He swung his sword and struck one of the jackals in the chest. Its bone armor cracked and it fell face-first to the ground. Green blood spurted from the wound on its chest.
Hadjar cursed under his breath. He couldn’t feel their auras and so he didn’t know what level of power they were at. The neural network wasn’t able to get a read on them, either.
Given that his attack had easily destroyed one of them, they were probably no higher than the Spirit Knight level and their bone armor was at best a match for an Imperial level artifact.
After one of the jackal demons fell, the others turned toward its killer. They sniffed, and then growled low and deep.
“Descendant… Traitor’s…”
Streams of demons seeped out from between the buildings and merged into one mighty river that rushed in Hadjar’s direction.
“Get to the walls!” Hadjar shouted. With a fist covered in black armor, he bashed in the head of a jackal that had leapt at him. “Help the soldiers!”
The cultivators didn’t argue with him and immediately ran toward the walls. Hadjar was left alone with a hundred demons.
“We’ll tear... your soul apart…”
“Eat... your heart…”
“...your guts…”
Hadjar shook his hand, splattering the rocks with green blood. Using his willpower, he lifted several boulders into the air. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he smashed all the boulders into a single mass and lowered them in front of the entrance to the infirmary.
“Try it!” He growled.
Azure eyes flashed with a bright light. The demons stumbled for a second at the sight but soon recovered. The bag of flesh and bones that stood defiantly before them was a descendant of the first Darkhan. They would tear him apart and forge new armor and blades from his bones.
Hadjar quickly assessed the situation. The street in front of him was narrow, so no more than five jackals could approach him at a time. That was good. He could deal with five Spirit Knights at once. His top priority was saving Dora…
The bloody dance began.
Hadjar moved with such blinding speed that no one could keep track of him or his blade which resembled a blurry shadow.
Dodging a clawed hand, he swung his body around and grabbed the passing demon by the tail. With a powerful throw, he sent it flying to land at the feet of two other jackals. They stumbled, lost their balance, and were then instantly impaled by the Black Blade. Blood flowed like a river through the cracks in the pavement.
Hadjar threw himself into the fray. He spun, dodging a dagger aimed at his chest, and attacked its wielder.
Energy passed through his body and merged with the Black Blade to form a whirlwind of darkness and smoke that stunned, wounded, and scattered the demons around him in all directions. Knocking down other demons as they fell, they landed on the pavement.
Hadjar didn’t stop.
Another jackal jumped on his back. Its teeth sank into the black cloak, but all it managed to do was scratch it. After all, a Call wasn’t the same as armor of a similar level. The demon was instantly sent flying back by a powerful blow. It crashed into the nearby wall with a loud crunch and fell to the ground.
“Impossible…”
“A wretched bag of bones…”
The demons stared at Hadjar in anger and disbelief. The power radiating from him was many times greater than that of the other humans the jackals had had the pleasure of ‘meeting’ so far.
The demons continued their onslaught. Hadjar fought back without fear or any signs of exhaustion. He was a butcher, his sword a cleaver, and the demons pigs sent to the slaughter. But they were unwilling to go down without a fight, raining down blows on their assailant from all sides.
The demons threw their very bodies at him in an attempt to slow him down, but even that failed. A pile of mauled and butchered corpses formed behind the lone swordsman crazy enough to take on a horde of demons, reinforcing the barricade he’d placed in front of the infirmary.
“Hadjar!” Someone called out from above him. “I’m here, my friend!”
Sending another demon flying with his fist, Hadjar looked up. There, on Dora’s ship, were his friends. They were covered in both green and scarlet blood. He could only hope that the scarlet part of that mess didn’t belong to them.
Einen, spear-staff in hand, threw down a rope. Hadjar reached for it, but couldn’t grab it.
“The wall!” The islander yelled. “Get to the wall!”
Hadjar nodded. He’d be able to grab it if he climbed the wall.
He slashed through the air twice and cut himself a narrow path through the ranks of the demonic horde. Wrapped in black fog, he raced through the undulating sea of bodies and weapons. Blows rained down upon him from the most unpredictable directions, but he continued to fight back. He was like a wild beast clearing itself a path through its enemies with its mighty claws and fangs.
“By the High Heavens!” He gasped.
Looking over the edge of the wall, he saw that the Wastelands were flooded with demons. Right below him, in the square, groups of soldiers wielded their blades and shouted their battle cries as they tried to fight off the jackals. But their valor was in vain. The river of blood flowing through the streets had both green and crimson in it, though the latter seemed more prominent…
The soldiers standing on the wall near him poured boiling tar on the demons below them. These particular demons looked like mangy cats walking on their hind legs. Their crooked teeth looked more like fishhooks. Instead of front legs, they had curved sabers, which they used to cling to the walls.
Explosions thundered behind him, shaking the very foundation of the Fort. Cannonballs flew through the air and struck groups of enemies. They exploded, gouging out deep craters and sending clouds of fire and smoke spiraling into the sky. Hundreds of different shrieks and cries filled the air.
But all of it was futile. They were only delaying the inevitable. One couldn’t fight against a raging sea.
“Get off the walls, you cowards!” The General shouted. “We have to fight them face to face! Get down! For the sake of your parents, your future children, and your gods-damned country, get down off the wall!”
It would be impossible to defeat such a horde while standing atop a wall. Well, it would be impossible to defeat them anyway.
The only thing they could do was keep fighting and hope that the West Army came in time to reinforce them. It had been called back from the border that it had been guarding for years now. The border of the barbarian kingdoms such as Balium and Lidus…
“Elaine,” Hadjar whispered.
The sight of his home and sister suffering because of his mistakes came back to him. The dancing fires, the smell of blood…
Hadjar stared at the soldiers and cultivators around him as if stunned. Tied down by ropes that connected them to the ships floating above them, they shivered like autumn leaves, helpless against the oncoming storm. None of them had ever seen war… They weren’t true warriors, but children drunk with power. Power they had no idea how to use. Power they had no purpose for.
Did he even know why he needed all his power? After all these years, he could finally say that he did.
“Nero, are you watching over me?” He whispered.
The clinking of wedding bracelets answered him: Always.
Lifting the Black Blade, he cut the rope that held Dora’s ship tied to the port. Using his willpower, he pushed it away. Never again would he grieve for lost friends he hadn’t been able to save…
He leapt up onto the edge of the wall and stared down at the raging sea of monsters and blades.
...because he would become strong enough to save everyone…
He pushed off the wall and jumped down. His black cloak stretched out behind him, forming wings that resembled the wings of the Quetzal bird. Just like his Spirit, he, too, would be free again.
Landing at the very foot of the wall, he found himself facing the horde on his own. A fishing boat again
st an entire fleet.
For the first time in his life, he felt fear spread out to the very last nook of his soul. But he didn’t fear for his own life, as he had died and been reborn so many times he’d lost count. No. The thought of everyone who would die if the demons broke through was what terrified him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! came from somewhere far, far away.
Hadjar looked toward the horizon, but saw nothing.
The BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! sounded again, this time closer, more powerful and resonant, but still nowhere to be seen.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the beating of the war drums inside his mind and soul. Someone was calling out to him, calling for the Mad General. It had been quite some time since his last visit...
A war cry broke through the storm of war, attracting the attention of both the demons and the soldiers. The walls of the Fort shook. The ground cracked. The sky, filled with fire and smoke, darkened. The whole world seemed to halt for a moment.
And then came an explosion of power.
“What’s that?”
“Fuck, is it another demon?”
“No, look, he’s fighting them…”
“Wait, I’ve seen him before…”
“Isn’t he an aristocrat?”
“No, he’s a commoner! The one who fought alongside the Lascanian orcs.”
“By the gods! Is that an Imperial level Technique?”
But Hadjar paid no attention to the shouts and whispers. Overwhelmed by his own power and energy, all he could do was focus on what was about to transpire.
Only now did he finally understand the fundamental difference between a sword Technique created by a great swordsman and one created by a great dragon.
The Black Blade had a different feeling to it now.
The ‘First Strike: Flying Sword’ Technique, unlike the ‘Light Breeze’ Technique, didn’t only use his energy, but also the Sword’s mysteries he’d mastered and the energy of the Black Blade itself. It drew power from within his very soul and willpower, and fed on his flesh. It turned Hadjar into his sword and made him a part of the attack. Shouting the Technique’s name, he slashed through the air in a wide arc. In that moment, all his power surged out of him like a tidal wave.
A crushing onslaught of dragon-swords swept through the demon ranks, killing everything in its way. Those who’d thought themselves lucky for avoiding the initial attack immediately fell victim to its aftermath. Hundreds of violently sharp crescents of energy scattered all over, mowing down demons like they were overgrown weeds.
“Is he a Lord?”
“No, he’s a fucking Heaven Soldier!”
“How can an Imperial level Technique be so powerful?”
“I don’t know…”
The soldiers and cultivators alike watched in awe as Hadjar stuck the Black Blade into the ground and, breathing heavily, leaned on it. It had cost him all his energy, but he’d cleared a path through the horde. He wouldn’t be able to do that for a second time, he knew that much. The onlookers seemed aware of this fact as well.
Despite that, he had no intention of giving up or retreating. He was running on fumes, but he was ready to fight until he dropped.
“Why am I still standing up here?” One of the soldiers suddenly shouted. Gripping his axe, he untied his rope and threw himself off the wall.
“For Darnassus!” His voice trailed off.
“For Darnassus!”
“For Darnassus!”
Thousands of soldiers jumped off the wall to join the brave swordsman. In the streets, cultivators ran out of their hiding places. Armed with both weapons and artifacts, they charged at the demons, pushing them back.
“Fire, you sons of bitches!” The General shouted and cut through the horde that had broken through the wall with his axe. “Fire! Burn these monsters! For Darnassus!”
Popping his last energy-restoring pill into his mouth, Hadjar suddenly felt his left shoulder resting against someone else’s. And his right one. Behind him was his homeland. Ahead was the enemy that was trying to destroy it. His soldiers surrounded him. It felt like he’d come home…
Letting out another battle cry, he rushed forward. He was about to attack when he suddenly realized that the demons in front of him stood frozen in horror. One by one, the humans fell to the blood-soaked ground as if they’d been knocked out. It was as if someone had snapped their fingers and put everyone to sleep.
“You sure know how to make a fuss, Hadji.”
Hadjar turned around. Behind him stood Helmer, the Lord of Nightmares.
Chapter 734
“H elmer, what are you doing here?”
“That’s what I was about to ask you, you fool!” Helmer exclaimed. “You’ve already dealt with the Dah’Khasses, with an ancient fae, and with your glorious ancestor… Haven’t you had enough?”
Helmer looked around. Just hearing his voice had been enough to make many of the demons tremble in fear.
“Too much, it’s way too much, my friend.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “How many times have I come to your rescue? Could you remind me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Hadjar retorted.
He had a vague idea of what was going on. He’d always suspected that Helmer, being the emissary of the Demon Prince and the Lord of Nightmares, was strong. But strong enough to make an army of demons freeze up with his appearance alone and put almost a hundred thousand cultivators and practitioners to sleep? What kind of a monster was he?
“You’re right about that, Hadji. Debts ruin friendships, even the best ones, y’know?”
“You aren’t my friend.”
“How rude! I got out of the bath to come here. Do you know how relaxing it is to bathe in the blood of virgins? Oh, I do recommend it. It’s so refreshing.”
Hadjar gritted his teeth. He was growing tired of this inane chatter.
“What are you doing here?”
Helmer looked at Hadjar, then at the horde of demons, and then back at him.
“Are you really that dumb?” Helmer shouted, making several demons keel over from terror. “Maybe I’m here because I’m a demon? I was sent by the Prince, whom a messenger of the Seventh Heaven asked-”
“Get to the point!” Hadjar interrupted.
“Right, right... To the point.” Helmer nodded and cleared his throat dramatically. “These idiots were locked up by Erhard a long time ago, with our help, of course. And now they’ve decided that they can do as they please. The Prince doesn’t agree with them, you see. The Seventh Heaven doesn’t agree with them, either. But, more importantly, I don’t agree with them!”
“And?”
“Helmer,” a voice hissed.
Pushing aside the bewildered demons, a different beast slithered toward the Fort. It had the body of a snake: wide and green, about 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. Horrifying breasts, delicate legs, and slender arms hung in clusters from its body. Each of its arms clutched a curved saber.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, but I don’t remember your name.” Helmer bowed deeply. “You look better than any succubus though, I must admit. How’ve you been? Did you enjoy your imprisonment?”
“You’ll regret putting me there!”
“Nothing personal, sugar.” Helmer bowed again. “Complain to the Prince, if you must. You did try to break the laws of the Heavens and the Earth, after all.”
“I did that so I could conquer this pitiful world!”
“It’ll be ours one day, of course,” he agreed, sounding unusually serious. “But without bringing down the wrath of the Heavens and the Earth on the entire demon race. No one needs that, honey.”
“What are you-”
A red sphere appeared in front of Helmer, interrupting her. The demoness’ eyes widened in horror. A veritable horde of nightmares spilled out of the sphere and scattered in all directions. The demoness followed their example.
“Make me proud, little ones.”
Hadjar felt no surge of power or disturbance in the flow of a
mbient energy. He felt nothing at all.
The sphere suddenly flashed with a bright light and another swarm of creatures emerged from it. Hadjar remembered them well as they were always scurrying around Helmer’s feet whenever he saw him. But now there were millions of them. They filled every nook and cranny of the fort, covering it in a blanket of darkness and shadows.
However, that didn’t last long. In a matter of seconds, all of the creatures returned to the sphere.
At first, Hadjar wondered why they’d even appeared, but then he saw that the streets were… empty. There was nothing left: no traces of green blood, no broken and bloody corpses, no pieces of bone armor, no dented iron, not even any accidental survivors. The entire demon horde had disappeared. Just like that.
“Take this.” Helmer threw something to Hadjar.
He caught it. When he unclenched his fist, he saw a rather powerful, scarlet item sitting there.
“What is it?”
“The Core of that lovely snake,” Helmer explained. “It’s not as good as the one you got from Ana’Bree, but still.”
“Why are you giving me this?”
“The Prince apologizes for the inconvenience.”
“Isn’t his goal to conquer all of the worlds? Why is he apologizing to anyone?”
“It is, of course,” Helmer answered, “but not by annihilating them. This lady’s army was locked up for a reason. We don’t like killing our own people, Hadjar. We aren’t humans, after all. So, we imprisoned them until the end of time or until demon kind won. But they took advantage of the situation and decided to destroy and break everything. Such childish behavior.”
“And that’s why-”
“The Prince sent me here. A messenger of the Seventh Heaven came to him and… Wait, I’ve already explained all of this to you!”
“But the laws of the Heavens and the Earth-”
“This again?” Helmer rolled his eyes. “The laws… There are so many loopholes in them that if I had a wife, I could divorce her and get everything in the deal if I used just half of them. Hell, I could make her pay me child support for kids we don’t have! And I could make her pay it in virgin blood! Hadji, you’re right! It’s time for me to get married! That’s settled, then! I’m going to get me a wife! See you later! Will you be my best man?”
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8 Page 40