Chapter 110
Satan was unleashing *Sword Strikes* that were close to a desperate struggle. His Demonic Sword Baltaruk, symbolizing his endless Wrath, was now radiating heat so intense it melted the surrounding earth.
But Velia, seeing this, merely scoffed.
""
""
Velia's sword and Satan's Demonic Sword clashed once more.
Divine power, like fresh crimson blood, and blazing violet flames scattered chaotically in all directions.
At the clash of the two Deities, the rocks of Talahaim's Rocky Mountain melted, shattered, and burst apart.
And with that, wounds slowly began to appear on Satan's body.
It couldn't be helped.
Now, the situation was reversed.
Just moments ago, the Gods of the Pantheon had been silent, unable to exert any Interference in the Human Realm. Meanwhile, Lucifer had been staunchly supporting the Demon Kings.
But now that the Passage between the Heavenly Realm and the Human Realm was wide open.
Velia was growing stronger in real-time, backed by the overflowing support of the Pantheon, while Satan was losing his Followers at an alarming rate.
No matter how he looked at the situation, there was no chance of him winning.
It was a situation that could be called the worst, yet Satan found himself laughing.
*Wasn't this the exact same fate as Mammon, whom he had cursed as a fool and scoffed at, swearing he would never end up like him?*
*Incarnated in the Human Realm, finding it difficult to return to the Spirit Realm for some reason, and ultimately having his Deity destroyed.*
Mammon, true to his title as the Demon King of Greed, was incredibly cunning, having kept enough divine power as insurance to return directly to the Spirit Realm.
Thanks to that, even his minuscule Deity could return to the Spirit Realm immediately, but Satan, Leviathan, and Belphegor were not in such a situation.
They had expended an enormous amount of Deity and divine power on the Corruption of the Saint and Asmodeus's control. Furthermore, after being struck by Asmodeus's intensely powerful divine energy, their bodies had half-collapsed and were only just hastily restored.
The divine power to return to the Spirit Realm on their own no longer remained.
Their Followers had to perform a ritual to open the gate, but those very Followers were now dying like ants.
Satan laughed.
He laughed because it was absurd and outrageous.
*He was a Deity who had lived for over a thousand years.*
*He had overcome all sorts of crises and hardships to get here.*
*And now, because of a single Human. Not even a great or magnificent one, but an ordinary, foolish one.*
*To die because of one idiotic bastard who was stubbornly, stupidly good.*
*There was no comedy quite like this.*
"[I'll finish this now.]"
Velia's Sword Strike grew even fiercer.
Satan blocked all those attacks, but his body slowly began to crumble under Velia's overwhelmingly powerful divine energy.
*This isn't the Spirit Realm.*
*A Deity stripped of the shield of a physical body is exposed and utterly vulnerable.*
Satan was perhaps experiencing the terrible fear of annihilation for the first time.
"[...Lucifer. Lucifer!!]"
Satan wailed.
"[Save me!! I don't want to be annihilated like this!! Lucifer!!]"
It was a childlike scream, devoid of all pride and grandeur.
But Lucifer did not answer.
He did not reach out, nor did he exert his divine power for salvation.
And Satan knew why.
[It's your turn now.]
[Pay the price for blocking and interfering with us all this time!!]
Dulanere.
Rufiel.
Rophus.
God of Darkness and Secrets, Re-Neri.
And the Goddess of the Moon, Mnesia, and the Goddess of Wisdom, Aneta, freed by the Evil God's Interference.
Six Deities were blocking Lucifer, who was desperately trying to reach out to Interfere in the Human Realm.
Lucifer roared.
He was trying to shake off the Deities, but the Pantheon's grudge was persistent and deep.
Because of that, Lucifer ultimately, at the most crucial moment.
Could not save Satan.
Baltaruk shattered.
The Demonic Sword, forged over a thousand years with endless Wrath and Human hatred, was destroyed and burst apart by the War Goddess's blade.
Satan and Velia exchanged no words.
Satan wore a complex expression, as if his situation—crumbling due to fear, emptiness, and his ultimate failure to corrupt a single Human—was laughable.
Velia's face was filled with cold, chilling Wrath.
Her sword sliced Satan's body vertically.
The surging wave of crimson divine power left a massive sword-scar on the Mortal Realm.
Satan's body completely collapsed.
From within, an utterly vulnerable Deity was extracted.
Velia reached out her hand.
"[There will be no rest for you, Satan!!]"
Velia clenched her hand.
No matter how much larger Satan's Deity was than Velia's, a Deity that had lost its physical body in the Human Realm, not the Spirit Realm, was utterly powerless.
Satan's Deity was utterly destroyed.
Velia absorbed the destroyed Deity directly.
And at the same time.
"Ah, no!! No!! *Oh, Wrath*!! Aaaargh!!"
All of Satan's Followers who had offered their souls began to crumble into dust with terrible screams.
***
Belphegor and Leviathan were also enduring terrible moments.
"[Stop them!! Go out and stop them! You idiots!!]"
Belphegor shrieked.
But no matter how much she screamed and struggled.
It was insufficient to overturn the already-tipped balance of the battle.
"[Grind them down!! Show no mercy to the enemies!!]"
Dulanere's divine word erupted from Iomene's lips.
With it, a dazzling white beam of light, symbolizing Dulanere, descended from the Sky to the Mortal Realm.
The Ketratuss and all the Priests and Clerics of the White Order, wearing strange expressions that blended joy and hatred, charged furiously at Belphegor.
"Die!! Die, you Apostates!! Heretics!!"
Large-caliber shell casings clattered wildly to the Floor, and the Rotary Cannon in her right hand spewed firepower like mad.
Each barrel was consecrated, practically steeped in divine power, and the bullets raining down were also Enchanted with Dulanere's divine power through holy water and prayers.
The skill of the Artisans and engineers from the Scrap Yard was exceptional.
The Heavy Armor, specially crafted and dedicated to the White Order for saving their city from the Demon King, was proving its worth.
"We must interfere!! We must slow the bullets!!"
Belphegor's Followers were characterized by having many Black Mages.
The Black Mages under her command were trying to Interfere in any way possible to preserve their Ally Troops, who were being shredded in real-time.
But the necessary Magic could not be Cast in time.
"It's ready! Now shoot!...Ugh!!"
The Black Mages choked, spitting blood, and staggered.
Their eyes, filled with horror and Wrath, stared in one direction.
A Witch with four arms.
Witch Erfa was calmly floating in Mid-air, manipulating her wand.
As if to prove she was wielding immense Magic, the stone fragments around her were also floating in Mid-air.
"It won't be that easy."
Before Erfa could finish speaking, Magic Tower Lord Oergen and Mages from the Mars Magic Tower Branch and Mage Tower Temple appeared from behind her, brandishing their wands.
Unlike the Black Mages who had to dodge incoming bullets while Casting Interference Magic, they were firmly protected by Paladins and could focus solely on Spell Casting Interference Magic.
Not a single Magic spell was being Cast properly.
And Belphegor was not Satan or Leviathan.
"[Charge in!! Charge in and tear them apart!! I'll help!!]"
Leviathan was a close-quarters combat Specialist.
The Followers under their command were also all races blessed with Body Enhancement abilities.
They were beings capable of deflecting all the consecrated bullets raining down with their bodies, then Charging in to engage in chaotic melee.
In contrast, Belphegor's Followers, much like Belphegor herself, were not skilled in close-quarters combat or chaotic melee, but rather specialized in tormenting people with Mind Modification, Brainwashing, and pain-inducing Curses.
That was also why most of her Followers were Black Mages.
For Belphegor, the sight of muscular behemoths, clad in pure white divine power and armed with cannon-like pistols and greatswords as tall as a Human, Charging towards her was terror itself.
"[Leviathan!!]"
To stop them, a close-quarters combat Specialist was needed.
Belphegor hastily turned her head to look at Envy, but Envy was not in a comfortable situation either.
Belphegor was only facing the White Order and the Mages from the Magic Tower.
In other words.
"For Rophus!! *Oh, Sun*!!"
"For the God of Darkness and Secrets!!"
"Oh, Goddess of Moonlight and Secrecy!!"
"Help us with your Wisdom!!"
It meant that all the Paladins from the other Cults, excluding the White Order, were entirely focused on Leviathan.
Even the Assassins from the Black Fortress were tormenting Leviathan.
Leviathan, who had her own hands full, had no leisure to save Belphegor.
Belphegor was not a Demon King suited for such a large-scale, frontal battle.
As she watched helplessly as her Followers and all her cherished collections were being destroyed.
The sound of Satan's Deity being annihilated was heard, accompanied by a horrific scream.
At the chilling scream that echoed throughout the entire Spirit Realm, Belphegor's eyes snapped backward.
"[No. No. No!! No!!!! Don't!!!!]"
Belphegor shrieked in a panic.
Satan was dead.
His very Deity had been completely annihilated and directly consumed by Velia.
As the Deity to whom they had offered their souls vanished, Velia slowly raised her sword and pointed it at Belphegor, amidst Satan's Followers whose bodies were collapsing and crumbling.
"[Belphegor.]"
It was just that one word.
She hadn't screamed, nor had she raged wildly.
Velia had simply stared at Belphegor with an expressionless face and called her name.
But at that one word, Belphegor felt a fear she had never known before.
*It was the Deity that had been tortured in her hands for 300 years.*
*Velia was a being who had witnessed countless Chosen Ones, bearing her Deity, suffer terribly and die for 300 years.*
*How immense must that resentment and Wrath be?*
*If caught, she clearly wouldn't be annihilated as 'happily' as Satan.*
When that thought reached her, Belphegor had only one option left.
"[Run!!]"
She began to flee with her Followers.
*The ritual to return to the Spirit Realm?*
*There was no need to do it here and now.*
*Just run for now.*
*Escape Talahaim's Rocky Mountain, head to the Hideout prepared by the Followers, and then complete the ritual to return to the Spirit Realm there.*
*First, she had to escape.*
*Otherwise, she would die.*
Belphegor hastily tore space, trying to open a portal, but.
[Do you think I'd let you do that? You lazy bitch of Sloth!!]
With Dulanere's booming curses echoing through the Spirit Realm, the portal was forcibly closed.
"[You goddamn bastard!! Let, let go of this?!!]"
Belphegor also cursed wildly in a panic, but Dulanere merely let out a maniacal laugh.
[I couldn't run wild for a long time, blocked by Lucifer. You bitch of Sloth. You laughed so well when you corrupted my Chosen Ones, didn't you? Even if my Deity is annihilated, I will Interfere with you. You won't get away easily!!]
Belphegor had no choice.
She didn't even have time to curse.
She hastily led her Followers, beginning to escape Talahaim's Rocky Mountain.
"[Belphegor? Belphegor!! Come here instead! We have to fight together!! Ah, no!! No!!!!]"
Leviathan's screams echoed from behind, but Belphegor deliberately ignored them.
She fled with her Followers as fast as her legs could carry her.
"[Please. No. No!!]"
*She didn't want to die.*
*She didn't want to be annihilated.*
*How long had she lived?*
*How desperately and frantically had she come this far?*
*It was all because of that Saint.*
*If only that bastard had been corrupted, the situation would be completely different now.*
*That dog-like bastard.*
*What kind of mess was this, all because of one stupidly good-natured son of a bitch?*
*If she died like this, she'd be exactly like Mammon.*
*She didn't want to die like that.*
Wrath, regret, despair, dread, terror.
In the eyes of Belphegor and her Followers, who had begun to flee madly, filled with all sorts of complex emotions.
A glimmer of hope appeared.
"Oh, Sloth! There's a path there!"
The Ketratuss of the White Order and the Mages of the Magic Tower.
And the Battle Nuns of the Cult of War, who had dealt with Satan, along with Velia, did not pursue Belphegor.
Instead, they joined forces and began attacking Leviathan.
"[Belphegor!! Belphegor!!!!!!]"
Leviathan's screams, close to a desperate struggle, gradually faded.
Belphegor sobbed and laughed.
*She could live.*
*No one was chasing her.*
*Just a little further, and she'd be out of Talahaim's Rocky Mountain.*
*Once she escaped the battlefield that the Pantheon was focused on, she could open a portal again.*
*Once it was open, she'd go to a safe Hideout and return to the Spirit Realm once more.*
*First, just get back.*
*Once she recovered and regrouped in the Spirit Realm, there would be a chance to rise again.*
Belphegor was filled with such hopeful expectations.
Beyond the horizon.
That is, until she saw the Imperial Army's 3rd Division Troops, firmly entrenched and waiting.
"Princess. We've detected Demon Followers attempting to flee. Transmitting coordinates."
Not long after the Observer's words, the Mid-air shimmered, and a Grand Airship immediately appeared.
From the Airship's Combat Command Room, Princess Almene, having confirmed the swarming Demon Followers on the ground, uttered a chilling command.
"Expend all the Airship's reserve elixirs and Cast a Wide-Area Stasis Field over the area where the Demon Followers are."
"Understood."
After a brief glance at the Airship Captain, who saluted and immediately began preparing Grand-scale Stasis Magic with the Court Mages, Almene continued her instructions.
"Division Commander of the 3rd Division?"
[Command me.]
"Are the Towed Howitzers ready?"
The 3rd Division Commander chuckled over the communicator.
[Of course. It was quite a struggle to move them hastily, but they are ready to fire immediately. 40 Towed Howitzers. Firing Position Ready.]
Almene shared her senses with Iomene.
And when she surveyed the terrain near Talahaim's Rocky Mountain.
She judged that if some of the Demon Followers were to flee, there was only one possible escape route.
When she confirmed Belphegor's escape direction from Iomene.
Almene realized her prediction was correct.
The 40 Towed Howitzers, already entrenched and waiting, were in Firing Position Ready.
"Stasis Field activated!!"
The Airship Captain's voice was heard.
It was worth bringing all the Court Mages.
*At the same time, the escape speed of the Cult of Sloth's Followers, who were desperately fleeing, began to slow rapidly.*
Of course, it was Magic that wouldn't last long, especially with an Incarnated Demon King present.
But it didn't matter.
That brief delay was enough.
"Division Commander?"
Almene gave the order.
"Fire."
A moment after the order was given.
40 155mm Towed Howitzers simultaneously spat out shells.
And a moment later.
40 shells, fired from different directions, landed precisely.
Directly above the heads of the Demon Followers.
It was a precise Simultaneous Impact Firing, as if measured with a ruler, truly showcasing the training level of the Imperial Army's 3rd Division.