Nigoru Hitomi de Nani wo Negau

“The Flame Emperor Dragon has appeared. Repeat. The Flame Emperor Dragon has appeared, ah, AAAHHHH, DRAGON BREATH――”

The soldiers of the Ferrius Front, which now guarding different routes, had lost communication from Dandurg Castle. The HQ on each route was surrounded by heavy air.

The enemy’s main force was attracted to Dandurg Castle, the monsters rushing to the remaining two invasion routes were reduced and the monsters there were steadily destroyed.

“Dan-Dandurg has been destroyed by the Flame Emperor Dragon.”

“The Flame Emperor Dragon goes straight toward the Imperial City!! Mountains and valleys on the way are being destroyed, it can’t stop the invasion.”

“Even a company-sized unit full of magic users can’t do anything.”

“Why is this happening…”

“The monsters that escaped from Dandurg are coming. They’ve reached our vanguard.”

The defense plan was collapsing. Although there were still nearly 20,000 soldiers left in Gerard’s hands, even after intercepting the invasion on the three routes, more than 300,000 monsters and even the Flame Emperor Dragon were approaching the capital.

The Highserk Empire had nothing against the dragon. No troop, no tool, and no strategy. The dragon species couldn’t be subdued or repelled unless there was help from the “Crumbling Giant”, or “Great Spirit Magic”, or “Merciful Sea Dragon”.

The eyes of the HQ soldiers who were about to leave the country gathered in Gerard, searching for salvation. 

Gerard who was pondering the situation, slowly opened his mouth.

“The Jaff cavalry will be returned to the capital to guide the peoples there. If it’s them, I’m sure they will be fast enough to reach there.”

“Such a valuable force!?”

Even when standing at the forefront, the usually nimble Gerard spoke seriously with a heavy tone.

“The defense of the Imperial City is, impossible. Even if we go there with the horse at full speed and built defense layers, it’ll be still useless. People will be on stress and can’t show their power in such situations. Rather, while we are holding down the monsters with our best, as many as one person shall be evacuated to the outside of the country. We shall go to the friendly country among the three great countries. If we go to that archipelago, I’m sure that clever Flame Emperor Dragon shouldn’t even try to come.”

“Are we going to abandon Highserk, our country?”

One of his subordinates approached Gerard to denounce him.

“That’s right. We’ll throw away our beloved Higsherk, our Empire.”

Gerard said without hiding anything.

“We are lost already. The thing loser one can do is to attract as many monsters as possible, bury them, and die with honor.”

To the staff who had lost their words, Gerard continued.

“If we run away all at once, there will be more lives of the soldiers who will be saved. But if we run away in a disorderly manner, more people will die. As long as you survive, Highserk will be preserved and continue to live. We can’t let all of our people turn into ash and dust.”

Gerard knew that his words sounded like a death sentence. Still, Gerard declared.

“To our dying homeland, we shall show our loyalty. May luck follow the remnants of the Empire. Bless the Empire!!”

Gerard said so with confidence regardless of whether he was resented or blamed by his people in the Netherworld. Gerald loved his country, Highserk Empire, the citizens of it, and the soldiers from the bottom of his heart.

No one welcomed his words with cheers or applause, but no one could disagree. Everyone felt the need to be the abandoned pawns here.

◆

The wall had disappeared over a width of 30m. Fortunately, the lower 2m of the 10m high wall, kept its original shape while still melting slowly.

The problem was that some of the monsters scattered in the distance seemed to want to resume their attack on the castle again.

“Is there any platoon commander!!? Even a squad commander is good.”

About 6 people gathered, and Walm let each person command 30 soldiers and conveyed their role in this battle.

He had a large number of citizens collecting materials and all obstacles from the castle. Ironically, or fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to find materials because the castle tower and part of the wall passage collapsed.

“Earth attribute magic users should form a clay wall!! Other magic users should go up to the rampart and keep blocking monsters!!”

Walm gave instructions in quick succession. Compared to the approaching monsters, the problem of inheritance of the chain of command was trivial.

“Archers, spares no arrows. If we fail here, the castle will fall!”

It took about 10 minutes. A fragile 4m clay wall was completed. Walm couldn’t hope more. After all, the enemies were rushing and now, in the range of attack.

Magic attacks by magic users had begun. Attack magic such as ice spear, earth bullet, wind blade, and fireball, was greeting the monsters at the front. Among the attackers were adventurers that Walm welcomed the other day.

Amy, an excellent archer, shot arrows at as many monsters as she could. The monsters leaned back and fell to the ground. Fleck, a great shield user, hit the upper body of the werewolf that was ahead of him with a large shield reinforced with 《Iron Wall》.

Al, who once had a deadly battle with Walm, cast wind magic and used a sword to slash the approaching monster.

A Highserk soldier who was caught by a silver wolf, fell into a predicament and was trying his best to hold the fangs from piercing his throat.

At the moment Walm rushed to help, the blue-haired adventurer, Al, dexterously cut off only the head of the Silver Wolf and rescued the soldier.

“It was the correct choice to not kill you.”

When Walm praised him, Al distorted his face.

“That’s, thanks.”

No further words were needed, and Walm refocused on the monsters.

The archers who arrived at the position shot arrows without stopping. A stone smashed the monster’s head.

Still, it wasn’t enough to stop the monsters and they began to stick to the wall built in rush. Soldiers randomly poked a long spear at a monster trying to run up the wall.

Walm also cut off the throat of the orc that was crawling up with the halberd, and thrust a blade at the temporal region of the Kobold that was right next to it.

When the leg of one of the soldiers was grabbed, he was dragged by the monster to their pack, fresh blood was scattered as if a tomato got crushed inside a mixer.

Another wolf jumped at a soldier and bit his adam’s apple.

Walm swung his halberd up from the bottom and hit the greedy wolf. The wolf who flew in the sky disappeared into the swarm of monsters while spreading its viscera.

It was “Lizardman” that jumped out into the wall, holding the stolen sword and shield. It threatened Walm with the long tongue and its reptile eyes.

Right now, Walm didn’t want to see lizards. He prepared his mana and slashed the lizard from the right shoulder to the waist while using the skill 《Strike》.

“Disappear, you damn lizard!!”

Walm was aware that he was just venting his anger at the lizard. 

He then hooked the upper body of the still breathing lizardman with his halberd and hit it against the goblin.

Walm turned his eyes to the giant that was pushing away the monsters around him.

It was a “Horned Grizzly” covered with thick fur, fat, and muscle. It had low intelligence, but when the luck wasn’t on your side, you might suffer unexpected heavy damage.

“Fire Lance!”

Walm, who manifested the spear of fire with his left hand, threw it at the bear. The horned grizzly, which was hit directly by a fire lance on the chest, fluttered around, spread the flame involving the surrounding monsters, and died.

Fire attribute magic, which was supposedly red in color, changed to blue after learning《Demon Fire》, and its power jumped up.

Perhaps Walm was judged as a difficult enemy, a monster with a clear distinction among others was approaching him. It was a monster holding a two-handed sword. The monster was, a headless ghost knight, “Dullahan”.

Glared at each other for a while, but an orc jumped in with a threatening sound.

The orc failed at doing a surprise attack. The torso of the orc that tried to attack Walm was inserted by a halberd and was cut off in one go.

At that moment, he saw the Dullahan was preparing to attack him. The Dullahan was preparing to slash Walm with 《Strike》.

“Can’t you just die peacefully after getting killed once!?”

It was just Walm’s useless wish.

Walm pulled out the sword on his to the ghost knight who would want to slash him and ended his human life.

The mask trembled innocently. When the blue flame wrapped the blade, the engraved words emerged.

Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum

A two-handed sword and a sword made from a mithril alloy collided. A terrible collision sound echoed on the battlefield when《Strike》collided with 《Strike》.

Walm, who won the sword fight, slashed his sword horizontally at the left arm, but the Dullahan pulled the body back and the sword was accepted by a two-handed sword.

He changed the angle of the sword in a sliding manner and aimed the finger, but the tip of the sword was repelled with the sword guard.

It was said that confronting an opponent who didn’t have a clear weakness such as the head, was troublesome. But it was far more troublesome than Walm had imagined.

Skillful sword skills and strong armor, and because it was something like an undead, the movements didn’t slow down with only small scratches. Even attacking the joints wouldn’t have much impact.

Whatever Walm’s speculation about the Dullahan was, the battle couldn’t be prolonged any longer.

As the tip of the sword was repelled, he used wind magic to close the gap.

Walm’s blow, which was slashed from the top, was caught by the sword, but when he pulled the sword, he immediately slashed the wrist.

With the remaining right hand, the Dullahan skillfully manipulated the two-handed sword, but Walm smashed it from the front with his strength amplified by mana.

He cut the Dullahan diagonally from the shoulder to the waist, and a blue flame overflowed from the body. The Dullahan stood still without rampaging, only to suddenly fell onto the ground like a doll with a broken thread.

“This time, you’ll be sent to hell for sure.”

While praying that the blue flame would bring the soul to the Netherworld, the disturbing Dullahan corpse was dropped from the walls. 

Is it the time? 

Seeing enough monsters, Walm activated 《Demon Fire》.

The monsters were rushing away from the castle wall, but they bumped into each other with the monsters that were about to attack the castle, and the blue flame spread.

“While Knight-dono is holding down the monsters with 《Demon Fire》, Rebuild the formation!!”

The Platoon Commander shouted.

Once the formation had been rebuilt, the movement of the Highserk soldiers was getting better. For now, Walm had only to concentrate on maintaining the blue fire.

TN:

Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum, means “if you want peace, prepare for war”

Perhaps, the sword is something used by one of the heroes in the past