Chapter 496: A Desperate Hope

Mount Bephimus was the guardian deity of the capital of the Bolvat Dynasty.

There was a legend who slept there. With shiny black scales, fangs and claws that could crush even giants. Its brave wings could cover the heavens.

Vrilligant, the ruler of the skies. He was revered as the King of Dragons and was one of the great demons who stood alongside the King of Giants and the King of Spirits.

But the body that was there now was just an empty shell. Altia had once crushed his heart and stripped him of his magic and soul. Now he was a mindless being that just breathed.

Standing in front of Vrilligant, the Gear Rabel moved her legs. Rather than being filled with confidence, she looked like she was doing something that was only natural for her figure. Her doll-like appearance was more refined and beautiful than ever.

Held up in both arms was a woman with long black hair. Filaret La Volgograd, whose very body had become the core of magic.

Though Filaret’s appearance remained the same as when she was human, Rabel had painstakingly remodeled her magical structure from her hair to her toes.

In other words, so that Filaret could circulate as much magical power as a dragon possessed, all in order to perform the functions necessary to reign as an archdemon. New magical blood vessels had been created in her body.

It could be said that Filaret’s body was no longer human. Her consciousness was submerged in magical power, and she would never open her eyes.

In front of the dragon’s shell, Rabel hugged her heart and murmured. Her voice was emotionless but tinged with ecstasy.

「Dragon King Vrilligant…No, my lord. The time for rebirth has come. Rejoice. The world will once again be instantly repainted with the righteous, mechanical destiny of your choosing. Your long-cherished wish of thousands of years will now be fulfilled. 」

Filaret’s body and heart were both ready. It seemed that the magical devilish being Lugis had allied himself with the humans, but Rabel didn’t have any problems with that.

His role was to keep supplying Rabel’s original gears to the heart. Then, those original gears would be poured into the empty shell through the heart.

As long as Poisonous Junelva worked well, there would be no problem. The more humans were killed, the more the concentration of magical power would increase.

…And in case of the worst, a trap was prepared, which Junelva had to fulfill. Failure was out of the question. No matter how the dice fell, Rabel’s goal had to be achieved. How wonderful.

「Poisonous Junelva. I expect your good work immediately. 」

Rabel looked down in the direction of the capital while repeating the words she had said to Junelva. Her eyes seemed to show a slight hint of emotion.

—

As the demon army invaded the roads to swallow everything in its path, the human army split into three main units to fight back. The right-wing road, the left-wing road, and the widest central road.

On the right-wing road were 2,000 soldiers led by Hind and Eileen, and on the left-wing road were 3,000 soldiers led by the giant Caria. And in the center were 5,000 soldiers led by the Sorcerer General Mastigius and Lugis.

Opposing them were a demon army of over 50,000. They came, covering the sky and crushing the earth.

But despite the difference in strength, it was the human side that initially had the upper hand.

The demon army approached them from both the sky and the earth, but magic-induced archers attacked the demon birds approaching from the sky, and the demonic beasts that ran across the earth were blocked by camps built of thick trees and spears.

The narrow roads were also bottlenecks, so numerical superiority didn’t work out perfectly. The concept of organization and chain of command was weak for the demon army, so they had no idea of ​​efficiently dividing up some of them into squads and using them as guerrilla forces. They simply kept charging in an attempt to crush the enemy.

This had forced them into a temporary disadvantage. However, this simple charge wasn’t necessarily negative.

The difference in numbers between the demon army and the human army was overwhelming. A large army didn’t need a military strategy. If they continued to clash head-on, even without a plan, the human army would surely fall, regardless of the amount of damage they faced. This was clear even if the magical devilish being Junelva didn’t arrive.

In fact, the right-wing, led by Eileen and the others, which had the fewest soldiers, was gradually being forced to retreat.

Eileen shouted, annoyed, while protecting her right arm, which was bandaged and fixed to her body.

「Abandon the first wave! Leave the front-line troops and retreat to the second wave! Change your position and prepare! 」

In response, the soldiers quickly withdrew and retreated to the rear.

The magical beasts rushed onto their back, determined not to let it escape, and a magical heat haze poured in along with a sparkle.

A distorted stench of flesh, blood, and miasma. The smell was like molten mud and iron, causing the soldiers to frown.

But the beasts continued to advance, stepping over the dead flesh of their brethren, sometimes even consuming them.

Humans said that magical beasts were the embodiment of ferocity. They said that the magical power they possessed ran through their bloodline, spilling out of their skin and invigorating their thoughts.

That was half right, and half wrong. Magical power certainly invigorated the activity of their bodies, improving their performance.

Those who could control it, like demons and some magical beasts, were safe.

But lower-level magical beasts who couldn’t control it got intoxicated by the magic.

The taste of magic was so rich and mellow. They would think it wouldn’t be enough, so they would keep drinking it, no longer be able to control it.

The magical power in their bodies would grow, and eventually it would take away their thoughts, and they would become mere creatures that only attacked others.

The beast soldiers on the front lines of this battlefield were exactly like that. Intoxicated with magical power, it was unclear whether they had sanity or not. They just kept moving forward, overcome by the ferocity that was consuming them.

Their thirst was quenched by biting the enemy and drinking their blood. That was enough for them.

The magic bullet user stood in front of the ferocious beasts. The five fingers of both hands were filled with colored light.

「…It seems that you can manage it, Eileen. They don’t seem to have tactical eyes. 」

Hind raised both elbows and swept them away. The magic spell was used in one movement. He wielded simple primal magic bullets.

But it was enough to kill the magical beasts.

In an instant, the heads of ten beasts exploded, scattering skull fragments and bloody flesh. In an instant, the beasts stopped moving. The corpses and blood of their comrades became a muddy mess, holding back their momentum.

And the fate of soldiers was put to a halt.

Archers and sorcerers hiding in the houses aimed their murderous intent at the demon army. With the enemies crowded all over the road, just dropping an arrow or magic spell would hit them immediately.

A skilled archer could fire ten arrows a minute. In a few minutes, the demon army stopped moving, hundreds of arrows and a storm of magic poured in as crossfire.

Hind retreated to the second line with his soldiers. The arrows that were originally stored in the barracks were used for this battle. The archers would be very happy not to have to worry about the number of arrows.

There were only a few seconds of leisure before the demon army approached. Hind closed his eyes while grabbing his cigarette. On the battlefield, even blinking could be fatal at times. He took a deep breath, moistening his dry eyes.

「You’re pretty enthusiastic. Were you influenced by that man like the other soldiers? 」

Eileen said while entering the camp and looking straight ahead. Hind was completely carefree.

That was why Eileen said those words in a buoyant manner.

「Yes. I was influenced. 」

Eileen couldn’t help but look at Hind. Hind was impulsive, but he was a man who seemed to take pride in being strong-minded. Eileen didn’t expect him to say that he was influenced by someone so easily.

Hind, on the other hand, must have predicted Eileen’s reaction. He grabbed the cigarette in his hand, smirked, and bent his elbow.

「Why not? In fact, it’s not just the Heraldic soldiers. There are many soldiers in Bolvat and Gharast who see him as a hero. 」

Hind’s fingers crushed the extinguished cigarette. His hand seemed to be filled with strength.

「…An orphan who lived in a slum, crawling up with only a sword in hand, and not backing down even one step against the great nation of Gharast. He even killed a magical devilish being and is now a hero of humanity. This is the story of a hero, Eileen. Everyone looks up to him, soldiers and me alike. 」

Eileen felt a moment of energy in Hind’s appearance. His words seemed to be filled with more power than usual, and it felt breathtaking.

「…I can understand your feelings. But is it really that extensive? 」

「Yes, it is. It may be hard for you to understand, coming from a distinguished family. Think about what it’s like to be a simple soldier. 」

People who weren’t sorcerers, but simply mere soldiers who fought with spears and swords, were not that different in Bolvat and other countries.

The majority of those people were the second or third sons of farming families with no money or land to inherit. Many, like Hind, grew up poor.

They were rarely showered with love by their parents, nor were they given enough food or a place to live. They literally had nothing.

What happened when such people became soldiers, made comrades, and went to the battlefield? Were achievements solely determined by military merit?

「The first thing those soldiers think is how to be the main character. They want to be applauded, they want to be recognized, they want to be heroes. On the battlefield, that might come true. Everyone thinks that. I think so too. Do you think I’m crazy enough to risk my life? 」

「…」

Eileen didn’t reply. The enemy was already preparing, and Eileen thought that she probably couldn’t fully agree with Hind’s words.

But she understood something.

Everyone wanted to become like that evil person. They were even willing to risk their lives for that person.

That was enough for the moment.

「Okay, let’s change the topic. We’ll hold out with the second group for an hour, then retreat again. 」

「Understood. Let’s hope our leader isn’t completely thoughtless. 」

Previous | Next

😉

—————–

Support us on Patreon and get access to early chapters