Chapter 436 -
«Darkness Soul». It was a spell demon Rozel had once used. Their tactic apparently worked by creating an opening in the opponent's defense formation—here, they'd achieved by bringing a good portion of angels—and then charged through with a mighty attack.
By this juncture, the mana bullet had expanded to a size of 100m in diameter, casting a shadow of despair over the angels.
They'd already lost 30% of their numbers, and with their formation broken, it was impossible to put a resistance against the upcoming strike.
«Damn it! It's the end for us!!»
Gradually, an air of despondent seized the angels.
The Divine Arena spans across 300km. And a one-way trip to the Armament God's martial hall was 100km. It was a distance impossible to cross through in mere moments with 10,000s of stats.
Kyubel and Ordo should've factored this in their strategy, hence they're swooping to wipe out the trainee angels before the arrival of reinforcement.
"I am still here!!" Kurena raised her longsword, charging once more.
«Oh, geez. Lay low for me!!»"Gaahh!" Ordo took a swing with his broadsword, and blew away Kurena as she attempted to stop Kyubel. A smile spilled on Kyubel's face behind the mask as he watched the completion of swirling mana.
«It's a pity we must part here. But oh well~. Farew—hmm?»
Kyubel extended his hand toward the angels, and got ready to shoot it when—Booom!!, suddenly, there was a booming sound, followed by the presence of someone or something approaching at mach speed, tearing apart the air itself.
It was an arrow. It suddenly appeared above the air of the martial hall, and charged in the demon's direction. Through the ceiling Ordo had destroyed, the arrow drops onto the swirling mana bullet, and pierced through it.
«Hu—rh, gaaah!? My, my haaand!!»
The arrow opened a donut-sized hole on the mana bullet all the way, causing it to destabilise, and gradually disperse. The arrow trailed through the mana bullet, its explosive strength still intact, and smashed onto the wrist of Kyubel, blowing it to smithreen.
But, whoever had shot the arrow clearly was expecting more. The arrow still raged with a fearsome amount of divine aura, and like a homing missile, it changed its trajectory before crashing onto the floor, and charged at Ordo.
«Sir Ordo, please esca—gaaah!!»
A demon called out to Ordo in panic, concerned, but his words cut off before he could explain. The demon had been in the space between Ordo, and the arrow itself, and in its chase, the arrow pierced through the demon's head, causing it to burst like a watermelon.
Meanwhile, the mana bullet had completely lost its stability, and the remnant energy went *boom!* at the end, taking down the nearby demons and archdemons, destroying their formation.
The arrow followed its intended trajectory, and parsing through the shockwave, touched Ordo's chest. But Ordo gripped it within his palm before it could do more than a scratch.
«Hmph, this must be that sneaky Korone, the Archer God. But I applaud you for trying it. It's indeed wise to seek the god great at long-range attack. If they can't, then their attack can at least reach ahead, eh? Shrewd! And you all, you haven't turned on the demon to sit! Hurry up and stop them!!»
After listening to the impending crisis from Lupto, Korone, the god of archery, should have perceived they could be too late to help at their pace, so he might have gone forward with cover fire first with his divine power imbued arrow.
Ordo snapped the arrow within his grasp, a look of annoyance in his face, and hollered at the demons around. They'd all staggered and fall back when Darkness Soul exploded. Promptly, they roused all gathered and glared at angels, seemingly blaming them for their superior's anger.
Ordo had wanted to wipe out as many trainee angels as possible but before he could achieve that, their ranks were staggered, and when they'd finally regained their footing to continue—*Boom!* Another intervention foiled his plan. The wall behind the demon army had burst open, raising a thunderous sound around. Amidst the rubble and cloud of dust, a spear cut through the air and toward the demon army.
«Gaahh!?»
«Rrraagh!»
«Gahhh!»
The spear pierced through the heads of three demons, and archdemons, and pursued Ordo.
"Haaaa!!"
Though she had lagged behind earlier, just as taken aback by the sudden arrow attack, Kurena seized the opening this time, pincering Ordo between attacks.
She raised Ascalon and charged at Ordo. Ordo made a sweeping gesture with his broadsword, fending off Kurena's charge, but it made him miss the timing to dodge the spear. Like the arrow, he tried to grab it with his free hand, but the strength imbued into it wasn't something so easy to be quelled. It pressed forward, aiming for Ordo's chest.
«Tch, don't be too cocky! Grrrrhhh!! This... this must be Spear God's spear!!»
Just as Spear had pierced his hand, Ordo channeled his strength into that arm, and barely managed to stop it before it could injure him gravely. The indignation burning within him was at its peak as he tossed aside the spear.
«That was a clever move. It shouldn't have come from muscle-brained Kelvin-kun... which means it was the idea of Lupto-kun.»
Noticing themselves being besieged by attacks of two gods, each specialising in long-range attacks, Kyubel murmured his conjunction. In the meantime, he also had stopped on his movements, and had one of archdemons heal him. Within a blink of an eye, his wrist had regrown to as good as new.
The others also followed to cast healing on Ordo, easing their injury during this brief moment of respite.
«Alright, it's enough dilly dallying around. Those gods are almost about to catch up! You—"
Ordo rallied his demon army, noticing the changes in wind, but, his words faltered as he picked up the echo of something, many things, approaching in their direction. He immediately noticed whom they're facing this time when he saw what was coming their way.
«Tch!! Now it's boomerang?! God of Throwing, Kairi!!»
A huge boomerang entered the martial hall, almost as if to act as the second ceiling, and mowed down the demons. Soon they'd barrage of arrows and spears raining over them.
«Keke. They must have come from disciple of Archery God and Spear God. Do they really believe they can achieve anything with that pathetic attempt?»
*Clang-Clink*
The incoming barrage was more centered below the broken ceiling, where Kyubel was, though he swept them like they're mere flies, completely unhurt. But there were some attacks from assistant instructors or instructors, so the damage to demons wasn't non-existent. Though archdemons with buffs, too, were rather unharmed.
The support finally gave angels a breather amidst their losses, easing their expression, but a tension still lingered. They regrouped in their formation, preparing to fight the demon army.
Kurena, too, had been back on her feet, and she immediately made her move against Ordo and Kyubel. As the two side glared at each other, while the demon army was being bombarded by a number of arrows, spears, and boomerangs, the angels finally picked up their hope at the new voice.
«Oh my, this place sure is lively, eh?»
Sword God Sestavinus took her entry through the pathway exclusive to her, a sword gripped in her hand. She was followed by the convoy of Helmios and his team.
"Sorry. You'd to take everything until now."
«Raawr!»
"What's with that bland air here? Come on, show some energy!!"
«Hero!! And Haku, everyone, you're here!!"
"*Whistle*... Man, it feels like I just stepped into hell..."
"Indeed, you're right, Lepa. We must be burning with spirit."
Their efforts had paid last. Kurena, and the angels, managed to stand their ground for the reinforcement.
The presence of each member—of Hero's party «Sacred», Allen's party «Rotten Gamers», Admiral Garara's party «Stinger», Zeu and the ten heroic beasts as well as Dragon King Matildora—invigorate the ray of hope within them. Even Kurena's tense expression gave in to a smile.
«So the Sword God is here, huh...»
But to Ordo, only Sword God's presence pulled a reaction from him.
«Indeed, this one is here. Wait, where is Murai thou—...aah, that's so horrible."
Sword God raised her brows at first when she noticed the absence of Murai amidst the angel's group, 'he is too huge to be dwarfed by their number...' were her thoughts. Kurena turned to brief her about the situation, but Sword God stopped her, not intent to listen to details in their current situation.
«And he was quite in his way of swordsmanship, alas. You really did trample on everything of his. Just know that neither of you're escaping alive today.» Sestavinus uttered, her expression twisted in rage, as an intense bloodlust and divine aura coiled around her.
The pressure she set off had completely scared shit out of not just demons, but even the angels. The rage burning within her was just so palpable. Just as she tightened her grip on her sword resting on her shoulder, about to beacon demon leaders for the match, Helmios left the rank and step up in the direction of Ordo. His gait was composed, it was like was meeting an old friend.
"Demon Ordo... so you're indeed alive. I was sure I had defeated you back at Ramuchaka Strait."
«Huh, who the hell are you?»
Albeit Ordo's expression was one of confusion.
"Wow, it's our 3rd meeting, and you say you don't remember me?"
«3rd meeting? I never knew there was a human who lived through thrice encounter with me...»
Kurena was about to greet Helmios, but stopped on track she listened to their conversation. It appeared Helmios and Ordo were somehow acquainted. However unlike his refreshing self, Helmios wore an expression of abhorrence.
"Oh wait, we should cast support spells now before everyone get scattered apart!!"
Amidst the unusual situation, Keel suddenly recalled they'd not buffed others yet. Since demons had stopped on their offense, he decided now was their moment.
"Understood. Princess of Mermaid!!"
Roselina took the lead, soon followed by the rest of team members. Angels, too, started with their buffs when they noticed their action.
On the other hand, Ordo finally had an epiphany when Helmios was in their attacking distance.
«...Ah, right. So you're the hero who was protecting the fortress during that time? Heh, the brat's finally grown up, huh. My bad. It's just Kyubel asked me to forfeit since it had something to do with the beast nation.»
As if to affirm the details, Ordo turned his gaze to Kyubel.
«Yup! 'Tis being a while, isn't it, Hero? Well, Ordo is right. I also feel bad back then. What was the name of your friend? Err... Ga, Gashin or something? I was there until the end, but my memories are kinda fuzzy~.»
Helmios had been brimming with an uncontrollable rage, but the fury suddenly dispersed to bring a smile on that face when Kyubel chimed in. Though they did notice Hero just had covered the age within him, and was looking at the situation from a high ground.
"I'm glad. You really didn't notice me during the mermaid situation, huh. Still, imagine my surprise when I hear the demon I thought I had killed was the demon's supreme commander. Oh, and your presence is quite welcome, Kyubel. I have done quite a bit of training under the guidance of War God. It would be my honour to give you a taste of it."
The other time he had met Ordo was during the demon army's attack on Patlanta, Prostea Empire's capital. He had wanted to talk to him, but the appearance of the Demon King foiled that plan. Ever since then, he had formed his own Hero Army, working together with Allen and his party in S-rank dungeons to lead a united front one day. It was during then he heard about top executives of Demon King's Army from Merus.
When the details were shared, he affirmed that the one at lead during Fire God Freya's territory raid was indeed Ordo, their supreme commander.
Allen's party members still remember when Helmios learned of these details. The burning bloodthirst and rage was so palpable.
«Anyway, what're you going to do now? If it's something boring, then excuse us. We're busy. I was about to guide my fellow army.»
Ordo spitted, clearly informing Helmios was interfering in their plan.