Chapter 516: Dragon Claw
Outskirts of Isthalia City, a steam locomotive raced along the tracks, spewing thick white steam.
"Woooo—"
The whistle let out a sharp cry.
Suddenly, someone pointed ahead of the train, trembling as they asked, "Wait—
Th-that… what is that?"
Through the steam, a massive dark shadow suddenly emerged, blocking the train's path.
Soldiers on board immediately reacted, raising their guns and shouting.
"Damn it, it's a demon!"
"Stop the train!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A barrage of gunfire rang out, but the shadow before the train remained unmoved, even letting out a deep, chilling laugh.
"Keh keh keh."
The train conductor fumbled with the controls, shoving the lever to its lowest setting. "I can't stop it! The braking distance is too short!"
"Vmmm—"
A piercing metallic screech echoed as the brakes clamped tightly onto the wheels, sending sparks flying beneath the train.
The entire train trembled violently, and passengers inside panicked, screaming in terror.
"What's happening?!"
"Did we crash?!"
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion rang out, a cacophony of metal tearing apart and human screams mixing together.
The train's engine was violently flipped over by an immense force, sending the carriages behind it rocking wildly. Inside, people tumbled over each other, crashing into one side of the cabin with cries of fear.
"Stop the train!"
"Help!"
"What's happening?!"
Finally, the shadow within the steam revealed its terrifying form.
A massive, spider-like creature loomed ahead, its three clawed, tentacle-like tails twisting unnaturally, while eight legs, connected by fleshy membranes, ended in glistening, razor-sharp barbs.
Its mouth, brimming with venomous fangs, dripped with a thick, putrid saliva that sizzled as it corroded the train's steel plating.
Its many compound eyes locked onto the passengers inside the train, filled with insatiable hunger.
This was a Bat-Winged Spider Demon, a monster that devoured any creature it overpowered.
Rather than fresh meat, Bat-Winged Spider Demons preferred rotting flesh—especially that of other demons.
The curses carried in their bites served as the perfect seasoning. But above all, their favorite delicacy was cannibalizing their own kind.
"Wh-what is that?!"
"By Cassius…"
"My eyes! What… what am I even looking at?! That thing is—"
Upon witnessing the Bat-Winged Spider Demon's grotesque form, many weak-willed passengers immediately descended into madness, their eyes clouded by swirling chaos.
Some, unable to withstand the overwhelming revulsion, vomited inside the train.
As a demon from the lower depths of the Abyss, the Bat-Winged Spider Demon's supernatural ugliness instilled an instinctual, soul-wrenching discomfort in all living beings from the Material Plane.
Under the demon's Corrupting Aura, the surrounding grass withered, trees rotted into putrid sludge writhing with maggots.
"Sriiip—"
A spear-like leg punctured the train's steel plating, impaling the conductor in his seat. His blood splattered across the windows.
The conductor let out a harrowing scream.
"Aaaah!"
The Bat-Winged Spider Demon retracted its leg, its barbs hooked into the still-living, struggling conductor, dragging him away.
A putrid, sticky fluid sprayed from its fanged maw, enveloping the conductor's body. Within mere moments, his flesh corroded into a foul, liquefied mass.
The demon swallowed the rotting remains in one gulp, then stabbed its barbed legs forward again, aiming to snatch more passengers.
"CRASH!"
Glass shattered as a sharp leg shot through, snaring a Tiefling passenger.
"Help!"
"Save me!"
"I don't want to be eaten!"
Dangling in mid-air, the passenger screamed for help and struggled desperately, but it was futile.
"Ssss!"
Wrapped in sticky saliva, he was shoved into the spider demon's gaping maw.
For the Bat-Winged Spider Demon, eating was effortless—like a child reaching into a jar for candy.
"Let us out!"
"I don't want to die!"
Inside the overturned, broken carriages, people screamed and crowded toward the doors, pounding against the twisted metal, desperately trying to escape.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Soldiers inside the train fired relentlessly at the demon.
But against the thick chitin of the demon's exoskeleton, the bullets bounced off uselessly.
"Nina, don't be afraid."
"Stay quiet. His Majesty Cassius will protect us."
A Tiefling mother shielded her child in her arms, huddled in a corner of the carriage.
Her body trembled slightly, but she fought to remain calm for her child's sake. Yet this only drew the demon's attention.
Abyssal demons relished the suffering of humanoids—it was the finest of wines to them.
And for a Bat-Winged Spider Demon, what could be more delectable than the anguish of a mother losing her child?
"Screeech—"
The sickening sound of metal being torn rang out.
The demon ripped open the train's roof like a tin can, exposing everyone inside to its ravenous gaze.
Panic spread as people huddled together, their only escape cut off. They could only close their eyes in despair.
The Tiefling mother clutched her child tightly. She could feel the demon's greedy eyes fixated on her, but all she could do was pray.
"By Cassius…"
She had survived the massacre a decade ago, wandered with Medrolash, and witnessed the Empire's rise.
No matter the enemy, she firmly believed that His Majesty would lead them to victory— even against this monstrously powerful demon that saw human lives as mere insects. Before the Emperor, it would crumble.
The Bat-Winged Spider Demon let out a hoarse chuckle, slowly reaching out one of its membrane-connected legs, the venomous barbs glinting coldly.
Despair engulfed the passengers. This demon was too powerful.
Neither blades nor bullets had any effect on this grotesque spider-like monstrosity.
At this point, all they could do was wait for a miracle.
Suddenly, space twisted, and with a surge of blistering flames, a rift opened in the air.
"Hrrng?"
The Bat-Winged Spider Demon snapped its head up, sensing an overwhelming, terrifying presence. Its three tentacle-like tails quivered involuntarily.
Instinctively, it flapped its bat-like membranes, trying to escape into the sky.
What lay beyond the portal?
But the Bat-Winged Spider Demon soon found its answer, and it was the last thought it ever had.
A massive crimson claw emerged from the rift, carrying an unstoppable, terrifying force, and stomped down on the Bat-Winged Spider Demon's head.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the ground quaked, the earth split apart, and the terrain collapsed, forming an enormous crater spanning dozens of meters.
Half of the Bat-Winged Spider Demon's body was crushed into pulp, its putrid fluids and rotting flesh splattered across the ground, only to be incinerated by scorching flames.
"By Cassius…"
The Tiefling mother opened her eyes, filled with reverence and elation.
She gazed up at the sky, where the crimson giant claw covered the land, and the thick, muscular arm stood like a towering pillar.
She had survived!
And she had been saved by His Majesty himself!
A being whose mere exposed arm could inspire awe among mortals—only the Ember Emperor could possess such a form.
"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"
"Glory to the Great Red Dragon!"
"That… that really is His Majesty Cassius!"
The train's passengers, who had narrowly escaped death, opened their eyes, realizing who had saved them, their hearts pounding with excitement.
The previous terror and panic vanished, replaced by unwavering devotion and fervent admiration for the owner of that colossal claw.
"Disgusting creature."
The crimson claw casually flicked through the air before retracting into the spatial rift, vanishing from sight.
The survivors continued to pray, kneeling before the massive crater, awestruck by the sight of the demon's obliterated remains.
"The Abyss never fails to create monstrosities that offend my sense of aesthetics. I thought that Soul Judge Demon was hideous enough, but this thing? Even a dragon finds it physically revolting."
Cassius exhaled a sulfurous white mist through his nostrils, sighing in disdain.
The Red Dragon flicked his claw again, fiery currents swirling around his arm, burning away the lingering remnants of flesh and filth.
It was much like a human swatting a cockroach—completely overwhelming in power, yet still undeniably disgusting.
Another spatial portal opened, and a panting Ogre appeared before the Red Dragon, kneeling on one knee.
Cassius asked, "What's the situation?"
Langpu clasped his hands together and reported, "Master, the demons within the Empire have caused considerable casualties, but we have almost completely eradicated them."
Langpu waved his hand, and magical images materialized in midair, depicting various grotesque and terrifyingly powerful demons.
They rampaged through cities, villages, and the wilderness, but were soon exterminated by the elite forces of the Empire.
Misha, Anthony, Alger, Medrolash, and even Langpu himself appeared in these magical projections, fighting relentlessly.
Langpu's expression grew serious. "For the past ten thousand years, that Vengeful Demon has left numerous contingencies across the Anzeta Wasteland, planting many demon seeds.
Their attacks were highly targeted, focusing on railways, armories, and other key locations. These demons have launched a full-scale assault to disrupt the Empire's order.
Thus, I suspect that the Vengeful Demon is using all his remaining forces as a distraction—to divert the Empire's attention and cover for his next move."
A faint light flickered in Cassius' golden eyes. "Are you saying… The Abyssal Demons are about to launch a full-scale invasion?"
Langpu nodded solemnly. "In my humble opinion, the long-vanished Leo Bosque is highly likely to reappear among the demon army. And the Vengeful Demon himself may soon descend upon the Material Plane."
Cassius nodded slightly. He had already suspected as much. Last month, he had exhausted three wishes from the Fire Jinn Empire to predict the demon invasion.
But each time, beyond a certain point, the visions of the future turned into a chaotic, indecipherable mess of colors.
Wish Magic was the most absolute of ninth-tier spells—if one disregarded the inevitable twists, it could grant nearly anything a mortal desired.
The only way such magic could be completely blocked was if the target was of quasi-divine power—or an even higher existence.
And Cassius had a strong suspicion about the entity interfering with his prophecy—
Jezal Slak.
A demon sealed within the divine corpse of Karrikex, a former Abyssal Lord from tens of thousands of years ago, with ambitions that might shape the fate of the entire multiverse.
"So, it's finally happening…"
Cassius' voice remained calm, but his golden eyes gleamed with an undeniable, uncontainable anticipation.
The final battle was approaching.
He had waited too long for this moment, and he was certain that the demon had as well.
The Red Dragon lifted his gaze, staring into the distance, his pupils glowing with a piercing light.
His vision stretched across nearly a thousand miles, spanning the vast Savvedra Plains, piercing through the towering Anstica Mountains, and reaching the snow-capped peaks beyond.
Mount Thierry.
The sky was blue, the wind was frigid.
It was the tallest peak in the entire Anzeta Wasteland, perpetually covered in thick snow, yet exposing vast patches of black rock.
The people of the North called it the "King of the Snow Mountains." For nearly a millennium, every ruler of the Northern United Kingdom likened themselves to Mount Thierry, using it as a symbol of their supreme authority.
—But the Red Dragon Emperor was the exception. He never needed external symbols to display his dominion. His mere existence was the embodiment of divine authority.
"Whoooosh—"
The icy winds intensified, piercing whistles echoing in the sky. The once-clear heavens darkened.
A colossal black claw tore through the firmament, opening abyssal vortices across the skies and the land. Countless grotesque demons poured forth.
They surged like a relentless tide, their monstrous bodies blotting out the sun, casting the land into darkness.
Their shrill cries roared with pure hatred for all existence—until their own cacophony became unbearable even to themselves.
A deep, hoarse voice emerged from the abyssal vortex, reverberating through the mountains, making all mortals tremble.
"Cassius—"
"I know you're watching. But soon, you will understand—your struggle is futile. The empire you pride yourself on is nothing more than a pathetic plaything.
I will make you witness the destruction of your empire with your own eyes. Prepare yourself—for the fate of the end!"
Fro Demons, Bagura Demons, Giant Minotaur Demons, Soul-Eater Demons, Berserker Demons, Soul Judge Demons, Bat-Winged Spider Demons—
An innumerable horde of terrifying demons surged within the abyssal tide, many of which had previously attacked the Empire.
But this time, they came in droves, treating the destruction of Anzeta as an inevitability.
Soon, the monstrous flood obscured the sky, covering the earth. Their numbers reached tens of millions, surpassing the population of the Ember Empire itself.
Finally, a familiar figure stepped out from the abyssal vortex.
It was a humanoid being with crimson skin, towering and muscular, with bat-like wings sprouting from his back.
He clenched a flaming greatsword, staring long into the distance.
"I have finally returned."
"The North."
He uttered a name long abandoned—The North.
In the Ember Empire, no one reminisced about the North's past glory.
The name had become an insult, a slur used in drunken bar brawls—"Northern coward," "Northern noble maggot."
At the thought, flames of hatred blazed in the demon's eyes, his voice seething with venom.
"Treacherous scum, barbaric beasts, and the wretches who destroyed everything I had—
I will annihilate you all. Your armies, your cities, your very nation. You will taste the suffering I once endured."
The demon, or rather, Leo Bosque, declared his vengeance.