"Charge!"

At the moment when the demons dispersed in chaos, the soldiers put away their shields and fiercely threw their spears.

These spears were infused with special attack magic, and upon touching the demons, a powerful burst of magic would be triggered instantly. The demons howled in pain, and a burnt stench filled the air.

"It seems these demons are nothing special after all, just some mindless beasts; if the defense line is breached by such low-level creatures, it would be truly embarrassing!"

The general in the command room, using projection magic, could clearly see everything happening outside.

As the injured demons fell onto the barrier, the soldiers quickly drew their swords.

"Not a single one alive!"

With the commander's command, the soldiers jumped off the platform, stepping on the barrier and launching an attack against the demons.

The soldiers began the final siege against the demons, poised for victory;

Suddenly, an unsettling magic surged from within the demons.

The black magic expanded outward, engulfing all surrounding soldiers.

Amidst the horrifying screams, the heavily armored soldiers seemed to be absorbed, merging into the bodies of the demons.

The once weakened demons instantly returned to their original state;

At the same time, they began to gather together, the black magic intertwining with each other, eventually forming a massive chaotic body...

The chaotic sphere sprouted six robust limbs, firmly gripping the barrier below;

Later, as the chaos gradually dissipated, the massive bodies of the demons began to reveal themselves.

Clad in thick scales, with heads adorned with six pairs of eyes, they gazed down at the barrier from above, sending chills down everyone's spine.

"What? What in the world is that thing?"

As the projection magic revealed the giant demon, the general was caught off guard;

Just then, his subordinate reported to him:

"General, the demons are moving towards the opening in the barrier."

"Quickly retract the platform and close the barrier for me!"

"But there are still soldiers on the barrier who have not withdrawn."

"Nonsense, letting the demons invade the fortress will only lead to greater casualties! Spread the word, have the remaining soldiers attack with all their might!"

"Yes!"

On the battlefield above the barrier, the few remaining soldiers began retreating from the platform, while the giant demon relentlessly approached them.

"No retreat! The general orders us to stop it with all our strength, we must not let it break through the barrier."

The leading knight unsheathed his sword, rallying his subordinates to charge alongside him.

Although fearful of the demon, the soldiers, obeying military orders, rushed forward with a determination to confront the looming threat.

"Everyone, let’s give it our all..."

Before a soldier could finish his words, black magic surged towards him like elongated tentacles, engulfing him; accompanied by screams, the soldier dissolved within the magic.

"Let's just hold this big monster down and lower the platform behind it, alright?"

Glancing back at the descending platform, the knight leader saw the elevator slowly descending.

Roar!

The demon roared, lunging towards the knight leader in a frenzy.

"Interfere with this shield!"

The knight leader hurled his shield into the air, and in the next moment, the incoming magic shattered it completely.

Utilizing flight magic, the knight leader leaped into the air, with the black magic seemingly swirling around the demon, creating a blind spot directly above it.

The knight leader channeled his holy power into his weapon;

At that moment, he was prepared to strike with all his might.

"Now!"

As the holy power reached its peak, he swung his sword with all his strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The immense holy power suddenly exploded in the air, causing the rather ordinary iron sword to crumble under the overwhelming force; before he could land the strike, the sword rapidly disintegrated;

The close-range magical impact then knocked him out of the air, swiftly devoured by the demon’s unleashed magic.

Meanwhile, the platform had fully descended, and the gap in the barrier began to shrink and close.

The demon's six pairs of eyes seemed to observe the situation keenly;

In a flash, it leaped high into the air and swiftly thrust all six limbs into the gap in the barrier, obstructing the complete closure of the barrier.

"General, the barrier closure failed!"

"Damn it, who ordered the barrier to be opened… Destroy the limbs pierced into the barrier, and mobilize the magic troops!"

"Yes!"

Shortly after, a team of mages ran to the fortress walls. They chanted their magic incantations, bombarding the limbs infiltrating the barrier.

Unable to move while stuck in the barrier, the demon condensed its magic from its surroundings and unleashed it towards the interior of the barrier.

"Uh-oh, this magic will devour humans!"

The mages on the walls instinctively scattered and fled in defeat.

The magic gradually spread towards the tower of the fortress, where the chanters maintained the barrier;

Once that area was breached, the entire fortress would lose its protection and be fully exposed to the threats of the demons.

"Is there no other way?"

Seated on a chair, the general despaired.

Suddenly, the sky rained down a barrage of intensive magical attacks as a squadron of Pegasus Knights broke through the clouds and pierced into the fortress airspace.

"By order of the king, the Pegasus Knights are here to assist!"

Shouted the knight at the forefront of the squadron...

Perhaps in response to the aerial magical attacks, the magic that had penetrated the fortress inner retreated rather than advancing towards the central tower. Instead, it coalesced back around the demon.

Due to one of its trunks being trapped in the barrier, the massive body of the demon was immobile, at the mercy of the continuous onslaught from the Pegasus Knights.

Roar!

The demon howled to the sky, locking its six pairs of eyes onto the airborne targets, and unleashed its aggressive magic towards the sky in unison.

"Evasive maneuvers, rise to a safe altitude!"

Commanded the lead Pegasus Knight, prompting the knights to ascend promptly. The attacking magic ultimately had its limitations in terms of range and had little effect on targets at high altitudes.

"Continue the attack, strike it hard!"

The magical bombardment poured once more, causing the outer layer of the fortress's barrier to tremble violently due to the immense destruction.

In the command room, the general breathed a sigh of relief:

"Issue the order to have the spellcasters strengthening the barrier intensity, trap that monster firmly!"

The sorcerer in the central tower received the command and increased the magical output;

Suddenly, the barrier that had restrained the demon's trunk began to shrink rapidly, leaving a circle of marks on its thick scales.

As the demon found itself unable to resist, it released the black magic, swirling around the tip of the trapped trunk, eventually severing it from its body with magic.

Dragging its emerald fluid-covered body, the demon utilized the remaining five limbs to move rapidly on the barrier.

The lead knight made a stop gesture, and the Pegasus Knights stopped their attacks.

"Activate all strengthening magic, we are about to engage in close combat, give it your all, and do not let the enemy absorb your magic!"

Declaring the command, the Pegasus Knight captain drew his sword and dived down towards the demon below.

Leveraging the high mobility of the Pegasus, the kingdom's Pegasus Knights, utilizing hit-and-run tactics, continued to deplete the demon's strength and defenses.

In the interior of the fortress, the discarded trunk crashed down to the lower residential area of the fortress and was surrounded by magic, reincarnated as an independent small demon.

As the weakest defense area of the fortress, the residential area had almost no combat-capable soldiers, mostly housing army families, logistical personnel, and travelers seeking temporary refuge within the fortress.

Once the demon successfully devoured these defenseless civilians, it would heal its own wounds and pose an even greater threat.

"Quickly deploy all capable fighters to stop it, we must prevent it at all costs!"

The blaring alarm echoed throughout the fortress as the general roared in frustration.

The people on the lower levels scattered in panic, some young children left behind in the chaos;

Trembling with fear, the children watched as the demon closed in on them, leaving them too frightened to even stand up.

As the demon's magic was about to strike towards the children, a crimson figure suddenly flashed above the demon.

With a single wave of his hand, the figure, enhanced with holy power, rained down his fist on the demon, shattering it; the dense magic dissipated in an instant, and the demon's massive body slumped to the ground, its emerald fluid slowly spreading around.

"Is it dead? If I had known this thing would be so troublesome, my uncle might as well have let me go first!"

Descending to the ground, the figure revealed his true form, unmistakably "Fourth Marshal" Yin Yangan.

Approaching the demon's body, he cautiously confirmed its demise before turning his gaze to the frightened children nearby.

"How long do you plan to stay here? The weak should get to a safe place until the war is over. Now hurry and disappear!"

Compared to the demon, the children found the big brother figure before them even more terrifying; hence, they mustered the courage to flee with all their might.

"Well done, nephew."

Le Song walked over, speaking in a steady tone, emphasizing the principles that their side must follow during this war:

"Although we are indeed invaders, we must strive to minimize casualties during the war, especially avoiding harm to non-combatant civilians."

This was Le Song's consistent style of warfare, focusing the assault on military forces and sparing the innocents.

For instance, by having his nephew rescue the civilians caught in the middle of the battle, Le Song ensured the safety of the general populace as much as possible.

For this reason, Le Song did not mind employing crucial forces in other aspects of the war;

He had no regrets about dealing with the demon's alter ego;

It was precisely due to his decisions that Le Song could serve as the overall commander in this war and earned the authority to freely command the other marshals.