https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-727-Bair-Trembles-in-the-Intense-Turbulence-Storm/13677615/
Chapter 726: Bronze Fortress
Hearing the Red Dragon’s words, the Balor Fire Demon’s face twisted in alarm. With a sudden lunge, he whipped his flame-lashed whip, tearing through the air with a thunderous crack.
“Attack! Kill this abhorrent red-skinned Crawler!”
“Kill—!”
“Rend it!”
“For the mighty Abyssal Will!”
Ten thousand demons surged forward in a chaotic wave, swarming over Kai Xiusu like a living tide, biting, tearing, and devouring. In moments, the Red Dragon was completely swallowed by the maddened horde.
But Kai Xiusu folded his vast wings tightly before him, shielding his body as if the onslaught were nothing more than a fleeting gust. His presence exuded a terrifying stillness—calm, unshaken, like a mountain beneath a storm.
The Balor Fire Demon let out a booming laugh.
“Hahahaha! Red-skinned Crawler! What good is your strength? Abyssal Power will consume everything—even you! No matter how powerful you are, even if you surpass the Ancient Red Dragons, you cannot kill hundreds of thousands of demons!”
He spun around, his whip pointed toward the demons, eyes blazing with fury.
“And you, filth of Hell—I’ll tear you to pieces!”
A deafening roar split the heavens and earth, a sound so immense it carried the weight of absolute dominion.
“This… this is…”
For an instant, even the Balor Fire Demon felt his ears ring, a wave of dizziness sweeping over him. He wobbled in midair, nearly losing his flight. The demons below collapsed in droves, falling from the sky like ash, some disintegrating into dust before they even hit the ground.
Then—whoosh—Kai Xiusu unfurled his wings with a violent snap. Beneath the wings, the sun-like Dragon Crystal on his chest flared with blinding light.
SWOOSH!
The wingbeat unleashed a torrent of force, a hurricane-force gale that ripped through the sky, hurling tens of thousands of demons into the void.
Fiery Dragon Flames erupted from his maw, spiraling in a frenzied storm of fire and smoke. The flames spread like wildfire, engulfing the sky, forming a colossal Flame Storm centered on the Red Dragon’s massive form—spanning over ten kilometers in diameter.
With every incantation, the storm grew fiercer. The flames burned hotter, the winds howled louder. Demons were torn apart, shattered, reduced to ash—like fragile paper caught in a storm. Their screams echoed in the wind as they were vaporized in flashes of light.
Then, serpentine flames shot skyward, writhing like living fire, twisting into a towering pillar that stretched from earth to heaven. Thick smoke and ash were flung into the clouds, forming a dark, roiling canopy.
It was a Fire Tornado.
Any demon caught within was incinerated in two seconds—reduced to charred fragments, spinning in the vortex like embers in a storm.
At that moment, Avernus itself seemed transformed into a vast stage. And Kai Xiusu stood at its center, performing a grand, breathtaking spectacle—his enemies’ life force the very fuel of the performance.
This was no mere battle. This was cataclysm—true destruction. This was purgatory. Even the most unhinged demons trembled.
“You… who are you?”
Now, the Balor Fire Demon—once seen by mortals as an agent of apocalypse—was no more than a struggling bird in a hurricane, flapping his meaty wings in desperation, screaming into the storm.
“Dragon! You dare defy the Abyss! You block the Great Blood War! The Lord of the Frozen Ice Plains will not spare you! Never underestimate the rage of an Abyssal Lord!”
“Abyssal Lord?” Kai Xiusu slowly flapped his wings, gliding forward until he hovered before the trembling demon. A mocking smile curled his lips.
“Funny. I just killed one of them. I suppose I wouldn’t mind killing another.”
The Balor Fire Demon—Zand—froze. His dull eyes widened with dread, a deep, primal fear creeping into his soul.
“You… you’re the Dragon of Demon Slayer, Kai Xiusu?” His voice trembled, cracking with terror.
“You know me?” Kai Xiusu raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
But then he recalled—Zand was a descendant of the ancient Jelrazaks. In Balor Fire Demon lore, such legends were revered.
A wave of despair washed over Zand’s mind.
He had dreamed of becoming the hero who conquered Avernus, of receiving the Abyss’s blessing. Instead, he’d stumbled upon a monster—the Emperor of the Ashen Flame, the Dragon of Demon Slayer, Kai Xiusu.
Was this fate’s punishment?
No. He refused this fate. He was a demon—chaotic evil incarnate, the living embodiment of cosmic chaos!
“Dragon! This isn’t over! You’ll die with me!” The Balor Fire Demon roared, his eyes and nostrils spewing flames. His chest heaved as his demon heart flared with raw, explosive power—ready to detonate.
“How dull,” the Red Dragon murmured, unfazed. He extended a massive claw into the air.
Instantly, an invisible force surged from all directions—like a hundred-meter-long phantom hand, gripping the Balor Fire Demon. No matter how desperately Zand struggled, he could not move.
CRACK!
SNAP!
The sound of flesh tearing, bones breaking—Zand was torn apart, his muscles and bones collapsing into a single, writhing mass of burning flesh. A grotesque, pulsating ball of meat, still aflame.
“Trying to take me down with you? How foolish,” Kai Xiusu smirked. He glanced casually, already knowing what Zand had planned—a self-destructive internal implosion.
But as the master of Chaos Flame, he had no fear of a single Balor Fire Demon’s final act.
With a slight parting of his jaws, a stream of dark-red Dragon Flame erupted. The fire roared like a ravenous beast, consuming the burning flesh ball in an instant.
A powerful Balor Fire Demon—gone.
Silent.
Unnoticed.
Like a spark extinguished in the wind.
The surviving demons, though still within the storm’s reach, remained untouched. They trembled in fear, staring up at the heart of the Flame Storm—where the colossal Red Dragon slowly flapped his wings, radiating an aura so vast it warped the air around him.
The roar of his wings blended with the crackle of fire, the howl of the wind, and the dying screams of demons—like the world itself screaming in rage.
Then, without warning, the Red Dragon lifted his head, spreading his wings wide. A single, resonant Dragon Roar echoed across the realm—a command that defied nature itself.
In an instant, the massive Flame Storm receded like a retreating tide. The gale died down. Only wreckage remained—ground strewn with ash, a thick, dark layer of demon remains.
“Lord of the Nine Hells…” A demon whispered, eyes wide, stunned.
Even though this Red Dragon was, in a sense, their ally, the demons shook in unison. Their voices trembled. Fear burned deep in their souls.
Even the most cunning, evil demons felt true terror—not from pain, but from the sheer, overwhelming power before them.
Kai Xiusu turned to the surviving demons, his voice calm.
“You’ve heard of me, haven’t you? Who do you serve?”
The lead demon officer paused, then bowed deeply.
“Great Emperor Kai Xiusu of the Ember Empire… from the Radiant Heavens to Baator’s Hell, your name is known to all. Your strength, your noble presence—it fills me with awe. The sight of you burning through the sky, slaughtering ten thousand demons alone—this moment will be etched into my mind forever. You are truly the existence that strikes fear into the hearts of demons.”
He stole a furtive glance at the Red Dragon, his tone laced with the familiar, servile terror of the lower-born toward the mighty.
“Get to the point,” Kai Xiusu said, his expression unchanging, though a hint of impatience crept in.
The officer swallowed hard.
“We are remnants of Lord Bair’s Twenty-First Legion. We thank you for your intervention—your timely aid killed the Abyssal spawn and saved our lives.”
“So you’re Bair’s men,” Kai Xiusu mused. “Hmm. Even if you once served Zaril, that madwoman is finished. I killed her myself.”
A pause. Then:
“Where is Bair now?”
The officer pretended not to hear the chilling statement, bowing low.
“Lord Bair is personally commanding the defense of the Bronze Fortress, leading Avernus’ elite forces against the main Abyssal Legion. For days, he has endured endless strain, laboring tirelessly—often even speaking your name in prayer.”
“Battle situation?”
“Not good. The demons are overwhelming—so many, so relentless. They’ve already seized the north of Avernus and pushed all the way to the gates of the Bronze Fortress. Only Lord Bair’s presence at the garrison has kept them from breaking through.”
Kai Xiusu smiled faintly.
“Then… take me there.”
The officer’s eyes lit up. A powerful ally arriving in time—this would be his merit. Perhaps he could earn favor with a new Hell Lord, rise in rank, ascend to a higher tier of demonkind.
He raised his steel fork toward the south, eager.
“King Kai Xiusu, please follow me. Lord Bair will be honored to see such a formidable ally.”
“Good.” Kai Xiusu turned his gaze toward the distant horizon. There, in the wasteland, stood a colossal pillar—woven from countless demon skulls, rising like a monolith that seemed to pierce the heavens.
The armored demons spread their bat wings and took flight, leading the way through the sky. Above, the Red Dragon unfurled his vast wings, trailing flame and heat, slicing through the air like a blazing comet. His shadow stretched across the land, a dark omen.
Inside and outside the Bronze Fortress, the air was thick with demon roars and devilish battle cries.
Beyond the fortress, the wasteland was packed with a tide-like army of demons—Giant Ox Demons, Frothmaws, Bagulams, Miyu Demons, even transformed giants. They filled the sky and earth, a living wall of chaos.
Each assault came like a crashing wave.
But the devil garrison, trained and disciplined, stood firm. They formed tight, organized ranks, operating Hellfire Heavy Cannons that blasted demons into vapor. The battlefield was littered with corpses—thousands of fallen demons, their blood-stained bodies releasing a stench that stung the nose, mixed with the sour, salty reek of decay.
“For the will of the Abyss! Rend them! Avernus will be ours!”
“Kill these Abyssal vermin!”
“By the Lord of the Nine Hells, they’re nothing but damned beasts! We will not let them breach the Bronze Fortress!”
The devils were well-organized, their tactics precise. Some held massive shields in front, others fired arrows from afar. Others manned the heavy cannons—each unit of twenty or more performing their role in perfect coordination, forming a resilient defense system. Even the weakest wretched demons scurried about, building fortifications.
In contrast, the demons’ tactics were crude and brutal—roaring in unison, charging blindly, overwhelming with sheer numbers.
Order versus Chaos—this divide was clear in their strategies.
Demons surged forward like waves, crashing into the defensive lines. Thousands of demons and devils slaughtered each other in a frenzy—blood spraying, flesh flying, life force scattered like grass and ash.
Though endless in number, the demons were held at bay—barely—by the devils’ superior tactics. The fortress did not fall.
Then—an uninvited guest—broke through the battlefield, shattering the fragile balance.
“ROOOOAAARRR!”
The dragon’s roar split the sky. Even mid-slaughter, demons and devils alike froze in terror.
Then—flames swept the earth. Like a tidal wave of fire, they consumed the demons surrounding the fortress, reducing them to ash in an instant. A vast, scorched plain—hundreds of meters wide—cleared in seconds.
The Red Dragon circled once, wings flared, then landed with a thunderous boom on the fortress wall. The entire structure trembled. Dust poured from the cracks. Rocks tumbled.
From the sky, a towering figure emerged—cloaked in crimson scales, wings like those of a bat, a belt of twelve angelic heads slung across his waist, a greatsword blazing with hellfire in his hand.
The moment he appeared, an overwhelming aura of authority radiated from him—lawful evil, pure and absolute. The devils around him dropped to one knee, heads bowed in deep reverence.
Such grandeur left no doubt.
This was the temporary Lord of Avernus—Bair.
Bair stared down at the descending Red Dragon. His expression was grim. His jaw clenched. Hatred and fury burned in his eyes—so intense it seemed ready to burst.
Kai Xiusu gave a slight nod, offering a smile.
“Long time no see, Lord Bair. My loyal ally. You’ve finally reclaimed your position. You’re once again at the helm of Avernus.”
“Indeed… it has been a long time, King Kai Xiusu. You’ve finally arrived.”
Bair forced a polite smile, replying as usual—but his voice was sharp, teeth clenched.
Before he could speak further, a surge of hellish power erupted from Bair’s body, pressing toward the Red Dragon like an invisible wall.
But instantly, Kai Xiusu’s chest flared with crimson light, emitting a matching aura of intimidation.
The two forces clashed—equal, unyielding. The boundary between them cracked, space itself warping and trembling. The devils lowered their heads, silent, afraid.
Bair stared hard at Kai Xiusu.
That familiar power…
Yes. It was him.
It was he who took my authority over Avernus.
He is the one who denied me my full ascension as a true Hell Lord.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
