Extraction Shooter: Escape from Sanctuary (5) - Expedition
1500 years ago, from the moment the empire was first established on the lands of Romanium, the war between demons and humans raged on.
The origin of the demons was unknown.
Some scholars claimed they were creatures akin to humans, kin to the evil gods who opposed the deities worshipped by mankind.
Some mages insisted they were a kind of naturally occurring spirits.
Even a swordmaster once described them as the aggregate of humanity's vile and depraved possibilities.
But whatever the truth, one fact was certain.
Demons were the enemies of humanity.
Not just humans, but elves, dwarves, beastkin, and barbarians as well.
They opposed all beings born with intellect and compassion.
And so, the brutal history of slaughter—from the days when humans wielded weapons of stone and wood—continued unbroken to this day.
"Great Emperor of the Iron-Blood Empire! For the eternal victory of humanity, 40,000 brave souls of the empire stand ready to shake the earth! The 2nd, 6th, and 8th Legions of the 12,000-strong Central Field Army will pierce the enemy's lines and crush their resistance, while the 18,000 troops of the Northern Defense Army's 4th, 11th, and 17th Legions await only your marching orders as our unyielding anvil! Your sharpest sword and central guard, the 10,000 Imperial Guard Legion and allied forces! And our most loyal comrades and vassals, the 400 knights of the Imperial Knight Order, stand prepared to plant the empire's banner in that polluted soil at once!!"
"There is no mercy for those filthy, impure beings. Nothing can stand against our overwhelming steel. Great Emperor, lead us!"
"As emperor and father to all imperial citizens, I command you: Move the legions. Sound the trumpets of purification over the blood-soaked lands!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!"
With a grand departure ceremony, the expeditionary force marched north.
Cavalry Marshal Pavel Ishinkiore, Cassian Valerius, and even the Raiders dispatched from the Adventurer's Guild as mercenaries.
The sight of that colossal army, armed to the teeth with all manner of equipment, marching in unison out of the capital was utterly overwhelming.
The Iron-Blood Emperor, Titus Solla Bellator, stood at the center of the vanguard, turning his gaze toward the Vulcanian Grand Duchy.
Of course.
News of the humans' preparations had already reached the demon lord ruling the territory of the old grand duchy.
Capital of the Vulcanian Grand Duchy, Bornesh.
"My beloved and hated master, clumps of blood seeking to behold you have arrived."
A undead who had once been the grand duchy's prime minister bowed politely.
"Let them enter."
No sooner had the demon lord risen from his throne—crafted from women twisted together as limbs—than they collapsed in a heap on the floor.
From the servants attending him to the furniture he favored, all were former citizens of the old grand duchy.
Undead—vampiric kin—who could not die even if drained of blood.
The Paradise Destroyer. Vampire Lord Belrat.
Those who came to Belrat were five humans cloaked in black robes.
The vampire lord had already discerned their identities.
What human would dare enter a demon lord's lair?
Only two types.
Foolish adventurers calling themselves 'heroes.'
Or 'black mages' who yearned to become demons in human flesh.
"Pathetic remnants, crawling in like worms."
Belrat sneered.
For years, the black mage cults and academies within the empire had crumbled under unprecedented persecution and pursuit.
Despite their thorough compartmentalized structure and underground secrecy, countless comrades had died or been captured.
"Have you come begging for your lives now?"
Undeterred by the blatant scorn and humiliation, the black mages bowed low.
Every mage is bound to their own world and laws, living for them.
An unchanging truth.
Black mages were no different.
No, they were even more so.
Trapped in worlds far more twisted, insidious, and horrific than those of other mages.
They craved vengeance against the empire.
"We fear not death. We seek only the empire's ruin."
"Paradise Destroyer, allow us to lend you our strength."
"I have no need of aid from vermin."
Black mages were fundamentally inferior to demons.
Save for the mad ones reaching grand mage level, or rare cases where humans rivaled demon lords in stature.
Even they would find the vampire lord Belrat—who had lived nearly 800 years—a formidable foe.
Thus, the black mages' visit offered Belrat little aid.
His preparations were already complete.
He had transformed the entire Vulcanian Grand Duchy into a horrific dungeon.
The fortress where the duchy's warriors had fought to the last was now a balrog's nest, defiled with unholy symbols.
The garrisons of valiant legions had become graveyards haunted by the restless spirits of ancient soldiers denied peace.
Even the 'safer' forested areas and nearby lake village, likely for imperial supply lines, were garrisoned with vicious werewolves and high-ranking succubi.
What more preparation was needed?
Even without Belrat stirring, the imperial advance would soon falter.
"Ah, but one thing might prove useful. It's been ages since I tasted fresh blood. I'll savor it without tiring over the next few days, but wetting my appetite before the feast proper isn't bad."
Over his elongated nails, crimson demonic power churned chaotically.
True black magic at its pinnacle, not some crude imitation.
The black mages prostrated themselves even lower at the sight.
"We know. No matter how mighty the Iron-Blood Emperor and his empire, they cannot touch a hair on your exalted form, Lord. Yet we wish for you to enjoy a more entertaining game."
"Game?"
"Everyone in the palace, down to the lowliest servants, knows the Iron-Blood Emperor languishes in profound boredom. What if his forces were slaughtered helplessly before his eyes, as he awaits this expedition? And not by demons, but by turning on each other in self-destruction?"
Belrat's eyes narrowed.
What nonsense were these fools spouting?
With mild curiosity, he withdrew his mana, and the woman at the rear rose.
Discarding her robe revealed eyes gleaming with feral green light.
At minimum, a 6-circle high mage.
"She is an illusionist. The creator of the 'Mask of Phantoms,' a knockoff artifact once circulated in the imperial black market. Her unique magic is 'Doppelganger.'"
Doppelganger.
A type of demon.
Those who mimicked and imitated foes, infiltrating human society through such traits.
"...You mean to command demons? Hah, you lot truly are insane. No one but 'Demon King Sloam' has ever succeeded, even with lesser demons."
"No, Lord. Not commanding demons—we analyzed and harnessed their nature. She... awakened talent in that vein."
She waved her hand, and dark mana coalesced from empty air into human form.
The daughter of the old count whose family Belrat had used as a chair.
"Link our five souls, and she can produce over a hundred clones. The imperial army will plunge into chaos in an instant."
Now, Belrat was genuinely intrigued.
"Hmmm... Quite the amusing parlor trick."
The empire was strong. An undeniable fact.
Vampire Lord Belrat harbored no fear of subjugation, but neither did he delude himself into thinking he could fully repel the emperor and his forces.
But with these black mages' method...
He might inflict devastating damage.
"Very well. I permit it. Adventurers—those loathsome pests—are encroaching on my domain anyway. Handle those rags."
Belrat stationed the black mages in the relatively empty outskirts residential district of the capital Bornesh.
If it meant meaningful entertainment, as they claimed.
If it meant spilling more blood on this soil, etching fear and terror into more souls.
Accepting five black mages was no great burden.
However.
Even Vampire Lord Belrat, who had single-handedly ruled the Vulcanian Grand Duchy, and the surviving black mages could not foresee it.
"Entering the town now! Check your ammo and weapon status!"
"Seven silver rounds for mid-tier demons or higher, 30 brass rounds confirmed! Function check, all clear!"
"Supply troops, prioritize protecting the ammo crates!"
First, even the lowliest grunts were armed with the bizarre new weapon called the mana rifle.
"And remember! Friendly fire will not be tolerated! Exception: if they don't respond to your mumble. If you don't want to die like dogs at your comrades' hands, memorize it cold!"
Second, three-quarters of them had amassed real combat experience in the 'Vulcanian Grand Duchy' through Escape from Sanctuary.
"...Lamonteo, you hear footsteps?"
"Yeah. But isn't that the Canary Clan's sector?"
"Mumble first. Don't wanna shoot friendly by mistake."
"Chiki briki~."
"......"
"Dee dee gee?"
".............."
"Hey, hold up. Blast that bastard!! Doppelganger!!"
Bang!!
With countless mumbles, having mastered the tongue of Russian Sanctuary goblins, friend-or-foe identification was child's play for them.
The black mages stood no chance against speech they couldn't comprehend.
"Ch-chicken braki?"
"Pronunciation's off! Doppelganger here!! Warnin'!! Warnin' warnin' warnin'!!"
"W-wait, I'm a real adventurer from the next party! Look!"
QEQEQEQE.
"Nice recoil. Sometimes hard to tell from scavengers, huh."
They couldn't even spark minor chaos on the front lines before being effortlessly repelled.
But the other fronts fared no better.
"A balrog... defeated just three hours into combat? How?!"
"Master, not just the balrog. The werewolves in the great forest were wiped out too. By the empire's 17th Legion."
"The northern legions are just rabble, aren't they? I heard another legion was just annihilated at the academy...?"
It was a bewildering situation.
Two fronts breached immediately.
While the imperial army couldn't even approach Poeri Fortress or the old academy—losing an entire legion there.
The high castle and great forest failed to hold even properly, their guarding demons swept away.
Certain legions advanced far too swiftly.
Contact with the black mages in the town had long been lost.
The old prime minister gazed at Belrat and spoke.
"My beloved and hated master, today may be the day you meet your end."
Though his corpse-face couldn't emote, it felt like mockery.
"These... these goddamn vermin...!!!"
Now, conversely, it was Belrat's turn to start 'Escape from Vulcanian.'