Chapter 178 The Phoenix Was Rageful.

*Before the explosion*

As the horn's resounding call echoed across the battlefield, the sound sliced through the chaos like a razor, catching the attention of both the demons and the soldiers fighting them.

The demons came to a sudden stop, their heads snapping back to the direction of the sound, confusion etched on their demonic faces.

One of the demons muttered to himself, barely audible over the din of the battle, "Is that what I think it is?" As he turned his head to look behind him, he realized that the other demons were already in full retreat.

As soon as the demon noticed that the others were retreating, he immediately turned to run, a sudden gust of wind made him stumble, and he barely regained his balance in time to avoid falling.

His eyes widened as he saw a figure standing before him, a dark silhouette against the orange glow of the setting sun.

The figure held a long scythe in his hand, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, slicing through the demon's head with a single swift stroke. The demon's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

Deka spun his scythe, twirling it around as he deftly sliced through the air. Blood splattered onto the ground, and he raised the weapon high, signaling to the rest of the soldiers. "The demons are retreating," He announced. "Chase them down and kill as many as possible!".

With his command, the soldiers sprang into action, their adrenaline-fueled bodies driving them to chase after the demons. Deka led the charge, his long strides covering the ground quickly as he pursued the retreating horde.

The sound of clanging metal and the screams of the dying echoed throughout the battlefield as the two sides clashed once more.

Even with the Demon's numbers, they were still overwhelmed by the people of the forest and thus, the war became one sided, although not for very long.

Deka and his men were relentlessly chasing the demons when a deafening explosion from the middle of the battlefield brought them to a halt.

The ground shook, and a massive wave of heat surged through the air. The explosion spread rapidly, enveloping the demons in its fiery wrath and reducing them to ashes. The shockwave of the explosion was so intense that even the ground beneath their feet began to crumble.

Deka and his men quickly realized that they were in grave danger, and a look of panic spread across their faces. However, Deka's calm composure immediately let him make the right call, and he barked out an order to his men, "Quick, everyone, put up your barriers!".

The soldiers immediately complied and created a protective shield, hoping that it would be enough to keep them safe from the deadly force of the explosion. They braced themselves as the heat and force of the blast washed over them, causing their barrier to tremble and shake.

Once the explosion subsided, Deka and his men cautiously lowered their barrier and surveyed the aftermath. The area was now a scorched wasteland, and the bodies of both demons and soldiers lay scattered across the field.

"What in the world was that?" Carion, the leader of the beast people asked, his voice trembling with fear and curiosity.

"I don't know," Deka replied grimly, looking to the sky to see that it was already turning night time, "Let's camp out here for now, we'll continue our pursuit in the morning" .

And thus they did, Deka and his men retreated a few miles away from the forest, where they established their camp. It wasn't long before Yuri, Divanchi, Erza, and the rest of their comrades arrived to meet them.

The group approached the camp with caution, they could see the mass destruction on the battlefield that immediately raised some questions.,

But as Yuri and the rest drew closer, they could see that Deka and his men were busy tending to themselves, eating and resting and some partying.

The weary soldiers looked up at their new arrivals with tired but relieved expressions, happy to see some friendly faces in the midst of the chaos.

Yuri approached Deka, her expression grave. "What happened out there?" She asked, her voice low.

Deka looked up at her, his expression grim while he polished his scythe. "I don't know," He said. "It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Some kind of explosive magic, I think. It wiped out most of the demons, but we were lucky to survive".

Yuri nodded, her eyes scanning the faces of the soldiers and she noticed not a single one was injured. "This proves it, Master really did do something." She muttered, before looking at Deka. "Have you heard from Lord Sato?".

"No, not yet." Daina chimed in, walking toward them with a tray of water in her hand that she served Deke before she continued, "We've tried communicating with him through the magic earpiece…but nothing so far".

"I see." Yuri muttered, clearly dissatisfied by the response.

Suddenly, Laughter and cheers echoed through the camp as the group of young beastmen played around, their revelry fueled by alcohol.

Suddenly, one of them shouted in amazement, drawing the attention of his friends. "Did you see that?!" he exclaimed, gesturing wildly. "He literally cut off my head and it grew back... I must say, whoever did this is a golden!" The group erupted in laughter and cheers, clapping each other on the back.

Not to be outdone, another beastman stepped forward, "Check this out!" He spoke out, and placed his hand on a nearby log.

With a grin on his face, he grabbed his blade and sliced off his own wrist, holding it up for all to see. The others hooted and hollered, impressed by his display of toughness as they watched the hand grow back.

Divanchi's eyes flashed with anger as she watched the beastmen playa around with their regenerative abilities.

Her body began to heat up, and the air around her seemed to shimmer with the intensity of her rage. In a blur of movement, she was suddenly standing in front of the offending beastman, her hand raised to strike.

With a resounding crack, she landed a powerful blow to his face, sending him tumbling to the ground. The other beastmen laughed nervously, but their amusement was short-lived as Divanchi advanced on them with deadly intent.

In a display of raw power, she lifted the fallen beastman by the neck with one hand, her body still burning with fury. "You dare to mock the gift my master gave you?!" She snarled, her eyes blazing with righteous anger. "You are nothing but fools, playing with powers you cannot comprehend!".

The beastman squirmed and struggled in her grip, but there was no escape from Divanchi's wrath. She tightened her grip on his throat, her flames licking at his skin, until he fell limp and lifeless in her hand.

For a moment, there was stunned silence in the camp, broken only by the crackling of the flames. Then, with a wordless roar, Divanchi turned on the other beastmen, her rage barely contained. They cowered before her, realizing too late the folly of their actions.

The heat emanating from Divanchi's body slowly dissipated as Yuri's voice broke through her anger. She turned to face her friend, her eyes still smoldering with rage.

"Let him go Divanchi," Yuri repeated firmly.

Divanchi hesitated for a moment before finally releasing her grip around the beastman's neck. The creature coughed and gasped for air as he scrambled away, clearly terrified of the fiery woman before him.

Without a word, Divanchi turned and walked towards one of the tents, her steps heavy with anger and frustration. Yuri watched her go, a look of concern etched on her face.

The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to react to the sudden outburst of violence. They knew that Divanchi had always struggled to control her fiery temper, but they had never seen her lose control like this before.

Yuri sighed before she relayed her orders to the beastmen, "It's night time, doesn't mean the enemy won't attack, build defensive walls around the camp site… and make sure to be at alert".

Yuri observed from afar as the beastmen quickly went to work building barricades and fortifications around the campsite. Some of them were using their brute strength to gather logs and large boulders to create a makeshift wall, while others used their agility to set up traps around the perimeter of the camp.

They were all working together seamlessly, knowing that the safety of the camp was their top priority.

The sound of hammers and axes echoed through the night as the beastmen worked tirelessly, illuminated only by the light of the stars and a few torches.

It was clear that they had been well-trained and were well-equipped to handle any threats that might come their way.

As they worked, they kept a watchful eye on the surrounding forest, ready to respond to any movement or sound that might indicate an impending attack.

Despite the darkness and the danger that lurked in the shadows, the beastmen worked with determination and efficiency, driven by a fierce loyalty to their leaders and a desire to protect their comrades.