Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Unanswered Prayers
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The barricade erected on the open plain was flimsy. The defensive line, hastily patched together from a few chunks of thick scrap iron, was gradually eroded by the endless procession of magic beasts stretching out like rails.
Boom! Crash!
The swarming magic beasts hammered at the barricade, while all manner of spells and superpowers rained down from above.
Han U-sol's bullet streaked through the air and lodged in a magic beast's forehead. The anti-demon round sparked faintly as it dropped the beast to its knees.
Ping. Ping. Every now and then, stray shots ricocheted off the barricade with a cheerful chime.
―――……!!…!
Yoon Na-rin's flames engulfed the magic beasts, searing their flesh. Their faces melted away, vocal cords charred, leaving them unable to even scream properly as they collapsed to the ground.
Unsated, the flames swelled further, illuminating the sky and blazing brighter than the descending sun, melting bone to ash.
Until they were reduced to white piles of cinders.
Yoon Na-rin poured out every emotion within her without restraint.
Not just Yoon Na-rin—every hero fought the same way.
The heroes shouted.
"Hold the line!!! If you want to protect what's precious in the city!! If you don't want your comrades' sacrifices to be in vain!! If you're a hero!! Stake your life to stop them!!!"
"Kill them!!! If you want to live!!! If you want to go home alive, slaughter every last magic beast!!!"
They unleashed the impulses surging from their hearts without holding back.
Some vented their vengeance and hatred for loved ones.
Some led with their convictions and spirit of sacrifice as heroes.
Others honed their survival instincts, sharpened by the threat, and aimed them at the beasts.
Crunch! Crunch!!
The skeletal barricade, gnawed away bit by bit, finally gave out. Shadows of fear flickered across the heroes' faces for a moment before they gripped their swords and spears, clashing with the oncoming horde. No one had sought out God yet.
"―――!!!"
Human desperation clashed and mingled with inhuman roars. The will to hold firm collided with the will to break through. Their unleashed impulses sharpened into primal blades of kill-and-devour, surging toward each other's hearts.
"Gaaahhh!!"
Someone fell. A man from the center who had screamed he would protect his family no matter what. He who had poured out his resolve and determination let out a final strangled cry before collapsing onto the cold dirt.
Red blood pooled in a circle beneath him. Looking up at the magic beast straddling him, the man murmured softly.
"Ah… God…."
Crunch! His head burst open.
――Kiaaa!!
The magic beast that crushed his skull was pierced by another hero and toppled, spilling blue blood as it lay on the dirt.
――Kii….
The beast gazed up at the hero about to finish it, emitting a faint cry.
Splurt! Its head flew off.
A hero fell, a magic beast fell. For every one who dropped, another beast went down with them. Red blood and blue blood intertwined, painting patterns on the ground.
Numbers dwindled. Magic beasts and humans alike.
Those witnessing death or gasping their last always sought God, clinging to divinity only at life's very end.
How pitiful.
"Ah… please…!"
"Mark!! No!!"
"Ah, God…!"
Another head exploded over there. The man who had wept and begged God to save him had his skull shattered, fresh juices spilling to stain the ground.
Had he truly gone to the God he so desperately wanted? Or merely stepped beyond into the afterlife? Probably the latter.
"Mark―!!!"
A fellow hero, witnessing his death, swung his sword in rage. Even with its throat severed in one stroke, the magic beast uttered a tiny death rattle.
Had that beast sought God too? Hard to say, but it had certainly joined Mark.
Heroes and beasts alike poured out everything. They emptied themselves until, spent at last, they sought God and prayed to take it all back.
But cruelly.
Crunch!
God did not answer their prayers.
The clustered humans and beasts had long since scattered like ink bleeding in water, spread wide. Formations had lost all meaning; now it was just humans and beasts tangled in desperate struggles for life.
The dull thud of head meeting shield reverberated through the air. The clash of sword and claw repeated like piano keys struck in steady rhythm.
These sounds proved they still lived, still poured out their all—the gulf between living and dead.
In the gap beyond that gulf, amid the blurred battlefield stained with multicolored blood.
In this place where madness ruled and all spewed forth something from their mouths, none in their right mind.
I remained clear-headed. At least I did.
With nothing to give, I had nothing to pour out. Lost, I had no goal.
I alone was unscathed here.
"Ahahahahaha!!!"
I laughed because it was absurd. What was I supposed to do when it was hilarious? In this mad place, I—who had lost my mind—was the sanest of all.
Then.
"………."
I stopped laughing abruptly and looked around.
For some reason, the magic beasts kept coming endlessly. At first, their numbers had matched the heroes', but now there were more beasts everywhere.
The heroes had been pushed back and scattered. Around me—who had spaced out and fallen behind the main group—there was no one left.
All I could see were the countless magic beasts charging at me. I rushed toward the beasts glaring down with glowing red eyes, just like them.
Stab-! I leaped, plunging my sword into a beast's chest and slashing downward with force.
Graaaah-! Bone and metal ground together unpleasantly, snapping ribs. The beast's chest split open, gushing blood.
Blood poured down from above, deafening my ears.
The beasts howled. But it was distant. I couldn't hear properly.
―――…!!!
Beyond the faint ringing in my ears, sounds reached me.
Rustle-
Pages of a book turning.
Tick- Tock-
A clock's second hand moving.
Ignoring those sounds, I swung my sword. Without even knowing why.
My body felt light. My reaction speed was astonishingly faster than before, my strength greater.
"―――!!!"
But I didn't think deeply. I simply slashed at the charging beasts and screamed. Just like the others who had poured out their hearts against the beasts. As if envious of them.
Me, an empty shell with nothing to my name.
After slaughtering beasts for what felt like ages, a few heroes—who had also fallen behind—spotted me and approached.
"Hey, you! You okay!!"
"Over here! Another one's here!!"
"We're coming!!"
"Sophia! We need backup here!!"
"Got it!!"
They joined me and started handling the beasts at my back.
Then the surrounding beasts swarmed, encircling us in the blink of an eye. I was left alone on the outside, cutting down the lesser ones lunging at me.
"Don't give up!!"
"I'm not!! I've got a family in the center counting on me!!"
"Even that kid's fighting well—I can't lose."
"More coming from the front!!"
"Firing magic!! Duck!!"
A hopeless situation, surrounded by beasts. These sudden arrivals pressed backs together, encouraging each other and crying out hope. Fighting to overcome.
"We can survive!! We can win!!"
Even as the beasts multiplied in this desperate scenario, a man's shout rang out, urging them not to lose hope.
Hearing that cry, I hacked at the beasts as if entranced. To pull them from the encirclement.
I swung my weapon, bathed in blood. My ears rang again.
Rustle- Pages turned.
Tick- Tock- The clock ticked.
I stared blankly at the sky. The sunlight still dazzled, sparkling despite my blood-tinted vision.
Gazing at that light, I thought once more, as always. How beautiful.
It stood out because it was the worst, beautiful because it was despairing—a single ray.
Now I knew. I could never have that light. Even if I reached for it, it would fade and reject me.
Still, I prayed.
"―――!!!"
I cleaved through the beasts filling my vision, ignoring the blood clogging my ears and eardrums, and prayed.
Please grant me light.
Even if I can't hold it, let me at least watch.
I prayed.
"I'll hold them!! Attack through the gap!!"
"Hraaahhh!!"
"Smash them!!!"
"Nngh…!"
"Firing flame magic!! Get clear!!"
O God. Grant me light.
If I must be unhappy for it, I gladly will. I offer my limbs, my head, my waist.
"…These beasts aren't thinning out."
"Don't falter…! Hold on, and the main force will clear the others and come save us."
"…I know. I'm not dying here. Marlen, you okay?"
"……………."
"Marlen?"
I seek no happiness.
Just shine brightly on the faint unhappiness tormenting me by my side, and I'll be content.
So please.
"……Damn it, Marlen!!"
"Ugh…! Snap out of it!! Stay focused!!"
"Sophia!! Dodge!!"
"……………."
"Kyaaah!!"
Grant me light like holy fire.
"Uwaaaah!! You bastardsss!!"
"Pedro!! Calm do— Graaah!!"
"Cough. Cough."
"……………."
"……………."
Illumination.
"Sh-shit… This can't… This can't be happening… No…."
"……………."
"……Cough."
"……………."
"……………."
Grant me peace.
"……………."
"……………."
"…………Ah."
"……………."
"……………."
Amen.
I swung my sword ceaselessly, praying all the while.
When the endless muffled ringing finally faded and the hot blood coating my body cooled.
What entered my eyes at the end of that prayer was:
The corpses of the magic beasts I had slain, and the bodies of five heroes killed by the beasts.
I alone stood.
"……Ah, ha."
A light scoff escaped as I closed my eyes.
In the end, God denied me even the right to behold the light.
After wheezing like a deflated balloon for a long while, I opened my eyes. Then I collapsed, staring at the blood-soaked ground.
"Pfft."
Magic beasts swarmed again from afar. Drawn by the scent of blood, or perhaps just because there were that many.
It didn't matter anymore.
I dropped the weapon from my hand onto the dirt and closed my eyes.