503. Grand Skill Battle

Levithus paused as he saw the storm clouds gathering overhead. Looking up, the Primeval Demon saw a swirling nebula of darkness— one that shaded the crimson sky with magic and power. His scales shifted. He felt a light pattering falling against him. Like invisible raindrops.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared down at himself.

“This is… mana?”

He was being showered in mana that fell from above. The Primeval Demon nodded slowly, watching as a dark mist shrouded over him. The entire city of Inor— the vast Capital City of the Inoria Empire itself— was blanketed by this darkness. He chuckled.

“I see now. But it is merely a foolish attempt.”

Levithus' body flickered as he turned around. A crimson light formed around him like a dome, before gradually expanding outwards. He closed his eyes as the first lightning bolt formed in this Grand Skill, and he chuckled.

“Pathetic.”

All at once, a million lightning bolts thundered out.

“This is… Helena Warshade’s infamous Grand Skill…”

Edithe Dawnrise whispered, watching the blast of lightning strike out. This was a glorious sight. The redhead had heard about the terrible Grand Skill of the Great Tempest Archmage of Mavos Academy. It was infamous for its overwhelming power. It had a reputation— one that was well-known all throughout the Human lands.

It was an attack that could decimate an entire city. It was why Helena Warshade was more feared than Clayton Skyshredder, even if he was the highest-leveled [Mage] of Humankind. The blast continued to crackle out, emanating sheer power.

It wasn’t a single massive lightning bolt, of course. It was millions at once, crackling in the distance, filling the storm clouds with their light. Edithe heard the chittering. She saw the lightning converging, taking on a single shape. It created what seemed like a monolithic streak of lightning that exploded. The entire storm was blasted with this bright light.

Hadrian flinched, and Edithe covered her eyes. The entire Human army gaped as the flash of light filled the battlefield. It shone brighter than the sun— a few flying [Mages] erected barriers just to shield the army from this blinding sheen.

“A-amazing…”

“So this is the power of the Great Tempest Archmage…”

“That’s our leader!”

A few proud voices joined the awed gasps. Adventurers from the Rising Veterans Company. Their gaze landed on Helena Warshade as she stood atop her nimbus cloud, cloak beating with the whipping winds.

The earth rumbled. A powerful earthquake broke out a few moments after the explosion. Like there was delay between the bright light and the tremor that followed. The redhead pursed her lips as she glanced over at the rest of her company.

Celine looked up, and Sophia tried to peer through the smoke. Cless raised a spyglass as Hadrian’s eyes grew wide.

The black cloud slowly faded away, revealing shadows at the other side. What was left of the city of Inor had been laid to waste. But the crimson pillar that rose to the sky remained. The grand ritual was unaffected by the blast— of course it was. That wasn’t what shocked Hadrian.

Rather, it was the mass of figures that was left behind that made the leader of the Valiant Dreamers stare in horror. The entire landscape had been ravaged. Tens of thousands of Demons had been killed in that blast. But half of the army of [Legions] had survived the blast, and so did a third of the horde of wild Demons.

Hadrian saw this and dropped to his knees.

“It… wasn’t enough.”

A susurration swept through the Human army. They exchanged worried glances as four more lumbering figures emerged from the explosion. The wild Primeval Demons had survived. All of them had escaped from Helena’s Grand Skill unscathed.

A single crimson barrier had protected them. A dome that expanded, shielding half the army of Demons as well as the wild Demons. The number of Archdemons had been reduced to a few thousand, but they survived, grinning and smirking amongst each other. An [Archarachne] stood at the front as its eight glowing eyes peered into the Human army.

The barrier— the translucent crimson dome— began to dissipate. Edithe’s eyes flickered. She recognized it from the battle of Ertos. A Grand Skill. One that created a domain that was nigh impenetrable.

The redhead was certain that it could’ve been pierced by a Grand Skill of equal or greater power, but Helena Warshade’s own Grand Skill failed to break through. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the blast of lightning had been spread out over a great distance. If it had been concentrated against the dome, it would have shattered the [Archarachne]’s barrier.

Glancing back, Edithe saw the rest of the Valiant Dreamers staring at this sight in terror. They thought that it all had been for naught. She could hear from their frightened whispers that they didn’t know how they were going to defeat their enemy.

But the redhead shook her head and faced her leader.

“No— it was just enough.”

Hadrian blinked. He furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean, Edithe?”

Her gaze drifted towards the burnt and crisp bodies of the dead Demons— the ones that had been caught in the blast. Thousands of Archdemons had been amongst them. And each one of them had their purpose. But they were caught outside of the barrier and killed.

Which only meant one thing.

“Watch.”

Edithe spoke simply, pointing towards the foremost [Archarachne]. It emerged from its fallen barrier as Hadrian blinked. He stared, following her as it turned to face the Human army. The leader of the Valiant Dreamers opened his mouth.

“I don’t—”

And a scything arm struck the [Archarachne] from behind. The wild Primeval Demon shrieked in pain as it turned to face the second [Archarachne]. Hadrian blinked.

“What…? Why are they—”

The second [Archarachne] let out a screech as it swung out in all directions with its scything claws. It tore through the horde of wild Demons beneath it as an army of [Aranea] poured from its back.

“Why are they turning against each other?”

Hadrian asked as the first [Archarchne] backed away from the raging wild Primeval Demon. But it was the [Chthonic Agaros] to go on a rampage next. It opened its mouth and swooped down, chomping for the [Hellabomination]. It missed, only to be countered from the side by a flaming barrage.

The wild Primeval Demons began to fight amongst each other. And tens of thousands of wild Demons broke out, attacking the army of [Legions]. Edithe’s eyes flickered to Helena Warshade as she spoke.

“This was their plan the whole time.”

The redhead shook her head.

“Maybe Archmage Warshade couldn’t wipe out this army all on her own— of course not, she’s only a single Elite. But she can turn them against each other.”

“That’s…”

Hadrian trailed off. She stared at the army of Demons as their formation broke out into chaos. They fought against each other— a chaotic mess. Clayton Skyshredder flew forward as he raised his crimson sword.

“Now onward!”

The Headmaster of Mavos Academy’s voice bellowed out. The army of Humans looked on at the infighting Demons, emboldened. And they roared a battle cry that shook the entire landscape as they charged forward.

Edithe nodded at Hadrian. The pair locked arms as they followed, heading into battle against the army of Demons.

“Huh.”

I sat atop Clayton’s cloud, watching this scene play out. The wild Primeval Demons were locked in a brawl— two on two. Well, it was more like two versus one versus one. But still, they were fighting amongst each other. And it was all because Helena had killed half of their handlers.

“I should’ve thought of that.”

“You should have. But it is no matter. Other than your first Grand Skill, your other Skills will recover in time. You will be able to rejoin the battle in full capacity soon enough.”

Clayton spoke, shaking his head. I got to my feet and stretched my arms. Beneath us, the Human army rallied, unleashing their magic into the distance. A few Archdemons and [Legions] launched their own salvo back at us, but it was incomparable now that their numbers had dwindled to less than half of what was before.

I flexed an arm as an iridescent aura wisped off me.

“I can help now! C’mon, Clayton! Look at all my Divine Essence! I’m ready to fight!”

“Perhaps you feel ready. But do you believe you are prepared for that?”

He asked, and I blinked. I looked where he was pointing with a frown. The [Hellabomination] let out a thundering roar as it grabbed the [Chthonic Agaros] out of the sky. The [Chthonic Agaros] struggled, its tendrils shooting down at the other wild Primeval Demon, but its attacks missed. And the [Hellabomination] tossed it our way.

My eyes grew wide as I saw the [Chthonic Agaros] soaring through the sky. The giant winged creature sailed through the air towards the Human army. Clayton Skyshredder pursed his lips and steered his nimbus cloud out of the way of its massive body.

A thousand soldiers moved to get out of the way, some creating barriers, only to be crushed as the wild Primeval Demon crashed into them. I blinked and raised my Divine Nebular Scythe.

“We have to—”

I started, but the Headmaster of Mavos Academy had his gaze fixed to the front.

“Eyes ahead. Long-Ranged Group Teleportation.”

He spoke quickly as I glanced ahead. And right as the space around us shifted, my eyes grew wide. I saw the [Hellabomination] swinging down at us with all four of its arms. Then everything vanished. Clayton and I reappeared a thousand feet in the sky, staring down at the wild Primeval Demon’s back.

Its attack had crashed down into the group of adventurers, sending their limp and lifeless bodies into the sky like broken ragdolls. The [Hellabomination] opened its mouth, unleashing a plume of blue fire all around it.

There were screams and shouts. Magic blasted back its way, but it took to the sky, its Grand Skill still active. I stared as it ravaged the Human army, destroying barriers and breaking through the formations.

“Huh.”

Clayton Skyshredder pursed his lips.

“If you wish to engage, Salvos, assist me in drawing the [Hellabomination] away from the army.”

I turned to him and nodded.

“Right.”

My wings spread wide behind me as I leapt off the cloud. Nodding, I raised an iridescent bow and aimed at the [Hellabomination].

“Let’s do this.”

Orgaf watched as both Salvos and Clayton Skyshredder flew after the [Hellabomination]. They unleashed powerful spells its way, drawing its attention. It turned and shrieked at them as their battle took to the skies.

The Thief of the Golden Scales wanted to join in, but couldn’t. He wasn’t capable of flight, and his greatest advantage— his speed— was rendered null. Instead, he turned to another wild Primeval Demon rampaging throughout the Human army.

The [Chthonic Agaros] whipped out with hundreds of tendrils, grabbing soldiers and adventurers alike and crushing them in its grip. It let out a screech as spells blasted off its scale-like skin. And it spun around, clearing a large berth around it with its tendrils.

He eyed it— he saw the damage he had already inflicted into its being. Even after that brief scuffle with the [Hellabomination] and Orgaf, the [Chthonic Agaros] was still ready to take on the entire Human army. It was struck by a blaze of fireballs, only to open its mouth and eat the spells.

Orgaf shook his head and stepped forward.

“Time for round two, then?”

He smirked, before disappearing into the shadows.