Chapter 221: Long Time No See

Chapter 221: Long Time No See



The dust settled slowly, the dense fog around the Broken Cliffs beginning to swirl with the aftermath of the missile strike. The echo of the explosion lingered in the air, mingling with the distant crash of the waves below. For a moment, there was nothing but silence-no laughter, no taunts, just the quiet hum of Vincent's earpiece as the team waited for confirmation.

"Commander, direct hit on the target," came the crisp report from Reaper-1's operator through Vincent's headset. "Heat signature disrupted, but... there's still movement down there."

Vincent's jaw tightened as he glanced over the shattered landscape. The area where the Demon Lord had stood was now a smoldering crater, debris scattered like confetti. Yet, deep down, Vincent knew it wouldn't be that simple. He turned to Marcus, who was peeking out from behind a jagged rock formation, his eyes scanning the smoke-filled clearing.

"Marcus, get your team ready. He's not done," Vincent ordered, rising to his feet and adjusting his grip on his rifle.

"Copy that, sir," Marcus responded, signaling his squad to prepare for a second engagement. The soldiers quickly reloaded their weapons, their eyes darting nervously toward the thick cloud of dust and debris still hanging over the impact site.

As if on cue, a low, rumbling growl emanated from the smoke. The ground beneath their feet trembled, the once-solid earth quaking as if a giant beast was awakening. A gust of wind, unnaturally cold and reeking of sulfur, rushed through the cliffs, forcing Vincent and his team to brace themselves.

Then, through the haze, a pair of glowing crimson eyes emerged, burning with fury. The Demon Lord's towering silhouette materialized, his armor scorched but otherwise intact. Dark energy crackled around him like lightning, the shattered ground at his feet reforming as if reality itself was bending to his will.

"Is that all you've got, human?" the Demon Lord roared, his voice booming like thunder. The air seemed to ripple with the sheer force of his rage. "You think a mere human weapon can stop me?"

Vincent gritted his teeth. The Hellfire missile had done little more than scratch the demon's armor. It was a sobering reminder of the power they were up against. But Vincent wasn't about to back down. Not now.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Marcus, shift your team to the flanks," Vincent commanded. "Keep him distracted while I go for the Duchess."

Marcus nodded, signaling his men to move. The elite soldiers fanned out, their boots crunching against the gravel as they took up new positions. Vincent knew that he couldn't rely solely on brute force; they had to play this smart.

A distant whine filled the air as the drone released its payload. The missile streaked through the night sky, its magical core glowing faintly as it approached the ground. Unlike the previous Hellfire, this missile was designed to punch through both physical and magical defenses.

The Demon Lord, still occupied with Marcus's squad, suddenly turned, his crimson eyes widening in realization.

"What trickery is this?!" he bellowed.

Vincent smirked. "Let's see if your dark magic can handle this," he muttered under his breath.

The JAGM missile made contact, detonating with a burst of magical energy that lit up the cliffs like a second sun. The explosion wasn't just a blast of fire and shrapnel; it was accompanied by a wave of arcane energy that rippled through the air, disrupting the magical runes binding Elinalese to the cross and tearing through the Demon Lord's protective barrier. The impact sent the Demon Lord stumbling back, dark energy crackling wildly around him. His armor, once impervious, was now splintered with glowing cracks. The ground beneath him was scorched, a deep crater marking where the missile had hit. For the first time, the Demon Lord's expression faltered-he was injured.

"Commander, it worked!" Marcus's voice came through the comms, barely able to contain his surprise. "The bastard's defenses are down!"

"Good, now keep him occupied," Vincent ordered. He turned his attention back to Elinalese. The chains binding her had weakened, the runes flickering like a dying flame. Vincent pulled out his combat knife, driving it into the weakened sections of the chains. One by one, they

snapped, releasing the Duchess.

"Commander..." Elinalese whispered weakly, her eyes struggling to focus. "You... you shouldn't have come..."

"Shush," Vincent shushed her down. "We are here to defeat the demon lord anyway since he is

the main villain in this world. So don't think that we are doing this for you. By the way, long

time no see."