Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: One of Humanity
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"Everyone, advance."
Ronel's command caused the unit to waver.
The magic beasts encircling them from front and back filled the heroes with anxiety and fear, and their bodies, stiffened by the agitation, failed to respond sharply to Ronel's order.
"...We're not here to die. Remember why we've come to this place. And remember who's standing beside us."
Ronel calmly soothed the heroes like that, slowly reminding them of their purpose.
The purpose that had driven them here, and the sense of mission they'd felt when they first set foot in this place.
The eyes of the heroes, who had been wandering blankly, lingered on Ronel for a moment before turning to Han U-sol. He was the focal point that united the heroes, their symbol, and the pillar they could lean on in moments of crisis.
Time was short. The heroes soon steadied their resolve and gripped their weapons tighter.
"...Advance!!"
Ronel urged the heroes on. They had to break through the front before the magic beasts from the rear could close in.
―――――――――!!
The magic beasts collided with the shield wall, and the sounds of impact and bursting breaths echoed distantly. It was a mere instant, but in battle, a single instant could determine life or death.
-Kwarung!
The rear didn't miss that fleeting moment provided by the shield wall. Wide-area magic spells shot from beyond the shields exploded, sweeping away most of the magic beasts that had been struggling against the barriers.
"Advance!"
The front line, shields raised, pressed forward step by step without missing the gap. Occasionally, a formidable higher-grade magic beast would appear, but each time, a bullet from Han U-sol pierced its body.
The battle repeated in this pattern. Magic beasts clashed against the shield wall, hideous roars echoed unpleasantly, and magic then blanketed those roars. The unit slowly pushed forward, cleaving through the waves of magic beasts.
"Kraaak!"
Then, a crack appeared.
For the first time, a fatality emerged from the front line, which had barely escaped with injuries thanks to good fortune until now.
This was a crack that had been foreseen. The kind that was inevitable if things continued this way.
No matter how strong Han U-sol's barrier was, the prolonged battle had already overloaded the shield wall to its limits, and the front line could collapse at any moment.
In truth, the fact that there had been no deaths so far could already be called sheer luck.
'It's come.'
A small crack. One that could even be called trivial.
But this trivial crack would soon snowball into an overwhelming tsunami they couldn't handle.
With one person gone, the burden they had shouldered was distributed among the rest. It wouldn't be long before the survivors buckled one by one under the strain.
"...Advance!"
The heroes took one more step forward. And another shield in the wall fell. The inevitable collapse seemed to be approaching rapidly.
Ronel unconsciously glanced back.
The rear magic beasts had closed in right up to their noses. Meanwhile, half of the frontal magic beasts still remained.
If they were attacked from behind like this, it was over.
"Ronel! I'll handle the rear alone! In the meantime..."
"No."
Han U-sol shouted urgently. But Ronel firmly cut him off.
"........."
Ronel cooled her head. The moment was approaching.
"...Magic users, prepare your most powerful spells. When I give the signal, fire them all at one point."
Until now, they'd used wide-area magic to cover the entire mass of magic beasts. But with their numbers halved now, focusing powerful pinpoint magic on one spot to break through might just open a path.
Yes.
A small gap just wide enough for one person—Han U-sol—to pass through...
Han U-sol's expression hardened.
"...Ronel. There's no need to go that far. I'll clean up the rear and come back, so just hold on somehow in the meantime..."
"We're about to face demons. Do you really want to waste your strength?"
"That's..."
"You know it too, don't you, sunbae? We don't even know how strong the demons will be—we need to conserve as much power as possible. Isn't that why you've been keeping the barrier's intensity low since earlier?"
"But..."
Well, well.
When it was time to talk about taking risks, he was all for it, but now that the situation was here, he was getting cold feet. Even if he'd somewhat let go, his innate nature wasn't changing easily.
Ronel was inwardly pleased by that, but she soon spoke calmly, as if admonishing him.
"...You told me earlier to make the decision bearing the risks."
"...I did."
"I'm just judging and deciding based on that standard. The best choice to save humanity in the given situation."
"........."
"You know it too, don't you? That's why you asked for my help, right?"
As he said, Ronel had simply made a decision accepting the risks.
Embrace the danger and make bold choices.
Discard what must be discarded and focus on what matters.
If things continued like this, even Han U-sol would suffer heavy attrition. That would greatly impact the battle against the demons to come.
He had to face the demons. It wasn't right to waste strength now on mere rear magic beasts.
The most correct judgment in this situation was to concentrate all firepower on one point, break through, and send at least Han U-sol beyond.
The unit would be left surrounded by magic beasts front and back, but there was no choice. Discard what must be discarded and focus on the priority.
They were consumables from the start anyway. Better for them to stay here and draw the magic beasts' aggro than to follow Han U-sol and get in his way during the fight.
"So, um... just go. Before you change your mind."
Even if they were consumables.
Even if they'd resolved themselves for humanity.
No one wanted to die surrounded by magic beasts.
Ronel stared ahead. Flames flickered in her eyes. She still feared what lay beyond.
"...Do you think we want to die? We don't want to die either. That's why we'll hold out to the death. So if it really bothers you..."
Ronel looked up at Han U-sol pleadingly.
"Quickly clean up and come save us."
Until right before death. No, even if we die, we'll hold. Ronel murmured.
"...Got it."
"...Yes. That's enough."
Han U-sol replied as if resolved, and Ronel nodded in satisfaction.
There was no time. The rear magic beasts had already closed to arm's reach. Ronel immediately issued orders to the heroes.
"...Raise the shield wall! Prepare magic!"
The heroes chanted their spells. Spells to punch a hole through the wall of magic beasts and even part the flames beyond.
"Fire!!"
The magic shot forth. Unlike the previous downward strikes from above, the manifested mana converged into a sharp point and pierced forward.
-Pung!
A small, straight hole was instantly carved into the wall of magic beasts. The magic, not satisfied with that, even briefly parted the blazing inferno beyond.
-Ta-at!
Han U-sol instantly dashed through the momentary gap and broke past. Beyond the magic beasts and flames, toward where the demons awaited.
"Uwaaaak!"
At the same moment, another shield in the wall fell. With the reduced numbers unable to bear the burden, they began collapsing one after another.
"Kuh!"
Ronel immediately lunged forward to fill the gap in the front line. She picked up the shield of the fallen shield-bearer and thrust it against the magic beasts.
Kwang! Shock transmitted over her shoulder. Ronel bore it with all her strength.
Was it thanks to the human experiments she'd endured since childhood and her Body Hardening ability? Surprisingly, Ronel held up quite well.
"Magic!!"
-Kwaaaa!
At Ronel's command, wide-area magic poured down. Amid the flashing afterimages of spells blinding her eyes, a nearby hero murmured to her.
"Are we... going to die...?"
A voice drained of strength, on the verge of death.
He asked Ronel.
If they would die like this.
If they would fulfill their duty as consumables for the greater cause of humanity.
If they would be abandoned here and forgotten not as individuals, but as one of humanity.
They were individuals too.
Individuals with families, friends, and lovers they cherished.
Yet destined to die here because of Ronel's decision.
Ronel couldn't meet their eyes straight on. Because there was no falsehood in it.
They would die here.
It was true they were sacrificed like consumables for the greater good.
So while feeling deep guilt, Ronel had no other meaningful words for them.
"We're... not here to die."
She could only encourage them with flashy, superficial words.
"Remember! Why we've come here! What we're protecting by coming here!"
She screamed.
"Hold out! If we endure, Captain Aselrika or Han U-sol will come save us!"
Meaningless words.
"If you have loved ones, endure for them! Remember that we are humanity's spear and shield protecting them. Even if we fall, we'll be remembered as those who fought as humanity's shield!"
She shouted for them to fight as one of humanity.
Though they would ultimately vanish as individuals. She didn't say anything to lower morale.
-Kwang!
Ironically, the heroes began to draw strength from Ronel's encouragement.
Like blind mayflies following light with their senses alone, the heroes, barely clinging to their sanity, used her words as a beacon to barely withstand the magic beasts' assaults.
But it didn't last long.
"Keurk!"
After enduring a few more impacts, the hero beside Ronel was impaled by claws and fell. Come to think of it, she didn't even know his name.
Who was he?
Did he have family, a lover, or friends?
What kind of life had he lived, what values did he hold?
His personal secrets or experiences he couldn't share with others.
She would never know now.
"Kwaaaak!"
Soon after, screams erupted from the rear. The rear magic beasts had finally reached the heroes.
With the rear, which should have supported the front, under attack, the formation crumbled in an instant.
"U, uwaaa!"
"H-Hold...!!"
Without support, the shield wall began to be pushed back and topple one by one. Magic beasts trampled the fallen shields and advanced. Unable to bear the weight, shields crumpled, and the sound of heroes being crushed shook their eardrums.
"K, uk."
In the midst of it, Ronel fought the magic beasts alone. Shields meant nothing now. The wave had already engulfed her.
Ronel drew the gun from her bosom and fired until the bullets ran out. When they did, she picked up a sword and swung it. Its owner was already mangled beyond recognition.
Unfortunately, Ronel's efforts couldn't turn the tide. She felled a few magic beasts, but that was all. She wasn't particularly gifted in combat.
"Hurk..."
Her vision turned red. The blazing flames beckoned her like an illusion.
Her body was slashed and crushed all over, and one leg no longer functioned properly.
-Puk!
"Uk!?"
A strong impact from behind sent her rolling across the ground. Her face slammed into the dirt, and she crawled unsightly.
"Cough. Hurk..."
Spitting out blood-soaked breaths, she couldn't breathe.
As if thrown into the heart of the conflagration, her lungs burned with scorching heat.
"........."
Silence and stillness.
Her darkening vision in the distance.
Distant cries battered her ears.