[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
As soon as they checked the records of Ragal, the three of them immediately returned to the Golden Ship.
The battle had concluded six hours ago, and they had already achieved a significant victory, but the members within the battleship remained vigilant, busy with equipment maintenance.
"You confirmed the relationship between Ragal and Kelliark? Oh, well done! Valeria!"
"You've worked hard too, Doctor. How about the Red Owl?"
"Fortunately, thanks to the protective shield, there was no significant damage to the power source and critical circuits. Everything has been repaired! Moreover, while making repairs, I found some modifications that could be applied to the mass-produced Red Owls. Ultimately, the commander-in-chief's harsh treatment of the Red Owl turned out to be helpful."
"In any case, the kid seems to have a knack for bouncing back, even if he stumbles along the way."
Jin picked up the battleship's communication device.
"Manager, is there anyone present from the Visepps?"
{Only Lord Tilias is here. I'll switch to him immediately.}
As the human world's all-out attack suddenly began, Sakiel had summoned most of the available demon kings to Grosch Castle.
However, Tilias and Misol were exceptions. The order from Zito to "let those two rest for a while" was still in effect.
Regarding this matter, even the Visepps couldn't gauge Zito's intentions.
{Jin, what's the situation?}
"The records about Ragal have come out. As we expected, Kelliark is in Hell, and judging from the part where he issued orders to Ragal, there's a high possibility that he is treating Ragal like a subordinate."
{So, it's confirmed that Kelliark Zipfel is receiving help from the Witch. But from what I know, even the Witch can't completely undo Zito's brainwashing... Could it be that Sheenu, the god of fire, possesses an ability that surpasses that of the Witch?}
"I can't be sure, but probably not. Sheenu is indeed the high-ranking immortal in the human world."
{A high-ranking immortal... Well, I've heard from you about the 'Seal of Fire' that makes anyone absolutely trust the god of fire. I suppose we should consider that the brainwashing was influenced by the Seal of Fire or something similar.}
"I think the same, Tilias. Moreover, it's not just the Witch; Ganesto is also cooperating with Kelliark, so they might have gained some unknown abilities."
{Hmm, Jin. Ragal is the most loyal to Zito. If Kelliark has turned someone like Ragal into his subordinate, it means... all the other demon kings could do the same.}
"Kelliark is making the demon kings, who are loyal to Zito, his subordinates... Zito couldn't possibly just watch that happen, could he?"
{There is no way to know what that madman is thinking. He might not know at all that Kelliark is taking guys like Ragal out, or he might already know but is leaving it alone. Especially lately, it's become even harder to read him in many ways. The fact that he released Misol and me, and we continue to stay on leave even though Grosch Castle is under attack, is also quite strange.}
Jin has the same thoughts. Zito's intentions were not easy to decipher.
Why was he unable to launch an all-out attack against the human world with such a massive force?
After learning the approximate size and power of the Demon Army thanks to the Visepps, Jin had been questioning Zito's use of his forces.
It might have been better to reduce the frequency of producing the fracture and send out all the top-tier demon kings at once, or if that wasn't feasible, quietly gather all the superhuman-class combatants and troops in Grosch Castle before the all-out attack.
If it were Jin, he would have prepared for the human world invasion differently.
'Until now, the True Demon World has been scattering its forces too haphazardly…'
At the beginning of the war, Jin didn't evaluate it this way. The random appearance of transfer fractures had kept the alliance on high alert, and without the returnees from the Black Sea, they would have faced considerable challenges.
However, the alliance had managed to deal with all those fractures without significant losses. They lost a few cities, but all the residents were relocated to safe areas.
Furthermore, even before the all-out attack, they had attempted preemptive attacks centered around Luna, and they had achieved a decisive victory in the battle for Grosch Castle.
Yet, Zito hadn't shown any significant reaction so far, and Sakiel had been hastily fortifying Grosch Castle. It was baffling, as they couldn't understand what the enemy wanted.
'It feels like they are not trying to win the war, but intentionally depleting their forces, or maybe the demon kings or ordinary troops think that if only Zito can move around comfortably, nothing else matters.'
Considering how transcendent beings like Ayula, Tess and Ameris emphasized on "Zito's intact power," it was plausible. Of course, that didn't make it any easier to comprehend.
"It's strange in many ways. We'll have to keep advancing until the enemy's intentions become clear. There's no reason to hesitate just because we don't know what kind of trickery he's up to."
{That's right. We, Visepps, have also decided that this is our first and last chance.}
Jin's eyes sparkled.
"First and last chance? So, do the Visepps intend to move their forces in earnest?"
{Yes. Due to the human world's advance, most demon kings are being rapidly deployed to Grosch Castle. In other words, the True Demon World's main base is gradually weakening. In all the years we have lived as a fugitive, there's never been anything like this.}
"This is what you have been waiting for, Tilias. Do you have confidence in dealing a significant blow to the main base?"
{As long as Zito's movements remain tied up and Paellito goes to the surface, it's definitely possible.}
Of course, even with the continuous reinforcement of troops in Grosch Castle and the departure of Paellito, the True Demon World was still overwhelmingly powerful compared to the Visepps.
Nonetheless, the Visepps had some faith. Among their spies were individuals in positions capable of influencing the entire True Demon World. The Visepps planned to create massive chaos within the True Demon World through these individuals.
And they didn't hide this fact from Jin.
{Among our spies, there is an administrator of Artificial Sun. And we… are speculating that the artificial sun also serves as a kind of maintenance device that keeps Zito conscious.}
-Now it's time to explain the benefits. What do we gain by forming an alliance with you?
-{You gain the means to kill Zito.}
Jin remembered a conversation he had when he first communicated with Tilias.
"So, the way to kill Zito is related to the Artificial Sun."
{Yes, but it's not just that. Can I share the rest of the information with you after you break through Grosch Castle and enter the True Demon World?}
"It still sounds like you don't completely trust us."
{...It's not that. We just believe that we need a safety measure until the very end.}
"It's a joke, Tilias. It is not like I don't understand Visepps' perspective. Do whatever you want. In the end, whether it's us or you, we can't move forward without dealing with Zito."
{Thanks for understanding. Once our main force starts its operations, we might be able to uncover more about Kelliark Zipfel. We can confirm whether he's actually subduing other demon kings. And there's one more important piece of information.}
"What is it?"
{The Holy Kingdom of Vankela. We had intelligence that Paellito was planning to attack it.}
It was expected. Zito would want to find his eye, which was in the possession of the Holy Kingdom, to enhance his powers. If Zito himself didn't directly attack the Holy Kingdom, it was only natural for the True Demon World's first sword to take the lead.
"Do you know the exact date?"
[We haven't figured that out yet. However, if the human world continues to relentlessly attack Grosch Castle like this, there's a high chance that Paellito will come before the castle is completely conquered. Sakiel would want to buy more time somehow.]
"No, I have a different opinion. Sakiel may want to buy time, but what about Zito? If he wanted that, he wouldn't have wasted his army like this."
[Then what?]
"If I were Zito, I would wait until the human world's main forces have finished conquering Grosch Castle and entered the True Demon World before sending Paellito to the Holy Kingdom."
In that case, the human world would have significantly fewer individuals to oppose Paellito.
For a moment, there was silence. Tilias and the Visepps hadn't thought of that method at all.
{...That makes sense!}
"Of course, even if we start entering the True Demon World, we'll leave enough defense forces for the human world. But we don't know what variables are waiting for us at the True Demon World. We've already stepped into that territory, so we can't just withdraw our forces."
{And if any variables arise, the human world is more likely to commit more forces to deal with them. If that happens, Zito's eye in the Holy Kingdom will be left open for Paellito to take... That could potentially shift the tide of battle in the True Demon World when Zito regains his strength.}
It was the worst-case scenario. The Visepps believed that when Zito regained his eye, there would be no hope left in the world.
"Therefore, we must eliminate Paellito before we enter the True Demon World. So, you guys, by any means necessary, use your spies to confirm the date when Paellito will appear in the human world. We need to make sure he comes up in the human world before we send our main force into Hell."
{Understood. We'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.}
While Tilias responded with a calm voice, he was convinced that there would be many sacrifices to send Paellito in the human world.
To catch such a big fish, they needed a bait that matched it.
'This would only be possible if Elder brother Basset or Silkia serve as bait. No, not Silkia... Only my elder brother Basset can do it.'
Jin could feel the heavy resolve hidden in his voice.
"If you need our help with that, don't hesitate to ask. We'll provide support as much as we can."
{I'll do that, Jin. Let's talk again next time after I relay this information to headquarters.}
"Take care, Tilias."
{You too. May luck be with you always.}
Then, Jin called the Garden of Swords and Tikan.
"Head Butler, Sir Kashmir. What's the situation with the fractures? After the first defense line was breached, were there any new fractures added to our territory?"
{There was none, Lord.}
{[The Huphester alliance is the same, young patriarch. In fact, the frequency of fracture occurrences seems to be decreasing rather than increasing. We need to keep an eye on it, but if the enemies aren't using it as a smokescreen… then it seems like all the fractures and troops are being summoned to Grosch Castle.]}
Jin nodded.
"Understood. In that case, we should continue our advance to pressure them further. If there's any sign of an increase in fractures to the headquarters, please contact us immediately."
Jin put down the communication device and looked beyond the bridge. Ragal's miasma had become much lighter than before.
It was time to start the second advance.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]