The Nonid kingdom also known as the Border kingdom.
The kingdom of Nonid has four fortresses that serve as the strong points of the border between the Human realm and the Demon realm. Of the four fortresses, the one that fell under the White Devils is the first fortress, Earlton Hold. Earlton Hold isn’t of much importance because of its geography filled with ragged mountains and rough terrain resulting to the troops stationed there to be fewer than the others.
Earlton Hold is the closest fortress to the demon realm than any of the other three fortresses. Even now, reinforcements from the other fortresses are being sent there for support to retake the lost Earlton Hold. Strategically, the first fortress isn’t of great importance due to the rough terrain so many were puzzled as to why the demons attacked that fortress with such a large number.
The second fortress, Comwell Keep is the one that is deep within human territory and even closer to the capital. This one can be considered as the last line of defence if ever the three other fortresses were to fall. Due to the geography, this fortress can be easily defended. Not only that, the path from all the other fortresses ends up leading to this fortress.
The third fortress, Palais de la Dranne, located in the middle of the first and fourth fortress, also known as the gateway point is the one most heavily protected. The reason is because right behind it is a great canyon that leads all the way to the second fortress, which is the last line of defence.
The fourth fortress, Baltos Fort is the second closest to the demon realm after the first fortress and a much ordinary fortress of them all. Of all these fortresses, two were at war in the frontlines, namely fortress 3 and 4 while one has been taken over. The other one, standing as the last line of defence wasn’t engaged in any war.
All these fortresses had a teleportation platform however these teleportation platforms only work one-way. That means you can only be teleported from the second fortress, at the rear, to any of the three, at the frontlines, but not the other way. Meaning once you are at a certain fortress, any form of retreat would have to be done physically.
Baltos Fort is engaged in a battle with thousands of White Devils and demons. At this point, it looks like the humans are being overwhelmed by their enemies. At the Baltos Fort, count Houlwa watches as the battle intensifies. He looks at his side and speaks.
“Are there any reinforcements on the way, Orson?” asks count Houlwa.
“There is my lord, however, most of the reinforcements are focused on retaking Earlton Hold,” answers Orson, the advisor of the count.
“Damn these demon bastards. I guess I have no choice but to join then.”
“Isn’t it wise to wait for the reinforcements my lord?”
“No. I will join the battlefield with my knight order. After all, an interesting opponent has joined the fight.”
Count Houlwa says this as he looks in a direction of the battlefield where an intense surge of energy is felt.
“Am I being called out?” Houlwa furrows his brows in distain, “Not even a Demon Guardian and you dare to bare your fangs at this swordmaster.”
Count Houlwa is one of the few Swordmasters in the Nonid Kingdom. He is about to reach the intermediate stage, which would make him one of the strongest Swordmasters of this kingdom.
With that level of strength, he believed that he could even trade blows with a Demon Guardian and live to talk about it. Although he has never met one, that fact never discouraged him at all on the matter. Leading his knight order numbering three thousand, he charges fiercely on the battlefield, heading straight for the one ‘calling’ him.
“HAHAHA, FINALLY, A WORTHY CONTENDER HAS COME. MY NAME IS BABOSA. I’M THE 53rd DEMON GENERAL. COME AT ME HUMAN, IF YOU DARE.”
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Houlwa and Babosa’s blades clash on the battlefield, creating a shock that destroys the area surrounding them.
***
At the Earlton Hold fortress, an even bigger battlefield had been created. The fortress was already half destroyed with White Devils everywhere. Human soldiers were fighting with all their might, trying to protect the teleportation plartform.
At that moment, a muscular figure crashes from the sky in the middle of the dilapidated fortress walls, catching the attention of all the White Devils. With a giant smirk on her face, she swings her large blade in a circle.
Intense mana blasts out, destroying every White Devil in the vicinity, along with some barracks and houses like a massive tornado. All the White Devils are drawn to the noise and charge at full force.
“I was told not to destroy much of the infrastructure. However, it seems you guys have already destroyed half of it. I’m sure they’ll rebuild so there is no need to hold back.”
Her eyes glow a dark golden colour as mana of the similar colour spread all over her body. One person in mind with this kind of mana is the Slavia Kingdom’s Dragon Slayer. However, the Dragon Slayer’s golden mana was on the ‘purer’ side than the one this woman emanated. With hints of darkness in her golden mana, she lifts her giant sword high up.
With a single vertical slash, the energy blasts out of her sword, eradicating everything on its way. The White devils, the buildings, the ground, even the section of the fortress wall located 6 km away from where she was. Everything turned either to dust or a bloody mess. Such a powerful slash left the soldiers fighting awestruck. The ones who didn’t see it, noticed by the quaking of the ground or by the illumination of the dark gold mana that looked like a giant tsunami.
The slash was so bright that even miles away, it was noticed by two figures.
“I supposed our mission is done,” a green haired youth says as he turns around.
“WAAHHAAAT. Come on, it can’t be right?” says another green haired youth as she pouts.
“You heard Lord Boruta. Our job was to simply to cause a commotion with the White Devils and leave if a strong opponent arrived.”
“OH, come on big brother. I’m sure we can take her.”
“No, Milly. That’s a Spectre after all. And we are nothing but Guardian candidates. It’d be nearly impossible to kill an opponent of that level at their own territory. And besides, our job is done here. We’ve already destroyed the Zone Tower and ‘transported’ all these White Devils.”
Behind them, covered by the gaping gorge on the ground, tens of thousands of White Devils lay, waiting to hatch from their eggs.
Milly grumbles but gives up to her older twin brother, Soya. “Fine. But next time, even without Mr Boruta’s permission, I’ll fight.”
Soya smiles at his precious little sister as he pats her head, “Don’t worry, I won’t stop you then. Besides, I doubt this place will stand.”
A green swirl of demonic energy emerges from Soya’s hand covering the two and disappearing as if nothing was ever there.
At the Fortress, the muscular woman looks at a faraway direction before clicking her tongue.
“It seems they ran, huh.”
She had sensed their energy even from this distance. However, it seems they didn’t plan to stay. As the Spectre walks within the Fortress walls and sees the Zone Tower that was at its centre, completely destroyed, she furrows her brows and speaks.
“I guess the Priestess will have a lot of work on her shoulders,” she chuckles. “I should return. We’ve retaken Earlton Hold and the teleportation platform still stands. Now, time to take care of the job that bones of fossil gave.”
She leaves the battlefield as the war between the humans and the remaining White Devils continues.
***
Back at the Baltos Fort, the battle between Houlwa and the Demon General Babosa had ended in Houlwa’s victory. Babosa’s body was now disintegrating into ash, his heart destroyed. As the surrounding soldiers cheer their victory thanks to the reinforcements that had finally arrived and count Houlwa’s fierce power that had overwhelmed the Demon General, faint footsteps echo in the wind.
Due to the sun setting in the horizon and the dust still scattered in the air, they couldn’t see the figure. The footsteps only became louder with each step as a silhouette appears in their view. Houlwa is the first to react as he looks at the direction of the footsteps, a chill running behind his back.
Although worn out and battered, he still had some fight left in him. And with the two additional swordmasters, he believed he could take on any threat. A man with spikey steel hair, black sunglasses and a well-tailored suit appears, hands in his pocket. The swordmasters prepare as the cheers quiet down.
“Don’t bother,” says the man as his last step on the solid ground echoes louder than the rest, like the world lost all its sound except for that last footstep. As the last echo fades within every soldiers’ ears, the ground cracks and dark pointy spikes from beneath spring up impaling every soldier around.
Sounds of pain that only lasted for a few seconds spread out on the battlefield followed by death mourns as the black spikes pierced every soldier with pinpoint accuracy as if alive.
The spikes continue forth at breakneck speeds, like fast growing grass, covering the entire battlefield in less than ten seconds, impaling soldier by soldier without mercy. Even the Zone Tower crumbles from their sheer ferocity alongside the Baltos Fort, collapsing to bits and pieces under the black iron spikes tsunami. That also includes the teleportation platform.