Advance
“We’re finally here. The Palace of Gluttony, the core of the Iron Tower…” Zapan muttered, his eyes blazing as the gates opened.
“What are you doing?” A loud shout sounded suddenly, and Zapan saw Baalzephon’s body turn into a blur as it zipped between the cracks of the gate. However, the other pit fiends watched on without the slightest inclination of stopping him.
*Rumble!* A blinding flash radiated out, and thunder boomed as Baalzephon’s body was struck by golden lightning. It disintegrated into nothingness. The only thing he left behind was a barely audible cry of rage as he screamed, “No!”
“Tch! How can the defence mechanism of an Archdevil’s core territory be breached so easily?” Another pit fiend shook his head in disdain and mocked the Dark Eight, “Such a foolish devil can also become one of the Dark Eight… Ahahah…”
Devils normally competed across the different hells. They had no qualms with bringing their counterparts down.
“Damn it, do you want to fight?” Corin of the Dark Eight stood out, his eyes showing fury.
“Alright alright, Corin!” Two other pit fiends stopped him, “We share goals right now. Any internal strife will stop us from entering the Palace of Gluttony, and gaining access to the lord’s lair…”
“Alright then!” The other pit fiends heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Corin recollecting his cool. However, their eyes showed that they now harboured even more schemes.
‘This general… His rage earlier was most likely just an act. Did he do it so he could get better terms?’ ‘Someone with empathy? Ha!’ Although many of the devils present were second guessing themselves, the pit fiends finally came to an agreement to break into the palace together.
The void flickered right after they left, revealing Leylin’s figure.
“Haha… Should I say it’s as expected of devils?” His gaze settled on something in the distance as he shook his head, giving off a mysterious smile. Gods were high and mighty, able to peer into the future.
An army of devils appeared within Avernus, launching a frenzied attack at the two divine realms within. Five dragon corpses were piled up in the Bronze Citadel, like small mountains as they surrounded the Chromatic Dragon, Tiamat. She roared furiously, “You despicable liars!”
The armoured devils were fearless, as if the rage of this dragon couldn’t affect them. They poured forth like a torrential wave, eventually cutting off Tiamat’s five heads. Once the last crimson head fell to the ground, Tiamat’s body crashed down with an epic thud, causing a minor tremor inside the Bronze Citadel. Chromatic Dragon Tiamat, who’d just received full authority over the Bronze Citadel, had perished.
“Commander, Tiamat’s death has been confirmed!” This news was quickly sent to an unknown pit fiend.
“Very well, occupy the whole city, and begin cleansing it of werewolves, wereleopards, and dragons. Any who resist are to be killed immediately, there will be no need for further updates.” The commander of the army was a size smaller than his peers, but his eyes were cold as frost. A red scar streaked across his face, making him look malevolent. The bridge of his nose was extremely tall and sharp. The devil seemed complicated, possessing savagery and tyranny but at the same time tenacity and experience.
“Yes!” The messenger had no intention of disobeying his commands. Very soon, the order had been spread throughout the Bronze Citadel. Wails and cries resounded as Tiamat’s kith and kin, those half-beasts who had been attracted by her evil, were purged. The majority of them would definitely not live past the night, and those that did would become slaves to the devils, toiling somewhere with no day and night.
A huge conspiracy began to engulf the Nine Hells with Tiamat’s death. Similar events were occurring in the Third through Fifth Hells, and a large undercurrent erupted into the limelight, as if planning to devour all prey at one go.
……
Dis, the City of Iron.
“Argh…” Another assassin cried in anguish as he was swallowed by darkness. However, the expressions of the pit fiends were extremely calm, as if a common sight.
“The Sentinel’s Passage is the best guarded place after the hall of gluttony. Rumours say that we’ll be able to reach Beelzebub’s palace if we follow this road…” Dagos of the Dark Eight had assumed human form, looking like a scholarly and well-mannered sage. However, his evil aura betrayed his disguise.
“Our mission ends with this wave, the rest depends on you!” Dagos spoke to the other pit fiends.
“Of course… We will abide by the rules. You, get over there!” A pit fiend walked forward and pointed at a paeliryon subordinate.
The pit fiends had all agreed that using their subordinates as cannon fodder was the most optimal way, and they would count the losses and each sacrifice some of their men.
“My Lord…” The paeliryon which was extremely massive looked on at the darkness, its face extremely solemn.
“Cut the bullshit. Do you want to become a lower devil?” The pit fiend roared, revealing its aura.
Devils had great control over their subordinates. They could promote or demote them, and using their auras with the threads of loyalty, the pit fiend could force this paeliryon into danger regardless of circumstance.
*Ka-cha!* *Ka-cha!* Devils were extremely meticulous and cautious, and most traps would not faze them. However, that wasn’t true for traps laid by an Archdevil. This particular paeliryon was extremely nimble and cautious as it ducked past several traps, even seeing the end of the passage. However, it was soon engulfed by a silvery liquid that fell from the sky. It screamed in anguish, its veins and bones visible as the liquid corroded its entire body…
“It’s Devil’s Solution. To think he used it here…” Zapan had grown rather irritable. After all, most of the traps had been laid against devils themselves, causing great casualties. This also confirmed that devils themselves had only one type of opponent— other devils.
The defenses of the Iron City had to be maintained however, and they were limited in numbers. With the pit fiends sending out their subordinates one after the other to activate all the mechanisms, they would be able to overcome them sooner or later.
“We’re finally out!” Everyone was relieved after exiting the passage, especially the greater devils that had survived the ordeal.
However, the smiles on their faces very soon turned still. What was in front of them was a large field. Rows of metal and lava golems stood neatly in formation, making up an army. A black figure seemed to be sending out orders from the centre.
“Fuck, the information was inaccurate! Didn’t they say everything would be alright after we got past Sentinel’s Passage?” A pit fiend hurled vulgarity as it berated its fellow devils.
Devils found it instinctual to push blame, even harming others when met with difficulty.
“You trespassers shall soon feel the glorious wrath of Lord Beelzebub. This army of golems…” A booming voice sounded from the golem army. It sounded rather young, but still carried a dignified tone.
The golems raised their head once the voice sounded, as if possessing their own souls. They immediately launched an attack. The devils quickly suffered another wave of heavy casualties.
“We can’t teleport in here, shit!”
“These are arcane golems, and have some diamonds embedded within them. O’ Supreme of Baator, has the Lord of Gluttony obtained a flying city?”
“There’s no other choice/ Have the subordinates hold them back, we need to try and break through!” Devils were expert leaders and diplomats, and many of them sought a straightforward attack. However, their current opponents were extremely effective against their kind, leaving them feeling helpless.
However, the temptation of a lordship was currently dangling in front of them like a carrot, causing them to lose sight of the precarious situation.
Pit fiends found it normal to send their subordinates out as sacrifices, using them to escape danger. Some of them had even brought a large group of greater devils along just for this purpose. They were running out of cannon fodder, however, and Beelzebub was yet to be seen.
“Die! Fireball!” “Summon Hellfire!” “Summon Devil!”
With the urging of their superiors, the greater devils could only put all they had into a frontal collision with the golem army. Broken limbs and flaming pieces of metal flew in the air as brilliant flashes dazzled the battlefield.