Second World

1926  Chapter 1926. I Accept Your Challenge

Satan and Dajja could arrive at Western Hydrurond so fast after leaving the battlefield because of a long-range field teleportation rune diagram. After learning the spread of the corrupted mana was slowing down and their reinforcement had reduced, Dajja sent out some demons specializing in stealth and tracking abilities. With this team of special units, he included a high demon who could draw the long-range teleportation rune diagram. He also gave this high demon a communication device.

While Satan's army advanced, this special team traveled back to the West and searched for anything suspicious. One of the demons finally noticed a team of outworlders who sneaked around the desolate area. The demon observed these outworlders under invisibility. Hence, it did not appear on the God-eye monocle's radar.

After reporting this discovery to Dajja, Satan and Dajja decided to go check themselves. Satan incapacitated Eoranth and Honuren without killing them before he left. He and Dajja then used the long-range field teleportation rune diagram.

After Dajja extracted information from Giddo, Satan sent the tracking demons to the spots from Giddo's intel. Giddo and his partner were detained and bound using runic ropes. This prevented them from informing the other teams that their locations had been exposed.

Satan and Dajja left the remainder of this mission to the tracking demons. They sent the reinforcement demons delayed by the Mana Purifier to aid these tracking demons. They themselves returned to the battlefield.

Despite leaving the battlefield, Dajja didn't just leave the battle to run its course. Without Satan's presence, he had a feeling the underworld forces were unlikely to breach the defensive line even when they outnumbered the defenders. Hence, he tasked another high demon, who had invisibility and could draw the field teleportation rune diagram, to sneak behind the enemy's line.

Dajja told Satan this plan on their way back, to which Satan scoffed. Satan didn't see the need to use such a tactic to win against the enemies. He wanted to continue to slowly enjoy crushing these ants who had so brazenly obstructed their advance.

However, when they returned and saw the battlefield from the distance, they saw how things had turned around in their absence. Satan still thought things would change once he joined the battlefield, but Dajja persuaded him again to use the prepared field teleportation rune diagram. Satan finally relented. He never cared for any counsel except if it was from Dajja. This eyeball demon had followed him long enough and had proven himself to be a worthy advisor.

Teleporting behind the enemy's line, Satan didn't waste any time to wreak havoc. He stormed from behind and destroyed a part of the wall using an explosive attack before casting Infernal Flame Wrath, which rained numerous fireballs onto a large area. A large portion of the siege weapons were devastated by this spell. The walls were also in shamble. Many defenders who stayed behind were killed.

The defenders who pushed the advantage were surprised the enemy's head honcho ambushed them from behind. This caused their charge to pause. The demons, on the other hand, were riled up seeing Satan was back. Combined with the pause of the defenders, they hit back ferociously.

Satan's ambush had been very fast. It was too late for Linda to react after noticing his arrival. In the war table's projection, Satan's dot suddenly appeared behind them and moved at extreme speed. There was no time to adjust the army's formation.

Linda gritted her teeth. A lot of field facilities were back there. These temporary facilities housed rations, equipment, potions, and other supplies. Healers and non-combat personnel who took care of these supplies were also there. They didn't have the time to move the supplies or to evacuate from the ambush. Losing these personnel and supplies was a big blow to the defenders.

Satan didn't let up. He continued to wreak havoc.

*

"Uh… Jack. You said to let you know when Satan appears," Tip sent Jack a message in the party chat.

"I can see him, all right," Jack replied with annoyance. "How did he get behind us like that?"

"Um… We have no idea," Tip replied.

"We have to stop him!" Linda said in the chat. "I will move the army back."

"No. This is the best setup," Jack said.

"What setup?" Linda asked, confused.

"We need to separate him from his troops. He has done it himself. Now, I just need to defeat him while you all stop the demons from aiding him."

Linda was baffled for a moment. She then said, "Just have to defeat him? Jack, I've heard about your confidence. I just never thought it to be… so out-of-the-world." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Have faith in me. Organize our army to hold the rest of the demons from interfering," Jack said. He called Tetsuo to follow him. He commanded the rest of his royal agents to work with the army to obstruct the demons.

He flew to the defensive walls. Tetsuo, Tetsuo's battle mantis, Therras, and Spark followed him. Tetsuo and the battle mantis were inherently fast. Therras had high speed due to his armor. Spark caught up with everyone by transforming into a slim blade shaped like a plane. This transformation was not a skill but Spark's second form. It had no cooldown or duration. He lost maneuverability in this form but gained faster movement speed.

While Linda reluctantly carried out Jack's order to leave Satan to him, not everyone in the defending force fell under her command. One in particular rushed toward Satan once the devil showed himself. This person was Honuren. Mid-way, lightning erupted from inside him and formed a titanic suit. A few members of the Council of Elpo followed him.

Honuren reached Satan before Jack because his position was closer. His lightning titan suit sent a charging punch at Satan, which Satan stopped using an open palm. Satan skidded back a distance due to the charging force.

"Harhar. I see you haven't learned your lesson," Satan laughed. He retaliated with a punch, which conjured a gigantic flaming fist. This fist was the size of Honuren's lightning titan suit. The resulting impact sent Honuren crashing into the defensive wall. The wall crumbled from the impact.

The other members of the Council of Elpo attacked Dajja and a few high-level demons. These demons came with Satan via the field teleportation rune diagram. The rule of using that rune diagram was the same as the settlement's zone portal. They needed to pay coins or mana cores to use it. Hence, they couldn't bring too many demons. However, all the demons they brought were above level 90 and had either mythical or eternal grades.

From the first clash, it was apparent members of the Council of Elpo were at a disadvantage.

Satan didn't bother pressing on Honuren. He intentionally waited for Honuren to call more of his members over. Meanwhile, he continued casting spells and destroying more of the surrounding defensive facilities.

Honuren was about to charge back at Satan when he heard a mana-empowered voice.

"Satan…!!! I'm your opponent! Do you dare to duel me?!"

"Hm…," Satan turned to Jack. "You are an outworlder, aren't you? I did hear outworlders have a reputation for being a bunch of people who are rarely serious and often joke around as if everything is a game to them. Well, considering you are immortal, I can understand why you rarely take things seriously. However, there is a limit to a joke. This one is way out of line."

17:25

Everyone there had at least mythical grades and thus could sense mana. While they were surprised by how profound the mana carried by the voice was, they were more baffled by the message it conveyed. Out of everyone there, Satan was the one who believed the most that he had heard wrong.

They watched the one who had uttered the declaration fly over at high speed. That person was a small humanoid in dragon form. Following behind this humanoid dragon was a group of unusual-looking creatures.

Jack, in his supreme dragon form, stopped in front of Satan. The battle at that place stopped due to his declaration and arrival.

"Do you accept?" Jack asked Satan.

Satan turned to Dajja, "Did he just propose to duel me?"

"He did, my lord," Dajja replied.

"Really…? Perhaps you've heard wrong. Your ears aren't as good as your eye, aren't they?"

"I am not going to answer that question, my lord."

"Hm…," Satan turned to Jack. "You are an outworlder, aren't you? I did hear outworlders have a reputation for being a bunch of people who are rarely serious and often joke around as if everything is a game to them. Well, considering you are immortal, I can understand why you rarely take things seriously. However, there is a limit to a joke. This one is way out of line."

"I ain't joking," Jack said.

"… Now, that's a joke! Harharhar! A good one! Harharhar…!" Satan held his belly and laughed uncontrollably. The ground shook following his laugh.

Everyone stood in silence as Satan laughed. It was a while before the devil finally stopped laughing.

"… Harhar… I haven't laughed like this for some time," Satan said. "I want to spare you in exchange for this good joke, but, you know, I have to set an example."

A flaming hand materialized abruptly in front of Jack. The flaming hand made a motion of flicking Jack. But when the flaming finger swung at Jack, Jack vanished.

Jack reappeared right beside Satan's head. Jack's dragon claw swung using Flame Strike. The flame strike was the condensed version. The strike collided with Satan's face, causing a fiery explosion. Satan's face turned to the other side from the blow.

Jack didn't continue attacking. He just floated there after executing the Teleport Slash. Everyone else also didn't move a finger.

Satan slowly turned back to Jack. Satan smiled and said, "I accept your challenge."