The Monster King's Legacy

Chapter 86 The Flames of War

The forest trembled beneath the weight of the battle. The roars of demons, the clash of steel, the screams of the wounded all blended into a symphony of chaos. The forest had turned completely into a battlefield, and the air reeked of blood, burning wood, and the sickly stench of demon flesh. Screams of agony mixed with the roars of battle, filling the darkening sky as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. The once-serene woodland had become a realm of chaos, where monsters fought monsters in a tense showdown.

The Monster Coalition, numbering just under a thousand, stood firm against the ravenous demon horde, a tide of all sorts of creatures, some barely humanoid, others bestial abominations with multiple limbs, glowing red eyes, and flesh that pulsed with foul energy, even for those that could not be considered holy to tell.

Through the smoke and carnage, a specialized team moved with purpose, working under the healers. Unlike the frontline warriors, their task was not to kill, but to retrieve the fallen before they perished.

"We've got another down!" a gruff beastkin barked, pointing toward a heavily wounded beastkin struggling to rise.

A pair of goblins darted between the clashing forces, reaching the injured fighter before a lunging demon could finish him off.

One of the goblins, pulled a curved dagger from his belt and slashed across the demon's exposed knee, sending it toppling forward. His companion then drove her spear through its throat, silencing it instantly. Wasting no time, they hauled the beastkin onto a stretcher, his fur matted with blood, and began their retreat toward the healers.

All around them, the wounded were being pulled from the fray, some groaning in pain, some with dangling body parts, while others barely clinging to life.

They were all brought further behind the main battle, nestled between a thick grove of trees where the makeshift healer's camp had been set up. It was a sanctuary amidst the bloodshed, where the injured were brought in waves, laid out on the ground or on hastily prepared bedding.

Mira was very much present at the center of this side of the battle, her face looking worked up with her hands stained with blood.

"We need more potions over here!" she shouted, pressing her palm against a goblin's torn abdomen, her magic flaring to seal the wound. The healers could only use their magic sparingly lest they ran out of energy, which would be bad.

A beastkin healer rushed over, placing a bowl of murky liquid beside her. Mira grabbed it immediately, pouring the mixture into the goblin's mouth.

The wounded soldier groaned, his body shuddering as the herbal remedy took effect.

Across the camp, other healers worked tirelessly, their hands glowing with healing magic, their eyes hollow with exhaustion. Some applied herbal pastes, others stitched wounds manually where magic alone could not suffice, or where they had to save energy.

Despite their best efforts, some warriors could not be saved, but their presence did more than enough.

Mira glanced over her shoulder as an orc healer, her face grim, pulled a sheet over a lifeless comrade. She couldn't help but think of how different things would have been if Lance was with them, but she understood it could not be helped. He could not be in two places at once after all.

---

While the others fought, Kaeli, though not as agile as the others, made up for it with sheer brute force. Against a hulking bull-like demon, Kaeli chose to stand firm, gripping her war hammer with both hands.

Just as the beast reached her, she sidestepped and swung the hammer, slamming into the side of its skull with enough force to cave it in. The beast crumpled, twitching, before receiving a series of pounds from her hammer, finally going still.

...

The battle raged on as the coalition army pushed against their enemies. Despite their efforts, the demon horde did not stop. They were like a brainless but coordinated force.

A sudden break towards the back lines sent a wave of demons crashing through, threatening to overrun the coalition warriors.

Goblins screamed, some falling beneath clawed hands, their bodies ripped apart. Beastkin warriors fell, their blood soaking into the battlefield. The orcs struggled to hold the line, but even their endurance had limits.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"Step back!" Pulling everyone out as they obeyed without a second thought.

Lia stood tall, her staff raised high, as she stood amidst the mages of the coalition, three beastkin sorcerers, four orc shamans, and herself. The call had been made by the head of the magic unit, the same shaman who had taught herself and Mira some things about magic and her particularly, some spells of the offensive nature.

A circle of glowing energy pulsed around the group as their magic intertwined. The air grew thick, charged with an almost suffocating energy, and then—

Flames erupted.

A wave of fire, massive and unstoppable, surged forward, devouring everything in its path.

Demons shrieked as their flesh bubbled and burned, their bodies turning to ash quickly. The once-green forest became a sea of blackened corpses and smoldering embers following the intense flames.

When the flames finally died down, the battlefield was left scarred and burned, the frontlines of the demon horde obliterated.

Lia trembled, breathing heavily, her body drenched in sweat as she stumbled backwards a bit.

For the first time in such a scale, she had unleashed magic meant for destruction. It took a while to prepare the magic, but it was worth it as they had taken down a few hundreds with that one spell.

Lance looked back at the destruction caused by the magic, admiring the effectiveness and destructiveness of magic. If only he could manage something of that nature, things would have been quite easier.