Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

Aislin stopped and looked at Duruchi, who was running out from around the corner. From Duruchi's attire, he knew that he was a bugler playing the role of a messenger.

He reached out, his palm making a crisp, powerful motion in the air, the metal plates on his armor making a slight clinking sound as he paused, signaling the group to stop before asking.

"what happened?"

The Duruci messenger stopped abruptly a few steps in front of Aislin, his boots clattering on the ground, his chest heaving violently as if to tear his armor apart. He opened his mouth, and the words that escaped his lips almost uncontrollably, driven by fear, froze the air.

"Big devil!"

"Big Demon?!"

The word was like an icicle piercing the eardrums of everyone who heard it, chilling them to the bone. Aislin's face turned deathly pale instantly, and even the light in his eyes seemed to be drained away. Not only him, but all the Sea Guards around him who heard the word also lost all color in their faces, as if all their blood had been stolen by that one word.

The passage's excellent sound transmission capabilities became the perfect medium for spreading panic; the echoes between the stone walls amplified the word, amplifying it again and again...

In the Elsalin language, "demon" and "great demon" are two completely different words, representing vastly different levels of threat. For the Asul of this generation of Elsalin, Chaos is more of a concept from history books and legends, as vague and untouchable as an ancient calamity.

The Kingdom of Iris began its demon-hunting campaign in another timeline, after Finnubal became the Phoenix King. More specifically, it took place in the 97th year of Finnubal's ascension to the throne, which is Imperial Year 2260.

Under the combined influence of misfortune and fierce winds, the shrouded fog continued to churn and accumulate. When the fog reached its densest point, the energy it condensed shone as brightly as a lighthouse in a chaotic demon realm—and the demon army used this as an anchor point to descend upon the Kingdom of Iris.

The Asur people confronted the demonic legion at the outer edge of the Weeping Swamp. Moralion personally led the charge, and unlike the previous battle with Gollum, this army included not only troops from the Kingdom of Iris, but also soldiers from Kosquie, Itaien, and even the White Lion Guard. (Details in Chapter 729)
Since then, the Kingdom of Iris has declined day by day, and the Mist Walkers only appeared after the battle ended.

Therefore, let alone a great demon, Aislin had never even seen a demon in person. Although Chaos was the elves' eternal enemy, he dealt more with the Duruchi. As for Chaos, he had at most dealt with Chaos followers, fighting off the Northerners who believed in Chaos at sea.

The real demons were like phantoms in an ancient story to him, while the Great Demon... was an upgraded version of the nightmare within that phantom.

"Quiet!" As the sea guards behind him inevitably began to murmur in alarm, Aislin raised his arm again and shouted sternly.

His voice struck everyone's hearts like a hammer blow, instantly silencing all their chaotic breathing.

He was known for his iron-fisted approach to military affairs.

His Tide Riders immediately suppressed the turmoil within them, returning to a deathly silence as if doused with cold water. Their armor trembled slightly, making a soft crackling sound, but not a single one dared to utter a second utterance.

In the sudden silence, a faint, metallic clanging and inhuman screams of fighting echoed from the depths of the passage not far away. The sounds seemed to come through layers of mist, or rise from the depths of the earth with a chilling aura; each impact struck a nerve, making the air in the passage grow ever heavier.

"What do you need us to do?" Aislin took a step forward, his voice calm and composed, unlike when he had just heard the bad news. The shock and fear in his chest had been forcibly suppressed to the deepest part, leaving only a cold and steely determination.

"Support! We need ballistae, spellcasters, and powerful warriors like yourself!" The messenger's voice trembled noticeably with pleading, his breathing rapid as if it might break at any moment. "The situation is dire!"

Aisling nodded heavily, a nod as firm as a resolute decision. He whirled around, his cloak billowing open, facing his silent sea guards, each with a different expression.

He didn't deliver a passionate speech, nor did he make any resounding vows. He simply swept his unwavering gaze over each familiar face—those who had fought alongside him countless times. Then, he nodded emphatically—it was an order, a promise, and their most direct declaration of a vow to the death.

it is more than words.

He suddenly waved his hand, his gesture as clean and swift as a blade cutting through the air, decisively pointing to the side road from which the sounds of battle were coming.

"Turn around! Move forward!"

The heavy iron boots turned sharply at the same time, and more than a hundred naval guards followed behind him without hesitation, their long spears and shields drawing cold lines under the lamplight.

Of course, it was far from enough for him and his Sea Guards to face a threat of the Great Demon level.

The Haiwei he led was no longer a company-level unit, but a hundred-man squad. He was in charge of holding the line. Before this, the company had been broken down into more flexible hundred-man squads, and more squads were currently scattered in other passages to patrol, provide support, and fight.

He must gather his men back as soon as possible.

As Aislin rushed into the passage, a scorching wind hit him, carrying fine dust kicked up by the trembling of the rock strata. However, the scene before him was subtly different from the perilous situation described by the trumpeter.

A well-organized and disciplined 100-man squad from Duruci was building a solid defensive line with almost flawless discipline. The ranks were as tight as cast iron, the soldiers gripped their weapons, their eyes were cold and stern, and they were ready for battle.

Although the roar of battle was deafening, it did not seem to have fully reached this area yet.

However, he did not question or slow down, because in the next instant, he saw the situation further away and the real reason that shook him to his core.

Further ahead of the defensive line, a colossal war hydra was emitting agonizing, tearing hiss. Its massive body writhed and twisted, its numerous heads spewing acid and venomous flames as it fiercely battled a terrifying demon!
He instantly understood why the trumpeter was so panicked. The war hydra was struggling to hold on, almost every strike costing it flesh and blood for a breath of fresh air. Once it fell, this seemingly impenetrable defense would be torn to shreds by the great demon in the blink of an eye!
"quick!"

Aislin let out a low growl, his voice like a thunderclap finally bursting forth after being suppressed for so long. He didn't stop; instead, he suddenly quickened his pace.

When Deputy Centurion Duruch, who was in charge of the rear guard, saw Aislin and Haiwei appear, the tense lines between his brows finally relaxed a little. Immediately, he raised his hand and issued a series of clear and concise commands, as crisp as a blade striking an anvil. The centurion's formation also quickly adjusted in the next instant, making way for the approaching Haiwei.

The Duruch formation, originally arranged in a column, began to move like a precise machine, transforming into a horizontal line. The joints between the black iron armor emitted a low, grinding sound as each soldier slid precisely into their designated position like a gear. When Aislin appeared before the deputy centurion, the Duruch hundred-man unit seemed to draw back a black curtain, making way for the following troops. Their movements were swift and almost elegant, yet concealed a razor-sharp urgency.

Then, the array changed again.

The Fear Spearmen and Dark Swordsmen in the middle and rear quickly turned around, their boots scraping the ground with a crisp thud, facing the Sea Guards who were coming to their aid. Meanwhile, the crossbowmen and ballista crew at the forefront remained motionless, their eyes fixed on the fierce battle between the Hydra and the Great Demon. Their knuckles were white from gripping the crossbow handles, their breaths almost frozen, waiting for the final moment.

This hundred-man squad was clearly well-trained, employing classic tactics against Chaos Impact: ranged firepower positioned forward to weaken the enemy, Dreadspears in the center, and Dark Swordsmen at the rear. Every element seemed ingrained in their very being; any gap in their movements could cause the entire defensive line to crumble in an instant.

The entire scene transition is like the Huarong Road puzzle.

Fortunately, Asur and Duruqi's soldiers were not novices. They made tacit use of every inch of space in the passage, with every empty space being filled by the right person at the right time. Every move was made without any conflict with others. They completed a complex position shift and rendezvous with friendly forces efficiently and silently.

The soft rustling of armor scraping against the rock face, the metallic resonance of weapons clashing, and the commander's low, short commands were all compressed into those few seconds. Throughout the entire process, there was no crowding or chaos, as if both sides were already accustomed to this temporary teamwork.

Just as Asur and the Duruci alliance had finished adjusting their formation, a sudden change occurred at the front!
The three beast tamers, who had been hiding at a relatively safe distance, using their mental links and brutal whippings to control the hydra, collectively felt an extreme fear. Their backs felt like they were being pierced by ice blades, their faces instantly drained of color, their pupils shrank drastically, and almost immediately and without hesitation, they abandoned their precious war beasts and frantically turned and charged back towards their own lines!

They didn't even manage to run a few steps.

Boom! ! !
A deafening roar, as heavy as a collapsing mountain, came from the front of the passage. The dust was shattered into a chaotic cloud of gray mist. With the final, shrill cry of the multi-headed serpent, a mixture of pain and resentment, the massive war beast finally exhausted its last bit of life force and collapsed like a mountain made of flesh and blood.

The massive impact cracked the ground with fine lines, causing the entire passage to tremble violently. Rock debris fell continuously from the top, lights flickered, and a pungent smell of smoke mixed with blood and acid assaulted the senses, causing the soldiers to instinctively turn their heads to the side.

The War Hydra is a mainstay of the Truc army, boasting impressive stats and a robust mechanic. Its thick hide provides terrifying defense; its multiple heads grant it a formidable attack range covering nearly ninety degrees, capable of spewing acid that corrodes metal and flesh, and exhaling venomous flames that scorch the soul.

Its most insidious mechanism is that it won't die unless all its heads are severed simultaneously in a very short time. It can rapidly grow new heads thanks to its powerful regenerative ability, making it practically an unkillable cockroach on the battlefield. The sound of flesh churning and twisting at the severed neck is enough to terrify soldiers who see it for the first time.

When facing conventional infantry, it can often wear down the enemy by relying on its almost shameless endurance, and grind down an entire front until it collapses.

However, even the most powerful creations have their weaknesses...

The Slaanesh Keeper who was facing it seemed to have finally grown tired of this game of whack-a-mole, especially as it sensed more delicious souls surging in from behind. It let out a lazy and mocking chuckle, a sound so soft it was almost like a lover's whisper, yet it sent chills down the spines of everyone who heard it.

The enormous demonic sword, wreathed in malevolent light and seemingly formed from pure desire, easily tore through the hydra's tough scales and thick hide like a hot knife through butter. With precise and cruel strokes, it pierced the hydra's core chest, utterly annihilating its life force! Blood and the smell of charred remains exploded in an instant, spraying onto the stone walls of the passage.

The next moment, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, the elegant yet terrifying guardian effortlessly drew the demonic sword. Blood slid down the blade, dripping onto the ground in eerie patterns.

It didn't even glance at the still convulsing corpse of the giant beast before it. Instead, like a dancer about to take the stage, it gracefully and even with a touch of alluring feline movement, stepped lightly onto the still-warm carcass of the multi-headed serpent. Each step caused the flesh to slightly cave in, producing a teeth-grinding, sticky sound, as if providing background music for its arrival.

It stood on the stage made of blood and flesh, its sinister pinkish-purple gaze sweeping over the billowing smoke and dust as it surveyed the elven army that stood ready in front of it, as if admiring a group of toys that it was about to play with at will.

The slightly raised chin and the slightly curved corners of the mouth revealed an almost pathological sense of superiority and longing.

The enormous and ferocious demonic body, together with the war behemoth that had just fallen beneath its feet, formed a powerful and despairing picture.

"shooting!"

"shooting!"

"shooting!"

The first to let out this distorted roar was the animal tamer; his voice was almost broken, as if he were struggling to squeeze out a cry after being choked by fear.

This shout was like a fuse being lit, and the officers of all ranks of Duruchi and the commanders of Asul immediately reacted. The orders that rose and fell were like a wave of death, instantly sweeping across the entire formation and forcibly suppressing the soldiers' instinctive trembling when facing the Great Demon.

The hysterical shouts awakened the iron discipline!

The next second, a storm of death erupted!
The Reaper Ballista, positioned at the very front and already poised to fire, unleashed a deep and deadly roar! The bolts tore through the air with an extremely sharp whistling sound, their power so great that they seemed capable of carving a deep groove into rock, carrying terrifying kinetic energy straight towards their target!

Then came the rapid, buzzing sound of the Duruci crossbowmen pulling their triggers! The metal parts almost fused together in the high-frequency vibrations, and the sound of the crossbow strings being released formed a continuous stream of sound. A dark mass of crossbow bolts, like a swarm of locusts rising up, poured out! The arrows intertwined and overlapped in mid-air, forming a metal rain curtain that almost covered the ceiling.

Almost at the same time, the Eagle Claw Ballista, which was located in the middle of the formation and was held up by the Duruci with shields, was more powerful and was usually used to fight against heavily armored units, and it also spat out arrows!
Meanwhile, the sea guards behind the crossbowmen strained to draw their longbows. The taut groan of the bowstrings stretched to their limit seemed to herald the impending destruction.

Thousands of arrows fired!

The passageway was instantly filled with a storm of metal and magic, the air seemingly torn to shreds by the rain of arrows. Ordinary crossbow bolts and arrows were indeed like tickles against a demon of the Keeper's caliber, unlikely to inflict fatal wounds. But at such close range, especially with the heavy crossbow bolts and magical arrows fired from ballistae, their power was not to be underestimated!
They are powerful enough to tear through a demon's armor and cause real damage to its essence!
The Guardian, who had just struck a pose, froze instantly, its playful and languid expression gone. Its mind, filled with pleasure and desire, seemed to finally realize that putting on a show on the battlefield comes at a price! It should have first cast a protective spell on itself, or used a magical shockwave to disrupt the enemy's formation! That momentary pose had now become a fatal flaw, and its fading confidence had been extinguished like a bucket of cold water.

But now, it's all too late!
Faced with the oncoming, almost inescapable storm of metal, especially those few magical crossbow bolts that exuded an aura it loathed and were the fastest, the Guardian only had time to let out a low growl mixed with anger and astonishment. Driven by instinct, all the muscles in its body tensed up abruptly, and in haste, it raised the ornately decorated, yet powerfully defensive, round shield on its left forearm, protecting itself in front of it! As its carapace rippled, a trace of anxiety and resentment almost steamed from its body.

Bang! Bang! Clang! Sizzle!
The next instant, the storm of arrows slammed into it!

Don't underestimate the power of crossbows.

Both the Reaper Ballista of Duruci and the Eagle Claw Ballista of Asur are undoubtedly the main output cores of their respective army systems, and are war machines designed specifically to destroy heavily armored targets and giant monsters.

Within this narrow passage where there was no way to detour or dodge, their power was brought to its extreme. Four Reaper Ballistae were erected at the very front like the gateposts of death, their vibrations echoing like the growls of wild beasts. Four Eagle Claw Ballistae were steadily held up in the center of the formation by Duruqi soldiers, forming a three-dimensional death trap with almost no blind spots.

If a demon crab could provide fire support from the top of the tunnel at this moment, the scene would be absolutely perfect.

The crossbow bolts struck the round shield with a dull, drum-like thud, each impact causing the guardian's arm to tremble slightly; the bolts collided with the shield, exploding into chaotic bursts of energy, like deadly sparks blooming before it; while more bolts clanged and clattered against its armor and limbs, either bouncing off or barely embedding themselves, the places where they were driven in even oozing blackish-purple demonic blood.

The ornate round shield was pierced by a heavy crossbow bolt imbued with armor-piercing runes, shattering into countless fragments! The fragments scattered, tracing streaks of purple and black in the air. It tried to parry with its demonic sword, it tried to swing its two claws above, but the attacks from different heights were simply too fast and too dense!

puff!

An arrow from the Eagle Claw crossbow pierced its raised shoulder blade with pinpoint accuracy, the violent clash of energy causing it to roar in pain. That sound tore through its previously languid facade, revealing its true, bestial agony.

Before the roar of pain had even subsided, a crossbow bolt fired from the Reaper's ballista shattered its chest armor like a battering ram, embedding itself deep within! The sound of the armor breaking was like rocks snapping, and demonic blood gushed out along with black smoke.

Fatal blows followed one after another!

The Keeper's massive body trembled violently, as if uncontrolled energy was exploding beneath every shell, with intermittent bursts of energy surging wildly from the gaps within its body. It tried to step back, to retreat behind the multi-headed serpent's corpse, using the massive body as cover, even if only to buy itself a moment's time.

But then came a barrage of crossbow bolts and arrows, like iron nails controlled by some invisible will, attacking from different angles and pinning it firmly in place, making even taking a step back a luxury.

In its eyes, filled with desire and arrogance, an expression of disbelief appeared. Its gaze trembled slightly, a mixture of confusion, fear, and resentment flashing across its face. It, a powerful guardian of secrets, had actually fallen to this…

At this moment, it didn't even have time to be angry; all that remained was the absurd and cruel realization of its own fate.

Finally, with a mournful cry filled with resentment and distortion, the once-mighty Slaanesh collapsed heavily backward, like a mountain toppling. Its massive body landed squarely on the still-warm carcass of the war hydra it had just killed.

The corpses of demons and behemoths lay intertwined, creating a highly ironic, even mocking, static image of the battlefield.

Aisling stopped, and because he was running too fast, he finally managed to stop with a sliding step.

The moment the Keeper stood on the Hydra's corpse, he launched his charge, for he knew that this was the moment for him to step forward!
It was an instinct, an unwavering driving force.

Kledan and the snake-men joined him in the charge.

As Aislin stopped, Kledan also halted, but he quickly stumbled, and the snake-man behind him, unable to stop in time, bumped into him. That momentary collision should have been accompanied by shouts or curses, but Kledan merely steadied himself without uttering a sound of displeasure.

He looked at the Keeper's corpse, and only after confirming that the monster had truly fallen did he turn to look at Aislin.

Aislinn also looked at him.

He could see an almost transparent sense of relief on Aislin's face, a sense of liberation as if a boulder that had been pressing on his heart had finally been lifted.

In that instant, Kledan's shoulders visibly relaxed, and he subconsciously exhaled, as if only now could he truly breathe.

A deathly silence lingered for several seconds in the passageway, as if the air itself had frozen between the two enormous corpses.

Then, bursts of suppressed cheers, as if they had survived a catastrophe, erupted from different corners! Some people were just panting heavily, while others let out hoarse roars, the ecstasy of being pulled back from the brink of death.

But these cheers lasted only a short time before a new enemy appeared.
-

"Ok?"

"what happened?"

"There's a strange feeling..."

When Malekith saw Darkus looking at him, he frowned slightly and then shook his head. The feeling was strange, as if some being had glanced at him through a veil of time and space, and then quietly retreated. It came quickly and disappeared just as quickly, so much so that he didn't even have time to catch a trace of the lingering emotion.

After ignoring the fleeting, eerie feeling, he said in a deep voice.

"Let me check on the condition of the shelter!"

As Dakous nodded, Malekith had already closed his eyes.

Dakotas didn't look at him anymore; he knew that Malekith had entered a state of searching, a fragile state that required absolute focus.

He turned to look around, and as the saying goes, fish seek fish, shrimp seek shrimp... (End of Chapter)