Chapter 85: Gajia Academy 15 - The first encounter

The demonic forces gradually announced their presence with the sound of a war drum that could be heard even from several hundred meters away. The heavy rhythm echoed across the sea and through the entire port, growing louder with every passing second.

DUM! DUM! DUM! DUM! DUM!

Despite being heavily outnumbered, the demonic forces did not appear concerned. The defenders had nearly three times their numbers, but they possessed another advantage that could not be measured by numbers alone. For decades, the Western Continent had closely monitored the Eastern Continent and gathered information about the all of their abilities, and their fighting methods, while the demons had remained hidden and revealed very little about themselves.

A griffon suddenly soared into the sky, her wings spreading wide as she looked down at the battlefield. She appeared to be the leader of the Mounoan forces, and her sharp eyes quickly scanned the approaching demonic army.

"Everyone! Prepare your projectile-based attacks. We will attack them all at once when I give the signal!"

DUM! DUM! DUM!

The drums continued to echo as the demonic fleet moved closer. When they finally reached a certain distance from the port, hundreds of demonic warriors suddenly released a thunderous roar that seemed to deafen the entire battlefield.

The ground trembled beneath the combined voices of the demons. In response, the battlefield began lighting up as countless mages formed their projectile attacks, gathering magical power around their bodies and weapons.

Almost the entirety of Gajia Academy’s students began preparing their attacks, while numerous adventurers and Mounoan warriors behind them did the same. Fire gathered around staffs, ice formed in the air, lightning crackled between fingers, and the earth beneath their feet began shifting.

"READY!"

The griffon remained suspended in the sky as she watched both armies prepare. She waited for the perfect moment before finally raising her wing.

"NOW!"

A tremendous burst of magical energy erupted across the battlefield. Hundreds of projectile attacks were released simultaneously, tearing through the air toward the approaching demonic fleet.

"ICE BULLET!"

"LIGHTNING ARROW!"

"SAND STORM!"

"FIRE LANCE!"

The entire battlefield erupted with brilliant flashes of light as countless attacks flew across the distance. They struck the demonic ships one after another, engulfing the fleet in explosions that shook the surrounding sea.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Within only a few seconds, all ten ships were reduced to burning wreckage and ash. The defenders initially erupted in cheers, believing they had destroyed the entire force before suddenly realizing something was wrong.

There were no bodies.

The demons were gone.

Without warning, hundreds of figures suddenly leaped from the smoke-filled sky above the battlefield. The demons had abandoned their ships before the attacks reached them, using the destruction of their fleet as a distraction to launch their true assault.

A large demon stood at the front of the descending forces, wielding an enormous axe in one hand. His muscular body was covered in red skin, and a savage grin appeared across his face as he looked down at the defenders.

"HUMANS! DWARFS! HUMANS WITH LONG EARS! BIRDS! SPARE NO ONE!"

The demon licked the edge of his enormous axe before gathering dark magical energy around it. The air behind him gradually darkened as strange particles leaked from the weapon, forming a dense mass of power that continued growing with every passing second.

With a powerful swing, he released the attack.

SWOOSH!

A massive dark projectile tore through the air, heading directly toward the port. Before it could reach its destination, however, a crimson blur suddenly appeared in its path and sliced through the attack.

The dark energy dispersed into the air as Rexevus stood before the defenders, his crimson blade resting at his side. He looked directly at the demon with a calm expression.

"Your opponent is me, and me only."

The demon stared at Rexevus for a moment before his grin widened. He raised his axe onto his shoulder and laughed.

"I didn’t expect those long-eared humans to be into men."

Rexevus’s expression remained unchanged as he tightened his grip around his sword. Around them, the first wave of demons continued descending toward the battlefield, and the real battle was finally beginning.

On another side of the battlefield, Akuma had just finished attacking with several earth spikes when he looked up and saw hundreds of demons raining down from the sky. His eyes narrowed as he realized that the demons had completely avoided the defensive formation on the ground.

Without hesitation, Akuma placed both hands against the earth beneath him. His magic spread through the ground as he prepared his next attack, directing the spikes toward the descending demons.

"Impale!"

Countless sharp pillars of earth suddenly erupted from the ground, shooting toward the demons in the sky. However, the demons were not mindless beasts that would blindly descend into an obvious trap.

Several demons immediately swung their blades, cutting the incoming earth spikes apart before they could reach them. The broken pieces of stone fell harmlessly toward the ground as the demons continued their descent.

"Foolish human boy! That won’t work against us!"

The demon landed heavily on the battlefield with his weapon already raised. Akuma’s expression became serious as he realized that the demons had already adapted to their tactics.

The countless demons who had just descended almost immediately began attacking the defenders. The adventurers were quickly overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, while even the trained students struggled to keep up with the sudden assault. Weapons clashed across the battlefield as the demons pushed deeper into the defensive formation.

"Do not falter. Fear only makes you weak."

Akuma heard the voice from behind and narrowed his eyes as he searched for an opening. He spotted a demon isolated from the others and immediately rushed toward it, slamming his foot into the ground as earth magic spread beneath the demon’s feet.

The earth quickly rose and locked the demon’s legs in place, preventing it from moving. Akuma turned toward the nearby students and raised his voice above the chaos of the battlefield.

"Quickly! Launch an attack!"

His voice was immediately heard by three nearby students. They raised their weapons and gathered their magical power before simultaneously releasing their attacks toward the immobilized demon.

"PIERCE!"

Three projectiles shot through the air at the same time, traveling together toward their target. The demon struggled against the earth binding its feet, but the combined attacks struck its body and pierced straight through it, leaving deep wounds across its chest.