Chapter 403 - Mélange

The purple seal that covered the entire battlefield glowed as runes shifted within them. The inscriptions shuffled and changed places for several seconds as the oracle became smaller and smaller until it only covered the entire mouth of the cavern where it suddenly stopped. It blinked ten times before the wheel representing Perun started to turn clockwise and counterclockwise. 

"Men, prepare your weapons," Stribog announced. His golden eyes focused on the Black Cavern. 

The Wind God sat on Aello's shoulder and flanking the red harpy were her sisters, Ocypete and Podarge. Behind them was Mavara. The other harpies scattered within the battlefield as they would be the one pummeling the waves of dark elementals that would flood out of the cavern as soon as it opened. 

Everyone held their breaths as the seal stopped moving. It blinked several times in sync with the fast beating of their hearts before a loud sound of glass breaking was heard and the seal shattered into millions of diamonds before crumbling into thin air. 

The cavern was open!

As soon as the seal broke, a cold, ominous breeze blew past everyone sending chills down their spine. The malice that started to ooze out of the cave sent waves and waves of oppressive energy, washing over each and every one present. If it weren't for Kresnik's and Stribog's presences, the divine auras that they released, most of the soldiers with weaker spirits would have given in under the pressure. 

During the Immortal War when the seal was weakened, malice also poured out of the cavern. But due to the seal, the amount was not as strong as it was now. It was only this time that they had all experienced the condensed negative atmosphere that was suffocating. 

"Urgh…"

The mortal soldiers were sent into their knees. But just as they were about to drown, the harpies opened their mouths and started suċkɨnġ in all the energy. 

"Huh? What's going on captain?" one soldier asked and the captain pulled him up. 

"It's going to be fine. The harpies are eating the malice," the captain said. 

Aside from the initial surprise, all of them remembered the origins of the harpies and they all started to relax. Harpies were elemental parasites that fed on negative energy!

Soon, the waves of ominous aura were directly devoured by the harpies, and there was a surge of energy and excitement amongst them. Even if the miasma continued to flow, they were directly eaten by the horde and didn't even go towards the soldiers anymore. 

They all returned to their former stances as they waited and watched the entrance of the cavern with guarded eyes. After a few seconds, the ground started to tremble. But this was something they had already expected. It was something that they had experienced from the previous Immortal War. 

The tremors were not a product of a natural circumstance. It was due to the dark elementals that were currently rushing out of the cavern. The seal Perun placed made them uncomfortable thus they stayed away from the seal. But now that it was removed, the plethora of monsters and dark elementals would come rushing out of the cavern, like an overflowing cup. 

The ground continued to tremble as ghostly cries echoed from within the dark entrance of the cave. They sounded so horrible— it was as if there was a chorus of tortured souls calling out from the pits of hell. The otherworldly wails made the soldiers shiver in trepidation. But the presence of the deities and demigods with them who didn't even show any expression as they waited for the enemies to come out put their minds at ease. 

Soon the several shadows could be seen within the cave. Small dots became bigger and bigger as the elementals rushed forward. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Shadow lurkers, both evolved and non-evolved rushed out amongst the throng of dark elemental beasts. Chimeras, banshees, dark wolves, and skeleton soldiers bolted out of the entrance with their maniacal laughter, cries, and howls. They poured out of the cave and ran in all directions, their wicked smiles and eyes shone brightly with excitement at the coming bloodlust. 

"Now!" Gin cried and Aello and her sisters stepped aside to give way to Mavara who had inhaled a huge amount of air, making his ċhėst puff up. 

At Gin's order, Mavara breathed out a long line of blue fire targeted at the entrance of the cave where low-level dark elementals were pouring out. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" 

The Black God's minions who came out at the first wave were all scorched by the unforgiving flames of the dragon. Those who were hit didn't even have the time to scream in agony. The flames devoured them and snuffed their existence quickly. When Mavara retrieved his flames to inhale again, the dark elementals that were missed by the fire quickly scrambled out of the cavern, scattering in different directions. 

But it was all for naught. 

The harpies who stood behind Mavara were all waiting for those who had escaped the flames. As soon as they ran out, the harpies started smashing them one by one. Normally, they were berserkers, but with Stribog around, they only worked within their respective areas the Wind God allowed them to and didn't let bloodlust take over. 

It was a very organized mélange of attacks. The first and second waves of dark elementals didn't stand a chance. The soldiers who stood at the borders didn't even do anything other than watch. But it was only understandable since the elementals near the first seal were the weakest among the Black God's minions. 

These alternate attacks of Mavara and the harpies continued on for a couple of more times until the level of the elementals upgraded. The shaking of the earth which was due to a stampede changed in tempo. 

STOMP, STOMP, STOMP

Alinea and the others' ears perked up at the sound. Everyone looked at the entrance, and gin signaled Mavara to unleash his flames once again. 

WHOOOOSH!

However, unlike the other times, the flames didn't incite screaming. The heavy set of footsteps didn't falter as well. It continued on and soon, as soon as Mavara finished with his flames, a giant iron shield came flying out of the cavern towards Mavara. 

The dragon, of course, caught it so easily. But the rhythm of their offense now changed as the owner of the huge shield came out followed by others. 

A huge hand clamped the edge of the cavern as a one-eyed giant pushed itself out of it. It was crouching when he came out but when he stood, Mavara found himself looking up. 

Armed with a huge spiked club in its hand, the more than twenty-foot Cyclops stood in front of them— and it was not alone.