As the massive army encircled the city and initiated their formal assault, two distinct special units stood out on the outskirts of the Imperial Fourth Legion.
One of these units was entirely composed of mercenaries, quite different from the mercenaries that Su Wenhao had dispatched to attack the Bloody Fortress. These mercenaries were drawn from five renowned mercenary groups within the southern territories, boasting combat abilities and training on par with imperial troops. Their numbers were significant, totaling around fifty thousand. Some elite Hero guilds were also among them. Their agility and combat prowess matched or even exceeded that of an equal number of Imperial regulars.
The other distinctive unit was the Radiant Church forces, numbering nearly ten thousand soldiers. Eighty percent of them were Radiant Priests, dressed in white priestly robes and wielding staff as spellcasters. The remaining twenty percent were Radiant Knights, mounted on white pegasi and armed with lances. While Radiant Priests had limited offensive capabilities, they excelled as powerful support units, specializing in healing, restoration, dispelling, and buffing magic. Their presence significantly boosted the overall combat effectiveness of the army. Although the Radiant Knights were fewer in number, they were exceptionally elite. None of them were Level 1 units; instead, they consisted entirely of Level 2 and 3 elite units. With the added blessings of Radiant divine arts, they formed a formidable force.
The moment the battle commenced, all eight thousand Radiant Priests began chanting in unison. One Radiant divine art after another swept over the army, enhancing their HP, MP, strength, constitution, and all other stats. Their combat capabilities saw a remarkable improvement.
"Barrier squad! Get ready!" commanded the legion leader. "Mage units! Commence the siege!"
As the beholders within Kolo City began their assault, layers of immense magical shields expanded, providing ample defense for the imperial army. Simultaneously, accompanying the surge of powerful magical energy, units of mages began a coordinated incantation.
Marilyn's expression shifted slightly as she said, "The imperial mage units possess the ability for collaborative spellcasting. They intend to break through Kolo City's defenses from a distance with their long-range spells."
Her words had barely left her lips when the imperial mage formation began to shine with light. Hundreds, even thousands, of fireballs soared into the sky. These small fireballs, much like magnets, were drawn together, merging to form miniature sun-like flames above the mage formation.
So that was their plan. This was one of the empire's methods for besieging a city!
The majority of the empire's mage soldiers were Level 1 elites. These mage soldiers could cast D-rank or C-rank magic at most. If their spells were scattered and sporadic, it would be difficult to breach the city's protective barrier and walls. However, when they engaged in a coordinated chant for a combined spell, the effect would be entirely different.
When several hundred or even thousands of C-rank spells coalesced into a single magical attack, the resulting effect was at least A-rank in potency. Currently, ten mage formations were working together to cast spells, equivalent to having ten units of Level 5 overlord mages simultaneously launching magical attacks. This level of power was not to be underestimated.
"Prepare for the incoming attack!" Marilyn shouted. "Strengthen the barrier!"
In the past, Kolo City would not have withstood such an onslaught for even two rounds. But now, Kolo City had been reinforced and fortified by the Demon King. Notably, there were over two thousand Barrier Mages. These Barrier Mages were recruited by the Demon King through the construction of the Level 4 High Mage Guild. When they worked together to maintain the city's protective barrier, it granted the barrier tremendous strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Gigantic fireballs struck the barrier, releasing intense light and heat, but ultimately, the barrier held firm.
"Huh! How interesting!"
"A mere border city. Yet, it has quite the defensive barrier," commented Xiang Nanfeng, still appearing relaxed. On the other hand, Hong Xia remarked, "Kolo City's protective barrier will not be enough. It can only defend passively. They won't hold out for long. The Demon King should be coming out soon."
As expected, everything was under control. The terrifying dragon's presence soon overwhelmed the battlefield, creating immense pressure on the empire's force. The sky quickly filled with dark thunderclouds, casting a somber shadow. A colossal Abyssal Dragon, over eighty meters in size, appeared majestically in the sky. Simultaneously, a large number of elite draconian soldiers, super soldiers, and various flying units from the federation swarmed the skies, numbering at least in the tens of thousands.
"All troops! Listen up! Full-scale attack!!!" The imperial legion commander shouted loudly. The mage formations continued their coordinated magical assaults. Under the cover of the barrier, the front-line heavy infantry and winged cavalry units began their breakthroughs in various directions toward Kolo City.
"You insignificant pests!" The Dark Dragon King roared angrily. "Today, you shall witness the might of the Chaos Federation!"
The battle erupted in an instant. The imperial army surged toward Kolo City like a bloodthirsty swarm, relentlessly charging at their prey. Both sides maintained their defenses, blocking each other's attacks. Beams from the beholders, Qi arrows, flames, lightning, wind blades, and various forms of magic instantly escalated the battle to a white-hot intensity.
"Is this the Demon King's army?"
"I never expected them to be this formidable!" Both the nobles led by Marquis Kregi, who were watching from the rear as well as the mercenaries and Heroes led by Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia, could clearly sense the immense resistance the humans were facing as soon as they made contact with the enemy.
This was to be expected. Even though the forces from the Darkness City were not overly numerous, all the combatants had been carefully selected. The draconian legion alone had five thousand super soldiers, all top-tier Level 3 elite forces capable of defeating armies ten times their size.
However, despite this, the imperial assault showed no signs of slowing down. With the support of the mercenaries, Heroes, and the church forces led by Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia, the human side's combat effectiveness experienced a massive boost. At the beginning of the battle, it was still unclear who would emerge victorious.
"Demon King! I spared your life last time!"
"You won't be so lucky today!" The Dark Dragon King swept through the imperial army with dragon flames, causing hundreds or even thousands of casualties in moments. However, before he could expand his gains further, he was locked onto by two formidable auras. Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia used instantaneous teleportation to appear before him.
The Demon King responded with a disdainful smirk, "You two managed to escape by the skin of your teeth last time. Escaping today won't be as easy."
"Hmph, bold words for someone facing death!" The two super Heroes joined forces once again and launched an attack on the Demon King, both of them being Level 6 overlords with the advantage of elemental dominance, making them have a considerable chance of success against a Level 5 monarch.
"Good! Very good!"
"The Demon King is being suppressed!" Marquis Kregi observed the battle from a distance. He noticed that the Demon King, who was facing a two-on-one situation, could hardly spare a hand to stop the army. Even the Demon King's powerful Level 5 subordinates were currently being held back by the church, mercenaries, Hero guilds, and the imperial military's elites. With this momentum, breaking through Kolo City did not seem far-fetched at all. Marquis Kregi's heart was completely at ease.
One of the counts smiled and said, "While the Demon King's army is formidable, the difference compared to us is just too great."
Another count agreed, "All the elites under Your Lordship, Sir Bard, and our command, along with the three other legions that haven't even joined the battle yet. They can't possibly withstand the upcoming assault."
"This victory is unquestionably in favor of the empire!"
"And it feels like too easy of a win!"
The imperial nobles remained composed and confident, while the Chaos Federation felt the pressure.
Marilyn charged into the battlefield, continuously shooting Qi arrows with her longbow, taking down one enemy after another. However, at this moment, two Level 5 mercenary leaders emerged. They were incredibly powerful and led a group of top-tier mercenaries, leaving Marilyn with no room for distraction. She had to focus entirely on dealing with them.
Simultaneously, Holy Knight Bai Jin, the golden giant Jin Kui, Long Er, and Long San found themselves in fierce battles. There were plenty of elite forces from the empire, mercenaries, church members, adventurers, Heroes, and others, many of whom were high-tier combatants. Luckily, the draconian high priest performed a blood ritual, and despite the intense fighting, the losses on the Demon King's side were not significant.
"Curses! Pay no mind to these guys!"
"Attack those damned priests first!"
The imperial legion commanders and various unit leaders were far from foolish. They quickly noticed the Demon King's forces were extraordinarily resilient and, upon investigation, identified the problem -- it was the draconian priests.
"Protect the priests!" Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er and Zhao Wu both transformed into their earth drake forms, using their powerful defensive capabilities to draw the empire's fire and sweep away any approaching enemies. Just then, over a hundred Radiant Knights descended from the sky on their pegasi. They immediately engaged and restrained the two diamond earth drakes.
"Charge!"
"The empire will prevail!"
"Take down these minions of the Demon King!"
"With the protection of the Radiant Lords, we shall fear no evil!"
The imperial coalition's offensive grew increasingly fierce, with the main imperial army still waiting in the rear. Supported by mercenaries and Radiant priests, they could throw themselves into battle without any concerns. On the other hand, the federation forces, although strong, could not commit their entire forces to the battlefield. They had to reserve a portion to face the empire's main force, putting them in a disadvantageous position.
Several of the Heroes were quite excited, especially Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia. They once again seized control of the battle's momentum, rendering the terrifying Dark Dragon King helpless under their pressure.
"The outcome is inevitable!"
"Accept your fate, Demon King! You can't win!"
However, just as the stalemate seemed to tilt slightly in favor of the empire, something unexpected occurred that caught everyone off guard. Led by the Dark Dragon King, all the Chaos Federation forces began to emit powerful divine light.
"What's happening? Do they have divine magic too?" Hong Xia exclaimed in shock. "It seems like the power of the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of War!"
As it turned out, within the Darkness City, the temple's rituals had been completed. Although it cost a considerable amount of gold, it temporarily raised the divine magic level of all units under the Demon King's command.
Goddess of War's Blessing increased from level 1 to level 4!
Goddess of Nature's Blessing increased from level 1 to level 4!
[Goddess of Nature's Blessing Level 4] Special status. Maximum HP +60%, recovers an additional of 100 HP and 100 MP per minute.
[Goddess of War's Blessing Level 4] Special status. Strength +50%, Agility +25%, Constitution +25%, Willpower +25%, all damage +15%!
The divine magic blessings had increased by three levels in one go, and their effects were magnified tenfold. The Dark Dragon King and all the combat units experienced a tremendous boost in attributes, with their health alone more than doubling. When combined with the leadership aura, the Demon King's forces had their combat power increased by at least twofold compared to their normal state, swiftly turning the tide of the battle. Feeling this newfound power surging through them, the morale of the Demon King's army soared.
"Hahaha! The game has just begun!" The Dark Dragon King swiftly swung his tail.
Xiang Nanfeng was sent flying dozens of meters away. "Damn, he's gotten stronger! The situation has become tricky! Is there any way to dispel the buffs on him?"
Hong Xia frowned and replied, "I'm afraid not. This isn't just any ordinary buffing magic, it's a divine magic effect. Divine magic is very difficult to dispel."
Long Yi taunted, "Is this all you've got?"
Xiang Nanfeng's expression darkened. "Hmph, it's just a slight power boost. You're celebrating a bit too early!"
Hong Xia added, "That's right. The tide of battle hasn't turned in your favor. Your troops still can't hold back the imperial forces. If this is your full strength now, you're still destined to die!"
"Is that so? Then do your worst!"
The Dragon King sneered and launched another attack. The two Heroes, who had been slightly ahead a moment ago, gradually fell into a stalemate.
On the empire's side, "Hmph, we underestimated him!"
"This Demon King can summon such powerful divine magic?"
"In that case, just with the forces we've committed, it may not be enough to wipe out the Demon King's army!"
Knight Commander Bard stepped forward. "My lord, let me lead another legion into battle. I'm certain we can resolve this conflict!"
Marquis Kregi shook his head. "There's no need to complicate matters. The Demon King's forces are now clear as day. Even if they have a hidden trump card, it's unlikely to change the course of the battle."
He issued orders to the entire army. "Initiate the final assault!"
Knight Commander Bard was momentarily taken aback. Marquis Kregi clearly did not want to waste any more time. He was preparing to personally intervene, joining forces with the southern nobility and other formidable Heroes to commit the remaining three-quarters of their troops.
The Chaos Federation was already struggling to deal with the current situation. If the imperial alliance army, with its overwhelming strength, joined the battle now, it would undoubtedly lead to the Demon King's complete despair. There would be no hope of a turnaround, and the empire would easily crush the Demon King's army and sweep through the entire Kolo Province."