Chapter 540 The Being That Must Be Destroyed

According to records passed down through the ages, the Demon Lord is an abnormal existence.

Each one differs drastically from the others, making them of little reference value. Descriptions of their power are even more inconceivable, for no record has ever been able to accurately depict just how overwhelming that power truly is.

The only certainty is the fact that the Six Heroes can only prevail if they join forces.

To be honest,

even with mastery over four Forbidden Powers, Hulim Heyerar doubts whether she could stand against such an entity whose true strength and capabilities remain entirely unknown.

I suppose I'll only understand once I've seen one with my own eyes......

"I apologize, Irus, but my knowledge of demons and the Demon Lord is quite limited......"

"There's something I need to tell all of you."

At that moment, Arant the Sword Saint suddenly spoke up.

"What is it? If you've come to borrow something, old woman advises you not to waste your time here."

"How could it be something like that? You...... sigh."

Arant let out a long sigh, his voice heavy with concern as he said:

"Actually, I've had this vague sense of foreboding for a long time now."

His words immediately captured everyone's attention.

"Something terrible is happening to our world, and the source of this evil lies beyond the sea."

"Additionally, this is just my speculation, but the advantage we've gained against the Demon Lord Army...... is it truly an advantage?"

......

After a brief silence,

"It seems we can no longer afford to wait......"

Irus spoke up.

She turned to the Heroes.

"Aralond, how confident are you all right now?"

Aralond thought for a moment before replying:

"We're still a bit lacking, but we're not entirely unprepared for battle. I believe...... we can all reach our peak condition before we face the Demon Lord."

"Excellent. Then——"

"Let us decide on our plan for the Demon Continent Expedition right now!"

Irus announced the decision without hesitation.

After lengthy deliberations,

the High Council of Seven Sages finally resolved to implement an assassination strategy.

The formulation of this plan was made possible by another limitation of the Demon Lord Army:

in addition to there being only one Demon Lord per invasion, there is also a maximum limit of four Archdemon Commanders.

Currently, two Archdemon Commanders have already fallen. Of the remaining two, one is stationed at the coast while the other leads the main forces of the Demon Lord Army.

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In other words, the Demon Lord currently has no Archdemon Commander bodyguards by his side.

If the Six Heroes can infiltrate the Demon Lord Castle at this moment and engage the Demon Lord in a decisive battle before the other Archdemon Commanders can react, they stand a chance of achieving an outright victory.

While the situation at the Demon Lord Castle appears suspicious, and it will most likely be filled with elite demon troops,

without Archdemon Commanders, ordinary demons and even High-Rank Demons will find it nearly impossible to interfere in a battle of the Demon Lord's caliber!

The mere aftershocks of such a confrontation would be enough to kill them instantly!

But the question remains——how can they accomplish this......

"First, we must feign weakness from this point forward."

"Judging by the movements of the Demon Lord Army, they are likely unaware that our Heroes have already surpassed the power level of Archdemon Commanders."

"The Heroes must conceal their true strength from now on."

"In our first battle on the Demon Continent, Esmelon, Arant, and I will take primary responsibility for dealing with that Archdemon Commander."

"Huh? Wouldn't that be far too dangerous?" Russell asked in confusion.

"That's precisely the point."

"If we allow them to realize that their current top forces are insufficient to defeat us, the Demon Lord will likely take the field personally. And once the Demon Lord joins forces with the main body of the Demon Lord Army, we will have no choice but to engage them in an all-out frontal battle."

"Frankly, our chances of victory in such a scenario would be negligible."

"Second, we must avoid an early decisive battle with the main forces of the Demon Lord Army."

"Once full-scale hostilities between the main forces begin, the Demon Lord will still have a high probability of intervening. At that point, creating an opportunity for the Heroes to face the Demon Lord alone may no longer be feasible."

"And if the situation devolves into a chaotic battle with Archdemon Commanders interfering, the scales of victory will tip in favor of the Demon Lord Army the moment any single Hero becomes entangled with an Archdemon Commander."

"I propose dividing our army into seven legions to launch attacks from different directions across the Demon Continent. This will maximize confusion among the enemy, cover the Heroes' infiltration into the Demon Lord Castle, and ideally——"

"Force their main forces to disperse as well, spreading the battlefield across the entire Demon Continent. At that point, we will be able to seize far more opportunities......"

After Irus finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the meeting chamber.

"I second the motion."

As the first voice spoke up, others quickly followed suit.

"I second the motion."

"I second the motion."

......

From that moment on,

the High Council of Seven Sages officially divided the allied forces into seven legions.

Irus would lead the First Legion, Fulmir the Second, Esmelon the Third, Arant the Fourth, Laki the Fifth, Firuvin the Sixth, and Hulim Heyerar would command the Seventh Legion.

In response to this decision, the allied forces began a large-scale reorganization.

......

"Esmelon, this is unexpected. I never thought you would come to see me......"

After the meeting concluded, Esmelon sought out Irus alone.

"I'm just a bit curious."

Esmelon replied flatly.

"Curious about what?"

"While dividing our forces will indeed create chaos and increase the Heroes' chances, it will also inevitably amplify the dangers we face. The number of High-Rank Demons far exceeds our own, and there will surely be those who find themselves in desperate situations because of this."

......

Irus did not respond immediately.

She walked to the window and stared silently into the distance, her gaze seemingly piercing through the sea to that ominous continent beyond.

"Esmelon, do you know how many lives were lost in the last war?"

"......According to the records——"

"Less than a year after the war ended, three of the Heroes were dead——"

This sudden revelation left Esmelon stunned where he stood.

Irus turned around, her eyes meeting his with a calm yet intense gaze.

As the only remaining S-rank combatant who had experienced the previous great war, Irus's own memories were far more detailed than any written record.

People could erase records, could avoid documenting the truth.

But Irus's memories could not be escaped.

"Do you understand, Esmelon...... even if you gathered the combined strength of six Archdemon Commanders, you would still be unable to defeat a Demon Lord."

"It was only through the power of the Sacred Artifacts that such a feat became possible."

......

"I know."

"I'm not the only one who shares your concerns. But you see...... only the Demon Lord...... only the Demon Lord must be defeated at all costs!"

"Whether it's Archdemon Commanders or demon generals, as dangerous as they may seem, given enough time, there will always come a day when they can be sealed away or eliminated."

"But the Demon Lord is different. He is not just a ruler; he is also the key that opens the gate. As long as the Demon Lord exists, the door to invasion will never be closed. Sooner or later, our world will be exhausted by this endless drain and ultimately meet its destruction."

"And so......"

"Even if it only increases our chances by the smallest margin, even if it means making enormous sacrifices, that being——"

"Must be destroyed!"