Yax’s defeat was the decisive blow that sealed their victory in the war.
The Metal Slimes led the charge on their Beetle mounts. They weaved between the legs of the Knights’ horses, furiously hacking away at the stubbornly resisting Demon Soldiers with their now-dull Small Short Swords.
"Yah! Yah! Yah! Take this! And this!!"
When they got frustrated, the Metal Slimes would simply toss aside their dull Short Swords. Sharp metal spikes would instantly sprout from their bodies, and they would transform into spinning morning stars, crashing into the Demons.
At one point, they even fought their way into the shrinking Abyssal Rift, knocking back the Demons who were trying to counter-attack.
Seeing that even the mighty Iron Cavalry Demon Yax had been captured, the Demons finally lost all morale. They began to retreat in fear, scrambling over one another to pour back into the ever-shrinking Abyssal Rift.
Without the support of demonic power, the rift to the abyss closed little by little, finally sealing shut with a soft spatial hum.
The Slime Kingdom had won the war.
However, the gray fog in the sky was still thick, and the roars of demonic beasts rose and fell in the distance. The summer demon tide was still far from over; it would last for at least another three or four days.
Now, the more important task was to completely secure Storm Fortress.
With Storm Fortress as a solid bridgehead, the Demon Legion could enter the heart of the Golden Grain Plain at any time, intervene in the Kingdom’s internal conflicts, and influence the course of events.
Securing this location would finally stabilize the Slime Kingdom’s territory in the Dark Land, giving them a position from which they could advance to attack or retreat to defend.
’Just... what should I do with this guy?’
Chen Yu stared at Yax, his roly-poly body sinking into thought.
’This guy is a subordinate of the Great Demon Casaric. He should know a lot about the situation with the demons of the Burning City. I might be able to squeeze some useful information out of him.’
’I swallowed the Crown Casaric needs to complete his trial of kingship. He definitely won’t let this go.’
’Simo and Allen are manageable, but Yax is a level-eleven High Tier Demon. I’m the only one who can deal with him. Keeping him prisoner seems risky. What if he recovers and escapes...?’
’Maybe I should just swallow him and be done with it? I could even get a boost to my maximum health.’
Just as Chen Yu was pondering how to best make use of his captive, Celeste flew down from the sky. After setting down Louisa and Count Brand, she transformed back into her slender human form.
She brandished a pitch-black book in her hand, which emanated an ominous aura.
"Yuksa’s Soul Book," Celeste explained. "It’s one of the Magic Items Demons use to enslave and trade souls. I found it next to Vincent’s body. It should be enough to keep this Demon quiet for a while."
"You have to hand it to him, he really was an expert in demonic languages and rituals. He could even create something like this High Tier Soul Book."
With that, she tossed the pitch-black Soul Book to Chen Yu.
Chen Yu’s small eyes lit up. He caught it with his Divine Sense, letting the book, which emanated a sinister chill, hover before him.
"How do I use this thing?" he asked curiously.
"It’s simple," Celeste said, pointing to Yax. "Open the book, point it at him, and it will automatically extract and imprison his soul."
"You... Don’t even think...!"
Hearing that they planned to enslave his soul, Yax struggled desperately. He paid no mind to the Stone Sword at his throat, and the sharp stone blade cut several deep gashes into his neck, drawing demonic blood.
Chen Yu manipulated the Soul Book, causing it to float before Yax and open its dark covers.
VMMMM...
The pages turned on their own, though there was no wind. Upon the jet-black paper, a pair of eyes burning with eerie green fire suddenly blazed to life. An invisible force emanated from the book, locking onto Yax’s soul.
"No!"
Yax’s face contorted as he struggled in agony. A blurry, phantom-like image of a Demon could be seen, being forcibly dragged from his body.
He wanted to resist, but the Stone Swords piercing his iron hooves, chest, and neck acted like shackles, pinning him to the spot. Every movement caused more blood to pour out.
He could only watch helplessly as his own soul was torn from his body like a strip of silk and sucked into the Soul Book.
The book snapped shut with a soft click. On the cover, the pair of eerie green eyes slowly closed, and the book grew still.
Chen Yu retrieved the Soul Book, and a sense of control immediately washed over him. It was as if with a mere thought, he could now perceive Yax’s condition, control his very life and death, and even torture his soul.
’Hmm... this is useful. A much better deal than just swallowing him,’ Chen Yu thought with satisfaction.
SHING! SHING! SHING! The Flying Swords were withdrawn one by one, each pull accompanied by a spray of blood.
Freed from the pull of the Soul Book and the restraints of the Flying Swords, Yax collapsed to the ground, falling completely unconscious.
Chen Yu let the Gargoyles roughly drag Yax away, intending to imprison him in the rear outpost. He then swallowed the Soul Book for safekeeping, his attention finally returning to his surroundings.
He saw Yano stumbling toward him, clutching his chest. Yano grinned and said:
"Boss, I’m not dead yet."
"But that Demon was seriously tough. He almost stomped me flat."
Elsewhere, Arthur returned, supporting a badly injured Levin.
Alice immediately rushed to meet them. Though she said nothing, her furrowed brow and faintly trembling hands revealed her deep concern.
"Your Highness, are you all right?" Glen, who had been hiding at the rear of the Demon Legion the entire time, now sidled up, scratching his head sheepishly.