As the battlefield shifted into a chaotic checkerboard of colored panels, the devil army hesitated, their charge faltering as they took in the strange terrain before them. Lucifer, noticing their reluctance, scoffed, his voice filled with disdain. "You think you can intimidate me with a bunch of glowing colors and triangles on the ground?" He sneered, casting a glance at the motionless soldiers. "Charge, or you'll have to deal with my wrath personally!"
The army, spurred on by the threat, resumed their advance with renewed determination, though their fear was palpable.
"Wait, Lucifer" Beelzebub called out. "We still don't know what..."
But it was too late. The horde of devils surged forward, barreling towards the colorful grid. Most of them hit a blue-colored stretch of ground, they found themselves slamming into an invisible wall, the force causing a chain reaction as the devils behind them crashed into their backs, creating a pile-up. Winged demons who flew overhead plummeted to the ground as they struck the unseen barrier.
Seeing this divisions of mages in an orange area behind the frontal assault attempted to retaliate from range, casting spells towards Jezabel and her vassals. But to their shock, their magic fizzled out, the energy dissipating before it could even form.
In another section, chaos erupted as demons who stepped onto a red panel fell dead without warning, their bodies crumpling instantly. Screams of terror filled the air as those behind hesitated, fear gripping their hearts. On a purple section of the ground, devils found themselves slowed to a crawl, moving only inches at a time, their legs seemingly weighed down by an unseen force. Meanwhile, on a yellow section, soldiers shrieked in agony, their skin blistering as if they were standing on molten lava, causing them pain and injuries over time.
The most horrifying sight, however, was when an entire platoon reached a green panel. In an instant, the devils fused together into a grotesque, multi-limbed abomination. The fused entity staggered, disoriented, its many heads shouted in agony and confusion, unable to function as a single being.
Beelzebub, witnessing the horror and suffering of his troops, quickly summoned a swarm of flies to analyze the battlefield. His insects buzzed over the colored areas, testing their effects. It didn't take long for him to realize the source of the chaos. "It's the pyramids!" he shouted, eyes wide with realization. "They are the ones powering the colored floors! We need to destroy them!"
Without wasting a moment, he directed his flies to launch a barrage of magical blasts at the nearest pyramid. The explosions lit up the area, but when the dust settled, the pyramid stood untouched, not even a scratch marring its surface, causing Beelzebub's eyes to widen in shock.
Lucifer watched Beelzebub's display with an annoyed look. "Pathetic," he mocked. "To think you call yourself my equal, Beelzebub? You can't even shatter a simple pyramid!"
Lucifer raised his hand, channeling a malevolent beam of light. The energy crackled around him before he unleashed it, striking the same pyramid Beelzebub had targeted. The structure exploded into shards, releasing a wave of energy that rippled across the ground. As the energy shifted, the floor around the broken pyramid changed color. Demons caught in the transition screamed in pain as the ground beneath them turned, a number of them lost their life as well.
Leviathan's face paled as she took in the carnage. "This is Preposterous!" she hissed, her voice shaking. "Even destroying one causes our own troops to suffer!"
Beelzebub, gritting his teeth, was equally distressed. "Curses! The power it took for Lucifer to destroy just one... Most of our army can't even muster that kind of strength! And even if we can destroy them all, we might kill more of our own soldiers in the process." He clenched his fists, his eyes darting over the battlefield. "We need to consider a tactical retreat, this field is clearly putting our troops at a disadvantage."
"I agree with Beelzebub," Asmodeus added, his voice edged with panic. "The little shit got bite, that attack I threw earlier was by no means weak, yet she shrugged it off like it was nothing. We need to rethink our approach, come up with a plan."
But Lucifer wasn't listening. His pride was stung, his eyes burning with a fierce light. "Cowards, the lot of you!" he roared. "Do you not remember how we overwhelmed the White and Red Dragon? If we can emerge victorious against the strongest beings in the world, then there is no way we can lose to a small brat."
"You forgot, we had help that time!" Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Asmodeus all shouted back.
Lucifer ignored them, turning his attention to his army. "Push through!" he commanded. "We have the numbers on our side! We will overpower them eventually, even dragons fall at our might. "
The devil army, bolstered by Lucifer's words, pushed forward once more, though their ranks were thinner. The devils pressed on, their resolve strengthened despite the strange and lethal terrain beneath their feet. They surged towards Jezabel, the ground trembling with the weight of their advance, their roars shaking the air itself.
Peon and Mastema, standing at Jezabel's side, exchanged a look of pure panic. "My lady, what do we do?" Mastema stammered, his eyes darting between the approaching horde and the bizarre terrain beneath them. "there's still too many of them."
Jezabel seemed utterly unbothered, her smile widening with amusement. "No need to worry," she said, her tone almost playful. "It's time for a little tutorial." She pulled out a rusted sword and a wing-shaped hair clip, handing them over to the two respectively. "Here, these are for you."
Peon stared at the rusted blade in his hand, his fear mixing with incredulous frustration, losing his formal way of address. "A rusted sword?!" he exclaimed, shaking the useless weapon at Jezabel. "What do you expect me to do with this? Fight off an entire army with a piece of scrap metal?"
Jezabel pouted, feigning offense. "Hey, don't disrespect those weapons! I worked hard to max them out."
Peon gaped at her, waving his hand wildly. "Maxed out? What does that even mean?!"
Mastema wasn't convinced either, clutching the hair clip with uncertainty. "Lady Overlord, even if these so-called weapons are strong, we're still expected to fight an entire army. We don't even know how to handle ourselves in these new bodies!"
Jezabel waved away their concerns with a carefree flick of her wrist. "Relax! Fighting comes naturally to demons, especially to geniuses like you two. I reincarnated you as decently leveled ones, so it should be a piece of cake."
Peon opened his mouth to argue, "Decently leveled wh..." but before he could finish, Jezabel grabbed both him and Mastema by the collars and hurled them straight into the approaching enemy lines.
"You'll figure it out on the fly," she said with a mischievous grin, waving at their flailing forms. "And remember what Kamina said: Believe in the me that believes in you!"
Peon, hurtling through the air, shouted back, "Who the hell is Kamina?!"
Mastema, equally panicked, flailed her limbs. "But I don't even truly believe in you let alone myself!"
They crashed into the ground right in front of the enemy army, sending up a cloud of dust. As it cleared, Mastema found herself surrounded by a swarm of devils. She shut her eyes tight, bracing for the inevitable attack. But instead of striking, the devils hesitated, their expressions slackening into something akin to worship.
"We've found da queen!" one devil exclaimed, hearts practically popping out of his eyes.
"To gaze upon such divine beauty..." another muttered in awe, sinking to his knees. "Lord Lucifer could never compare!"
"She's perfection incarnate!" a third declared, eyes shining. "I'd let her use me as a footstool for eternity!" A third devil remarked, a clear bulge can be seen in his pants.
"Gross you perverts are disgusting." a female devil remarked seeing the man's pathetic behavior.
A female devil, tears streaming down her face, glared at her lover with betrayal. "You said I was your queen, Vallyn! How could you betray me like this?!"
Vallyn, not even sparing her a glance, "As if someone as ugly as you can ever be da queen !"
"You harlot!" the female devil screamed, launching herself at Mastema in a fit of rage. But she didn't make it far as her own partner sliced her down with a single, brutal strike.
"How dare you lay a hand on da queen!" he snarled.
Mastema recoiled, staring in horror at the lifeless body of the female devil. Her eyes welled up, a deep pit of regret forming in her stomach. "Oh God... what have I done?" she whispered, feeling an urge to vomit. "She may be a devil but she didn't deserve to go out like this."
But she had no time to process her emotions. As group of female devils began to cast a spell in unison. "She's charmed them all! Focus your magic on her!" They released a combined blast of raw, crackling energy straight at Mastema.
Acting on pure instinct, Mastema raised her hand. "Tera Wind!" she shouted. A massive spell circle appeared in the air, glowing with ethereal green light. Suddenly, the entire battlefield seemed to shift, the wind itself roaring to life as a spectral, fairy-like woman emerged from the circle. The apparition gave Mastema a quick, knowing smile before summoning a series of enormous tornadoes blowing away the attackers and their oncoming attack. The twisters whipped up, spiraling with the force of hurricanes, tearing through the devil army.
The spell didn't stop there. The individual tornadoes fused into a single, colossal vortex, a sphere of wind that expanded violently, obliterating everything in its path. The devils caught within were lifted off their feet, their screams drowned out by the deafening roar of the wind. When the spell finally dissipated, countless devils lay scattered across the battlefield, their bodies twisted and broken.
The remaining devil soldiers froze in shock, staring at Mastema in stunned silence. Even the four Satans, who had been watching from a distance, were wide-eyed, unable to mask their surprise.
"Oh, fucken hell," Asmodeus breathed, his hand covering his gaping mouth. "I thought we only had to watch out for the little shit, I didn't expect this kind of power from a mere though admittedly sexy underling."
The charmed devils not caught in the spell clapped their hands, their eyes shining with admiration. "That's our queen!" they cheered.
Mastema, panting heavily, stared at her own hands in disbelief. "I... I did that?" she whispered, a mix of awe and fear in her voice.
Lucifer's expression twisted into a scowl. "She's exhausted from casting the spell," he barked. "Female devils, take her down her charms won't work on you! And the rest of you, go after the other idiot with the rusted sword!"
The devil soldiers roared in unison, obeying their master's command. They surged forward again, this time more cautiously but with murderous intent.
"You shall not touch da queen!" shouted a charmed devil, his eyes burning with loyalty.
"We'll protect our goddess!" cried another as the charmed devils threw themselves between Mastema and the advancing female soldiers.
Mastema, her body trembling from the spell's drain, felt a renewed sense of resolve. She pushed aside her earlier horror and pressed on her hairclip, ready to face the next wave. "If you want me," she muttered, as she took a deep breath in and out, "then you'll have to get through your friends first."
Peon, clutching his rusted sword and watching the chaos unfold, gulped. "Well, guess it's my turn now," he muttered, trying to steel his nerves as he prepared to face his own attackers.
Peon glanced around nervously at the advancing enemies, and with a forced, hopeful grin, he raised a hand. "So, uh, by any chance, do any of the lovely ladies still here find me attractive?" he called out, giving a half-hearted wink.
The response was immediate and brutal. The female devils' faces twisted into expressions of pure disgust, their eyes narrowing with venomous hatred. Without a word, they unleashed a barrage of spells fireballs, ice spears, lightning bolts all hurtling towards him with deadly intent. The sky above him lit up like a fireworks display as the magic spells descended in a furious cascade.
At the same time, the male devils charged forward, weapons gleaming in the eerie glow of the magical blasts. Their snarls and battle cries filled the air, a cacophony of pure aggression.
"Shit!" Peon cursed, his eyes widening in panic. He quickly adjusted his grip on the rusted sword, bringing it up into a defensive stance. His heart pounded in his chest as he braced himself, feeling the raw magical energy rushing toward him like a tidal wave.
He gritted his teeth, muscles tensing as he steeled himself for the onslaught. "Alright, let's see if this so-called max out sword is worth anything," he muttered under his breath, eyes darting to the incoming spells. "I mean if the former low ranked angel can pull out such an attack, then a formal low rank devil could handle this, right?" He said attempting to reassure himself.