Chapter 446: Festival Day
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 446: Festival Day
‘Where did it all go so wrong?’
If she had to pinpoint it, things probably started to unravel the moment they planned this ridiculous war. Had the high command known the continent was at this level, she doubted they would have even considered fighting.
Their military strength was different.
The quality of their soldiers was different. No, more than that, the very scale of their power was different.
She was well aware of how great an individual’s power could be on this continent, a world that was not Earth. The King of the Dwarves was one such example, as were the few other powerful figures scattered across the land. They possessed the ability to change the tide of a war.
The outcome of battles, large and small, depended on how these individuals were utilized. Ann, of all people, knew this fact better than anyone.
But this demon was completely off the scale.
His power couldn’t be described as merely changing the tide of war or altering the outcome of a battle.
A catastrophe.
A natural disaster.
Divine punishment.
Even those expressions felt inadequate. No, there was simply no other way to describe this being.
“Freedom and peace… what a load of bullshit.”
At the sound of his voice, Ann quietly lowered her head and looked down at the demon with the massive horns. The way his incredibly long tail swayed back and forth was almost cute, but the smirk playing on his lips seemed to speak of a twisted nature.
‘A devil.’
It wasn't because this demon was part of the race known as Green Skins. She had seen Green Skins before. They were violent and barbaric. Indeed, they were a people who knew nothing but battle. But this man was slightly different.
She couldn't quite explain it, but he was clearly different from the Green Skins she had seen in the Thornbush Valley. The scale of his power, his objectives, his actions—they were all subtly different. The fact that she couldn't articulate those differences bothered her, but Ann continued to swallow her dry saliva.
“Aaaaaaaahhh!!”
“Save… save me!”
“Please! Run! Open the gate! Quickly!”
“Don’t get swallowed by the plants! Fight back!”
Voices filled the space within the castle walls. With trembling eyes, Ann began to watch the people before her. Those who tried to climb the walls were impaled on spikes of blood, pinned in place. Those who tried to break through the plants blocking the entrance were simply devoured whole.
And it wasn't just this man.
The plant woman, who was extending her hands with a chilling smile, could also be classified as being off the scale. The spells of the continent’s most high-level mages couldn't penetrate the roots blocking the gate.
Massive explosions and flames erupted continuously, but the plants, seemingly regenerating on their own, kept the entrance sealed without end.
‘It’s useless.’
The thought surfaced on its own. Resistance was meaningless. Among all the people here, including herself, there was no one who could stand against such a catastrophe.
‘Could I kill him?’
She wondered if she could shoot a bullet right now, from this close, and kill him. But her mind kept screaming a negative answer. It had been the same just moments ago. She had been certain she could kill him, but her attacks were blocked twice in the most absurd ways. The first bullet was stopped by his finger, the second by his teeth. Even if she managed to break through his defenses, the bullet might not even pierce his skin.
“Is it uncomfortable to stand?”
“N-No, sir.”
“I don’t mind if you sit and make yourself comfortable.”
“N-No, sir.”
He tapped the armrest of the iron throne made of weapons, which she took as a sign that she could sit there. Refusing any further would be rude to him, and the slightest mistake could land her in that hell below. In the end, Ann slowly perched on the edge of the iron throne.
“Isn’t it a fine sight?”
“Ah… yes.”
Of course, she couldn't call it a fine sight. Tens of thousands of humans had already been shredded to rags by the blood spikes. A few were fighting back admirably, but that was only because the man was toying with them. Anyone who wasn't a fool could tell that the magic infused in the blood spikes had lessened.
“Hmm. Who is that one with the axe?”
“Ah. Wh-Who…?”
“I’m talking about the man who just blocked my attack.”
“Ah…”
There were, of course, those who stood out. A man was parrying a massive sword made of blood with a giant axe. She had been on a raid team with him once.
“That’s Cain. He’s a warrior who is quite well-respected. As you can see, he’s somewhat famous for being a front-liner who primarily uses an axe and no shield.”
“I see…”
“And the man with the daggers over there?”
In her line of sight was a man with daggers, dodging the blood spikes raining down on him. She knew that man as well.
“Michael Shawn. He’s famous for being a swift rogue.”
“Not bad.”
With just a flick of his finger while sitting idly, dozens of humans died in heaps. The man continued to ask about a few other humans, and Ann had no choice but to answer him faithfully.
“That’s Valencia. A female warrior who uses a greatsword… Ah, that’s Rebecca. She has a rather special ability… That person is…”
It was then that she realized what he wanted. He was sorting them. He was sorting the useful from the useless. He was pointing out those who blocked his attacks, those who fought back, those who had reached a certain level of skill, and demanding an explanation for each.
His promise to save a hundred people was likely true. Of all the people in this hell, one hundred would survive.
“If you were to express your strength by your continent’s standards, how would you rank?”
“Everyone’s traits are different, so… I-I can’t really say… but… at the very least, within the top 100…”
“Puhahaha! I’ve already decided to spare you, so there’s no need to lie.”
“It’s n-not a lie. Ah… probably…”
As the man burst into loud laughter, she felt a strange gaze on her. She naturally turned her head toward the source and saw the plant woman from before, glaring at her.
“Ah…”
She knew without being told. She knew exactly what that look meant. Ann subtly lowered her head. Perhaps that woman and this man were lovers. It would be natural for her to be angry if some other woman was perched on the iron throne, chatting cheerfully with her partner.
She had done nothing wrong, but her first priority was to avoid danger. It was the worst possible situation, where being too friendly or too indifferent could both cause problems.
Still, compared to the people down there, her situation was a blissful one. As he began to single out a few individuals, the rain of blood falling from the sky began to intensify.
“Aaaaaaaahhh!”
“E-Everyone! Group up! Huddle together and respond!”
“H-Healers, hurry with the healing!”
“Block it! Block it! What are you stupid warriors doing?!”
“Mages, cast defensive spells! Defensive spells!”
Their numbers were dwindling rapidly. Soon, there were more people lying on the ground than standing. The blood that soaked the ground created a truly grotesque scene. The plants were killing those who approached with even greater ferocity, and the remaining humans huddled together, doing their best to fight off the incoming attacks.
But as time passed, their formation began to break, little by little.
“It seems it’s about time.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll see.”
It was right after the demon’s words that the tide of battle shifted slightly. It all started with a very trivial incident.
“H-Heal me…”
“Shield… Shield!”
People began to appear who were looking out for themselves. There was no hope. They realized that the only way to survive this hell was to be among the 100 people he had mentioned. Slowly, they began to pull back, letting others die, refusing to block with their shields, and withholding support from protective spells and other magic. This selfishness began to spread, little by little.
“You… you son of a…”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”
A warrior stabbed his comrade in the back. A few clan and guild members began to scheme among themselves to survive. The group had begun to collapse.
A rogue’s dagger slit the throat of a mage who had just pushed his comrade into the plants at the gate. That same rogue was then shoved by a warrior into the plants’ range and died instantly without even a scream. She could see groups of acquaintances teaming up to push other humans toward the entrance.
“Ah…”
“It seems there’s no need to help them anymore.”
The rain of blood had stopped. Only those consumed by the fear of death and the madness of the battlefield remained, swinging their swords at each other and spewing curses.
“You bastards!”
“Die, you fuckers!”
“Begging a monster for your life… Aaaaaaaahhh!”
“Stop fighting! This won’t solve anything! There’s n-no guarantee he’ll keep his pr-promise… Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Fighting amongst ourselves won’t do any good!”
Of course, there were those who urged restraint. But as blades flew toward them, they too seemed to have no other choice, and one by one, they began to draw their swords. Some fought to protect themselves, others fought to survive. Some were simply swept up in the atmosphere, while others saw it as an opportunity to strike down those they disliked.
“Wh-What is this…”
Ann muttered to herself before clamping a hand over her mouth. She thought she understood what he wanted. This Green Skin wanted accomplices. He wanted to use the survivors who had participated in this massacre. He wanted to bring them completely into his fold and control them as he pleased.
The survivors hadn't survived because they were lucky. They weren't the ones who just happened to avoid the plants or the blood spikes.
Everyone who survived this place was…
“A sinner…”
Ann’s mouth fell open, dazed. Naturally, a voice spoke from beside her.
“Clever girl.”
“N-No, sir!”
As if they were being struck by blood spikes, as if the man himself were killing them, the number of soldiers continued to drop. A little more time passed, and the plants blocking the gate also ceased their function. The only ones still fighting were the very humans who had once cried out for freedom and peace together.
Finally, when the number of standing humans became few enough to count with her eyes, they slowly began to drop their weapons.
They looked around, beginning to take in what they had done, what had happened in this place.
“I’m alive… Fuck… I’m alive.”
“Ugh… ah… ah…”
Some were filled with regret, others with joy. Each person’s expression was different.
“The number is a little high.”
The voice came as she was staring ahead with a grave expression.
“The number is a little high.”
The horned devil was looking at her as he muttered.
“Isn’t that right, Ann?”
She was no fool. She knew exactly what he was saying.
“Ah… uh…”
“The choice is yours.”
Ann slowly raised her firearm. Her hands were trembling violently. She didn't know if it was from the joy of survival or because of what she had to do now, but it felt like tears were about to fall from her eyes. There was no need to hesitate.
No, this was something she had to go through to be here in the first place.
‘I have to live… Your sister… your sister has to live, right?’
She muttered to the younger brother who remained only in her memory, but no answer came.
A hand rested on her shoulder, patting it as if in encouragement.
Ann bit her lip hard and clenched her trembling hands into fists.
Silence fell within the castle walls.
And there, in the middle of it all,
just like that,
Ann,
pulled the trigger.
Bang.