The strength of the great demon of chaos is not stable because the winds of chaos in the main material world are unstable. However, these terrifying creatures are still formidable. The great demon before us possesses at least the strength of a holy realm, cutting down the ranger knights in swathes. Its existence is the link between the main material world and the domain of filth. If it's not defeated, the knights will ultimately fail.
"Regroup, for the lady!" Following Ryan's suggestion, Morgianna immediately reorganized the troops. The presence of the Lady of the Lake witch inspired the knights, bolstering their morale and firm resolve. The knights chose to retreat first, gathering around Morgianna.
A quick tally revealed fewer than seven hundred knights remained on the battlefield.
Under Morgianna's command, the knights quickly and eagerly reassembled. Despite the severe battle they had faced, their armors still shone, and the crests on their cloaks and shields remained symbols of honor. Despite the heavy losses, no knight proposed retreat nor showed fear. They sang praises to the Lady of the Lake, offering their loyalty and even their lives.
They alone possessed the resolve to confront chaos, the arch-enemy of disorder.
"Advance, Grail Knights, champions of the lady! I will use magic to aid you. May the lady's radiance illuminate your path." Morgianna cast several spells on the Grail Knights, including Lancel, who had returned to the frontline on an elven steed.
The horn sounded again, signaling the knights to form up. The divine arts of the Lake Seers aided the knights in battle, quickly healing and hardening their wounds. A light melody circulated in their minds, dispelling mental fatigue and fear, and bolstering the knights' strength.
In the distance, under the Lake Seers' spellcasting, a dense fog filled with spirits appeared, covering the filth demon army's troops. The powerful force within the fog hindered the advance of the filth demons.
The chaotic nature of the demon army's command was exposed to the knights. Even the great demon of chaos struggled to effectively command the discordant chaos demons and warriors, ensuring they did not turn on each other and marched in a unified direction was already a challenge. This war lacked the leadership of a chaos god's chosen champion, giving the knights an opportunity.
They would face the great demon of chaos head-on.
"Advance! Knights of the lady, face the darkness. The lady's grace is eternal, for victory!" Morgianna's piercing voice inspired fear and awe among the knights. In this land, knights could defy the king's command, lords could battle each other for territory, but no one would defy the command of the Lake Witch, for she was the symbol of the lady. Her orders were the lady's commands. When kings could not resolve disputes between lords or dukes, the Lake Witch would mediate. The knights did not question her orders.
"For victory!" The knights' morale soared. Overcoming their fatigue and injuries, they took up new lances from their squires, and those without lances fought with sword and shield.
The warhorses neighed, their charge thunderous, as the knights charged once again.
"For the lady!"
"For Britannia!"
"For the Lady!"
The knights' assault swept across the plains like a raging wave. Grail Knights and White Wolf Knights charged together, their lances bearing the lady's blessing and immense hatred piercing through the chests of chaos warriors and the bodies of chaos demons. Swords aflame cut through their fragile bodies, leaving behind only screams of agony and angry howls.
The great filth demon, the master of decay, positioned itself in the middle of the filth demon army. This terrifying creature watched with a mocking smile as the knights charged toward it. Far from retreating, it charged toward the remaining knights.
From the mist, chaos knights clad in full iron armor, even their warhorses donned in complete iron barding, emerged.
The knights of Britannia had faced many foes, defeating undead zombie hordes and rampaging green-skin armies time and again. They fought with iron will and cold steel against wave after wave of invaders, fearlessly battling giant monsters and twisted abominations to protect the lady's lands. Yet, even the most battle-hardened generals felt their stoic hearts shatter at the sight of chaos knights charging out of the mist.
These towering monstrous figures rode incredibly powerful chaos steeds, both knight and mount covered in the thickest plate armor, each piece forged by a demonic master blacksmith. The chaos knights wielded serrated swords designed to tear through flesh or even more terrifyingly large lances.
Regardless of the shape of these evilly inscribed weapons, they were enchanted for slaughter and perpetually engulfed in dark flames. Each chaos knight was an exemplar in the legion of chaos, having walked the cursed path for years while still devoutly worshipping the dark gods.
Over thirty chaos knights formed up, charging into the knights' ranks like the iron fist of a malevolent god.
"For the lady!" The knights of Britannia did not falter, rallying their courage under the lead of the Grail Knights.
A fierce clash ensued, with sword clashing against sword, lances piercing through armor, and warhorses neighing in the tumult. Knights fell from their mounts, the fallen continuing to fight with swords, slashing through chaos knights as evil weapons pierced their flesh.
Despite the numerical superiority of the knights, the thirty-plus chaos knights were overwhelmed by the hundreds in their ranks, Britannia losing over fifty knights in the process.
The sacrifice of the chaos knights was not in vain. Aside from the Grail Knights and White Wolf Knights at the forefront, most knights were forced to slow down. Chaos warriors and god-chosen warriors from all directions charged at them, the knights dispersing to battle these devotees of the dark gods.
"Advance!" The remaining dozen Grail Knights and several dozen White Wolf and Cheetah Knights charged toward the location of the great demon of chaos. The Grail Knights vowed to eliminate this evil incarnation and dedicate their victory to their lady.
"Ha!" Ryan's warhammer fell, one chaos warrior after another perished under its weight. He kicked a chaos god-chosen warrior in the face, his sturdy warhammer blocking a scorching halberd from the side. Dodging a sneaky lance, the Goddess of Vengeance was unsheathed, two chaos warriors falling to her blade.
In the midst of battle, the Elector Count Boris of the White Wolves felt his Elector Count's holy sword resonate as if something was harmonizing with it.
But he had no time to ponder as the great filth demon made its move.
"Mortals, die!" The master of decay swung its massive sword, cutting down a White Wolf Knight and three chaos warriors in a single stroke.
"Scatter!" Grail Knight Commander Eugene shouted to the charging Grail Knights. Ryan and Lancel, fighting nearby on horseback against the filth demon army, nodded. The Grail Knights attempted to spread out to find an opening.
"Annoying, die!" The master of decay noticed Commander Eugene giving orders and immediately pulled out a rust-covered iron chain from its slit belly and greasy intestines. Its thick hand grasped the chain, the front of which was adorned with several skulls.
The long chain was thrown with incredible precision at Commander Eugene, and even the legendary high-ranking Grail Knight could not avoid it. Eugene's body was entangled by the chain, and with a scream, he was flung away. Under the control of the great filth demon, he crashed into two charging Grail Knights, sending them tumbling. The master of decay swung the chain, hurling three Grail Knights into the air, sending them flying into the distance.
"Gangrene missile!" Following that, the master of decay extended its huge hand, conjuring a corrosive energy orb out of thin air, which emitted a decayed light over the battlefield. It slightly directed the orb towards Ryan and Lancel's position, exploding in front of Ryan.
The explosion's shockwave flipped Ryan and his elven warhorse, Grape, along with the nearby Duke Lancel of Connacht. The two Grail Knights immediately found themselves surrounded by numerous chaos warriors.
"Ugh!" The master of decay prepared to cast another spell when a brave Grail Knight, chanting the name of the Lady of the Lake, struck a gash on the demon's thick leg with his blade enchanted with magical damage.
Even the great filth demon felt the bone-deep pain from a Grail Knight's attack. It roared in anger, smashing the knight and his mount into the ground with a punch, then grabbed the knight, intending to tear him to pieces.
"Yrden Lightning Arrow!" Morgianna's magic arrived just in time, hitting the great filth demon's arm with precise Lake Witch magic. The force of the lightning exploded across the demon's rotund arm.
To no avail, the great filth demon's actions merely paused momentarily. Morgianna's face paled, realizing her magical power was depleted. Since setting out, she had done too much, and now her reserves were empty.
"For Yurick!"
At that moment, a loud roar came from behind the great filth demon. The Elector Count's holy sword pierced the demon's body from behind, its divine energy causing the demon to scream in agony, and the Grail Knight fell to the ground.
"It is you, despicable human!" The great filth demon clumsily turned around, roaring at the Elector Count, spewing a large amount of bile.
"In the name of Yurick, we shall not retreat!" The Elector Count, Boris, dodged the thick bile on horseback. His holy sword, the Devourer of Legs, blazed with a pale flame. With another strike, the great filth demon howled in real pain.
Boris circled around, exploiting the demon's cumbersome movements, moving around it while slashing, cutting, and stabbing, leaving several wounds on the demon's body that oozed pus and blood, unable to heal: "Die, scum!"
"Die, mortal!" The master of decay, now truly enraged, swung its giant sword down at Boris.
Despite being only human, Boris had long proven his capability through courage, will, and belief. His swordsmanship was skilled, honed through years of battling beastmen, learning tactics to combat larger foes.
His sword cut through the demon's belly at lightning speed, slicing open intestines as if they were paper. Boris's feint forced the great filth demon to halt its attack, risking injuring itself first.
Seizing this rare opportunity, Boris swiftly made a cutting strike at the demon's wrist, leaving a mark. The pain not only halted the demon's assault but also exposed it to attacks from other Grail Knights. Three Grail Knights' blades pierced its flesh.
"Argh!" The master of decay let out a terrifying roar, its slow and bloated body suddenly erupting with immense energy. Its bumpy hands smashed into the ground, shaking the earth. Injured at the wrist, the great filth demon used its shoulder to sweep away three Grail Knights, then hurled a chain at Boris, knocking him off his horse with its heavy force before its giant sword descended from the sky.
Boris rolled away just in time, seeing his beloved horse split in two. He cried out, then, with red eyes, raised his holy sword.
The blade sliced upward, opening the great filth demon's chest.
The pain made the master of decay retreat, but then it laughed.
"You know nothing of the Father's power!"
"What?" Boris looked up in disbelief, then witnessed an unforgettable scene.
Huge volumes of yellow-green poisonous fog billowed crazily from the master of decay's body. Several knights involved in the assault were immediately hit directly by the fog.
The affected White Wolf and Cheetah Knights froze instantly. Under the toxic fog's spray, these knights dissolved into pus without even a chance to utter last words.
Only the Grail Knights, blessed by the Lady of the Lake, could resist the fog, but even they were severely affected. Once invulnerable to disease, they now coughed and struggled to see, their equally protected mounts fleeing, carrying them away from this dreadful place.
Boris's protective amulet shone brightly, aiding him against the toxic assault. In a blink, cracks appeared in the amulet's gem. Realizing the dire situation, he instinctively ran backward, trying to escape death.
"Ugh, foolish mortals! Ha!" The master of decay stepped heavily toward Boris: "You cannot resist the Father's power. Enjoy the Father's gift!"
"Think again!" Out of the toxic fog, a young voice sounded. He leaped high, his golden griffin warhammer crashing down on the great filth demon's skull: "Skull Crush!"
"Ah!" The master of decay screamed as its head was struck by the warhammer. Instinctively, the demon slapped the attacker away, sending him flying like a kite without a string, tumbling several times upon landing.
"Aren't you afraid of my poison?" The great filth demon's tone was filled with surprise and disbelief as it looked at the Grail Knight lying on the ground.
"A person... cannot be without faith." Ryan, lying on the ground, struggled to his feet.
The chosen champion's face was fierce, covered in mud and dust, his cloak torn like a rag, but none of these could hide the madness and determination in his eyes. Using his long sword for support, Ryan slowly stood up. The Goddess of Vengeance burned with white flames, seemingly unaffected by the deadly poison fog.
"Your opponent is me!" Ryan raised the Goddess of Vengeance, charging at the master of decay.
"Then come, human!"
The update reveals the formidable combat power of the great demon of chaos. These beings are not so much the underlings of the dark gods as they are parts of the gods themselves.
___________________
(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)
If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT