This was a terrifying demon, its massive form emanating an overwhelming aura. Its lower body twisted like a giant snake, covered in dark brown markings, its scales gleaming eerily in the dim light. Its upper body took on a twisted humanoid form, with two exceptionally long arms reaching to the ground, their fingertips radiating sharp black claws. Most terrifying of all was its immense head—a pitch-black maw studded with jagged fangs, two particularly striking fangs gleaming with a faint green glow. Its pale eyes, hollow and devoid of irises or pupils, seemed to pierce the soul.

The demons could not directly fall into Silvermoon City and were isolated outside - so the reinforcements simply teleported to ultra-high altitude to avoid the maze, and then used a dive to force their way into the battlefield!

"...Damn it." Emiya muttered softly.

A step too slow, or perhaps the devil came too fast.

The visitor is Mammon, the lord of the third layer of hell.

Gracia's ex-husband.

Mammon.

Chapter 85: Hunting for Gracia (Part 2)

An extremely, extremely dangerous signal.

When Emilia saw the monster with a human body and a snake head falling from the sky, her heart began to beat violently.

Even though the war had already begun, they still could not confirm a crucial piece of information: How determined was the devil to fight this war?

Asmodeus spoke passionately, but no one on the Emya side took him seriously. It was more of a mobilization than a declaration.

The declaration was addressed to the enemy, while the mobilization was addressed to the allies. No matter how murderous his words were, the actual action might very well be to turn around and run away.

Gracia's appearance is not enough to explain the problem, because the Princess of Nine Hells herself is very restless and it is entirely possible that she will participate in this peace talk which may not involve a big fight.

——But the appearance of Mammon, if you think about it carefully, will only bring horror.

The vast majority of Devil Dukes never leave their palaces. This could happen for many reasons, but the result remains the same: with the exception of Vanguard Marshals like Zariel, who personally kill people, the vast majority of Devil Dukes remain steadfastly within their own planes, or even within their palaces. This way, they avoid the suspicion of Asmodeus and are less vulnerable to harm from ambitious individuals within their own ranks.

And Mammon is even the one with the worst popularity among the Nine Hells.

The biggest characteristic of this third-level devil lord is greed and love of money.

Other demons are equally greedy, but Mammon stands out among them: he is both greedy and cowardly, and he is also notorious for his poor supervision of his subordinates.

The most typical example of his poor discipline of his subordinates is that he once had an extremely outstanding vanguard general, but this general casually jumped ship without receiving any punishment, and then rose to prominence.

This general is called Bayer, the current commander of the Devil's Material Plane.

This is a character that should never appear in a Grand Duke, and it is a character that should never appear in a pioneer.

And such a grand duke appeared on the front line of the battlefield.

——He is definitely not the first, nor will he be the only Devil Duke to appear in the material plane!

Everything points to the same result: the devil finally lost all his strength and decided to bet everything.

Emiya, one of the key drivers who pushed the devil to this point, sighed.

The scale of this war will be unprecedented, and its results will likely only become fully apparent in the distant future.

The speeding airship slowly turned mid-air, drawing a perfect arc across the sky. The silver lightning, which had already charged into the group of demons, suddenly changed direction, ripping through the body of another lust demon before returning to the airship.

Now, there is only one minute left for the demons to leave the Silver Moon Mystic Lock. With the help of the magic net, Emiya can even clearly see the boundaries of the Mystic Lock and the high-speed moving

The devil's formation was already in ruins, but the devil's army that had just descended immediately filled the gap.

The personal guards brought by Mammon are even more elite than Gracia.

"...Now, we have to think about it." Looking at Xinbu who had transformed back into human form, Emiya's face darkened, "Should we let them go?"

Now, they didn't even have time to discuss. If they couldn't capture them alive within a minute, then there was no point in fighting this battle: since Asmodeus had already given it his all, he was obviously capable of resurrecting his recently deceased daughter and former son-in-law.

Admittedly, such casualties might not be completely harmless to Asmodeus, but with the three of them directly attacking two legions and two grand dukes, the chances of winning cannot be said to be very small, but the risk is not zero.

Is it really necessary to risk your strongest trump cards in a war of attrition? Emiya thinks it's not worth it.

All Emiya could say was, "I think we could try to attack Cormier instead."

"But I don't want to retreat." Xinbu said bluntly, "You should still remember how and where you rescued me."

Emilia was speechless.

Xinbu had been a captive of the devil for years. Not to mention the humiliation and torture, she had undoubtedly endured countless experiments. Even though her limited intelligence at the time prevented her from remembering clearly, the raging rage against the devil remained etched in her body.

——Xinbu was willing to speak and explain instead of attacking again immediately, which was already a sign that the Witch King gave him enough face.

"If you want me to stop, I can listen to you this time," Xinbu said. "I owe you this. But I've always had a bad temper, and I can't always endure it successfully."

Emiya felt like the veins in her head were about to pop out.

dilemma!

-----------------

Mammon is Gracia's ex-husband.

Gracia was a rare beauty, whether among demons or mortals. Mammon, on the other hand, was considered hideous even among demons. His python-like, fleshy body was far from muscular.

However, their separation was not voluntary, but was forced upon them by Asmodeus himself. The story behind this is another story, but regardless, the relationship between the two was not as awkward as that of a truly separated couple, instead retaining a touch of warmth and openness not usually found between Grand Dukes.

Therefore, all kinds of strange problems will arise.

"You're not leaving?! Why?" Mammon, who was originally preparing to take Gracia away, felt like a bolt from the blue.

Gracia, who had just escaped death, didn't want to leave.

"Including this time, I've already suffered two crushing defeats in a row." Gracia gritted her teeth and whispered, "You should be aware that my father has become that all-knowing One, openly claiming to be Mystra—so, after a resounding victory, if not all of these seven sisters died on the battlefield, and some of them survived...?"

Mammon is not a fool. On the contrary, he has a bad reputation in the Nine Hells precisely because he is too materialistic.

Gracia's transcendent status in the Nine Hells is because Asmodeus was previously only the master of the Nine Hells, and he only has one daughter, Gracia.

If Asmodeus really captured Feren... then Gracia's status might actually become lower.

All the reasons for her favor would be severely devalued because of this - she could not do nothing in the midst of a war.

"Couldn't you choose a better time?" Mammon looked warily at the airship patrolling in the distance.

Based on his observations, even if Emiya and his group wanted to run, they would not be able to catch up.

It was obvious that Emiya and his group didn't want to leave either.

"I don't think there's a better time than now. What more could you ask for?" Gracia said slowly. "The entire Nine Hells is before them, and they're surrounded and alone, with nowhere to escape?"

Now, the three powerful kings were also within the mythal's range, unable to teleport away immediately. If a threat approached, they would lack the most crucial means of escape. This was truly the mage's most vulnerable moment.

At the same time, they did not bring any followers or guards, and had no subordinates to cover them in an emergency.

Mammon realized that Gracia was right: in this war, the most likely time to kill the opposing high-level officials was precisely when such high-level combat forces came into close combat.

At any other time, the disparity in power would simply force the opponent to withdraw from the battlefield. The multiverse is so vast that if someone tried to escape, it would be impossible to pursue them.

"You have to think it over carefully." Mammon took a breath.

Conversely, the time when they have the best chance of killing the other party is also the time when they are most likely to fail.

"Then let's go." Mammon didn't think for long, because his situation was actually very similar to Gracia's.

He originally had an awkward position in the Nine Hells. Now, the devil has not yet conquered Faerun, and his former subordinate Bayer has already become the commander-in-chief of the material plane.

By then, the devil's power will have further expanded, and he will have accomplished nothing...

"Then let's fight to the death!" Mammon gritted his teeth, raised his head and let out a loud scream.

At almost the same moment, at the bow of the flying ship not far away, the Pegasus also let out a clear neigh.

This creature from heaven resolutely spread its wings at the bow of the airship and roared towards an entire legion.

Just one person and one horse.

Seeing this scene, even the cautious and even cowardly Mammon felt his blood rushing to his head.

On their side, they had two Devil Dukes! They even had nearly ten Hellfire Demons! Their personal guards, when traveling, were truly luxurious.

And Apodel Adrian actually started charging in this direction with a sword in hand!

The flying ship began to turn its bow and ruthlessly exposed the black muzzle of its gun.

It was clear that both sides had made up their minds.

"Then follow me!" said Mammon.

Coincidentally, Mammon happened to be one of the few Grand Dukes who favored fighting. Apodel was also notorious among the devils. If there was no one skilled in frontal combat to stop Apodel, this battle would be unnecessary.

Mammon himself cannot fly, and his body, which is as huge as a mountain, does not have wings to support it.

However, as the most greedy and therefore possibly the richest duke in the Nine Hells, he naturally has plenty of ways.

Then the Grand Duke stroked the ring on his thick knuckles.

Then, the slender and pure wings of the Seraph God's Servant grew out from behind him.

The Ring of the Seraphim, a weapon that grants the user the same flying ability as the Seraphim, is the perfect aid for a creature like Mammon that lacks mobility.

The broad wings vibrated in the air, the abnormally bloated body stretched out in the sky, and Mammon's iconic cold iron short spear finally shone in the air.

The so-called short spear was only in Mammon's hand - it was still a huge object like a stone pillar.

The Devil's Legion has also transformed into an offensive formation.

The demons scattered in the air like flowers, with countless arrows on bowstrings.

The crystal forged in the sulfurous fire of hell and produced by the most meticulous enchantment of the craftsmen streaked across the sky like a meteor, shielding Mammon and the Hell Demon who were also rushing forward, and blocked Apodel's way.

And in the rain of arrows, there were even the most powerful and rarest magic-breaking arrows.

A series of dark green light shields instantly bloomed in front of Apodel.

These arrows, capable of releasing an anti-magic field, are the nightmare of all spellcasters, powerful enough to suppress all magical items on the target.

Without magical support, mortals could never fight a true demon. The gap in physical strength was an insurmountable chasm. Courage alone could never bridge this gap.

Generally speaking, just the first wave of arrows is enough to suppress the target.

However, Apodel's mount was a Pegasus he had personally summoned from the Material Plane through Mount Celestial, not an extension of a paladin's magic. So, before the succubus' astonished gaze, Apodel simply swung his greatsword through the air, deflecting most of the arrows. Then, the paladin, atop the Pegasus, charged headlong toward Mammon without slowing down.

Simply because he was not the only one present.

Before the succubus fired the second wave of arrows, the muzzles of the airship let out a deafening roar, causing the entire huge ship to tilt severely to the other side.

The pitch-black shell left the barrel with a whistling sound, quickly passed over Apodel and even Mammon's head, and flew right into the center of the group of succubus.

"boom!"

Under the horrified gaze of the succubus, the shells exploded, sending countless fragments soaked in holy water scattering from them. Having already witnessed the power of these destructive creatures in the hazy realm, the succubus were thrown into chaos, their once tight formation falling apart.

As a result, there was no longer any obstacle on Apodale's route.

Meanwhile, Xinbu, from afar on the boat, pointed a finger in Mammon's direction. "... You actually dared to charge towards me. Well, I won't be polite then."

Emilia silently walked to the other gun barrel that had already been loaded and said, "As you wish."

In his eyes, Xinbu, who had four or five or even more sequence spells hanging all over his body, was much more dangerous than a cannon loaded with elemental amber.

Eighty-six Hunting for Gracia (Part 3)

Where is the line between mortals and gods, angels, and demons?

The answer to this question determines the outcome of this battle.

And Apodale's answer is simple.

That boundary never existed.

The real boundary is always power itself, not bloodline or identity.

Therefore, when facing the python that was like a giant dragon, he and his Pegasus didn't even have any intention of slowing down.

Even if the enemy in front of him is a powerful enemy that is almost impossible to appear on the continent of Faerun.

The devil Duke Mammon, who specializes in hand-to-hand combat, is swooping down on him with nearly ten powerful hellish demons. The strong sulfur stench on the demons is sweeping towards him with the same ferocity.

Apodel never considered himself invincible, but his greatest enemy was always the Blood of Bhaal within him. Because of this, the closest he had come to death over the years was still the ambush at Baldur's Gate.

If Team Emiya hadn't intervened, he would have died there—and even dragged his students and lover into hell.

But unfortunately, the opportunity to kill the first paladin of Faerun was fleeting. Now, the door to ambushing him with the same method was almost completely closed.

"Devil, I miss you so much." Apodel laughed heartily at the Hell Demon in the biting cold wind. "You're just charging at me like that? Aren't you going to cast any spells?"

The power of a paladin increases step by step.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like