Chapter 172: Battle in Grimhollow: Devil vs Deacon
In the depths of Grimhollow Valley, a massive convoy thundered across the jagged terrain. Rows of magical vehicles rumbled forward, their momentum stirring a storm of dust that rolled across the wasteland. The roar of their engines was matched only by the murderous intent of those within.
Atop the largest, most heavily fortified vehicle stood a man clad in the black-and-white robes of a priest. His aura seethed with venomous rage, pressing down like a stormcloud. His sclera were pitch black, his irises white with streaks of red. A small crown rested upon his head, glinting ominously in the pale light.
The mere presence of this man forced those around him into silence and trembling fear.
"D-Deacon Dooley!" A Gold tier 1 expert shouted nervously from a nearby vehicle. "We're almost upon the enemy! They're already preparing to fire!"
"Do not slow down!" Deacon Dooley's voice boomed with murderous fury. "Charge through them all and kill every last rat!"
The army surged forward like a flood of steel and fire, bloodlust carried in every shout. Behind them, smaller forces lurking across the valley began tailing the convoy, hoping to fish in muddy waters when the slaughter began.
"Zoro Aniki," Kageha muttered with a grave expression, his eyes narrowing. "Reinforcements from the Night's Light Devouring Church are almost here, just as you predicted."
"Hahaha! Faster than expected." Joe-Pine smirked, arms crossed as his cloak fluttered in the dry wind. "And I sense it already… there's a Mortal Lord among them."
A tense silence spread among the Black Reaper Corps.
"A Mortal Lord?!" one of the Gold-tier captains whispered in dread. "The last one Aniki fought was crippled from an old wound… and before that, a False Mortal Lord with a ruined foundation. Could this one—?"
"No mistake." Joe-Pine shook his head. "This one's the real deal. An Early Stage Mortal Shedding Realm. He's bringing at least three Gold tier 5s, and countless others behind them."
The gathered captains grimaced heavily.
"Tch. A nightmare battle, then…" muttered another.
"Bah, relax!" sneered a towering barbarian man with jagged teeth, a massive black club strapped across his back. "I'll take one of those Golden Lords myself! No need to wet yourselves yet." His aura surged wildly—this was the chieftain of a barbarian force Zoro had subdued after breaking him in combat.
"Then one to me." A thin, armored mercenary spoke calmly, raising his arms to reveal cannon-like devices mounted on his gauntlets and shoulders. The magical guns hummed with power.
Joe-Pine gave an approving nod, but his gaze turned toward a cloaked figure standing apart. The hood concealed her face behind a veil, but her tall frame and faintly visible four arms betrayed her race. A suppressed but suffocatingly dangerous aura leaked from her despite her attempts to hide it.
"Golden Lord Rudecka," Joe-Pine said carefully, a serious glint in his eyes. "Wise Tetra Witch of the Tetrahand-Seers. You'll handle any Golden Lords who slip through. As for your forces, hidden further in the valley—"
Rudecka silenced him with a wave of her hand. A chilling pressure swept over the captains as her four eyes glowed faintly beneath her veil.
"Child of the fanged elves, 'Blood Pine Fencer' Joe-Pine," she said flatly. "Do not waste words. I know what I must do."
The room fell silent at her interruption. Joe-Pine let out a strained chuckle, rubbing his temple.
"Scary woman," he muttered. "But in raw strength, she's second only to Zoro himself… already half a step into the Mortal Shedding Realm."
He turned toward the horizon, where the storm of dust and approaching killing intent grew heavier with every heartbeat.
"Enough chatter. Time to begin. Ready the cannons and spell arrays—ten seconds to unleash!"
"Yes, Captain!" the corps answered in unison.
Across the valley, cannons glowed and spell arrays sparked to life. Energy gathered, swelling into a deadly storm.
And then—
BOOOOM!
Fwoooosh!
Speeeewwww!!!
A barrage of explosive firepower tore across the land, blasting through the Church's advancing convoy. Defensive barriers shattered, magical vehicles burst into flames, and dozens of Church warriors were ripped apart.
"Counterattack!" the Church's commanders bellowed. Spells and artillery screamed back across the valley, clashing with Zoro's side in a violent storm of destruction.
Joe-Pine smirked. "Perfect. Time for her gift. Unseal the suppressions on Erica's bombs!"
"Yes, sir!"
The ground rumbled violently as buried seals snapped open. The earth cracked apart, molten heat bursting upward. The Church's momentum faltered instantly as their vehicles stalled, caught in the quake.
Deacon Dooley's expression hardened. "All forces—brace!"
FWOOOOOSH!!!
Ten colossal white-flame eruptions tore upward from the ground, engulfing the convoy. Flames clung to steel and flesh like liquid glue, melting through enchanted vehicles, burning soldiers alive where they stood. Screams filled the valley.
"Ha! Erica is certainly a genius creating such methods with her magic," Joe-Pine laughed, though even his men shuddered at the devastation.
But then—
"RRRRAAAAAHHHH!!!"
A storm of devouring energy erupted from the heart of the flames. Deacon Dooley's black-red aura surged outward, ripping the white fire apart, clearing a path as the remnants of his army rallied behind him.
"You rats… you monster!" His voice shook the valley. "I'll slaughter you all in the name of the Divine one!"
"ALL FORCES—CHARGE!!" Kageha roared back, his own aura flaring.
Both sides finally began their clashes as the devastating battle swept the lands.
Two of the Golden Lords on the Church's side charged forward, only to be met head-on by the barbarian warlord wielding his massive black club and the stoic gun-specialist whose cannons blazed with magical fire. Their collisions were like falling mountains, each strike unleashing shockwaves that tore through the battlefield, scattering weaker soldiers like leaves in a storm.
The other two Golden Lords from the Church pressed deeper through the chaos, trying to break the Black Reaper Corps' lines. But just as their momentum peaked, a sudden bolt of searing magic slammed into one of them, hurling him violently back toward his ally. The second caught him within a barrier to stop the tumble, but both were left staring ahead in grim realization.
From the smoke, a tall cloaked figure stepped forward. Four arms shifted beneath her robes, and her veil shimmered faintly as her black hair spilled out. Her presence alone bent the air. With a casual wave of her hand, she blew away nearby troops like dust, clearing the field.
"You two will be playing with me for now. Understood?"
Rudecka's four eyes shone through her veil, radiant with sinister brilliance, as her seductive yet suffocating aura poured across the field.
Through the chaos, Deacon Dooley did not hesitate. His hands dripped with blood as he carved through soldiers like paper, his only focus the figure ahead.
And in a flash, his target revealed himself.
A pair of katanas descended like twin storms, forcing Dooley back with a thunderous clash that sent both men flying apart, landing in a clearing isolated from the rest of the battlefield.
—Nitōryū: Hajōtsui!—
(2 Sword Style: Battering Ram)
The air quaked with Zoro's dual-blade aura, clashing violently against Dooley's devouring force.
Though Dooley's Mortal Lord power dwarfed Zoro's Golden Lord cultivation, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes. The sheer sharpness of Zoro's strikes pressed against him like a predator's fangs.
"You damned monster…" Dooley spat venomously, his aura boiling. "The Church made you what you are! And this is how you repay us? We'll take everything back—you'll die screaming at our feet!"
Zoro sneered coldly, his blades raised. "Then try, Deacon. If you can take it, do it. But I'll warn you now…" His killing intent surged like a hurricane. "…your severed head may decorate the ground before you get the chance."
"Filthy devil!" Dooley roared. "I'll tear you apart!"
And so, the shocking duel between Devil and Deacon erupted, their clash shaking the Grimhollow Valley.