Chapter-6

Belial's amusement evaporated faster than water on a hot stove. The unlikely alliance they'd just forged was about to be tested by fire, literally. Decades of animosity flared back to life in the eyes of the soldiers as they charged, a cacophony of battle cries echoing across the battlefield.

Sir Eldric, ever the righteous paladin, led the human charge, his holy sword gleaming in the fading light. His face, usually etched with righteous fury, now held a flicker of uncertainty. Was this bizarre creature friend or foe? The answer, it seemed, was about to be written in fire.

Roland, however, wasn't fazed. He sighed, a sound that resonated with a strange calmness amidst the impending chaos. Instead of raising Ryujin Jakka in a defensive posture, he planted the flaming blade firmly into the ground. Belial watched, a frown creasing his perfectly manicured brow. Was the fire creature surrendering? Had the sight of two opposing armies finally broken his resolve?

The thought was laughable. Belial had seen countless warriors crumble in the face of their demonic hordes, but this creature, with its mismatched horns and oddball demeanor, exuded an aura of quiet confidence that was both unsettling and oddly intriguing.

The answer came in a sudden, fiery eruption. A spark, red and vibrant as molten lava, erupted from the tip of Ryujin Jakka. It then danced outwards, weaving an intricate circle pattern on the scorched ground, like a child tracing a mesmerizing spirograph. The circle pulsed with a growing warmth, the air crackling with a potent energy that caused the very hairs on Belial's arms to stand on end. Sir Eldric, his charge momentarily halted by the unexpected display, watched in awe as the circle flared a blinding crimson. Then, before either of them could react, the ground erupted.

Towering pillars of flame, hotter and more intense than anything Roland had summoned before, shot skyward from the scorched earth. The heat was an oppressive wall, a wave of searing air that pushed back the charging soldiers with irresistible force. Screams were cut short as the flames engulfed the front ranks, turning armor into smoldering slag and flesh into ash.

The human soldiers, their courage momentarily replaced by primal terror, stumbled back in disarray. The demonic forces, momentarily spared from the brunt of the inferno due to their slightly further position, recoiled in shock. The very air shimmered and danced in the heat, the stench of burning flesh and scorched earth filling the air. The battlefield, once teeming with life, was now a scene of fiery devastation, the monstrous pillars of flame casting grotesque shadows that danced across the ashen landscape.

As the flames danced and roared, engulfing the charging soldiers in a fiery embrace, Roland remained still, his horns silhouetted against the inferno. A strange sense of calm settled over him, a stark contrast to the chaos he'd unleashed.

The heat radiating from the Hellfire Inferno washed over him, but he felt no discomfort, no pain. It was as if the flames recognized him, an extension of his will rather than a destructive force. 

He raised a hand, palm outstretched towards the inferno. The roiling flames seemed to respond to the gesture, their intensity flickering for a moment before subsiding slightly. Roland wasn't aiming for indiscriminate slaughter; he simply wanted to send a message, a fiery exclamation mark to punctuate his arrival in this bizarre conflict.

"This," he declared, a hint of pride creeping into his tone, "is Ennetsu Jigoku (Hellfire Inferno). A technique not for the faint of heart, it harnesses the very essence of fire, transforming the battlefield itself into a crucible of searing destruction. Witness the power that courses through my veins, a power that can both protect and annihilate in equal measure. Consider this a warning, a taste of the inferno that awaits those who dare to oppose me."

The soldiers, both human and demon, caught within the fiery embrace of Ennetsu Jigoku faced a terrifying inferno unlike anything they had ever witnessed. The heat was a physical assault, searing flesh and turning armor into molten slag within seconds. Screams were quickly choked off, replaced by a horrifying silence as those unfortunate enough to be caught in the direct path of the flames were consumed by the inferno.

**For the Humans:**

Front Ranks: These soldiers, fueled by righteous fury and a desire to vanquish the monstrous Roland, bore the brunt of the attack. Their chainmail armor offered little protection against the intense heat, quickly becoming searing hot conductors that transferred the inferno's wrath directly to their bodies. Their advance halted abruptly, replaced by a desperate scramble for escape that turned into a macabre ballet of pain and terror.

Rear Ranks: Those farther back, momentarily spared the full fury of the flames, were no less horrified. The shockwave of heat pushed back against them, scorching their exposed skin and forcing them to retreat in a chaotic scramble. Panic rippled through the ranks, their initial battle cries replaced by choked gasps and desperate pleas for mercy.

**For the Demons:**

Vanguard: The demonic vanguard, a motley crew of hulking brutes and nimble imps, fared slightly better due to their position further back from the initial eruption. However, the intense heat still licked at their exposed flesh, singeing fur and charring leathery hides. Their demonic resilience offered some protection, but even they couldn't withstand the inferno for long. Panic and confusion replaced their initial aggression, the promise of battle replaced by the primal urge for survival.

Main Force: The bulk of the demonic army, stationed even further back under Belial's command, witnessed the horrific display with a mixture of awe and terror. The flames, reaching high into the sky, cast an eerie orange glow that illuminated the battlefield in a macabre light. The stench of burning flesh and scorched earth filled the air, a grim reminder of the destructive power unleashed by this strange creature.

The entire battlefield, once teeming with the cacophony of war cries and clashing steel, was now a scene of utter chaos and devastation. The only sounds were the crackling of flames, the hiss of searing flesh, and the occasional, agonizing scream echoing through the inferno.