The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 118

Chapter 118
## Chapter 118: Have We Met Somewhere Before?

A scattering of mana cannons detonated prematurely, claiming some of our own ranks, but roughly 80% of the battery successfully discharged their payloads.

“What kind of equipment has a twenty percent failure rate?”

“The kind that lacks the precision of dwarven smithing.”

“Then why aren’t we sourcing them from the dwarves directly?”

“Because they refuse to export them.”

Within the Berft Kingdom, mana cannons were categorized as high-level strategic assets, and their sale abroad was strictly forbidden.

Ignoring Berge’s cynical chuckle, the projectiles traced glowing arcs through the sky before crashing into the hostile ranks. The sheer force of their mass, velocity, and gravitational pull buckled the shields of the defending knights an instant before the explosive charges detonated, incinerating everything in the blast radius.

Berge privately thought these were pathetic compared to the masterpieces Roger produced, yet they were mana cannons nonetheless. They were more than sufficient to break the current stalemate and seize the advantage.

As the enemy lines splintered, the 3rd Prince unsheathed his blade.

“Forward! Teach these insurgents who dare challenge the Empire the true meaning of imperial might!”

A thunderous war cry erupted.

Joining the barrage, Rosel Charnt unleashed her sorcery. Colossal spheres of fire slammed into the chaos, turning the battlefield into a literal purgatory. Following her lead, the Blue Hawk mages rained down a relentless stream of offensive spells.

In the wake of the magical onslaught, Hillun Kagil spearheaded the charge, followed by the Red Hawks and the White Hawk knights.

*Bzzzt—crackle—*

Lightning danced across the field. The gap between the two armies vanished in heartbeats.

From Berge’s expert perspective, these human-made cannons were primitive. Consequently, a significant number of the opposition had managed to survive the opening volley. The knights, in particular, had shielded themselves with aura and remained largely functional. However, they were far from unscathed; even with aura-strengthened bodies, they were still flesh and blood facing the impact of heavy artillery.

*Kabooom—*

Warped shields were tossed aside like scrap metal. Knights stripped of their dignity and banners shrieked as they were blown backward.

Hillun tightened his grip on the reins, kicking his mount into a full gallop. He swung his sword with one hand while casting arcs of lightning with the other. The White Hawk knights maintained a tight formation behind him, ensuring the breach he tore in the enemy line remained open by silencing anyone who tried to close it.

Suddenly, a knight radiating a massive amount of aura stepped into his path.

*Craaaaaang—*

The collision sent a shockwave through the air that felt like a physical blow. Horses reared in panic, and the momentum of the charge faltered.

“Hillun Kagil…!”

The man who had previously been conferring with Martin snarled the name with pure vitriol. White-hot aura ground against Hillun’s lightning. The intensity of the sparks forced everyone nearby to retreat.

“You cowardly snakes, resorting to mana cannons…!”

“A strange accusation coming from a traitor attempting to assassinate an imperial prince,” Hillun countered.

“A tragedy that it has come to this. I would have preferred to test your steel in a fair duel.”

“Are you the 1st Prince, then? Or perhaps the 1st Princess?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

A horn signaling a retreat echoed from the enemy’s rear.

“We withdraw for now, but do not expect such an easy victory when we meet again.”

“I haven’t given you permission to leave,” Hillun growled.

Hillun’s strikes accelerated, becoming a blur of steel. However, he couldn’t deliver a finishing blow. The 3rd Prince had issued strict orders against a deep pursuit, fearing they would be lured into a secondary ambush.

—

“A failure?”

“Yes, Highness.”

“Is this the extent of the White Lion’s capability?”

“The 3rd Prince utilized mana cannons.”

“Cannons?”

“Yes. They fired dozens simultaneously, and in the ensuing disorder, Hillun Kagil and the White Hawks broke our line.”

“Mana cannons… mana cannons…”

Rufus let out a dry, mirthless laugh.

Such weapons weren’t common in this theater of war. Most human realms didn’t bother with them, and even the Empire reserved them for static fortress defense. Outside of the Berft Kingdom where they originated, only the Akhan Kingdom used them in any real capacity—and even then, they were far inferior to the Berft models.

He hadn’t anticipated them dragging such heavy equipment through this terrain. Nor did he expect them to be used against his own strike force rather than the undead.

*So that’s what all that frantic activity was about.*

A significant amount of time had passed between Hillun Kagil reaching the 3rd Prince and the report of the necromancers reaching the Emperor. They must have been preparing the battery then.

Preparation was one thing, but the shift in character was another. The 3rd Prince, once known for his hesitation, was now showing his teeth. He had changed.

*The 8th Prince.*

Rufus was certain that his brother’s death had sparked this transformation.

*Amusing.*

So, he finally wanted to play the game for real?

“What are the losses?”

“The units were routed and cut down while trying to reform.”

“I asked for the number.”

“Forty-one.”

“Confirmed dead?”

“That counts the deceased as well as those with major or minor injuries.”

“Out of one hundred and fifty elites from a ducal house, forty-one are down…”

That wasn’t a negligible loss, especially considering their pedigree.

“And the commander?”

“Regrouping the survivors and waiting for your instructions.”

“And Martin?”

“He has increased his pace.”

“With Hillun Kagil at his side, I imagine he’s feeling quite bold.”

“Exactly, Highness.”

“We can’t have that.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said: no.”

One skirmish wouldn’t decide the war, and Martin’s foundations were still weak compared to what Rufus had built. Still, the fact that things had gone against his design irritated him.

“If only he knew how to stay in his place.”

Humans were plagued by such tiresome ambition. Why reach for things that were never meant for them?

“Instruct Sir Kalum to look after my younger brother properly. Tell him I do not tolerate being disappointed twice.”

“As you command.”

“Any word from Floyan?”

“Nothing yet.”

“Useless, the lot of them.”

The reporting noble winced at the Prince’s sharp tongue-click.

“Tell the men to speed up. There’s no point in lingering around these creatures anyway.”

It was an open secret that a final confrontation involving all parties was inevitable. But Rufus remained unshaken. He believed in his own strength—and the legend he had brought into his service.

“You.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The silent sentinel standing behind the 1st Prince lowered his head.

“Even at this pace, you won’t have any trouble taking the head of a black mage, will you?”

“Naturally. My blade is merely an extension of your will.”

“Good. Reliable as always.”

The Prince broke into a loud, satisfied laugh.

“Tell me—between you and Hillun Kagil, who is the superior warrior?”

“……”

“Is it that difficult a question?”

“The answer is so obvious I was simply searching for a polite way to state it.”

“Polite?”

“He is the hero who ended two Demon Kings. I felt it best to let him keep some shred of his reputation.”

*Kuhahaha!*

The Prince’s laughter boomed across the camp.

“Did everyone hear that?”

“Yes, Highness!”

“Move out.”

His expression turned to stone.

—

*Kaboom—*

Crimson flames shattered the rocky walls of the gorge. An archer hidden in the crags was vaporized before he could even scream.

“Ugh, this is infuriating!”

Rosel Charnt bit her lip, leaping into the air. Volleys of arrows were incinerated by her passive flame shield as if they were nothing. But the arrows were merely a distraction. Magical disruptions and counter-spells constantly harassed her, breaking her focus.

Whenever she tried to force a breakthrough to burn the pests out, they vanished like shadows. After their initial defeat, the enemy had pivoted to guerilla warfare. They triggered rockslides, dug concealed pits, and lured the remaining monsters into our path. Their goal wasn’t to win, but to bleed our momentum until everyone was swearing in frustration.

Hillun, Rosel, the 6th Prince, and the combined forces of the Hawks did their best to clear the path, but the constant ambushes and monster interference made delays unavoidable. And that was exactly the enemy’s intent.

“If this continues, the 1st Prince will have already finished the black mages by the time we arrive.”

“We need to stop responding to these distractions and just push through.”

As the days slipped away, the officers’ arguments grew more heated.

“Hmm.”

Martin hesitated. He couldn’t just charge forward blindly. While these traps were minor if handled carefully, ignoring them completely would lead to a staggering body count.

“It’s alright.”

Hillun Kagil stepped in to settle the dispute.

“Alright? How?”

“These canyons are a labyrinth. Without a proper navigator, no one is reaching the center quickly.”

Hillun had navigated it easily because he had Berge, but without that specialized knowledge, a normal army would wander in circles for weeks.

“I understand that, but we can’t rely on luck. My second brother hired Daphne Philian as his scout. I doubt my eldest brother is any less prepared.”

“True, Your Highness. But that wasn’t my point.”

“Then what is?”

“There is no real advantage to being the first ones there.”

“You think the black mages are that formidable?”

“I do.”

“I know they’ve gathered here and the demonic energy is thick, but they’re still just black mages, aren’t they?”

“Is that truly what you believe?”

“I suspect a Demon King is pulling the strings. But even so, the mages themselves have never been much of a threat.”

A Demon King was a force of nature, but black mages were just humans. Even with borrowed power, they had a ceiling. History showed they were usually secondary players.

“This time is different.”

“In what way?”

“I agree that historically, black mages have been weak—usually just the disposable pawns of a Demon King.”

“Precisely,” the nobles nodded.

“But look at where we are. Haupstraun Canyon is a massive, jagged wasteland. It’s infested with monsters, which is why the Empire declared it off-limits.”

“We know this.”

“But since we entered, have you actually faced ‘forbidden zone’ levels of danger?”

They had fought many beasts, but it hadn’t been the nightmare the legends described.

“The black mages have rounded them up. We’re talking hundreds, perhaps thousands of monsters. No one here should be underestimating a force that can domesticate a forbidden zone.”

The officers had only dismissed the threat because they viewed the mages as a cornered, dying breed. Now, the realization began to sink in.

“Of course, against Your Highness and the elites of the Empire, it is still their final stand.”

They couldn’t have controlled every monster. And the truly ancient, powerful ones? They were untameable. Berge had confirmed this, and Hillun trusted that intel. To control that many, the mages would likely turn them into undead, which lowered their individual quality but increased their tenacity.

The sheer volume of the horde was the problem. If thousands of undead poured out, followed by the elite monsters the mages had spent years culturing… the losses would be catastrophic for whoever arrived first.

“So, letting the 1st Prince exhaust his strength against them first… it’s a sound strategy.”

“But if he actually succeeds in killing them…”

“I have seen them personally. It won’t be that simple. These black mages are not the ones you read about in history books.”

That settled the matter. Martin trusted Hillun’s veteran intuition.

“Then we shall maintain our pace.”

“That is my recommendation. We don’t know the full strength of the other princes or how they intend to move.”

“Agreed. We will follow Duke Hillun’s lead. We won’t crawl, but we will stop being reckless out of impatience.”

“Understood!”

The strategy remained largely the same, but the mood shifted. The 3rd Prince’s army moved with deliberate care, ready for anything.

A few days later, they reached a point where the canyon floor split into five diverging paths.

“Which trail?”

“This one.”

“Your Highness, look—movement on the other flank.”

“That’s…”

Another military force emerged from a separate gorge. Martin’s troops tensed, but the newcomers weren’t like the previous ambushers. They carried the unmistakable golden dragon standard of the imperial house.

The presence of over a thousand soldiers created a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. However, something was wrong.

“They’re battered.”

It wasn’t just a few soldiers. Many were bandaged, and their expressions were grim.

*They got caught in the meat grinder too.*

As the gap closed, the other army slowed to a halt. A lone rider stepped forward. Recognizing the crest on the armor, Martin rode out to meet him.

“Fancy meeting you in this hellhole.”

“Brother.”

Martin looked over the state of the other prince’s forces. “I take it you were targeted as well?”

“Yes. And you, clearly.”

“Indeed. Marlene is really starting to get on my nerves.”

*Kuhuhu—* The 2nd Prince, Floyan Jespain, let out a dark, ragged laugh.

“I assume you got the ‘welcome gift’ from our eldest brother?”

“It seems so.”

“They share the same mother, after all. They might fight like cats and dogs, but they’ll always unite to bury us.” Floyan spat on the ground, his hatred for the 1st Princess palpable. “How about we join forces?”

“What are you proposing?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. If the eldest and Marlene are working together, why should we just sit back and take the hit?”

“Don’t you have a distaste for me as well, Brother?”

“I like you better than those two. And this is strictly business. I’ll go back to trying to crush you once they’re dealt with.”

“I appreciate the honesty.”

“Skip the pleasantries. Do we have a deal?”

“A temporary alliance. Agreed.”

There was no logical reason to decline. With the pact made, the two armies merged and began the final push toward the canyon’s heart.

During a brief halt to reorganize, a figure slipped toward the group of heroes.

“It has been a long time, Lady Rosel.”

“Daphne?”

It was Daphne Philian, one of the legendary stars.

“Duke Hillun, a pleasure to see you again.”

“Lady Daphne.”

“I heard about the two Demon Kings. I’m disappointed I wasn’t there to witness it.”

“Your presence would have been a great comfort,” Hillun replied.

“You managed perfectly well without me. I never expected to see a hero from our generation actually take down two of them.”

“Listen to you two, just a regular mutual admiration society,” Rosel teased, rolling her eyes.

Then, the atmosphere shifted.

“…Wait.”

“Lady Daphne?”

Daphne’s eyes moved past Hillun, locking onto the group behind him.

“You.”

She looked directly at the members of the Red Hawks. Specifically, her gaze landed on Berge and stayed there.

“Us?”

Her emerald eyes took on a strange, piercing light.

“Have we met somewhere before? You look incredibly familiar.”