Chapter 395: Hell Vanguard, War Cannon Roaring

"Creak, creak, creak..."

The sound of some substance being twisted echoed across the heavens. From within the ever-expanding gateway to the Hells, a colossal warship sailed forth into the sky. The vessel, predominantly brownish-red with accents of black, bore two pairs of folded bat-like wings upon its flanks.

As the ship exited the infernal plane and entered the material realm, the wings that had been pressed against its hull began to unfurl slowly. The resonant sound was produced by the opening of these skeletal, leathery structures—a hybrid of living tissue and artificial craftsmanship that lived in symbiosis with the hellish dreadnought.

"Flap, flap, flap."

The wings, riddled with small, tattered holes, beat against the air. Trails of sparks followed in their wake, providing the ship with lift and thrust that defied all laws of aerodynamics, propelling the infernal vessel toward the heart of Dragon Island.

Within the gaping maw of the portal, an endless stream of organized demonic legions continued to pour out, their numbers dwarfing those that had appeared at the royal capital.

Infernal worms, the most basic of the infantry, surged from the gate and slammed into the earth. They burrowed through the soil, leaving a multitude of raised, shifting tracks across the ground.

Pit fiends, the evolved and formidable progeny of lesser devils, emerged as the backbone of the force. They charged in swarms alongside the worms, acting as the vanguard to clear a path for the slowly advancing warship.

With the two primary melee units deployed, the more advanced shock troops and aerial ranged units began to emerge.

Filling the sky with the rhythmic beating of leathery wings, creatures resembling gargoyles—yet possessing distinct bat-like features—followed the warship’s trajectory. Within their sharp, ferocious claws, fire elemental energy boiled; countless scorching fireballs were held ready, prepared to be unleashed as beams or projectiles. These were the infernal fire-bats.

Interspersed among the fire-bats were twisted creatures that appeared as flying brains. It was difficult to discern their eyes or limbs, as they were hidden beneath the cerebral folds of their bodies and the dense, bloated tentacles of brain stems trailing from beneath.

These seemingly fragile, oversized brains were, in truth, living artillery batteries. Their structure granted them psychic strength beyond imagination, allowing them to manipulate the material world or assault the minds of other creatures while wielding immense spellcasting power.

Though their bodies were delicate, each brain-fiend was shrouded in thick layers of magical and psychic shielding. To harm these "magical glass cannons," one had to first break through those barriers while navigating the swarms of fire-bats.

Accompanying these brain-fiends were even higher-tier entities. Some of the brains were encased in light, sturdy plates of hell-forged iron, upon which stood spellcasters draped in red robes with golden trim. Sharp, jagged protrusions pierced through their garments from behind, and they clutched staves in their hands.

These were the spell-eaters. The hell-summoner Edward had once faced was merely a degraded version of these beings. Born in the Hells, these casters had counter-magic and summoning rituals etched into their very instincts. The opening and maintenance of the massive portal were their sole responsibility.

On the other side of the gate, a multitude of spell-eaters labored to keep the rift open, resisting the material plane’s natural repulsion. Half of those who entered the realm remained at the threshold to stabilize the connection, while the others acted as support mages, providing the unique arcane arts of the infernal plane.

A chaotic array of demons, whose exact species defied classification, continued to spill forth. The portal was so immense that within moments of its arrival, the surrounding area had already begun to succumb to hellish corruption.

Magma bubbled up, the scent of sulfur permeated the air, and the temperature climbed steadily, fueling the demons with the energy they needed to operate in the material world.

"Are they enemies? Why would these demons enter the material plane at a time like this? Look at their trajectory—it’s Dragon Island. What could they possibly be planning?"

Within the fleet of the Sky Mechanical City, such questions rippled through the ranks. The commander of the alchemical fleet below urgently sought the opinions of the various squad leaders over the magical communication channel.

"Do not engage them for now. Our target is the Abyssal entity. If the intelligence regarding its power is accurate, then even if several Hell Lords were to descend simultaneously, they would not pose a threat as great as that creature."

"You have never fought an Abyssal entity, so you may not understand, but I must emphasize: when an Abyssal entity appears, the best choice is to set aside all other conflicts and eliminate that existence first."

The communication from the Sky Mechanical City suppressed all doubts. Astartes finalized the decision: there would be no attack on the portal or the legions emerging from it.

"They are allies. They are reinforcements brought from the Hells by the silver dragon who sent you the intelligence. Though, I must admit, I never expected her to go this far."

Wang Yu’s voice joined the channel, his tone laced with admiration. Moments ago, a familiar presence had contacted Zig and the others through the prayer network. After confirming they were safe, she had explained the situation—it was Zig’s older sister, the silver dragon Arelian.

Arelian had not shared her plan with the Lady of the Night before departing for the Hells. Just as Wang Yu and his companions had not expected the silver dragon to secure reinforcements from a plane considered inherently hostile, Arelian had not anticipated that an organization of the Sky Mechanical City’s magnitude would join the crusade to eradicate the Abyssal entity, Melos.

"Allies? That is indeed good news. Being from another plane, the Abyssal entity likely lacks experience fighting such extra-planar forces; it will need time to adapt. Proceed, then. Let the demons serve as the vanguard, while we provide fire support from the flanks and the rear."

This was the response from Icarus, along with his orders to the team he commanded. Extensive dossiers on Abyssal entities had been distributed to all participants, providing a basic understanding of these creatures that threatened all intelligent life simply by existing.

At the forefront of the alchemical fleet, Wang Yu stood on the deck of a flagship, watching the demonic legions clash with the dragons on the coast. Beside him, Avia was rapidly verifying a series of items she would need using her Perfect Fractal Lens.

"Everything is prepared. Now is the best time to depart. Once Melos appears, the collateral damage from the frontline firepower will likely make it impossible for beings of our level to reach the target. While both sides are distracted by the demonic legions, that is our window of opportunity."

Having confirmed her supplies, Avia turned to Wang Yu. He had nothing to carry, as she had already handled it; Wang Yu only needed to ensure his blood pool was filled to the limit.

"I’ll leave it to you. Let’s go. Lady Darkness, I entrust everything to you, both now and in the moments to come."

Wang Yu nodded. He trusted the girl’s judgment unconditionally. His talent for melee combat could not be applied to the global assessment required for a campaign of this scale. Ultimately, he was a superb warrior, not a commander. To each their own; in this regard, he relied on the likes of Avia and Sharl.

"Understood. Leave it to me."

The response from the Lady of the Night echoed in Wang Yu’s mind. The goddess’s power flowed through the gateway and into Wang Yu, slowly manifesting as a faint, deep-black mist that began to spread.

With Avia on his back, Wang Yu leaped from the deck. Before he even touched the water, his form was completely shrouded and vanished into the power of the Night. Not even a splash disturbed the surface as he descended.

Wang Yu had entered the battlefield, and he did not want his actions known to either side. It was enough that his trusted friends were aware; as for the others, they could simply assume that Wang Yu had rationally withdrawn from the crusade against the Abyssal entity.

...

"Where is this target you speak of? These dragons are troublesome, but they are hardly worth the contract that forced my legions to intervene—a contract that cost the dragon Bodan everything. If this is all there is to it, I shall feel quite sorry for him."

On the expansive deck of the hellish warship, many armored demonic soldiers with crimson skin and horns stood ready. Despite their unremarkable appearance, they were among the highest-ranking demons in the fray.

They did not start as lesser imps; they were the progeny of high-ranking demons or the hatchlings of common devils. Possessing human-level intelligence, innate fire magic, and robust physiques, they were the demons most likely to ascend the hierarchy in the cruel reality of the Hells.

These soldiers patrolling the warship all shared a common identity: they were members of the legion commanded by the Hell Lord whom Arelian had petitioned.

A projection of the Hell Lord’s magnificent form was in conversation with Arelian, who had taken on a human guise.

Below, the dragons that had entered the island dove straight into the demonic swarm. Their immense power instantly crushed large swathes of the extra-planar vanguard.

Yet, the Hell Lord remained unmoved by these losses. Slaughter in the Hells was far more brutal than this; having a legion completely wiped out and replaced was a common occurrence.

"You will see. Its position is there."

Arelian said nothing more, offering only a cold response as she pointed a direction for the Hell Lord’s projection.

"I hope so. Ishupanto, fire!"

The Hell Lord’s projection nodded and bellowed the command.

"Clack, clack, clack, clack."

In an instant, the deck beneath Arelian began to vibrate. Ishupanto, as the Hell Lord called it, was the name of the warship itself.

Indeed, the vessel was alive. The hull was merely "armor" worn by a Titan Demon. The true force driving the ship was the Titan Demon within—Ishupanto.

"Oooooh... crack."

A low, thunderous roar accompanied the sound of locking mechanisms engaging. The entire external structure of the warship began to shift.

Two long, horn-like rods at the bow, which glowed with the intense heat of molten lava, began to slide toward the center of the hull. Ethereal chains manifested upon them. At the opening of the bow, a massive, red-hot cylindrical object, resembling a searing iron bar, gradually coalesced.

Observing the overall structure of the warship Ishupanto now, one would realize it resembled a ballista. The ship, serving as the Titan Demon’s "armor," was in fact an external weapon for unleashing its power.

"Boom!"

Energy erupted. The hull shuddered violently, and the bow flared with blinding light. The momentum of the advancing warship was halted instantly by the recoil. A stream of crimson energy tore through the firmament, firing straight toward a specific location on Dragon Island.

"Boom!"

A pillar of red fire shot into the sky. The earth trembled, mountains collapsed, and with that, the first shot of the battle was fired.