The next day...
Emily and Michael could barely recognize Alex during his interrogation. The demons were disgusting creatures, but seeing Alex’s way of dealing with them, they could almost feel sorry for the poor beings.
Emily is shocked mainly because she has never seen war this close, but she can relate to Alex’s way of dealing with demons and enemies. She would do the same with them if they were Germanium officials.
The terrified one is Michael. He had known Alex for a long time, yet he never saw him act so mercilessly towards an enemy. Even the extremists they fought in the Middle East received far better treatment from him.
After witnessing the torture those demons faced and the one who did it to them being his best friend, Michael has to re-evaluate all of his worldview, or at least a big part of it.
At least Alex gathered intel on the demons, and they would end this hell soon.
As for Harper and Michael, they finally touched on Alex’s anger topic.
“Alex, even though you did well compared to the last two times, you lost to your anger again.”
Harper said.
“Well, at least I controlled myself when driving that TM01; otherwise, all the demons would be mercilessly annihilated.”
“Looking into that perspective, well, it seems you are right. That hell could be even worse if you hadn’t controlled yourself that time, although you lost in the end.”
“All I can think of is why I lost in the end. I had almost done it! But when I faced that demon, all I could think of was that they were the enemies, and the only solution was to kill them. Happily, the anger only consumed me halfway; otherwise, I would not even let those captured flee.”
“We are not addressing the most important thing, Alex. WHY do you enter Berserk mode? What triggers that, and how to prevent it from gaining control over you?”
“No idea, man. All I know is that Comoron also lost control, so maybe all the demons are supposed to trigger that hate.”
“It wouldn’t explain why you killed the Germanium officers... Wait, did you say that Comoron also acted in Anger yesterday?”
“He did; I had to scream at him and make Emily assume control over the vehicle, or else he would’ve killed all the demons, and no one would be left for interrogation.”
“That’s… It explains a lot, I guess.
“What does it explain?”
“Comoron had traumas of dragons, right? Your berserk mode acted towards dragons, and you killed that lizard mercilessly, even though it was intelligent life. Comoron also hates demons, and you even committed war crimes against them; it explains two out of the three berserk episodes. Perhaps there’s someone close to us who happens to hate Germanium officers—maybe someone oppressed by them who lived her whole life in the slums only for not being a pure Germanium. By any chance, don’t you know someone like that?”
“Emily… No way, are you suggesting that the anger of others interferes with my own judgment?”
“Precisely what I’m saying. Even though I can’t prove it yet, I think avoiding unnecessary engagements would be in the best interests of our whole group.”
“That’s a good point... But why do I inherit their hatred?”
“That’s what I cannot explain. Maybe Comoron will know the answer to that.”
“You are right. I’ll ask him later; for now, we have preparations to do.”
Alex said.
The group had just gathered information on the Demon Lord’s whereabouts, even though it was hazy.
All they know is that the Demon Lord lives in a castle camouflaged by the forest.
Unlike military bases or bunkers, which release microwave signals and other forms of radiation, the Demon Lord’s castle is still hardly known by anyone. It could just be a normal installation that releases heat energy from engines or a primitive castle full of weird biological beings, and even that would leave traces, as biological entities such as fungi and algae release specific substances.
But even counting all those factors, their situation is promising. They had discovered more intel on the demons in hours than the entire kingdom had in centuries. They even learned their language.
After discussing the berserk matter, Alex and Harper went to wake everyone. As they entered Michael’s room, they saw he was already awake. Well, one less to wake up.
Emily and Comoron slept in the same room, and Alex noticed that, but seeing that they live as neighbors in the nightclub, he just assumed they are used to each other, and in a war situation, almost everyone seeks at least a little comfort.
Everyone is awake now, so Alex just started to explain the plan, but before, he addressed a more important topic.
“Alright. Yesterday I left some of you stunned by my ‘interrogation method’, and I recognize that it is not my orthodox way of dealing with enemies. I confess that I hid things from y’all for a long time already, and now it is time to reveal such ‘things’. When we were on our departure from the Germanium Reich, I destroyed one of their vessels, but that’s only half the story. Actually, I killed the crew, burned the bodyguards alive, and healed them from time to time to keep their pain in a high state, and then I experimented on human lives. I swapped members and eyes and exchanged blood from one to another. I tried to perform some... Unique procedures on them, and that’s not all. I acted on anger, something alien to my own, and that was the first time it happened; the second was when I engaged against that dragon. I ended up putting the maximum output in the dragon’s egg as a way of taking revenge for something that had not even happened to me. I almost killed my daughter because of that. The worst part was that my anger was selfish and personal. I cut off one of the dragon’s arms and ate it in front of him, shouting things like ‘HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN I EAT YOU?’, as I had seen a dragon eating people for fun. And here we are. I almost gave in a third time, but I controlled myself partially now. Harper suggested that it may have something to do with you all; somehow, you passed your anger to me, and I acted on your behalf.”
Alex said.
“Wow… That’s… A lot…”
Michael said. He was shocked by Alex’s revelation.
“I think I may know why you feel that way, even though it should be impossible.”
Comoron said.
“Do you have any idea? If so, please say it out loud.”
Alex said.
“The coat of arms. When someone is powerful enough, the coat of arms not only creates a soul linkage but also makes it communicate. Alex, you are powerful enough, and I guess that when you modified the coat of arms’ spell, you created a more powerful link between our souls, and now we can even share feelings and experiences.”
Comoron said.
“That’s... possible, I guess. Well, fortunately, no innocent life was lost until now. I thought it was worse, and I would go berserk every time I fight, but seeing that it will only affect me if some of you guys hate the enemy, I feel relieved. It is not like I do not fear the fact that I can’t control it, but to feel the rage on the right enemy makes me feel that I had not lost control entirely.”
“That’s a good point.”
Harper said.
“I did not know you were facing such problems, man. I’m sorry for you.”
Michael said.
“Be at ease, Michael. It is not your fault.”
Alex said.
Listening to the whole conversation yet saying nothing, Emily sat idly on the ground. In her head, she knew that the Germanium marines Alex had mercilessly killed were because of her. The way Alex described how he made it made her remember all the fantasies she had when she was a kid. Burning the officials alive, and just before they die, curing them and repeating the process; taking off their arms and replacing them with their legs; implanting their genital organs on the forehead; everything! Alex had just described everything Emily wanted to do with the Germanium officials. She felt guilty.
Emily did not feel even a little sorry for the officers; for her, they deserved it, and Alex could be even more “creative” doing the work. What made her feel guilty was the fact that she had to rely on Alex to make it come true, and in the process, it damaged Alex’s morals and made him feel heavy.
She could not think of a way to apologize for such a thing. So far, Alex has been an amazing person to Emily. He had saved her and her mother from the slums and the Reich. He gave them amazing opportunities to work, an amazing house to them, and countless life opportunities, and yet she made him feel hurt. Emily could only think this.
Her expression instantly gloomed after such thoughts.
Comoron noticed it and sat at her side without thinking much about it.
Emily noticed and leaned her head over his arm; she still had a gloomy expression on her face, but it lessened.
Seeing the two, they could almost be a couple. Harper and Michael thought that they would be good together; Alex was 100% sure about it.
“Well, now that I addressed the important matter of my berserk mode taking control of me sometimes, I will address our plan to defeat the Demon Lord once and for all. We know that his castle, or whatever he lives in, is located northeast and that Mithril is his weakness. We are not 100% sure about his location, and that’s precisely why I launched scout drones yesterday after interrogating those insects, I mean, demons.”
Alex said.
“And for what they had found, there was an oddly shaped structure 130 miles north. Or the structure is a natural formation of straight black pillars, or it is what we are looking for, at least a hint.”
He finished.
Everyone attentively listened to Alex’s explanation; the chances of that structure being something related to the demons were high.
“The demon said 103 miles yesterday; why was it located 130 then? That’s more than a 25% increase.”
Harper asked.
“Do you expect those bugs, I mean, demons, to understand the measurement concept? We are lucky that those bastards knew north and south at least.”
Alex replied.
“Well, now that you mention it, I can’t deny such words.”
Harper said.
“That structure maybe has something to do with the Demon Lord. Yesterday I brought with me the Hero Tale book. Look at this line.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Comoron pointed to the book.
The line he pointed to says: “The ominous pillars of destruction, made by the rotten darkness of the demon folk, marked the horizon. The situation was dire; our allies were dying swiftly while the endless swarm of enemies attacked us. It was there the Hero Kordak clashed against the Demon Lord. I witnessed the fierce battle with my own eyes. The hero ended up dead, but not before defeating the Demon Lord.”
“Ominous pillars, rotten darkness, Alex, doesn’t this sound just as the tale describes?”
Comoron said.
“Yes, indeed. Maybe that’s our target. I’ll send terrestrial scouts; they are hard to detect in the jungle. If we detect it to be their base, we will attack.”
Alex said.
“Then, we will attack in the afternoon.”
Harper asked.
“That’s if everything goes as planned. Maybe we will attack them in 3 days, or even a week. We are facing the strongest enemy we have ever met before. Precautions are welcome.”
Alex replied.
“The weapons Emily constructed are strong, but not perfect. The hero defeated the Demon Lord by introducing a cut into his heart using the orichalcum sword, but he regenerated. Who guarantees that when we inject molten mithril into his blood or pierce him with orichalcum bullets, he will die as planned?”
He finished.
“I don’t know... You are right, Alex, caution is necessary.”
Harper said.
“Alright, I will get the intel now.”
Alex placed the laptop on the table inside the TM01. Through it, he controlled the drones and the terrestrial scouts. They were modeled after spiders, so they were highly camouflaged and could climb trees easily.
The scout drones were already there, so Alex just needed to prompt commands and receive intel.
On the screen, the drone’s camera captured the environment, and Alex could see it in 360°. The pillars were really black, and seeing close, it was oddly straight.
A natural structure couldn’t have such straightness, so Alex commanded the spider to zoom into the pillar and even take a sliver from it.
When the drone took a chunk from the pillar, countless odd flies swarmed. The entire view quickly turned black. Alex commanded another drone nearby to check it from a different perspective; the whole pillar had disappeared, leaving traces of an odd dark purpura liquid.
Not so much after that, the flies reorganized and formed the pillar again. The view was grotesque. What made them happy was the fact that they discovered a pipe collecting that bizarre liquid, which means that the Demon civilization lies close—at least traces of it.
Alex instantly prompted a command, making the spider drone enter the pipe and see where it leads.
The drone entered the pipes and followed the ominous flow of liquid.
After 30 minutes of diving into the disgusting purpura liquid, the drone finally located the demon city underground. The place was more advanced than the capital city in the kingdom but still far behind Earth. Tall structures kept the cave balanced without collapsing; those structures had people living in them and were tall, though the method of building is still unknown.
The drone located some suspicious structures, including a giant square with skulls and a purple light emanating.
Alex saw that structure through his monitors; it explained a lot why the humans could not win against the demons; they fought on the surface while the demon war complex operated in full power underground.
It was incredible, yet disgusting, Alex thought. The demons are nothing but cowards, hiding in the underground while attacking humans from every direction. Alex could only think of a direct approach against the Demon Lord.
He had to make sure the structure was indeed the Demon Lord’s castle before acting; if he missed the opportunity, things would quickly get worse.
Alex then commanded the drone to get close to it and transmit intel from inside. The drone quickly got into a window or whatever that opening could be named. Through that “window”, the drone saw a room with the ominous atmosphere of the pillars, but way denser and disgusting.
Inside the room was a throne, or whatever that could be called, and also room for soldiers. The throne was elevated; probably official ceremonies like kneeling were being held there. Alex thought it was quite human for a demon species.
After 20 minutes of scanning the room, someone finally appeared.
The figure was tall and barbaric, with 2 horns made of metal, almost erupting that purple stuff, all black suit and claws. It really looked like the boss. The figure had a rotten atmosphere around it, and not much behind it; there were some really oddly shaped soldiers. Alex could barely recognize them as humans.
Comoron was left stunned after seeing those; it was clearly the Valkyries, demon assistants who indiscriminately killed humans. Those are very problematic, as they were the beings that most killed humans. The kill-death ratio was almost 7 humans to 1 Valkyrie.
Fear engulfed Comoron; Emily borrowed her shoulder for him, something he appreciated.
Alex could see that those were no big deal, so he sat the drone idle in a cover position, somewhere he could observe without being noticed.
Demons are exceptional at detecting magic, so the fact the drone was made purely of technology helped Alex.
After sitting on the throne, 5 minutes passed, and then another demon entered. It had long ears, glasses, and wore a suit—not a modern one, but something similar to France in the 1700s.
The smaller demon kneeled after the bigger demon, which Alex presumed was a big general or something similar.
Then it started to speak. The atmosphere in the room is even more disgusting.
“My Lord, I return with more troubling news regarding the weapons we uncovered.”
Verris said.
“Speak.”
The Demon Lord said, an ominous atmosphere emanating from him, and his aura clearly darkened listening to that topic.
“We have confirmed, beyond doubt, that the strange devices—those explosive arrows we first encountered—are not mere weapons of this realm. They are, without question, the creation of a third power. This power has grown bolder, and their reach is far greater than we anticipated.”
Verris said fear was visible in his aura.
“A third power... meddling in matters they do not understand. What do they want?”
The Demon Lord was clearly irritated by the troublesome news.
“These weapons—they are not simply tools of war. They are designed with precision and force far beyond anything our kind or the mortals could create. They do not rely on magic, but something else... We are facing enemies similar to the dwarves, but stronger.”
“And what, Verris, is the purpose of such a device? Do they simply rain destruction from afar, too cowardly to face their enemies in battle? And what do the Dwarves have to do with it? Those small humans surely put their noses where they are not welcome.”
The Demon Lord said.
“My Lord, these explosive arrows are far more than simple dwarf weapons. They are designed to cause catastrophic devastation, erasing not just armies but entire cities, as far as we discovered. We have found further remnants near the Dragon King's lair—larger, more advanced versions of what we originally discovered. The impact sites suggest that these devices are capable of leveling entire fortresses with a single strike.”
Verris said. After hearing this, the Demon Lord’s presence grew darker.
“And these weapons... they were used to destroy the Dragon King? To erase one of the greatest powers in this world?”
The Demon Lord said.
“Yes, my Lord. The Dragon King did not simply vanish. He was obliterated by these arrows. We now believe that the same fate befell the King of the Forest. Both were targeted by this third power, their destruction conducted with clinical precision.”
After hearing Verris, the Demon Lord stayed silent.
“Why? Why would this third power target such beings? What is their purpose?”
“Sir, I am sorry; we were unable to discover that.”
Verris gulped. The weight of his failure was loudly said before the Demon Lord.
“We do not yet know their full motives, my Lord, but at least there’s something. My scouts have uncovered new information—these arrows are constructed from materials we cannot identify, utilizing energy foreign to this world. Our magisters have examined the remnants, and they are baffled. No magic, no known craft, can replicate what we have found. We believe... this third power may not be of this realm at all.”
The Demon Lord’s eyes narrowed; confusion and awe could be seen in his expression.
“Not of this realm? Are they divine, then? Or do they hail from the stars, as some whisper?”
“We cannot say for certain, my Lord. But the markings on the arrows suggest a complex and alien intelligence—something far beyond the capabilities of mortals or any creatures in this realm. We have also discovered more of those strange objects in the sky—the ones my scouts reported before. They move with speed and precision unlike anything we have ever seen. We suspect they are connected to the missile strikes.”
The Demon Lord angered.
“So, they watch us from the skies, using their cowardly machines to rain death upon this world. They think they can act with impunity, beyond the reach of this one’s power.”
Verris gulped once more with the rage aura of his lord.
“It would appear so, my Lord. But their attacks are deliberate. They do not seek conquest, as far as we know. They are observing us, testing our strength, and eliminating the greatest threats to their plans. That’s what we believe to be the case; it can be simpler than that.”
The demon lord's fury barely contained punched the throne, breaking a huge chunk of it. Verris gulped thrice now.
“Then they are fools, if they believe they can challenge the natural order of this world without facing retribution.”
“My lord, caution is recommended when leading with such forces. They may be stronger than us.”
The Demon Lord's fury now broke the limit.
“Shut your fuck up! Humanity’s hero, Kordak, was defeated by this one! We faced that monster and emerged victorious! What is a mere otherworldly enemy?”
“You are right, sir. I am very sorry for even suggesting you could fail, my Lord! I accept any punishment.”
Verris quickly said after witnessing the Demon Lord’s fury.
“You are forgiven, Verris. This one just can’t think clearly when bombarded with such information.
As the Demon Lord and Verris spoke, Alex recorded the entire conversation through his drone and then translated the content using the Demon language he had learned from the demons interrogated yesterday.
The content was... Very revealing… The demons had already caught the rest of the missiles Alex had used against the dragon, and apparently, the one he had killed was not a simple dragon but the King of the Dragons, the Dragon King.
Alex thought that if that dragon was the king, the other subordinates may not be as strong as they anticipated, making the opportunity to attack now very promising.
Alex then closed the laptop, looked at his group, and then explained what they would do.
“Alright. Those demons are smarter than we anticipated but weaker. Our best chance is attacking now. They already know about us, and it is a matter of time before they attack us. Another interesting matter is about a country or a culture named Dwarves. That Demon who seemed like our target, the Demon Lord, held some respect when talking about them. Well, well… Respect in their way of expression.
Alex said. He even made a small joke, finishing the phrase, to calm down the anxiety around them.
“Alex, they may not be as strong as we thought, but is it wise to attack them without due preparations?”
Harper said.
“You are right; it may be unwise to attack now, but it is our best shot. We know the Demon Lord's location and where he is right now. If we delay this any longer, they may find our drone and our entire operation will need to be redone.”
“I… Understand.”
Harper nodded.
“Alright, the plan will be the following: We will collapse the cave and hope to destroy the greatest number of demons possible. I know it is not the best way of winning a war, but killing at least 30% of their population will make it far easier to kill the remaining. We are doing a total annihilation war, so do not hold back!”
“Roger!”
Michael and Harper said.
“Well, I guess you both agree. I also agree with this plan. Kill the demons; I like those words.”
Comoron said. He really hated demons deep in his heart, so the phrase “no hold back” meant he could literally do whatever he wanted. Slaughter the demons, treat them like guinea pigs, and do things that even the most perverse humans would find it was too much.
“Comoron, I know you hate demons, so I will give you a special task: Eliminate every single one of them.”
Alex said. His orders were mixed with something else; he would not go for total eradication of a species normally. But who cared? The demons are the evil of this world, and everyone there agrees after seeing the grotesque views they have seen so far.
“So, now it is time to depart. We will detonate 3 highly explosive bombs 25 meters underground. I hope it is enough to collapse the cave; otherwise, we may have to detonate more. Happily, I bought 4 thermobaric explosives in Asmeria; it may be enough to ruin the entire cave, so we need to be careful handling those.”
“Certainly. When will we go?”
“Now. Enter your respective TM01 guys; we are going to detonate some demons, hahaha!”
Alex laughed while thinking about the near future when he kills demons indiscriminately.
Everyone gathered inside their respective vehicles. Alex alone, Harper and Michael leading one, Emily and Comoron leading the other one. Alex ignited the engines and flew to the Demon Lord's location. After 30 minutes, he had finally located the pillars.
“It is time. Launching the first medium explosives, expectation: Dig a 10-meter hole in the ground.”
Alex said. He then launched the explosives, and just as expected, it dug a 10-meter crater.
“That’s it! Launching another one, and then a thermobaric bomb.”
Alex then launched the second bomb, creating another 10-meter crater inside the previous one. It was 20 meters in total, and according to Alex, they were only 15 meters from reaching the Demon City. At this point, the demons probably discovered their attack, so there’s no step back now.
After getting the sphere as planned, Alex flew 100 meters high and launched the thermobaric bomb. It was devastating; the bomb took all the nearby oxygen and collapsed a huge portion of the cave; a 50-meter hole appeared, revealing the Demon City with a bunch of collapsed houses right below it.
“We made it, guys! Let’s launch the other three of them into different locations to maximize the damage.”
Alex said.
Just the first bomb made the demons fall into despair. They still know nothing about the upcoming threat.
Alex had just launched the other three bombs at different locations in the city, maximizing the damage. Everything burned below, the demons fell one after the other, and countless demons died with those attacks. Seeing the movements below, they probably incapacitated about 40% of the demons.
“Alright, Comoron, your task is to finish those incapacitated and kill every demon in front of you. As for you, Harper, accompany me in dealing with the Demon Lord. Emily and Michael, you are the supporters; whatever happens, you guys solve, right?”
“Understood! Count on us!”
Both replied.
Alex and his group would finally engage the Demon Lord, potentially taking away all his gold and his meat; nothing is wasted in Alex’s hands; he will make sure to turn the Demon Lord into a good portion of meatballs, or nuggets, or even a meat pie. Well, he and his daughter will enjoy this delicacy named Demon Lord.