Chapter 9. The Day of the War.

The day of the war arrived, and every team had already been dispatched to the Bloodbane base. The Infernal Warlord himself was present there. Asmodeus addressed every soldier, saying, "All hail Lord Luciferal! This might be my last speech to some of you who may die in this battle. There's something I want to tell each and every one of you: dedicate yourself to Nethralis! Let's show these Chimerid bastards what we devils are capable of. Let's claim Meldara for ourselves in this battle! All hail Lord Luciferal!"

In response, everyone shouted in unison, "All hail Lord Luciferal!"

Asmodeus then described the positions of all the teams on the battlefield, with the Shadow Reapers stationed on the front line. The devil battalion infiltrated Vyrdara, only to find a fearsome sight awaiting them—hundreds of millions of Chimerid soldiers. It was as if the Chimerids knew the devils would strike that day. Many of the new recruits felt scared but also excited.

Asmodeus gave his final command for the Battle of Meldara: "Go, slice these bastards apart—attack everyone!"

The battle began, later remembered in history as the Battle of Meldara, or the Rise of Lord Ignis. Kharos, leading the Shadow Reapers, coordinated with another elite team called The Onyx, a group of five berserker devil soldiers. Together, they faced a group of 400–600 Chimerid soldiers.

Nyxara, the supporter of the Shadow Reapers, summoned undead archers who shot arrows enchanted with Kharos' dark element, killing nearly 200 Chimerids. The berserkers from both teams charged at the remaining soldiers.

Forty Chimerids surrounded Ignis, attempting to attack him, but before they could act, they were reduced to ashes by his flame element. Ignis had spent the last two months mastering his flame powers without the need for weapons.

Meanwhile, a group of 20 Chimerids, capable of burrowing underground, attempted a surprise attack on Ignis, but they were crushed when Indraksha manipulated the ground itself to entomb them.

The berserkers of The Onyx fought as if slicing through Chimerids was part of their daily routine. Suddenly, a wave of poison arrows came flying toward Indraksha, Kharos, and Ignis, but before the arrows could touch them, they melted away, neutralized by Lilithra, the supporter of the Shadow Reapers, using enhancement magic.

Amid the chaos, one of the berserkers from The Onyx was thrown toward the Shadow Reapers. His body was mutilated—his abdomen pierced by multiple swords, one eye missing while the other dangled from its socket, his teeth forcibly pushed into his skull, his hair burned off, and his flesh exposed. He was dead, brutally murdered.

The sight of their comrade enraged the remaining four berserkers of The Onyx. Their leader demanded, "Who the fuck did this?!" Kharos, shaken by what had happened, replied hesitantly, "What...?" The leader repeated furiously, "I ASKED YOU THE NAME OF THE FUCKER WHO DID THIS TO OUR FRIEND!"

Kharos could only point toward a group of elite Chimerids, and the berserkers charged at them without hesitation, engaging in a fierce battle. These elite Chimerids possessed high defense, attack, and speed power. They were far worse than the Apex.

One of the elite Chimerids used its scorpion-like claw, created through DNA manipulation, to strike a berserker. However, before it could pierce the berserker, the claw was severed by Indraksha, who said, "Shadow Reapers, come back to your senses! And Onyx, you too. We didn't train for two months to lose now. We're here to win this war, and we will!"

Indraksha's words brought the Shadow Reapers back to their senses. Nyxara's undead archers rained arrows on the elite Chimerids, and before they could react, Ignis was already standing in their midst. He uttered a single word: "Inferno." A tornado of flames erupted from the ground, incinerating the elite Chimerids. Ignis declared, "This is the result of my hard work! Come at us, Chimerids, and we'll counter you with double the power!"

The entire battlefield of Vyrdara turned into a blood-soaked arena. The Shadow Reapers decided to part ways with The Onyx, knowing their movements would be restricted if they stayed together.

Seven hours passed, and Asmodeus had already returned to the Bloodbane base, believing his presence was no longer necessary. Vespera, his succubus secretary, arrived to give a report. "Lord Asmodeus, we currently hold the upper hand on the battlefield."

Asmodeus replied confidently, "I knew it. We deployed twice the number of soldiers as the Chimerids; it was bound to happen."

Vespera corrected him, "No, my lord. The upper hand isn't due to our numbers—it's because of a single team."

"What do you mean? A single team? Have you lost your mind, Vespera?" Asmodeus asked.

"No, my lord. Please review these battle reports created by our finest strategists," she responded.

Asmodeus examined the reports and was shocked to see the dominance of the Shadow Reapers, who had even outmatched the elite Chimerids.

When the day ended and the battle paused for rest, Asmodeus summoned the Shadow Reapers to his cabin. "Your performance today was extraordinary. A single team was dominating the battlefield—the Shadow Reapers. I assure you, after this war, something great awaits you all. Now, rest well tonight, for tomorrow we infiltrate their main base. You're dismissed."

As they exited the cabin, Indraksha noticed several succubi dressed seductively outside and questioned their presence. Kharos told him to be quiet, explaining, "It's normal for them to wait outside Lord Asmodeus' cabin. He's the devil of lust, after all."

Later that night, Lilithra knocked on Indraksha's door. When he opened it, she said, "I can't sleep." Indraksha let her in and asked, "Is it because of the death of the berserker from The Onyx?"

Lilithra nodded. "He didn't deserve to die like that. He had a family..."

Indraksha comforted her, "What's done is done. We can't change the past, but we can shape the future. Let's win this war to ensure his death wasn't in vain."

Lilithra, surprised by his caring side, teased him, "I never knew you had this side. How about I reward you for showing it to me?"

Indraksha asked, "What kind of reward?"

She whispered in his ear, "A special night with me. How about it?"

Indraksha blushed and stammered, "Wha—what? We're at war!"

Lilithra smirked. "I was just kidding… but maybe after the war," she said, leaving him speechless as she returned to her room.

Meanwhile, at the Adaptarous Fortress, the Chimerid main base, the Chimerid leader conversed with a shadowy figure. "Thank you for this information. I assure you, after this war, you'll be rewarded handsomely."

The next day, Kharos said, "Nyxara, use your undead soldiers to scout ahead. I think there's a group of elite Chimerids nearby."

As commanded, Nyxara sent her undead soldiers. If they were destroyed, the information they gathered would transmit directly to her. After a few moments, her soldiers were obliterated.

Nyxara described what she saw: several dead devil elites, a golden throne, and a grotesque Chimerid Commander. He had the body of a yeti, dragonfly wings, frog-like feet, six arms, and six weapons—a sword, spear, battle axe, grimoire, staff, and spiked knuckles.

Kharos speculated, "He must be a Commander Chimerid."

Before he could say more, a voice behind them interrupted, "Are you talking about me without permission?"

They turned around and saw the Chimerid Commander standing before them.