Chapter 868

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Near the former imperial capital, there were a total of five fractures that had formed. There was one great fracture and four medium and small ones. If these had been foreseen, individuals with the ability to eliminate the fractures would have been dispatched.

Furthermore, what about the number of demons emerging from the fractures?

First and foremost, over a thousand demons had already emerged from the initially opened small fracture. Strongholds and fortresses from the True Demon World had formed throughout the mountain ranges, and dozens of battleships floated in the sky.

Even though the capital's defenses were formidable, they were bound to suffer from such unexpected and unconventional attacks. Even if Dante, other superhumans and the imperial knights were to rush out, it would have been impossible to subdue them without any casualties.

However, the technology of the Vamel alliance was making the impossible possible.

"Hahaha!"

Qwaul laughed wholeheartedly. Today was the happiest day of his life since he had lived as an engineer. Luet and Kashmir breathed sighs of relief as they heard his laughter through the communication device.

"I should focus on the battle for now, so I'll cut off communication here. I'll report back after the situation is under control!"

{Understood, Dr. Qwaul. But just in case, we'll keep the acting master of Hidden Palace and Mort on standby.}

"Understood, Head Butler Luet! If by any chance someone too formidable appears, I'll contact you again. Though I doubt such a thing will happen, hahaha!"

More than 90% of the demons that emerged from the first fracture had vanished without a trace due to a single shot from the Golden Ship's cannon.

The summoned fortresses had been destroyed before they could demonstrate anything, and only a few True Demon World battleships remained in the sky.

And this wasn't even their maximum output. Qwaul's eyes gleamed as he glared at the fractures that would become his next targets.

"...Is this the destructive power that can be achieved purely through technology, without the power of superhumans?" Dante couldn't even muster anger in the face of this surprise attack.

At first, he was worried about nightmares like the attack of Diphus and the possibility of his people being slaughtered, but after witnessing the power of the Golden Ship, he was rendered speechless.

"Yes, Sword Emperor!"

[It's not just pure technology, Dr. Qwaul. Have you forgotten that my power and the energy of my older brother are enhancing the power of the Storm ship?]

[T/L: Storm ship is the first flying golden ship operated with the power of Peitel and Gram.]

"Well, that's also a form of technology in a broad sense, isn't it, Mr. Peitel?"

[Well, I suppose you're right. Oh, looks like another fracture is about to open. I'd better get ready to release some energy.]

"Increase the output! This time, use 60%!"

"Yes!"

The agents of the Seven-Color Peacock responded to Qwaul's orders.

Apart from Dante, there was no one else on the battleship who could be called a superhuman. The rest were all non-combat personnel, and Dante couldn't even add his own aura to the power source.

As Jin and Vamel alliance hoped, an object that could harness extraordinary power with only "ordinary people '' had finally been completed.

Although Qwaul was in charge of commanding the battleship, in terms of operating the battleship, knowledge similar to his wasn't necessary.

Krrrrr...!

The power of the Golden Ship was causing a massive, rumbling sound. It felt like the roar of a giant beast, and Qwaul and the crew members could feel their spines shivering in response to the sound.

And facing that sound were the demons from the True Demon World who had just been summoned to the surface. They couldn't help but be consumed by fear.

"What... what the fuck is this... Lord Grain, weren't the demons from the 17th castle annihilated by a single attack from this battleship...? It's confirmed that Lord Monte has been killed in action."

Upon the words of a demon soldier, Grain couldn't respond. He alternated his gaze between the Golden Ship and the impact zone. Grain was one of the commanders of the True Demon World's army, and he had been assigned to the forefront of this surprise disruption operation.

Even the just-deceased Monte was the same. Two commanders and their forces were scheduled to be summoned from the remaining small fractures.

Tsuuuaaak!

The lightning energy surrounding the Golden Ship was distorting the nearby space. Grain was recalling the horrifying ancient legends that had been passed down in the True Demon World about the Golden Ship.

'Aerial fortresses used by the Plutonian tribe... Could such things have existed on the ground?'

Grain hadn't experienced that era firsthand. However, whether that monstrous battleship was superior to the flying fortresses or not, one thing was certain: the commanders and their forces had no means to suppress this battleship.

"Scatter... Scatter!"

"Yes?"

"I mean scatter the troops! The disruption mission has failed. We have to survive somehow until Lord Beacon arrives."

Swoosh!

Grain couldn't continue his speech.

Suddenly, the area before his eyes became bright. The second shot from the Golden Ship annihilated Grain and over two thousand demons in an instant. Most of them couldn't even realize the moment of their death. It was over as the flash of light passed.

"...I understand now why Jin was so desperate for the Golden Ship. I'm just relieved that this power is in the hands of the Jin and Vamel alliance. If technology continues to advance, there might come a day when knights like us aren't needed anymore."

Dante trembled, thinking about how it would have been if the Golden Ship had belonged to Zipfel, Kinzelo, the Red Plutonian Tribe or the True Demon World.

"Hehe, Sword Emperor. Even if these Golden Ships start to be mass-produced, beings like you will still be necessary. Ultimately, relying solely on such devices to suppress those lunatics has its limits. We might be unable to handle the beings that will come out of the great fracture. That's when we'll need you, Sword Emperor."

The third fracture that opened was also brought to an end by a single shot from the cannon.

If the demons were merely ordinary individuals dragged into an unwanted war, it would have been uncomfortable. With each artillery strike, thousands of lives were disappearing.

However, there wasn't a single demon among them who fit that description. Ameris had initially mentioned that analyzing the fractures, Zito's summoning magic spell was possible thanks to his tremendous authority, but strong desire of individuals, who were being summoned, was also necessary.

Only those demons consumed by the desire to engulf the surface and plunge humanity into pain could use that summoning circle.

Now, it wasn't a situation where they needed to show mercy to such individuals. It was time to sweep away without mercy those who threatened the peace of the Vamel alliance and the lives of humanity.

"Of course."

Now, only two medium-sized fractures and one great fracture remained.

The battle had just begun, and it had been only five minutes since then. The surviving demons were staring up at the Golden Ship, gnashing their teeth in frustration.

No matter how powerful that battleship was, in the end, there was nothing they could do once Beacon arrived...

The demons held onto that hope. When Beacon was summoned from the great fracture, the entire situation would be reversed in an instant. The former imperial capital would be filled with the cries, lamentations, and screams of humanity.

The third and fourth medium-sized fractures were opened simultaneously.

Having witnessed how the preceding demons had disappeared just before their summoning, they prepared to scatter as soon as they were summoned.

'Ultimately, there's only one cannon. Regardless of which side gets attacked first, the remaining side will scatter and attempt to infiltrate...!'

The newly summoned commanders made that judgment. Sacrificing one side to scatter and hold on for a little while, they would receive Beacon's support and then push forward.

"100% output, but divide it to strike both fractures simultaneously."

However, before Qwaul's order could be carried out, the cannon of the Golden Ship split into two.

"Hey, this is crazy!"

"Why is the cannon splitting!? Attack that side, that side!"

The split cannons were precisely aimed at the two newly formed fractures.

"It's a bit regrettable to use 100% output against those who aren't even on the level of superhumans, but do your best!"

As Qwaul pressed a button, the split cannons fired a torrent of artillery fire. It had already been confirmed that even with just 50% output, the fractures of the commanders could be eliminated.

And so, the two commanders and their elite troops were wiped out once again. The summoned fortresses, strongholds, and fleets suffered the same fate.

A complete victory.

At this point, even the demons who were fixated only on Beacon couldn't help but feel their resolve waver. How could they possibly contend with that? The unease pierced through the hearts of the demons like an awl.

Dante had similar thoughts.

"...Do I really need to intervene? Perhaps a superhuman like myself needs to step forward for the demons to reverse the situation."

"That's right. These demon bastards are nothing special."

"It seems right to say that the power of the Golden ship is too destructive."

Finally, Beacon and his troops emerged from the great fracture. Of course, this time, the scale of the forces was of an entirely different magnitude compared to the previous summonings.

There were estimated to be at least ten thousand troops, more than a hundred battleships, and a single demon that Dante would have to pay attention to.

Upon his arrival, Beacon immediately displayed his power by releasing demonic energy in all directions.

"I am Beacon Laudio, the commander of the True Demon World. I have ascended to the surface to convey the orders of Lord Zito. Humans, listen attentively with solemn hearts."

"What's this guy blabbering about? Seems like he's not good at understanding the situation. Hey, boys, show him our maximum output."

The combined cannon fired once more, firing a massive strike that seemed to split the sky in half. The earth trembled briefly, and the demonic energy released by Beacon formed a protective barrier.

The cannons couldn't break through his shield. For the first time, Beacon became a demon who withstood the artillery fire from the Golden Ship.

"Ah, as expected of Lord Beacon..."

"Lord Beacon! Please take revenge for us!"

Beacon was summoned in a similar way to the first one, standing tall on top of his own castle wall.

He was taken aback. While his shield had prevented any injuries, he felt that if such attacks continued consecutively, he would eventually be overwhelmed.

'...Certainly, in the information we received before the invasion, there was no mention of such a battleship among the battleships of the human world, right? What is this? Surely, they can't fire such cannons again?'

However, the Golden Ship's power remained intact. The authority of the Thunder God Gram and the Storm God Peitel ensured that its firepower would not run out after a few bombardments.

"Well, well, let's fire one more shot and send him back to hell. It seems today, the Sword Emperor will just watch and then return."

With a sly grin, Qwaul gave the order to increase the output once again.

In the end, Beacon, who had borne the expectations of all the demons summoned to the Empire, was annihilated with a final scream by the fourth artillery shot. Along with him, the demon castle summoned also turned into ruins.

And Jin, watching over the Manifestation Festival of the Holy Kingdom, received information of the situation and smiled with satisfaction.

"I was a bit worried about making a move before meeting Ayula, but it seems the dimensional factures of both the Huphester and the Empire have been neatly taken care of."

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