Chapter 232 - The Ashen Isle ( Part 4)

The delay lasted only a couple of seconds.

Suddenly, the biggest of demonic ships came to life. The deck was filled with armored soldiers, robes of mages, monstrous beasts that strained to break free from their chains. The air above the ship was charged with magic, and crimson symbols upon its hull flared up brightly.

"ATTACK!"

The cry of command resounded across the ocean like thunder. It echoed on the waters, rebounded from the ancient ruins and smashed into Ashen Isle with the force of an avalanche.

Magic circles started to flare on the decks. Black fires erupted from the ships, ascending into the sky in the form of reverse meteors. Heat from the fires reached the island long before the soldiers—washed over Jennie’s face like the breath of the dying star.

Hundreds of demonic soldiers leaped from the decks and descended toward Ashen Isle. Some of them had wings—black, leather-like wings that beat against the air. Some of them rode monstrous beasts—creatures of shadow and claws. Some simply fell from the sky—surrounded by demonic magic.

They were the first wave.

Jennie observed how they were descending. Her silver-white hair whirled around her face, and golden eyes tracked every move of those creatures—every wing flap, every falling soldier, every spell being cast.

Her expression was calm.

"They’re here."

Rudy clenched her dagger tightly. Her knuckles whitened and her jaw locked.

Snow lowered his head. His nine tails spread out behind his back, and icy crystals started forming along his spine.

In the next second, the sky above Ashen Isle turned black.

Hundreds of demons descended toward them.

Jennie raised Excalibur. The golden blade flared, illuminating the darkness.

"Tempest."

The Divine Sword of Storms responded.

White lightning burst from the blade. Clouds above the island churned and roiled, twisting violently. Thunder boomed, and the air started to crackle with power.

A massive lightning bolt descended.

BOOOOOOM!

Lightning hit the ground. Everything around them disappeared in the flare of silver. The impact created shock waves that threw dozens of demons backwards. Others were blasted out of the sky, and some of them tumbled towards black sands, still burning from their wings.

Shock waves shattered dead trees and black sands flew all over the island, like a storm of obsidian shards.

Rudy shielded her face from the falling debris. Her voice sounded dry.

"That’s one way to welcome your guests."

Jennie did not respond. She was already in action.

Her body turned into streak of silver-white. She moved through the air like a meteorite—trajectory was impossible to track. Demons descending to her barely had time to notice her presence before she appeared right under them.

She appeared under one of them, Excalibur flaring. Single strike—the weapon of the demon broke in half. Jennie twisted in the air and kicked the creature aside instead of killing it. The demon tumbled through the air, crushing into two of its fellows.

Another demon tried to hit her from behind. Tempest appeared in her hand, and lightning exploded. The demon was thrown across the battlefield, leaving smoke trails from its armor.

Jennie landed on the black sands. Three more demons charged at her.

She did not step back. She went forward.

Excalibur sliced through the first attack. Tempest intercepted the second. The third demon swung its huge axe at her head.

Jennie ducked. The axe grazed her head, stirring her hair. She rammed the hilt of Excalibur into the stomach of the demon, and it flew backwards.

Next wave descended.

Jennie’s eyes narrowed. "Too slow."

She vanished.

Battlefield erupted.

Flashes of golden light moved through the army like comet. With each appearance of Jennie, yet another demon crashed into the sands of the island. Her movements were impossible to predict, and it seemed as if she danced in front of them.

But she did not kill them. She did not have to.

One strike with her sword against the armor joint. Lightning burst against the weapon. One kick against the chest. Wave of divine energy. She was destroying the army without taking any lives.

And it was exactly what terrified the demons.

Jennie was not fighting desperately. She was controlling the battle. Each move, each strike, each response was thought over.

Demons expected a berserker—a warrior driven by rage and grief, hitting out with the power of five Divine Swords. But what they received was much worse than it.

Warrior who controlled everything completely.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Rudy was surrounded.

Five demonic warriors rushed at her simultaneously. Their weapons were covered with dark energy, and their eyes burned with bloodlust.

Rudy smiled. It was dangerous smile—the smile of the thief who was caught, but had no intention of giving up.

"Five?"

Her Legendary Divine Mark flared. Golden lights erupted all over her body.

"That’s insulting."

First warrior swung his spear. Rudy twisted sideways, and the weapon missed her face for only a couple of centimeters. Her dagger flared, and the weapon fell from the hand of the demon.

She stepped forward and hit the chest of the demon with her palm. Legendary Divine Mark unleashed a burst of energy.

BOOM!

The demon flew backwards, crashing into a fallen pillar.

Second warrior attacked. Rudy jumped and landed on the shoulder of the demon. Her dagger was pressed against the throat of her opponent.

"Good night."

She kicked the creature aside.

Third demon unleashed a barrage of dark magic. Rudy disappeared into the shadows. Projectiles hit nothing but air.

Then she reappeared behind the mage. Dagger touched the back of the mage.

"Too predictable."

The mage collapsed.

Rudy glanced around. More demons were approaching, and their number was increasing.

Her golden eyes flared.

"Okay."

She cracked her neck.

"Now this is getting interesting."

The Legendary Divine Mark shined brightly. The golden energy burst outwards, throwing several demons backwards from the battlefield.

Rudy went through them with unbelievable speed. She was not as destructive as Jennie. She did not have to. They fought differently.

She used the battlefield as well. Rocks served her as jumping objects. Ruins were a shelter for her. Weapons of the enemy – obstacles for their allies. All actions had their meaning, all hits were precise.

And when she found any weakness of the opponents, she used them.

Then some monstrous creature appeared behind her.

BOOM!

The soil split open. Rudy slowly turned around.

There was a monster towering in front of her. Its body was covered with black scales and two horns grew on its forehead. In one of its hands, it held a giant hammer, and the eyes of the monster were filled with the desire for battle.

It roared loudly.

Rudy looked at it. "...That’s significantly bigger."

The monster raised the hammer and tried to smash it down to the ground. Rudy jumped aside and fell to her knees as a result of the shock wave.

The monster rushed at her.

Rudy narrowed her eyes. Right before she could do anything else—

White blur flashed in-between them.

The monster stopped. A claw was put on its chest.

Snow stood in front of her. However, he was no longer a small dragon-like creature. His body had changed – his fur had become as white as snow, his nine gigantic tails were spread out behind him, two huge ice wings were extended from his back. His body was covered with divine energy, and his eyes were burning with rage.

The Divine Wolf had woken up.

Rudy looked at him. "Snow..."

Snow glanced at her. "Stay behind me."

Rudy smiled. "You are terrible-looking."

Snow turned to the monster. "I have been told about it."

The monster roared angrily and raised the hammer high above its head.

Snow vanished, and in a second he flung the monster through three ancient stone columns. Then, Snow was hovering above the monster, spreading out his nine tails and creating the huge chunks of ice around him.

"Ninefold..."

The atmosphere froze.

"...Divine Fang."

Nine beams of ice appeared at the same time. The monster was covered by mountain of ice. Then came silence.

Snow landed gently on the black sand.

Rudy looked at him. "Remember, I will never annoy you again."

Snow twitched his ears. "You already do."

Rudy laughed. However, another wave of demons appeared.

Snow sighed. "Unfortunately, they are not done yet."

He stretched out his wings and froze the sky. The storm of ice hit the battlefield, covering everything in it.

Jennie saw it from the other end of the island. She smiled softly.

Snow had become stronger. Rudy had become stronger. And she also had become stronger.

This realization came naturally – neither through the training, nor through numbers, but through the battle. The three of them fought monsters, generals, armies, kings. They survived what could have killed them several months ago.

And now...they were fighting the whole fleet of the demons.

Jennie raised Tempest. The Divine Sword of Storms started humming.

She looked at the sky. "Let’s end it."

Lightning appeared. Hundreds of bolts flew towards the battlefield. It became a sea of silver. Demonic soldiers screamed. Some of them tried to escape, others were knocked unconscious.

The first wave was crushed. The second wave arrived. Then the third one.

Jennie continued fighting. But something became annoying to her.

They were well-organized. The demons were strong, but not strong enough. They attacked in waves, trying various weapons, formations, magic attacks. Some attacked her directly. Others attacked Rudy. Some attacked Snow.

However, none of them coordinated any attack to kill them.

Jennie realized it. She narrowed her eyes.

One of the demons attacked her from the side. She blocked the blade. Instead of killing it, she pushed it away. Another one attacked her. She disarmed him. Another one attacked. She knocked it unconscious.

She did not kill them.

And then she understood something. They were retreating. Not because they were losing. Because they had received enough information.

"Rudy!"

Rudy looked at her. "Yes?"

"Don’t kill them."

Rudy blinked. "I was not going to."

"No." Jennie looked at the retreating demons. "Take one of them prisoner."

Rudy understood her immediately. She moved.

A demonic soldier tried to run to the shore. Rudy rushed to him and stopped him. Then, her dagger touched the throat of the soldier.

"You are coming with us."

The demon growled at her. She stabbed the temple of the creature, and the latter collapsed.

Snow landed near them. "The battle is ending."

Jennie looked at the fleet of the demons. The remaining demons were retreating to the ships. The black ships were turning, and the soldiers still remaining on the island threw away their weapons.

In a few minutes, Ashen Isle became silent. Nothing could be heard except for the sound of the ocean.

Jennie approached the prisoner. He wore heavy armor, and his body was covered with dark scales. He glared at her.

"Where is Lilia?"

The demon did not say anything.

Jennie’s expression became more serious. "Where is the Queen?"

The demon gritted his teeth. "You are already too late."

Jennie’s expression became even more serious.

Rudy stepped forward. "Wrong answer."

She put the dagger against the armor of the creature. "Try again."

The demon remained silent.

Jennie raised her hand. "Rudy."

She stopped. Jennie squatted down in front of the demon. She did not threaten him. She simply looked into his eyes.

"Who sent you?"

The demon hesitated. Jennie noticed it.

"You are not afraid of us."

The demon’s eyes moved towards the five Divine Swords floating behind her.

"We were ordered not to kill you."

Jennie froze. Rudy’s expression changed. Snow raised his ears.

"What?"

The demon swallowed. "Our orders..."

It looked at Jennie.

"...were to estimate you."

Silence.

Jennie’s eyes narrowed. "Estimate me?"

"Your power." The demon’s voice shook. "The power of the five Divine Swords. Your synchronization speed. The extent of your control."

Jennie’s expression changed slowly. "Who gave the order?"

The demon looked terrified now. "The generals."

"Which general?"

The demon hesitated. Then he whispered.

"All of them who are alive ."

Jennie rose.

Everything clicked into place. Azrael. The ruins. The dimensional pathway. The fleet. The soldiers. The battle.

None of it was meant to end her life; they had all been planned to observe her.

Each attack. Each reaction. Each sword. Each movement. They watched. Tested. Recorded. Measured.

Jennie looked over the retreating fleet. Her five Divine Swords drifted quietly after her—Excalibur, Leviathan, Tempest, Eclipse, and Gram.

The incomplete crown.

Jennie’s expression turned cold. "They didn’t try to stop us."

Rudy looked back at her. "They were testing you."

Jennie nodded.

Snow’s crimson eyes narrowed. "And now they understand you better than ever before."

Jennie looked at the ships far ahead of her. The demons lost hundreds of lives in their army. Not because they wanted to win or gain new lands. Nor because they wanted to avenge their dead.

Because they needed information.

It finally dawned on her. The battle of Ashen Isle wasn’t a fight from the demon’s perspective at all; it was an experiment.

And she just supplied them with everything they came for.

Jennie’s hand clenched tighter around Excalibur.

"The Demon Generals..."

Her golden eyes looked frighteningly serene.

"...are measuring me."