Blue Lightning, Red Flames (1)
Savage monsters were about to descend upon Maherith, the capital of the elves.
Beasts that had survived the brutal law of the jungle in barren wilds would ravage the elves' city. Not only the thousands-strong horde of monsters, but even the evil dragons from Cordoba and Salamanca would join the surprise assault on the capital, turning the city—built up over centuries by the elves—into a sea of flames.
Right in front of countless elves, everything they had built would be denied and destroyed. That would be Sabnack's ultimate revenge against the elves.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had endured endless years of hardship solely for this day.
Sabnack wore an expression swollen with anticipation as she awaited the good news.
"Sabel."
"Yes, Your Highness. You called for me?"
"It's time to show these elves hell. Hurry and display Maherith's situation."
"Understood."
The undead mage appeared beside Sabnack amid swirling black shadows.
The elf warrior captains tensed up sharply, but the undead mage paid them no mind and conjured a massive crystal in midair.
The crystal, reflecting objects like a mirror, soon projected the scene in Maherith.
Being so large, even the elf warrior captains around Sabnack could all see it clearly.
"Hahat!"
Sabnack, eagerly anticipating the tragedy about to unfold in the elves' capital, broke into a childlike grin of excitement.
She stared piercingly into the crystal, intent on etching the horrific slaughter in Maherith—the elves' screams and despair—into her mind.
About five minutes had passed since the forced teleportation magic circle deployed over Maherith's skies.
Then, the thousands of monsters began plummeting down all at once.
As the ferocious, savage beasts revealed themselves, Sabnack looked ready to clap in delight.
"M-monsters!"
"Does that mean the thing appearing over Maherith is a summoning circle drawing in a massive monster horde?!"
The elf warrior captains couldn't hide their shock at the sight of monsters being summoned endlessly over Maherith's skies, almost infinite in number.
They wanted to deny it. They yearned to believe the horrors reflected in that crystal were mere illusions, a fantasy fabricated by that vile Demon King to deceive them.
But they all knew the Demon King wouldn't bother showing them Maherith's scene just for some cheap trick.
Still, they desperately tried to deny it because they didn't want to believe.
But reality was merciless.
It offered no mercy to let them avert their eyes elsewhere.
"Uh... huh?"
A twitch ran across Sabnack's face, which had been beaming with eager anticipation.
The lead monsters, plummeting like an advance guard, had smashed into Maherith's rooftops and died on impact.
The infamous saber-toothed tigers, known for their ferocity and bravery, became nothing but bloody chunks without even fighting.
That's when the unease began.
But Sabnack muttered, "Cordoba must be running a bit late," brushing it off as no big deal.
With a legion of thousands of monsters right there, what was there to worry about?
She believed her loyal lich would soon emerge from the summoning circle and use anti-gravity magic to control the falling monsters.
-GROOAAARRGH!!
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
All she could see was red splatters bursting one after another like paint.
After watching the monsters' absurd self-massacre for a full ten minutes, Sabnack realized something had gone wrong with Cordoba.
Otherwise, that cautious lich would never commit such a ridiculous blunder.
"Sabel! Contact Cordoba immediately!"
"Understood, Your Highness."
The undead mage melted into the black shadows and vanished.
Sabnack ground her teeth.
With eyes blazing fury, she swung her rusty sword and shattered the crystal.
Not satisfied with smashing it to pieces in one blow, she stomped the fragments mercilessly.
A dangerous ghostly aura flickered in Sabnack's red eyes.
She had finally been thrilled at the prospect of raining hellish despair on the elves, but her thousands-strong monster legion had all perished pathetically from "fall damage."
Sabnack felt the worst humiliation since her defeat at El Seed's hands.
"Grrrrraaahhh, grraaaaaaaaahhh!!!"
Sabnack let out a mighty roar.
Bat-like black wings unfurled from her back.
Her reddened eyes evoked sulfurous hellfire, and her twisted face resembled a wrathful demon.
Sabnack vented her rage.
The Demon King, having her long-awaited moment snatched away, screamed that she would hunt down the culprit who ruined this operation and tear them limb from limb.
"Damn it! Damn yoooouuuu!!!"
Sabnack bellowed, swinging her rusty sword.
The encircling warrior captains were all swept away at once.
The storm unleashed by a single sword wielded such immense power it affected the entire battlefield.
Was this the might of a sword? Without any special force, just a swing created a disaster-grade tempest.
The sword's shockwave reached not only the elf forces but even the Demon King Army beyond them.
"Was it you lot?!"
Sabnack assumed the elf warrior captains were responsible for turning her plan to dust.
She guessed it was some absent warrior captain who did it.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have suffered like this.
While these captains held her back, another must have slain Cordoba and Salamanca's evil dragon, foiling the plan.
No, there's no way Elf Kingdom has someone strong enough to take on both Cordoba and Salamanca's evil dragon at once... unless El Seed broke the covenant and intervened personally...!!
Salamanca's evil dragon, cursed by the Dragon Lord though it was, had gained infamy devouring three thousand elves.
Cordoba was no different. Even before becoming a lich, it had conducted gruesome experiments on thousands of death-row prisoners under the tyrant's command. As a lich, it wrought all manner of vile sorceries and spells under the Demon King Army's banner.
No way riffraff could defeat an evil dragon and a lich.
Sabnack was convinced of that.
"You bastards... where is the Diablo Slayer right now?"
Sabnack's sharp instincts pointed to the absent powerhouse: the Diablo Slayer.
It made sense if the Diablo Slayer had stepped in personally. Even top-tier Demon King Army elites like the lich and evil dragon stood no chance against the one who felled Agares.
"Even if we knew, we wouldn't tell you, Sabnack!"
Ardena replied, her sword lowered, drawing on mana from the White Lily Scale to heal her wounds.
Regaining the strength to stand, Ardena glared fiercely at Sabnack, her battle intent unyielding—like a cold blade that would shatter before bending.
Armed with noble pride and resolve, the high elf warrior captain faced the Demon King head-on.
"Sabnack!"
"We don't know what happened, but your wicked plan is over!"
Warrior captains charged from all sides, weapons swinging.
Crunch.
Sabnack ground her teeth.
Her plan in ruins, no word from her minions. Her eyes blazed with red ghostly fury.
Clutching her rusty sword with both hands, she swung with full force, demonstrating the essence of merciless violence to the warrior captains.
"You damnable wretches! I'll slaughter every one of you here, then kill the Diablo Slayer!"
The red Demon King roared in fury, hoisting her rusty sword high.
Her demonic wings flapped.
A pressure befitting the lord of demons spread outward, crushing everything around her.
The elf warrior captains attacked in waves, but none landed a hit on Sabnack.
Failed attackers were counterstruck and forced to their knees.
"Tell me about the Diablo Slayer! Where is he now...? Speak!"
Sabnack pinned Ardena with her rusty sword, bellowing.
Ardena barely blocked with her own sword, but it was hopeless odds.
Enraged and irrational, Sabnack unleashed unbelievable strength from her diminutive frame.
With each harsh clash of metal, Ardena's arms were slowly pressed downward.
"I can't say...!"
"Then I'll start by severing your right arm and ask again."
Sabnack swung her rusty sword wildly, slamming Ardena to the ground.
She raised it again to sever Ardena's arm.
The high elf warrior captain's arm—for future amusement, Sabnack had planned to spare her, but now rage had stripped her reason.
Her cherished minions might have fallen. It was only natural for Sabnack, who doted on her subordinates, to fly into a frenzy.
"Even with one arm, I can still avenge...!"
The Demon King muttered, bringing her rusty sword down.
At that instant, sharp retribution struck the Demon King.
A fierce yet brutal, keen yet heavy impact wrapped around her entire body.
"Begone from up there, Demon King."
Thunderclap Eight Forms: High-Speed Draw Sword - Thunder Flight
Lightning-fast—no, faster than lightning—the incoming sword strike sent Sabnack atop Ardena flying far away.
Despite the sudden blow, Sabnack blocked with her rusty sword.
But stunned by the force that hurled her back in one hit, she wore a dazed expression.
Ferocious bolts of lightning raged.
Even the surrounding flames were extinguished in a single sweep.
"You're... the Diablo Slayer?"
Sabnack ground her teeth, rubbing her arms alternately.
Blocking the sudden strike without prep had strained them badly.
Yet Sabnack remained unscathed. Her red coat was merely singed by the lightning cascade; no wounds marred her body.
She simply lowered her rusty sword and glared fiercely at the new enemy who had entered the fray.
Sparks erupted along the straight-line path where the Diablo Slayer had charged.
It showed just how fast he had dashed from Maherith to the front lines.
"Yushin..."
Ardena, who had collapsed on the ground, pushed herself up.
Her eyes widened as she gazed at Yushin.
He wore pitch-black armor and a helmet that hid his face, but the lightning crackling around him confirmed his identity.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Ardena shook her head at his words.
"No, you're not late at all. Thank you so much for coming, Yushin."
She looked ready to collapse any second.
But still, Ardena forced a smile for Yushin.
I'm fine. That was the message.
And gratitude to Yushin, who had joined the war to fight the Demon King.
"Elves, fall back."
As soon as Yushin spoke, blue thunderbolts poured relentlessly from the sky.
Sabnack retreated briefly, assuming they targeted her.
But the bolts ultimately struck where Yushin stood.
Blue lightning hammered down continuously, mercilessly pummeling Yushin in his dragon-scale armor.
BOOOOM! RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!!
Resonating with the lightning, the armor's form began to shift.
The pitch-black armor took on a blue hue.
"Bio-armor, huh... First time seeing it."
Sabnack clicked her tongue at the armor morphing into something dragon-like.
The Demon King swung her sword.
Kicking off the ground, she charged.
Yushin responded in kind, swinging his blade.
Blue lightning and red flames.
The two colors began filling the battlefield.