Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



If anything he would very much like to reject it; however, that was not possible either. It was the order of a Demon Archduke and not just any Demon Archduke but Gareth at that?

In terms of influence and power, he was an existence who could only be described with the term, old monster. That Gareth had given him the order, there was no way Megera whose age would not even exceed 1500 years could reject him.

All he could do was give in to his fate and nod his head. While his fellow demon duke grinned at his misery, Megera stepped out from among the crowd.

"As you wish, Demon Archduke Gareth. I shall take up this chance and challenge the mightiest of commanders."

"Oh!! You wish to challenge Jealousy? Very well, this battle will be a good test to show all the demons of the realm, the power of the three commanders" Belial accepted the challenge and informed Jealousy.

The observing crowd was abuzz with excitement, their eyes widened in anticipation. This was a matchup they wanted to see, the clash between a Demon Duke and one of Belial's commanders promised to be a spectacle unlike any other.

Whispers filled the air as the venue became alive with murmurs of speculation and envy. Even Oswell had put down the plates of food and glanced towards the array.

Duke Megera strode forward, his aura crackling with raw power. Across from him, the General of Jealousy, a formidable commander with bulging muscles decked in sturdy scales and twisted thorns, stepped forth.

The atmosphere grew tense as the two powerhouses faced each other, their determination radiating like a palpable force. There was a reason why Megera chose to face the General of Jealousy.

The latter was not only the strongest commander among the three, but the also seemed to be from a powerful race probably a race that was [S] rank. Even if he lost, he could at least keep his face in the fact that the commander he faced was the strongest one.

"Commence"

With those words from Belial, the battle started with a thunderous clash. The ground shook, the sky rumbled and the space was torn asunder as the General of Jealosy unleashed a devastating series of blows, each strike aiming to crush Duke Megera's defences.

The Demon Duke, being a high ranking demon, proved to be an agile and formidable opponent, his movements fluid and precise, evading the onslaught with calculated grace.

His counter attacks were equally swift. Duke Megera retaliated with a barrage of powerful attacks, channelling his formidable mystical energy and lost tier skills into each strike. The clash of their attacks was so powerful that the shockwaves even reached the venue, when the battleground was far away from here.

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Hoh, they are going at it for real" Oswell commented, his eyes shining with a little interest "Though it's a shame that we won't get to see the real power of the General of Jealousy".

Simon nodded his head in pity too. If he could just see the full strength of one of the three commanders he would have a full gauge of their strength and what they can do. However, there was no way they would be shown that.

As Oswell had mentioned before, the Demon Lord of Envy must have ordered his commanders not to reveal their most powerful skills. Though that said, from the battle that was being shown, it was still possible to make some assumptions.

Simon reckoned that the strength of the Demon Duke who was going all out was equal to or lower than any one of the Valkyries. Whereas, the strength of the General of Jealousy surpassed the Valkyries... that is when they not in their racial forms.

Although Simon cannot say it for sure without using the [Appraisal] on the other, but he believed that the General of Jealousy was around level 800 or at the very least near it. If he included all the three commanders and the legion they commanded, the new demon lord was a force to reckon with.

Simon was shocked; however, the shock he received wasn't to that extent he thought he would. Did he overestimate the demon lord?

When he saw Belial's forces, Simon wasn't that impressed for some reason. It was not like he was looking down on the Demon Lord of Envy or anything, if he had to say it he expected more from the demon who was crowned as the Demon Lord.

Being the Demon Lord of Envy, Simon expected the other party to be strong beyond belief. However, the truth appeared to be a little different. What Simon didn't know was that due to the merger of the two options and the presence of the factors like the Fragment of Pride, Forest Spring Spiirts, Null Elemental and others, his dungeon was growing at a ridiculous speed.

The shock that he thought he would receive might have been dulled by the subordinates around him and the encounters he had so far.

Irene, Adalinda, Lucine and the woman in the Historia that he witnessed, all of them were beings of enormous power. Even now, he had two beings around him whose levels were around the upper 800s.

What one must realise is that not all demons get to have the same experience as him or in that matter even come in contact with super powerful beings that rarely showed their face to the world.

Simon might be an exception among the exception. Even while being a low leveled, small fry demon, he not only encountered one or two of them, he even went on a journey with them.

Given his extra eventful life, it was natural that he would be a little numb when seeing a force that would otherwise make even some Demon Archdukes shudder.

Being individuals of immense strength, the battle between the General of Jealousy and the Demon Duke Megera waged on for days. It was a battle of epic proportions, capable of overturning dozens of kilometres of land and changing the topography permanently.

Magic clashed against magic, skills clashed against skill, just when the fight seemed to be coming to a stalemate, the tide turned in the favour if General of Jealousy abruptly.

His sheer strength and resilience pushed Duke Megera to his limits. But the Duke, fueled by his ambition and determination, refused to relent. With a rumbling sound of mystical energy, he unleashed a devastating onslaught, striking at the General with all his might.

The observing demons held their breath, their eyes locked on the spectacle unfolding before them. The clash of powers, the dance of ambition and the might of one of the three commanders, held them in a trance-like state.

They marvelled at the resilience and strength displayed by both combatants. In the end, on the night of the third day despite Duke Megera's valiant efforts, the General of Jealousy proved to be the victor.

The final blow landed, the Demon Duke puked out a mouthful of blood and was sent plummeting down to the depth of the earth, where they created a huge crater and laid there on a pool of their own blood.

Even if the demon duke could quickly regenerate from those wounds and rejoin the battle, it was clear that he was no match for the commander.

The other party sustained no damage during their entire battle. What's more, from the beginning to the end of the battle, the General of Jealousy was entirely in control.

Duke Megera was sold, he had used his full power and had gone all out yet he couldn't even scratch the other party despite them concealing a portion of their powers. As such, he knew that continuing this battle will only be a waste of time.

Thus… "I give up".

Duke Megera admitted defeat.

"That's enough, the victor has been decided. Both of you stand down" Beilial's voice echoed across the land.

Jealousy obediently nodded his head and backed off, leaving the duke to crawl out of the pit he created looking all miserable.

The audience who watched the entire battle through the Distance Viewing Array, stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. The clash between Duke Megera and the General of Jealousy had been a sight to behold, a display of power and skill that had surpassed all expectations.

Yet, despite the Duke's formidable abilities, he had fallen short in the face of the commander's overwhelming might.

A hushed murmur swept through the crowd, a mixture of awe, surprise, and fear. Envy filled their hearts as they witnessed the power of the commanders of Belial.

A sense of trepidation grabbed hold of their bodies as they realised that even a Demon Duke, a pinnacle of power in their own right, had been bested sending a shiver down their spines.

Whispers filled the air as the observing demons exchanged glances, their expressions a blend of admiration and unease. Some muttered words of admiration, recognizing the commanders' unparalleled strength.

Others spoke with a hint of fear, their voices laced with a desperate desire to please the victors.

Belial, Gareth, and the other demons in the same faction, shared a delighted mood. Belial's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, his lips curling into a smug smile. The Demon Lord of Envy reveled in the display of power, his ambitions further stoked by the realization that his commanders were truly unrivaled.

Gareth, the mastermind behind this showcase, wore a satisfied expression, his pride in his son evident.

"I believe all the observers present here are content by the might shown by the three Commanders of Envy? As such, I believe there are no more qualms and doubts regards to the worthiness of my son being crowned as the new demon lord. If there is any demon who disagrees, you are free to challenge any of the commanders. Are there any demons?"