Parallel Memory

Chapter 653: The Devil’s Trump Card

The battlefield at the palace gates trembled beneath a crimson sky, thick with smoke, screams, and the clash of mana. The devils had begun to adapt—each wave more organized, their formation tighter, their auras synchronized like the rhythm of a dark symphony. Kaelion’s soldiers, once holding strong lines, were now being slowly driven back, their morale fraying under the relentless surge of corruption.

"Hold the formation! Do not let the front collapse!" Kaelion’s voice cut through the chaos. His command was sharp, but even he could feel it—the shift. Something in the air had changed. The devils were no longer attacking recklessly; they were waiting for something.

And then, it appeared.

A tremor rolled through the ground, splitting the blood-soaked soil as a massive dark sigil ignited at the center of the battlefield. From it emerged a figure cloaked in jagged armor, its surface etched with writhing red lines that pulsed like veins. Its presence alone sent every soldier within a hundred meters staggering backward. The air distorted, mana bending violently as if refusing to exist near this entity.

Kaelion’s expression hardened. "...So they’ve sent a high-ranked general."

Even the devils bowed their heads as the being took form—its long horns curving like blades, and its eyes glowing with a cold, intelligent malice. When it spoke, its voice echoed like a thousand whispers layered into one.

"General Bael, at your service... humans."

The Saintess stumbled a step back, her staff trembling in her hands. The divine barrier around the gates flickered for the first time since the battle began. She forced her mana outward, pouring everything she had to reinforce it, but Bael’s oppressive aura cracked the light like glass.

"Saintess—focus on containment!" Kaelion shouted, drawing his twin blades. "We can’t let him breach the barrier!"

Bael smiled. "Containment? You misunderstand. I did not come to attack your gates."

Before Kaelion could react, Bael raised his hand. The dark sigil beneath him expanded, bursting into threads of crimson energy that snaked across the field—binding hundreds of lesser devils together. Their bodies contorted, merging into grotesque, armored beasts. Their combined aura rivaled that of an S-rank army.

Kaelion’s soldiers faltered. Even his elite captains could barely hold their footing.

The Saintess bit her lip, blood trickling down her chin as her blessing surged. Radiant feathers of light erupted from her mana, raining down over the battlefield to counteract the spreading corruption. "As long as I stand... your darkness will not take root here!"

Bael tilted his head, amused. "Then I shall enjoy watching you break."

Kaelion moved first. With a swift motion, he vanished from sight, reappearing behind Bael with his blades slashing down. Sparks exploded as his swords met Bael’s claws—the impact tearing through the ground like a shockwave. For the first time, even Kaelion gritted his teeth.

Bael’s defense was absolute.

"So this is the famed commander of humanity," Bael mused, brushing aside Kaelion’s follow-up strike with one hand. "Efficient, disciplined, but predictable."

Kaelion didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. His soldiers had already begun moving—his commands encoded in their training. Formation shifts rippled through the army, lines rotating, casters repositioning, and ranged units preparing bombardment.

But Bael had noticed. He raised his hand again. "Then allow me to even the field."

Dozens of black spears materialized in the sky, each humming with destructive energy. They rained down like meteors, tearing through Kaelion’s defensive lines. The Saintess screamed as she pushed her blessings further, light exploding from her form to intercept the attack.

"Saintess!" one of the captains cried.

She didn’t respond—her body trembling as divine energy poured from her core far beyond what it could safely handle. The halo above her flickered erratically, but the spears shattered upon the barrier she formed, raining sparks of gold and shadow across the field.

Kaelion seized the opening. "Now! Heavy artillery—focus fire!"

Cannons embedded in mana circles erupted behind the lines, their blasts shaking the sky. Explosions tore across Bael’s summoned beasts, disintegrating the weaker ones into clouds of smoke.

But the general himself stood unscathed.

As the dust cleared, Bael’s laughter filled the battlefield. "Impressive coordination. You must be the one the devils of the lower ranks fear."

Kaelion’s jaw tightened. He could feel the weight of every second. The Saintess’s mana was burning too fast, and his troops were at their limit. If he dragged this out, they would lose.

He looked back toward the palace. Mia... Hiro... I hope you finish what you started soon.

He took a deep breath, letting his aura flare to full strength. His blades glowed blue, mana vibrating at the edge of control. "All units—fall back two hundred meters! Form the crescent formation!"

The captains hesitated. "But, Commander—"

"That’s an order!"

As the soldiers pulled back, Kaelion pressed a hand to his chest. His mana surged violently, mixing with traces of divine light left by the Saintess’s barrier. His next words were barely a whisper.

"Forbidden Tactic—Resonance Field."

A storm of light and darkness burst outward, encircling Bael within a ring of oscillating energy. For the first time, the devil general’s smirk faded slightly.

"What is this trickery?"

Kaelion’s aura intensified, veins of light crawling up his arms. "The price of command is blood."

He charged, vanishing in a blur. The collision of their power was cataclysmic—light and shadow erupting into a storm that split the battlefield in half. Soldiers shielded their eyes, the shockwave throwing even devils off their feet.

The Saintess fell to her knees, gasping, but still keeping the barrier intact. "Kaelion... don’t die..."

As the dust settled, Kaelion stood with one knee on the ground, panting. His armor was fractured, blood dripping from his lips. In front of him, Bael’s armor was cracked—but the devil still stood.

"You... humans," Bael hissed, his voice trembling with restrained fury. "You dare wound me."

Kaelion tightened his grip on his blades, forcing himself upright. "If you bleed... that means you can die."

The Saintess rose again, summoning what remained of her strength. "Then we’ll finish this together."

Light surged once more, and Kaelion’s aura intertwined with hers—forming a radiant spear aimed at Bael’s heart.

At that exact moment, deep within the palace, a muffled explosion echoed—a faint tremor shaking the walls. Neither Kaelion nor the Saintess could see it, but far away, two battles were now colliding toward their inevitable conclusion.