“I don’t think so. Most likely, he wasn’t even asked about it because no one cared whether you would learn of our infiltration or not” - I lied boldly. We would need to reprimand our spatial research department for failing to think of such a question.
“How presumptuous. The fact that you destroyed my envoy squad caught my attention. You didn’t think that group of observers was the only one, did you?”
“So, they were your envoys after all? I had a higher opinion of you. How could you allow such insignificant creatures to speak on your behalf?”
The demon hit me with a wave of irritation.
“So, what were you hoping to achieve with all this fuss?” - he asked, fixing me with his gaze.
“Well... we planned to meet you personally, kill you, and then take control of the city and the entire domain” - I listed, counting off on my fingers.
“As you can see, your plan has failed” - the demon grinned smugly again. – “You are trapped. Even an archdemon cannot escape from here. This is the most secure place in the city.”
“Actually, it’s part of the plan.” - The demon’s joyful grin turned into a frightened expression. – “This is the most secure place in the city. So, when you and all the inhabitants of this city die, we will remain safe.”
“You lie!” - The demon shouted, leaping from his throne. – “Do you want me to remove the protection? That won’t happen.”
“Oh... And how do you plan to kill us then? We are protected from all sides.”
The demon smiled again and settled back into his seat.
“I don’t want to kill you. You will be tortured for centuries. Sooner or later, I will get answers to all my questions. But there is one question I would like to hear the answer to right now. How did you intend to mimic as demons if your aura is not concealed?”
Oops! That’s a slip-up. It seems that demon bodies have some special means of perception. The spiders hadn’t seen anything like that, especially anything so glaring.
“That’s... a secret.”
“Ha. Better admit that you didn’t even suspect that any demon could see through your game at first glance.”