Chapter 287 - Took You Long Enough
Mordred arrived at the Grand Coliseum and immediately transformed to help deal with the demonic invasion.
After a brief moment, a six-meter long red dragon appeared inside the Grand Coliseum and started to obliterate all the gargoyle in its path. After its initial rampage, the dragon targeted the gargoyles that were carrying the girls towards the portals.
It grabbed the gargoyles in the air and crushed them with its powerful claws. It then caught the falling girl and placed her on the ground before continuing its battle with the gargoyles in the air.
Matthew glanced at the red-dragon and sighed in relief. He had recognized his father, so the burden in his heart eased. With additional reinforcements helping them, he ordered the Fourth Year Students to focus on the girls that were falling out of the air to prevent them from falling to their doom.
After the initial confusion, the other divisions now knew that the Fourth Year Students of the Magic Division were still on their side, so they stopped attacking them. They now focused on the First, Second, and Third Year Magic Divisions, who were still helping the gargoyles capture the students of the academy.
Atos narrowed his eyes and personally engaged the red dragon in an aerial battle. The commander of the demons used an artifact that Commander Zagarl had given him that would boost his strength by five times for a short period of time.
The Gargoyle's strength immediately soared up to Millennial Rank and he faced the red dragon head on. Their collision sent shockwaves through the air and repelled the gargoyles surrounding them.
The Red Dragon was only at the peak of the Centennial Rank, so the Gargoyle managed to push it away in their initial clash. Even so, it didn't back down and engaged Atos in a dogfight. Each time the two beasts collided, powerful gusts of wind would blow, sending Demons and Humans in every direction.
Aside from Atos, there were five more Centennial Ranked Gargoyles that were sent to oversee the operation. Although they were in the middle-ranks, they were still Centennial Rank creatures which made them a grade above ordinary fighters.
"Man… this is quite exciting. The last time we had this much fun was when we went to the South to help the Young Master," Damian said.
"Let's go, it would be bad if the Boss thought that we were slacking off," Gideon commented.
Suddenly two portals appeared behind the two men.
Above Damian, a giant portal appeared and one of the Apex Predators of the sky screeched as it made its entrance. It was none other than a Roc. It was a Flying Beast that was at the peak of the Centennial Rank.
Damian appeared on the back of the giant bird with his arms crossed over his chest. The Roc flew towards one of the Centennial Ranked Gargoyles and engaged it in combat.
"Let's go, Partner!" Gideon shouted.
A giant beast slithered out of the portal and bowed its head, so that Gideon could ride it. The name of the snake was Bashe, and it was Gideon's most powerful Beast Companion. It was a half Dragon half Snake creature, and was also at the peak of the Centennial Rank.
Without waiting for Gideon's order, the snake zoomed in on the other Centennial Gargoyle in the distance. It leaped into the air and lashed its powerful tail, bringing the flying demonic creature to the ground.
Atos frowned when he saw that the reinforcements had arrived faster than he had anticipated. They had only been around for five minutes, and yet, his forces were now being decimated at an alarming pace.
"Retreat!" Atos ordered. "Protect those carrying the broodmares at all costs! Head towards the red portal as fast as you can!"
After issuing his orders, Atos joined both of his hands and pummeled the head of the red-dragon, sending it crashing towards the ground. He then flew towards the gargoyles that were carrying the girls to protect them from those who were trying to save the students.
The two remaining Centennial Gargoyles followed Atos' lead and helped their subordinates resist the frenzied attacks of the Knights and the students of the academy.
'Since you're still not here then I'm leaving you behind,' Atos sneered as he and the rest of the Centennial Gargoyles entered the portal.
Thousands of gargoyles were still flying within the Grand Coliseum. They were brought here as suicide fighters, and their role was to kill as many people as they could while their superiors escaped through the red portal.
They were beings created from magic cores, so Commander Zagarl didn't care whether they lived or died. For him, they were disposable cannon fodders that could be replaced at any given time. Their only value was to capture their targets and defend the portal until their superiors, and the girls, had been safely delivered to the Demon Continent.
"Stand back!" Emrys, the Grand Archmage of the Kingdom, ordered. He raised his hand in the air and activated a 7th-Circle Spell to obliterate all the demons that were blocking the portal.
"Firestorm!" Emrys shouted after a short chant.
Roaring flames surged above the Grand Coliseum as giant fireballs fell down like rain. Everything that it touched was reduced to ashes. The students hurriedly protected themselves with defensive magic in order to protect themselves from the explosions that were happening in front of them.
In that single spell, thousands of Gargoyles died, but a few thousand still remained. After realizing that they didn't have much time left to live, the gargoyles went into a frenzy and descended from the sky en masse.
They were like suicide bombers that were planning to take anyone they could with them to the afterlife. Screams of anger and pain resounded within the stadium as several students turned into particles of light after the collision with the gargoyle horde.
While this was happening, Atos and the rest of the demons were flying through the warp tunnel that would send them back to the Demon Continent.
It didn't take them long before they saw the exit of the tunnel.
Atos had a big grin on its face as he left the tunnel behind. He was already imagining the praises he would receive from the Demon General, Zagarl, and the rewards that would be showered on him after a successful mission.
Atos' grin stiffened when the familiar scene of the Demon Continent didn't appear in his sights.
After exiting the tunnel, the first thing he saw was a bald monk, drinking a jug of alcohol, while sitting on the shoulder of a Giant Golden Ape.
"Yo! Took you long enough," Dwayne greeted the gargoyles with a smiling face. He then drank the jug of alcohol in his hand and burped afterwards. "I was getting bored, you see."
Above the giant golden ape, several Wyverns flew and looked at the Gargoyles in disdain. They had already killed the gargoyles that had appeared before them and all the girls that they had captured had all been saved.
Atos looked at the ground. Pieces of stone had been scattered everywhere. They were the body parts of his subordinates who had died after encountering Dave, the Ourobro, and the Wyverns after exiting the portal.
The Commander of the Demon Invasion roared in anger. He thought that his mission had been a complete success. He thought that what was waiting for him were the praises and rewards from the Demon General.
Instead, what waited for him was the giant, golden, fist of the Ourobro that didn't give the Gargoyle Commander a chance to vent his frustration.