[B3]Chapter 187: Demons vs. Demonic Crops

The demons halted, confusion etched on their fierce faces as they stared at the unexpected sight before them.

An ocean of monstrous crops stretched out, their numbers seemingly endless. Freed from their roots, the crops had transformed into grotesque beings, no longer bound to the earth but moving as independent forces of destruction, their vines and stems writhing like living limbs.

The demons gripped their swords and maces tighter, sneers curling on their lips.

One of the demons, a towering brute with scarred skin and burning eyes, chuckled. "She sent plants to fight us? Pathetic."

Another spat on the ground. "We'll crush them underfoot. This won't take long."

But beneath their bravado, a few demons exchanged uneasy glances. The sheer number of these botanical creatures was staggering, and the way they moved in unison hinted at a formidable force.

Theo stood beside Bloom, watching the scene unfold. Even he was taken aback by the overwhelming numbers of his summoned monstrous crops. "I didn't expect this many," he muttered.

Bloom glanced at him. "You did ask for all hell to break loose." She then raised her hand, speaking a single word: "Advance."

At her command, the demonic crops surged forward. The ground shook as millions of them moved as one, a tidal wave of dark vegetation.

The front lines were made up of Artichokes of the Nether, their massive forms acting as living battering rams. Behind them, the Infernal Barley and Kale of Shadows moved swiftly.

"Hold the line!" the demon commander shouted.

Towering at seven feet, he was a brute of a demon, far larger than the others. His armor, dark and jagged like volcanic rock, barely concealed the bulging muscles underneath, and twin horns curled from his forehead. His voice carried authority, as the front-line warriors braced themselves with their shields raised.

From the rear, the Edelweiss Iceheart flowers began to shimmer. Their transparent petals quivered, and suddenly, tens of thousands of ice shards shot forth like bullets, arcing over the frontline and raining down upon the demons.

The front-line demons raised their shields instinctively. Ice shards hammered against metal, some piercing through weaker spots. A few demons grunted in pain as shards found flesh.

"What sorcery is this?" one snarled, snapping an ice shard off his shoulder.

"It's just ice, you idiot! Push forward!" the commander growled.

The demons roared and charged. As they closed the distance, the Blazewing Beets rolled forward. Their skins crackled with fiery energy. Upon reaching the enemy lines, they exploded, sending flames and shrapnel in all directions. The blasts threw demons off their feet.

But the demons were experienced warriors. Those who fell quickly regained their footing, their tough hides and armor absorbing much of the damage.

A squad of demon archers took position, nocking arrows tipped with fire.

"Archers, take aim!" the commander ordered.

They loosed a volley into the mass of advancing crops. The arrows ignited upon impact, setting many of the demonic plants ablaze. Screeches and hisses filled the air as the crops burned.

But Bloom was not one to stand idle. She commanded the Infernal Dragonfruits, who launched themselves into the air, spewing streams of fire from the sky.

Demons scrambled to avoid the flames, some batting at the embers that caught their armor.

"Watch out!" a demon yelled as a fireball whizzed past his head.

But among the demons were fireborn warriors, immune to flames. These demons charged through the inferno, slashing down the Infernal Dragonfruits with their blazing swords.

Amidst the flames, the Shadow Rye emerged from the shadows, their stalks sharp as blades. They slashed at the demons' legs, cutting tendons and causing them to fall.

A demon swung his mace downward, crushing a Shadow Rye. "They're fast little pests!"

But for every crop they destroyed, hundreds more were ready to take its place.

"There's too many of them!" a demon shouted.

"Then we cut them down faster!" the commander barked back.

The demons regrouped quickly. "Form a shield wall!"

The front-line demons locked their shields together, creating a barrier against the advancing crops. Behind the wall, demon mages began to chant, summoning dark energies.

"Unleash the shadow wave!" the lead mage commanded.

A surge of darkness engulfed the battlefield, disintegrating rows of demonic crops. The plants wilted and crumbled under the onslaught.

The Frostweed Glaciertouch moved into position. They released blasts of freezing wind, the temperature dropping rapidly. Frost formed on armor and weapons.

"My sword is freezing to my hand!" one shouted, trying to shake off the ice.

But the demons adapted quickly. Fireborn warriors channeled their inner heat, melting the frost. Others shattered the Frostweed Glaciertouch with heavy blows.

Seizing the moment, the Barley Bruisers charged in. Wielding their sturdy stalks like clubs, they struck with surprising force. A demon took a blow to the side, the impact knocking him to the ground.

"By the flames of hell, what kind of wretched plants are these?!" he gasped, staggering back to his feet.

The demons fought back fiercely. Swords and maces swung, cutting down crops in swathes. The ground was littered with broken stalks, shattered leaves, and some demon corpses.

"Keep fighting! They're just overgrown weeds!" the demon commander shouted, rallying his troops.

From above, the Snowdrop Wraithblooms released a chilling mist. The fog enveloped the battlefield, sapping warmth from the demons. Affected warriors found it harder to breathe, their breaths visible in the cold air.

"Bloody hell," a demon cursed, his vision blurring.

The Arctic Shadow Willows used the cover to send out their shadowy vines. The vines wrapped around demons' ankles and wrists, pulling them off balance. Some were dragged to the ground, trampled by the advancing crops.

A demon sliced through a vine, snarling. "I'll cut you all down!"

He didn't see the Blazewing Beet until it was too late. The beet exploded at his feet, flames consuming him.

"Watch out for the rolling ones!" another demon warned.

They began to target the Blazewing Beets from a distance, hurling spears and fireballs to detonate them before they reached their lines.

Meanwhile, the demon mages acted to aid. "Wind spirits, disperse this fog!"

They summoned gusts of wind that swept the mist away, restoring visibility.

Back at the command point, Bloom observed the battle. She raised her hand again. "Support units, forward."

The Lentil Protectors moved in, their presence healing damaged crops and reinforcing their defenses. The wounded crops glowed briefly, returning to the fight with renewed vigor, but the completely destroyed ones had no hope of healing.

The demons noticed their botanical foes getting back on their feet. "These damn plants keep coming back!" one exclaimed with disbelief.

"Then we destroy the healers!" the commander ordered. "Focus your attacks!"

Demon archers and mages redirected their fire toward the Lentil Protectors. Arrows and spells rained down, tearing through the healers. Explosions rocked the crop lines as the support units were decimated.

Theo watched as the battle intensified. Even he was surprised by the ferocity of the demons' counterattacks.

"This isn't going as smoothly as I thought," he murmured.

Bloom replied, "They are strong, but we have more to give."

She gestured again. "Second wave, engage!"

From the flanks, the Agilitybane Thistles released their cursed thorns into the demon ranks. Demons cried out as their movements slowed.

"What's happening to me?" a demon warrior grunted, struggling to lift his sword.

But the demons' healers moved swiftly. "Remove the curses!" the head healer commanded.

With chants and gestures, they dispelled the afflictions from their comrades.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Detonator Pearls were scattered among the demon ranks. Bloom concentrated, and with a thought, she detonated them.

Massive explosions tore through the demon lines, fire and smoke billowing skyward. Demons were thrown in all directions, some slamming into the ground with bone-crunching force. The shockwaves rattled even those who stood farther back.

Despite their injuries, the demons quickly reorganized, pushing to the front with shields raised, creating a defensive wall. Archers and mages moved behind them, readying their next attack.

But confusion spread as the Mistgrenade Shrubs unleashed their dense fog, a thick veil that swallowed the battlefield. Visibility dropped to mere feet. Demons bumped into each other.

"Hold your positions!" the commander ordered. "Use your senses!"

In the swirling fog, the Shadowroot Carrots emerged silently. Their mawing heads snapped hungrily, targeting wounded demons. One demon felt sharp teeth clamp onto his leg.

"Get off me!" he screamed, hacking at the carrot. His blade bit deep, slicing the creature in half. He staggered back, only for another to lunge at him. Nearby demons heard his cries and rushed to assist, cutting down the attacking crops.

"Watch each other's backs!" a demon lieutenant shouted.

The demons adapted quickly. They formed tight circles, covering all angles. Those with polearms thrust into the fog, impaling approaching crops. Archers shot arrows coated in flame, the enchanted projectiles igniting the mist and illuminating shadowy figures.

"Fire reveals them!" an archer exclaimed. "Light it up!"

Flaming arrows arced overhead, piercing the mist. The light exposed the Joyspore Ticklers releasing their spores. Recognizing the threat, demon mages cast protective barriers over their units.

"Hold your breath!" a mage warned. "The air is tainted!"

Some demons weren't quick enough. They inhaled the spores and began to laugh uncontrollably, dropping their weapons. Their comrades acted swiftly, knocking them unconscious to prevent further distraction.

Bloom observed the demons' quick adaptation. "They're learning," she noted calmly.

She gestured again. "Glacial Mint, advance."

The Glacial Mint plants moved forward, emitting blasts of cold air. The ground beneath the demons' feet froze suddenly, causing many to slip and fall.

"Careful!" a demon yelled, gripping his spear for balance.

But the demons were not easily defeated. Fireborn warriors stomped their feet, melting the ice around them. Others drove their weapons into the ground for stability.

"Counter with heat!" the commander ordered.

Demon mages summoned waves of heat that rippled across the battlefield, melting the ice and turning the ground muddy. The Glacial Mint struggled against the rising temperatures, their effectiveness waning.

Seizing the opportunity, the demons launched a counteroffensive. Warriors charged forward, weapons gleaming. They crashed into the front lines of the crops, cutting down Barley Bruisers and Infernal Barley with powerful swings.

The Kale of Shadows advanced, creating shadow clones to confuse the attackers. Demons snarled in frustration as their blades passed through illusions.

"Ignore the fakes!" the commander barked. "Feel for resistance!"

He closed his eyes, relying on his other senses. When a real Kale of Shadows approached, he sensed the slight disturbance in the air and struck true, slicing it down.

Others followed his lead, tuning into the subtle cues of the battlefield. The demons began to cut through the crops more effectively, reducing their numbers significantly.

"These shadows are tricking us!" a younger demon snarled.

"Adapt or perish," the veteran demon snapped back.

Amidst the turmoil, the demons regrouped once more. Their commander raised his sword high. "Prepare the incendiary barrage!"

A line of demon mages and archers stepped forward. They combined their powers, imbuing arrows and orbs with intense fire magic.

"Release!" the commander shouted.

A volley of flaming projectiles soared through the air, raining down upon the crops. The explosions were devastating. Mistgrenade Shrubs ignited, their own fog turning combustible and amplifying the blasts. Rows of Shadow Rye and Kale of Shadows were engulfed in flames.

Bloom's eyes narrowed as she watched her forces take heavy losses. "Time to escalate," she murmured.

"Full power!" Bloom declared.

As soon as those words left her lips, the ground shook again. Several holes appeared, from which more monstrous crops began to pour out like ants emerging from their nest. Their numbers multiplied rapidly, soon increasing tenfold. The pouring of demonic crops didn't stop, as though an endless abyss was unleashing its contents.

Even the demon commander's face darkened at the sight of the surging demonic crops, the sheer volume starting to erode his troops' morale.

He glanced towards Linwe, who stood near the erected dome, observing the battle with a cold gaze.

Seeing the desperate situation, he ordered, "Summon the Twin Hellhound. It's time to crush them."

The demon commander nodded and quickly retrieved a dark scroll. Unfurling it, he chanted, "Dimaano Wahele!"

The scroll ignited with black flames, ascending into the sky.

Above the battlefield, the flames expanded, forming a massive, intricate magic circle. The air crackled with energy as a portal materialized at its center.

From within the portal, a colossal creature emerged. Towering like a three-story building, it resembled a monstrous dog—but with two massive heads. Each head bore rows of jagged teeth, and fiery red eyes that burned with malevolence. Its fur was dark as night, and flames licked around its paws, scorching the ground it stood upon.

The beast let out a deafening roar, both heads snarling in unison. The very air vibrated with the sound, causing everyone to momentarily falter.

"This thing looks nasty," Bloom whispered, a hint of concern in her voice.

The demon commander smirked triumphantly. "Let's see how your plants fare against this!"

With a thunderous roar, the Twin Hellhound charged forward, its enormous paws crashing into the earth. Demonic crops that stood in its way were either pulverized underfoot or incinerated by the flames erupting from its dual heads.

Artichokes of the Nether were tossed aside like toys, their tough shells splintering under the beast’s weight. The Infernal Dragonfruits launched fireballs in defense, but the hellish flames from the Hellhound’s mouths swallowed them whole, leaving only blackened patches of charred crops in its wake.

The battlefield shook with each of the creature’s movements, its every step flattening the ground, its fiery breath creating a path of destruction that carved through the demonic crops like a hot knife through butter. Its devastating power left a trail of annihilation, consuming all that stood before it.

It seemed the battle was far from over, and Theo knew it wasn’t in his favor. His real objective wasn't to win this fight outright, but to use the chaos as a distraction. He needed to slip past unnoticed, reach the dome that had been sealed tightly from invaders, and take out the white-robed figures sitting in a meditative position at the perimeter.

While the hellish chaos raged on, with Linwe and Agnes focused on the battle, Theo quietly moved around the dome.

As Theo crept closer, he counted the white-robed figures—thirty-six in total, each one focused on maintaining the protective barrier. Around them, glowing spheres pulsed with energy, seemingly acting as their individual protective shields.

Theo didn’t dare approach to test their defenses; he knew that if he gave them time to react, he might lose the element of surprise. With his magic nullification ability and dual swords in hand, Theo was confident he could break through without giving them the chance to retaliate

Silently, he moved in, his blades flashing through the air. One by one, he struck, severing heads before the figures even knew what was happening. Tens of them fell in seconds, their bodies collapsing to the ground as their heads rolled away. The dome, once glowing with an intense light, began to flicker and fade.

Just as Theo was about to strike the next target, a sudden blaring siren rang out, causing the dome to vibrate violently.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!!!

Linwe’s attention snapped to the sound, his eyes narrowing in anger.

Theo was about to behead the next robed figure, but before his blade could penetrate the glowing sphere protecting them, a shadowy figure materialized in front of him. Their blades clashed with a sharp metallic ring, and Theo was shoved backward, stumbling from the unexpected force.

Pain shot up his arm as he looked down, realizing blood was dripping from his wrist—a dagger embedded deep into his skin.