The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 87

Chapter 87
Chapter: 87

Chapter Title: Where Is She?

—

While preventing Akan from stumbling upon the tower remained a priority, Berge now had additional targets in his sights.

The objective was to neutralize and capture the golems.

Furthermore, he intended to abduct the sorcerers who commanded them.

These elements were vital components for the expansion and fortification of his own spire.

Upon hearing what Berge intended to do, Ernyan provided a realistic perspective.

“Akan views their golems as critical instruments of war. They are incredibly protective of them, rarely deploying anything but the basic types, and their security protocols are flawless. Even if a unit is smashed to bits, they gather every shard of debris.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Simply that they will never abandon a unit. Unless they are facing total annihilation, they will prioritize the recovery of their golems and pull back rather than leave them behind.”

“So, a difficult task.”

Difficult, however, did not imply it was out of reach.

“Roger mentioned an orichalcum composition. If that is true, we are looking at a prototype that hasn’t been unveiled to the public yet. Its true output and capacity for carnage are unknown, but if it truly surpasses all previous iterations…”

Berge finished her thought before she could voice it.

“You believe I lack the strength to overcome it?”

“Without the direct intervention of the Demon King, victory is a fantasy.”

He had already sensed as much. No matter the bravery of the orcish charge, they would likely end up as nothing more than a pile of corpses.

Akan’s military might was not solely dependent on their mechanical giants, after all.

“Do you plan to enter the fray?”

“That is not an option.”

Though the remains of the phoenix had granted him a fresh identity and new heights of power, he wasn’t entirely free from the burdens of his station—the other Demon Kings were a constant threat.

A Demon King wandering away from their domain to interfere in external affairs would spark a massive controversy. It was a blatant breach of the laws established in the Standard of the Demon King.

If Berge took to the field and a single survivor lived to tell the tale of his involvement, the other Demon Kings would certainly react.

Word would reach the Archduke, and the subsequent punishment would be severe.

Furthermore, he couldn’t simply wipe them all out. Akan was not a nation to be trifled with, and such an escalation could lead to unpredictable catastrophes.

“Then we are at a stalemate.”

“Not necessarily. I don’t need to be the one holding the sword. This is Erjest.”

He had plenty of proxies he could manipulate to do the work for him.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“……”

Lavinia’s eyes snapped open.

“Magic.”

She wiped the sleep from her face and sat upright.

“Princess?”

The sentry stationed outside her tent took notice of her movement.

“Magic.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Magic.”

Woof woof woof—

At that exact moment, the hellhounds erupted into a frenzy of barking. Despite being tethered to heavy anchors imbued with gravity magic, they lunged and thrashed against their restraints.

The knight finally understood the princess’s warning.

“Are you detecting traces of demonic power?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Please stay here. I will notify the prince immediately!”

The quiet camp was suddenly thrown into a state of high alert. Kain threw on his plate armor and hurried to Lavinia’s side.

“Sister, is it true? Do you feel demonic energy?”

“Mm-hm.”

“From which direction?”

“Over there.”

“It must be quite distant.”

“Mm-hm.”

“And the others?”

“It’s faint, but it’s there.”

In the direction Lavinia indicated, there was nothing but a white expanse of snow. Kain himself could perceive no such energy.

However, his trust in Lavinia was absolute. The frantic behavior of the hellhounds and the confirmation from the Twelve Heroes solidified his belief.

Yet, a concern lingered.

‘Marching through the night is a tactical risk.’

Furthermore, something that had been invisible during the daylight hours had suddenly manifested.

This suggested it wasn’t the tower they sought. A fixed structure like a tower wouldn’t mask its presence only to reveal it once the sun went down.

‘I’ve never encountered such a phenomenon.’

That left only one logical conclusion. A demonic creature—or perhaps a demonkin.

‘Demons prowling near our perimeter in the middle of the night…’

It was an ambush.

“Everyone to battle stations! Prepare for a monster assault!”

“Understood!”

The camp became a hive of activity. Sorcerers strengthened the defensive perimeters, while knights and infantry took up their formations. Mages began the mental preparation for complex spells. Lookouts on raised platforms scanned the dark horizon using enchanted lenses.

“No movement detected yet!”

“Stay vigilant! Don’t let your guard down!”

They remained in a state of heightened tension until dawn.

“……?”

From his vantage point in the distance, the watching Demon King tilted his head in confusion.

“Is this actually more effective than a direct monster raid?”

His initial frustration that they had sensed the energy but refused to leave their camp had turned into a strange sort of amusement.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Berge realized he couldn’t rely on the same trick twice, which was a minor disappointment.

“We should investigate the source regardless.”

After a sleepless night, Kain allowed his troops to rotate through rest periods. As the sun rose and the demonic traces remained, they began a wary march toward the origin of the energy.

“Could this be a lure set by the Demon King?”

“We have no other leads. Whether it’s the actual tower or a clever deception, we must verify it.”

To mitigate potential losses, the golems were placed at the vanguard.

“Granada, does this trail look familiar?”

“It’s not a path the hero’s group ever took.”

“Then the chances of it being the right way are higher.”

Since no tower had been found on the established hero routes, unexplored territory was their best bet.

“Sister, keep us on the right path.”

“Mm-hm.”

As they pushed deeper, the frequency of monster encounters increased. The terrain became more treacherous, inevitably slowing their progress.

“We set up camp here for the night!”

Days passed—one, then two, three, and four. They journeyed into the very soul of the Erjest range, cutting through waves of monsters.

Curiously, they encountered no demonkin or true demon beasts during the trek.

The strange part was that the demonic aura persisted.

The hellhounds, Lavinia, the Akan scouts, and the twelve accompanying heroes all agreed on one thing:

The energy was intensifying.

‘Is it a trap?’

It was too late for doubts. Having invested this much time and effort, they were committed to seeing what lay at the end of the trail.

One more day went by.

“…The mountain is quiet today.”

“No signs of an ambush.”

On that specific day.

The usual monsters were nowhere to be found.

“Something is wrong.”

Lavinia didn’t need to say it; the atmosphere was heavy with unspoken dread.

The tension was suffocating.

“I see it.”

“Over there!”

They finally reached the epicenter of the energy.

It turned out to be.

Grrr—

A solitary beast.

A hellhound, the infamous predator of the underworld. It was a massive creature, over three meters in height, capable of devouring most mountain monsters.

Yet, it wasn’t powerful enough to project the kind of demonic energy they had been tracking for days.

“No.”

Lavinia shook her head. This wasn’t the source she had been sensing.

A sudden, overwhelming chill ran down everyone’s spine.

“Fall back! Everyone, retreat at on—!”

Woof woof woof—

The domestic hellhounds began to howl in terror. The Titan beat its chest in a display of aggression.

Rumble rumble—

The earth beneath them groaned and then gave way.

Yeep—

The wild hellhound let out a sharp cry as a gargantuan maw rose from beneath and snapped shut.

Crunch—

A spray of crimson coated the snow.

Kain watched in horror as the massive entity swallowed the hellhound whole.

Limbs as sturdy as stone pillars.

A torso the size of a small mountain.

A head dominated by a ravenous, gaping mouth.

A creature that consumed everything in its path.

It was.

A Behemoth.

A legendary predator known for eating ogres. Because it radiated demonic energy, many scholars argued it belonged in the category of demon beasts.

The creature’s crimson eyes locked onto the humans. It gulped down the last of its previous meal. Huge, horn-like tusks jutted from its mouth, dripping with fresh gore.

“…Can we get away?”

“Its size is deceptive; a Behemoth has a burst of speed and power that far exceeds an ogre’s.”

Escape was not an option.

Kain bit his lip, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

“If we engage?”

“As long as we avoid a catastrophic blunder, we can take it down.”

The leader of the Blue Meteor Mage Corps spoke with grim confidence.

Indeed, as terrifying as a Behemoth was, it was still a tier below a Demon King.

The problem, however, was that they hadn’t prepared to expend this much energy before reaching the tower.

‘This is bad.’

Winning the fight wasn’t the only concern.

The Erjest Mountains were a deathtrap, and they were currently in its deepest reaches.

A bloody struggle would leave them weakened, turning their retreat into a gauntlet of death against the mountain’s other inhabitants.

Kain couldn’t afford those casualties.

“Distract it with a golem and we’ll begin a slow withdrawal…”

It was a painful sacrifice, but the golem was replaceable. Better to lose a machine than his men. Given their location, no one would be able to recover the wreckage to steal their secrets anyway.

That was when a new voice broke the silence.

“Your Highness. Look behind us…”

“Ha…!”

A bitter laugh escaped Kain’s lips. In the distance, hundreds of Frost Orcs had emerged, perfectly cutting off any path of retreat.

It was a coordinated trap.

“Sir Dolkin.”

“At your service, Your Highness.”

The commander of the White Wolf Knight Order stood ready.

“Take the infantry and hold the line against the Frost Orcs. My sister, the golems, Blue Meteor, and I will deal with the Behemoth. Just keep them off our backs.”

“Once the orcs are dealt with, we will assist you in finishing that monster.”

“We’ll lend our strength as well.”

“My thanks. I appreciate it.”

Kain gave a small, forced smile at Granada’s offer.

“We have to end this quickly.”

The Frost Orcs and the Behemoth were obstacles they could overcome. But if the noise and the scent of blood drew more predators, they were doomed.

Rawr—

The Behemoth’s thunderous roar cut through the air. It lunged, its massive frame obscuring the sun as it fell toward the Akan lines.

“Hold the line!”

Creak creak—

The golems whirred into action. They braced themselves against the earth and threw their massive fists forward.

Boom!

The golems were forced back several steps, but their combined strength managed to halt the Behemoth’s momentum. And then, from above.

“Demon beast.”

“Valuable.”

The Titan Chimera plummeted into the fray, with the princess perched on its shoulder, her eyes shining with greed.

Rawr—

The Titan slammed onto the Behemoth’s back. The impact of the ten-meter giant shook the surrounding area.

The Titan began pounding on the beast, while the other golems closed in from every side.

One ten-meter Behemoth against five five-meter golems and a Titan.

Numerically, Akan held the upper hand. But the Behemoth’s threat didn’t just come from its size; it possessed a primal power that defied its dimensions.

Creak creak—

Golems that had latched onto the Behemoth were flung away with a screech of grinding metal. The beast’s massive jaws clamped down on one golem’s arm.

Scrape—

The sound was ear-splitting, but the orichalcum alloy held firm against the pressure.

The Behemoth tossed the golem aside like a toy and swung its entire body into the advancing Titan.

Boom!

Rawr—

The Titan cried out as it was sent tumbling back, and Lavinia disappeared into the deep snow.

“Sister!”

A brilliant blue aura erupted from Kain’s blade. With a masterfully aimed strike, he slashed at the Behemoth’s side.

Scrape—

The sound was unnatural, like steel striking enchanted hide. The force of the impact vibrated through Kain’s arms, but the blade still drew a deep line of blood.

The Behemoth roared in pain.

A golem seized the opportunity to punch the beast directly in its open mouth, rattling its tusks.

From the rear, the Blue Meteor mages launched a volley of spells. Shards of magical ice battered the creature’s skin. They couldn’t penetrate the thick hide, but the concussive force kept the beast off-balance.

“Impressive.”

Watching the chaos from a safe distance, Berge laughed.

A battle between creatures over five meters tall was common in the demon realms, but it was a rare spectacle in the world of men.

“That orichalcum is the real deal…! Even a Behemoth’s bite can’t mark it!”

“It’s durable, certainly.”

“To withstand that kind of punishment without failing! Akan’s engineering truly is the best in the world!”

Berge chose to ignore that comment.

His attention returned to the struggle.

While the giants clashed, the Frost Orcs had engaged the knights on the other side of the field.

Krutu and his elite guards were locked in combat with the White Wolf Knights, while the rest of the orcs swarmed the infantry.

The fighting was intense, but the orcs were losing ground.

Krutu was being held back by the White Wolf commander, and his guards were struggling against the other knights. The rank-and-file orcs were no match for the disciplined Akan soldiers.

The orcs were outclassed in every category.

‘Akan’s finest, just as I thought.’

It was clear that Akan had spared no expense for this expedition.

But Berge wasn’t worried. He had expected this; the orcs weren’t there to win a war of attrition.

At that moment.

Boom—

One of the golems, tossed by the Behemoth, crashed directly into the middle of the infantry battle. Humans and orcs alike were crushed instantly. The formation broke apart in the ensuing panic.

Taking advantage of the disruption, Krutu and his elite unit made their move.

Their target: the sorcerers controlling the golems.

The knights tried to intercept them, but frost wolves, perfectly hidden in the snow, lunged from the drifts to pin them down.

“Stop them!”

The prince screamed as he realized the orcs’ trajectory.

The impact was swift.

The golem sorcerers and mages, focused entirely on the Behemoth, were defenseless against the orcish charge.

The golems didn’t stop immediately. They possessed a rudimentary ego and would continue to fight until they were destroyed or given new orders.

However, the sorcerers were more than just pilots.

They provided the magical support that allowed the golems to fight with precision and fluidity. Without that link, the golems’ effectiveness plummeted.

The results were immediate.

Boom—

The golems faltered. The Behemoth managed to knock three of them back in a single rampage.

The Titan tried to halt the beast’s advance but was pushed back, its feet carving deep furrows in the earth.

Seeing their opportunity, Krutu blew a signal horn.

The Frost Orcs retreated in perfect unison. The Akan troops wanted to give chase, but the uncontrolled Behemoth was a more immediate threat.

“Focus on the Behemoth!”

“Knights! Form a perimeter around the Prince!”

“Let the orcs go!”

Dolkin, the White Wolf commander, ground his teeth in frustration. He wanted to pursue the attackers, but his primary mission was the safety of Kain and Lavinia.

The knights threw themselves at the Behemoth.

Dolkin’s sword radiated a three-meter blade of pure aura. He carved a massive wound into the beast’s side as it tried to crush a golem’s head.

Rawr—

The creature’s agonized scream was so loud it made the exhausted soldiers stumble.

‘This mission is a nightmare.’

Granada cursed under his breath, looking at the terrified members of the Red Hawk team.

“If you run now, you’ll never work again. Fight for at least a minute before you back off.”

“U-Understood.”

Bark charged the Behemoth. His aura-coated sword hit the hide, but the beast’s tail whipped around and sent him flying into a snowbank. He didn’t move again.

He likely wouldn’t “wake up” until the fighting was over.

The rest of the Red Hawk team followed suit.

‘…These people are surprisingly dedicated.’

Granada clicked his tongue.

The grueling battle continued.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“…Huff, huff.”

Kain wiped a mixture of sweat and blood from his chin.

The Behemoth’s massive corpse finally hit the ground with a heavy thud. The vibration triggered a small avalanche that partially buried the weary Akan soldiers.

“Are you hurt, Your Highness?”

The Blue Meteor captain, having maintained a protective barrier throughout the finale, approached Kain.

“…I’m alright. Give me a status report.”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldiers began the grim work of securing the area.

“The orc raid hit the mages and sorcerers, but casualties were relatively low. The real loss is the golems—three are completely destroyed.”

“I see.”

“The knights and infantry took fewer losses than anticipated. The orcs fled the scene.”

“That is some good news, at least.”

It was strange, but for such a violent encounter, their human losses were surprisingly manageable.

“Collect our fallen, secure the Behemoth’s body for transport, and let’s move. Wait…”

Kain looked around the clearing, his heart sinking.

“Where is my sister?”

Lavinia and the Titan were nowhere to be seen.