Salvos

“Kill them all.”

Belzu’s order was simple enough. The Lord of Lies wanted to replenish his army— to turn the populace of Westshield into a giant horde of undead before he moved for the Norwoods. And yet, despite the simplicity of the plan, Alix struggled to follow through with the orders.

She pivoted around, dodging the blast of ice magic that came her way. The guard captain was a [Mage]— Level 71. Relatively high-leveled. But still over 10 levels below her.

In a single leap, she closed the distance between them. He created an ice barrier, but she tore through it with a [Focused Strike]. A precise thrust of the sword.

The [Mage] stumbled back as she slashed down at him, cutting him across his chest. He fell to the ground as he gasped for air.

Alix stood over him in the middle of the burning city. He flinched as a locket fell from around his neck. Her eyes widened. She saw a picture— a painting. It was the [Mage] standing before her, but different. Dressed casually. A father with his daughter. He raised his hands in fear.

She hesitated.

“I… I’m sorry.”

Her eyes snapped shut. It took her everything she had to even steady her grip on her weapon. She raised her sword as he looked up at her.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you side with that Demon?”

And she paused. She couldn’t follow through with the finishing blow. There was a blast in the background. The earth trembled. A stampede of monsters destroyed another part of the city’s walls. Alix, the former gladiator and slave, opened her mouth.

“I can’t—”

But before she could continue, a sheering bright light sliced down from the heavens. It cut even the earth like a giant blade. The [Mage]’s was lopped off in that instant. His body went limp as Alix recoiled.

She dropped to her knees, hearing the rapid beating wings descend behind her. A warbled voice spoke to her, sending a terrifying chill down her spine despite the inferno raging around her.

“What are you doing?”

Belzu asked as his presence bore down on her. Alix’s mouth bobbed open stupidly but nothing came out. The Primeval Demon continued.

“I granted you freedom. All I ask of you is to be my sword. But you refuse to slay my enemies.”

Her throat tightened. It felt like a noose was being slowly wrapped around her neck. She didn’t doubt that Belzu would kill her without hesitation if he didn’t give her a satisfactory answer.

“I-I—”

She couldn’t do it. These were innocent people. They’d done no wrong. Killing slavers and monsters was fine— she could work alongside a Demon to survive if that was all it had entailed. But this was a step further. If she followed through with this, there was no turning back.

Belzu’s bulbous eyes flashed in vindictive rage.

“I have shown you kindness, Human. I have given your worthless life meaning out of pity. Do not test my patience.”

Alix wanted to protest. She wanted to stand in defiance against the Primeval Demon. But all she did was hang her head in defeat.

“I understand, Lord Belzu. I am sorry for my disobedience.”

“Good.”

He made a satisfied sound. Alix’s shoulders slumped in defeat. If she wanted to live, she had no choice but to endure this. To do what she needed to survive. Even if it meant killing innocent lives. She got to her feet, picking up her sword and her shield. And Belzu’s head snapped to the side.

She blinked, watching him fly slowly into the air. There was an explosion in the distance— just outside of the city. She heard the cries of a [Gatho Mammoth]. She saw one of the giant beasts fall. What is…? she wondered.

Belzu clicked his mandibles

“Another Human army.”

He scanned the battlefield from high above. Alix stared at his back in disbelief. No… why? She knew what would happen. The army was here to save Westshield. However, there would only be one outcome.

“Drive them back. Turn them into my minions. Go.”

Belzu ordered her forward. His army of mindless monsters moved. Alix watched, unable to do anything, as another army was crushed under the Primeval Demon’s might.

Belzu had arrived at the Helbir Plains. Or, rather, he was bordering between Shedos and the Helbir Plains. He’d traveled quickly. Only a few days ago did I hear the rumors that he’d left the Inoria Empire after having stalled there for months.

Now, he was besieging Westshield. The largest border city in Shedos. I didn’t know why he was attacking it, but all I knew was that my clone was there to help.

I didn’t teleport there myself. I only had one Grand Skill available to use. My [Divine Essence] was still on cooldown. I would’ve only fought Belzu once I was ready— and that meant having both of my Grand Skills.

Still, my clone moved to confront Belzu. Well, six of my clones. At [Salvo of Vanity]’s current level, I could summon six clones at the same time. I wanted to see how well my clones would fare against him— if they were completely and utterly demolished, or if they actually stood a chance. It’d let me gauge how well I, myself, would do against Belzu as I was now.

But also, I had another reason to fight. Jaakko was there. And so were Helen and Zack. I recognized them. They were my friends— they’d helped me out when I returned to the Silkfall Crevice on my own. Then they’d helped Daniel and I when we were being hunted by the Harrowed Vindicators.

They were adventurers. Gold Ranked when I first met them. Now Platinum Ranked. I was very happy to see them. And I was going to make sure they got out of this battle alive.

The adventurer army moved. Tens of thousands of adventurers. They were higher-leveled than the average Human soldier, probably. But still, I highly doubted that they were enough to defeat Belzu and his army.

And the nobles gathered in the room with me agreed. I listened to their discussion, alternating between focusing on my clones and what was going on around me.

“What are they doing? Why are they attacking the Primeval Demon?”

King Artik Alyras paced back and forth as he read the reports his court [Mage] had delivered to him. Rana, his daughter, looked on in worry.

“What should we do? Should we go help them?”

She asked. Gannon Norwood stepped forward, shaking his head.

“We stay put. I have reached out to Shedos, and they’re mustering whatever armies they can to assist the Remembered Order’s adventurer army. But even if we depart from Alyras now, none of us will arrive in time. All we can do is hope that Mori Gladius has a plan.”

“Focus on evacuating the citizens! We need to save as many people as we can!”

Jaakko called out as he threw his kusarigama at a charging Drake. Its chains wrapped around the monster’s scaled neck, and he tugged hard, bringing it to the ground. It fell with a roar before both Zack and Helen unleashed a flurry of magic. The Drake struggled for a moment before going limp.

A notification resounded throughout Zack’s head as he panted.

“That was an [Obsidian Drake]. They’re a rare Drake evolution that’s not even native to the Motharis Mountain Range. How did the Primeval Demon get those in his monster horde?”

“Stop asking questions and keep casting your magic!”

Helen yelled, loosing another three arrows into the air. The enchanted bolts exploded, bringing down a flock of Vurats from the sky. Zack groaned as he brought up his spellbook. He heard screams— he saw a group of civilians fleeing from the crumbled walls as they were chased by undead. The inscriptions on Zack’s book glowed before the sky flashed.

Lightning thundered down from the dark clouds as a fire rain poured down at a horde of [Crypt Horrors] charging after the civilians. The attack targeted only the [Crypt Horrors], felling them one after another. They were very easy to bring down. Not only were they mostly Silver Ranked threats— with some reaching Gold Ranked— they were also undead. Swarm monsters. So they were weak.

But one larger undead bounded through even the tempest Zack had cast. A [Crypt Lord]— the leader of the small undead horde— charged straight at the [Mage] as the flames splashed off its disfigured body. It leapt straight for Zack, dodging a lightning bolt, before swinging for his face. His eyes grew wide.

“[Earth Wall—”

And Jaakko stepped in its way. The Cyclops caught the [Crypt Lord] with one of his four bulky arms. He slammed it onto the ground, creating a small crater on the earth. Then he swung the sickle of his kusarigama once, twice—

The Cyclops drew back.

“Are you alright, Zack?”

Zack nodded in relief.

“Thought I was a goner. That [Crypt Lord] was close to my level. And it went straight for my head.”

His robes were enchanted with protective spells. But he didn’t have any artifacts that granted any kind of protective aura. Those were very rare. And very pricey.

“Come on. We haven’t even entered the city. Mori and his men are already inside.”

Jaakko ushered the team forward. Zack frowned. He didn’t think it was a good idea for them to push into the burning city. Out here, they were able to help out and stay relatively safe. Flee if need be. But in there?

Zack looked up to see a bright light slicing into the air. He didn’t know what that was. He sensed something from it— not magic. It radiated a power he’d never sensed before. And ever fiber of his being screamed at him to flee.

“We’re safer out here, Jaakko. Going further in is suicide.”

This was an adventurer army. They weren’t organized like real soldiers. And that meant that there was no real central command. Perhaps that served to their overall detriment. But it meant that the individual teams could make their own decisions. Like right now.

“Mori gave us only one command. That is to save as many lives as we can. If we push on further and encounter the Primeval Demon, we’ll get ourselves killed without saving anyone.”

Zack had to admit, while he always considered himself the voice of reason, he could oftentimes see Jaakko’s point of view. This time, he was vehemently against it. He saw no logic to it. Jaakko stared at Zack. The Cyclops held his gaze with only a single eye. Helen glanced between the two, unsure of what to say.

Then Jaakko nodded.

“I see. Very well.”

He finally turned away, looking on at the battle occurring at the fringe of the city. Just before the crumbled walls. This was where the bulk of the adventurer army had gathered. They couldn’t push further into Westshield.

But there were still plenty of civilians fleeing— escaping the burning city. Someone had to protect them. Zack sighed in relief, glad that his leader saw reason.

“We just have to hold this line so that the monsters don’t break through—”

Just as he started, he stopped. He caught sight of a massive shadow emerging from the flames. From the city.

“[Gatho Mammoths]!”

Someone shouted in a panic. Zack cursed, watching the stampede of charge straight for the line of adventurers. They braced themselves. These monsters weren’t the highest-leveled there was. They averaged around Level 60. Zack was certain his team could take out a herd of them on their own. But the problem was the destruction they’d wreak.

[Gatho Mammoths] were incredibly destructive. They’d tear through the lower-leveled adventurers with ease before they were even brought down. A group of Silver Ranked and Gold Ranked adventurers readied their weapons, shooting spells at the stampeding monsters. But the [Gatho Mammoths] charged on as they created a small earthquake with their magic. Jaakko stepped forward, and Helen breathed.

“We have to stop them—”

She raised her bow. But before anyone could even react, a golden figure zipped past the three adventurers. Zack blinked, watching as a blast of golden flames swept out at the [Gatho Mammoths]. The golden figure circled them, pouring out a constant deluge of fire until the last of the monsters were utterly incinerated.

Zack blinked a few times. Helen smiled, whispering the name of the golden figure.

“Salvos…”

Cheers broke out as the golden figure floated over the dead [Gatho Mammoths], single handedly halting their charge.

The golden figure beamed, placing her hands on her hips as the adventurer army began to chant. Zack was glad she was here. She’d be able to help them hold the line. And most of all, she wasn’t alone.

Zack glanced back, catching sight of even more golden figures speeding overhead. One. Two. Three. Four. Five—

They flew past Zack, Jaakko, and Helen, soaring over the fighting. They rushed past the first clone and entered the city one after another, sending plumes of golden flames in every direction. They were like a flock of birds, moving in unison as they lit up the dark crimson sky with a golden light.

Zack stared in amazement at Salvos— or, rather, the Salvos clones— as they made waves throughout the battlefield.

I sent all but one of my clones into the city. The first clone— the one I’d summoned to find Edithe— stayed behind, keeping an eye out on Jaakko, Zack, and Helen while the others began to tear through the monster army. I looked through the eyes of the fastest clone. The one most eager to fight. The sixth clone.

She flew through the destroyed streets of the city, washing the pavement clean of monsters with a wave of golden fire. Drakes, Saeves, Yetis, and undead were turned into nothing but ash. Then I watched as the world spun around my clone. She swerved up into a window and through a destroyed roof, following a plume of smoke into the sky. A group of Mindreapers were zipped up above, and she appeared in between them.

The sixth clone smirked as she spread her arms wide. [The Primordial Spark] glinted over her head, creating a flurry of weapons that struck the Mindreapers down in mere moments, tearing their ethereal bodies apart.

She looked down at the other clones as they rapidly tore through the city’s streets. They cut down, burned, or blasted all the monsters in their way apart. They made sudden turns. Followed the roads. Quickly changed directions.

It was a massacre. The sixth clone giggled silently, excited to return to the others. But just as she beat her wings once, there was a flash.

My sixth clone wasn’t even able to react. She didn’t see it in time. I didn’t either. Which didn’t make sense. I was fast, and so was she. It had to have been hidden by an illusion spell. But a giant glowing blade sliced down at the sixth clone, decapitating her in an instant.

Her body exploded, but Belzu cut through the blast. He held the Sword of Alexander, looking down at my four remaining clones in the city.

“So we meet again, Archdemon.”