The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 655 - 679: The Great Battle

Chapter 655 -679: The Great Battle

After turning over a small hill, the sounds of battle instantly became clear. As everyone lifted their eyes, they saw the sky dyed an oppressive deep red by the black smoke and flames pouring out of the volcano, with armies of Demons and Devils already locked in combat on the plains beneath. Directly ahead of the mercenaries, legions formed by Bull Demons and Spider Fiends marched toward the left and right flanks of the battlefield. Lancelot strode forward to join Sonam at her side and asked the Supreme Commander of this force:

“General, where are we headed next?”

“Stay put for now, — someone’s got to be the reserve, right?” The six-armed Serpent Demon glanced at the Human Knight. “Don’t worry, you won’t be waiting long. Just enjoy the show for now.”

The mercenaries’ current position was slightly elevated, offering a comprehensive view of the battle. The Devils were evidently well-prepared for the enemy’s arrival, forming neat ranks with dense long spears to receive the approaching Demon army. Lancelot also noticed that the Devils had stretched their line very long, with a withdrawn disposition at both wings, and several square formations in reserve behind their own lines — a flanking attack on them would require a long detour.

The Demons were still arriving in droves, with the troops at the vanguard already engaging the enemy, and those arriving later desperately surging forward. Lancelot was quite disappointed to see that the Demons had not formed up properly; most units were charging wildly into the center of the enemy’s formation, which was also the thickest part of the Devil line.

On the battlefield, numbers do not directly translate into combat strength. No matter how large a unit is, only those at the forefront engage the enemy in combat. For a well-trained and coordinated army, soldiers in the rear have various methods to support their comrades at the front. But for a hastily assembled, untrained force, it is already quite an achievement not to hinder each other.

Especially for Demons, it is hard to resist the urge to push a fellow Demon struggling under the enemy’s attack. Don’t they know the consequences of such actions? The one being pushed surely didn’t expect it, its defense will turn into a mess, and then be chopped into pieces by the enemy. What an amusing sight that would be, ha! What did you say? It’s my turn next? What does that mean…?

There is a saying in the Abyss, two are definitely stronger than one, but three are not necessarily stronger than two, referring to the Demons’ self-sabotaging bad habits.

Within the melee of the dark green Coward Devil onslaught and the metal walls formed by the tips of spears, the colossal figures of the Barlow Flame Demons and Abyss Demon Refinement stood out starkly. In the very center of the battlefield was a clearing over a hundred feet in radius where two Flame Demons and two Demon Refinement had already become entangled in battle, with another Flame Demon and Demon Refinement each eyeing the fray, seemingly ready to join at any moment.

The top Fiends in the fierce battle unleashed their power wildly, their Great Swords and Battle Axes easily tearing the ground asunder, the sound of their weapons clashing drowning out the noise of the entire battlefield. Even half a mile away, one could clearly sense the destructive power contained in the strikes.

On the Demon side, those currently engaged in battle included the ‘Bartez the Slaughterer’ Babos, clad in Black Armor and wielding a Lightning Giant Sword, and another stark-naked Flame Demon General brandishing a giant Hammer of Burning — undoubtedly the one known as Taran. Their two opponents were also quite distinctive, one completely wrapped in metal chains, holding a lamppost-like Nail-headed Hammer; the other wearing Plate Armor adorned with numerous skull decorations and sporting an impressive red cape, holding both a Giant Shield and a spear glowing with a green light, looking incredibly tough and thorny.

Four top Fiends were fighting fiercely, but unexpectedly, the slightly weaker Demon Refinement didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage. The two Demons coordinated very tacitly, with the shield-bearing one focusing more on defense and the hammer-bearing one concentrating on launching attacks. The clearly divided pair occasionally switched roles, parrying the enemy’s Great Sword with a sweep of the Warhammer, while the short spear, like a venomous snake, would thrust out from behind the Shield, making it unpredictable and unavoidable.

On the other hand, the two Barlow Flame Demons were fighting entirely on their own, lacking synchronized attacks and unwilling to cover for each other, giving the impression that both were fighting two enemies at once, which seemed to put them at a disadvantage. While Lancelot was watching, the Demon Refinement wielding the spear and shield struck again, piercing a deep bloody hole in Babos’s thigh.

Just then, a sinister red glow suddenly enveloped the Flame Demon General, and the wound on its leg healed almost instantly. Lancelot shifted his gaze slightly and noticed a large group of long-robed Demonic Spellcasters not far away. The Healing Spell that was cast had come from one of them. Similarly, behind the Demon Refinements, there was a ready group dressed alike, prepared to make the same moves for their masters.

These Spellcasters were guarded by their respective elite soldiers. Lancelot sighed internally, realizing that unless one side’s healers prematurely exhausted their Magic Power, the battle would still have to be decided by the foot soldiers.

The airborne battle was unfolding as well, but unlike the situation on the ground, the Demons had the advantage in numbers in the sky. The air force of the Nine Hells Legion was primarily composed of Thorn Demons, which Lancelot had seen before at Oasis Fort. These winged purple creatures had spiky tails behind them and wielded short spears similar to hay forks. However, before opting for hand-to-hand combat, they would first launch their flame-tipped tail spines from dozens of feet away.

The air force of the Demons mainly consisted of Flomos, which were larger than four Thorn Demons combined, with far more physical strength than their smaller-sized Demon adversaries and faster flying speed. However, they still found themselves in clear distress in the battle for a simple reason: they lacked long-range attack capabilities. The tactically coordinated Thorn Demons could launch a volley from a distance and then quickly disperse. When the Flomos charged at a target, other Thorn Demons would provide full cover, and soon enough, giant ‘porcupines’ would fall from the sky like meteors, diving into the sea of Coward Devils, stirring up waves of red and green blood.

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The consequences of losing air superiority were that several large Horned Demons could now comfortably hurl flames at the heads of the Demons’ forces. Lancelot had only recently learned that despite their developed muscles and impressive appearances, these Demons strongly disliked any task that might lead to injury—though there was no question about their own strength.

The Demons’ response was equally brutal. The final Flame Demon General, Tu’a, who bore the title ‘Pale Flame,’ raised his arm, and white flames flew out from his palm, instantly engulfing a large number of Coward Devils. The Coward Devils immediately screamed agonizingly, and before an audience of onlookers, began to Transform—suddenly enlarging bones tore through the skin, eyeballs popped out of their sockets, and flesh bubbled like boiling water… Within just a few breaths, a new wave of Flomos was born, screeching as they took off, plunging the skies, already under Demons’ control, back into contention.

Lancelot glanced at his companions with a bit of unease and saw that Bruto seemed entirely oblivious to what had transpired, while Alamir was giving him an ambiguous smile.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me,” the Elf Priest interjected. “I know, that is the power you’ve gained from love, Your Highness.”

Lancelot decided to heave the other’s advice, and firmly kept his mouth shut.