Chapter 102: Situation Stabilized? Demon Summoner…

The Lebius Magic Cannon, one of the most formidable spells in the Stevenson Academy’s arsenal, stands as the pinnacle of single-target destruction, much as the "Magic Comet" represents the absolute zenith of area-of-effect bombardment.

Demanding a staggering amount of mana, the Lebius Magic Cannon places an immense, crushing load upon the magical arrays and conduits required to channel such concentrated power.

Consequently, each discharge necessitates over half an hour of charging and cooling.

The beam, a lance of light that pierces all, reduces everything in its path to ash; whether winged demons, ogres, or stone structures, all are atomized into their most fundamental particles before the onslaught of this high-energy magical torrent.

At the terminus of this beam lies the Hellgate, suspended above the scorched, ruinous landscape of the city walls.

As the light struck, an explosion instantly engulfed the entire sector, unleashing a shockwave of magnitude far surpassing the detonation of the reality anchor triggered by Wang Yu, sweeping away everything in its wake.

Ogres, winged demons, and all surrounding entities were torn asunder by the blast.

The massive crater previously carved by Wang Yu’s explosion began to collapse under the sheer force of this unimaginable strike, the earth caving in and burying everything within.

"Observer, report the results," the Knight Commander commanded, his hand still gripping the magic crystal used for communication, seeking word from the Academy.

"The spatial fluctuations of the Hellgate persist. The magic cannon was hampered by the scorched-earth field; the majority of its mana was converted into mere physical effects, which prove insufficient to effectively damage the gate."

The observer’s grave voice emanated from the crystal; clearly, this devastating blow had failed to achieve its intended purpose.

The facts bore out the observer’s assessment: as the dust and debris of the explosion settled, the Hellgate remained suspended above the ruins of the wall, appearing only slightly dimmer than before.

This meant the gate had sustained a degree of impact, but nothing more.

Perhaps repeated bombardments could eventually destroy it, but within the Hellgate’s scorched-earth field, attacks from the Magic Academy were significantly dampened.

At a rate of one shot every half hour, the Hellgate might remain standing even if a lord of the abyss were to emerge.

"We do not have that much time. Adjutant, how long until the nearest army arrives?" The Knight Commander lowered the communicator and turned to his adjutant, who wore the same royal commander’s insignia as he did.

"Within ten minutes. The Night’s Edge light cavalry, led by Mr. Garcia, is advancing at maximum speed," the adjutant replied instantly.

"Notify them. Fifteen minutes. We prepare for a pincer attack in fifteen minutes," the Commander said, his tone steady as he watched the Hellgate continue to spew forth demons.

"Is fifteen minutes too long? The strength of the demons emerging from the gate increases over time; in fifteen minutes, they may reach a new threshold of power," the adjutant asked bluntly.

"Your strategic sense is sound, but you must study the intelligence on our enemy. Fifteen minutes is the critical juncture before the Hellgate enters its next phase; for the half-hour following that, it will not summon more powerful demons," the Commander countered.

"Understood," the adjutant replied, offering no rebuttal or sign of discomfort.

"Observer, prepare another Magic Comet. In fifteen minutes, clear the path for the Imperial Guard and the reinforcements outside the city," the Commander relayed the next order to the Academy.

"Acknowledged. The next charge for the Magic Comet has begun. Please be advised, the next phase of the Hellgate is manifesting; more hellish aura is leaking out. It appears to be Butchers and Beholders. It is imperative that these heavy demons do not breach the inner city."

The observer agreed promptly, immediately coordinating with the mages responsible for large-scale magical attacks, while relaying the data from the monitoring arrays to the Knight Commander.

"Understood. The 'Imperial Guard'—a fine title for what is essentially a royal suicide squad. Attention, all units: do not let a single Butcher or Beholder enter the city," the Commander responded.

The observer and the adjutant both wiped sweat from their brows. The Commander was as blunt as ever; if he were only a bit more respectful toward the royal family, he would surely be more than just a commander of the Imperial Guard.

As the Commander’s orders cascaded down, it was not only his own troops who moved.

The mages and array-masters of the Academy, and even the light cavalry far outside the city, began their maneuvers, racing against time to fulfill their duties.

The Imperial Guard, marked by their gold-and-crimson standard armor and royal insignia, rode their steeds to the defensive line bordering the wall district.

In the distance, Beholders—massive, bloated orbs of chaotic, indistinct flesh—floated slowly toward the city. They did nothing, yet their mere presence exerted an inexplicable pressure upon the soldiers.

By contrast, the oppression radiating from the fat, hulking demons beneath the Beholders was far more direct. Clad in rags that resembled a butcher’s blood-stained apron, they dragged colossal, gore-caked bone cleavers that carved deep furrows into the stone and earth. These were the Butchers.

The Butchers and Beholders did not move quickly; compared to the winged demons or the charging ogres, their pace was sluggish. Yet, the sheer mass of the Butchers and the bloated, grotesque forms of the Beholders carried a deterrent force that the lesser demons—the winged ones, the ogres, and the purgatory worms—could never hope to match.

"Cavalry, harass and skirmish! Do not engage the Butchers head-on! Mages, maintain the mental barrier; do not let the Beholders exploit any openings!"

The adjutant did not wait for the Commander to speak; having grasped the traits and threats of the two demon types, he organized the tactical deployment with methodical precision.

The soldiers quickly split into squads of knights and mages, charging toward the ranks of Beholders and Butchers to harass them. However, the adjutant’s orders did not include himself, the Commander, or the priests.

"Then, follow me. Charge!" A group of a dozen priests, joined by the Knight Commander and his adjutant, surged forward.

At the Commander’s roar, layers of divine shields and prayers of haste enveloped the men and their horses. With the Commander as the spearhead, his oversized greatsword drawn, they launched a thunderous charge straight into the demon ranks.

...

The arrival of the Imperial Guard had stabilized the front, preventing further demonic incursions, but the demons already within the city continued their rampage.

However, with the intervention of the city’s professional combatants, the ogres and purgatory worms were being slowly purged, even as many lives were lost in the struggle.

"Don't crowd! There's nothing to see here! Go back, and don't tell me I didn't warn you!"

"Move back! Do you have any idea how many people have died here?"

Edward and the squad leader were at their wits' end. The problem now was not the demons, but the residents near the city center.

Most of these people held some status, and the city guards dared not be as forceful or reckless with them as they were with the residents of the outer districts; they could only rely on persuasion and obstruction.

"Impossible! I have many assets in the outer district; I must confirm the damage caused by those demons. My guards are more than capable of handling these issues!"

A portly, wealthy-looking middle-aged merchant pushed the city guard aside with impatience, his own guards following with menacing intent.

"My uncle is still guarding my shop, and this demonic invasion has cut him off. You cannot stop me! If he dies, I will have the Tribunal hold you accountable!"

The young man was furious, and no one dared to stop him. Wearing the uniform of a royal civil servant and invoking the name of the Tribunal, he was a man whom even the squad leader, a minor noble, dared not offend.

The squad leader glanced at Edward. Having developed a rapport with his superior, he had learned of Edward’s surprisingly high status. If Edward wished... but Edward merely stood there with a grim expression, saying nothing.

Pushing aside the man blocking his path, the young official and his guards marched past the blockade.

"He’s out, so why can’t we go? My brother is still out there! Let me through, you useless trash!"

"Let me out! I don't see any demons; are you using this as an excuse to steal our property?"

"Damn you, you bunch of gluttons! Is this what our tax money pays for?"

After the Tribunal official and his guards exited, the crowd in the city center began to descend into chaos. Once one person received special treatment, jealousy and resentment spread like a virus.

Veins throbbed on Edward’s forehead. These people, oblivious to the carnage of the war, were spouting nonsense. Once they stepped outside and encountered the purgatory worms still roaming the city, they would understand why they were being held back.

The city center had indeed remained free of demons, as most of the purgatory worms capable of entering the city had been drawn to the residents outside.

Having not witnessed the cruelty of the demons, these residents refused to understand Edward’s reasons for stopping them; they viewed his good intentions as utterly meaningless.

Edward was furious. Honestly, he wished he could act like the two gods Wang Yu occasionally mentioned: one who refused to save those seeking death, and another who forgave them—though those forgiven were usually the ones meeting him in the afterlife. He wanted to ignore these people; if they wanted to die, let them.

Perhaps if Wang Yu were in his position, he would do exactly that without hesitation. Wang Yu never troubled himself unnecessarily. As his friend, Edward knew well that while Wang Yu could be incredibly reassuring to those he cared about, he was utterly indifferent to those who meant nothing to him.

But Edward couldn't do it. He glanced at the crowded square. He was near the street where Wang Yu usually lived. Beyond the aggressive residents, he could see others standing in the distance, their faces etched with worry.

These were ordinary folk, unaware of the specifics, perhaps wanting to retrieve or protect something important in the outer district but unsure of what to do.

His brows lifted. Edward suddenly spotted a pair of furry cat ears in the crowd. He recognized the cat-folk girl who worked at the flower shop. She possessed the agility of her kind but lacked strength, and she was being tossed about in the crush, unable to find a foothold.

She, too, looked toward the outer city with worried eyes, but she did not try to push through, standing instead at the periphery.

"Sigh, what is she trying to do..." Edward sighed. He still couldn't bring himself to let these people go to their deaths, even if they were strangers, even if... they were foolishly ridiculous.

The cat-folk girl suddenly squeezed out of the crowd. Edward felt a jolt—was she going to force her way out? But he soon realized he was wrong; she wasn't heading outward, but toward the edge of the crowd.

He suddenly noticed a city guard who had been knocked over by the surging mass. The dense crowd had obscured him, and he was curled up, protecting his head. Edward hadn't even noticed him until now.

The cat-folk girl nimbly wove through the crowd, running to the guard’s side and trying to get the people to move so the trampled soldier could stand.

But the crowded mass had no intention of yielding to anyone. No one listened to her, and she was buffeted by the throng, swaying and on the verge of falling just like the soldier.

"Are you alright? Let me handle this." Edward pushed through, steadied the girl, and then, using his own powerful frame, ignored the curses of those around him as he shoved them aside and pulled the soldier to his feet.

"Oh, thank you, meow." The cat-girl flicked her tail, tugged shyly at her ears, and offered Edward an embarrassed apology; she had intended to assist the city guard, only to find herself being the one helped instead.

"It is nothing. I should be the one thanking you. Had it not been for your keen eyes, I would never have noticed the soldier’s plight. Tell me, are you unharmed?" Edward returned her gratitude before turning his attention to assess the soldier’s condition.

The soldier shook his head, signaling that he would recover, though it was clear that had the rescue been delayed even a moment longer, the outcome would have been dire.

"Phew, well, how could I ever bring myself to turn a blind eye?" Edward sighed, shaking his head. Another reason to abandon his post had vanished. Very well, he would press on; even if he were to be endlessly maligned by those who lacked the full picture, he had no other choice.

Then, in the very heartbeat that Edward steeled his resolve, a wall of fire erupted from the earth on the perimeter of the crowd, instantly reducing a mass of people to charred remains.

A demon emerged from the inferno, clawed and gaunt, its body surging with the chaotic, violent pulse of elemental fire.

"Die... burn, die..." The creature rasped in broken, mangled human speech, while the surrounding crowd shrieked and fled in a frenzy of terror.

"A demon summoner? How is this possible? How could such a thing manifest here?" Eyes wide with disbelief, Edward recognized the monstrosity that had so abruptly torn through the veil of reality.