Chapter 473: Demons and Humans

The roar of thunder and the roar of magic bullets. The deadly flames were gradually disappearing.

However, with its disappearance came the joyous roar of the demons.

There were demi-humans with human bodies attached to bird heads, and giant eagle creatures. There were even some with lizard scales who spoke ancient language.

There was no unity at all. It looked like a gathering of strong individuals, so it would be more accurate to call them a flock rather than an army. There were a wide variety of demons and magical beasts on that flock.

There was only one way to call them despite being a flock with no unity.

The Eastern Demon Army.

This particular demon army charged from the hills, letting out a frightening roar. They went towards the village, and the Bolvat army led by Mastigius.

They couldn’t distinguish between soldiers and non-soldiers. In particular, the demons that gathered around the Great Demon Vrilligant hated the human race. They were probably born with it, or it was something they acquired later in life. Whatever the roots, it was something they had in common.

That’s why they couldn’t differentiate.

「…Ah…What!? Stop…! 」

The first victim was one of the sorcerers who burned the village. There was no demon who judged him as an ally, and he was too late to escape. All humans were enemies. All of them were insects that had to be killed.

They killed because they hated them. They killed because they came into their sight. That was enough for them to participate in the battlefield.

Next, dozens of nearby Bolvat soldiers were killed. Humans weren’t strong enough to easily withstand the sudden charge of demonic beings. Human flesh was torn apart like rags, and screams echoed across the village.

In fact, there were few areas in which humans excelled demons. The demonic race was the superior one if we looked at it on an individual basis.

But an area where humans had a stronger side wasn’t their individuality but their military nature.

「…I command you. Sanity to insanity, and insanity to sanity. Become a monster now. 」

As if stepping over the corpses of their comrades and their regrets, the magical armored soldiers stepped forward all at once and readied their weapons. The formation was already in place.

The sorceress Eileen’s infection magic covered the surroundings. Her actions incited the soldiers to the depths of their souls, not allowing them to feel even a shred of fear. They continued to walk forward even after their comrades were brutally murdered in front of their eyes.

In addition, the strength of infection magic didn’t just stop there. Mobility was valuable in the context of war.

As long as a commander could control the masses and its direction, then it could move their troops instantly with just their own will, like their own hands and feet.

It was easy to imagine how much advantage this gave them on the battlefield. Aside from her skills as a sorceress, Eileen was one of the most talented battle commanders in Bolvat.

This was true even when facing demons.

These demons didn’t even form proper formations and simply charged forward with their individual strength. No matter how powerful an individual was, each one of them was no match for an army that surpassed them.

The magical armored soldiers crushed the thick, iron-like skin of the demonic beasts with multiple spears. The magical beast soldiers drove down the demonic birds with their fangs.

If any of them managed to break through the formation, then they were greeted by a hail of magic bullets from the unit led by sorcerer Hind.

Hind knew very well what Eileen’s strengths and weaknesses were. That’s why it was only natural that he would know where his army’s weaknesses were likely to appear.

Of course, over time the Mastigius’ army would also suffer deep damage. But compared to the demon army, that damage would be overwhelmingly minor. The demons may be numerous, but they couldn’t break through a single formation.

If they stopped for even a moment it would be synonymous with death.

…Lightning and flames scattered. The thunder of the gods in the high heavens took the form of a dragon and roared out loud.

A marvelous flash. An unmistakable flash of light. It wasn’t a metaphor.

Faced with that great magic, some demons were burned to death while others vanished.

The soldiers blocked the enemy army, and the drawn longbows killed the enemy. It was safe to say that the entire operation was perfect.

A human on horseback came into view after the first wave of demons had been devoured. The voice of Mastigius echoed.

「You’re the commander of these demons, aren’t you? You’ve come here to kill me on the orders of those magical devilish beings! Very well. I’ll do the same for you. 」

The voice sounded as if it were tearing apart the air. However, the sorcerer on horseback unexpectedly replied.

「…Mastigius La Volgograd, the Sorcerer General! 」

The shining eyes visible from behind the glasses were fixed on Mastigius and no one else. He didn’t look at Mastigius like that just because he was the commander. Mastigius intuitively knew that.

It was a gaze he had often felt at the royal palace. Jealousy, envy, a feeling of being showered with malice he didn’t own. It was completely unreasonable.

Mastigius felt back then that status was just a garment for receiving ill feelings from unknown people all at once. Even high-ranking sorcerers who served at the royal palace looked at Mastigius with that particular gaze. So he knew right away. That man on horseback hated him. And his target was Mastigius himself.

Mastigius’ heart was filled with a terrible discomfort.

He wasn’t uncomfortable being looked at with resentful eyes. Mastigius himself had never lived a life where he hadn’t been hated.

That’s why he knew very well how to get back at such people.

「Mastigius. Just the fact that you’re here is enough to give me a reason to kill you. 」

Mastigius spoke after a short moment. He put his hand to his mouth and pretended to think.

「…Unfortunately, I don’t know you. I don’t remember ever having earned your grudge. Who are you? 」

The enemy commander’s brow furrowed deeply, and the whites of his eyes became distorted before becoming murderous. Those who had lost their composure and reason all made this kind of face.

And so he replied.

「…Kiel Bazarov. Die here. I’ll smash your talents. And it’s me, not you, who will save this country. 」

Mastigius raised his right arm, imbued with magical power. His strong fist was filled with enough power to kill a single human.

Mastigius opened his mouth, bursting with lightning.

「It’ll give me joy to destroy a scoundrel like you. 」

The flash was smaller than before, but it was still as sharp as an arrow. It should’ve blown away the face of the man wearing glasses. Those who lost their composure due to provocation couldn’t deal with a sudden flash.

But just before that, a demonic bird suddenly leapt its body and blocked the lightning. The demonic bird let out a shriek as it died, turning to ashes.

Mastigius opened his eyes wide without thinking.

That demonic beast was protecting a human. Such a thing should never happen. No, even if they were monsters, there was no way they would protect each other. Even if they were parents and children, such a thing would be rare.

It would only happen when protecting the leader of their pack. Mastigius’ expression changed when he realized this. It became more stern and more vicious.

The pity in his eyes turned to contempt, and then from rage to hatred. And then he said the following.

「You sold your soul to the demons, didn’t you? You aren’t worthy of being a sorcerer. 」

「I don’t think it’s good to rot and die as a human. It was Bolvat who taught me that strength and talent are everything, regardless of means or ideology! Someone else would’ve done it even if I hadn’t, so I’ll just do it before someone else does! 」

Kiel spoke with eyes that were now demonic.

One hour had passed and Mastigius’ army was forced to retreat as the demon army continued to charge. The demon army continued to pursue the human army relentlessly, seeking the destruction of just one person.

It was as if they had lost all sense of reason as they advanced day and night. There were no humans in that army anymore.

Previous | Next

😉

—————–

Support us on Patreon and get access to early chapters