Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

The balors, slowed by the sandstorms roared, spite flying out of their giant mouths with each raging step forward.

The arrows, elements, and sand boulders cleaved through their ranks, a disgusting stench rising. But they didn't care—only the walls mattered, and with their overwhelming numbers, shattering them was only a matter of when.

And soon, they emerged, narrowing their eyes at a headless statue taller than them.

"Mere stones to stop us?!"

One roared, his giant whip cracking and his broadsword cleaving through the air to shatter the insulting defense.

However, the statue rumbled before their widening eyes, its khopesh glinting like the sun under the red sky and its ankh shield moving to intercept the blows.

BANG

The deafening noise of the collision reverberated beneath the walls as it blocked both strikes.

Before the attacker could react, the khopesh whistled down, cleaving the tough skin, ripping through the powerful muscles, and shattering the steel-like bones. Blood smeared the statue scarlet before it stopped moving again.

In an unstoppable counter-attack, it had cleaved the balor in half.

Undeterred, the others rushed at it, a chaotic battle unfolding. Yet, amidst their deafening strikes and raging flames, they missed a crucial detail: the blood staining the statue slowly vanished...

In the palace, Ozymandias' lips curled into an arrogant smirk as cracking reverberated throughout the city.

As if time flowed back, the ruined buildings mended themselves along with his third statue.

Beside him, Achilles' eyes trembled as he felt his destroyed heel recover with each passing second. Even Wukong's complexion improved, and Karna's charred body healed, too!

His heart drummed in his chest, a question thundering in his mind.

"By the staff of Asclepius, what is happening?!"

Ozymandias shrugged, scrutinising the approaching djinns and Leraje.

"Play with your little spear, and don't bother me, Achilles. If you're a king among duelists, I'm the ultimate sovereign. Wherever I walk, my empire rises, and guardians follow. I'm Ozymandias, the greatest builder Earth has ever birthed!"

He pointed his finger at a statue.

Red sand swirled around his armless side and solidified into a hand. An ankh staff condensed, shining golden in the new limb as his command echoed.

"Protect the city from their projectiles, Monument Three!"

The colossal statue rumbled and leapt onto the walls—behind the fourth statue.

Mana twirled around its spinning ankh as its brilliance engulfed the sky.

Simultaneously, the enemy djinns licked their lips before the sandstorms. Finally at striking range, their demonic essence burst into a hellish bombardment of elemental strikes.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

But Ozymandias' smirk widened.

"Defense at full power!"

With his roar, the third monument's staff ignited and hummed as a mana barrier spread in a dome.

Like a tide, it encased the city in a protective embrace—a split second before the projectiles collided with the walls.

BOOM

Achilles' eyes widened as searing spells slammed with their defense, each impact shattering into a colorful rain that made him doubt his reality.

Were these the powers of a builder? Did he underestimate him all along? He shuddered as he gazed at the others. Everyone thought of him as a braggart showing off his legends. But in truth? Ozymandias was a terrifying one-man army any lord would want for his supportive abilities.

His blood boiled as he gazed at the two repairing monuments still towering before the palace.

"The more enemies fall, the faster they recover, right?" He pointed at Wukong, Karna, and the statues while assessing his heel's state. "I'll lend my strength to the walls."

However, Ozymandias snorted at his goodwill.

"Stand down. This battle is my test for Adam. He has to kill their leader, or I won't indulge in his reveries for one more second."

Achilles frowned, his lips parting to deliver a sharp answer.

But Wukong cut him off with a sigh.

"He never pledged loyalty, Achilles. He only cooperated to replace Ra in the future."

Clutching his sides, he stumbled between them and gazed into Ozymandias' eyes.

"This war is a turning point. You want to see if he has what it takes to make your dream true." He crossed his arms over his chest and turned toward Achilles. "And I agree with him. The Balors and greater djinns are powerful but far from our levels. Adam has to prove his strength, and that arrogant pharaoh offers him a stage to do so."

Ozymandias nodded on his throne, permeating the air with his regal bearing as he pointed at the remaining monuments.

"I offered him defense and recovery. My role ends here. If he can't win with that, he's not fit to lead us against the gods."

Achilles bit his lip, his mind spinning at the absurdity of their conversation.

"He's up against over 133.000 demons with a mere two thousand men! To add insult to injury, they're all a tier weaker! They'd need hundreds of strikes to kill one, while the weakest balor can cut them in half with a single swing!"

About to call out their madness, he noticed Wukong's firm gaze and swallowed his words. Was their choice right? He didn't know. But interfering would mean losing Ozymandias' services.

He bit his lip, his fingers trembling around his spear.

"Trust us, Achilles." Wukong patted his shoulders, his voice mischievous. "My reasons are different. Adam grew stronger under your and Karna's training. But Mab, the fragment, Heracles, all these undefeatable adversaries obscured his progress and gnawed at his confidence."

His grip firmed, and gray qi wafted from his eyes.

"He needs this win to recover his self-confidence, to not rely on us, and to impose his strength on the world!"

Achilles took a deep breath, a bitter smile curving on his lips.

"You're right on that one... Am I underestimating him?"

Wukong retrieved a pipe from his robe. He sat, brought it to his lips, and inhaled the sweet fumes. Blowing it upwards and permeating the palace with the scent, he smirked.

"I've seen his movements when he fought against Heracles. Adam is yours and Karna's rightful disciple." Mischief flashed in his eyes. "I'll steal him, though."

Convinced, Achilles sat by him and focused on Adam's back like Ozymandias. He nodded at his archery skills, anticipating how he'd turn the odds.