Chapter 1960: Shir vs Sifrona
Chapter 1960: Shir vs Sifrona
A Few Hours Later.
Core Territory of Baga Island.
As the night deepened, the clouds of violence thickened.
The scent of blood, gore, and mangled flesh filled the air as the night winds blew.
A brutal battle had erupted between the Raashim Templars and Eren's demonic forces.
Even the four Demon Earls had abandoned the defensive line they had maintained for so long, rushing into Baga Island's core region after sensing an emergency.
The cries of battle echoed everywhere. Lethal skills were unleashed one after another, claiming lives on both sides.
The nighttime battlefield was even more chaotic than it had been during the day, turning this full-moon night into the final one for many seasoned warriors. It was a blood-soaked battleground.
Even some of the top-tier fighters from both factions had fallen. With their ranks of cannon fodder significantly reduced, the remaining elites were forced to confront each other directly.
A few hours earlier, when the sun was still above the horizon, things had been different.
Though the battle had raged well past the early evening, the intensity had gradually lessened. It had seemed as if both sides were reaching an unspoken understanding, treating the approaching night as a temporary truce before resuming hostilities at dawn.
At this point, Eren's army had won an unspoken victory as the number of deaths his side suffered was significantly lesser than the enemy. One could say that Eren had managed to take the Raashim Temple by surprise.
Or it could be that Raashim Temple had gotten a bit careless in the last two centuries after it successfully managed to cage the sea monster. Ever since the temple's strategic victory over the pseudo SS-Rank sea monster, no other force had tried to challenge the Raashim Temple for various reasons.
Baga Island was the temple's stronghold. What kind of madman would attack an enemy's stronghold without weakening their branch regions and other crucial areas of influence?
Yet, Eren had turned out of the very madman who didn't care about the process and focused entirely on the result. He didn't waste time in chipping away the temple's might bit by bit but instead attacked up front. It was almost like Eren had already considered himself to be God Raashim despite the fact that the former was still a demigod.
Just earlier, Naya achieved her S-Rank breakthrough and returned to the defense line to rest. Things had gotten relatively quieter on the battlefield for a few hours after her return.
However, a peculiar mana ripple spread through the region as if an ancient beast had been unleashed. And that's when the flow of the battle changed.
The four Demon Earls had noticed something unusual about the Raashim Templars' behavior as night fell.
Rather than retreating to their camp in an orderly manner, the enemy had abruptly abandoned their front lines and withdrawn to the core region of the island, sealing themselves in with numerous defensive mechanisms. This was when the Demon Earls had pulled back the elites. Why would the enemy pull back at such a time?
Something didn't add up. How could the once-ferocious Raashim Temple suddenly turn into a caged beast?
After testing the waters by launching a few probing attacks, the four Demon Earls knew their enemy was up to something. Their suspicions were soon confirmed when spies embedded within the Raashim forces relayed critical updates about the temple's activities.
Without hesitation, the four Demon Earls abandoned their defensive position and led almost the entire demonic army in a full-scale assault on Baga Island's core. Even Naya had to join the battle with her unstable S-Rank Status.
***
Swoosh. Zoom. Boom.
A massive explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rippling through the region. Even the ground trembled, a testament to the sheer destructive power behind the skill.
When the potent wind-fire elemental skill—an S-Rank ability—was unleashed, the earth-element defensive barrier erected by the Raashim Temple crumbled.
Though the temple's defensive mechanism had a self-repairing feature, it wasn't enough to stop the demonic forces from pouring through the newly created breach.
A fresh wave of carnage followed. It was as if the three moons of Labh Salem had been drenched in blood. Warriors from both sides surged forward, their battle cries piercing the air.
In the distance, between Shir's luxurious palace and the Raashim Main Temple, a colossal altar was taking shape. The Raashim Temple's reserve forces worked feverishly, using every skill at their disposal to construct it.
Even as their mana reserves dwindled and exhaustion set in, they relentlessly cast spell after spell, ignoring the toll on their bodies.
The Raashim Templars responsible for the altar didn't spare a glance at the battle raging behind them. It was as if their very lives depended on completing the structure before time ran out.
"Charge! Charge ahead!"
"Kill these maggots! Destroy the altar!"
"I want to see God Raashim's temple fall tonight! Kill!"
The four Demon Earls on Eren's side barked orders at their subordinates one after another. Both they and the elites of the demonic army kept their eyes fixed on the hastily constructed altar, their expressions grim.
These core members of the demonic army understood exactly what the altar's creation in the middle of a decisive battle meant. If they failed to stop it, there was a real chance that God Raashim's will would descend upon the battlefield, suppressing everyone who was not his follower.
The four Demon Earls had yet to receive direct orders from Eren, but they chose to act on their own, determined to destroy the altar at any cost. This was the right choice even though they didn't know that Eren had purposely not given them any command.
Of course, Eren had anticipated this reaction, ensuring that the enemy wouldn't suspect what he was truly planning. He didn't care that this move would harm his demonic army. He was prepared to lose a bit in order to win big in the end.
The demonic army was unaware of the deeper intricacies unfolding in the bloody night. They simply followed orders, surging toward the distant altar.
The streets ran red with blood. Opulent houses crumbled as elite warriors from both sides clashed in fierce combat.
Chaos reigned over Baga Island's capital city—chaos unlike anything it had ever witnessed before.
***
Swoosh. Tear. Fly.
Sifrona soared through the dark sky, her fiery wings leaving a trail of embers behind her.
Even in her humanoid form, the aura of an Infernal Phoenix surrounded her, making her presence impossible to ignore. Her silky hair danced wildly in the wind, and her beautiful eyes burned with fierce determination.
Her target was clear—the massive altar being built in the heart of Raashim Temple's stronghold. If that altar was completed, it would mean they would have no chance of victory, and that was something she could not allow.
Ever since her first meeting, Sifrona had been obsessed about Eren. She not only treated him as her leader but a genuine god, worshipping him in her heart as the sole Young Demon Emperor.
She could never allow her first battle with her liege to turn into a loss.
But before she could get close, a group of merfolk warriors intercepted her midair. Their sharp weapons glinted under the three moons, and their expressions were cold and ruthless.
"Get out of my way!" Sifrona growled, conjuring black flames in both hands.
The merfolk didn't answer. Instead, they attacked.
A sharp blade slashed across her beautiful face, drawing blood. At the same time, a trident struck her shoulder, sending her body spinning in the air. Another enemy unleashed a powerful water-based spell, forcing her to dodge mid-flight.
At this point, both sides had started using the elites of their ranks. Plus, Sifrona had already suffered a lot in her battle against the sea wyverns. As such, she couldn't bring her peak form when battling against her current enemies. Still, her weakened form was so fierce that almost nobody in the enemy side was her match.
It was no wonder that Raashim Templars decided to intercept her and other leitent-level demon beasts in groups.
Sifrona clenched her teeth. Pain flared across her body, but she refused to back down. Flames erupted from her hands as she counterattacked.
She kicked one of the merfolk square in the chest, sending him flying backward with his armor burning. She then turned her focus to the second enemy, dodging his spear and slashing through his throat with her fiery claws.
Two down. One more to go.
The last merfolk warrior was the strongest. He stabbed his weapon straight into her torso, making her gasp in pain. Blood gushed out, but instead of falling, she grabbed his arm tightly, preventing him from pulling the weapon out.
"You… you will die here. I won't let anyone get in the way of my liege's victory," she whispered coldly.
With a burst of hellfire, she roasted him alive, reducing his body to ashes.
Sifrona coughed out blood, but her eyes remained locked onto the altar in the distance. She had no time to rest. Gritting her teeth, she spread her wings, ready to charge forward again.
But before she could move—
A tall and muscular figure appeared right in front of her.
Before she could react, a strong hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed tightly.
"Little bird, you are quite feisty," a deep voice said, carrying a hint of amusement. "Where do you think you are going?"
Sifrona's golden eyes widened. The man holding her was no ordinary Templar. His deep eyes were filled with bloodlust, and his grip was like an unbreakable iron chain.
Shir.
The leader of the Raashim Temple had finally stepped onto the battlefield.