181 - close shave

*

Reaching the end of the battle, they stood with their backs facing each other before the other collapses. The one who collapsed was Uegauss, this was no contest even if a skill was used to correct his accuracy. If there was a 100% chance of being hit, it was better to launch your own attack at the enemy's to soften the blow. However, Lilith's attack completely obliterated his body. His stature crumbled into a puddle of blood, slowly streaking the floor with an ever-growing crimson flower.

Simply put, the velocity gained from her Agility drilled through Uegauss's fist, nullifying his blow completely. A large gaping maw remains on his torso as he laid lifelessly on the ground, his eyes flashed between the world of the living and the dead. Mustering the last of his strength, he spoke.

"You are an abnormality. You shouldn't exist. I'm sure even that wicked god, Zet would disapprove of someone plowing through his painstakingly enforced system. May I ask... If you have a goal... of some kind?" (Uegauss)

His voice was audibly weakening, his tone phased out a little and started slurring at the end. His life could be snuff out at any second.

".... I see. Surely you endured great pain to get this far... Even with that... Power... Wouldn't that journey... Give a reason?..." (Uegauss)

" Hmph, it seems I've put you on the spot... Anyway... I... Ca-"(Uegauss)

As if losing the last vestiges of his will, his words trailed off into nothingness, leaving behind an unsatisfied foe. The environment was still, serene and without disruption. As if the chains of life had been stripped away, leaving only an atmosphere of a deep silence.

***(Lilith)

I stood, staring down at the corpse, mauling over his last words. What could they mean? I knew what they meant. What am I suppose to do? I didn't know what I was suppose to do. After all, he was right. Without a grand goal or a cherished dream, I fight without the motivation to struggle to the end. I've only been hanging loose, depending on [Demonic energy] to blow away anything that came close in a fight. It was absolutely true after all, that I lacked the resolve.

My first restriction that tied my soul to the world of the living, was Cress. She was my reason to live, and I had subsequently become hers. We live for each other's sake, however due to her wishes, I would not waste my life anymore. She had been there when I needed her, now this was my issue alone. Considering she has done the most anyone could ever do, there was nothing more she could do to alleviate the situation anyway. I see, I need to test it. I think I've finally understood the situation.

As I looked around the debris of the destroyed battle ground, it seemed the school took the brunt of my fight with the demon general, leaving rubble all over the place... As he had said, the invasion had clearly begun. If I stretched my radar far enough, we'll notice each other, but considering the distance it didn't matter at all. Detecting the presence of a steadily advancing army to the east of the capital, 240 km to the east, their advance had been even more closer than I thought.

My flesh throbbed as if bells had rung continuously in my mind, burning through my temples with stress. Forming a [Demonic energy] barrier both in and out of my body, hellish black sparkles of electricity sprung forth out of my cranial region. The attack was neutralised as soon as it arrived, barely keeping my brain safe by pushing out the electricity with [Demonic energy]. The black lightning rose forth and ravaged the surroundings, creating new smoking craters.

Doing the same, I transferred a large amount of [Demonic energy] into the opponent's head with [Shadow step-tier 4]'s teleport action ability. A black dome of destruction ruptured from their spot, devouring all that was nearby and inside. What had transpired seemed to be the enemy's anti scrying defense. By returning the favour, chaos should flow into their ranks like a stream of water penetrating the ground.

Teleporting myself to a spot above them, I manifested countless orbs of [Demonic energy] and sent them flying towards random portions of the army. Regardless of defenses and levels, commanders and foot soldiers alike, everything disintegrated equally before my bombardment attack. The orbs struck the earth before exploding into black domes to swallow up the rest of the army. Only 4 portions of the army army were left in random positions, considering their power, they were probably the remaining heavenly King demon generals.

Not allowing a chance for them to rest, a second wave of bombardment was initiated and a third and so forth. After the third, they gradually got larger in size and more destructive in nature, sending the landscape into a barren wasteland full of craters akin to a moon. 2 of the barriers, transparent domes of protection, had collapsed under the pressure, the armies under vanishing along with their barriers. There was nothing else that could better describe the scene, it was a massacre. On an unprecedented scale, an attack was able to wipe out 80% of the demon army, penetrating all defenses and disintegrating the ground along with them.

The numbers had been so inconsequential, she didn't bother estimating their man power and just went to exterminate them as if they were bugs. 2 fearsome presences, comparable to Uegauss had vanished, leaving 2 more portions as the last remaining of the demon army. Each portion was bout 40 000 large. 3 demon generals had been defeated, which left 1 residing in one of these portions. The other was protected by an unknown equally powerful individual, either that or the soldiers gathered there were specialised in defenses.

It didn't matter which it was, the remaining objective was to clear them up. The queen's assault squads must have been defeated by the anti-scry or a similar counter attack force in their army, that was why there had been significant amounts of progress, only leaving 240 km of distance left. It may seem like a large distance, however considering their stats being in the level 600-800s, they would have cleared it in at most of another 10 minutes.

Imminent destruction had been on the way to the capital, and a similar bombardment would have occurred. In this world, evasion and defense was one of the most important aspects. Skills can increase the speed and accuracy of attacks, by then defense would be the best countermeasure for survival. With 80% of the army gone, the remaining demon general took charge and ordered a retreat. Using his ability, large swathes of his army vanished at once.

A spatial manipulation ability, he teleported his whole army at once. Truth be told, I still do not have methods of counteracting something so law defying. It was why, even if I stood so far above the common folk like this, the origin classes were in a similar situation relative to me... I was weaker than them, no matter how you put it. This was more of a blessing, since I may have died while in combat with that general. The number 1, being that was stronger than Uegauss. From how he put it, I was still stronger, however that was most likely to lower my guard.

With my own tactical retreat, I was back in the capital.