Chapter 205: Last Stand

Chapter 205: Last Stand



Vincent took a deep breath, steadying his aim as he raised the Javelin rocket launcher, its targeting reticle zeroed in on Valeria. The battle had been relentless, with Velara and Elara locked in intense skirmishes against the Demon King Generals, but now was his moment to add some decisive firepower to the fray.

With a quick adjustment, he locked onto Valeria's position. She seemed oblivious to his weapon, her focus still locked on Elara and the unrelenting vines that were encircling her once more. The dark energy swirling around her formed a barrier, but Vincent knew this was no ordinary Javelin missile. This one had been outfitted with high-penetration capabilities specifically to break through powerful energy barriers. He fired.

The missile launched with a low hum, and Valeria's head snapped in its direction, her eyes narrowing as she saw it coming. Expecting it to be another conventional weapon, she raised her barrier with casual confidence. But the missile sliced through her shield as though it were paper, shattering the barrier with a resounding boom. Valeria staggered back, visibly injured, black energy bleeding from her shoulder and torso.

Her face twisted in rage, but before she could recover, the next assault hit. Snipers positioned on the cliffs surrounding the beach took their shots, each armed with Barrett M82 rifles, the rounds tearing through Valeria's body with deadly precision. The impact was brutal-high- caliber bullets ripped through her armor and flesh, creating gaping holes that were impossible to ignore. She staggered, dark energy swirling around her wounds as her demonic body attempted to heal. But the snipers fired in quick succession, unrelenting, each bullet preventing her regeneration from taking full effect.

"Suppressing fire!" Vincent ordered into his radio, and instantly the M2 Browning machine gunners opened up on Valeria. The rapid-fire rounds pounded into her, each hit driving her back further as she struggled to stay upright. Her regeneration worked desperately, closing the wounds only for new ones to open as more bullets tore through her.

Valeria's enraged scream echoed over the battlefield. Her dark aura flared up, her entire body pulsing with a raw, desperate energy as she fought to withstand the assault. But her control was slipping, and Vincent could see it.

"Now, Elara!" Vincent called out, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Princess Elara didn't hesitate. She raised her arms, focusing her magic as a massive vine spear formed beside her. With a powerful motion, she hurled it toward Valeria. The spear shot through the air, its thorned edges gleaming ominously as it struck Valeria squarely in the chest, its force sending her hurtling backward. She crashed into the stone wall behind her, the vine spear pinning her to the surface, twisting and expanding until it immobilized her completely.

Valeria's struggles slowed, her body straining against the binding vines, her once formidable aura fading as she realized she was trapped.

Valeria let out a guttural scream, a sound so piercing that it echoed across the battlefield, causing everyone-soldiers, allies, even her own demonic forces-to pause in horror. Her figure expanded, twisting grotesquely as her limbs stretched and elongated, her body morphing into something monstrous and inhuman. Her once crimson eyes now glowed a sickly shade of black, void of any humanity. Horns extended from her forehead, twisting skyward, and massive dark wings erupted from her back, unfurling with a furious flap that sent gusts of dark energy across the ground, scattering debris and shaking the earth. "Pull back! Everyone, fall back!" Vincent yelled, urgency in his voice as he signaled his troops to retreat to a safer distance.

Despite the pounding of machine guns and sniper bullets, Valeria's new form seemed impervious to their attacks. Each round that struck her merely disintegrated upon contact, as if absorbed by the malevolent aura surrounding her. The torn vines fell away, incinerated by the dark flames that now wrapped around her form like a living shield. "Don't tell me...you are using that," Garruk exclaimed upon seeing that form."Garruk muttered, shock mingling with disbelief as he watched Valeria's transformation.

"You fool! That power will kill you!" His voice carried a desperate edge as he struggled against Velara's relentless assault, his eyes never leaving Valeria's twisted form. She had resorted to the most extreme measure, a forbidden demonic technique that would consume the host's life force, granting immense, temporary power but ending in death. Valeria's monstrous gaze swept over the battlefield, her sickly black eyes locking onto Garruk for a fleeting second. "You... don't get to question me," she hissed, her voice barely human, distorted by the raw energy coursing through her. "I'll make sure they pay-every last one of

them."

As she spoke, tendrils of dark energy rippled outward from her body, swirling and gathering into enormous claws that slashed through the air with unnatural speed. The ground where she stood smoldered, the soil itself corrupting under the weight of her power.

"Everyone, fall back further!" Vincent yelled, commanding his forces to create more distance. "We need heavy artillery, mortars-anything with range."

Valeria laughed, a horrifying sound that seemed to echo from all directions. "Run all you like!" With a single beat of her massive wings, she launched herself forward, her claws extending toward the retreating soldiers. They barely had time to dive out of the way as the claws smashed into the ground, leaving a smoldering crater where they'd stood moments

before.

Vincent signaled the Apache helicopters and the AC-130 gunship circling above. "All airborne units, engage! Keep her pinned down!"

The skies roared to life as the helicopters and the gunship opened fire, their rounds streaking toward Valeria. However, her aura absorbed the majority of the assault, disintegrating the bullets and even deflecting a few missiles with the sheer force of her energy.

"If I'm going to die, then I'm going to take you all with me."